#he chooses who will live and who will die

[practicalbracer]

this reveal about the rat grinders is horrific. can you imagine? you can either be trapped in your own body unable to pass on or partially offer control of yourself to an angry hostile god.

for kipperlily, already angry and bloodthirsty, this worked out well.

for ivy, oisin, ruben, and mary ann, they’d rather live than die.

but lucy choose to be trapped. she would not abandon her goddess no matter how hard kipperlily tried to get her to.

and now buddy. god, he just shatters my heart. not only did he have no support from his party, but kipperlily kills him. did he even get a chance to talk to helio? either way:

he speaks to helio. and he’s insufferable. he is not the god he thought he was.

he doesn’t speak to helio. but helio did not save him, he was killed. allowed to be killed.

and either way, he abandons him for the first god who approaches him that will firstly bring him back and secondly actually offer him strength and protect him.

what a false idol helio is, for letting him die. what a mistake he made.

[empressofthesunwriter]

Change the Narrative

If people knew the truth, they would call her a selfish monster.

But Katara had sacrificed anything for the world, for an ungrateful husband!

This time she would always choose herself first!

Here is a little one-shot of my anger about what happened to Katara in canon.

I want to give her the end she deserves, so I hope you enjoy it!

Katara knew it was time for her to die.

She felt it in her old bones.

Alone she lay in her bed at the South Pole and watched how the snow was falling.

At least she would die seeing the beauty of her homeland.

It was a good death.

The old woman blinked tears away and tried to be positive about her nearing death.

She would see Sokka, her father, her mother and Gran-Gran again.

It was good.

She had lived a long happy life.

Something burning and unsettling spread through her chest as she thought this.

Was it a happy life?

How often did she and Aang argue over simple things?

How often did she beg him not to play favourites with Tenzin? Yes, their youngest was an airbender, but what about Bumi and Kya? They were his children too.

But no!

The Air Nomad legacy was more important than their two oldest children and their pain.

Once upon a time when she was a young girl and fantasized about the man and family one day she would have, she never would have guessed how she became the kind of mother, who didn't fight for her children.

Who didn't call out her husband for his wrongdoings?

However, she had so with Aang. Since she had met him, she always had mothered him, shielded him from things which didn't fit his narrative.

He was the Avatar, the only hope to end the war, with a track record of running away.

They couldn't lose him, so she had protected him the best she could.

And she did so to her children.

No wonder Bumi and Kya didn't even visit her and Tenzin didn't have much of a relationship with her.

Where did she go wrong in her life?

When did she become a shadow of herself in the name of love?

Why did she even choose Aang?

Was it because of Aunt Wu's prediction, she would marry a powerful bender or because she had a feeling Aang...deserved her?

He loved her and had ended the war.

Was it so bad to give him a chance?

Sadly after sacrificing her best years for him and being rewarded to die alone without her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren around her, it may have been the most stupid decision she ever made.

Spirits, was she a bad person to think that?

She loved her family, really she did, but deep down she had to admit...she wouldn't do it a second time.

Katara wouldn't sacrifice herself, her ideals, and her dreams for Aang's dream.

She had her whole life given and given and was now at the end of it rewarded with nothing.

Tears streamed down her cheeks, as she slowly closed her eyes.

Soon she would join her loved ones...

Just...

If she could...

If the spirits were so kind...

If dear Yue heard her...

She wanted a second chance.

She wanted to live a life for herself and herself alone.

Katara had given in this life all and more...was it so bad that she wished for a second chance to get it this time right?

Was she selfish?

Maybe.

Surely.

But anyone had a point in their life where they had to put themselves first.

Her only regret was that she did not realise it sooner.

Katara closed her eyes and felt the last beats of her heart.

Never noting how the moon was shining brightly down at her...

***

She felt pain in her head.

Katara hissed and touched her forehead.

Why did she get a headache?

Where was she?

