#the negative emotion in question is anger so this is technically me getting defensive over myself but the anger isnt just mine yknow? | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

hercleverboy · 4 years

Text

promise

matthew gray gubler x reader

genre > angst/fluff

wc > 1.8k

the reader is tired of matthew never being home.

Y/N sighed as she looked up at the clock perched on the table top. It was nearing 9pm and she’d only just been able to get her son to sleep. It had been like this for weeks. Matthew’s job understandably took up a lot of his time, but before having their son the couple had discussed him cutting back a few of his hours so that he could be home more. And for the first few years of their sons life he kept that promise, never missing a single milestone. However the last few months Matthew was less and less seen around the house. He was gone early in the morning and back late at night.

At first, Y/N said nothing. From the time she did get to spend with her husband, it was clear that he was stressed about his work and that it was preventing him from taking care of himself. She didn’t want to add to his stress by bringing it up. Matthew was a fantastic father, and no one could ever think otherwise.

However, over the last few weeks it had become increasingly clear to Y/N just how devestated Jacob got when his father wasn’t home to tuck him in at night, especially when he’d promised him he’d be home in time. Jacob was definitely more of a Mumma’s boy, but he idolised his father- he was fascinated by the magic tricks he showed him and the random facts he knew. She’d tried to explain that his father would’ve loved to be able to be there to say goodnight, but he had work to do. Unfortunately, that was a difficult concept to ask a four year old to understand.

Tonight had been different. Tonight was the first night Jacob had cried at bedtime when Y/N told him Matthew wouldn’t be there to tuck him in. it had broken her heart. After soothing her son enough so he could fall into an uneasy sleep, Y/N slipped out of his room, grabbing her phone and calling her husband.

She wasn’t surprised when he didn’t answer.

So she sent him a simple text, one that would spike fear in any man.

We need to talk.

Fuck. Matthew knew he was in for it when he got home.

He gently opened the front door, trying not to make too much noise. He flicked up his wrist, checking the watch that sat there. 10:27pm.

The first thing he saw when he entered the living room was his wife, sat expectantly on the couch, giving him with this look that only she could give him.

“You promised him, Matthew.” She spoke, her tone cold and he could hear the anger she was biting back for the sake of their sleeping son.

“I know, I know I did but filming ran over and we had to reshoot a few scenes and I just lost track of things.” He attempted to explain, walking toward her.

“I understand that but you shouldn’t have promised him. He’s a kid, he doesn’t understand the technicalities of things. He understands who’s there and who isn’t.” She stood, moving to wrap her arms around herself in a self-comforting way.

“Well I’m sorry, Y/N. But my job is important.” His voice raised slightly, nostrils flaring.

“Is this family not important? Your son?” Her volume raised to match his.

He scoffed, shaking his head. “Don’t be ridiculous. You know that you and Jacob mean everything to me!”

She sighed, glancing away from him. “He’s devastated whenever I tell him that you’re not gonna be home in time to tuck him in. He has been for weeks, but tonight..” She looked back at him, tears burning in her eyes. “He cried.”

Matthew’s defensive stance dropped at the mention of his son being so upset. “He was.. he cried?”

Y/N sniffled and looked down, nodding slightly. She didn’t want to make him feel bad, and she certainly wasn’t trying to guilt trip him, but how else could she explain how much this was hurting their son?

“Y/N I didn’t-“ He started but she shook her head at him.

“I don’t want to hear it. I’m exhausted, Matthew.”

“And you don’t think I am? Don’t you think I hate having to be away from you two? How I hate myself every time I know I promised him I’d be there and I have to let him down? Why don’t you consider how it makes me feel?” He shouted, his defensive stance back again. Y/N was about to respond when her eyes landed on a small figure standing by the bottom of the stairs. Their son, dressed his favourite blue dinosaur pyjamas, his big hazel eyes looking between his parents.

Y/N quickly wiped her tear-stained cheeks, forcing a smile onto her lips as she looked at her son. “Jacob, sweetheart. What are you doing up? It’s late.”

Jacob nodded, rubbing tiredly at his eyes. “I woke up and I heard shouting and I came down to see if daddy was home.” He gave a little smile at the sight of his father, even in his sleepy state.

“Yeah I’m home, buddy. Come here.” Matthew grinned through watery eyes, bending down as his son came toward him, enveloping the small boy in his arms. Matthew pressed a kiss to Jacob’s head full of brown curls before pulling back. “You gotta go to sleep, bud. Go with mummy, I’ll be here in the morning and we can talk then, okay?”

Jacob nodded, rubbing his eyes tiredly. “Do you promise?” He whispered.

Matthew but his lip but still nodded. “Yeah, I promise.” He made eye contact with Y/N, who quickly looked away before smiling down at their son.

“Okay Jake, let’s get you to bed, yeah?” She bent down slightly to lift him into her arms, his head dropping against her shoulder as he fought sleep.

Matthew watched as she carried their son up the staircase, disappearing upstairs. His heart ached.

Y/N had tucked Jacob back into bed, making sure he was comfortable. She pressed a kiss to his forehead, and turned to leave when his small voice broke the silence.

“Mummy?”

She turned back toward him with a frown. “Yeah, baby?”

“Are you and daddy getting a divorce?” His little voice whispered, and she came back towards his bed, kneeling down beside it, shocked by the question.

“A divorce? Where did you hear that?” She questioned gently.

“There’s this girl in my class, Lily. She said her parents used to fight all the time and they ended up getting a divorce. Now she hardly sees her daddy anymore.” He stated matter-of-factly.

“Oh. Well, there’s no need to worry about that.” She promised, and his hazel orbs looked into hers, getting a little watery as they filled with tears.

“I don’t want to never see daddy.” He cried, and her heart broke.

She got up, moving to sit beside him in the bed, cradling him into her side. “Hey hey, it’s okay sweetheart.” She cooed. “I love your father very much. Sometimes we disagree on things, but we’re not getting divorced, okay?”

Once she’d finally lulled her crying son to sleep, she slipped out from the bed and gently closed his bedroom door behind her, walking back toward her and Matthew’s shared room.

He was sat on the bed, feeling guilty over their petty argument. He knew it was silly, and really it was just that he was stressed over his job, and he also knew Y/N was right. He had been spending less time than he’d like at home, and it broke his heart to think that doing so was impacting his son so negatively.

He looked up when Y/N came into the room, gently closing the door behind her.

She looked at him, and he could see the tears that welled in her eyes. He smiled sadly and opened his arms for her to come into, a way of saying he was sorry- that all was forgiven. She sat beside him, head on his chest as his arms wrapped around her. He kissed her forehead and was about to apologise when she spoke.

“Jacob asked if we were getting a divorce.” She sniffled. Matthew pulled back slightly to look at her, a frown on his face.

“A divorce? Where’d he learn that?” He asked.

“I don’t know, I guess he must’ve heard us arguing. He said a girl in his class told him that her parents got a divorce because they argued, and that she didn’t get to see her dad much anymore.” She mumbled, and Matthew’s grip tightened on her. “He got upset, he thought you were gonna leave. That he wouldn’t see you again.”

Tears had welled in Matthew’s eyes at the thought of his son thinking he was ever going anywhere.

“I’m sorry.” Matthew whimpered out, and she looked up quickly, to see the tears falling from his eyes. he was always very in touch with his emotions, and the idea of his son thinking he was going anywhere really hurt him.

Y/N moved slightly so she could wrap her arms around him to comfort him as he cried on her shoulder. “Hey, hey. It’s okay.” She soothed, running her fingers through his hair. “We just- we can’t argue like that anymore. Not if it’s gonna hurt him like this.”

She felt him nod against her. “I know. I’m so sorry, it was my fault in the first place-“

She shook her head, pulling back. She cupped his cheeks gently, using her thumbs to wipe away his tears. “No, don’t do that. It was both of us. We’re a team, okay? Everything we do, we do together.”

He nodded again looking down, his hands holding her firmly by the waist, as though he was afraid she’d disappear. “I just don’t want you to think that I take you, or this family for granted. This family means the world to me and I need you to know that I would give up everything for you.”

She smiled up at him. “I know. but I won’t ever ask you to give up your work for us. I was only asking you to cut it back just a little. ‘Cause I know you, you get so passionate about these projects that sometimes you lose yourself in them and that’s not a bad thing. Your passion is one of the reasons I fell in love with you.”

He blushed, a small smile breaking out on his lips.

“I just need you to remember that you have a little boy waiting for you to come home. A little boy who looks up to you, god- he thinks the world of you, Matthew.”

Matthew’s smile only grew bigger, as he looked up, finally meeting her eyes. “What would I do without you?” He murmured, pulling her closer to him.

She smiled brightly. “You’ll never have to find out.”

It was a promise, and with it came the reassurance that was more than enough to eradicate any negative thoughts Matthew had. And when he pressed his lips to hers, he could tell it was all going to be okay.

Tag list : @beyonces-breastmilk @pinkdiamond1016 @itsmyblogandillreblogifiwantto @thelovelyrose

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#mgg x reader #mgg #matthew gray gubler #matthew gray gubler x reader #criminal minds #spencer reid

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fullmetalscullyy · 4 years

Text

the way it was - chapter 27

summary: what if riza never went to war? riza hawkeye has just married the man she loves. six months into their marriage, an unexpected surprise stops her from following roy to the military. a canon divergence au that explores what might have happened had riza been unable to join the military. there will be plenty of family fluff, angst, and royai.

rated: m | warnings: no archive warning apply

read on ao3

1914

cross your heart and hope to die

promise me you'll never leave my side

“Roy –”

His eyes flashed as they jerked away from the door. His glare was intense and Riza felt taken aback by it, even though she knew it wasn’t directed at her. She couldn’t get over that burning hatred in his eyes for Bradley.

