#no Nym's were harmed in the making of this post

[artpepkin]

Hi Nym. I just saw you and you look so cute and adorable. 😊

I wanted to ask who are you like where are you from? Which AU.

Tsk tsk, you wouldn't want to rush the secrets! Would you?

Nym belongs to me

[the-blivyverse]

Ok! Character Info Dump Time!!!

I've had these guys rattling around in my brain and marinading in daydreams for a while now so I've decided to officially give them spots in the scrimblo roster.

First three are togther! The first two are actually even closer togther than the third one. Idk I just made them and ended up also giving them dynamics with eachother.

Warhawk <- placeholder name but I might make it a moniker she often is known by by others. I was also thinking Kaylus for her name cuz it means "troublemaker" but I'm still unsure... ) She's a highly intelligent highly skilled indivdual who goes around stirring up conflict between factions, be it by stealing important items, instigating gang wars/fights etc. I haven't decided why exactly she does this yet? But I was thinking she just does it out of bordem, becuase she's some sort of guns for hire, or becuase she just enjoys the rush of adrenilin that she gets from it all. Perhaps it's a mixture of all three. She's very much not a morall person though. Personalitywise, she's very level headed and calm most of the time, at least she is compared to her sole companion who's up next.

Weapons Dealer <- ALSO a placeholder name. Weapons Dealer is much more chaotic than her cooler counterpart. And by chaotic I mean absolutely unhinged. She has a very vibrant and animated personality unlike Warhawk and always has a bright smile and a wild look in her eyes. I've got more of an idea of how she looks unlike Warhawk. Her palletes gonna have a LOT of pink in it cuz idk it just fits her in my head. Like her hairs gonna be all pink. She has a very big passion for weaponry and LOVES designing them. She doesn't care too much about money. All she cares about is her employers lending her the necessary resources to create her massive weapons of mass destruction. She just wants to blow shit up. That's it. This is why she sticks around Warhawk; because, as she puts it, "She lets me do whatever I want"

This is entirely what Warhawk and Weapons Dealer's partnership is based off of. They find eachother equally useful. Weapons Dealer provides Warhawk with very useful and effective weaponry, and Warhawk provides many oppertinities and chances to build and test out her creations on whatever Warhawk's next target is. Easy to say, they are both walking a very fine line between chaotic neutral and chaotic evil. idk man I just wanted to make characters that are agents of chaos with zero morals ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Beastcharmer <- placeholder name~ I was thinking maybe Faunia for a name but idk yet Beastcharmer has the ability to befriend any sort of creature, regardless of how hostile they are. She's just very friendshaped to them I guess. She's also got a pet mimic named Nym who spends a majority of her time coiled around Beastcharmer's neck as a scarf(Nym can only change into inanimate objects). Now THIS is where things get interesting. Unlike the last two, Beastcharmer actually has morals. She's much more gentle than they both are and serves as their temporary moral compass. I say temporary because Beastcharmer is classified as a Heightened in their "world".

(I forget if I've ever talked about "The Inbetween City" <- placed holder name number 4 here before. I'm only gonna talk about the parts that are relevent to these characters in this post though so I guess if anyone is really interested enough about it, they can ask. Other than that, im skimming over this.)

So it's very dangerous to associate with a Heightened in the inbetween city since they are seen as incredibly valuable to a certain powerful party that oversees the city in its entirety. I don't really have a name for them so I call them HQ in the meantime. HQ has no quarrel in harming citizens that get inbetween them and their retrieval of Heighteneds so both Warhawk and Weapons Dealer are fully prepared to ditch Beastcharmer if she were to ever end up on the HQ's radar and become a target. Beastcharmer's abilities are concealable though so she's undetectable at the moment. Warhawk and Weapons Dealer think Beastcharmer doesn't know about this failsafe plan, but she in fact does. Why she continues to follow them regardless of this, she doesn't really know.

That's all I got for now. I've actually got one more character to talk about but I don't wanna make this post too long...

[ruin-iii]

Guiding Light

A Rehabilitative Structure for Military Peace between the Alliance and Eorzean Tribes Signe Ymir, Academician of Galtea Polydisciplinary Institute

The ambient aether of the continent of Aldendard, plagued in its depletion following the 7th Umbral Calamity, has regained equilibrium in the twelvemoons that have passed. What threatens this delicate balance is the summoning of primal entities, often at the hands of the colloquially known ‘beast tribes’ (henceforward referred to as “Eorzean Tribes”). The desire to preserve the vulnerable state of environmental aetherflow juxtaposed to the ease of the Eorzean Tribes’ territorial access to aetherial sources (ie. aether crystals) and participants in the summoning ritual have created a cycle. This cycle represents epochs of conflict between the Eorzean Grand Companies and the Eorzean Tribes of the continent, the lack of resolution to which serves as core evidence against the effectiveness of these military operations.