She blinked to banish the shadows before her eyes.

Slowly she could see.

Ah yes.

She was outside General Iroh's tea shop in Ba Sing Se.

The waterbender had seen Aang walk out and wanted to join him.

It was high time that she gave Aang her answer about them being a couple.

She had been unsure a few days ago, but now with the war over...why shouldn't she give him a chance?

He was standing at the balustrade watching the setting sun, it was the perfect moment.

As the waterbender made her first step towards him, an avalanche of emotions and vision filled her whole being.

Katara gasped quietly, trying to make sense of this.

It was too fast and also too slow...however, she felt it in her bones...whatever she had planned kissing Aang and getting together with him...it would be the worst decision of her life!

No, she didn't want what she had seen.

How could she sell herself, her principals, and her honour for a guy?!

How could she be together with someone who would play favourites with their children?!

No, absolutely not!

Whether this was a vision from the future to save her from this faith Katara didn't know, but what she knew she wouldn't make the same mistakes twice!

So angry she walked up to Aang and tapped his shoulder.

The Avatar turned smiling towards her. He seemed so happy and hopeful and looked at her like she had hung the stars and the moon.

For a second she flatter, which only made the vision come forth again and made her anger tenfold.

Oh no!

Not with her!

"Aang.", she began. "I don't love you and I never will! Stop pestering me about us being a couple! If you don't accept my feelings I will waterwhip you do your next incarnation, do you understand me?!"

To say he was shocked was the understatement of the century. She could formally see the heartbreak in his eyes and how he tried to speak up, maybe to guilt trip her, however, she wasn't having anything of it.

"Nothing you will say and do will ever change my mind! So don't even try. I will go back with Sokka to the South Pole and rebuild my home. That's where I belong!"

Dramatically she turned around and entered the tea shop again.

The others tried their hardest to seem like they hadn't listened in, yet Katara saw through them.

She sends them all an annoyed look.

"What?!"

No one said anything for a few seconds before Toph snickered: "Oh sugar queen, I hoped you had it in you."

This makes Katara smile.

***

The next months of her life Katara rebuilt with her father and Sokka their home. 

The Nothern Watertribe had tried to turn the South into a second North, except Katara was having none of it.

As a war hero, master waterbender and daughter of the chief she used all her power to stop this chances.

She was a force of nature!

No one had a chance against her.

Her family was so proud of her and she was satisfied with herself.

Yes, this was where she belonged.

Helping people and not being the soulless, passionless arm candy of Aang!

Katara was happy.

A voice inside her told her how she deserved it.

***

A year later found Katara as ambassador for her people at the first peace summit.

She was happy seeing Zuko again, they had written to each other, yet seeing each other in person was much better.

He had become her best friend.

And her wall against Aang.

As Avatar he was at the peace summit too. Of course, he tried to talk with her. Tried to sway her, saying he missed her and wanted to be friends again.

She saw right through him. Aang still wanted her.

Thank the spirits for Zuko having her back and distracting Aang.

When they enjoyed together a cup of tea in General Iroh's tea shop she thanked him for his help.

Awkwardly he waved it away.

It was nothing.

He and Mai had broken up and the black-haired girl wasn't happy about it.

Even if she and Aang weren't exes, Zuko knew how frustrating it was to have a person follow you like a shadow and demand to be together again.

In comfort, she petted Zuko's hand and told him he did the right thing to end things with Mai.

If she couldn't accept a no was she a good girlfriend?

A little crooked smile formed on Zuko's lips, and her heart stopped for a second, as he thanked her for her words and friendships.

Then he asked her to join him in the search for his mother.

***

Being with Zuko on a life-changing field trip again was... exciting.

They still worked flawlessly together, like when they had hunted down the murder of her mother, but now they were friends.

It changed a lot of interactions.

They were playful with each other.

Zuko was the only one who ever laughed at her jokes.

They were there for each other.

