#he doesn't know what he wants and he's consumed by his own ambition

[quatregats]

Hornblower's arc as a character is so fascinating to me because everything he does is a performance to get to the top, and now that he's (ostensibly) gotten there, he has no idea what to do with himself. He has no idea who he's supposed to be, and the man that he's constantly performing isn't him, but he's gotten so caught up in a certain ideal of success that he can't imagine any way out. It's so interesting to see him at the beginning of this book trying to grapple with having "made it" because he's reached a point where he can't perform any further, where he's supposed to be genuine, but he can't because he's genuinely not happy. I think that this quote, in particular, is quite telling (even though I'm not sure if even CS Forester intended it to be)—for a moment he actually starts to get on the right track and realize that he doesn't want to be here, but he falls back immediately into his old performative persona of the Successful Naval Officer because it's been so long since he knew what he wanted that all he can do is perform. Who is he? How would he even be happy? At this point in the narrative I think he's so far gone that I'm not sure there are answers to those questions anymore, and it's fascinating.

[favvn]

I love how Kirk and Lenore's first meeting goes. He is returning back to the planet with the full intent of speaking to Anton Karidian after looking into Kodos/Karidian through the ship's computer, so his plans are altered when Lenore tells him her father doesn't meet anyone personally or go to parties. He decides to charm Lenore instead. And right away, the dialogue gives a tell: "You saw Macbeth. That was my father."

Macbeth here can refer both to the play itself and the titular character in the play, the Scottish general who is told by a trio of witches he will be king, and he is so consumed by the ambition this prophecy brings, that he murders King Duncan to ascend to the throne. He and Lady Macbeth kill more people to keep their crimes secret and retain power, and the two descend into madness amidst a civil war. Does any of this seem at all familiar, perhaps, to Tarsus IV's revolution, Kodos' declaration of martial law to gain control, etc.? ("The revolution was a success [...] I was a soilder in a cause.")

And Lenore goes for a sip of her drink to stop talking. She wants this line of conversation to go nowhere, both because of her father and possibly because she is aware she has said too much. By linking her father to Macbeth, she inadvertently recalls Kodos and Tarsus IV. Remember, she knows that Kirk is a survivor of Tarsus IV, so it is in her interest to play coy and keep Anton Karidian out of the conversation. (In other words, this whole scene is a game of cat and mouse. Kirk wants to use her to get to her father, Lenore wants to kill Kirk to protect her father.)

But Kirk is the one to link her to Lady Macbeth, and rather than respond, "My name is Lenore when I am not on the stage," Lenore plays along. By coyly hiding behind the role of Lady Macbeth, she inadvertantly allows Kirk to see how the Karidians work, assuming Kirk knows his Shakespeare. (In all honesty, this dialogue is more so for the audience's benefit. Had Kirk realized it was Lenore right here, I think even Columbo himself would call bullshit. Still, picking out these details makes for a fun rewatch.)

In the play, Lady Macbeth pushes her husband to action and cleans up after his mess by killing Duncan's guards. Lenore was born after the Tarsus IV massacre so this is obviously not to say she pushed her father into a massacre, but she has decided to dispose of the survivors lest they come back to cause problems for her father. It's in this way that Lenore is like Lady Macbeth as the two women commit further crimes to hide the initial crime perpetrated by the one they love and to retain power.

These two are playing unspoken 3D chess, but this is the extent of their conversation. Awkward! Still, it is neat that Kirk ignores Lenore's opening for more information about him. He just takes her phrasing and throws it back at her and then asks a question to actually get her talking.

Regardless of Kirk's own knowledge of the play, it is still fun that after saying, "So, Lady Macbeth. Interesting," Kirk then asks, "What's your next move?" This would be akin to asking, "Who do you intend to kill next?" but since the Macbeth references are for the audience's benefit, Kirk's intended meaning is, of course, "Where will you perform next?"

Still, Lenore Karidian just gives him a look as she takes a sip of her drink, as if she understands all too well the layers behind this exchange.

It is by the end of this exchange that Lenore finally tells Kirk her name, and it is by asking how well she played the role of Lenore Karidian. The earlier exchange on the couch might have been odd, but this goes to show Lenore's willingness to play a role, even at the expense of her own life. She's no longer making nods and winks towards the theater. Her life is one long act in a play. Her killing the survivors of Tarsus IV is just as much for her own peace of mind as it is for her father at this point. (Need I remind anyone of the fate of Lady Macbeth?)

[munmomuu]

Gale's ambition and the orb's hunger

Rambling about Gale's ambition after seeing the alternative ending dialogue for Gale. Spoilers for the entirety of his story.

This dialogue shows that even though Mystra doesn't rid Gale fo the orb, after defeating the Netherbrain his orb seems to change. It's hunger, gone.

Did Mystra quiet the orb?

If the player asks about it being Mystra's influence, Gale doesn't deny it could be Mystra, but refers that the orb's hunger was fuelled with his own. I have seen some origin spoilers for Gale that Mystra does apparently tell him that the orb is a consequence of his actions - this is why she hasn't "done" anything about it. It's a punishment.

It wouldn't make sense in this timeline that she would rid Gale of his orb because during the game, he didn't obey Mystra at all. While it could be possible that Mystra would do it out of "well you saved the world, I guess that's good enough" reward, she never really presented that as an option. She wanted the crown. Saving the world was seemingly secondary to her.

What we know about the orb previously?

So, just to know if Gale being content would affect the orb, we should consider what it does to him. Thorought the game, we get several references it being compared to hunger directly. "Clawing my insides like a teething displacer kitten"; narrator describing the hunger when he shows the orb to you; his condition is called "Arcane Hunger".

His treatment is literally feeding pure weave to it, and this is also what Mystra does once Elminster places her charm on him. It seems like the Karsite weave is to made to consume weave. He descibes that consuming the magic "never feels right, but it relieves".

We can't talk about the orb without mentioning Karsus. There's also a lot of mentions about Karsus being ambitious, same as with Gale, especially after hitting act 3. We know that Gale was ambitious even before the game - his orb is the consequence of that ambition, when he wanted to prove himself worthy of wielding more power to Mystra.

Was the orb's hunger strenghtened by the tadpole and the Crown?

Gale doesn't seem to know that the orb is Netherese until Mystra tells it is Karsus' creation. Gale seems to know the orb is Netherese origin, but doesn't connect it to Karsus until Mystra tells him. We also know from the hag, if we try her let help us with the tadpole, that the tadpole is imbued with Netherese magic. Gale's offhanded comment about the orb destabilizing because of Netherese sandals seems like a joke to me, but his condition started to decline eventually when he was tadpoled, until Mystra starts to feed it.