Previous devastations upon the balance of ambient aether were brought about by similar acts of environmental terrorism. The War of the Magi, resulting in the 6th Umbral Calamity, encouraged the use of aetherically harmful, extremist techniques in defense of the protected territory of Amdapor, Nym and Mhach respectively. It is in this example that we may connect aetherically terrorist acts to desperation in defense of oneself, and this same ideology runs parallel in the example of the Eorzean Tribes. Where retribution for environmentally criminal acts is the default paradigm to which the Grand Companies have molded their structure of justice, this study would argue that the rehabilitation of the Eorzean Tribes from a history of starwide oppression will not only alleviate the frequency of primal summonings, but also conflict between the Grand Companies and Eorzean Tribes as a whole.

Through the methodology of—

“You hate this.”

“Why do you think so?”

“It’d normally take you five minutes to write something like this up and send it off to Twelve know where. We’ve been in the abstract for bells, sweetheart.”

“I am considerably surprised you know what an abstract is.”

“Awww, fuck you too. Let’s get back to your training, yeah? Get some a’ that blood rushing. Then we can throw this shite in the bin and start fresh.”

“There is no time to waste on that now. I wish for this abstract to at least be done before I take a break. Might I remind you that the Forum likely receives dozens of research proposals in a day, at the very least? There—”

“Signe.”

“—is a large chance that my subject of research will be pre-empted by sennights if I do not submit it as soon as possible. It is paramount that I make ample progress on this so that it may be revised post-haste—“

“Signe.”

“What, Brand? What?”

“D’you seriously think that these pompous Sharlayan fucks are going to accept you?”

“I am aware of the warnings Sofnir has given providing this research subject. If it does result in being too tame for the taste of the Forum, then I can simply pivot the existing research into one of the other paradigms he suggested—“

“No, not the study. D’you think they’re going to accept you?”

“You doubt me? I was one of the most skilled polymaths of my institute. This is not my first study.”

“’Course not. But there’s a difference between you and them. A difference between you and that Sofnir fellow. A difference I’m not sure you’re getting into your head because it’s absolutely packed with this waffling, mind.”

“And how would you know that we are so different?”

“Because I used to work for those pricks.”

“You were not one of them.”

“And that was exactly the problem, sweetheart. Sure, they clothed me and fed me, provided me refuge from the bloody Empire, but all in all I was their oafish meat shield from the middle of nowhere. Gyr Abanians weren’t built for understanding these structures, they’d think. I’d know it in how they’d never tell me what the missions were for, only where we were going and how many weapons I ought to bring. I reckon you’re not one of them either.”

“Preposterous.”

“The difference between you and Sharlayans is that you care, Signe. This study? It pretends to care, surely. But it presents an obvious solution that no one’s taken for a fucking reason. It lacks depth, and on that merit, lacks any means to be seen to any sort a’ fruition. People will read this, feel they’ve done enough by reading it, shed their crocodile tears, put it in their library, and let it be for another twelve epochs.

‘And I can sense that you know that. Your heart isn’t into it, not like it was your old flame of a project. You’re writing this to appease a body of people you know aren’t like you. A body of people that’d rather sit and take notes and observe than care. A body that’s just like that Sofnir.”

“What is your issue with Sofnir? He has been of a great help to me for someone who supposedly does not care, as you would so impulsively put it.”

“I don’t like the places he’s taking you, a place where the world is a picture you hang on your bedroom wall. You are so much fucking more than this empty, lip service study, Signe. You are so much fucking more than Sharlayan. There’s still so damn much to be done to the Empire, and you’re throwing it all away—“

“So this is about the old plan, then? To enact vengeance upon the Empire? The Empire is gone, Brand. That is not a creed worth living for anymore. I need new purpose, and you and I both know that. Where is a better place to seek it?”

“So’s this your purpose now? Writing empty-headed studies to support going on a lifelong vacation with your girlfriend? Is that all you think you’re really destined for, Signe? To be a piece of furniture next to a garden water feature, spending your days reading and not doing?”

“Go away. I need to focus.”

“Hah! I’m sorry, I ain’t going anywhere. You’re stuck with me whether you like it or not. This blade — this fucking, whatever you’d call it, soul cage — is a prison for two and we’re inmates, now. Do you regret pulling me out of my own corpse?”

“… No. I just want to focus right now—”

“Then listen to what I have to say. Think twice about that Sofnir fella has to say, and think twice about Sharlayan as a whole. I don’t like the stench of it.”

“Fine. I will consider your words, though I believe you are just jealous that he dresses better than you.”

“Find me something better dressed than an obsidian greatsword. I’ll wait.” 

[sintreaties]

Can you do an analysis of Yumeko's character?

I can try, though as always keep in mind that I’m more of a creator than an analyst and I don’t believe my comprehension of these characters to be above anybody else's.