“You’re leaving.” It wasn’t even a question. Given the anger festering and rolling off Roy in waves, Riza didn’t think she’d be able to stop him even if she tried. She wanted to, just to give his body more time to recover, but the effort would be fruitless.

Roy’s hands clenched into fists by his side. They tightened their grip as he strode over to her with purpose. It looked like he was ready to walk out the door right that second. Roy against the world, blood still smeared on his abdomen and shirtless.

“How dare he –”

“Calm down.” Riza’s voice was as gentle as her touch. A hand was pressed to his cheek and the other moved to rest upon his bare chest, right above his heart. It beat furiously underneath her palm, speaking of his fury and indignation. His emotions were raging but it would do him no good to leave now, guns blazing, in a fit of rage. He would not win that battle.

Immediately, Roy stilled. Blinking, he looked down at her, as if suddenly breaking from a trance. His eyes closed for a second, giving himself a mental shake before opening them. In those dark orbs anger still festered, but it lurked behind his grim acceptance of her wish.

“Sorry.”

“It’s okay.”

“How dare he threaten you,” he seethed quietly. His hard stare was back on their door, jaw locking as he restrained himself.

“I thought it sounded like a threat too,” Riza admitted.

Her stomach turned at the thought because that meant they may be onto Roy and his mission to take Bradley down. With no way of being able to confirm if that were true or not, her unease skyrocketed. The memory of Bradley’s one eye on her, pinning her in place, made her skin crawl even more than it had before. She shuddered gently, and Roy noticed.

“I won’t let anything happen to you,” he promised vehemently. His head jerked, looking away from the door, so he could rest his determined gaze upon hers. His hands gripped her elbows securely.

Expression suddenly turning thoughtful, Roy cocked his head in thought while his posture relaxed. Riza could see the cogs working inside of his head, running a mile a minute. She could tell his thoughts were racing as he tried to come up with some kind of strategy or promise to her.

“Perhaps living with my mother for a bit –”

“Roy,” Riza snapped at him, her hands falling to her sides in indignation. He jumped, eyebrows tugging down into a frown. She wasn’t going to run away from him at a moment’s notice. If push came to shove, they’d get Mia out to Chris’, maybe, depending on how the situation evolved, but she wouldn’t abandon him. They wouldn’t abandon him. Especially not now.

“What?” His reply was curt, irritated that his train of thought had been interrupted.

“I won’t let anything happen to you either.”

Riza softened her tone and her shoulders, letting everything negative flow out of her in a breath. Although annoyed he’d jumped and taken such a large leap, it was because he was panicking. Not obviously, but she could feel the sweat on his palms and could see he was bristling with nervous energy. Roy may need action but that was not the correct course.

“I’m not going to leave you.”

“You should –”

“Oh –” Riza interrupted him but had to cut herself off before she really let her irritation show. She stepped back out of his hold and threw her hands up into the air to try to dispel her frustration. “Stop it. Maybe, Mia could go,” she relented, turning back to face him, “but that’s something we would discuss properly, and not in a fit of panic. We don’t even know what that conversation meant yet either,” she reminded him, “but I’m not going anywhere.”

He sighed in frustration. “Stubborn one, aren’t you?” He muttered it, narrowing his eyes, but Riza heard the affection in his tone.

“Of course,” she nodded, unashamed, “but so are you, remember?”

Another sigh left his body, his chest heaving as he inhaled, his exhale long and drawn out as he calmed himself.

“Together,” he confirmed. “We’ll discuss it together.”

“Of course we will.” Angling her head, Riza pecked his cheek. “Be safe going back out there,” she commanded, her tone becoming serious.

“Always.”

She raised a sardonic eyebrow at him. Recent events painted that promise as a lie.

“Listen,” he argued lightly, suddenly defensive, “I didn’t know Gluttony was going to turn himself into a black hole. None of us could have prepared for that, so technically,” he raised a finger into the air, “that wasn’t my fault.”

Riza patted the skin above his heart. “I… don’t even want to ask what that means. Just…” She sighed heavily, dropping her head. She didn’t know what to say. Every time she’d said goodbye to him today, it felt like she was saying goodbye forever and Riza hated it. Her stomach churned, almost painfully, like it did every other time, except this was worse. He would be walking into the belly of the beast, completely alone.

Before she could dwell for too long Roy’s fingers held her chin lightly, lifting her head back up to face him. Slowly, he lowered his head and pressed his lips against hers. His touch was light but Riza wanted more. As soon as she deepened the kiss, Roy responded, as if he’d been waiting on her to initiate it. His arms snaked around her back so he could pull her body as close to his as possible. It was difficult with her pregnant stomach, but Riza appreciated the gesture. Her hands gripped his shoulders tightly, nails biting into his skin in her desperation to have that closeness with him.

They parted, breathing heavily, foreheads resting together. If Riza could restrain him completely, she’d keep Roy here in this moment forever. She wouldn’t let him leave to go fight unknown by himself. It would have made her feel better if he’d take some back up, but it was late, and Roy wouldn’t call on his team at this hour for their support. Not that they would be able to do much anyway. If Bradley wanted a meeting with Roy, he would give him that, but Bradley would ensure it was private.

“I’ll always come back to you,” he promised. One arm was removed from her back and came to rest upon her stomach. “To all of you.”

“I know,” Riza nodded slowly so she didn’t jostle his head too much. Pulling back, she smiled up at him. “Do you want a ride to Command?”

Roy shook his head. “It’s late. You should get some sleep.”

“I love you.” She gave him a quick kiss before he could pull away from her completely to go and get ready to leave.

The bed was cold and empty without Roy. Riza tried to sleep, but it wouldn’t come. Her brain was whirring as she tossed and turned, unable to remove the sight of his scars from her mind’s eye. Her heart hurt for him. He must have been in so much pain after doing that to himself… A single tear rolled down her cheek as her eyelids fluttered closed.

Blearily, Riza’s eyes blinked awake at six o’clock. It arrived a lot quicker than expected. There was little light from outside, the turning of the seasons drawing out the nights to make them longer. A quiet groan left her throat as she blinked the sleep from her eyes, the lids feeling heavy and pained from lack of sleep. Her fingers found her forehead, rubbing it gently as she gave herself a few more minutes to relax before getting up.

Roy hadn’t come home through the night. Riza didn’t know what to expect when he left, but she’d hoped she’d at least see him in the morning. Her stomach twisted with worry. Rolling onto her back, Riza’s arm bumped against a pillow restricting her movements. It was Roy’s. She’d moved it in her sleep, probably to hug it against her. It wasn’t the first time she’d done so and wouldn’t be the last either. Subconsciously she’d clung to a poor substitute for her husband, but at least the smell of him was still on the fabric. It brought her a slight hint of peace.

Staring up at the ceiling, going over everything in her mind, Riza felt a flutter in her stomach. Blinking, she paused, the sensation halting her thought process. Then there was another. A smile spread across Riza’s face and a hand automatically moved to rest atop her stomach.

“Good morning to you too,” she whispered to their child, caressing her skin.

There was a tiny kick in response and Riza lay there for a few moments longer, enjoying the tiny movements. It helped calm her and soothe her worries for the moment.

She knew she needed to keep calm and level-headed for the baby, and for Roy’s sake too, but it was so hard. It was difficult not to worry when she couldn’t see him with her own eyes, protect him with her own hands, and watch his back like she’d promised she would. Increased stress and anxiety would not benefit their child in the slightest, but she also couldn’t let it go. Not when he was essentially being targeted by the head of the State Military and God knows what else.

Perhaps she should take up yoga. At least for a brief escape from her own mind.

Riza huffed at the idea. As if she had the time. With Mia at school during the day, all her time was taken up by doing coursework for her teaching degree. Now their daughter was older, Riza didn’t want to waste any time with Mia when she was home, so she made sure to try and complete everything necessary before Mia returned from school.

Pulling herself up from the bed, Riza busied herself and her mind with the preparations for the day. She could either be active or lie there and dwell on Roy’s unknown situation for hours.

“Morning Mum,” Mia greeted tiredly, joining Riza in the kitchen. A small hand rubbed at her eyes as Hayate padded to wait beside Mia, looking up at Riza expectantly. He was waiting for his own breakfast.

“Good morning, Mia,” Riza called over her shoulder, rising onto her tiptoes to reach for a glass for Mia’s water. “Head through to the dining room. I’ll bring your toast through to you.”

“Okay,” she mumbled, eyes half closed.

Riza placed a plate in front of Mia, manoeuvring around Hayate, who’d chosen to sit right beside Mia’s chair at the table. He was still looking up at Riza expectantly, waiting to be fed, but made no noise. He was patient as he watched Riza move around the room.

“Did you sleep well?” Riza bent at the waist, kissing the top of her daughter’s head.

“Uh hu,” Mia nodded tiredly. “I’m still sleepy.” Her declaration bordered on a whine, and Riza could sympathise with her.