I think being near the crown also affected Gale. During his romance scene in act 2, he mentions about feeling the heart of Absolute, and how much heavier his heart becomes. It could be a metaphor just him sensing being closer to death, but what if it is actually a physical sensation he feels being nearer the crown? He can't feel the hunger anymore that the orb would cause, because it is being fed.

If you kill Elminster before he can set the charm on Gale, the end of act 2 is the furthest you can get Gale to come with you until he leaves permanently, because the orb gets so destabilized he feels it's not safe to be around you anymore. This could be the Crown's influence on him overtaking his hunger.

Act 3 - Physical hunger is gone, but the mental hunger lingers

The reason why I keep repeating that the orb is being fed, is that it's important to understand that Gale doesn't feel the orb's hunger physically, but the mental hunger still is there. Ambition. This is why there is quite a swap in Gale's demeanor once he sees the Crown - I believe the orb somehow influences the wizard's ambitions, similarly to Karsus.

At this point, the player has quite the impact on how Gale wil handle his ambition. I will talk only about romance standpoint since it's the one I'm familar with. If you choose him to give up on his ambitions with the crown, you have to convince him that he is enough as he is. This is a completely new situation for him - he always has strived to be better and do more. He doesn't know how to just be. Of course he wants to survive the battle with the Netherbrain, but after that? What ambitions he would have anymore? The orb has nothing to work with anymore - the tadpoles are dead, the brain is dead, the Crown is shattered in the Chiontar.

What about if you encourage his ambitions? His mindset seems to shift quite drastically compared to when we met him. He's feeding into the resentment for believing Mystra took his powers and that she didn't give him more than what he deserved in his mind.

A small side tangent: With Patch 4, Larian added a glow effect to the orb while he says the line about controlling the Karsite weave. I've been thinking about the symbolism for it - is it a power flare up? It is the same effect which Mystra's charm has, does it mean that Mystra stopped feeding Gale's orb?

Whatever it is, at this point Gale has completely changed. During the boat scene he says he doesn't wish to ascend, but now he wants to be a god. If Tav tries to tell him not to do it, he emotionlessly leaves them. Let that sink in. The hopeless romantic, who shared his spirit with his lover, assured how there is no force to come between them and disobeyed his goddess for them, leaves them for more power without hesitation.

And that isn't even the worst part of it. Disclaimer: Datamining is never "a sure way to know what the devs intented" and shouldn't be used as a true point for canon, but let's humor my angsty mood with it. According to the datamined endings that Withers would have told what happened the companions after the game, even if Tav would support sharing Gale's godhood, Gale never returns to Tav to fulfill it because ambition doesn't like to share. That shows how much Gale changes during the game if his ambition takes over. Maybe even claim that the orb's hunger takes over. ** Strikethrough added after patch 5, see my note in the end.

To end this on a more positive note, him overcoming that toxic ambition is huge, and the fact that he would feel content by Tav's side is really romantic considering all what could have happened.

** Added after patch 5 and epilogue stuff: I won't be typing out what happens in the epilogue (I have posted the outcome to Youtube if someone is curious), but needless to say, it's a good point on never trusting datamining as a canon point. But, the epilogue proves that original datamining point obsolete.

[molinaesque]

hi so i was reading one of ur posts (tysm btw i love anyone that dissects raphael) u said this:

"If you look at Raphael's ambitions and how much it has consumed and plagued him for centuries, he has technically failed over and over and over (his inception by itself is seen as a failure by his own kin)"

can you elaborate on that? where can we see these ambitions? and what do you mean by his inception being a failure? this is so very fascinating to me and i'd like to learn more!

Hey there! Glad you enjoyed the post!

Okay, so I realised that post would be more clearer if you had exhausted almost every possible line of dialogue or notes from Raphael and know about some of existing D&D lore. So, my bad on that part.

We know about Raphael's ambitions and primary goals through his dialogue in Sharess' Caress and the epilogue. This would be The Crown. We know he has been coveting this for a very long time. As to how we know why this is so important for Raphael because he tells you The Crown has immense power. If you know about how the hells and the devils work with their system and hierarchy, having power = more standing = more freedom (as in freedom to do whatever you please). Raphael tells us that he has been at this for 1000 years. I see those failures being the Crown being stolen away by his father first and then by a soul who was supposed to be under Raphael's charge (this is Gortash). Beyond that, basically him obsessing over the Crown and not being able to find a way to gain it ONLY UNTIL Tav and co comes along (along with The Dead Three bringing the Crown back in play) can also be seen as a failure of sorts, because he STILL had to wait for fate to play its part, so this was still beyond his agency. His diary entries also give a really good insight into how much this goal has plagued him for a long time.

As for his inception, cambions are seen as a result from an unholy communion. That's not really the problem per say, but rather who is involved that makes the cambions. In Raphael's case, he is more powerful and noteworthy from most typical cambions because his devil half is from an archdevil, Mephistopheles. His other half though is a mortal human, which is not looked upon fondly. Raphael's unique position however (being practically a prince and heir to the most powerful devil besides Asmodeus) is trumped over by his situation and circumstance of being Mephistopheles' son. Mephisto, in the case of Raphael, does not treat his kin highly. In fact it seems he acts as if he does not exist. On top of all this, devils in the hells climb up the hierarchical ladder to become more powerful. Raphael if he were just a plain devil would have a better time doing so. So not only is he stopgapped by his own father despite being of the blood of an archdevil, he is also held back by his other half of being a mortal. It's a very unique predicament and it's completely out of Raphael's hands... UNLESS he can find the means to get out of it himself. Thus, power = more freedom. He plans to become Archdevil Supreme so that he doesn't have to answer to ANYONE. Besides that, he wants to instill more order and control in the Hells by uniting it under one banner and end the Blood War. There are MANY things to go over why this is insane, but that's another topic for another day.

Hopefully, this clears things up a bit! It always is much clearer in my head to explain until I lay it out in text and realise, "oh god i need to provide so much context", so sometimes details get lost in translation. 😅

[chronurgy]

13, 6 and 8 for your durgetash!

What's your personal favourite flavour that you find yourself gravitating towards? Not necessarily what sort of stuff you publish or smth, but what you personally consume like a starving man in a desert and rotate in your brain? The kinky shit, the domestics, the gore and horror attached to them, star crossed lovers vibes?

Ooo. Ooo that's hard. I think it's a combo of the gore and the horror and the terror and the want and the love and the sense of almost, almost hanging over the whole thing. Like one of those short stories that strings out this beautiful web of what can or might be and then sets it all on fire and leaves you wondering. There should be something there, whether it's love or need or obsession, but there needs to be something under all the layers. It should all be very disquieting.