In the long days when they hunted down one clue after another and Zuko seemed to lose hope, Katara reminded him to never give up.

They shared the workload.

It was amazing not mothering someone and having someone help her around camp.

They were getting closer to each other.

They shared things they never told anyone.

Zuko told her how he got his scar and Katara hugged him, wishing Aang had killed Ozai.

Wishing Ozai was before her and making him pay for hurting her best friend!

Sometimes they just stared at the stars, inventing constellations, their hands inching closer.

Something new was born between them.

Katara didn't know what it was, but she would enjoy it.

It made her feel good.

After weeks on the road, they finally found Ursa.

And also a society of hiding airbenders.

Katara couldn't help but laugh in utter glee.

***

Was it really that surprising that Katara and Zuko fell in love with each other after their journey?

When she kissed Zuko for the first time, it was like coming home. 

Warm, welcome, familair, intim.

It was the best sensation in the world.

Something inside her told her this was how it was supposed to be.

After two years of dating and being the ambassador of the Southern Water Tribe in the Fire Nation, they married.

All their friends and half of the world were invited.

Yes, even Aang.

Aang was so grateful to Katara and Zuko for having found his people and was busy with the air nomads to rebuild their society, and seemed to finally let go of Katara.

Now they really could be friends.

***

Katara of the Southern Water Tribe, master bender, war hero and Fire Lady became a living legend.

Not only the people in the Fire Nation adored her, but she used the power she wielded to make the whole world a better place.

She was the one who came up with the idea of Republic City, a place where all nations could live in harmony.

She revolutionized the art of healing with her bloodbending.

She installed fountains and aqueducts everywhere she could, so people had clean water.

Statues were built and universities, streets even neighbourhoods were named in her honour.

Katara taught new generations of waterbenders like her daughter Kya and people formally fought over to learn from the Fire Lady.

When their oldest daughter Izumi became Fire Lady, Katara and Zuko retired to Ember Island to live out their twilight years in peace.

They often had visits from their friends and families.

Their son Lu Ten, a nonbender, had married a waterbender named Mizuki and had with her five children.

So the proud grandparents helped their son and daughter-in-law raise the rascals.

It was fulfilling.

As Aang then died and was reborn as Korra from the Southern Water Tribe Katara and Zuko moved to the South to teach the new Avatar.

Korra loved Katara and Zuko like grandparents and loved hearing about their adventures.

After Korra goes to Republic City to learn airbending from one of Aang's sons he had with one of the hiding airbenders, the pair returns to Ember Island.

Zuko died a few months before her.

Katara followed him after the birth of their third great-grandchild.

Both died surrounded by their big and bustling family.

As Katara died, her oldest great-granddaughter, who was named after her held her hand, she couldn't help but feel happy.

She had lived a long and wonderful life.

Soon she would be together again with her beloved husband and her family.

And so the greatest and most beloved Fire Lady died in peace with no regrets in her heart, her story being told for thousands of years to come.

***

The Legend of Katara became a tale which young girls loved.

From a simple waterbender to a master, war hero and ruler over a nation, who changed the world only a few ever could.

It showed all girls, that they could do anything they wanted.

They could reach their goals and go even beyond.

This was Katara's legacy.

As it should have been.

If you liked this one-shot and want more Zutara, a badass OC, personal growth for Aang and the Gaang being amazing check out Yin and Yang! 

Click on my profile and leave a comment.

I hope you liked this little One-Shot!

Let’s now scream together in the comment section how Katara deserved better and if it’s not canon we will give it to her in fanon! :D

[imsosleepyofyourbull]

I don’t think I’ll ever stop talking about Tachihara and how important his identity crisis is to me.