(cut cause long post)

For the longest time Yumeko was and still is one of the most enigmatic characters I’ve ever seen. We know nothing about her past and now that with the latest chapters her role in the story seems to be changing, the only thing we are sure about is her addiction now.

Yumeko, as the series name clearly states, is a gambling addict. Now, in a word being an addict means that a compulsive behavior takes over one's whole life. We can oversimplify it in two statements: 1) I can’t stop doing this 2) No one can stop me unless I truly want them to.

In a setting like Hyakkaou’s this is twice as dangerous. Not for Yumeko herself — Sayaka’s background check tells us she’s quite loaded in terms of money — but for the people around her. There's a pretty obvious duality to Yumeko's character: on one hand, we have the sweet, childish, almost naive Yumeko, who’s able to befriend even her worst opponents; on the other we have a “plague” who’s unable to keep herself under control and who would do anything to get what she wants, ruining whoever is in her path.

The contrast is interesting to see in scenes like the one in which she offers her tissue to Sayaka because she was crying, knowing that she hates her with all her guts vs the way she completely lost her facade when Yumemite refused to play seriously against Sumika, or when she pressured Itsuki into gambling her Life-Plan. This is simply another consequence of her addiction. Try to politely tell a smoker to quit smoking, see how they react. Amberlynn Reid, a youtuber who’s become a lol-cow during her failed weight-loss journey, suffers from BED (binge eating disorder) and when she can't keep her impulses in check, she calls that part of herself “the binge eating monster”, stating that it pushes her as far as to abuse her own partner if she doesn’t get to eat what and when she wants to.

Here’s the thing though: addicts usually want to stop. Most importantly when their behavior starts to take its toll on them. Although they’re often forced to ignore them, they do have feelings of shame and regret when they end up to do things that average people wouldn’t do (i.e. stealing to have more money for their dose). They know that what they’re doing is bad. They have constant reminders of it. Just like Amberlynn has the hate comments and smokers have the warnings on the packages, Yumeko finds her reminders in her own sister, who ended up in a mental institution precisely because of gambling, and in everyone at Hyakkaou, the main example being Sayaka (I speak about this a bit more here).

And yet, here’s the odd thing: Yumeko never really showed the desire to stop nor a hint of true remorse for anything she’s done. People are calling Kirari a sociopath and a narcissist only because she doesn’t show herself as the usual cute anime girl. Yumeko isn’t that better than her in these terms.

The whole premise of the KKG movie revolves around Suzui trying to convince Yumeko to join the Village, where gambling and money are banned, only for the latter to say, “No thanks. I have only two desires: better desserts at the cafeteria and watching Murasame gamble.” (Full on expression of her duality once again).

Because of gambling, her moral compass is sort of all over the place. She never wanted to liberate the House-Pets destroying the system, that’s Tsubomi who got the wrong idea. Yumeko was an anti-hero for a while, but only out of pure coincidence. Simply, her goal of taking the Student Council coincided with the wishes of whoever wanted to see the SC fall.

Clearly, this could be because Yumeko came at Hyakkaou with a specific goal in mind. At the Academy gambling is often your only mean of survival and it would be foolish to give it up. As Murasame says, “Kirari’s a monster and only another monster can defeat her, hurting everyone else in the same manner.”

That does fit Yumeko’s character, doesn’t it?

So why does Yumeko give up gambling altogether when Kirari refuses to play with her and calls her an ‘impurity’? It would make sense if she came here specifically to defeat Kirari. If she was certain that Ririka would win, that would prevent her from obtaining what she wants, throwing out of the window everything she’s done so far. This is the only possibility I can think of for now, so the next chapters will hopefully clear that up.

Now, Yumeko said that she won’t gamble, but if she’s truly an addict, no matter how stubborn and displeased she gets, she won’d be able to stop just like that. The addiction will either take over or find another mean to express itself, just like sometimes smokers turn to food when they try to quit and how people with BED can end up becoming addicted to shopping, resulting in hoarding behaviors. It’s all about that kick of dopamine.

Rest assured though, that as long as her addiction remains, Yumeko will never fully be able to be one of the good guys. Not like this, and not in a world in which adults can’t plan a fucking intervention. It makes sense for her to be holding the Election under her heel now and going on it could only get worse, with Yumeko hindering her own allies — if she ever had any.

Which brings us to a final point: the way Yumeko builds her relationships and why.

Her first connection at Hyakkaou is Suzui, who’s in so much debt that he’s considering dropping out. He’s a naive guy, too good for his own good. He’s easy to mold in Yumeko’s hands and that’s eaxctly what she does in more than a gamble (ESP, Zero Nym-Type). Is this also because of the “monster” inside of her, preying on the weak to take as much as it can? I don’t believe their friendship is completely “pure”, though I also don’t think Yumeko is harmful by nature. She might not even be fully conscious of this.