What's the most wholesome hc you have for them? Something they did, a particular approach at bonding, just them being disgustingly soft once? Some good old hand in hand vivisection?

For Vesper and Gortash it's that they both genuinely like one another. They're startlingly well suited, they talk about each other's interests, they work on projects together. They push each other to greater heights. It's just that that isn't great for the rest of the world lol (and there's a fair argument that it isn't good for them either, though I think both of them are well beyond that point anyway)

How does each of them view death and dying? Does Gortash hold a similar approach to Durge or is Durges view on death a bit warped, to put it lightly?

I think Gortash sees his death as failure (both of bane and of his own ambitions). If he dies then he is nothing, has nothing (just like his parents said). I don't think he gives much thought to the meaning of death for other people. Death is useful, death is a tool, but he has no real sentiment towards it, it's just another state people might enter.

Vesper sees death as a boring inevitably for other people. Those people will die, either naturally, unnaturally, or as part of the plan. That's all there is to it, no need to fuss about it. I don't think they ever really think much about their own death beyond the one at their own hand at the end of the world. They don't really believe anyone else to be capable of killing them. I think they might see that final death as..... Respite, almost? It would be finished, the world dead at their hand. They succeeded, there are no more demands to be made upon them and perhaps they might be left alone to their studies (they know it almost certainly wouldn't work out like that). But that's all complicated by Gortash's existence because he shows them the world doesn't have to be a string of dull days with little to differentiate them, it can be something thrilling. And that makes that final death seem less appealing, less a respite and more an end to... well.... being alive, the whole world spread out before them for the taking.

[unholyverse]

waterparks // kerrang! magazine issue #1645

(full article text under cut)

BRING OUT THE BIG GUNS

WATERPARKS MAY VERY WELL HAVE WRITTEN THE POP-PUNK ALBUM OF 2016. IN FACT, AS FAR AS THEY SEE IT, THEY'VE WRITTEN A DEBUT BIGGER THAN ANY GENRE BOLD ENOUGH TO CLAIM IT. THEIR TIME IS NOW….

The first 30 seconds of Made In America, the sixth track on Waterparks' debut record Double Dare, serves as a mission statement. Opening with a riff that any far heavier band would be proud of, before giving way to a verse backed with scattered synths and leading into a pop chorus that could raise the roof off of any club on the planet, the message is clear: expect the unexpected.

They'll be classified as a pop-punk band based on associations and aesthetic, but there's no-one around Waterparks-neither in genre nor age group- making music like they are. Album opener Hawaii (Stay Awake) contains an almost rapped refrain; Take Her To The Moon would sound just as good on an Ibiza beach as it would at Slam Dunk Festival; and Little Violence takes punk to its most antagonistic lengths. Waterparks aren't confined by genre or convention, picking and choosing the best of whatever the hell they like—like children running amok in a toy shop—and combining it perfectly.

"We've tried to make it a point to not just make a 'pop-punk' or a 'rock' album," says frontman Awsten Knight, settling into conversation with Kerrang!. "We played it safer in the past, but this is going to be people's first real impression of us, so we just needed to push this shit to China. We wanted to make sure that people expect to not know what to expect from us. It's 2016-you can do whatever you want."

Be that as it may, to be this daring on a debut album takes confidence. But if a conversation with Awsten is anything to go by, it's a quality that's far from lacking. The Texan native is, like the state from which he came and still resides, both brash and unashamed of his lofty ambitions. In fact, anything other than determination to be the best is frankly off-putting to him.

"I've heard bands during interviews being like, Y'know, if people like it, that's fine, we just want to play music…" he scoffs. "Dude! No! Why would you dedicate your life to something and not care if it does well? That's insane. I don't wanna be like, 'Let me know what you guys think, I hope you like it!' Fuck that. It's, 'Here are some absolute jams, take it and we're gonna keep giving you music and it's gonna be tight as hell.'" And what of his own ambitions for the band? "I want it to be the biggest thing ever," he asserts. "And if that's an attitude that turns people off, and if people don't want good things for us… They can eat dicks."

I here's far more swirling around in Awsten Knight's head than sheer bravado, however. There's a depth to rock's newest future superstar that's mirrored on Double Dare, which boasts substance to back up its all-consuming style. Singing "You drop your guy and take me on / It's everything I wanted / But then what? / Would you get tired of my, time?" on 21 Questions, Awsten shows self-doubt in what might feel like triumph for others. On Powerless, Awsten laments with brutal honesty how he doesn't hear from his friends anymore. Clearly. Waterparks is so much more to Awsten than a chance to have pop choruses sung back at him.

"I don't like talking to people about personal shit," Awsten reveals. "I'll just put it in the songs. There are lyrics that you could look at and be like, 'Oh, he wants to die,' but then the next song could be like, 'Aww, he's in love. This way I don't have to talk about it in real life."

The time leading up to Double Dare gave him lots to not talk about and even now, speaking to K! about it all, Awsten retreats into himself more than seemed possible from such an outwardly charismatic dude.

"I went through a while where I didn't talk to anyone or want to see any of my friends." He pauses. I got out of a four-and-a-half year relationship in that time, too. A lot of weird and sketchy things caused me to be a recluse for a little bit."

Even the usually cast-iron confidence in his band can falter slightly if Awsten thinks about the wrong thing. He worries that the amount of attention they're getting might jinx them. "It's weird when people say, 'Waterparks are going to blow up.'" he admits. "What if we don't? I don't want people to look back at all those articles and see us as just some band that flopped."

There's a duality at play: Awsten, the fiercely driven, self-assured frontman faces off against Awsten, the self-critical, occasional loner. It's a battle that he's keen to see end in a tie.

"I'm always both," he says of his split personality. "If I was either of those personalities full-time, shit just wouldn't get done. If I was a bummer all the time, then our shows wouldn't be fun. I think the balance is there and that's what makes it work."

Awsten, more than anyone, knows who he has to be and what he has to do for his band to be successful. And where those two sides meet is in his work ethic. When Waterparks needed flyers made, he learned Photoshop. When they needed a way to sift through their many, many different ideas before paying for studio time, Awsten set up a studio at home. Merch designs? Promo filming and editing? All Awsten. "I hate being dependent," he stresses. "Nobody's going to work as hard for your band as you will yourself. If you're stuck relying on people, you're going to be fucked."

But with that hard work about to pay off in the biggest way - Double Dare is set to propel his band into the ranks of pop-punk's elite - are Waterparks and Awsten, self-doubt and all, ready for the level of success headed their way?