He spent so long under the shadow of an older brother he only really knew by the way everyone told him they were too similar and yet nothing alike, and when he tried to break free he ended up in the exact same place that Shunzen and Yosano did. Stuck in the military holding up ideals that are too big for their bodies. Fukuchi straight up made him choose between prison/death and medical malpractice when he was fifteen at the oldest, probably fourteen. And then when he finally found a home where everybody who loved him actually loved him, he was lying to them the entire time! He probably went into that final battle with the expectation that, if he even lived, they would never look at him the same.

But it’s so heavily implied that they knew what he did and kept loving him anyway! Hirotsu straight up said, “Whoever did this made sure they didn’t kill us.”

He told Tachihara that if he was Port Mafia then he’d know what to do, and he did it!

And it’s such a perfect mirror to Yosano. They’re both tied to Shunzen in irreversible ways, defined by his life and death and finding homes in people who never really cared about the dead man or how he was connected to their person outside of its effects on them. The ADA and the Port Mafia are both places that the two of them were willing to die to see survive, and they only ever faltered in each other’s presence BECAUSE of their connection. Yosano thought Tachihara had the right to kill her for what she did and the way she took the right of death away from Shunzen, but Tachihara always knew that it wasn’t really her fault and couldn’t kill her over it even thought he spent so long thinking about it.

The ADA never wanted Yosano for her ability the same way the Black Lizard never wanted Tachihara for Shunzen. They’re just so GDJHDJDHDKHFKFHDJHF!!!!

I really hope Asagiri continues this plot point and doesn’t desert in order to keep hyping up Dazai. I understand that he’s smart and cool and his character is interesting too, but it’s exhausting to constantly have every intelligent thing everyone else does ascribed to Dazai or Fyodor “knowing that would happen” or “trusting them to act like they thought.” Higuchi’s ability still hasn’t been revealed, Tachihara is still dead or missing (as is Jouno), Teruko just disappeared, and Akutagawa is still a vampire???? God knows where Gin and Hirotsu are. I just want Yosano and Tachihara to make up and for Tachihara to get more fanfic pretty please…

[milliesaxe]

The concept of a stolitz marriage does mess me up because these are two characters who believe a happy marriage is impossible—not for others, mind you, but for themselves.

Blitz is sure that he will die alone, that every romantic relationship in his life is destined for the scrap heap. Stolas only knows marriage as an obligation, and, once it’s made his reality, a form of punishment. I mean, can you imagine?

Blitz getting married would mean he’s acknowledged that he’s not waiting for the implosion anymore. It’s him holding the belief that tying himself to someone could be a positive experience for both parties. He’s not running, not avoiding—instead looking his desire for a partnership in the face, accepting it boldly, and being rewarded for doing so.

Stolas getting married would mean a second chance to live his life, this time guided by his own desires. Getting to choose a partner that he’s attracted to in body and mind. It would be a previously dreaded experience replaced with anticipation and warm curiosity for the future. Being chosen by another for himself and himself only.

These two individuals who see themselves as loveless being bound for love, surrounded by the friends and family they made for themselves that cherish them… it hits.

[bluelokk]

and what the rin extra told us is that rin won't die. he can't die. I actually don't really feel like dissecting this extra bc it feels very light-hearted when you ignore anything else but of course I did anyway lol but just a little something. rin evaded death by pulling that stunt which absolutely nobody taught him how to. rin lived bc of his talent. reading blue lock and his ln chapter, it's probably letting other voices took power over him (things like his teammates' words and sae's dream) that could kill him. it's like. it's like through this lense, night snow sae didnt kill him. he probably knew he couldn't, maybe he really never intended to. regardless rin would continue to live, and even more alive than before! the only person that could kill rin is himself. that's what he did in u-20 match (victim was the rin who attached his sense of self to others).

after the match rin thought sae probably had always known about this: his hunger for destruction driven by his talent wouldn't let him die. rin said 'if I can't chase my dream with you, I have no reason to play soccer' like he was that close to kill himself (quitting soccer) that night and suddenly. Suddenly what sae said to him was what saved him. sae was hurt too there's probably tons of analyses already put out there—he lashed out at rin and let rin's mind do the rest, but not to kill him! he probably gambled what path rin would choose after that: prove that he could stand by himself, fueled by his desire to destroy or just. kill himself (quit soccer). in other words prove that sae was never wrong about him bc he's his brother or let their brotherhood die with him.

anyways that sae gave him the match ticket after night snow is the most siblings thing ever

[amuseoffyre]

Thinking about the fact that Stede has the flashback to two of the most impactful moments in his childhood immediately after killing Ned.