“I know. You’ll wake up soon though. And you can have an early night tonight when you come home from school. That will make you feel better tomorrow.”

Like every child, the thought of going to bed early horrified Mia. That would limit her play time, and she would never want that. Mia’s spine straightened immediately, and her eyes were forced open wide in an effort to not appear tired in the slightest. “Oh…”

“We’ll see how you feel when you come home,” Riza added, although she knew Mia would play it off as not being tired as soon as she stepped in the door.

“Okay,” Mia nodded. She looked around the room, her head craning from side to side earnestly. “Where’s Dad?” She sounded so disappointed to not see him and, once again, Riza could sympathise.

“He left to go to work early,” Riza replied. It wasn’t a lie. Leaving the night before for work was certainly early.

Mia didn’t think too much more of it. She shrugged as Riza stooped to provide Hayate with his food bowl and fresh water. “Okay.”

After a brisk walk to school in the cool autumn wind, Riza was just sitting down to do her coursework when the phone rang. Placing down the hot mug of tea, freshly poured to warm her up, Riza walked through the house and prayed this call was Roy finally getting in touch with her.

“Hey,” Roy greeted through the phone. He sounded incredibly tired, but happy to speak to her. “Good morning.”

“Good morning to you too,” she replied, smiling to herself as she remembered saying the same greeting a few hours ago to their little one. Riza leaned her shoulder and temple against the wall beside the phone and cupped her stomach. Her own relief was palpable in her voice.

“Sorry for not calling earlier. I knew you’d be getting Mia ready for school.”

“That’s okay. You’re calling now.”

“Are you all right?”

“Perfectly fine,” she confirmed.

“Good, good.” He trailed off and Riza waited expectantly for something further, but Roy was silent.

“How are you this morning?”

“Oh, yes, fine,” Roy reassured. It certainly didn’t sound it but Riza wouldn’t ask over the phone. After Bradley’s warning the night before and Roy not coming home it was obvious something had happened. However, he was alive and talking to her. That was all she needed at the moment. She wanted to talk to him, not Colonel Mustang.

“What time will you be home tonight?”

“Normal time.” His tone was firm, determined. “It’s been a busy morning,” Roy added, “but I’ll have everything done by the end of the day. I wouldn’t want to miss coming home to you.”

Riza smiled. “Pre-warning, if you’re late, your dinner will probably end up burnt or eaten.”

“All the more reason to get home on time then, right?” She could hear his grin through the phone.

“Exactly. Either that or Mia will feed it to Hayate.”

“Don’t let that dog steal my food!”

Riza laughed at his horrified tone. “Then you better be home for six.”

“Oh, I definitely will now,” Roy vowed. “I’m not letting the mutt steal my dinner for a third time,” he muttered darkly, mostly to himself.

“It’s a hard life for you, isn’t it?”

“The hardest life,” he groaned dramatically.

“Okay,” Riza relented, “I will keep his paws off your food.”

“I would love you forever if you did.”

“You mean…” Riza smirked, twirling the cord around her fingers as a wicked idea occurred to her. “You weren’t already going to love me forever?”

Roy paused for a beat, left stumped.

“Hm,” Riza hummed, “maybe Hayate will be let up at the table tonight while we wait on you…”

“Riza Mustang, you know I will love you for all eternity,” Roy practically purred through the phone.

“Oh? Hm, I’ll have to see it to believe it,” she shrugged.

“Just wait until I get home,” he vowed.

His comment made her snort. “That’s a bit inappropriate for the work phone, isn’t it?”

“I just call it as it is,” he chuckled.

“Okay then, Mr. Love, I’ll let you get back to it. I can’t take up all the time of such a high-ranking officer.”

“You can take up all of my time any day, Riza.”

“I’m sure those in charge will love that.”

“What can I say, you’re worth it.”

The side of Riza’s mouth tugged into a smile. He was so sweet. Her love for Roy washed over her, pooling in her chest with such a warmth that she wanted him home right that second so she could see and hold him.

“What are you up to today?”

“Roy,” Riza laughed quietly, “you need to go back to work.”

“Indulge me,” he replied, but she could hear the hint of pleading in his tone. “Just this one question. I’m on a break anyway.”

Riza raised an eyebrow at his poor deflection but didn’t question it. She missed him and wanted to talk to him. “I’m supposed to be studying and doing coursework, but I’m talking to you instead. You’re making my tea cold.”

“Oh right! You have that exam coming up soon, right?”

Riza nodded. “I do. Hopefully, the little one doesn’t come before it, but to be honest, I wouldn’t mind. It would give me more time to study for it.”

“You will ace it,” Roy replied confidently. “I have every faith. Even if you didn’t study for it, you would.”

“You’re sweet.”

“And you’re smart as hell.”

“And you should be going back to work.”

“Okay,” he replied sullenly. “I’ll let you get back to your work too. Can’t have you drinking cold tea,” he quipped. “Have a good day, Riza. I love you.”

“Love you too, Roy,” she chuckled.

The phone was placed back on the wall. Letting out a breath, Riza let her relief swallow her whole. He was okay. Roy had sounded tired and strained. Something had definitely occurred through the night, but he was his regular self as they spoke. What had happened though, still remained a mystery. She was sure she’d find out when he returned home. It was enough to know that he was well.

* * *

Hayate’s ears perked up suddenly and he paused while playing with Mia. Riza lifted an eyebrow to his reaction, waiting to see what had gotten his attention. He barked once, abandoning Mia to walk towards the door of their living room.

“Hayate!” Mia called indignantly, annoyed he’d stopped playing their game.

He stopped at the threshold, barking once, at the same time there was a knock at the door.

“Hello, Edward,” Riza greeted. She was surprised to see him. He didn’t often call on them without reason, so she was already wondering what had happened for him to appear.

“Hello, Mrs. Mustang.” He cleared his throat but Riza had noticed the slight catch in his voice when he spoke.

“Would you like to come in?”

“Yes, please.”

Mia’s eyes lit up when they both walked into their living room. “Ed!” Her cry was happy and excited as she rushed over to him. “Hi!” Eyes sparkling with excitement, she looked up at their unexpected visitor.

“Hi, Mia,” Edward waved. His posture relaxed and an easy smile overtook his features, banishing the unease Riza had sensed in him upon arrival.

“It’s nice to see you again, Ed,” Riza remarked. “What can I do for you today?”

Riza caught his quick glance at Mia. Edward hesitated, pausing with his mouth open before snapping it closed again. His hands clenched into loose fists by his side and that agitation was back in his demeanor.

“Mia?” She called over to their daughter but not before giving Edward’s anxious body language another once over. “Ed and I need to discuss something privately for a little while. Would you mind going into the garden to play with Hayate so we can have some privacy?”

Edward’s eyes snapped up to Riza’s, but her attention remained on her daughter as she awaited an answer.

“Okay, Mum,” Mia replied happily, nonplussed and unaware of the tension residing in her friend. Her head cocked to the side, looking up at her mother. “Is everything okay?”

“Perfectly fine, Mia Bear,” Riza grinned. “We just have some adult things to talk about, that’s all.”

Mia shrugged and turned to look for her dog. “Come on, Hayate! Let’s go into the garden and play fetch!”

The dog’s ears perked up at the mention of the word ‘fetch’, his little tail wagging quickly as he agreed with a happy bark. They both ran for the kitchen and Riza heard their back door open and close with a slam.

“Would you like anything to drink?” Riza walked into the kitchen, reaching up to the cabinets above her head to grab a mug for herself. She sensed that whatever Edward was here to speak to her about would take a little while.

“Oh, uh…”

“Tea? Coffee? Water?”

“Coffee, please,” he replied.

“Head through to the table,” Riza directed, nodding her head towards the set of doors that led to their dining area. “Make yourself comfortable and I’ll be through in a minute.”

“Okay. Thank you, Mrs. Mustang.”

Rolling her eyes fondly, she smirked. “Just call me Riza, Ed,” she added softly.

There was a pause and he stopped walking. “Right. Sorry,” he apologised sheepishly.

“No harm done,” Riza reassured. “Mrs. Mustang is my mother-in-law, not me.” She laughed quietly to herself when she remembered the same conversation she’d had with Winry and Mia not too long ago.

“So, Edward,” Riza announced, pulling out a chair across from the young alchemist. “What can I do for you?”

Movement from Riza’s right caught her eye. She saw Mia run by the window of their kitchen. If this conversation was not for her ears, at least they’d be able to tell if she came back into the house. Anticipation had been itching at Riza as she prepared their hot drinks, desperate to know what had caused such visible discomfort and apprehension in Edward.

“Have you heard the most recent news? From Central?”

“No…” Anticipation was replaced with trepidation. “What’s happened?”

“The Colonel hasn’t told you yet?” He blinked at her, completely thrown off that Roy hadn’t shared this big news. Disapproval flooded his expression, tugging his eyebrows into a deep frown.

“He left late last night to go to Central Command,” Riza explained, stirring her tea calmly and removing the tea bag to place it on a tea plate she’d provided for herself. “He didn’t come home either.”

“Oh.” Edward’s eyes widened with what looked like realisation, then his shoulders slumped. His disapproval quickly faded.

“I’ve spoken to him since then, but something tells me this ‘big news’ probably wasn’t safe to share over a military phone that may or may not be being monitored.” Riza watched for his reaction. Edward’s shoulders stiffened at her calm but firm tone. “Am I correct?”