We have Saotome, who believed herself so sleek and ended up as a House Pet. Why would Yumeko befriend someone who tried to ruin her on her very first day? Did she see a powerful ally and a perfect opponent in order to seek the thrill of the risk, or is she really just that naive? Yumeko isn’t stupid. Intelligence also comes through emotional values. Again, I don’t believe her connection with Mary is devoid of secondary reasons, though just like in Suzui’s case, the latter come into play only when they hinder Yumeko’s gambling.

Tsubomi and Itsuki were practically shouldered and then used with the promise of obtaining something better for themselves. Sayaka? She called Yumeko a “plague” and yet Yumeko never really resented her. Sure she almost caused her death, but that was a collateral matter. Yumeko harbors no ill intent towards her, notwithstanding Sayaka’s hatred. Yumeko doesn’t show hate for Kiwatari either, and yet he never acted right around her.

Midari, on the other hand, deserved her indifference and dislike because she messed up their gamble and there’s nothing that Yumeko dislikes as much as a set result in her games. The two cases of Midari and Sayaka/Kiwatari are perfect to show the contrast between the kind of person Yumeko would be without her addiction and the kind of person she is now that her life is ruled by gambling.

What about Kirari then? In terms of risks, Kirari too showed a similar appetite. Perhaps Yumeko herself would like to see her own addiction consume her, just like she thinks Kirari would — thought I’m starting to believe the supernova talk was more about the clan than about herself. Maybe, just like Kirari with Ririka, Yumeko wants to fight the part of Kirari that resembles her the most and Kirari’s refusal proved that she had been very wrong in judging her character. Apparently Kirari “killed” her sister, but that’s Terano’s word, Yumeko never expresses herself on the matter.

In all these examples, the main thread is still the same. The gambling addiction has always been Yumeko’s core in the series and as of today it would be impossible to consider Yumeko’s character whole without it. People tend to forget its extent.

I do hope flashbacks and such will let us see how Yumeko was before she became a kakegurui, because in the end, addictions are only a part of who we are — unless we let them consume us.

I hope this answer was as satisfactory as it could be.

[aegonbeingfakeisracist]

Okay, I really need to gush about Arianne Martell for a minute. Because obviously House Martell doesn’t get the same level of love as the Starks or Targaryens or whatever, but even within the house, Arianne is often overlooked. Elia has her small, devoted fanbase; Oberyn and Doran have plenty of fans each; but Arianne, despite her rich storyline, can’t really compete in the broader fandom circles with the Sansa, Cersei, Arya, Dany bases in terms of attention. And of these characters, I think Sansa is the most relevant to talking about Arianne. This might come across as a little negative about her, so I should say: I have absolutely nothing against Sansa. This is not an anti-Sansa post. But I feel some her fans react to the unfair and sexist criticism she gets in ways that throw other characters, particularly those of colour, under the bus. We see it in terms of some theories with Aegon, and we certainly see it in terms of Arianne. So let’s talk about it.

I find it interesting that so many of the people constantly talking about how Sansa is going to become politically active and learns from her mistakes and gain power through words and talking and convincing people of things, rather than fighting, are overlooking the fact that we’ve actually seen this with Arianne.

Unlike Sansa, Arianne doesn’t use courtesy as armour or any such thing. She’s not nice in any kind of performative way. But she’s kind. She’s good. She cares about people even as she uses them, she loves her friends even when she thinks they’ve betrayed her, she’s devastated if harm befalls anyone that put their trust in her or chose to fight for her. She inspires immense personal loyalty for a reason. It’s not because she’s a Martell, it’s because she’s Arianne.

It’s sometimes manipulation, as with Arys, but it’s just as often convincing people through honesty and openness and willingness to share emotions, as with Daemon, and sometimes it’s a combination of the two, as with Myrcella. It’s a very different strategy than Cersei’s method of applying the same solution to every problem. And what does it yield? Well...Myrcella idolizes Arianne and will seemingly do practically anything she asks/suggests, even after someone cut off her ear. Daemon is deeply loyal to her and offers honesty, counsel, and support in return. She’s full of self doubt after failures, and it prevents her from realizing that even though she did make mistakes, she still has people on her side. Her way of approaching her goals through the people is the method for a lasting, long term success.

Arianne has learned to think and find out information before acting. Arianne has the skills to make friends and influence people. Arianne is the centre of a story of courtly love with her childhood friend and first love still in love with her a decade later even though he knows they can never be. Arianne isn’t a fighter, but still keeps a knife in her boot because it was a gift from her cousin Nym and she is determined to at least try to protect herself if it comes to it.