"Well, we better be!" Awsten exclaims without a second's thought. "Everything that we have right now as far as the album and all the other cool stuff we have going on and the things we've accomplished, those aren't accidents. I quit school to do this full- time, so if we get to that point and I'm like, 'Oh, I'm not ready,' then fuck me, it's my fault.

"I honestly try not to think about any of it too hard, though," he continues more soberly, "because that would mess me up. But we're pretty ready."" And they'd better be.

DOUBLE DARE IS OUT NOW VIA EASY LIFE

TOY STORE-Y

WHAT WOULD WATERPARKS GET UP TO IF THEY GOT LOCKED INSIDE A TOY SHOP OVERNIGHT? LET'S FIND OUT, SHALL WE…

AWSTEN KNIGHT (VOCALS/GUITAR) "Completing the prophecy, as my eyes roll back, my skin turns purple and I crawl backwards to the ceiling!"

OTTO WOOD (DRUMS) "If I managed to get trapped in a toy shop, I would monopolise the Lego market and make it a real pain in the ass for anyone who was looking to construct the biggest Lego house ever (laughs)!"

GEOFF WIGINGTON (GUITAR) "Let's see…If I was to get trapped in a toy shop overnight I would most likely find myself building the biggest Lego house ever. Once that's ready, I'd go and find myself a wife and a dog, so we can all grow old together. The end!"

WORDS: KYAN DE PREITAS // PHOTOS: MICHAEL ANTHONY

[daepicfirestar]

LB6.5 Traum Spoilers

Lostbelt 6.5 Traum Theory: Siegfried is not real

I could be biased, because this relates to one of the twists in the episode, and how I do not wish it was real. If that makes sense.

My Theory: The Siegfried shown to reunite with Kriemhild is not real.

Evidence:

1. Siegfried has no memory of being helpful to Master. Despite that he has in MULTIPLE times. There is also no memory he has of meeting Astolfo in Apocrypha, which is what Astolfo is implied to have.

2. The way he behaves is quite strange. I get that the original promise Siegfried made to Master was that if she was alive he would fight on her side, and this original promise would still make sense if the theory was true. However, the fact that Siegfried stops calling Master "Master" and instead by name. So suddenly. It doesn't fit his character. Ironically for a character who was betrayed to be the betrayer, a Servant known to be loyal.

His favor quote "I'm told you and I fought side by side once before. I'm sorry I have no memory of it. I only hope I proved useful in that battle... At any rate, I have a favor to ask you. Once I tell you what it is...I'll understand if you decide to kill me."

Siegfried again "I... I made a mistake. And, I'm about to make another one. ...Master. No... (y/n). Kriemhild will never use her demonic sword again. The mass of magical energy the Holy Grails were providing to her is gone. Our battle consumed nearly all of it. I tried to kill her and I nearly succeeded. And now, here we are. This is exactly what we agreed to. I...hope you can forgive me. You have my gratitude for granting this foolish wish of mine."

Later. Siegfried comes close to Kriemhild and says, "Your ambitions... Your dreams... Whatever you want to call them, any hopes you had of permanently establishing this Singularity are dashed for good and all. The Holy Grailed are now in our enemy's [Master's] hands." Then to Master, "I'm sorry to surprise you. But I decided this some time ago. If Kriemhild is still alive even after we stop her...then from that moment on, I want to fight for her. ...Even if that means you and I should become enemies. Even if it should result in my own death."

In Fate/Grand Order Siegfired's "My Room" lines were all having to do with loyalty and the like. Even in Apocrypha when he was serving Gordes Musik Yggdmillennia who wasn't very friendly to him he still showed better behavior. Plus it's not like memories are always wiped because the "My Room" Siegfried voice lines clearly remember Aporcypha. In my Room, he doesn't mention anything regarding the events in Traum (but Kriemhild does) His only line about Kriemhild is as follows: "I didn't expect you to come, but... you came, Kriemhild. I don't know what to tell you... no, there's no need to say anything... Huh? 'What can be put into words is put into words.'? I see...I love you, Kriemhild...Was it inevitable that you would bring out Balmung in this exchange?''

This pattern of mood indicated in Traum is very heavily resembling that of EMIYA in the Unlimited Blade Works route, where he betrays Tohsaka to serve under Medea for his own benefit (to kill Shirou) however even then this theory is justified through EMIYA's morally grey nature and "Independent Action" which Siegfried doesn't have neither. HE EVEN CONTRADICTS HIMSELF IN THE NARRATIVE SHOWING THAT he won't rebel when in actuality he does. "Do you desire to rebel against Proper Human History?" "No."

Kreimhild said in Traum before Siegfried's appearance: "If Siegfried was summoned here, he would probably rebel against Proper Human History. I don't want him to, I want the small chance he isn't. I want him to be my enemy before I kill him." (Kriemhild was on the side against Proper Human History) and then she also says "Chaldea didn't bring him" implying that she knows that Chaldea has him.

There is also a mention of every Servant having a different Master in Traum. As of where I am in the story, there is no detail mentioned about Siegfried's Master. When he was first found he was deep in a prison, stating "I was almost expecting to be put in an eternal slumber"

Then there is a twist that Traum actually takes place in Nevada, 2019 in Area 51. The Master behind it all is a Test Subject E. This may just further reinforce the theory.

Kriemhild's line to Siegfried after beating Traum is as follows: "Gyah! Apologies. I just lost my composure. You...I mean, Lord Siegfried. No, I didn't mind. You approaching me was all according to plan... A calculated move on my part. It was all for revenge. Why the defeated look!? Cut it out, you nincompoop! And Master! Don't just stand back there and nod! Do something about this!!!" Siegfried has no new lines after beating Traum.

The Siegfried stated was essentially a fake one, which retained his personality (hence Mash’s comment about his seriousness) and how his abilities are consistent to what is established (being able to endure a B+ rank attack is indeed consistent with his Noble Phantasm Armor of Fafnir does in Fate). However, his memories were wiped and his internal values changed significantly. Essentially, he behaves exactly how Kriemhild desires, it’s as though he was programmed to do so. If this theory was true it would explain the title of the Lostbelt being “Traum” how it is German for “dream” and how it’s basically a manifestation of her desires. Considering Siegfried and Kriemhild being the only German Servants this only makes the meaning more plausible. Why wasn’t this brought up in the plot? Why didn’t Sherlock Holmes catch this? They had little time together, and the times of Siegfried behaving most suspiciously was kept hidden from Holmes.

[supervisormeero]

1, 8 and 9 for Keero! <3

Who would end a heated argument by defending their actions with ‘because I love you!’ ?

