#shield reply

[qu4kerider]

- insp.

[miidnighters]

@starlyht | continued from ☾

In truth, Barty's resolve was hanging on by the thinnest thread. To have his lover draped over him like this, pressing kisses to his jaw and throat, was a treat in and of itself, so Barty was reluctant to cut the game short.

Dutifully, he notes down another number, though his certainty that it is a correct number is dwindling with each second.

"And you," Barty murmured, shivering at the feel of the fang against his throat, and turning his head to catch Kyran's mouth in a kiss. "Are cute when you're trying to distract me."

[hitwiththefandomz]

Opinions?

There’s some concern for the Donrse :(；ﾞﾟ'ωﾟ'):

[agentoffangirling]

I keep seeing discussions about Staticquake and Dousy and how they were rushed (and the people arguing in my comment sections on both sites), and like. What did you expect??

Like Sousa is in ONE season of AoS. One season that happens to only have 13 episodes instead of 22 with no change in runtime. Of those 13 episodes, he appears halfway through episode 3 and there's a whole episode (The Totally Excellent Adventures of Mack and the D) in which most of the cast does not star in. Taking that into account, Sousa in a major player in only around 10 episodes

Like please just look at the differences here:

29 vs 10. That's nearly TRIPLE

And of those 10 episodes, the Dousy relationship is a SIDE PLOT. It is not the focus of the season, the focus is stopping the Chronicoms and giving the characters a happy ending. Whether or not they have a romantic interest is not the end all be all in that

So yeah, ofc Dousy was rushed! Unless they wanted to go fully into it, there was no situation in which they would not be. You cannot compare them to Staticquake and complain they were rushed without understanding the context. They had a third of the time they did and they weren't even the main plot. Considering that timeframe, it's honestly incredible that the writers managed to get that far

Stop squabbling when it is clear that one side had far more than the other. PLEASE

[photos-or-inkblots]

i just passed 3x13 Parting Shot (and wow do i feel the despair and hopelessness of Huntingbird leaving </3) which was the first episode that subtly points out Daisy’s monolingualism, which always… rubbed me the wrong way. you’re telling me that an orphan who was dead-on obsessed with finding her parents and her heritage and was most likely discriminated in her youth wouldn’t be curious of what language her parent(s) spoke? you’re telling me she didn’t spend her decade (and then some) pre-SHIELD to learn them, even if they’re just wild guesses?

so! consider: the most random group of languages she has surface-level knowledge of inferred from what other people think she is or recognize her as

Chinese: She’s half-bad with the tones, given the lack of resources there would’ve been during the 90s-2000s, but she can read conversations in Mandarin when she stalks Weibo. She’s probably hacked Chinese servers before since we know she knows her way around (see 1x05 The Girl in the Flower Dress, the computer was in Chinese and she completed her hack and then some in seconds.) Cantonese is at a very basic level. very (read: swear words)

Korean: She can read and write still, since it’s pretty easy (i learned the script once nine years ago and it’s still there lol). K-Pop gained notoriety in the US in the 2010s, she might’ve considered it. (is this me plugging my current Girls’ Generation rotation? probably LOL). knows a lot of words, none of the syntax and grammar. Probably listens to K-Pop too. Bonus: she surprises the team when they miss extraction in rural South Korea and need to get on a plane in Incheon for Plan B–the gov’t didn’t like the Avengers’ mess with Ultron–and Daisy gets them a train ride to Seoul despite their translator app showing Hangeul instead of its romanization.

Thai: she tried. she really did. but it’s too hard. she can recognize it when she hears it though. same goes to Vietnamese

Filipino: swear words (yes, even the Bisaya ones). and can probably manage reading upper class Taglish (it’s 90% English anyway)

Spanish: she understands maybe 60% of the rants on Twitter. also Brazilian Portuguese because they’re kind of similar

a lot of these are limited to reading because she doesn’t have someone to practice with </3 and none of them can pass as fluency but trust, she can read and listen

btw her contrast between 3x13, 3x11 and 3x17 hints on her being Hived, which i think is cool

[lvmimis]

HELP

[spikemuths-pride]

how is my favorite dark type trainer doing ? >:)

— @hoplaventon

Hey Hop! Careful saying that, I dunno does Marnie have an account on here (I sure hope she doesn't, those two gay Alolan blokes keep posting some weird shite), but you wouldn't want her to hear that I'm your favourite dark type trainer!

Anyway I'm currently on the roof of my house.