“Yeah, that’s actually… That was a smart move.” He looked like he’d been scolded, and his agreement was mumbled, like it was such an effort for him to agree that Roy was right on something. Riza ignored it. Whatever was going on was so much bigger than all of them and she was more interested in the sudden, apparently very big, development.

“I’m sure whatever Roy needs me to know, he’ll tell me,” Riza added. “We’ve both been through this together from the start and I don’t anticipate him keeping anything from me now. We’ve been through too much for him to stop now.” Riza forced the image of the scars on his abdomen from her mind.

“I – I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to insinuate he would –”

Riza waved off his apology. “It’s all right, Edward.”

“Wait. From the start…” His head cocked to the side and Riza watched him silently as he considered something. Taking a sip of her tea, she watched as his eyes widened. “Wait. Given Mia’s age you… You were with him when he was in Ishval?”

So, he’d given it some thought and finally put two and two together.

Riza nodded. “I fell pregnant before he left. Mia was born just before he returned.”

Edward paled as another realisation dawned on him after hearing her statement.

“Roy didn’t want to leave, but obviously he had no other choice but to go with the military.”

“He didn’t have to leave you both,” Edward interjected, appalled when there was no need to be. “He could have stayed!”

Riza took note of the way he spoke. Ed was bordering on being angry at Roy on her behalf. It was a stark reminder of just how young he was. While being hailed as a child prodigy he’d been built up to think he was incredibly intelligent and knowledgeable. And Edward Elric was, Riza didn’t doubt that and wouldn’t take it away from him, but his views on the world were so naïve. She smirked to herself sadly remembering how Roy had proposed his dream to her after her father’s death. They had all been naïve when they were that young, but that didn’t mean Edward had to follow in the footsteps of their mistakes.

“You and I both know it’s not that simple, Ed, and it never will be. Especially after enlisting in the military. They own you,” she added, nodding at him, “and they owned Roy too. Wherever they call to, he would have to follow. Same as you.”

“It’s not like that,” he protested. “Al and I get free reign of the country. We’re not stuck in headquarters.”

“Because Roy makes sure you get the freedom you need,” Riza replied. “I don’t know the exact ins and outs of it, but he fought for you to become his subordinate before you joined so that you could.”

Edward paused, sitting back in his chair in surprise. “He did?”

Riza nodded. “He knew that if your secret got out you’d probably be taken away and interviewed relentlessly about your ability to go through the gate, especially so young. Alphonse would’ve been removed from your side to be studied. A soul being bonded to a suit of armour is a very interesting and curious set of circumstances, especially for the military.”

His body jerked in surprise, looking affronted. “How do you know about Al and I?”

“I told you when we first met I’d already heard all about you. I meant it.”

“It was supposed to be a secret,” Edward scowled.

“Would you trust the person you loved with information such as this? Would you trust Winry with it?”

Edward almost choked on his coffee. He coughed and spluttered, his cheeks heating up, while Riza raised an eyebrow knowingly at his knee jerk reaction.

“I, um, me – I mean, Winry and I – It’s not –”

“Okay,” Riza relented, holding a hand up in surrender. The poor boy would probably have an aneurysm if she continued to push further, but she did hide her smile behind her mug as she took a sip of her tea. He definitely loved her.

“I mean…” He sighed, his face still beetroot red and he refused to meet her eyes. “I see your point,” Edward mumbled.

“Anyway, he couldn’t stay, no matter how much he wanted to,” Riza continued smoothly, going back to their previous conversation. “He had a duty to his country, and he was called up to war.”

“So he was definitely in Ishval,” Edward muttered to himself in grim wonder, sounding glad that piece of information had finally been confirmed for him. However, he stiffened, as if not realising he’d spoken aloud. “Sorry, never mind,” Edward added hurriedly, waving his hands in front of him. “Forget I said that if you don’t want to talk about it.”

“I don’t mind talking about it, Edward,” Riza reassured him gently. “It’s a part of our history, after all, and needs to be remembered and discussed. Roy was in Ishval,” Riza confirmed. “As a State Alchemist.”

Edward’s face said it all. It fell, and his mouth hung open. So, he knew enough about the war to have been able to figure some of it out for himself. “Wait, as a State Alchemist? Not just as a soldier?”

“He was a State Alchemist, yes.”

Edward paled further.

“Make no mistake, Edward, Ishval was an extermination campaign, not a war. When Roy returned his eyes had been opened in a painful way. But he bore that suffering, and continues to do so, ensuring people like you in the next generation would never need to. We worked through the aftermath together but it’s still hard.” Riza absentmindedly stared down at the brown liquid in her mug. “The nightmares never really go away. And I helped put him on that path,” Riza added sombrely. “I have responsibility in it too and want to see him succeed in his plans.”

“What do you mean, you have a responsibility?” His voice was incredibly quiet, a far cry from the Edward Elric she was used to. Even the skin of his face had taken on a greenish tinge. Still, he needed to know. He was military and working with Roy against those who’d caused it all. He had a right to know the extent of what he was fighting for.

But he couldn’t know about the tattoo. No one could. Riza shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. Know that I did have a part in his course of action though and I want him to see it through to the end, so the military can be removed from power and democracy can take its place.” Her fingers tightened on the mug, knowing what that course of action entailed.

“Democracy?”

“That’s the only way the nation will change. Once he becomes Fuhrer he’ll devolve all power into parliament, replacing the Fuhrer with a Prime Minister. Then, those who committed war crimes in Ishval can be punished, such as the State Alchemists.” The heat from her tea was burning the tips of her fingers, but Riza still didn’t move them.

“But… The Colonel being a State Alchemist in the war means –”

Edward hadn’t really expected to reach that conclusion from this conversation, Riza knew that much. He may have had an inkling it was coming, but it was likely he didn’t want to accept. And why should a teenager want to accept such things? But that was the way of their world and the progress that came from their past actions. Roy wanted to atone for his sins from Ishval and while the thought of losing him completely terrified and rocked Riza to her core, there was no use in fighting it. He bore that suffering so no one else could in the future. It was his decision and she’d support it. She’d never take that away from him, no matter how much her mind screamed and begged her to reconsider, or how her heart rate kicked up erratically and the thought left her gasping for air in a panic. Roy would be executed for his crimes and there was nothing Riza could do to stop that course if that’s what the people called for. It wouldn’t be fair to the Ishvalans who’d been targeted and lost their lives. She’d known this for years but was still difficult to accept when it was brought up. Not that Riza ever really thought of it, but it was a constant crushing weight that lay in the back of her mind, hidden just out of sight. However, she’d learned to live with it, somewhat. That was the price of her giving him the secrets to flame alchemy and inadvertently causing such a catastrophe as Ishval to occur.

Riza just stared at Edward, unmoving and unflinching as he came to terms with her answer. She hated to do it to him, but she wouldn’t lie. Not about this.

“He’ll – He’ll be executed!”

“I know, Ed.” It hurt even more to hear it voiced aloud.

“And… You’re okay with that?” His cry was out of denial and disbelief and Riza tried not to let it get to her too much, but anger flared inside of her like a beast.

“How can you ask me that?” Her tone was cold, but her expression was almost unchanging. She narrowed her eyes at Edward only slightly, but dangerously. She couldn’t help it.

“But – But – Mia! And… And your new baby!”

“I’m well aware, Edward,” Riza repeated, trying to remain calm. Her heart rate was gearing up again, her skin breaking out in a sweat as she tried not to let the panic consume her. “So is Roy. Ultimately, we won’t know what will happen in the end,” she swallowed, “but if that’s what the people call for due to his past actions, then that’s what he will give. Roy feels he needs to atone for his past sins and I would never take that away from him.”

Riza cleared her throat and forced her swallow past the lump in there. Thinking of their children, so innocent and unaware of what may eventually befall their father, almost killed Riza, but she and Roy would work through it together. They’d explain everything to them when they were old enough about what happened in Ishval and the possible outcome of their plan. They wouldn’t hide from it.

“But don’t think for a second we haven’t considered our children and family.” Riza’s tone changed, her voice becoming stronger. “Believe me, Edward, we’ve been discussing this for years and it never gets any easier to deal with. Especially not right now.”

Edward sat back in his chair, dumbfounded. Nothing was said for a few moments and Riza continued to mentally calm herself down as he processed this new information. A quiet sigh left her, finally letting go of the flare of anger she’d felt towards him briefly before.

He’s just young, Riza reminded herself.

“Hey,” a tired voice announced suddenly, cutting off any further conversation they may have. For a second, Riza thought it was Mia and her eyes instinctively moved to the kitchen window, however she was still playing happily with Hayate outside. “I’m home!”

Rising from her chair, Riza left Edward in their dining room to greet her husband. He was home earlier than he promised. It was just past five o’clock. As she approached, Riza watched as he shrugged out of his military jacket and tossed it carelessly onto the floor by the door. Riza felt a similar disposition towards the military in that moment after her conversation with Edward. The top two buttons of Roy’s shirt were popped open, the collar spread so she could see his chest. A tired but happy smile spread across Roy’s features as he opened his arms. Stepping into them, Riza hugged him tightly, glad he was finally home. She needed his comfort after that heavy talk, and reminder that he wasn’t gone from her side yet.

“I missed you,” he whispered quietly into her hair.