Syril. Syril, absolutely. I don't know if Dedra could even manage to say "I love you," whether or not it's in the context of an argument. If she ever told him she loved him, it's always been my personal headcanon that she'd have an ulterior motive (she's trying to convince him to do something dangerous for the benefit of her search for Axis, she's attempting to cement his loyalty to her within the notoriously disloyal power structure of the Empire, etc.) As far as saying it and meaning it without caveat or reservation, I can only really see that happening with Syril.

8. What happens if one of them gets sick?

Realistic answer: they go to work because that's the Imperial Thing to Do. Dedra could be bleeding out and she'd still drag herself through the ISB doors, I think. Same for Syril.

Less realistic answer: If Syril's sick, Dedra avoids him completely. Do not get me sick, Syril. I'm in the middle of something vitally important at work, and it'd be incredibly inconsiderate of you to disrupt my progress by passing your illness on to me. If they're living together, she either forces him to sleep on the couch or sleeps in her office at the ISB to avoid sharing a room with him. If they're not living together or he still has his own apartment, she kicks him out until he's recovered.

If Dedra's sick, ensuring her recovery becomes Syril's sole purpose in life. She is never without a cup of tea. She's wrapped in so many blankets that it looks as though she's being consumed by an alien creature. He's always either sitting beside her or checking in on her — Do you need anything? Here, I've made soup for you. No, don't get up, I'll bring you your datapad. Whether or not he gets sick doesn't matter; he just wants her to get better. For her part, Dedra snaps at him, ignores him, and wishes he'd leave her alone... but it isn't completely revolting having him attend to her every need.

9. What are their thoughts on having children?

This is a conversation I can only see them having in the context of them getting roped into a dinner with Eedy, and Eedy then demanding to know when they plan to provide her with grandchildren. Syril would look down at the table with his cheeks aflame, stammering something mortified and unintelligible. Dedra would shoot Eedy a stony glare that would dissolve most human beings, but only inspires a smile from Eedy Karn.

The air between Syril and Dedra sags with awkwardness after they leave Eedy's apartment. Once they're home, Dedra informs him in no uncertain terms that she will not be having children. She doesn't tell Syril that she's made sure of it — doesn't tell him about the operation she elected to have, an operation she's never regretted because it enables her to keep her focus entirely where it belongs: on her career. If he takes issue with that or finds her stance on it incompatible with his own ambitions, she tells him, he should leave. If he wants what so many men, and especially Imperial men, want — a guaranteed continuance of his legacy — he can go.

Syril looks at her for a few seconds, quietly working through everything she's told him and everything she hasn't, and won't, and never will. Then he pulls her into his arms.

She allows it.

[elgaravel]

💋🌻🍼🥞🎤🏪 for el and akira!! :]

ehehehe thank you bones >:))

el:

💋 KISS MARK: What’s their signature look, if any? Do they have a gesture or piece of jewelry or something else that acts as a calling card for them?

She doesn't quite have a signature look clothing wise since she likes to experiment with styles but she does love a good denim jacket. She's generally more recognizable via her hair (very curly and often thrown up into a bun pre-wasteland) and tattoos. Especially the latter in the wasteland since I don't think they'd be as common? At least outside of cities, maybe. Her laugh is a good calling card tho since she cackles really loud when she finds something really funny.

🌻 SUNFLOWER: Do people generally tend to like them? What personality traits do they have that draw others in?

El can be... polarizing. An acquired taste might be a kinder way to put it but she can be difficult to get along with due to how stubborn and blunt she is. But I love her to pieces and that's what matters 😌. But most often people are drawn to her confidence and ambition along with her love of the arts.

🍼 BABY BOTTLE: How do they feel about babies and children? Would they ever have any?

Well, she does have one, August. But she's always had conflicted feelings about kids and having her own but has generally always leaned towards not wanting them. She's afraid of that level of commitment and of fucking up her kid/turning into her parents. Plus, she's always felt a bit awkward around kids since she doesn't really know how to interact with them. She loves August but she has a lot of inner conflict about it all. She really only kept him in the first place because Akira wanted a family, and then had a hard time bonding with him and then the Game Events happened, and now she has a synth version of him after killing the human she actually popped out her herself. But she does take good care of him :]

🥞 PANCAKES: What’s their comfort food?

She lovesssss pasteles! She mainly had them for the winter holidays growing up since they can be time-consuming to make but she's still very fond of them even if she doesn't eat them too often anymore. She also loves the miso soup that Akira makes :]

🎤 MICROPHONE: What does their voice sound like? Do they have a notable accent? Can they sing, and if so, what would they sing at a karaoke night?

Tashi Rodriguez is both her face and voice claim! So she kinda has a medium pitched voice? Idk I'm bad at describing voices but she doesn't really have much of an accent in my mind since she's kinda lived all over the place. Just a standard American. She cannot sing to save her life </3

🏪 CONVENIENCE STORE: What would be their go-to convenience store snacks?

Omg she'd love Takis or just spicy chips in general. She'd hate the dust tho so she wouldn't go for them unless she's just going home after or if Akira's with her so she can just wipe the dust on his jacket or smth 💀. Probably just some water and iced tea to drink, maybe a nuka cherry if she wants to spice things up.

akira:

💋 KISS MARK: What’s their signature look, if any? Do they have a gesture or piece of jewelry or something else that acts as a calling card for them?

He's usually going for that greaser look but doesn't generally slick his hair back bc he doesn't like putting product in it. So a leather jacket, jeans, a t-shirt, and a pair of boots generally. Add some leather gloves and armor in the wasteland, and ofc a pack of cigarettes in his pocket. He's never been big on jewelry but he did let El pierce one of his ears.

🌻 SUNFLOWER: Do people generally tend to like them? What personality traits do they have that draw others in?

At first glance, people tend to gravitate towards him since he's a very attractive man but he can be initially very awkward and a bit shy so that can be off-putting to some people. But people don't really tend to dislike him, I guess. He's very kind and warm once you get him to open up a little bit.

🍼 BABY BOTTLE: How do they feel about babies and children? Would they ever have any?

He likes kids and he's good with him but he never really wanted any of his own until El told him that she was pregnant. Just seemed to kinda flip a switch in his mind and he found himself pretty excited to have one with her even if he was a bit scared but he was oblivious to her own reservations :/. BUT tbf she was lying to him abt her feelings on it, he just took her at face value.

🥞 PANCAKES: What’s their comfort food?

Good ol' Blamco Mac 'n cheese with some broccoli and shredded chicken. Cheers him up every time.

🎤 MICROPHONE: What does their voice sound like? Do they have a notable accent? Can they sing, and if so, what would they sing at a karaoke night?