[drenched-in-sunlight]

Wondering if Messmer was just the only one to help/sympathize with Marika on the shattering of the elden ring. His relation to snakes, fire, etc, could just be that he turned himself into a living weapon taking parts of all of the enemies of the Erd Tree he could find. Momma's boy headcanon tbh.

until the DLC is fully out and confirms otherwise, i'll stubbornly cling to the mommy's boy theory fr fr 😭😭

with Fromsoft's track record of portraying motherhood (*stare at Bloodborne*) i simply refuse to believe they made the Mom™ in Marika and won't expand on her further or won't have a kid that is just...insane over her. prayer circle for that theory to be supported in canon because i have ART to DRAW if true !

[miidnighters]

@starlyht | continued from ☾

If there's anything about Kyran and Barty, is that they were always pushing each other. Playing, and pushing, and teasing. It's one of the things Barty adores about the other man, and why he has a hand teasing the inside of his thigh beneath the table they're sitting close at.

"Yes, darling?" Barty murmurs innocently, as if he has both hands on the table and isn't being a menace in the middle of the tavern room. Of course, he'd truly stop if Kyran asked him - but this seems more of a protest just to say he did more than anything else.

His hand inches a little higher.

"They won't if you're quiet."

[bunabi]

on the topic of dai combat, my favorite memory is when i was fighting my first dragon but everyone but cassandra died so i SOLO'D IT WITH HER. the shield skills are too powerful & its wonderful

I love that lol

yeah building up stacks of armor with the warriors felt very satisfying, especially after spending most of the early game relying on barrier, becoming the physical wall of the party was cool

it just works etc etc

[evermoredeluxe]

his whole following comes from taylor haters. people think it is a slight against her and hits where it hurts the most. as for swifties he is a stand in for taylor. he is the right for everything wrong with taylor swift. moreover the industry and people hate anyone open about wanting success/ fame. you are supposed to be cool and act above it. this is the correct moral stance.

im sure there are some film nerds that know and like him, but it’s also the truth that in the last two years, he’s appeared as a supporting actor in exactly one movie and hasn’t booked another new role yet. so what you’re saying does stand true imo 🤷‍♀️

[griffongrey]

hello hello! welcome to thedasweekend! intrigued by the dynamic between aldric lapointe and loghain - so maybe those two with the "as said by alistair therein" prompt of: it's moments like this when i truly appreciate the difference between you and me. hope it's fun! uwu

-broodwoof

@broodwoof @thedasweekend I ended up adjusting the line a little just to fit the flow of dialogue better, but this really is a great prompt for Aldric and Loghain. Plus, the fact that it was originally an Alistair quote that's now being inflicted on Loghain is very funny to me lol

In which Solona has such a powerful affect on the people who love her that she haunts the narrative before she's even declared dead. (She's actually just hiding in the Deep Roads doing dubious research on the Calling.) (Also, for context in the third section, Aline is an elf-blooded orphan who may or may not have a claim to the Orlesian throne, which Aldric conveniently fails to mention to Loghain until after her Joining. Aldric doesn't have the secret Fiona knowledge to fully appreciate Loghain's self restraint in not shouting every swear word known to man.)

Aline once accused both Aldric and Loghain of talking about Solona Amell like she was the Maker’s Anointed. Loghain scoffed and rattled off a list of her flaws in response. Aldric just laughed, because he heard how Loghain talked about King Maric, too.

Years ago, when her absence was still meant to be temporary, and the Calling echoed in everyone’s ears like a dirge, and Aldric returned to his homeland for the first time in eight years at his old mentor’s behest, Loghain all but pleaded with him to see reason. And in the heat of the fight…

“You think I like the idea of being some demon’s breakfast?” Aldric shouted, “Clarel’s plan is — I know, it’s horrific. But we’re not going to scrap it just because you think it’s too risky.”

“Maker’s breath, man, that’s not what I said. I’m asking you to stop and think for one second before you run off and kill yourself!”

“We are already dying, Loghain. We can’t afford to wait. There’s every chance we’ll be the last Grey Wardens in history. Now, I swore an oath to protect the world from the Blight no matter what, and if this is what it takes — ”

Loghain huffed and threw his hands in the air like he always did when he dismissed an argument as a lost cause, and something inside Aldric snapped. He hit back with the worst accusation he could think of.

“Hard sacrifices are what the Grey Wardens are built on,” he said. “Solona thought you understood what that meant better than anyone. I wonder what she’d think of you now?”

He knew it was a mistake as soon as the words left his mouth.

That night, when Aldric relayed Loghain’s reservations to her, Warden-Commander Clarel gave the order for Loghain to be arrested. Aldric delayed the Wardens she sent to enforce it just long enough for Loghain to flee Montsimmard. After that, Clarel didn’t trust Aldric enough to introduce him to Magister Erimond until the ritual had already begun, and Aldric wouldn’t have trusted Erimond even if she had.