The moments where he was:

chased and beaten for being gentle and soft and tied to a dinghy and pelted with rocks

forced to watch his father kill a living creature and was told this was what he had to do in order to be a man and that this is something he will never ever be because of his nature

He retreats to hide. This is the man who said "what if it wasn't like that?" and has wanted to avoid killing if at all possible.

And then Ed comes to him in the room and he grabs him, urgent, panicked, desperate to know he hasn't done something wrong. And Ed, who told him they should go slow, suddenly agrees, changes his mind about the going slow and pulls him in.

In a way, it's kind of solidifying this idea that is lodged in his head that this is what Ed wants in him. He doesn't see Ed look away, stricken, when he strikes the killing blow.

It ties back to the dream in 2x1, when he projected the kind of pirate he thought he had to be when he found Ed: a swashbuckling, masculine bearded equal to him. Also someone who will do the violence in a way he never really has. "Killing. And having to kill". The stuff that sent him into a panic spiral in 1x1.

The fact that his dream!Ed specifically compliments his beard and he says "I'm trying something new" is so much of Stede's messy subconscious stuff.

Something something, him getting his ear pierced is trying to manifest the piratey appearance he dreamed for himself.

He's never believed he could be enough as himself: "I'm afraid your life is better without me" and agreeing with Chauncey when he's called a plague and a defiler of beautiful things.

So some twisted up logic in his brain is saying "this is what Ed wants" because Ed sleeps with him after he does a man's work. Layered onto that is Ed congratulating him on his fame and encouraging him to enjoy it.

So surely, this is what Ed wants, right? Ed has wanted him to be more like this the whole time, hasn't he? He can do that! He's being a real man! He even has a man in a bloody apron telling him he's "the fuckin' dude". He's accomplished Real Man status! He's not going to be seen as the soft-handed, weak-hearted, lily-livered little rich boy anymore. He's accepted and celebrated and people "like me for me".

Only then, out of nowhere for him, Ed tells him it was a mistake and leaves him. His entire perspective of what's been happening crumbles around him. Ed's tendency to deflect with metaphor and subtext and Stede's need for directness clash so hard. Ed has so much spiralling in his noggin, but he doesn't explain any of it, and Stede can't see any reason for what's happening.

And the next we see of him, miserable in the pub, Izzy scatters his new 'friends' with a word. Suddenly he's alone again and not even adequate enough for people to stay with him. Everyone leaving him because even when he's the Celebrated Gentleman Pirate, he's not enough.

And that's why we get the framing of him exactly as we did in the scene when his father tore verbal strips out of him and told him he was worth nothing.

For a moment, Izzy manages to ground him, reassure him and stop him doing something reckless that'd get him killed.

And then the rest of Stede's crew choose to start leaving him and it's the straw that breaks the camel's back, because Ed leaving is bad but his crew - his found family - leaving him for someone who planned to execute half of them? Like he's nothing to them? That's the thing that shatters him, so he goes toe-to-toe with Zheng, despite knowing she is his superior in every possible way.

Like Ed, he's going to watch the world burn or die trying.

[backgroundagent3]

for the character ask, daisy johnson!

Thank you so much for the ask! 💜 I love any excuse to talk about Daisy Johnson.

First impression: I'm trying to squeeze my brain here, but all I remember was trying not to like her at first because I knew se was a double agent for the Rising Tide. It goes without saying I failed miserably about three episodes in.