Akira's voice is quite deep but soft in a way, it doesn't carry very well. He has a bit of a southern Maine accent (which is just similar to the general New England one) but it's not very thick. He pronounces his 'R's softer than most so 'car' kinda sounds like 'cah', cold weather is nippy, etc etc. It doesn't really stand out in Boston. He's a decent singer but doesn't really like to sing in front of people often.

🏪 CONVENIENCE STORE: What would be their go-to convenience store snacks?

Generally, a beer and whatever candy he's feeling but he gravitates towards anything with peanut butter!

[youleavethetardisbrakeson]

Ok but clearly I’m not used to seeing corlys x rhaenys fighting so badly and not being on the same page? It was so strange to see them in such contention with no resolution. And the next time they see each other after all the drama that leads Corlys to leave the family home, he’s at Death’s door?? 😭😭😭😭 I need them to resolve this rift asap.

I get it. I was absolutely not prepared for them to be arguing in episode 7 either. But they WILL make it up.

Their argument is a really good thing in the long run and needed to be said for a few reasons. Get ready for a half rant/half essay:

The show is obsessed with legacy and power, and this discussion brings up two polar ends of the spectrum: the patriarchal structure vs bloodlines. SOMEBODY had to talk about how they handle this situation. The reason their conversation didn't resolve in this episode (other than for the ~*drama*~) is because neither are really fully 'right.' If they choose either side of their grandchildren, something else gets lost.

Corlys can't be the one to be perturbed about the boys not being legitimate; it doesn't work for the plot or his character development. Like he said, calling it out isn't going to do anything but hurt them AND the boys (watch for Vaemond next episode).

Quick side rant: I should note that in the book, Corlys wasn't interested in marrying into royalty before Rhaenys. Queen Alysanne tried to get him to marry one of her daughters and it was reported back that he cared more about his boats. Rhaenys turned his head and they made a love match. Corlys' ambition may currently be for his own personal legacy, but it STARTED when his wife and their children were slighted. The dude is so love drunk he kinda just let it consume him and didn't actually pay attention to what his wife wanted or was saying.

So Corlys will take what he can get to feel that this wrong was righted. He is desperately trying to regain that legacy out of both ambition and what he sees as love for his family. But he also plays by the rules of the society. Westeros is deeply, deeply patriarchal. He knows the name Velayron is what matters most in this situation.

Rhaenys on the other hand, as a woman and once presumed heir, is far more inclined to adjust tradition in favor of her female heirs. Corlys, while still a great and supportive husband compared to most in this universe, is still bound by the ways the patriarchy is structured.

Rhaenys also sees and knows how obsessed with bloodlines the Valyrians are. While Westeros is more fixated on the male lines and family name, the old old Valyrian families are more obsessed with bloodlines and blood purity. Vaemond is all about ready to mutiny at any moment because of this supposed slight against their bloodline. Just letting the boys take over Driftmark is going to rub that family, especially Vaemond, the wrong way. She is also advocating for her granddaughters to have a place in their family's legacy because they are all she has left of their daughter. She's placing equal value in the male and female lines. This obviously clashes with Westerosi tradition.

We should also note that Rhaenys is DEEPLY upset and grieving. Rhaenys and Corlys have clearly had this discussion over and over again, but it is Rhaenys' grief that pushes her to say things she wouldn't normally. If we look back to what we saw in episode 5, she just shushes him and that's that. The grief is allowing her to state her frustrations in not being listened to. So this discussion also as a springboard for Rhaenys to finally come into her own and say "I am SO SICK OF THIS SHIT" and finally take control.

And so what can you do in this situation? Bloodlines vs family names. Next episode will certainly bring it up and resolve it. Without being too spoilery, I will say that the two major ways this show hands political conflicts are war and marriages.

[quenthel]

Comprehensive info post abt my bg3 characters

Oxoth

Dragonborn Oathbreaker paladin, durge origin

Personality: Very reckless and stubborn. She's an intimidating presence because she is physically large and there is something intense about her, but she can be rather naive. A few people can really sway her, but they do so easily. She struggles for those people's approval after they earned her trust. She loves power and encourages those close to her to take what they deserve.

"Dark" path (canon): She gets seduced by the power her dad offers, so she turns into a mindflayer and dominates the world.

"Hero" path (non-canon): She leans into her own stubbornness and defies Bhaal, embraces her friends. Becomes a mindflayer anyway to achieve her love's (Lae'zel's) dreams. Lives out her life as Shadowheart's squid sweetheart.

Romance: Lae'zel seduces her very quickly bc shes a dragon. Then she falls for Shadowheart hard (she is her goth princess...) while fooling around with Lae'zel. Karlach gets her heart fixed and she helps her out w her intimacy issues a bit but they remain friends. Lae'zel slowly falls for her but they all decide to keep things as is while they are fighting the brain, and they will decide what to do about the situation later. (Canonically they all become her thralls, non-canonically Lae'zel leaves her bc she becomes a squid).

Her past: She used to be Bhaal's executioner. But she was always full of herself, believing herself to be Bhaal's favorite, so she never truly lost her individuality while in the cult. Gortash appealed to her sense of personal pride to get her on his side. Her relationship with Orin was very bad, because of said pride, and she was always outright dismissive of her and her talents. She got along pretty well with Ketheric tho, not enough for him to give a shit ofc. She treats Sceleritas like a beloved toy.

August

Half-elf (?) Wild Magic Sorcerer, durge origin

Personality: Deeply empathetic and sensitive to other people's pain. Knows something is wrong with him, and believes himself to be truly worthless. He is smart, calculating, and charming. Pays attention to people very closely, so most people like him. Prime example of a charismatic leader, since he is hiding his own pain and low self-esteem behind being overconfident about his magical abilities. Views himself not as a person, but as a tool for other people to use.

"Normal" path (canon): He wins over his own fear and defies Bhaal, tries very very hard to resist as much as he can, but he cant deny to enjoy indulging. He is like a recovering addict in that sense. He urges all his friends to abandon their gods or higher powers they would chain themselves to. Kills the brain!

"Bad" path (non-canon): As time goes on, his fear wins over, and he accepts his father's boon to become the slayer. He urges Gale to turn into a god, so he may save him from the fate that awaits him, and then imprisons himself after destroying the brain, where he slowly loses his mind. His lover becomes the God of Ambition and he becomes a feral thing, entirely consumed by the urge.

Romance: He falls for Gale fast, but takes it as a denial when he tells him to slow down because of his orb. Sleeps around with Astarion, but they agree to become friends when he realizes that this relationship is not something either of them want. He falls in love with Gale. When it becomes clear that he is to blame for everything that happened and Gale gets mad at him he thinks they are going to break up, so he sleeps with the Emperor, then he feels bad about it. Thankfully the Emperor is okay with it and they keep it as a secret. He marries Gale after the game.