I’m probably in the minority here, but I feel that while there is a hugely sexist backlash against Sansa, it’s not actually because she’s feminine. It’s because she’s young and impractical. Still sexist, but not the same thing. If it were about femininity, the arguments about what makes Arianne terrible would be very different, because Arianne is just as feminine as Sansa is. I don’t see any way to argue against that. We’re talking about a girl that used to pray to be beautiful. She would go to Oberyn and beg him for stories. She dresses far more elaborately than just about everyone else in the story, always in silk and samite and Myrish lace. She’s very much a noblewoman with all the femininity that entails. And, same as with Sansa, the backlash against her isn’t entirely because of that, either. She’s viewed as shallow and entitled because she recognizes when people are good looking and wants her birthright. And that’s not because she’s beautiful or because she wears dresses, it’s because she’s a woman of colour with ambition that’s determined to not be pushed aside for her brother and that knows she’s drop dead gorgeous. It’s because she’s brown and refuses to be subservient and doesn’t believe in false modesty about how hot she is. It’s far more about what she fundamentally is as a person than her level of femininity.

It’s similar to why I think the tendency of a lot of fans to sympathize with Lyanna over Elia isn’t actually about femininity. I’ve seen a lot of people bringing up the fact Lyanna was a “tomboy”, whatever that means. But I don’t think that’s it. Because what makes her such? That she liked to ride horses? That she “would have carried a sword” if her father had allowed it? Those don’t make her special. This is a medieval society and every able bodied woman rides horses. Plenty of women carry weaponry as well, and if you dismiss the Sand Snakes, either “because they’re Dornish” or because they’re bastards, there’s still Maege, Dacey, and Alysanne Mormont; Asha Greyjoy; Meera Reed; and Brienne of Tarth. These women don’t get that kind of adulation. No, the reason Lyanna does has to do with the fact hers is a story of “star crossed lovers” separated by a woman of colour married to a white man. It’s about ableism and racism and just the fact that Lyanna is from the family that the core ASOIAF series centres around. She could have been almost anything and it wouldn’t matter because it’s really about her not being a chronically ill brown woman.

If the Sansa thing was about femininity, Obara, with her horses and spears and men’s clothing and so called mannish appearance, would be the most popular Sand Snake. She’s not - she’s dismissed as stupid and bloodthirsty. If it were about femininity, Brienne would have just as much backlash, because as much as people like to use her as an example of “masculine” women that weren’t common in actual history, she’s really, really not - she’s just as much of an idealist and a romantic as Sansa herself. Women may be mocked for having feminine interests, but that really doesn’t come close to the kind of abuse they get when men don’t find them attractive. So I find it very annoying when the go to response is about Sansa being feminine. I guess my main point here is...I like Sansa. But she’s not the only one that’s feminine. The vitriolic reaction she gets is often hugely sexist, but I’m not inclined to believe the argument that it’s because of her femininity, and I find Arianne - a feminine woman of colour who is interested in managing a kingdom in terms of everything from politicking with kings to collecting taxes - a more interesting exploration of the strength of women in a feudal society. A large part of why I like Sansa involves the similarities I see between her and Arianne, so it grates my nerves to see the latter ignored. (Also, if there’s a character that’s vilified specifically for being feminine, it’s very clearly Tyene. Her femininity is frequently brought up as a reason why she’s creepy.) 

There’s a post I saw about how Sansa represents the real women of history, and one of the examples used was Eleanor of Aquitaine being a kingmaker. And that’s kind of annoyed me, because that’s Arianne’s plot. It’s basically her whole modus operandi - her plan to crown Myrcella, her journey to treat with Aegon and choose whether or not to support his claim. She learned about history and law and politics even when her father was raising her not to rule Dorne in her own right, but to be the wife of the king - feasts and frolics, not governance. She listens to the people around her with knowledge she doesn’t have; she convinces the people that can actually fight to join her side. All of this involves intelligence and persuasion and political skill. So to me, the talk about why Sansa’s journey to become a political character is special cannot happen without also discussing Arianne. Failing to do so ends up feeling painfully white feminist through the erasure of a woman of colour whose political moves and understanding lets her affect the entire world in favour of a rather juvenile “lipstick as red as the blood of your enemies” thing.

I’m not saying all Sansa fans are erasing Arianne. But I am saying that a conversation about the role of women in the Westerosi political sphere needs to include her. It doesn’t diminish Sansa to remember that she’s not the only one female character whose story isn’t about fighting or violence. But it is offensive to exclude Arianne when discussing how Sansa is like and unlike Cersei or Margaery, because she may not be directly interacting with any of these characters, but she’s a woman of colour in a position of power in a story dominated by white people and hers is the same kind of political power that the others wield. It may not be intentional, but it’s still racist to not include her in these forms of analyses.

