#he's just... so smart... so thoughtful... so insightful... so dutiful!!!

[dimiclaudeblaigan]

i am quite honestly completely and wholly enamored with him.

[yandere-wishes]

hello it is i, your friendly neighborhood sol simp reporting for duty. i loved what you wrote for him last time, so i am here yet again to offer my thoughts that you are free to turn into stories if you so desire

consider: sol and darth teeth both have an intense fascination with you, and it comes to a head when they end up saber battling over who gets your heart (i think that since i have 2 hands, we can all learn to share but i digress)

alternatively: sith master sol. think of how wild the yandere vibes could be if he was just a little.... dark, a little fucked up if u will. he allows his desire to possess, his tendency for attachment to take hold until it corrupts him so deeply that he cannot let go of you

No cause this aligns almost perfectly with my original hopes for the series.

Before we knew anything about the show and just had one sentence to go off of for the plot. I genuinely thought it would be about a Sith acolyte disguised as a former padawan who slowly turns her former master to the dark side. All while plotting against her current Sith master. The story would have ended with the Jedi master and Sith acolyte killing the current Sith master. Then the Jedi master would become the new Sith acolyte and his padawon would be the new Sith master.

Anyway, I digress...

Imagine this...

You are Sol's new padawan, young and edger in all the ways a padawan should be. Desperate to uphold your Jedi legacy. But it's all so hard to become the perfect Jedi when your own master doesn't seem to believe in your abilities. He's smoldering, snuffing out your independence with cotton soft words that cut like blades. Sol constantly keeps you out of harm's way. Refusing to take you on dangerous missions or even let you out on your own. It's exhausting, tiring. Maybe that's why you run away. Maybe it's the guilt you feel whenever you see the unruly love glistening in Sol's soft eyes. He shouldn't love you like this. It's not the Jedi way. Not only have you disgraced your order, but you've ruined your master too. The shame chokes you, hot caol caught between your throat.

This is when "Darth Teeth" finds you. Wondering Coruscant, headed for the transport docks, desperate to flee away from everything. It's here where he tempts you, playing the role of an insightful stranger, a benevolent sympath. It's here where he slowly lures you in. You return to the Jedi temple that night, high off the promises of really learning the secrets of the force. Of training under a new master who wouldn't baby you. Little do you know you're decent to the dark side has already started.

You feel bad about deceiving Sol, truly you do. But it's his fault in the first place. He's the one who forced you into this corner...

Sol is pretty smart so I'm sure he'll piece together what's happening eventually. Maybe when -despite his best efforts- the council deems you ready to become a Jedi knight. It's then that he realizes you've been training under another. He decides to confront this "other master". It will definitely end in a battle between the two. While you're forced to sit there and watch.

I think an ending where -ultimately- Darth Teeth wins would make the most sense. Somehow he's able to turn Sol to the darkside and takes him as his new acolyte. While you, poor little doomed darling are forced to be their little lover. Ensnared once more in the cage you hate so much...

But I agree imagine just how suffocating a dark side Sol would be. He's allowed to embrace his feelings freely and let them control his every move. He'd be so possessive and protective of you!! Never letting you out of his sight, controlling every little thing you do.

I LOVE this concept so so much, the only problem is that the Acolyte has such a small fandom that idk if it warrants me making a full fic. But yeah let me know~💜

[hazel-of-sodor]

Day 21 A-Take it as We go

Day 21 A-Morning

Other Stories

Other Days

A Western Summer

Cassandra stretched as she woke, her motion creaking as she did so. Her eyes taking a minute to adjust to the light…

Why was there daylight outside?

She glanced around and found the shed empty. In the yard she could hear an engine shunting. Her fire was low, just enough to keep it going. Why had she not been woke for her train?

Soon puffing was heard, and Duck rolled backwards into the shed.

“Good morning Cassandra.” He greeted cheerfully, “did you rest well?”

“Good morning Duck.” She replied, “I did, but I am confused why I wasn't woken up for my train.”

Duck was smart enough to hear the danger in her voice.

“If an engine on your line was attacked by something that failed to pass on, would you allow them to take their morning trains?”

Cassandra shook her head reluctantly.

“As an engine on my line it is my duty to look after you. I can't keep you from your duties to the Lady nor would I if I was able, but I can make sure you are given rest afterwards.”

She looked over at him, searching. “Last night bothered you.”

He winced at her insightfulness, “I trust your judgment Caomhnóir, but that doesn't make it any easier to let one of my engines go in harm's way alone…much less my partner.”

She nodded slowly, “it goes against your sense of duty.”

“I may also be a tad protective of those on my line.”

She snorted, understanding all too well.

She was quiet for a long moment, thinking as she looked down at the rails.

She finally sighed, “I can't very well ask you to respect my duties while asking you to abandon yours.” She looked up to level a warning glare at him, “I do expect to be told next time.”

“Thank you.” Duck said sincerely, “and of course. I would have told you last night, but by the time I thought of it you were asleep.”

“That's fair.” She conceded.

“You're not happy about this are you?” 

“...No.”

Duck had to fight to keep from chucking at her frustrated expression, “It has been awhile since you answered to another engine hasn't it.”

Cassandra considered the question, “70 years give or take.”

She rolled her eyes as he chuckled, “where's my crew?”

“They were given the morning off, they'll be here around lunch.”

Cassandra frowned as she realized something, “Wait. Shouldn't you be at Tidmouth right now?”

He shrugged, “Marsh is handling my trains. I'm working as pilot this morning.” He looked at Cassandra seriously, “I realized we hadn't talked about any of this when you arrived. Normally we wouldn't have to, but you're not just an engine on my line, you're…”

“The Lady’s champion.” She finished.

“Yes. I have no say on your duties as Caomhnóir, but…”

“...it's not that simple.” She finished.

They looked at each other for a long moment.

Cassandra looked down, “it's not fair of me to ask for your trust without giving my own. Not as an engine on your line…or as your partner.”

“Take it as we go?” Duck offered.

Cassandra slowly nodded, “take it as we go.” she agreed.

[skepticalarrie]

Larry questions

1. Do you think larry has read fanfics like TTS and y&b. A lot of people say no but to me that is SOOOOO HARRY LIKE. and Louis tries to always act like he’s not deep or meaningful (talking about how the tattoos mean nothing or whateve) but I feel like his real personality? definitely reading fics. Being harry and Louis doesn’t change them from being human. They’re jus like us with experiences and money we won’t be able to comprehend but yea

2. Do you think larry uses this “ship” for promo? Like have you seen things when they’ve been off duty that’s shows larry is real? Or is it always during a fine like promotion, a FITF promotion that they’ll do soemthing larry like. For walls the tattoos as cover pages … yk? Like was that a declaration or promo reasons. and frankly I do not think harry needs to do that anyways 😭 but it gets to me. Obviously what we saw in the band was pure love 100% and afterwards as well. I just sometimes think. Afterwards whether or not people think they’re together, using Larry for promo would be so smart. I know they’ve gotten tatttos and have transcended a different level of love trust and commitment. But …. I jut think. But again I don’t think thoses boys could be in love and then out of love and using their love for promo years after. I don’t know. What do you think?

3. Do you think larry was trying to pull a friendship narrative around July? As far as I know they were both off work (not relaising anything or touring) but they chose to be pictured CLOSE to each other in the same room. I feel like that shows that they wanted to introduce themselves to the public as friends slowly. Before the passing happend ofc. What do you think? Alor of people think they broke up. It would be funny after they broke up they’re like ok let’s start to show them we are friends!!!! I feel like they couldn’t just be friends thoses two. They were always soemthing more.

4. What’s your favourite year of larry? One that’s your favourite to look back at and all that happend that year? Mine is 2015😋

4.5. Your favourite 1D friendship?

5. People are so dumb to excuse Larry when there’s been a constant theme in the songs harry has written that shows he’s been in a long term realrionship. Kacey Musgrave saying Harry Harry larry and then the still the one situation…. The interviewer who said 16 years is a long commitment… so many songs on fine line showing devotion and a strong sense of love that wouldn’t develop that’s quickly (it can but yk)

Do you have a post on larry having the same braincells? Like liking the same artist, being around the same people, having the same values?

And also do you have a thread on Larry friends —- not exposing but yk what Kacey musgrave did. “Exposing larry” do you know what I mean. Larrys friends showing that they’re larries and /or connected?

Lmk ur thoughts you’re very insightful.