His past: He struggled against his urges always, and Bhaal punished him always very heavily. Used to starve and hurt himself so he doesn't hurt and consume others, but eventually he gave in. He had a thing for Gortash because he appreciated his intellect, and he seemed like somebody who could keep himself safe from him. His relationship with Orin is complicated, because he wanted to save her always, but never truly understood her. Ketheric really hated him because he correctly identified him as the most capable of them all and as a threat. Sceleritas is like a mother and father to him, and he finds comfort in his presence, but he hates him for being the overbearing "eye" of his actual father.

[awkwardgtace]

So random ask,

Is there an aspect of an OC that you would like to explore but haven’t found the way to? (It can be any OC and it could be anything from a little quirk, a personality trait or literally anything you think about them and that you’d like to share)

ok i have been excited to answer this and I think honestly it's the more negative traits each of my OCs have.

Like I could do something where i feed into an obsession or ambition, but I don't know if i would enjoy writing it or have fun with others reading it. There's been a few times where I sort of wrote myself into a corner and had to back track because it was too far gone to make a reasonable resolution that felt good (to me)

More with Corus his anger and recklessness (impulsive actions that lead to closer calls or something that finally went too far) Kyrie's a bit obsessive need to protect (willing to take whoever it is away from what he perceives as danger, against their will) Melody's negativity (pushing others away and refusing to let anyone in) Mira's willingness to die for the good of others Vitus's determination to keep things stable Felix and his focus to keep the people he cares about safe (a character that in a different universe ignores that a tiny is very much human) Ash has an unexplored interest in preserving the beauty of nature I've gone pretty deep into before bailing out before Ian's anxiety leading to negative actions when he's big, trusting the wrong person when he's small

I could go into like every oc and their problems I want to explore at some point, but I don't really know how I would. I admit I do have a tendency to lean into darker tones for fiction in preference for consuming or creating. So something with them.

It's come closest when my own mood sours and I try to write. Part of when I take longer breaks too. I don't want to let my own shitty mood dictate something that doesn't fit my characters (my dm for pathfinder even catches me in those moods to keep me on track)

One day I might do a sort of horror challenge and write the bad things out. I have at least 1 oc who would build a really nice tube connection they have for mice and guinea pigs, but for a colony of tinies completely ignoring their wants to escape and get away

I have rambled for sure, but it's a lot of just exploring the unchecked bad traits of ocs.

Honestly there's been a lot of ideas i toyed with of showing the darker parts where it's framed as a good thing. Creature Mira au where she has to do something a lot more than killing monsters. Kaiju Ash au where their change made their own morals go corrupt. I did do it with Corus and Mira sort of, the bad end non canon stories of Assassin Mira gambling and Human Corus meeting Mira in a world that just sort of is a bit different.

Ok I'm actually gonna stop rambling but i'll happily go further on anything that i've said or any oc I didn't list that you wanna know about. I'm actually gonna think about making a list of like horror versions of stories where I do this now, maybe next october.

[heredis-sanguinis]

💗 - How long does it take your muse to fall in love? 💝 - What's their love language? 💘 - What traits personality-wise are attractive to your muse? ❤ - What's something you feel like your muse needs to work on for a relationship to happen or for a relationship to be healthy? Do you think that's possible? Or is it something that'll likely never happen? 💌 - How would they confess to their love interest? Would they wait on a confession? 🎀 - Do they aim to impress their partner often? If they do, how so? 💓 - What are some signs your muse has fallen for someone?

coughs

Let's talk about romance! Muse questions

This will be a loooooong post, so answered under the 'read more' line~

💗 - How long does it take your muse to fall in love? This varies based on A LOT of factors. Vladimir, by default, is extremely distrusting towards other people, for any purpose of a relation with them. To him, they always seem to want something from him; whether that be power, favour or to gain his trust to then later use anything they can gain against him or to increase their own position in the world. With that in mind, it can take ages, for him to open up and consider anything in the terms of romantic emotions.

💝 - What's their love language? Physical touch, gifts and words of affirmation are the most notable ones from Vlad. Those that grow to have an emotional bond will be met with all of those on a regular basis. This does not mean the other two love languages: acts of service and quality time, never happen. But they are less prominent when dealing with him. He is by no means negligent towards any potential partner, but at the same time also is a very independent individual and does appreciate his own personal affairs and time and will be very adamant in keeping those.

💘 - What traits personality-wise are attractive to your muse? First and foremost honesty is extremely important to him. He may be many things, but dishonest is not one of those. He will not lie in any situation. Withhold the truth? Perhaps, but lying is out of the question for him. His past experiences have grimly taught him the repercussions of being lied to. Confidence and ambition are also something he appreciates in others. The will to further ones self and the courage and intelligence to back it up. To not be stagnant in life, but move forward.

❤ - What's something you feel like your muse needs to work on for a relationship to happen or for a relationship to be healthy? Do you think that's possible? Or is it something that'll likely never happen? His demeanour towards trusting others. While it is expected from someone who has been betrayed many a time in the past, the level of distrust he can hold is often too much to get past in an acceptable time. He would have to come to accept that sometimes there are people that genuinely do not intent to use him for their own gain. It would definitely make him open up quicker and not push people away. But he's a stubborn man after all. One that survived over a millennia on this method.

💌 - How would they confess to their love interest? Would they wait on a confession? Vlad is the type of man who doesn't waste time around with being embarrassed or waiting around for reciprocation. If such a situation would come to happen, he would most likely be very direct about how he feels. He would not demand or require an immediate response, remaining realistic how tedious and time-consuming such a realisation can be to have a shift in feelings towards another. He knows full well how he himself can be at times, after all. Even if he disregards responsibility towards it at times.

🎀 - Do they aim to impress their partner often? If they do, how so? Oh most definitely not. He abhors showboating and intentionally impressing others to attempt to gain affection or attention. He holds the opinion that any partner would already know of his qualities and skills, so there would be no need to try and impress them. However, he does not know how to tone himself down. So often any act he does do might be interpreted as exactly that which he does not intend.

💓 - What are some signs your muse has fallen for someone? His behaviour would change, albeit in the slightest of ways. Someone that he falls for will be deemed more respectable in treatment. A good example would be how he has the tendency to call others child, boy or girl, due to his age. Slowly that would start to cease. Also he would be more direct in his attention towards them. Listening more intently, looking directly at them or in their eyes. Slowly but surely along the process would come the use of nicknames, pet names, in the many languages he is fluent in. both in use and forgotten. While he always maintains the habit of using endearing words like 'my dear', 'darling', 'my boy/girl'; whenever he would say anything of that category, emotion lingering to those words would become more notable. More... genuine.