Impression now: She is my favourite character of all time.

Favorite moment: I really can't choose, but one that comes to mind was the final fight of season 5. I think it's a very underrated fight scene, because it's the end of the world, her dad is dying, she has been recently betrayed and tortured by her friend, and she still goes into battle BY HERSELF against Talbot, and if that wasn't bad enough, when she's about to die a horrible death she realises that the only way she can save the world is if she takes the serum and basically condemns the person she loves most to his death. It's so heartbreaking and poetic, but very cool to watch, and I just love so much it, idk.

Idea for a story: This is angsty but I would love to read something where the events of 5.14 are properly dealt with. May watches the security cameras and goes ballistic on Fitz, and Daisy gets time to grieve and heal. They get Coulson back and he's horrified, and Jemma is so conflicted but she's there for her best friend.

Unpopular opinion: Since apparently I can't stop thinking about season 5, here's some more. I think she actually did a good job of leading the team in season 5b. Especially if you consider that she's been recently tortured, her family doesn't seem to care, she has no experience, and hasn't gotten a good nights sleep in about 5 years. She might be tough, but hello? IT'S THE END OF THE WORLD?? You have to be at least a little bossy if you wanna make it through that. Also if you're gonna be a baby and call her a hard ass maybe you should have thought twice before joining SHIELD.

Favorite relationship: If it's romantic, then Sousa. I love them so so much, they're literally perfect and despite my obvious outrage at season 5, I will forever love the AoS writers for somehow pulling that off. As for platonic relationships, I'd say May. She's the perfect mother figure for her, and I love the parallels between them. I think Daisy has the best relationships in general, but this one is my favourite. Honourable mentions go to Coulson for being the most unhinged dad ever, and to Jemma for being the sweetest friend in the earlier seasons.

Favorite headcanon: before she goes off to space at the end of season 7, she rebuilds Afterlife with the help of Sousa and Kora. I've said this before, but I think they are actually the perfect team to do this. Kora has lived in Afterlife her whole life, she's seen Jiaying help people go through Terrigenesis, and she's been though it herself in a much healthier and safer environment than Daisy. Sousa is reasonable and calm, which are good qualities to have when you're helping someone who's terrified and potentially dangerous. He has experience leading people, which I think would make him a good mentor for the Inhumans. So Kora has the experience, Sousa has the qualities, and in my opinion, Daisy has a nice combination of the two. She has a different and much more horrifying experience of Terrigenesis that people who accidentally go though it can relate to, and she has spent years exploring and controlling her powers, so she knows what the deal is. And she's also a good leader, so where Sousa can help the Inhumans pre-Terrigenesis, she can train them after if that's what they want. Because that's another thing, SHIELD may be funding Afterlife, but they've learnt their lesson and they're not sticking their noses where they shouldn't. They accept new recruits and help train them, but if that's not what the Inhumans want, then SHIELD helps them get settled back into their normal lives. Anyways this got long but it's one of my favourite headcanons, so there you go.

Thank you so much for the ask! Sorry for rambling, but I have a lot to say about Daisy. 🌼💛

Character Asks.

[takineko-arts]

I really enjoyed the ways death is personified in Mad Max, especially in Beyond Thunderdome.

"Remember where you are. This is Thunderdome, and death is listening, and will take the first man that screams."

"I ain't Captain Walker. I'm the guy who carries Mr. Dead in his pocket."

[writer-room]

Honestly Rayla is equally 100% ride or die for Callum too.

That's so true I almost mentioned it in that post. They're so ridiculously feral for each other it's hilarious to watch. Callum's the legitimate "we ride AND die together" whereas Rayla is the "I will ride and die FOR you" sort of deal yknow?