Hi, anon! Wow, that's a lot to unpack, so I'll answer everything under the cut to avoid bothering people’s dashboards with a massive post. 😊

1. I think they’re definitely aware of it, but I really don’t believe they read it. Honestly, it would be so strange to see yourself in that kind of context. While we might think something feels “so Harry” or “so Louis,” the reality is that we only know a tiny fraction of their lives. Fics are amazing for us as fans, but if I were in their shoes, I’d feel pretty weirded out by seeing myself portrayed in fictional scenarios through someone else’s perspective hahah so if it were me, I’d avoid it completely and that's I also believe for them.

2. I do think they use Larry for fan service, especially in recent years, as I feel the small signals they give are more about giving something to the fandom/larries than anything deeper and meaningful for them.

But I don’t think it’s entirely accurate to call it “promo.” I think both of them have leaned into this treasure hunt dynamic over the years, using the fandom’s (larries) incredible cryptic-solving skills. I mean, we've been trained for that with the bears. And Louis’ fanbase, which has a higher percentage of Larries, might be more directly impacted by these little hints... maybe in his lyrics or actions, but I don’t think Harry’s promo strategies rely on it at all. His fanbase is massive, and larries are just a small fraction of it. So this kind of signaling doesn’t seem aligned with his career approach.

3. No, I don’t believe in this “friendship narrative” thing at all. It’s just not going to happen.

4. I’m going to say 2015 too, anon! There was so much entertainment hahaha and I loved seeing them together, I miss that dynamic so much.

4.5. Lilo!

5. Completely agree! Harry is so creative with his lyrics, but it’s also incredibly clear how devoted he’s been to this one particular relationship over the years. His songs are full of consistent themes—he keeps revisiting the same emotions and ideas, for sure!

I don’t have super consistent tags for the things that you asked, but here are a few:

SHARING IS CARING

MATCHY MATCHY

FAMILY AND FRIENDS

OUTINGS

EVERYONE KNOWS

Hope this helps! 😊

[gyllenhaalstories]

Laurie!! 💛 (sorry, I just live in your inbox now 💖)

I'm back on duty and I'm here to tickle the collective fandom brain.

With Presumed Innocent coming out soon (aaaah), I would just like to hear all your thoughts on Rusty. 

Is he guilty? If so, would we still do unholy things with him (duh, obviously)? Or is he just an innocent little guy and only guilty of cheating and murdering pussy? He obviously likes being choked and I'm not complaining. What else might he like? Is he a pancakes or bacon/scrambled egg breakfast kinda guy? He does need his protein tho, for several reasons... 👀

Please let me/us know all your thoughts and hopes for the new show and the character we're blessed with this summer, thank youuuu.

Paying my Rusty tax for inspiration ✨ (again)

hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii! 💖 it's so good to see you in my asks again, daphne! thank you for the rusty tax (and the painful reminder that i wish this was ME) and the great questions! i've thought about that man A LOT but the majority of those thoughts are just about how badly i need him so... they're not too constructive... let's see what my -1 brain cell comes up with pretty much on the spot! 🤭

i don't think he's guilty. since the first teaser, i just had the feeling that he's innocent and his wife killed carolyn. clearly he has a talent for lying and manipulating facts (isn't it essentially his job?), he even lied to his therapist in one of the recent clips i saw! trying to lie to the human equivalent of a lie detector is both bold and dumb. he's clearly not completely innocent. cheating on your wife is bad but when your wife is ruth negga it's DOUBLE bad! i watched a quick interview of the woman who plays carolyn and oof. renate has something special. so i kind of get it <3 but i am better than a man and i would not ruin my marriage! the text messages and calls he's sending her are also very bold and dumb. he should know better than anyone how to avoid looking guilty. the dna, the messages, the stalking, the affair that was not so hidden since they were going out together and everything, this is just so stupid! he'd probably be so mad if he defended a client who basically did everything he shouldn't do and now tries to plead for innocence. i'm interested to see if we get an insight on how an attorney of his prestige and of his rank can turn into the most stupid person you've ever met. i mean, we know how, he's desperate to get his dick wet. but still, maybe there's more to it. maybe carolyn isn't that sweet, smart, picture perfect girl either. i'm giving her the side eye too.

i'm soooo excited for the show!!! my only point of reference is defending jacob so i like to compare both series. defending jacob had some really good twists so i expect the same from presumed innocent. in my opinion, one of the most powerful plot twists in defending jacob included the mother, laurie (i can still hear chris evans saying i love you laurie it was an amazing moment <3). so maybe that's why i focused on barbara sabich right away. i don't know, i'm so curious to see. i want to watch the original movie after the series, just to compare as well. i might never do it but at least i'm planning on it! anyway. can we just take a moment to appreciate how crazy it is to have this kind of show as your first television project? jake really popped off with this and his acting is absolutely insane in what we've seen so far! everyone in the cast seems solid. i'm guessing they showed most of the freaky sexy scenes in the trailers already to tease the audience, but i'm curious to know if there is more of that good stuff that they're hiding! i'm also looking forward to watch jake and peter saarsgard on screen again! and the glasses. i can't word vomit all of this and not bring up the glasses. now that we know jake is practically legally blind, i proclaim myself the protector of his corneas and i demand that he wears glasses more often. my motivation is purely selfless and it's not because i fold like a folding chair at the sight of jake with glasses (vision pun intended).

i saved the best stuff for last apparently! but mmm. what is that man into? i can't cook to save my life so he's eating cereals for breakfast. i'm kidding! (well not really but still). we know he's into choking, finger sucking, doggy style, public sex/sneaking away in a public setting, he loves the thrill of forbidden things and we see how touchy he is with carolyn so i'm guessing he's into marking because it's like a proof of something that is happening in secret of others? idk, just thinking. i don't know if his stalking habits fall into kinky or just regular obsession over the one thing he can't have under his total control, but i'd lowkey like it if he extended his stalking with some spicy elements. the way he holds on to carolyn, touches her everywhere, it's giving possessive and i love it. the ring though. oh the ring. why doesn't he take it off? does carolyn like it, does she get off knowing she has a taken man under her spell, that this greek god of a man prefers her to his wife? does rusty like the reminder of his cheating? does he like the self-inflicted guilt and pain of being reminded of his horrible and immoral actions? i think there's definitely some masochist tendencies in him. he's so quick to apologize for everything like oh no i might have killed a woman but i'm sorry tho </3 he might loooove the fake pity and fake apologies. whether he uses this tactic or if it's used on him does not really matter. to put it briefly: rusty is a FREAK and i want to be the somebody who matches his freak!

thank you for doing this, daphne! it was so fun to ramble pure nonsense fuelled by the sad 2 hours of sleep i've gotten last night 😭 i can't wait to read this tomorrow and be weirded out by how little sense it makes. i especially can't wait to read this after watching the entire series and seeing how wrongggg i was. it will be just as much fun as writing all of this! mwah mwah ily! 💖💖💖

[transfemmbeatrice]

parker's personal much ado primer

i'm gonna keep posting much ado shit so here is some background on my personal favorite interpretation of the characters; this is not a primer on the actual play and these opinions somewhat differ from my like. canonical readings of these characters. this is what my personal action figures are like when i'm talking about aus. i'm mostly leaving physical descriptions out bc they can vary quite a bit.

when i say "we" i mean me and my wonderful spouse @zaxal because so much of this we sort of developed together over the years and none of these characters would be quite who they are to me without them.

Beatrice: beatrice is a trans woman to me!! i talked about this a bunch here. she will also always have red hair to me (thanks catherine tate for that one). she's hot, she's confident, she doesn't give a fuck what anyone thinks about her, she has relatively good judgement, she sometimes struggles to be vulnerable or soft with other people, she loves hero more than anything. she's also arrogant as hell! and often quite angry. beatrice is all fire all the time, she is alive and loud and proud and really likes having the last word. you will always know when she is in the room.

Benedick: oh this man is such a slut. grade a whore. pansexual as shit too. always cracking jokes to cover his own insecurities, desperately needs to be liked or if not that at least the center of attention--even if people don't like him, if they're thinking about him and watching him, that's good enough. he loves being witty and he is prideful and acts somewhat detached when in reality he feels things the Most and gets desperately attached to people and doesn't truly believe they could love him back.