Riza gave him a tight squeeze, letting him know she felt the same way. “I’m glad you’re home.”

“I was kept in a meeting with Bradley all night so couldn’t come home before I was due in for work.”

“That’s okay,” she reassured, pulling away and pressing a hand to his cheek. “You’re home now. And we have a guest.”

His fingers tightened their grip on her protectively as his eyes shot up and looked away, down the hall. After their last surprise visitor, Riza didn’t blame him for his reaction.

“Oh?” Roy’s question was nonchalant, but his grip tightened still.

“Edward Elric came by to say hello.”

Roy’s shoulders slumped and his hands hung loose on her waist. “Oh.”

“He wanted to talk,” Riza added, shooting him a pointed look. “And we discussed our future plans.”

Roy nodded in acceptance.

“So, sorry. Dinner hasn’t even been started yet.”

Roy tutted and rolled his eyes playfully while Riza just nudged him.

“At least I can fend Hayate off from it myself tonight,” he joked, giving her a quick kiss and another tight hug.

“Good evening, Fullmetal,” Roy greeted, walking into their dining room where he was still sitting, gripping his coffee cup tightly.

“Colonel,” Edward nodded.

“Did you come to steal my thunder and share my news before me?”

Edward glowered at Roy. Riza nudged his side with her elbow.

“Don’t be such a child,” she scolded. “He came by for a chat. And it’s always nice for friends to stop by,” she smiled at Edward, trying to channel that he shouldn’t feel bad for his outburst during their future plans. They’d both gotten a little worked up. He still looked slightly nervous and regretful. “And once you’ve finished acting like a child,” she added, turning to Roy and pointing over his shoulder, “you can go outside and say hello to our own. She missed you this morning too.”

Riza went to pull away from his hold, but Roy didn’t let her move far. He bent his head down, kissing her cheek. “Okay, I’ll go and see her now.”

“We never got as far as your ‘big news’ though,” Riza added, “but you’ve both succeeded in making me incredibly curious.”

“I’ll explain everything when I come back,” Roy promised. “It’s…” He grimaced. “Well, it’s certainly something.”

“Take your time with Mia,” Riza smiled, patting his shoulder twice.

“Mia?” Roy called into their garden, stepping outside into the afternoon sun’s low rays.

A loud gasp reached Riza’s ears before the door clicked shut quietly. “Dad!”

Through the window, Riza saw Mia race by and throw herself into her father’s arms as Hayate barked happily by their sides, his tail wagging and tongue lolling in greeting.

“I should probably get going,” Edward announced. “I don’t want to take up more of your evening.”

Riza shook her head. “I’m always open to visits from a friend, Edward. Don’t worry about him,” she jerked her thumb over her shoulder. “He gets snarky when he’s tired.”

Edward coughed, trying to hide his laugh.

“Although, something tells me you’ve noticed that already,” Riza grinned.

He didn’t answer for a beat. “Maybe once or twice,” he admitted quietly.

“He respects you, Edward. Despite being sharp with you. I do too. You’re working so hard towards your goal, but please…” Riza paused for a second, thinking of a way to word her thoughts correctly. “You’re still young. Rest when you need to. And talk to someone if you feel overwhelmed by everything.”

“I will,” he promised.

“And I’m sure Winry will appreciate a call every once in a while too. She worries and cares about you a lot.” His cheeks reddened, just like they’d done before. “She would love to hear from you and know you’re safe.”

“Yeah,” Edward coughed, cheeks still red. “Yeah,” he repeated, sounding defeated, “I need to be better at that.”

“Just one phone call every now and then can go a long way. Believe me.”

“Okay.” Edward nodded, his spine straightening as he squared his shoulders. “Thank you for talking with me about everything too. I really appreciate it. I’m sorry for my outbursts,” he added sheepishly.

“Not a problem, Edward. Take some time to process everything. I know that was a lot. And whatever is going on, you and Alphonse can always call on us to help,” Riza reminded. “Winry too.”

“Thank you, Riza.”

* * *

“So…” Riza swallowed thickly, processing what Roy had announced to her. “They’re all gone?” She fell back, coming to rest on the couch cushions behind her, stunned.

Roy nodded slowly. The movement was controlled. His shoulders held a lot of tension as he leaned forward. His hands, clenched together, covered his mouth while his elbows rested on his knees.

“Falman to the north, Breda to the west, Fuery to the south,” Roy repeated. His torso expanded with a sigh, which was let out loudly around his fists. “Havoc’s moving back east to live with his family. He’s leaving the military.”

She expected this move would happen for Havoc, but to have the other three ripped from him as well… Now there was no one Roy trusted implicitly inside his office.

“I’m sorry, Roy.”

He shrugged, but she saw the helpless look in his eyes. “It is what it is.”

“It’s shit. That’s what it is.”

Roy snorted then coughed. “Yes,” he agreed with a chuckle. Straightening, Roy wrapped his arm around her back and laid his head against her shoulder. “Yes, it is.”

Lifting her hand, she ran her fingers through his dark hair. Going against the grain, she lifted the strands from the back of his head so they spilled in between her fingers, carpeting the back of her hand with a gentle softness and warmth. Roy hummed quietly underneath her, appreciative.

“We’ll get through this,” Riza whispered. “We always do.”

“I’m just worried about anything further happening,” Roy admitted. The arm around her back tightened its grip.

“Do you have any reason to?”

His body tensed. “You came up in the meeting with Bradley. He insinuated what he could do if I didn't comply.”

Her hand stilled in his hair.

“Please don’t stop,” Roy whispered with a hitch in his voice.

Recovering from another shock, her head turned and looked down at him, but Roy didn’t move. His weight grew heavier against the side of her body. Riza restarted moving her hand through his hair with what she hoped were gentle and soothing movements. He needed them right now.

“What was insinuated?” Riza swallowed. She didn’t really want to know but her morbid curiosity got the better of her.

“Well. The worst thing imaginable.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

So, she’d most likely be killed.

“I’m so sorry.” Roy’s voice was husky, and a hand lifted to press protectively over her stomach. “I didn’t intend for this to happen.”

“Roy, nothing’s happened,” she reminded him gently.

“Yes, but it could. And it was me that put you in harm’s way.”

“I signed up for this remember.” Riza pulled away from him. Grasping his shoulders, she righted his body so he was straight. Staring into his dark, shining eyes, Riza cupped his cheeks firmly in her hands. “I knew from the start it wouldn’t be plain sailing. We both did. And we’re both committed to it. Do they have any reason to harm you?”

Roy shook his head best he could in her grip. “No. I’m important to them for whatever reason.”

“Okay.” That was a big relief to her. “So, as long as you play by their rules, we have nothing to fear?”

“I did that once before.” Something flashed in his eyes as he remembered Ishval. That cut off her feeling of relief immediately. Dread took its place, clawing at her insides relentlessly. “And I don’t want to have to do it again.”

“I don’t want you to either.” She didn’t know what else to say to that. He was stuck. They’d taken his team hostage as well as her, in a way. Her discomfort returned tenfold.

Roy looked like he needed it, so Riza drew him into a tight side hug. His hands clutched at her blouse, forming fists to scrunch up the material. One of her hands gripped his shoulder tightly while the other returned to his hair, running her hands gently through it.

“At least we still have each other,” Riza reasoned, going over everything inside her head. “At least we’re still together. They haven’t moved us apart. And we have our family and our health.”

“If they tried to keep us apart then I really would tell a homunculus where to shove it,” Roy muttered into the crook of her neck.

Chuckling, Riza smoothed down his hair, giving it a pat. “That would be a stupid move.”

“Satisfying, though,” he mumbled petulantly.

“Very satisfying,” Riza agreed. “I’ll support that.”

Roy heaved a sigh, his breath heating up the skin of her neck. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

His grip on her shifted, his hands relaxing from their fists. “You’re always such a calming force for me.”

“I’m happy to help,” she smiled. “Always. Anything for you.”

“I thought I was in real trouble when I was talking to Bradley. I really did. Then after it… Everyone had received their transfer papers while I was in the meeting. Fullmetal and Alphonse were there too. I’m surprised Bradley didn’t remove them, but he didn’t seem to care about their mission of getting their bodies back.”

Riza nodded. “What happened after the meeting?”

“I wanted to call, but I knew you’d be getting Mia ready for school. It killed me not to let you know I was okay. But I just wanted to say that our phone call helped a lot.”

“Good.” That made Riza ecstatic to hear.

“You can probably expect more of them from now on,” he smiled, finally pulling away from her. “If my phone is being monitored then I want them to be bored out of their mind listening to me profess my love for you,” he winked playfully.

“You sound exactly like Maes,” Riza smiled, a pang of sadness going through her heart.

“Then I learned from the best,” Roy grinned.

The phone rang loudly and suddenly, interrupting their moment. Regrettably, she moved away from Roy’s side and walked through to the hall, picking it up to answer.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Riza!” Rebecca Catalina called cheerily down the phone. “I’m coming to town this weekend. What would you say to us having a girl’s night out?”

It was eerie how well this phone call had been timed. Riza relaxed her shoulders as her friend proposed what honestly sounded like a fantastic idea after a stressful start to the week.

“Rebecca, you read my mind.”

Roy came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and pecking her cheek. He didn’t move, just remained there, holding her tightly. Riza appreciated the comfort he brought with him and leaned back into his embrace, savouring the feeling after her long night and day without him.