Arianne has the romantic love and devotion Sansa longs for. She has the trust and inheritance that Cersei longs for. She has the freedom to make more choices than women anywhere else in Westeros that Arya longs for. She has the close knit family that Daenerys longs for. It’s a very common trope to set up someone who has something the lead character wishes they did and have it play out that said person isn’t a good person, or doesn’t think whatever the lead character wants is all that it’s cracked up to be. But with Arianne? She’s the person that has all the things the other women want and she’s not a flat character or a villain, she’s a good person whose perspective we see! So the question becomes what is it like to have so much going for you? What problems do you have when you’re smart, beautiful, beloved? What problems do you have when unlike women anywhere else, you can inherit? What do you want, what would make you happy, what causes do you believe in? And it’s so fascinating to watch her figure out the answers to those questions.

I especially love it because Arianne having what all these other characters want isn’t having it in a nominal sense. I think Sansa’s desire for someone to love her “for her” alongside Daemon’s feelings for and fealty to Arianne is the best example of this. That quote of Sansa’s makes Arianne and Daemon’s story stand out as even more beautiful. It’s clear that Daemon asking for her hand wasn’t about power, but genuine feelings for her. And when you think about where those feelings came from, what he was thinking when they first began their relationship, it’s important to remember that when they were together, neither of them was particularly good looking. Arianne thinks to herself that the boy she knew has grown into a handsome man. So even the attraction wasn’t about looks, at the very least on Arianne’s part, and probably on Daemon’s, too, because Arianne was more explicitly described as not beautiful when she was a child. And that means that their relationship has been one completely based on who they are for as long as they’ve known each other. Not power, not prestige, not even physical appearance. Daemon loves Arianne because she’s Arianne, smart and driven and with an enormous capacity to care for other people. Sansa craves that kind of love, even as she thinks she’s accepted she won’t ever have it. And that drives home the idea that it’s Arianne that Sansa could grow up to be.

Yes, Cersei had a big influence on Sansa. But Cersei cares about, like, three and a half people. Maybe five and a half if you include the people she cares about in the sense that she hates them and wants to go out of her way to make them miserable (I’d round that one to a whole number and make a half man joke, but that seems like it would be in poor taste). That’s not Sansa. And that’s not Arianne at all, because Arianne gets invested. She cares about the people she wants to rule. She doesn’t have it in her to manipulate people while staying emotionally detached from them. Because of that, I’m inclined to believe Sansa is much more like Arianne than she is Cersei. It makes me really want the two of them to meet.

In fact, Arianne is more like Cersei than Sansa is, too. They’re both oldest siblings that feel mistakenly threatened by a younger brother. They both resent being marginalized because they’re women. They both have a lot of issues with the fathers they were close to as children (very explicitly in Arianne’s case, more implied in Cersei’s). They're both smart, driven, brave, hot blooded, and determined to take advantage of everything and everyone at their disposal. They both go through specific events that are devastating and traumatic for them - the failure of Arianne’s queenmaker plot and Cersei’s walk of atonement. But they also differ in a lot of key ways: Arianne learns from her mistakes early on while Cersei spent most of five books refusing to take criticism. Arianne will rule Dorne in her own right, while Cersei derives her power from her children. Cersei was abused while Arianne was cherished. Arianne could repair her relationship with her father while Cersei never could. Cersei is paranoid and unforgiving to the point where people actually start to plot against her while Arianne misses and loves the friends she suspects betrayed her. For all their similarities, they are on very different paths. And unlike Arianne and Sansa, these are characters I do see meeting. And that would be awesome.

[himeryuukinka]

[ LFRP ] Ane - ( Balmung, Crystal DC )

❝ there is a muchness about you. I wonder... what I must do to have such muchness in myself..? ❞

🔓-- A lock icon denotes the presence of an additional something significant to be discovered only via roleplay. The more locks there are, the harder it will be to learn! Build a relationship with her to discover these secrets she keeps to herself. 

This LFRP post is specifically for her geomancer verse. Check over here for access to the LFRP post for her canon verse. I can play both/either on Balmung/Crystal as necessary!

❀ General Information ––– -

Name: “Ane.” 🔓 🔓 🔓 Epithet: Of the Weeping Waters. Gender: Cisgender female. Age: 28. Race: Au Ra (Raen.) Birthplace: Yama, Othard. 🔓 Current Residence: The Itomori Shrine, Doma. Relationship Status: Single. Sexual Orientation: Demisexual. Occupation: Yaman geomancer.