Pedro: strong sense of duty. pedro is one that tends to vary more wildly because we've fallen into "suffocated by responsibility and shitty father, actually kinda shy and dumb and kind" which i love but in the play he is mostly just kinda shitty but i don't WANT him to be, so sometimes we try to lean more into the shitty side of him but often he is an earnest idiot (affectionate)

John: as mentioned in my beatrice post, i hc him as a trans man! sometimes more genderfluid or nonbinary. he's quiet, serious, and calm, and has been done fucking dirty by his dad/the world. generally our thought is that he was raised by his mom until about age 12 when she died and he got dumped on the palace steps and the king extremely resented taking him in and everyone was shitty to him because he's illegitimate. everyone thinks he's a villain and he knows he'll never convince them otherwise so he doesn't try; he just keeps to himself and doesn't form many attachments.

Hero: usually soft spoken but whip smart, doesn't like a lot of attention, stem major, big lesbian facing comphet vibes. she and beatrice are basically sisters. she's insightful but she doesn't share those insights with most people, and is by far the one who calls beatrice on her shit the most. we've ended up friendshipping hero and john because they're both such flat characters who exist at the whims of others and i love the idea of two wallflowers finding each other.

Claudio: obviously the villain. there are lots of different approaches to this--he might be an entitled golden boy, or a rich kid not used to hearing no, or an incel--but essentially he's a bully. i think its most interesting when he appears very nice at first and then when there's any amount of pushback things get ugly but i hate him so much i often make him pretty rancid from the start.

Margaret: outgoing and fairly relaxed, a jock, bi, in love with hero.

Conrade: john's bf, utterly loyal, and by a twist of fate it has become a running joke that he has tumblr disease (purple eyes/white hair). we usually depict him as similar to john--stolid, serious, not interested in taking anyone's shit, but lately i've been wondering if maybe he should be the bright sunshine in contrast to john.

Borachio: essentially a stray dog john and conrade adopted. he comes and goes. he's a mess.

Antonio: beatrice's surrogate parent, and elder queer genderfuck who uses ve/vir pronouns. general chaos agent.

ship abbreviations:

b&b: beatrice/benedick bbp: beatrice/benedick/pedro benepedro: take a guess beap: beatrice/pedro heromeg: hero/margaret johnrade: john/conrade

[gaiuswings]

Incoming braindump, because I have a lot of thoughts about Tav!Gaius and Wyll and I need to get them out SOMEWHERE.

One of the things I love about pairing these boys is how similar they are in so many ways, and then the other half they are stark contrasts. Like they are both mirror and opposite side of a coin at the same time.

Folk heroes. Do-gooders. Intensely strong moral compass and compassion for others, especially the outcasts and common folk without the means to defend themselves. They're both so corny and make half the party roll their eyes with their bleeding heart antics. They're the "Two Men: Our bodies are strong but our friendship is stronger!" meme except they're also dating each other. And it's sweet and sappy and Astarion is making gagging motions in the background.

But the struggle in their relationship is the hero worship they each have for the other. Placing the other man on a pedestal while comparing their own shortcomings to this mental ideal they hold.

In Wyll, Tav!Gaius sees the storied hero sung of in every tavern. The Blade of Frontiers! Dozens of adventures already under his belt and beloved by all the good people of the Sword Coast. He's smart and charming, and his poetic way with words leaves Gaius with butterflies in his stomach. And then add on top of that the 'Tragic Cursed Prince' air that he has - Wyll has been faced with numerous impossible choices throughout his life and never hesitated to sacrifice himself for the greater good. It's lent him a mantle of duty that sits heavier than any horns upon his head. Gaius wonders how Wyll can continue to smile so warmly, how he's lived for so many years banished and despised by the very loved ones he sold his soul to save. Would he have been able to make that same sacrifice? Would he have been able to keep on living and fighting when the world kept kicking him into the dirt, to pick himself back up and keep going because there were people that needed him?

How can Gaius, a simple green-behind-the-ears farmboy playing at paladin hope to compare? When he's just a big ox-in-armor stumbling blindly into traps, falling again and again for the tricks of their enemies because he can't see past the innocent faces they hide behind. He's better suited for the hay fields than the lordly courts Wyll was raised in.

And in Tav!Gaius, Wyll sees the shining knight that epics sing of. Bright, brilliant, good and humble and just, the shield against evil. He's the textbook definition of a paladin, but with the humble beginnings that keep him rooted with the common folk. He's quick to smile and makes friends everywhere they go, having a natural likable aura that draws people to him. He's always willing to offer a helping hand, no matter how small and unglamorous the deed. And the man is far more insightful than his 'simple country boy' demeanor lets on. He can peel back the defensive layers of a person to gently address the trauma driving those wicked deeds. And always offers a second chance to those willing to change their ways. Even to the most reprehensible, seemingly too far gone to be reached. He offered a sympathetic hand out to THE Kendrick Thorn, the necromancer lord of the Shadowlands! And even more miraculously, the man responded with contrition, realizing the wickedness of his actions! Could he, Wyll, every be able to achieve that level of heroic gallantry? He who is so quick to slay the 'wicked,' to exact his vigilante 'justice' - a quick, easy, bloody fix that takes lives that might have otherwise been saved if he'd been willing to take the risk and offer a hand instead of a blade.

How could he, who dances on the strings of a she-devil for his hell-born powers, ever dare to stand equal beside this living embodiment of goodness?

So they each pull themselves down while uplifting the other. But that also leads them to support each other when they realize those bitter feelings are weighing them down. It just takes time for each of them to open up and be honest with themselves for once.

Paladin and Warlock. Farmboy and Courtly Lord. Two boys raised on tales of heroes and good vs evil, chasing those ideals.

Bonus screenshot as thanks for making it this far through my character rambles!

[arabellasleopardcoat]

is there an otto fic in the works? *wiggles eyebrows*

My thoughts on Daemon and Aemond

Anon: Nope. But if some of you want it, the requests for my bingo are still open. And I have three pending, including the Alicent spanking fic.

What is in the works and what I wanted the Otto discourse for is an Aemond fic. If I plan right, it should be out the week after I wrap up Divine Intuition. I am hoping to gain some insight on Aemond's character the same way I pinned down Daemon. If you are up for seeing my method, it's under the cut. I totally used this ask as an excuse to talk about what I like.

So. As some of you know, I have not read the ASOIAF books, nor the ones pertaining the Dance of the Dragons. But this is not my first rodeo on fic writing, and before I write for a character, I like seeing what makes them tick.

Daemon was easier to crack down for me than Aemond. He has more screen time, which helps. But what really helped me nail down details about him was a Matt Smith's interview and his interactions with other characters. Especially, those with Viserys and women. From that, I got a few key points that I keep in mind every time I write him: Attention seeking, sadistic, controlling. I make sure to hit those in every scene he is in. But also, I try keeping in mind his motivations and his core values, loyalty, love for Viserys and Rhaenyra, competence (When he wants to)

I think in the case of Aemond, when considering his interactions with other characters, there are two that are key. Mother and Father.

Alicent is very important. She teaches him about the Faith, and it's clear she favors him. Aemond doesn't want to give her trouble, hence his attitude towards duty. He knows she has one problem child already, he doesn't want to be a cause for concern. It also determines his relationship with Aegon and Helaena. Aemond loves her. A lot.

Father should be taken in terms of absence. Viserys is just not there, so when looking for Aemond's father figure I have to look at two different stages. Childhood and teenage years. During childhood, he has Criston. I have been reading up discourse on him and rewatching a few of his scenes. He influences Aemond's sense of honor, he taught him how to fight, he actively parents him (See, the "All women are reflections of the Mother) To get Aemond, I need to get Criston.

But then, Otto comes back to King's Landing. And he influences Aemond during his teenage years, which is really relevant for a kid. This is where Aemond gets his sense of duty, his planning and his love for knowledge. Otto is a second son too, but one that is different to the other second son we are introduced to. He is one that stands by his own merits, that has risen to the highest position in the realm. Aemond probably looks up to him.

And you can't tell me that Otto was not an involved grandfather, because look how he acts when Helaena is making his toast or when Aemond gets up to give his. Watch his body language. He cares for these kids.

Finally, last talking point. I like Otto. I find him very interesting, and I like the mirroring with Corlys Velaryon. They both have the same objectives, getting their family on the Iron Throne. That's why I made him Aemond's Hand on Last Man On Earth (Which has to be the worst fic I have written, too many typos) I think him and Otto share the same ruthlessness, one that is very interesting to explore. And Aemond, obviously, soaks that up like a sponge. It shows even in the way he moves. When he is wrestling Aegon, it's not just siblings fighting to me. There is a sense of ruthlessness there, when he tugs at Aegon's leg, Aemond is pissed off and uncaring of hurting him. He is willing to get him to stay through any means.