“Fantastic,” Rebecca cried, “because I am desperate for one. Especially after the juicy gossip I just heard, straight from Central Command!”

#royai #royai fic #royai fanfic #royai au #the way it was #emma writes

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cutegirlmayra · 7 years

Note

I'm actually interested in the difference between Japanese Sonic/Amy and American Sonic/Amy. I know that Japanese is more pro in the games themselves and in marketing, but do you have specific examples? Also slightly off-topic, but do you think there is a reason why Sonic universes outside the games (Sonic Boom, Sonic X, the comics from time to time) are more liberal when it comes to Sonic/Amy moments? I have one or two ideas but I've never quite put my finger on it.

(Official SEGA Sonamy artwork: Sonic Advance 3 -that is meant to be funny lol-)

I’d be more than happy to oblige!

Much like the Anime Trope, these two fall into a rather old but still used one. Girl chases the main hero, main hero either is oblivious or doesn’t show any response to the affections.

SEGA has stated Sonic is ‘Shy’, since he can’t just ‘be oblivious’ to Amy’s open affections… nor can they state he’s ‘neutral’ when that could mean he’s ‘ignoring her’ which would go against Sonic’s natural good heart.

So it’s ‘ambiguous’. Verses- Neutral.

However…

This does in fact differ when it comes to translations.

Examples:

Sonic Adventure 2 Battle:

American: Amy, take care of yourself.

Japanese: Amy…. -long, dramatic pause- Take care of yourself..!

This scene suggests that Japanese Sonic actually paused to think about what to say to her, and also suggests that he felt it was ‘him who should take care of her’ which in Japanese, is very touching and borderlines romantic intent.

American Sonic sped this long pause up to where it was quick and more of a - Winky charm. Whereas, with Japanese, it was more tender and addressed specifically so that more emotion was conveyed. (Some would say at a deeper, more personal level that Sonic wouldn’t natural show anyway.)

—-

Sonic Riders Zero Gravity:

American: Girls hate it when you rush them, Jet!

Japanese: Girls hate stubborn men!

This scene discreetly shows Sonic stepping up to defend Amy, but what’s interesting is that American Sonic is simply telling Jet to back off, whereas… Japanese Sonic is suggesting that Jet stop ‘flirting’ with her. ‘Stubborn men’ suggests that he won’t ease up his targeting her, and is mostly stated for when men are trying to win a girl over -negative connotation at times-. Japanese Sonic is being sarcastic for humor’s sake, but also warning and calling out Jet. Whereas, American Sonic is simply teasing and poking at Jet to turn his anger to himself instead of Amy. (Some, again, would argue the response technically means the same thing, but when you look at the two cultures, you’ll notice that ‘stubborn men’ is more addressed to men who won’t leave a woman alone. -cat callers end up getting beaten up by the main heroes?- In other-words, Japanese Sonic was acting more personally defensive with interceding Jet and Amy; whereas American Sonic was offensive in protecting her and directing Jet to himself for the fun of another race/rivalry.)

—-

Sonic Generations: SEGA of Japan actually stated that Sonic putting his hand up to Amy’s face and pushing her away was out of character. (Something about Sonic not treating his friends like that? I’m sure in Japan, that kind of behavior is considered extremely rude…)

—-

Sonic Adventure:

American: She’s so weird!

Japanese: Amy! Wa-wa-wait just a minute! Sheesh, guess I have no choice…

American Sonic is a bit ‘too cruel’ to most viewers in this scene, though it’s meant to come off as comical. However, in Japanese Sonic is more naturally surrendering to going after Amy’s lead, startled by her suddenly taking off into the park. (Far less harsh, if you ask me.)

—

Sonic Lost World:

American: Hey, Amy! Looks like springtime’s come early!

Japanese: Yo, Amy! Glad to see you’re okay.

Clearly, the difference is substantial. Japanese Sonic has a tender-care to his words as he addresses Amy, showing he remembers her last ‘farewell’ message and is relieved she’s alright. Whereas, American Sonic is going for the joke, being more peppy instead of relieved and commenting on the environment instead of her directly to her. (Some could say she reminded of him of spring… lol okay, I say that. But spring hints at things, okay!? lol)

—-

There are plenty others, lol. But I don’t want to make this too long.

Overall, American Sonic in the Modern Games is much more ‘for the pun’ and ‘about images’ than Japanese Sonic, who still keeps up ‘face’ but also warmly encourages his friends and treats them respectfully. Most of the American Written games have been stated to be ‘out of character’ by SEGA officials.

America treats Sonamy much like they do their franchise, a meme or joke to be poked fun of. Whereas, with a much more refined atmosphere, Japan treats Sonamy as an endearing and lovely couple. Though both resign to say they can’t really see Sonic ever ‘settling down’ or really being focused on romance. And,… that makes since to me. Knowing who Sonic is. But even that doesn’t mean he can’t have a crush XD (The heart wants what the heart wants, lol!)

My honest opinion?

American Sonic get awkward and werided out by Amy, but still cares about her well being.

Japanese Sonic is shy and uneasy with Amy’s antics, but he appreciates her.

And that’s all folks! ;Db If you’d like more discussions on Sonic or pairings, I’ll try and let you know what the facts verses opinions are!

—WOAH! there was way more to answer in this than what I thought! Let me try and.. here we go!

American Amy comes off as a bit much and mood-swingish. Japanese Amy is more caring and understanding of Sonic.

In Sonic X, Japan has a scene where Amy admits that Sonic may never really want her idea of love, he may never even want a family! But she’s not going to give up trying, cause she does love him.

In America, Amy just complains about Sonic not coming on the date and possibly stating he doesn’t care about her.

Japanese Amy is also shown as ‘playful’ in her culture, and her actions are more reflections of ‘positive attributes’ for the culture. America tries to twist and make this ‘funny’ instead of ‘loveable’ and that throws audiences off.

—-

Most Japanese Companies are very ‘tight’ with their characters, protecting them from being ‘out of character’. Nintendo for one is famous for this ‘tight-grasping-hold’ over their characters being portrayed well.

Sega of Japan knows they have too many people using their characters, and so they created ‘Mandates’ to make sure they stay in line. The reason other medias of Sonic are so ‘liberal’ is because Sega of Japan doesn’t ‘closely watch/inspect/is right in their faces’ to be able to regulate it. And honestly? The officials were more concerned about if it’s making money and getting exposure than anything else. They’ve tried to change that policy, visiting America more to secure some credibility in the characters. They first tried this with Sonic Boom but ended up seeming to abandon it. (I don’t blame them) but they have been here more recently with Sonic Mania; Giving me hope that Sonic Forces will be regulated to more ‘in-character’ themes. (Also, the original writer is Japanese, meaning America JUST has to translate correctly)

Most companies generally want to make sure they still have some control over their franchises, mandates and other rules are not uncommon. SEGA is rather ‘looser’ in their holds then Nintendo, for example though. Nintendo will shut down a fan-project that doesn’t treat their character in good light, or even caution Hollywood like with Wreck-It Ralph and Bowser. They gave some particular suggestions for animation and the like on him. SEGA just had fun with it, cause I didn’t hear much of anything from the interview with the director about them other than they ‘were fully on-board!’.

Sonic Boom got away with Sonamy through loopholes and ‘less supervision’ at times. But they have their limitations too. (Other characters comment on Sonic and Amy, but never Sonic reacting/stating blunt comments. Amy could, but they’re going with a more ‘discreet/quiet’ love when it comes to Amy’s crush.)

Sonic X was by SEGA of Japan, they’re allowed to / can do whatever the heck they want. -z formation, hip rotation, snap, snap, hair flip.- It’s 4Kids (illegal?) editing of original content that sometimes messed up translation. But there are things that were only exclusive to Japan’s release. (such as Natsu no hi which was confirmed to be from Sonic’s POV, along with the anime bubbles at seeing Amy in her ‘dress’)

Archie had their hands tied with some strict contracts, such as ‘Sonic can’t have a permanent girlfriend’ and ‘Sonic can’t show any interest in Amy’, but even Ian admits some hints and others in Archie have stated their ‘case’ on the matter too. (One even admitted he thought Silver was Shadow and Amy’s kid xP

Now, I’m not trying to dis America. They’ve survived a lot. But I know where most confusion comes from is that the company can’t decide ‘what Sonic is’. This can be problematic, along with bad marketing ploys. So it’s not entirely their fault. Other forces are to blame here too. Such as the fandom sometimes placing their opinions on things as facts, without checking sources sometimes.. (It happens -shrug-)

I hope this helps! ^^ (If there was something I missed or misunderstood regarding your question, feel free to ask me again! I wrote this at 6 in the morning so if somethign doesn’t amke sense, you call me lol)

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psychologicharacters · 7 years

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Psychology of Edward Nygma

Alright, alright. So this one’s a bit of a long and complicated discussion, but for the purposes of this post I’m going to be talking about the version of the Riddler displayed in the TV show Gotham. There are two main things I want to talk about to start off, and I’ll probably make separate posts later going into his MBTI or aspects of his villainy, but for now the two topics I want to discuss are 1) Ed’s apparent autism, and 2) Ed’s background of abuse and trauma and how it shaped his canonical behavior.

To start off, although I don’t have autism or spend a lot of time around people who do, I’m very interested in the topic and have researched autism and similar topics extensively. That being said, this is, of course, nothing like a formal diagnosis or anything; I’m just stating my thoughts and opinions on his behavior based on what I know.