❀ Physical Appearance ––– -

Hair: Incredibly long. Straightened with a hot metal comb. Typically worn loose with some hair elegantly looped and bound just above her shoulders, framing her face. Seldom changes style. Looks to be all warm black. 🔓🔓 Eyes: Warm grey. Clouded by cataracts. Somber. Height: 4 fm 8 im. Distinguishing Marks: Rounded, soft scales reminiscent of a koi’s. Geomantic circles tattoo’d on her palms, the bottoms of her feet, and upper back. 🔓 🔓 🔓 Common Accessories: Ornately patterned silver bands in the front two strands of her hair. Brass bangles around her wrists and ankles decorated with suzu bells that remain curiously silent even when shaken. 🔓 

❀ Personality & Tidbits ––– -

A solemn young geomancer hailing from the seaside village of Yama. Her sad and serious air lend her presence a degree of mystery, and her lifelong practice of tempering her emotions makes it harder still to know how she actually feels. Having dedicated all her years to her people’s form of geomancy, Ane thinks herself ill-suited for anything else, and so her entire sense of identity has become tangled up in the magicks that she wields. She believes that she exists for the sole purpose of using geomancy to help the people around her, leading the young woman to quickly throw herself headlong into danger without a moment’s hesitation so long as it is for the sake of someone else. 

Talents: Yaman geomancy. Weaknesses: Physical/close quarters combat. Unable to use offensive magicks entirely. Kindness directed at her. Virtues: Dutiful. Genuine. Tender-hearted. Gentle. Curious. Thoughtful. Meticulous. Flaws: Naive. Perfectionist. Reckless. Overextending. Emotionally clumsy. Silently self-destructive. Has difficulty detecting sarcasm and understanding certain idioms and forms of humor. Spiritual Views: Reverence for the Dawn Father. Respect and recognition for the kami. Hobbies: Cooking, though really only skilled in Far Eastern cuisines. Ikebana. Tending to the shrine’s grounds. Fears: Isolation. Being forgotten. Dying before she can train new geomancers. Temperament: Melancholic. Alignment: Neutral Good.

❀ Yaman Geomancy ––– - 🔓/🔓🔓

I thought this topic could use its own brief section as her clan’s form of geomancy is not the same as the geomancy seen widespread in the Far East, as well as having some very specific elements tailored to her personal use of it. Those characters who are well-learned geomancers have the potential to recognize her as specifically from Yama so long as we discuss it ahead of time, and those who are familiar with geomancy or nature-based magicks may be able to reason out what she uses but not where she is from -- or why her geomancy differs from the more common forms. As with everything, I am happy and willing to discuss IC arcane knowledge, but do please run it by me ahead of time. Her clan was very secretive concerning its branch of geomancy, and while not at all closed to visits from the outside world, this art is absolutely not common knowledge! Please take this information as OOC reference for how this magic works rather than IC knowledge! Thank you!

Magic Family: Geomancy. Tools: Sacred paper talismans. Arcane ink carried in blessed brass pots. Brushes. A single heavy, enchanted bell inspired by bianzhong. Rounded stones of various sizes and weights. Strengths: Magic cancelling through elemental balancing. Barriers. Weaknesses: No way to counter physical weapons or unarmed physical strikes. Lengthy barrier preparation. Entirely a supportive and defensive art. General Overview: An ancient branch of geomancy thought dead by many. Rather than drawing only from the elements of wind, water, and earth, Yaman geomancy draws also from fire. It has never been intended as an offensive art and cannot be conjured as a weapon in battle. Instead, it revolves entirely around elemental balancing -- aether of one element is met with an equal force and amount of its opposing element, effectively cancelling out harmful magicks entirely. A delicate art with a lot of room for error, it requires years upon years of practice to master as it requires a great deal of concentration; those sensitive to aether may display a natural gift for it, as they can more easily sense how much oomph to give a particular counterspell. Failing to meet an elemental force with a sufficient counterforce can result in the spell connecting without real issue (too little) or wounding the geomancer in the process with an unstable aetheric burst (too much.) Though, like its Doman and Hingan counterparts, Yaman geomancy still relies heavily on comparable channeling methods -- that is, the combined use of an enchanted bell and glyphs to summon a specific element or combination of elements. It is more reliant on physical totems, though, and so Yaman geomancers would carry paper talismans upon which to write what they required in combat. Ane’s Geomancy: Where hers differs is how she channels it, but I prefer to keep the specific details for roleplay discovery! 🔓🔓

❀ Traits ––– -

Extroverted / In Between / Introverted

Disorganized / In Between / Organized

Close Minded / In Between / Open Minded

Calm / In Between / Anxious / Spirited

Disagreeable / In Between / Agreeable

Cautious / In Between / Reckless

Patient / In Between / Impatient

Outspoken / In Between / Reserved

Leader / In Between / Follower

Empathetic / In Between / Apathetic

Optimistic / In Between / Pessimistic

Traditional / In Between / Modern

Hard-working / In Between / Lazy

Cultured / In Between / Uncultured

Loyal / In Between / Disloyal

Faithful / In Between / Unfaithful

❀ Additional information ––– –

Smoking Habit: Never. Drugs: No. Alcohol: Very rarely. Surprisingly good at holding her liquor.

❀ Hooks ––– -

Region-specific connections. Asterisks (*) for options open only through discussion with me beforehand.