Otto is blunt too, haughty. Despite being Hand, he is not a good courtier. He has the awkwardness of smart people, his brain moves too fast and gets frustrated when other's can't keep up. That's why he and Alicent clash, too. To Otto the picture is clear, to her, it takes her a bit longer. Many issues in their relationship would be solved if he took time to explain his thought process to her and listened to her thoughts. He doesn't. Otto thinks his reasoning is obvious. And that he knows best. Alicent feels blindsided and manipulated by his actions.

I think Aemond is similar. His speech is to the point, unless he is deliberately trying to insult someone (See the toast to his nephews) And even then, they are not particularly well hiden insults.

Then, there are Aemond's anger issues, of course. I have read a few Ewan Mitchell's interviews too. The boiling pot of emotion, being so cold and calculating on the outside (imitating Otto so hard in my opinion, mind over heart) but with the Targaryen's temper.

Still on the topic of anger, we have to agree Aemond is petty. So are Criston and Otto. He is just like his fathers.

So that's what I want the discourse for. It helps me, reading others opinions, even if they clash with mine because I get to think and spin my little web.

Sorry for the rambling! It's also eight in the morning for me, so probably not my most eloquent.

[frostfall-matches]

[ matchmaking... ]

@in2thenewworld : [ match report ready ]

your match is…

✦ Ignis Scientia

The calm, stoic type with the talkative, outgoing type. You and Ignis balance each other, with your differing traits being compatible enough that your dynamic works very well. (He actually thinks you and Prompto are really quite similar, so he warms up to you rather quickly). While Ignis is on the reserved side, he doesn’t have much difficulty socializing or carrying a conversation. He’s a good conversation partner, and always has something witty, insightful, or thoughtful to share. Ignis is smart and mature; it’s all too easy to have deep, interesting chats with him. That being said, he does tend to listen more than speak, so conversations lean more heavily towards your contributions.

Ignis appreciates your optimism; he also appreciates that you can be serious when needed. His friends might tease him for being serious and stony-faced, but he absolutely has a sense of humor and has no qualms about cracking puns or witty jokes - and his timing is impeccable. You’re definitely able to pull smiles and chuckles out of him on a frequent basis (though there are absolutely times where he responds to the joke as serious as can be), considering you like to joke around when you can. Still, life isn’t all fun and games. There’s a time and a place for humor, just as there is for seriousness. Many people have difficulty grasping the gravity of some situations, so he’s relieved that you’re mature and insightful enough to know when to reel your humor in and focus.

He tends to default to acts of service as a love language, but is happy to receive physical affection from you. You might catch him off guard sometimes, especially if you’re around others or if he’s focused on something else, but he truly welcomes your touch. Once you two build a routine when it comes to snuggling up together on the couch or in bed, he actually comes to really crave it and miss it when you two are too busy or preoccupied. Ignis is often busy with his duties as royal advisor, so he greatly appreciates any time you two are able to dedicate solely to each other. And despite how busy he is, and how much he’s already doing for other people, he’s happy to help you out in small, subtle ways. For example, if you’re going out to work or classes, he’ll have lunch packed for you already; or he’ll always bring an extra umbrella or coat if the two of you are going out together.

Sometimes… Ignis is exasperated by you. Even if your behaviors are overall endearing to him. Namely, this is in regard to your tendency to stay up late and sleep in, as well as those moments where common sense escapes you. Even your clumsiness gives him cause for a bit of stress. He might scold you a bit but don’t take it badly; all he really wants is for you to be careful, which means you should be more mindful of your surroundings. The stare he gives you when something completely flies over your head or you pull something absolutely dumb is… well, quite funny, if you weren’t on the receiving end of it.

When the two of you have a quiet moment to yourselves, he enjoys having tea and snacks with you. Culinary expert that he is, he knows very well which flavor profiles work together. Ignis has amazing suggestions for desserts to pair with whatever tea you’ve selected for the day. If you two plan a little tea session in advance, he’ll be more than happy to bake said dessert (and while he brushes off your praise and acts humble, he secretly thrives off of your compliments about his cooking). These are definitely one of his favorite ways to decompress from the stressors of the day and just focus on you.

Classy as he is, he tends to opt for more traditional displays of romance and affection. Sometimes, this may be seen as cheesy to you or outsiders; but it’s a good thing you’re a sucker for a cheesy romance. Dates, no matter how simple, are done with a flourish. This might be him coming to you with flowers or a small gift before he brings you out to dinner or a stroll in a nice scenic area. Even more casual dates where you two stay in and he cooks dinner for the both of you include him getting the tablet and dining room set up to set the mood for a cozy, romantic date. Ignis is definitely the type to give you soft kisses to the back of your hand and whisper sweet compliments in your ear so only you can hear them.

Ignis quietly admires your care for your appearance and how you present yourself; even if you’re only dressing up and wearing makeup for yourself. And even when you’re not dressed to the nines with a full face of makeup, of course he still thinks you’re beautiful. He finds that he quite enjoys watching you do your skincare or do your makeup; if you’re comfortable with him watching here and there, that is. It’s hard for him to explain if you ask him why, but he really likes how focused you are when putting makeup on, and he’s quick to appreciate how much effort goes into looking good (and how effortless you often make it seem!). In terms of style, he likes how you don’t tend to fit in one box, and he looks forward to seeing what particular style or blend of styles you’ll be wearing that particular day.

He shows interest in your creative hobbies, though he often waits for you to show him what you’re working on instead of prying. That’s not to say that he won’t ever ask, out of the blue, what sort of project or craft you’ve been working on in your spare time recently… but he also doesn’t want you to feel like he’s pestering you. Since he’s a perfectionist, he just kind of assumes that others may not be willing to share their creative projects unless it’s a finished product. He is very good at thoughtful and genuine compliments, even if you’re not satisfied with your work yourself. He’s sensitive enough to know that constructive criticism isn’t always wanted, so he’ll only ever give it if you ask for that specifically.

Overall, Ignis seems to match the kind of traits you look for in a partner. He might not be the most warm and affectionate type, but he is quietly and subtly kind. He is genuine and approaches you with honest intentions. And if his loyalty to Noctis is proof of anything, it’s that he will be devoted and loyal to his partner. While he encourages you to be self-sufficient and independent, he will step in when he feels it's needed to support or protect you. In fact, he might be a little overbearing about it, at times (and if it gets to be too much for you, you only need to say the word - he’s good about listening to and respecting others’ boundaries).

[ozomatli-9]

Netflix ahh storyline...

A self preservational main character who toils in themselves about being an immortal vampire who has to live in night time for all eternity. He works as a security guard for facilities or a bouncer type (he himself would address an issue rather than intervene directly). He feeds on those he's intimate with, but people dont really stick around him long enough for him to maintain a consistent diet (because hes a drag), because of his overall inactivity, he doesn't need to feed too regularly. He meets someone he really likes so much that he doesn't even feed , and he starts working on himself. He goes feeding less intimately and instead hunts and prowls in the night, feasting on unsuspecting victims the standard vampire shtick so he can be vital and show his commitment to her. She also starts taking steps to show her commitment to them. Till eventually, in a playful way, he plays with the hypothetical that what if he was a vampire and the only way they can be together forever is if he turned her into a vampire then she giggles dismissively and shes like oh then I would slay you because im apart of a sacred order of knights that slays unholy dreg beasts and she shows him a brand in her scalp ad the guys like 👁👁 i thought you guys disbanded back in the 1312 and shes like yea we did but thats just so we can live our normal lives while continuing our sacred duties casually also how do u know about that and hes like oh uhhhh i am a bit of a history nut and shes like whattt me too and the guy cunningly switches the conversation to history and he offers her his personal insights to certain events acting as though he just dies his research and shes like "thats exactly how I remembered it", but quietly to herself as he goes on showing his hand confirming her perspective of being a vampire ... anyways time goes on, and eventually, shes like my family would love to meet you and the guys like erm gulp sure and hes like yeah lets go out at steak dinner at night and shes like no I was just gonna take you to there home just as a handshake sort of thing this weekend afternoon and the guys like .... !!! okay and he loads up on blood by increasing his night vampiring slapping hands with fellow niggas of the night and then its time and hes out and about kinda looking and feeling like shit cuz the sunlight is cooking him up and hes being extra awkward and weird to limit his exposure but luckily her families estate is like surrounded by trees. So hes just getting peppered with sunlight, and as soon as they roll up the chicks, family is like .... bruh again with this bullshit you brought another one them over here and the vampire guy (whos black btw) assumes theyre just being racist and is like what do u mean them and the dads like a monster, by the looks of it a vampire this time and hes like ... ermm check, please, and the chicks (whose half asian half white) like yaa, and im gonna keep bringing them till you all stop being old-fashioned and accept that monsters are not all inherently evil. And the dads like again, oh yeah, then why has there been an increase in attacks in the city leading up to this day, and she's like because he loves me and felt like he had to feed in secrecy. Just to shake your hand and the guys like, so how would he feed if not under the cover of darkness in the night blood letting is inherently violent. Then they get into a really philisophical debate about how life is violent and how their violence is better than their violence yadda yadda then she lays out a blue print on how he can become a manager and use his vampire ability of creating minions to create jobs for people doing bs job stuff and just feed on them willingly giving him blood as part of their job and the dads like ur so smart daughter and shes like how does that sound to the vampire guy and he already booked it out the front door at the prospect of becoming an office manager type . ..