“What do you mean, royal affairs with elves aren’t ‘an exclusively Orlesian weakness’?”

“No, I won't say another word. I wouldn’t have said anything in the first place, if your sheer idiocy in recruiting the girl hadn’t shocked me into forgetting the value of discretion.”

“Are there elf-blooded royals in Ferelden, too?”

“Stop. Talking.”

“You can’t leave me hanging like this!”

“I can, and I will.”

“Did King Alistair sleep with Zevran?”

“Did — what?”

“I’ve no room to judge, believe me. The things that man can do with his tongue…”

“Which of them did you — ? No. Please stop talking.”

“I’m just saying, I know what I have to ask Solona if she ever comes back.”

“…”

“Loghain?”

“Aldric…”

“Yes?”

“Nothing.”

Years afterward, when Solona’s title had long since passed down to someone else, and new recruits like Aline only knew Adamant Fortress as a cautionary tale, and Aldric had taken to his new role as Loghain’s Warden-Lieutenant as though he’d never left Orlais, Aldric still talked about Solona in the present tense. With the other Wardens present, Loghain tried not to comment on it. But, alone, with no one else to hear him say it…

“Solona is dead.”

Aldric recoiled, too shocked by the harshness in Loghain’s voice to remember what they were meant to be discussing.

“Don’t say that,” Aldric whispered.

“Aldric, no one has ever crossed the Volca Sea and lived to return. It’s been years since even the bard lost contact with her. Face it,” Loghain said, bitterness clouding every word, “she’s dead. She isn’t coming back.”

Aldric was shaking his head, his lips forming the word ‘no’ before he knew they were moving. “I’ve watched her carve her way through a whole thaig full of darkspawn single-handed — ”

“And I’ve watched her kill an Old God single-handed,” Loghain echoed.

“ — If anyone could survive all this time, out there on her own, it’s Solona,” Aldric finished, raising his voice above Lohgain’s.

He waited for a response… and got nothing. Just those icy blue eyes boring into him in silent assessment. Whether they held judgment or — worse, coming from Loghain — pity, Aldric couldn’t tell.

Eventually, Loghain just sighed and said, “You don’t want to do this to yourself.”

Pity, then. Aldric scowled, heat rising in his face. He bit down on the skin of his cheek to keep from saying the first thing that came to his mind.

“That isn’t — I can’t just give up on — ” He shook his head and tried again. “I’m not naive, alright? I know it’s a long shot, but I have to hold onto hope. Without it… well… Maybe that’s the difference between you and me.”

Loghain remained silent again for a long time. Finally, bracing himself for a fight, Aldric looked up, but instead of anger or betrayal in Loghain’s eyes, he was met with the same bitter weariness — a weariness that reminded him Loghain was approaching seventy now — as before.

“You’re right,” Loghain said, with the kind of rueful look that had more in common with a grimace than a smirk. “The difference is that I know exactly how dangerous that kind of hope can be. And it is a mistake I won’t make twice.”

It wasn't judgment or pity, by the way. It was Loghain suddenly remembering that he'd said almost those exact same words to Anora to try to justify bankrupting the nation in his search for a certain other Fereldan hero who disappeared (but didn't, in fact, actually die) at sea. If anyone could survive anything, it would be Maric. But (to Loghain's knowledge) he didn't, so Solona can't. Because Solona may be haunting the narrative before she dies, but Maric has been haunting it since before she was even born.

[stingslikeabee]

@a-ofspades sent: "i know what you have to do, but let me do it." sending another bc I like the protective vibes of this one :3

[ from Mulholland Drive . accepting ]

The entire idea of purchasing the Honey Bee Inn and becoming its queen had been something Melissa imagined to allow for some semblance of life. The woman realized early on that there was no escape - so perhaps staying and make it a home of sorts was the way forward. It had not been without many trials and tribulations - but even if she wasn't the true power of Wall Market, the queen bee was someone to be respected.

The madame welcomed all those who desperately needed protection or a second chance in the slums; she knew well enough how ruthless the environment under the plate could be, and every person touched by the queen's kindness was one less victim of Corneo's intimidation tactics. As such, the rules to be accepted and to remain within her good graces were few - Melissa didn't care much for anyone's past as she did for their current intentions. The one absolute, golden directive of her kingdom was in relation to her nemesis.

No fraternizing with the enemy - under any capacity.

For years, that had been a very reliable system - particularly because no one working for Melissa tended to align themselves or even enjoy Corneo's business style, Shinra included. With the mighty company informally backing the madame (particularly after Rufus Shinra took charge), they had arrived at that stalemate of sorts in the Sector 6 slums, with neither party making sufficient advances to bring that cold war to an end.