Edward has a lot of trouble with social cues, recognizing tone and facial expressions, and inferring emotional information from indirect or vague statements. Some examples of this are:  - when he’s pursuing Kristen Kringle in S1: he can’t see the cues in her tone and expressions that would alert him to the fact that she doesn’t want to be around him - when talking to harvey or jim in S1: he doesn’t see their distaste for his riddles and video game discussion, trying again and again to lead conversations with these topics until harvey directly tells him he isn’t interested - the very first time he meets oswald: he follows him around the station and tries to engage in conversation multiple times despite clear cues from penguin that he doesn’t want to talk - when he tries to rearrange kristen’s office in S1: he has good intentions, thinking he’ll help her by arranging it in a way that makes sense to him, but the cues that she doesn’t want him to touch her things go over his head right up until she has a breakdown after he takes it all apart - when he can’t sense that kristen’s boyfriend is making fun of him

There are more examples, but we’ll stick with these for now. This pattern of failing to recognize and understand social cues is typical to many types of autism, but especially Asperger’s.

Ed is also highly intelligent with special interests in puzzles, riddles, and human anatomy. Although not necessarily characteristic to Asperger’s, high intelligence is common among those with Asperger’s, which is sometimes referred to as being an autistic savant. Special interests, similar to hyperfixations in the ADHD community, are a part of autism. Ed is almost compulsively drawn to puzzles and riddles in every aspect of his life, and his interest in and intelligence for human anatomy (autopsies, in this case) leads him to get into trouble in S1 when he performs several unordered ones despite being in forensic analysis instead of autopsy.

Although not canonically explored, I believe that Ed most likely has some sensory issues common in autistic and ADHD people, including a compulsion to stim. In S1 especially, his wardrobe consists of very similar sweaters and pants, which could be an indication that those materials are the most comfortable to him in a sensory way. He’s also seen chewing on pens and sometimes his finger or fingernail, especially when he’s thinking, which is a mild form of stimming.

Now, onto the topic of Ed’s childhood. In the comics and other adaptations of Batman, he was physically and emotionally abused/neglected by his father from early childhood on. Most adaptations say that it was because his father was heavily narcissistic and insecure and was jealous of Ed’s intelligence. I’m pretty sure he was also an alcoholic. Either way, the main points of Ed’s father’s abuse are that: 1) he physically beat Ed and told him he was a liar when he showed intelligence; 2) he punished Ed for lying; and 3) he isolated and alienated Ed from his family and from having a father figure.

Abuse trauma is a very difficult and complicated thing that is experienced differently for everyone. Some people can even psychologically repress the experiences if they were young enough at the time. As sad as it is, I believe that Ed’s trauma became a center point of his personality in many ways.

I believe that, as a result of his autism and childhood abuse, Ed grew up isolated from and bullied by his peers and his family, unable to clearly learn right from wrong by example, misunderstood and looked over by adults, and terrified of upsetting authority figures. This lead to a few things: a compulsive need to tell the truth, a compulsive need to show his intelligence (or narcissism), and an inability to healthily release anger and sadness. Ed’s need to tell the truth stems from his trauma - his learned behavior was that lying, or perceived lying, = pain. This is, in my opinion, what produced his compulsion for riddles. When asked by the police if he knows where Jim Gordon is in S2 or 3 (I can’t remember), Ed answers first with yes, then no, then a riddle to which the answer is “home”. He is deeply shaken when Lucius Fox figures out his riddle and goes to search his apartment, suggesting that he either didn’t think they could guess the answer or that they would ignore his riddles like most people do. This phenomenon of supplying a riddle in place of an answer happens frequently throughout the show. I believe that it’s Ed’s subconscious finding a loophole in his learned behavior logic: if he answers questions with another question, he can technically never lie.

Ed’s narcissism is another key point to his personality. In my theory, the narcissism developed as a defense mechanism in response to the overwhelming isolation and torment he experienced as a child and even still. If someone insults him, his brain simply refuses to accept it, instead twisting it so that Ed can safely revel in the fact that he’s smarter than everyone and everyone who says those things about him is obviously so below him in intelligence that their words aren’t even worth listening to. In this same vein, his compulsion to prove his intelligence, most likely born from a deep and primal need to finally impress his father and get him to love his son, is often the very thing that gets him caught. When forging Kristen’s boyfriend’s goodbye note in S1, Ed literally can’t resist leaving a mark of his genius on his work, resulting in the first letters of every line in the letter spelling “NYGMA”. This ultimately leads to his incrimination in the man’s murder. This compulsion is, in my opinion, also where the famous green question mark comes from. Leaving a sign of his intelligence is irresistible as a serial criminal, but it’s also a driving force leftover from his childhood abuse.

Lastly, Ed’s inability to express his anger and sadness appropriately leads to the creation of a second personality who taunts, berates, and threatens him before and throughout S1. Terrified of his own violence and anger because of his home environment, he repressed the negative feelings so hard that they manifested themselves in the form of another Ed. Throughout S1, Ed is seen arguing with his other self and seemingly trying his best to separate the violent, confident, dangerous Ed from his docile and awkward main personality. The fusion of the two personalities in the end of S1 is what “creates” The Riddler, resulting in the scarily composed, incredibly manipulative, dangerously unpredictable Edward Nygma we know and (mostly) love.

I think I covered everything I wanted to say for this post. Let me know if anyone has any questions or comments about anything said here. Thanks!

#edward nygma #ed nygma #the riddler #batman #psychology #character analysis #abuse #autism #my posts

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themoral-dilemma-blog · 8 years

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I Want To Know What Love Is|| Marley and Katherine (Chatzy)(POTW)

Katherine held onto Lysander’s hand until their distance compelled the bond to break. Wistfully, she watched him trek up the grassy slope, still wet and muddy from the recent snowfall. The weather had warmed up considerably and they’d been able to lay a heavy blanket on a dry area of rock by the pond. It was picturesque. She’d never been the romantic type--to take a half day and simply relax. She wasn’t geared that way. She worked, and when she was finished work, she trained or more recently, spent a considerable amount of time training her niece. But also she’d never met a man quite like this one. She bit down on a strawberry, lounging back onto the blanket when she heard the soft crunch of earth from behind her. “Did you forget something?” She grinned wide, glancing behind her. Instead of the love of her life, there stood Marley. Her shoulders slumped in disappointment. “Following me now, are you?” She spat bitterly, the sour turn of their recent conversation still fresh in her mind.

Marley had found herself taking a trek through the woods considerably more here than she ever had back in Ashford. Perhaps it was the gravitating wanderlust her feet had seemed to pick up ever since being thrust into this dimension, longing for a place to belong, longing to go home-- but finding it gone and occupied each time she walked the place. She belonged nowhere here, especially not in the place she'd wedged herself into. Into her other self's life. But things couldn't really be that bad. She had a purpose here. Still, her wandering mind and her restless legs often found her out into the skirts of the town. Today, they found her upon a most interesting scene. Katherine, who had unjustly blocked her when she'd questioned her sudden love, and the retreating figure of who she assumed to be the recipient of said "sudden affection". Marley put her hands up in an innocent, stop motion. "As interesting as this all is to me, I did not follow you," she said shaking off the bitter tone in Katherine's voice. She found herself caring less and less about things these days, as if her purpose was slipping through her fingers. As if her vengeance no longer fulfilled her. So it was the little things that she found joy in, and the fact that Katherine was most likely under a love spell was going to be one of those things. "You know, I'm hurt that you blocked me. I was just trying to understand your undying love for this supposedly wonderful man," she swooned, hands still up in a defensive manner as she gave an apathetic shrug.

Katherine had zero intentions on apologizing. She made that clear, glancing back towards the water, picking another strawberry from the bin. “You just missed him,” she nodded towards where he’d gone off to grab more wine for the two of them. She wondered briefly why she didn’t drink wine like this as she used to either. “And he is wonderful.” He was smart, handsome and funny. Her face hurt from smiling so much--she hadn’t felt this way… well, ever. He’d been gone all of two minutes and she already missed him. “And if you hadn’t been so negative, I wouldn’t have blocked you.” She turned back to her, tossing the green part of the strawberry into the pond. “If we’re such good friends, you should be supporting me. Not doubting my emotions.”

"Okay, first of all," Marley started, then stopped. Probably not a good idea to tell Katherine they weren't friends-- she didn't do friends. She kept people close if they had use to her, and that was it. Sometimes the use was arbitrary, sometimes it was important-- but friends weren't on her To Do list. But Katherine didn't need to know that, especially now. What was it Josephine had always told her about fitting in? Be what they want you to be. Marley lowered her hands. "You're right-- I shouldn't have doubted you. It was just...sudden, I guess?" another shrug. God, Caplan, put more emotion behind it. She sounded like a drone. Cleared her throat. "I had a bad experience with something like this myself, and I guess I was just projecting. I'm--" clenched her jaw, but forced a smile. It would be worth it in the end, if only to tease Katherine endlessly once this wore off-- "happy for you."