[nenilein]

Oh.

Oh god.

Did you really- Ask that...?

DO YOU REALLY WANT TO KNOW?

OKAY THEN.

I HOPE YOU ARE PREPARED FOR

THE ENTIRE HISTORY OF KLUG PUYO PUYO (Part 1)

-An essay

Chapter 1 - What is a Klug?

Short Answer: Berdly DeltaRune 20 years before DeltaRune was ever a thing and with a lot more time to set up and play out his character arc.

Long Answer: The most unexpected journey from meaningless NPC to series mainstay fan favorite that you've ever seen.

Klug was introduced in the 2003 game Puyo Puyo Fever (also known as Puyo Pop Fever), a game which posed something of a soft reboot for the Puyo Puyo series after the franchise rights passed from Compile to Sega during a legendary chain-reaction of financial mismanagement (which is a tale to be told another time).

Puyo Puyo had always been very heavy on story and character content for an action puzzle game, but in order to make the series truly their own, Sega decided to introduce a completely new world (dimension travel wasn't new to the series even at the time) with its own cast of characters. The multiverse of Puyo Puyo is one in which almost everyone, with some striking exceptions, has latent magical abilities and can train to become a sorcerer if they so choose, so for the setting of their new game, Sega chose a small isolated town with a sorcery school at its center. And for the sake of the world building, of course, said sorcery school needed to be populated with students. Klug is one of those students.

Having only two speaking scenes in the entire game, both of which are very similar Klug is portrayed as a book-smart magic student (the word "klug" literally is an adjective meaning "smart" in German) who likes to brag about his own skill and intelligence and sabotages his own advantage in a class-wide competition to find his teacher's magic wand by challenging his classmates Amitie and Raffina to battle him just to flaunt his superiority, even after he, in his own words, has already found the wand. Obviously, as Amitie and Raffina are the player characters, he ends up losing and his relevance in this particular game ends here.

The manual and development comments given in the magazine "Monthly Arcadia" give a bit more insight on his character, however:

Despite how little he appears in the game, it quickly becomes apparent that the developers have put a lot of thought into who this character is off-screen. His whininess is actually seen better in in his damage and loss animations in the sequel(which feature him crying up a puddle of tears), but we'll get there later. Likewise, the "word from the developers" hints at a hefty inferiority complex (which is talking about the fact that unlike most of the characters Klug has absolutely nothing in his past that would make him special), something which will become very apparent way later in the series.

...The manual also mentions his affinity for dark magic, which, together with the red spirit that sometimes rises from the spellbook he carries is going to become, I kid you not, the centerpiece of one of THE most popular ongoing subplots in the entire franchise and make Klug an absolute fan favorite among loreheads.

"But how?" you might be asking "How can a character even the developers outright called boring and of little not be at the center of this much fan-love?" Well, my friends, this is where we get to...

Chapter 2 - How is Klug?

My friends, this is where we step right into the Nexus of the beginning of Klug's main-characterfication.

Welcome to the unlocalized sequel of Puyo Pop Fever:

Puyo Puyo Fever 2

This is the game where Klug causes HALF THE PLOT.

And the other half is directly caused by the awkwardness of somebody directly related to Klug's past.

"But Neni, didn't you say nothing of interest happened in Klug's pa-"

SIT DOWN. We'll get there.

Klug's role in this game begins with him writing nonsense that has no place there into the class journal.

It seems I am on class duty today. As for class... Well, I am afraid I wasn't listening to the lecture at all. You see, I am currently right in the middle of unraveling the mysteries of the book I carry on my person. It would appear that in order to draw out 100% of the books power, artefacts known as "The Solar Bookmark", "the Moonstone" and the "Lantern of the Stars" are required. Once all three are gathered, one only has to conduct the necessary ritual a single time. Afterwards keeping the three artefacts on your person is no longer necessary.

His classroom teacher, Ms. Accord, has wise words in response to that:

Don't get yourself tied up in dangers you can't handle, Klug.

Listen to her, Klug does not.

The next time we run into him he is manically muttering to himself about gathering the three artefacts in front of the school.

And, as coincidence would have it, the three artefacts are actually currently in town, brought there and scattered about by an old childhood friend/babysitter crush of Klug's:

This is Lemres, regional high school sorcery prodigy and Klug's highly implied babysitter when Klug was like. Six. This essay is not about him, but talking about Klug without talking about Lemres becomes, after a certain point, impossible, so here, have the rundown.

Let me put it like this: If this was Danganronpa, he'd go to Hope's Peak and his title would be Ultimate Sorcerer. He's still a minor, but has graduated the magic curriculum in his town years early and regularly gets interviewed by sorcery-focused publications on his insight on the latest developments in the field. The image above is his IN UNIVERSE OFFICIAL TRADING CARD. That's how ridiculously good he is at magic. Unlike every other student-type character in these games, Lemres always, without exception, uses boss AI. If you are doing Free Play matches on random and Lemres comes up as your opponent, you should be scared.

And then there's Klug, our average nerd boi. Klug with some regularity fluctuates between wildly crushing on Lemres and wanting to be Lemres. Whenever Lemres appears Klug tends to not be far behind, figuratively kissing the ground on which he walks and picking a fight with anyone who even just implies Lemres might be anything less than perfect.

It (doesn't) help(s) that Lemres is an absolute sweetheart, who just wants to be friends with everyone and share baked goods with them, so as intense as Klug (and a certain someone else we'll get to) can be about their admiration for him, he never has the heart to tell them to lay it off a little. He can be rather socially awkward when it comes down to it... And that's how, right after arriving in Primp Town with a very important delivery of three certain artefacts, Lemres ends up accidentally getting in a fight with all three playable characters (Amitie, Raffina, Sig) and scattering the artefacts across the town in the process.

And Klug hears about it from Lemres himself.

So, like the absolute idiot he is, he immediately gets to work gathering the items and preparing the ceremony. He spends a good bit of the story from then on out loudly gloating about how soon he will be unstoppable. Behold, actual dialogue from the game:

Breathtaking.

So, after plenty of shenanigans, we head to the ruins and...

...That's not Klug.

Well, actually it kinda IS.

See, he's right there. Tiny little soul boy stuck in a book~ Isn't he adorably pathetic?

You see, it turns out that "spell book" he always carries was actually a cursed tome carrying the fractured soul of an ancient entity only known as the "Crimson Demon".

That's what the red thing in his cut-in sprites was.

He got that book from the library. Don't ask why they just let him take it out. Sometimes the Puyo world is just dysfunctional like that.

So, anyway, the ritual he performed caused Klug's soul to trade places with the fractured Crimson Soul and now he's stuck in the book crying, while the demon is hamming it up in his body and ranting about everlasting suffering (apparently being stuck in a book for ages isn't very fun. Go figure.)

Thankfully, before anything worse can happen, the demon gets beat up one...

...two...

three times.

Then Amitie accidentally breaks the spell and everything goes back to normal

So, what have we learned from that?

NOTHING APPARENTLY BECAUSE IT'S BEEN SIX+ GAMES SINCE THEN AND KLUG STILL REFUSES TO BRING THE BOOK BACK TO THE LIBRARY

The book is the only "special" thing Klug has to his name. Without it, he would go back to being just "kid who reads a lot", so he refuses to give it up despite the constant risk of possession.

And yes, he DOES get possessed again. It seems to be a semi-frequent kind of incident in-universe, in fact, to the point that at one point in the main story of Puyo Puyo Quest Raffina says this:

Like, this is just his life now. Getting randomly possessed by an ancient demon is a feature of his character now, to the point that his peers treat it as more of a feature than a bug.