But that last month had been strange - company secrets had been divulged to the wrong people, and Shinra had faced considerable losses in the slums, with priceless tech being sequestered by Corneo goons and some of their warehouses suspiciously looted. It was widely known that the Honey Bee Inn traded information as much as it offered the earthly pleasures of willing bodies and good food, but Shinra employees that got loose-tongued after a couple beers did not find themselves in trouble if their superiors had not requested for any particular investigations.

The inevitable conclusion was that the inn had a mole, and that needed to be dealt with.

It had taken Melissa a few stressful weeks while combing her employee files meticulously, checking all new hires and connections - and thanks to some assistance from the Turks, the culprit was brought to light. Not a novice worker or anyone like that - but one of the oldest working girls who started dating a Corneo lackey and turned sides unflinchingly.

Melissa did not know what to do with that - the betrayal hurt, and it had left her both brokenhearted and livid with rage. It was a lucky thing that Alice had stepped in at the end of the process, ensuring that everything was dealt with in a way befitting of Shinra standards and to ensure that the reputation of the company would remain untarnished. The other woman had the ability to see things objectively, finding a good PR solution that exempted the brothel and its owner of blame, shifting it all on a single, rotten apple.

(And maybe, just maybe, the general was not doing it just for the sake of professionalism but for the affection held for the madame on a personal side. Just another one of the many secrets that the Honey Bee Inn was a witness to, protected by soundproof walls and a fierce determination from Melissa's side to safeguard the privacy of her patrons.)

That morning saw the inn proprietress dressed as a civilian and outsider her usual finery for holding court below the plate; Melissa instead stared at the former honeygirl on the other side of the glass, ready to be questioned out of a mere formality. Everyone knew she was the source of the leaked intel - but now it was official Shinra business.

Melissa, however, was not satisfied - she felt mocked and disrespected, and the furrowed brows and the clenched jawline told Alice as much when she stepped closer to the brunette, placing a soothing hand on her shoulder. The general had learned how much her friend (for the lack of a better term) cared for the girls under her employment - all of them were sisters or maybe daughters to a woman who was stripped of family ties and relied on others to fill that void.

The words that came from the redhead were meant to alleviate that burden - to let Shinra (or Alice) deal with the problem, leaving Melissa in peace to heal. But the brunette shook her head, finally moving after some time and looking at the general with a different emotion in her gaze - usually, the madame had a playful or affectionate glint in amber-colored irises for the other woman, but on that day she looked eerily distant... Like a true ruler.

"No, my dear. I appreciate you are trying to save me the heartbreak, but she broke my single rule. After you are done with her, I will be the one to punish the girl," Melissa inhaled sharply, then stepping closer to Alice - a bold move taken only because these rooms were without any surveillance given the purpose they served. A frightening notion to those brought in to answer for their crimes, but a privilege for Melissa - which allowed the press of her lips to Alice's face, the touch still warm and soft like the madame was known to be by default.

As Melissa broke the kiss, her hands took the other woman's in their hold - and squeezed them gently, even as the queen bee's gaze hardened again. The law of the slums was not Shinra's; there was technically no jurisdiction down there, which left many good people unprotected. But on that particular day, it also unleashed the cold fury of a scorned queen.

"I wouldn't be much of a queen if I wasn't able to pass judgment myself," Melissa remarked in a whisper, looking at the girl behind the glass again. For all the soft touches and honeyed words she had for people, there were those that forgot the madame could sting, too.

They would soon be reminded of that.

[benetnvsch]

trusting people's words is not enough , I need to be able to read their minds -

[bunabi]

Would you be comfortable with asks about Virelle? Does she hug her friends? Any thoughts about her relationship to clan Lavellan? Does she have a favorite outfit?

Of course!!!! Please!!!!!

I don't think she initiates hugs that often, but she's a big hug-receiver. She's more likely to comfort someone by doing/making things for them.

Clan Lavellan where do I even start. They barge into her aravel unannounced, they eat up her desserts, they clown her workshop, but it's a loving relationship. Me & @strawberrynoir have built a shared lore that's very special to me. ♥

The standard Dalish scout armor. Function over fashion, yet also mobility over safety. An elf of many contradictions. She's cute in it though:

[yourantagonist]

Have you ever been on a video call with someone while they jerked off to/for you?

oh yeah, many times, and i have a toy that connects to others online, but it's only really been with two people. for clarity it's people i had at least a Thing with, i have no desire to do this with like *gestures broadly* the audience here.