[erabundus]

@ruinlost &&. said... What’s something you truly want?,do think you may get it? (For the five asks!)

he  thinks  about  the  question.  thinks  about  what  the  ACCEPTABLE  response  would  be  —  happiness.  a  fulfilling  life.  success  and  recognition.  simple,  mundane  wishes  anyone  could  UNDERSTAND.  even  ren  isn't  above  those  innocent  wants.  (  on  the  contrary,  his  yearning  contributed  to  his  own  self  destruction.  )  however,  there  is  one  thing  that  stills  his  tongue  —  one  other  desire  that  prevents  him  from  enjoying  the  others  in  any  true  capacity.  haunting  him.  infesting  his  thoughts  like  a  poison. it's a new OBSESSION, neatly slotted into the place which once held aspirations of divinity. he knows it isn't healthy. he knows the answer won't come without judgement — he also knows he doesn't care.

❝  i  want  to  kill  someone.  ❞   kill  him.  tear  him  to  pieces.  crush  his  ambitions  and  drink  his  misery  like  ambrosia.  ❝  i  want  to  make  him  SUFFER  in  ways  beyond  your  wildest  imagination.  ❞ needs to.

even  speaking  the  wish  aloud  has  anger,  bloodlust,  indignation  tightening  their  grip  on  his  mind  like  a  vice.  words,  for  all  that  he's  accumulated  over  centuries  of  living,  fail  to  do  the  depths  of  his  ire  justice.  ren  doesn't  simply  feel.  he  doesn't  simply  want.  he  never  learned  how  to  desire  anything  without  allowing  it  to  CONSUME  his  entire  being  in  return.  ❝  i  can't  move  on  knowing  that  he's  out  there.  not  after  what  he's  done  to  me.  ❞  teeth  grit.  hands  twist  into  fists  before  him,  as  though  imagining  curling  harsh  nails  into  an  awaiting  throat. ❝  either i get what i want in the end, or i DIE trying. that's all there is to it. ❞

... and in a strange way, there's comfort in that self-destructive simplicity.

FIVE ASKS WITHOUT A LIE ( 3 / 5 )

[kiawren]

oh yeah and I also redownloaded gen/shin (I say this in a disappointed kinda tone) and I guesss i f/o cy/no now funny thing is I have not done the sume/ru quests at all yet DUDE this censoring is so annoying but yeah. I was thibking of a self insert and went heeyy this is kinda familiar

So my gen/shin s/i to ship with cy/no is from li/yue but came to study at the aka/demiya.

Guess what he's studying. Yeah it's conservation. Yeah that was not obvious at all. Yeah wren we really didn't know that ambition of yours finds it way to manifest in your self inserts so much. /s Sorry I digress. Well anyway doesnt that sound familiar hmhmhmh wren who goes to alo/la to study conservation... meets a guy who on first impression is intimidating then finds out he's kinda silly....... well if this doesn't sound like Another guy who likes to go around shirtless ok I swear this is jusg coincidence. Anyway it's fun to draw shirtless characters becuz you can add top scarsaheehehhehehe heee

Anyway he's a Dendro either sword or bow user (but if bow he uses it like chil/de LOL) and he was assigned to work with tigh/nari a lot and that's kinda how they also got to know cy/no

Oh yeah his colour palette is like this

Cuz the Dendro green that comes to mind is kinda ugly lololo. As for the fit idfk but there's heavy inspo from xing/qiu whos kinda like me for real... (off topic but xq + gam/ing = me)

I was also thinking it'd be funny if they both clearly like eahc other but at some point unspokenly decided to make it a competition to see how long they can tease each other to confess first but they always play off the idea of officially dating when asked by others. But they're affectionate towards each other in their own ways but also never say ily or anyth but they also get jealous over others. I know cy/no is a sincere and honest person but maybe wren wanted to get back at him for something so it was Clear they are really playing with each other but also like each other. So it's not like they're leaving the other hanging, they both know lol. Idk where I'm going with this maybe I need to actually idk cough consume the source material

[juandiego-flores]

About

Name: Juan Diego Flores (most people called him JD) Faceclaim: Edgar Ramirez Species: witch Gender Identity: Cis-male. Pronouns: He/Him Birthday: January 18th Origin: Greywood, Colorado, US Sexuality: Heterosexual, and has been in bisexual encounters. Relationship Status: single Occupation: Owner of the Club Capricorn and Council Member.

"Your name is the most important thing you own."

Juan Diego was born to fill a lot of spaces, he took every task the family put into him, and he was always good at carrying all the weight of his family on his shoulders and never breaking. When the rest of his brothers were born, he was asked to be the protector of all of them, and so he did.  

Most of the things Juan Diego did in his life, it has been for the family. Quietly and behind doors, JD always wanted to be important, a politician, a movie star something people look up to and remember his name, but when he mentioned this to his family they laughed so he was just thinking like any other kid. He took advantage of his grandfather and uncle's love for boxing and MMA asking them to take him to practice and classes, he figured everybody loved sports celebrities more than the president so he took that little crack to stand out and work to create something big out of his name, without his family intervention.

He was never much of a fighter outside the ring but thanks to his hard work and discipline, he became well-known in the business, it took him to travel around the world and win several tournaments. His name was famous among humans and other species not because they knew his family but because they knew him as an athlete. 

When his family needed him, he hung his gloves and focused completely on them and their coven. He became an advisor to his coven but still his need to be someone known made him open a nightclub. Yet his workaholic personality and ambition make him go after a position at the city council. He already did the job for his family, so why not his town too? 

“what power did he attain when settling in greywood?”

Most of the Flores could consume magic, but that’s not JD's forte, he was known in the family for his healing powers, which always came in handy when he had to recover after a fight or took care of his brothers and cousins when they were growing up and even so to this day. 

Headcanons

He loves to dance probably why he opened a dance club. 

He needs coffee to start his day. 

Enjoys cooking, especially Latin cuisine 

Can speak in 4 languages but English and Spanish are his strong ones. 

Middle child, with middle child complex. 

He's good with people but is very hard that he shows to true self to people he just met

His fiancée broke up with him 3 months before their wedding for another man, that messed up with him. 

He doesn't have much of a sweet tooth but he adores ice cream. 

Even if he stopped fighting he still trains like he's preparing for one. 

Always well dressed and needs glasses but very rarely uses them, only when he has to work or read. 

Active on social media and knows his way around apps. 

Loves music, has a great collection of vinyls, and even cassettes, still owns his Walkman, has great audio gadgets.