I could write a whole essay on the Crimson Soul as a character of their own, but they and Klug ironically have only directly talked once so far (in a dream in Puyo Puyo Tetris) and it seems the Crimson Soul's opinion of Klug as a person AND a vessel isn't too high:

Oh, and of course, the crimson soul is far from the only person to have a poor opinion of Klug.

For one, Klug and Raffina are known to NOT get along, ever.

Raffina is a self-proclaimed lady and martial artist/body builder, which Klug tends to make fun off, calling her a "meathead" or something along the lines, despite the fact that Raffina has the second best grades in the school after him. Combined with Raffina's firey temper this often leads to the two of them battling for no other reason than that they breathed in the same room.

Then there's Feli

(This scene is from the official drama CDs. They had a lot of these)

Feli has a gigantic crush on Lemres, so she sees Klug as a rival for his attention. She has threatened murder on Klug more often than any other character... And Feli threatens murder a LOT.

So okay. Klug is a nerd, he has an inferiority/superioty-complex the size of a building, he's dumb enough to repeatedly get himself possessed by an easily avoidable source, and pretty much everyone around him either hates him or at least finds him annoying.

That should be the end of it then, right? Funny, but not a super interesting character. Why vote for him?

But the thing about Klug is... he changes. And it's not like it's all at once. It's actually pretty slowly and gradually...

But, uh... Unfortunately I've hit the limit for images in this post, so I'll have to put the rest into a part two, possibly to be released tomorrow! HERE IT IS: https://www.tumblr.com/nenilein/743659783034372096/the-entire-history-of-klug-puyo-puyo-part-2

For now, here have Amitie's opinion of Klug as recited in the official novel "Puyo Puyo: Amitie and the Girl of Love", Chapter 3

Favorite Sega Character: Losers Bracket Round 2

[kphobcapt]

my live thoughts for ep 5 how are we already HALFWAY THROUGH this season definitely tl;Dr

aabria you’re so cute and look at the autumn flowers!!

Oscar your beard is beautiful I adore you

lou is gonna fuck that wave lol

the first dance at the ball 👀👀👀👀

emily you are so clever and smart i want to live inside your brain

PRINCE APOLLO

the path leads you to what you truly DESIRE RUEHOB HOOT GROWL

it is more interesting to limit yourself emily lol

i love how. quiet brennan is when his character is not directly interacting with anyone. i feel like it’s his quiet protest to pcs that talk when he is dming lol

if rue and hob end up meeting at the heart together im going to swallow my teeth

YES squak make a MESS

prince apollo is uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh hot

Oscar giggling like a schoolboy gives me life

Andhera 🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹 “what do you want” 🌿🌳💚”i hold nothing from you”

Nat 20!!! Roll for Rue!!

binx 😭😭😭 i love you THE HAND GRAB there were no more blankets left

you and i have a connection and you have full support from me 😭😭😭😭 it is an honor that I will never disgrace 💜💜💜💜

THIS IS CURSED AND IM SO SORRY HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAA

Brennan i am begging you please stop breaking my heart it is already so crushed oh poor hob 😭 i have gotten some closure. It just wasn’t about you. You just didn’t matter. Kill me. MORE SMITTEN THEN BEFORE 🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪

an insight check on yourself aabria you are a genius and just decimated like 300 years of philosophical thought eat dice brennan

you smell peonies 😭😭😭❤️❤️❤️🌸🌸🌸

i will live and die by these little lou/oscar asides i love them so much

brennan i will rend you asunder with my bare hands. a reproachful laughter. he forsook his duty. scorn and humiliation. in that moment knows himself a coward. im gonna kill everyone and then myself.

NAT 20 intimidation b you must be so happy

ya wanna cast a spell ya gotta kill some goblins 🤷🏻‍♀️

i just keep thinking about that look, it’s the only one that mattered to rue 🥹🥹

hey girl hey 😂

brennan reacting to emily reading game mechanics gives me life

is prince apollo kind of…..stupid?

water cave horse im here for it

im incredibly attached to brennan backseat dming and helping omar with his rolls the boy can’t help himself

DEAR SISTER GET FUCKED HAHAHHAHA

corporal strump no notes no questions

COUNTERSPELL

lou not with the water bottle 😂😂😂

FIRST BOX OF BLOOM

prince of darkness andhera baby you CRIT 🤩🤩🤩 with the Darcy hand flex absolutely

studio audience emily thank youuuu

that teaser so much happens in the next episode and i am fully dead

[animeyanderelover]

Yandere Ayasegawa Yumichika Hc’s

Literally went from a guy I was sort of annoyed with to one of my faves😂💘.

Tw: Yandere themes, unhealthy mindset, unhealthy relationship, possessiveness, obsessiveness, delusions, worshipping, clinginess, guilt-tripping, manipulation, jealousy, Yumichika being a true diva and drama queen

🦚Despite his rather vain nature, Yumichika falls in love surprisingly fast once his darling managed to catch his attention and triggered fuzzy feelings in his chest. Now, he’s not as sappy as to constantly swoon, especially not whilst he’s working under his squad. But people who know him good enough do notice that he seems distracted here and there, eyes staring into the distance with a dreamy smile on his face. And oh god, once someone pushes him to start talking he’s all gushing and praising you. Sure, he is arrogant but it’s that sort of nature, the one where he often judges people at first only from beauty, that has him becoming a worshipper. He’s surprisingly talented in figuring out what he loves so much about his s/o, be it their cute laugh, sweet smile, their voice or how absorbed they can get when focused. His reactions to critique or mean words about you are highly offended and slightly angry and he simply can’t keep quiet when he hears only the slightest accusation. He’s sensitive about negative words about himself and his darling alike and if it’s needed he will pinpoint exactly down why he loves s/o so much and why they’re better than the one who delivered critique.

🦚He’s majorly obsessive and wants to know everything about his darling. They’re all that haunts him in thoughts and dreams and the Shinigami is relatively swift to act on his growing emotions as he proceeds down the path of obsession. His ways of acting might not hint it always, but he’s a very insightful and smart person who remembers things he hears or sees about you and uses those to befriend you and your closer circle to gain as much closeness as possible. Incredibly time consuming as well, as soon as he has time he always wants it to be spend with you and he uses his work as some sort of manipulation, arguing that he is so often away, that work was a little bit stressful and that he just misses you so terribly. Even though clingy and manipulative, Yumichika wouldn’t isolate you from anyone unless he deems them as a problem. He’s delusional since he believes that he knows his darling the best, loves them the most and for that deserves to be with them since no one else would be good enough. He knows that you could feel a bit lonely though since he’s the Fifth Seat and often busy with duties so he lets you have your time with others when he’s away, he has good relationships with most of them anyways.

🦚Surprisingly humble enough to admit to himself that he has his jealousy phrases, on the outside he tries to hide that though. Due to his peacockish attitude he won’t get jealous at first sight as soon as darling talks or looks with someone or the other way around, his possessive side can get brushed the wrong way though. He’s made it clear to everyone that you two are in a romantic relationship and he tells everyone to clarify things from the very start. The guy usually gets less jealous than more annoyed when someone constantly bothers him and darling, his jealousy is mainly stirred when you behave in a way he does not appreciate. You can divide some attention to others and dedicate your time to them, but at a certain rate Yumichika gets sort of iffy and petty about it and if that person uses that to their advantage and enjoys it all the worse. He can turn very waspish when he wants to be and ends up keeping darling busy to make them avoid that person. Limited patience Leads his mask to break though, resulting in a terribly strained smile and twitching eyebrows at one point.

🦚His Squad is known to love fighting and he enjoys good fights, though he isn’t completely prone to violence. If someone gets hurt and you hear it, it might end up backfiring where you seek closeness to the injured and pay them more attention and care. Whether he counts that possibility in beforehand or found out firsthand, Yumichika wants you to avoid that person. So rumors are often his favored method since a small gossip can deliver immense damage to one’s reputation the larger it grows. I said it before and I’ll say it again, he’s intelligent and good in manipulating the scene from behind with some evidence and witnesses. Threatening the poor person is not out of option either, inducing fear is rather effective as long as he knows they aren’t in a higher position and could drag him into troubles. Being careful doesn’t mean he never grabs his Zanpakuto though, he gets rid of people who have pushed his limits too much. He isn’t messy though, he does some decent planning on how to get rid of a corpse or at least make it look like he was only defending himself. Even he wouldn’t get away with killing a innocent person and tainting his image in your eyes so he will make it look like he was the victim.