Could be literally any situation, no matter how dangerous, and she's already decided she will die here. Does it ensure Callum lives? Then batter-up buckeroo we're going in swords blazing! Everyone cheer and clap for her human or she'll blow this whole place up. Kinda person who says "even if you hate me I'd still lose everything if it meant you were okay". She thinks they're in a tragic love story where she's always at risk of losing him but that's okay as long as it keeps him safe and happy like y'know Viren parallels, she'd risk losing her very self for him over and over. Except Callum would wait until the end of the world itself, and even beyond, and she wouldn't even have to ask.

The difference between them, really, is that Rayla will die for Callum on any given day. Callum will kill for Rayla on any given day. Something something matching sets

[clairenatural]

standing by my angel!cas endgame truth while also kicking my feet and giggling writing cute domestic human!cas post-canon fics. a woman can do both

[mayasaura]

i had a very sad au idea. where gideon gets off the ninth and joins the cohort. one of the commanding officers realizes that gideon shares a name with a lyctor and looks like Wake. cue jod finding out gideon exists and kiriona 2.0 happens (buts Worse)

I love this AU, (and really any version of "Gideon manages to escape to the Cohort and her dad finds out she exists,") though I have to admit I'm not quite understanding your vision. I can't see what makes it all that sad, or Worse than canon.

The way I'm seeing it, this Gideon flipped the Ninth the double-bird then got clotheslined into being a Prince, all with Harrow still safe at home to have her snooty little nose rubbed in it. Gideon will be able to write her a letter saying:

"Addressing Her Ghastliness the Lady Harrowhark Nonagesimus, Reverend Daughter of the Ninth House serving the Emperor Undying: Hey, asswipe, remember when we were kids and you said my other parent wasn't important? Guess a-fucking-gain, loser! Signed, Crown Prince Kiriona Gaia the First, First Lieutenant of the Cohort, Heir to the First House, only daughter to the Emperor Divine (formerly known to you as Gideon Nav, not that you ever called me by it. Suck on that, creepozoid) p.s. Chill out, I haven't told my dad anything that would embarrass the Ninth, and I won't unless you give me reason to. p.p.s. The Emperor send his regards to your parents! :)"

And she'll still be alive to feel her heart race as she pictures the face Harrow will make after breaking open the seal on this very important missive from the First House to read it.

[turnleft]

do you ever think about how in journey’s end donna thought she had nothing else to live for, but in the star beast she had something (someone) to die for

[muninnhuginn]

feeling so normal about li bing and qiu qingzhi btw

[dimiclaudeblaigan]

Something that SEEERIOUSLY isn’t talked about enough among Rodrigue fans is how Rodrigue (almost? or generally) always refers to Dimitri as “Your/His Highness” except in the moment that Dimitri’s life was at risk right in front of Rodrigue and Rodrigue shielded him with his own body.

Rodrigue is always respectful and aware of their stations, but none of that matters when Dimitri is almost killed. Rodrigue reacts emotionally without station in mind, forgetting to refer to him in an “appropriate” manner and reacting instead in a more intimate manner (i.e. using a person’s name instead of their title).

Most people wouldn’t dare to refer to their prince by their first name, but Rodrigue forgets all that the moment Dimtiri is in danger. He follows up that familial intimacy by calling Dimitri “my boy”. In a way it’s like Rodrigue's formalities are just forced expectations that are ingrained into him, because his actual instinct is to refer to Dimitri in a familial way. If he doesn’t have time to think about what he’s saying, it will be Dimitri’s name that he uses because that’s how he truly thinks of Dimitri.

He doesn’t solely view Dimitri as his prince. He views Dimitri as family, and in a setting where royalty exists, it’s so important to the relationship in question when that societal expectation is broken, simply because it tells you exactly what that character thinks of their royalty.

When royalty’s life is in danger, it would even make sense for people to hesitate because if they do anything, they might also be in danger and generally humans instinctually prioritize their own life (even if they do really want to step in to help). That typically is not the case with humans regarding loved ones, where that instinct instead changes to an instinct where they automatically step in to protect people dear to them - especially parents to their children. Parents - not just in humans but in most forms of life (cats, dogs, etc) - are extremely protective of their children and react without a second - even a first - thought, because it’s not a thought at all when they see their children in danger. It’s a base reaction.