❀ The Village of Yama* - The once-proud seat to an ancient form of geomancy now all but lost to the world in the wake of its destruction at the hands of the Empire. Villagers who Ane may have known prior to the deaths of most everyone on the Shore of the Blue Lily are a welcome connection. There is potential for other survivors apart from Ane and the small group of children she managed to save, though know that all other geomancers perished in the attack, whether by their own lack of experience or their remaining behind to cover the retreat of those who tried to escape, and so any Yaman geomancer characters would be strictly past connections only. 🔓 ❀ Doma, a Wartorn Nation - Doma is the nation that most often saw secret services rendered by Yama’s geomancers, and Ane continues to honor that as the village’s sole arcane successor. She spent much of her formative years traveling the length and breadth of Yanxia to better understand its people and their plight with the Empire, and so there is plenty of opportunity for Doman characters to either recognize her personally (had they met while they were both younger) or to have a suspicion about her duty as a geomancer. Doman characters have lots of avenues open to them, considering she has lived among them since the ruination of Yama!  ❀ The Island Nation of Hingashi - Similar to Doma, Ane sometimes travels to Kugane when necessary. While not a place she frequents, the potential is there -- but do not be surprised if she initially regards Hingan geomancers with distance and dislike. She does not take kindly to charlatans using her beloved art to take advantage of the desperate, and there’s no shortage of such people in the port city to fuel her suspicions.

General roleplay connections. Asterisks (*) for options open only through discussion with me beforehand.

❀ A Hidden World of Geomancy* - Other geomancers, particularly those native to the continent of Othard, would likely have intimate knowledge of Yama and its people, and Ane would be more likely to trust them implicitly with certain facts than with those outside this arcane circle. I like to think of geomancy as having something like a support and information network unique to its practitioners; geomancer connections have the potential to know things about Ane that others would not! 🔓 ❀ Those looking for stationary arcane wards. - Not too unlike the magicks employed by the scholars of Nym, Yaman geomancy involves the enchantment and careful placement of keystones around a structure or area to shield it from attack or approach. If your character is in need of long-term wards for their home or business, Ane will oblige. ❀ Those seeking someone to accompany them with mobile wards. - Far trickier and taxing to employ than stationary wards but certainly not impossible. Ane wishes to help as many people as possible, and so if you’ve a character looking for some extra protection on an adventure or dangerous foray into the unknown, she’s not one to turn down a request for aid. ❀ Those in need of elemental protection. - Perhaps Ane’s greatest skill. She’s more than willing to help keep people safe by way of her clan’s geomancy; those venturing forth into an intensely aspected dungeon or region could certainly benefit from her magicks! ❀ Generally, those looking to fight for those too weak or beaten down to fight for themselves. - Often branded as a goody-goody by her guardian, Ane is quick to help those in need -- and often without a thought for the effect it could have on her. She will mesh easily with characters of similar values and morality and struggle with those who do not. But that being said... ❀ Enemies and rivals who might challenge her beliefs or give her trouble are absolutely welcome. - Conflict has excellent potential to build characterization, and I am all about that! So if you play a more evil or chaotic-aligned character, please don’t be be afraid to come push her buttons. ❀ And of course, friendships. - I’m always down for great platonic relationships, especially those that grow into familial affection. ❀ Thought of something not listed here? - Drop me a line so we can talk about it! While typically centered in the Far East, I already know of ways and reasons she would be in Eorzea -- so if your character does not frequent any of the places she spends most of her time, we can easily fix that!

❀ OOC Information ––– -

Genres: I am not particularly genre picky; I gravitate most towards those scenarios that may result in interesting, long-term character development -- and hopefully for both/all parties! I am a sucker for angst with purpose, though I do also love fluff and slice of life scenarios. So long as the scene doesn’t run out of steam or feel strained/stressed, I am a happy bean. Playstyle: I am... not very skilled when it comes to in-game roleplay. I prefer to connect one on one or in very small groups (no more than five people) so I can put my all into making certain my replies are timely, tidy, and... well, good. I prefer to write on something like tumblr or Discord, but I can do my best to make in-game work! Length: I’m someone who leans most towards a paragraph at the absolute minimum, but I can produce pages if we’re roleplaying on tumblr or Discord. Server: Balmung for roleplay/visiting with in-game friends, though my PvE main is over on Ultros. Both characters are available under the name Ane Borel. Timezone: CST. Availability: In-game: most of the time, so long as you give me a ping and ask if I can hop on! Discord: Much of the same! Please do be aware, though, that this is subject to change as I’m interviewing for some jobs and my schedule won’t be so free in the future. I’ll update this post when necessary. Contact Information: Obviously you can contact me here! This is a sideblog to my main over at @sunlitpeony, where you can also message me, and then I can give my Discord out upon request/interest.

{ banner art by: the-xaotician }