🦚Leads a fairly normal relationship, even if he seems to work at a fast pace in comparison to others. He wants to live together with his darling after only a few months and even if he politely handles declinations, he becomes sort of worried and confused after a few times. Yumichika wants to respect boundaries, tends to get easily hurt and irritated though since his love and dedication is limitless and he kind of thinks that you feel the same. If he kidnaps his darling though, he needs a reason since he isn’t that terribly petty. Be that you suddenly cutting ties with him, not wanting to be with him anymore or finding out the truth. Truly, he attempts to change your mind via manipulating and guilt-tripping your family and you, if he finds himself unable to stop you he will take a different approach though. He might just be able to get Ikkaku to help him as well.

🦚Calls you all sort of nicknames, his favorites are probably ’angel’, ‘beauty’, and ‘sweetheart’ though. He’s sort of careful to not even mention his duties in the Squad if he knows that you are no fan of violent commotions or fights or he just alters the story a bit. Depending on that he also hesitates a bit longer before introducing you to his friend Ikkaku and his Captain Kenpachi. He has the habit of constantly getting his darling accessories or creams to help them look prettier so they have a lot of different jewels, hair slides and lotions all thanks to him.

[edelegs]

black eagles relationships i like but don’t see talked about enough

Ferdinand and Petra - I adore their supports. You see a lot of Ferdinand’s dorky side with his reading about historic weapons, and you see that he is genuinely curious about Petra’s culture. He admits that he initially didn’t realize how sophisticated Brigidian techniques are and I just adore his vulnerability with her. And then there’s Petra in their A support, admitting she found a second home in Fòdlan, and the two discuss their loneliness? It’s such interesting insight into both characters (especially Ferdie; I’d say these are some of his most well-rounded supports)

Hubert and Dorothea - Dorothea sees right through Hubert’s edgy theatre kid persona. She approaches him like she would any friend right from the beginning and teases him about his love life. She also respects and believes him when he says that unrequited love isn’t his motivation. I would’ve liked a conclusion that wasn’t Dorothea suggesting they marry, but it is really funny that she did that. I love their paired ending too--completely platonic espionage opera! What could be better?

Hubert and Byleth - in my head they have a quirky sitcom where Byleth keeps trying to arrange Edeleth/Ferdibert double dates and Hubert has to attend them. (but seriously, the appeal of Hubert is looking at this man and saying “I’m gonna make you like me”, and then you do it). Outside of my shipping biases, his threats to you are funny as shit considering that he has no power over you and he’s always dying in battle, but once you win his trust he admits that despite looking Blatantly Evil, he truly abhors TWSTID and is already planning their follow-up war. I could easily see him and Byleth co-leading the war in the shadows (and that’s where the dialogue of the aforementioned platonic Huleth workplace comedy takes place). Also my friend who played as m!Byleth told me the “we could be a couplet of birds” line in the A-support still exists regardless of gender. Hubert is demiromantic bi and you CANNOT change my mind 

Edelgard and Petra - “Don’t settle for being the bird. Be the arrow instead” Both have a great deal of mutual respect for each other, even though Edelgard is heir to the nation that has kept Petra’s country down for years. You see the same beliefs Petra holds in her supports with Caspar here--that being, “we are not our parents, we can make different choices”. It’s a shame they only have 2 supports. I think it would’ve been cool to see Petra asking Edelgard for Brigidian independence or otherwise talking about how she can achieve her goal. 

Edelgard and Linhardt - I actually think people talk about this a bit, but it’s one of my favourite Black Eagles support chains so I have to mention it. This one is the key to understanding that Edelgard’s better world is only possible in her route, when she has the support and opportunity to trust others enough to learn how to listen to them and consider their perspectives. I advise anyone who thinks Edelgard would be a brutal dictator to watch these supports, because they so blatantly contradict that idea? Linhardt initially frustrates her because she knows he’s talented and smart but he doesn’t want to do anything to help the world with that. Characters like Linhardt are usually given an arc in which they overcome an initial selfishness to help others. This is not that. These supports are about Edelgard learning to understand Linhardt and accommodate him. Edelgard agonizes over finding the perfect way to allow him to do his research in a way that suits him--and when she senses his hesitation at her initial plan, she presses him for the problem and reconfigures the idea because she won’t put him in a situation he’s not fully content in. This is astounding character growth (from both of them, but mostly Edelgard). Also the struggle depicted in this chain is just something that spoke to me when I first saw it--”be useful” versus “learn for knowledge’s sake” is pretty much my exact struggle in life 😂 Seeing two of my favourite characters reach a resolution that satisfied both of them was hopeful, to say the least. 

Caspar and Ferdinand - What strikes me about their supports is that it compares and contrasts these characters’ ideas of justice against each other. Honestly, the Black Eagles as a whole have takes on morality that are just slightly skewed, and these characters’ arguments about it exemplify it. Caspar just thinks that people who hurt others should be hit right away, head empty no thoughts but j u s t i c e. Ferdinand initially believes that all sense of justice comes from being nobility, and with that comes an obligation to be morally superior. Having Caspar just go “uh yeah, what does nobility have to do with it? I just had to hit that guy” is one way in which Ferdinand’s ideals are challenged. It’s a cool contrast that I think highlights an interesting aspect of the Black Eagles and what they were taught. 

Dorothea and Bernie - I love everything about their interaction. If Dorothea were a lesser character, she’d be the mean popular girl who shames Bernie for her messy hair and her anxiety. Instead, Dorothea is patient and Bernie is like “oh no she’s Too Cool for me”. Dorothea also makes note of what Bernie says as she gets too anxious to continue the interaction and aims to comfort her in their next support. We get a good Bernie character moment in their B-support, where she mentions her father ruining her friendship with a commoner boy--and a cathartic moment where Dorothea tells her that her father’s an asshole and that they’re going to be friends anyway. Bernie cries in Dorothea’s arms and AHHHH why didn’t we get MORE of this???

Bernie and Petra - If I could add any support and ending to the game, it would be Bernie/Petra. They have such a good starting point--because of Bernie’s anxiety and Petra being a second language speaker of Fòdlandish, they are prone to miscommunications (which is the general theme of early Bleagles supports). They had a nice 2-support arc where they understand each other a little better--but then there’s the paralogue, where Petra encourages Bernie to come to her homeland with her and Bernie realizes she wants to travel and see amazing things like carnivorous plants. This is fantastic character development for her and is a satisfying conclusion to her arc. I feel like most of Bernie’s endings involve her just reverting back to her hermit self instead of developing a balance between who she was at the beginning and who she’s grown into. I think Petra would offer to let her come to Brigid again, where she helps her navigate a new language and culture. Bernie’s anxiety is still bad but Petra has been in her position and can offer advise and reassurance. Petra is also patient and would give Bernie a safe little house near the carnivorous plants for her to retreat to when overwhelmed. It becomes both of their refuge, with Petra taking time away from her regal duties to spend time with Bernie and her art and her stories. Whether it’s romantic or platonic is up to preference but I low-key ship them 😏

[nomdepen]

“There is no need to apologize. Your insight is appreciated, truly.” She offered a gentle smile, a silent peace treaty of sorts. She hadn't taken his words to heart, but his concern was welcoming. Most men she met would've doubled down on their sentiments just to make a woman feel inferior. But Penelope could sense that was not what he had in mind and it piqued her interest. Pen wasn't used to being seen at all, let alone perceived enough to be analyzed. And the fact that his observations had been spot on made her wonder just how transparent she was even whilst invisible.

“I’m not very good at these sorts of things either. Honestly, as much as I enjoy a waltz or two, I'd much prefer a night by the fire with a book in hand." Her tone was playful as she drew her face up in what she could only hope read as disappointment. "But, alas, the duties of a young lady deny me such simple pleasures."

After a moment, she returned to her usual ladylike countenance and flicked her gaze up to him, bright blue eyes trying to read his features. He was strangely endearing, not to mention dashing in physical appearance. His seemingly soft-tempered nature was a refreshing contrast to the usual pompous, cocksure men that strolled about the floor and Pen wondered how he had flown under her radar so easily. His face was familiar, but not immediately recognizable. He was handsome but not in an overbearing way. His eyes were gentle, the curvature of his lips almost childlike. And he spoke with an intelligence that alluded to a proper education, but he lacked the haughty nature of most Oxford graduates.

Was he new to the neighborhood? Pen couldn't remember news of any new residents to Mayfair, but she had been wrapped up in her own thoughts as of late. Other than the supposed arrival of a Prince that was to take part in the season, Penelope couldn't seem to place a name to the face. The only thing she was absolutely sure of was that this humble gentlemen could not be the Prince. A prince, no matter how docile in temperament, would never speak to the likes of Penelope Featherington. It was an unspoken law that most of the ton seemed keen to follow.