Rodrigue wasn’t witnessing his prince being attacked. He was witnessing his son being attacked, and he reacted as a father would - not as a knight, a vassal or anyone under Dimitri’s station and how they would be expected to react to protect him. Dimitri didn’t have to be his blood son for him to react the same way a blood parent would. Dimitri wasn’t born to him but he was Rodrigue’s son all the same and he couldn’t accept his boy being harmed.

I love that his reaction is exactly the same as what Lambert would have done. I love that in that one moment when he didn’t have time to think about his word choice, such important stations meant absolutely nothing to him. I love that what was important to him was Dimitri the person, and not Dimitri the prince. I love that at the very end, he died knowing his boy was safe and alive. I love that, when he starts reusing “Your Highness”, it’s only after the immediate danger has passed and he has time to actually process his word choice again, because it really drives home how quickly and thoughtlessly he reacted to seeing Dimitri in danger when he dropped formalities to use his first name.

He also didn’t tell him to live for the people or live because he was a prince. He wanted Dimitri to remember to live for himself and likely died with the hope that those being his last words would be taken much more heavily and sincerely, and give Dimitri a lot to think about in regard to caring for himself as a person and not just seeing himself as a prince/future king, because Rodrigue also saw him as a person.

Not only did Rodrigue protect his son (which mind you must have been extremely important to him after already losing a son. Can you imagine how devastated he would be to lose another child? This time he saved a son from death, which he was unable to do previously and he wasn’t present to be able to even try), but he gave Dimitri the thing Dimitri desired the most from those he loved: he treated Dimitri like a regular person who needed to live his own life for himself, and in the single most critical moment to Rodrigue, forgot to use titles and formalities and openly expressed his true feelings just by using Dimitri’s name alone.

Dimitri never liked all those stuffy behaviors and titles. He just wanted to be a person. Rodrigue, his family, gave him that at Rodrigue’s very end, explicitly informing Dimitri that was how this man always thought of him just from that one moment of Rodrigue’s feelings slipping through. He was always keeping up appearances, but Dimitri was always just Dimitri to him.

Also, Rodrigue says “please tell me it wasn’t in vain”. Remember, Rodrigue’s son died in vain. Glenn didn’t actually get to protect Dimitri. Earlier, Rodrigue stated that Dimitri’s injuries left him on the verge of death. Glenn didn’t die protecting him. Glenn died in a tragedy. Nothing Glenn did that day that led to his death actually helped Dimitri survive. Dimitri survived because Gilbert found him in time.

Rodrigue knows that and doesn’t want another person dear to Dimitri to die a death that didn’t need to happen. He also doesn’t want it to be in vain because if it was, he would have died being unable to protect his son. Rodrigue “died for what he believed in”, but he died because he thoughtlessly, without hesitation, died to save his son. He believed in Dimitri, but he also believed Dimitri to be his child as much as Glenn and Felix ever were.

Even though Glenn did die in vain, he attempted to die keeping his best friend alive. He believed in his best friend, just like Lambert believed in his son to be able to saved if he ever went astray.

Before Rodrigue dies, he last thoughts are of Lambert, but also his promise to Lambert, which was about Dimtiri.

Rodrigue was always thinking of his family throughout the whole game (literally, he brings up Felix to Byleth regularly and brings up Glenn throughout the story as well), and that extended to Lambert and Dimtiri. At the very last, he literally died like he lived, and that was for his family.

[thatgirlonstage]

Deep breath. Steeples fingers. It’s the way Arthur never needed to know Merlin was part of his destiny to be on his side over and OVER again

[thedreadvampy]

1 week left for Charlie to do the funniest thing he'll do in his life