In a way, he reminded her of Colin. His puppyish features and inherent kindness made him enchanting, despite the way he seemed to struggle when finding words. She often found it hard to string the right words together when speaking to others. It was only on paper that she felt confident in her thoughts.

"If it is any consolation, I accept your apology." She split her attention between his face and the dancefloor, trying to take note of all his features without appearing too interested in his appearance. It was most unlike the esteemed Lady Whistledown to not know of a person's name and family, so the identity of this mysterious stranger intrigued her. Fidgeting with the glass of lemonade in her hands, Pen tried to find something of worth to say. Something to make her sound not too smart, but not too daft. Try as she might, however, she couldn't seem to come up with any engaging topics and her mind went into autopilot. "Are you enjoying the night at any rate? Even if you aren't ardently taking to the dance floor."

despite  her  expression  of  appreciation,  he  instantly  regrets  allowing  every  word  he's  spoken  aloud  to  escape  his  mouth.  the  fear  he'd  insulted  and  embarrassed  her  bubbling  in  his  chest.  that  was  not  the  impression  he'd  wanted  to  make.  but  then  again,  he'd  never  been  good  at  conversation.  a  plight  only  made  worse  by  the  atmosphere.  the  formality,  the  air  of  sophistication;  all  of  which  made  eric's  unease  that  much  worse.  being  a  prince  he  was  used  to  formal  gatherings  but  he  never  seemed  to  get  any  better  at  attending  them.  

perhaps  part  of  the  problem of  never  getting  better  was  the  fact  that  he  was  always trying  to  make  an  excuse  not  to attend.  or  at  least  not  converse  with  fellow  attendees.  but  how  could  he  expect  to  get  any  better  without  the  practice  of  being  there,  participating.  then  again,  if  he  didn't  participate  circumstances  such  as  this  would  not  arise.  he'd  save  himself  from the  embarrassment  of  whatever  stupid  thing  he  was  bound  to  say.  

❛  oh—no,  i  did  not. . .  that  was  not  my  intention,  far  from  it  in  fact,  ❜   head  shakes  gently,  words  bumbling  and  uncertain.  the  last  thing  he  wants  is  to  make  this  situation  worse  than  he  already  has.  ❛  please  forgive  me,  i  am. . .  not  good  at  this.  any  of  this.  ❜   a  slight  gesture  to  the  festivities  around  them.   ❛  i'm  much  more  suited  for  staying  quiet  against  the  wall  and  observing.  hence  why  i  noticed  you. . .  but  again,  please  forgive  me  for  that.  ❜

[cienie-isengardu]

My RepCom Musing: Delta Squad’s Rules

Republic Commando Game gave us an insight into squad dynamics between Boss, Fixer, Sev and Scorch but also into their operative methods. Including some rules of apparently established “code” to follow.  of which some rules commandos mentioned through the storyline.

It is impossible to say if these rules came straight from Walon Vau or are squad personal instruction set to keep themselves grounded but I think we should agree that whatever Deltas were taught and what adapted into their own modus operandi comes directly from their training sergeants and what he drilled into them on Kamino.

These rules in fact are a very interesting source since Vau was seen as borderline-sociopath (Old Psycho) with the best results, especially within the lowest numbers of killed in action trainees on Kamino and later, during war. His squads being seen as the top of best commandos is a valid reason to be proud but such pride could easily turn into conceit and putting the desired results over the safety of his trainees. The rules, though known to us only partially, however seems to imply a different thing - Vau really put pressure on survival rather than them scoring the best among other commando batch (the survival & survivors in general are one of the most often used words in narrative toward Delta Squad in the book series, the quotes were mentioned in my other meta about Jango and Walon.)

 And so we have:        

Rule #1: Kill them before they kill you.

Rule #17: Always make sure they're dead.

Rule #23: Never pull sentry duty on an empty stomach.

Rule #39: Never say no to bacta.

Rule #48: Any crash you can walk away from is a good one.

Rule #89: One's an anomaly, two's a trend.

In which the set of rules starts with literally “kill your enemy”. No “never fail” or “never do something sarge Vau would not agree with”. Deltas first and foremost are to make sure to eliminate the threat to their safety (and by logic, the mission) and this safety measure is so vital, it was repeated at least once, in another rule (number 17): Always make sure they’re dead. Even if that means wasting ammunition on a dead body, it is better to shoot a bit more ammo to be safe than let self-confidence kill them. There is no such thing as being too careful when it comes to survival. And Sev really took this rule to his heart!

Scorch: D'ya have to make such a mess?

Sev: Rule 17: Always make sure they're dead.

Scorch: It looks dead to me.

Sev: It is now.

or

Scorch: Sev, did that corpse give you a nasty look?

Sev: Rule 17...

Scorch: Yeah yeah we know, always make sure they're dead.

Then we have #23, do not be on watch duty if you are hungry, because hunger may distract you from noticing the danger and kill you or your brothers in the process. Also, let’s not forget the famous Scorch’s line “Remember what sergeant Vau always told us? Eat your vegetable capsules”. Because of course strict parent training sergeant would say that.

Number 39, never say no to bacta is once again, don’t let overconfidence get you killed. You have a chance to heal, even the supposed not-lethal, superficial injury? Then do it. It doesn’t make you weak, it makes you smart and in a better position to face upcoming challenges. It makes your chance for survival rise and in the worst scenario this little difference may decide between death and life. Once again, Sev follows faithfully this one too:

Scorch: Sev, I thought you were invincible.

Sev: Rule #39: Never say no to bacta.

and so is Fixer, who keeps reminding Boss about making sure the squad will not forget about it in the heat of the fight (especially Sev!):

Then we have the Rule #48: Any crash you can walk away from is a good one.

Which of course could be just about literal crashing of any vehicle but I personally see it as something along the lines it doesn’t matter as much as you fuck up, as long as you are alive and capable of walking away from the mess, everything is alright. 

I especially like this one, because through the books we could see how Sev and Scorch (albeit to a lesser extent?) were anxious about failing Walon Vau by not being good enough. This of course says a lot about Vau’s brutal methods that literally gave such hardened soldiers the lasting emotional problems to deal with. But at the same time, Ordo, who was constantly praised by his doting father, also had similar anxiety about failing in any way Kal Skirata so I suspect Sev and Scorch anxiety though definitely rooted in their difficult (sometimes abusive) relationship with Vau, may not be solely created by their training sergeant and be another layer of why clones despite Kaminoans and their continuous quality tests that started way before any Mandalorian hired by Jango showed up on Kamino. 

And even though Vau definitely trained his boys to not do stupid and reckless things if it wasn’t necessary and always demanded from them perfection, the rule is ultimetaly a reminded that in their area of expertise, fucks up will happen regardless of their skills so as long as they survive the mess, the crash (failure) wasn’t truly that bad. Are you alive? Are you capable of getting out? Then you did not fuck up that bad, move on. This is pretty reassuring actually? Even if not part of the first ten or twenty - presumably the most important - rules, it is somehow in the middle. Survival, as doing or not doing things that will keep them alive are at the top, then comes the reassurance that okay, you screwed up but you survive, keep going, kinda makes sense within Vau’s philosophy passed to young cadets.

It is also a heartwarming that Scorch quoted this rule to Sev ("Rule #45, Sev: 'Any crash you can walk away from is a good one”) who seems to be the most anxious about failure.

And then is the most standing out Rule #89: One's an anomaly, two's a trend aaand I will admit I don’t know if this is something Vau told them or something that Scorch (and Sev?) made up/added because I can see both groups saying something alongside that line. At least it makes sense it is so down on the list, as in, not related to the most bent on basic surviving rules (I’m guessing it is about repeating patterns for which commandos should look to avoid enemy/danger if it comes from Vau? Which is of course good advice but one used when you have time to analyze enemy’s moves not in the heat of the fight when you rely more on instincts and learned reflexes than anything else).

Naturally, all training sergeants drilled into their trainees how to survive, but so far only Deltas (Vau’s men) seems to have and use a whole numbered list of what to do and not to do, probably for every possible occasion and the worst scenario memorized and quoting on various points of their missions.  Which is as much as awesome as hilarious. Talk about diligent students!

As far as I remember it right, Omegas/Nuls usually went with “what Kal would do or say” in time of need while Deltas has literally everything important numbered down and drilled into them for good. This is what makes it hilarious to me 🤣