Katherine was ready to go right back at her when the First of all, part of that sentence began. Her eyes narrowed in her direction as she started to give way to some sort of acceptance to her new situation, though her words were of very little comfort. “You don’t sound it,” she answered sharply. She wasn’t a body language expert but it didn’t take a genius to see the hesitation in the way she uttered those last few words. She sat up on her elbow, quiet for a moment. “You had a bad experience?” She asked. Very little doubt, if any, seeped into the thought of her own relationship, but she was curious about that part of what she said. “You’ve fallen madly in love and lived happily ever after?” She raised a brow, a small smirk teasing at the corner of her lips.

Great, Katherine, Marley thought, let's focus on the one part of the sentence that wasn't about you. She resister the urge to roll her eyes and repocketed her hands deep into her coat. "Happily ever after is a joke," she muttered. And technically, for her, it was neither. She'd never been in love, nor would she ever be. She'd come to terms with that a long time ago, and was okay with it. It was just the way she was. Still, she often felt a little bitter when people talked about romantic love and how it was the ultimate goal, the be all end all. And even though Katherine was clearly under the influence of something, it still bothered her. Perhaps more for Katherine's sake than her own, but it was still there. "I don't wanna ruin our good mood with my sappy story, anyway. I just want you to tell me how happy you are--" so she could record it and play it over and over again for Katherine to hear later-- "because I do want to be happy for you. You can at least trust that, right?" A grin, more genuine this time. It took practice, and remembering everything she'd learned on how to act normal and genuine. Body language, tone, and eye contact said a lot.

“I used to think so too,” Katherine said, hearing the mutter. Even as reluctant as it may have been, Marley seemed to be finally give in to reality. A more genuine smile crossed her face and she moved over on the blanket a little, patting the spot beside her to motion for Marley to sit. “I am happy,” she said, every part of her confident about that statement. “And I know it’s sudden, which probably makes it seem ridiculous. But if you could see the way he treats me…” she shook her head, laying back on the blanket. “It’s as if we were made for one another. Like maybe I was meant to come to this crummy little town for something beyond my work. Something for me.” She could picture it -- her, Lysander, Darcy. A small happy little family. “Believe me, I know how I sound, and if you’d have told me even a week ago I would ever feel like this, I’d laugh right in your face.”

It sounded more than ridiculous, but Marley kept that bit to herself as she sat down on the blanket next to Katherine. As awkward and untrue as Katherine's feelings might have been, the way she talked about it made it seem real. Warm. There was no anger here, no pain or sorrow. Marley hadn't felt something like this in a long time, and it left a weird taste in her mouth. She fed off of chaos and vengeance, so feeling what was supposedly the exact opposite of that made her inside squirm a little. "Personally, I don't think any two people are ever made specifically for each other . Soulmates and that crap is just hocus pocus, but...I get how someone could make you feel that way." That vampire had certainly been able to make her counterpart feel that way, Marley could still remember how warm the memory felt in her stomach. If she'd have been capable to, she'd almost have felt a bit bad for Katherine. Being put under the influence of something to unbecome so much of oneself-- she wondered what that would feel like. She'd have to try it out sometime. "And you don't feel weird about this at all?"

It was getting easier to weed out the negative parts of Marley’s commentary. If she had any idea about how full her chest felt at that moment, there would be no argument. Katherine glanced up, shaking her head, she realizing she pitied her a bit. More than a bit, actually. She didn’t have this. She couldn’t feel what she felt. Whoever had left her this way had did quite the number. “The whole thing is weird. Love is weird,” she smiled, reaching over, patting Marley’s knee gently as if she was consoling her. “I have no doubt that you’ll find something like this again. One broken heart shouldn’t mean you should close it forever. Everyone deserves to feel like this, even if you don’t believe it yourself.” She plucked a chocolate from the box, bringing it to her lips. “If I can find love, a bitter spinster set in her ways... anyone can.”

"Love is a chemical reaction, technically," Marley explained, but realized it was pointless to say these sorts of things to someone under a love spell, or potion, or whatever. She should probably do something about that, maybe help Katherine, since she was an asset to Marley-- but she'd let this run it's course a bit more. Besides, it wasn't like it was hurting anyone, right? And they'd all get a good kick out of it in the end. "Not everyone is wired to feel it," she mumbled, leaning back on her hands. She remembered the jar of jealousy she had stashed back in the house. It would have been useful in a time like this, but she wasn't going to waste it on something as puny as love. "Don't give me that pitiful look, either. I'm fine with it. Just...remember this chat in a week or so."

Katherine wasn’t completely sold on Marley’s assurances. Maybe some people weren’t wired for it, sure, but she pitied them as well. That light, warm feeling, the near-euphoria--why would anyone willingly miss out on these? She wondered why she’d let so many years pass without allowing herself this simple pleasure. To love and be loved. “Why, are you going to tell me about your lost love?” She asked, though as she looked just past Marley, she saw Lysander coming down the path again. There it was, that skipping in her heart. He gave a wave in the distance, a smile as big as her own, before Katherine was unable to contain it. She jumped up quickly from the blanket, dashing across the muddy grass. His arms opened and she lept into them, squeezing him for all she was worth, their laughter ringing out in hearty echoes into the air.

Marley just watched as Katherine leapt up and sprinted over to man of her affection. Or...curse, she supposed. Katherine would certainly think this a curse once it was over. She'd start looking into it tomorrow, but for now....might as well let her be happy. She probably deserved it. Rolling her eyes, Marley stood up from the blanket, grabbing a handful of strawberries. "She wasn't mine, anyway," she mumbled, before making a gagging noise and turning to head off. Popped a strawberry in her mouth, glancing once over her shoulder to watch as Katherine and her fake boyfriend resumed their picnic as if Marley was never there. She looked so happy. Too bad it was fake, just like everything else in this town.

#chatzy #touchofchatzy #i want to know what love is #chatzy: katherine #katherine #potw #aka marley almost voms b/c katherine is so gushy #and there's lots of introspection

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glopratchet · 4 years

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govenment

The Republic of Rust is a land where magic has been outlawed, but not forgotten General fantasy worldbuilding outline for the Republic of Rust and the Nation of Galilee: It's ruled by an Emperor who rules with an iron fist, but he's also a man that believes in the power of magic to be used for good or evil He calls upon his most loyal followers to defend him from any who would oppose him The Empire on the other hand is a place where magic is accepted as part of life and it thrives In the time of the democracies of the Republic of Rust and the Nation of Galilee there was a war between them While the two nations were at peace during this time, they have since grown into each other and are now allies against their common enemy You can see how these countries could easily become enemies if left unchecked So what do you think? Do you want to play as either side or just try your luck as a neutral party? Let me know! Why does the Republic of Rust most recently ally with the Nation of Galilee It's like something out of a fairy tale, but you can't afford to close any possible avenue to ultimate power and what does the Nation of Gali believe the end game is in this potential future war? Because there has been information coming in about the Nation of Delerg and how they've stopped aging It's the disease But it isn't just this potential alliance or even the potential usage of magic that drives you to make this decision Why does the Republic of Rust most recently ally with the Nation of Galilee and what does the Nation of Gali believe the end game is in this potential future war? The Republic of Rust relates the Nation of Galilee because both have been hit just as hard as each other by this plague Everyone from children to elderly are affected it seems and the only thing keeping all of your doctors and apothecaries busy So far there has yet to be any sort of effective countermeasure It isn't the illness that kills people so much as the FDA has decided its very best to quarantine all those who show signs of sickness and prevent them from leaving their homes The Republic of Rust relates the Nation of Galilee because both have been hit just as hard as each other by this plague The Republic of Rust felt that Too many seconds after the Republic of Rust knew of the nature of the disease that it started calling for closing the borders to all incoming and outgoing travellers from the Republic This effectively The people and by extension the government of the Republic felt that if they could keep out people who might be sick then the rest of their healthy populace wouldn't catch it provided they kept away from places that were known to harbor ill people Galilee and Delerg hadn't taken such a measure… favoring a policy of isolation over quarantine Too many seconds after the Republic of Rust knew of the nature of the disease that it started calling for closing the borders to all incoming and outgoing travellers from the Republic The Nation of Galilee finally realizing it may have a problem soon if something isn't done soon requests your help in containing the epidemic Should you come to their aid militarily or should you limit your potential losses from a magic pandemic by cutting your losses with the Republic of Rust? Major Game Decisions You've let down your guard for once and someone took advantage of it Because of this event the emotions could be summed up best between the Republic of Rust and the Nation of Galilee as From the Republic of Rust , the Nation of Galilee imported giggles and snickering behind hands Emotions sure have strong power over people From the Nation of Galilee they experienced righteous anger and patriotic fury Oh well such is life What was important is that they banded together for the defense of their shared language despite their government beginning to give in to fat stupid men sitting on golden thrones They were fortunate that your meddling didn't start a war the Nation of Galilee imported giggles and snickering behind hands Why does the importance of giggles to the Republic of Rust when compare the same variety under the control of the Nation of Galilee authorities Because even though one out of Three so to speak doesn't get the joke… Doesn't mean everyone else isn't still laughing at them Why does the importance of giggles to the Republic of Rust when compare the same variety under the control of the Nation of Galilee authorities? The currency exchange for giggles is handled between the Republic of Rust and the Nation of Galilee by a third party What a coincidence eh? The currency exchange for giggles is handled between the Republic of Rust and the Nation of Galilee by a third party The person responsible is considered to be very important to the security of both nations and couldn't possibly be considered a suspect Well not officially at least Unofficially? Well that's a different matter entirely Perhaps even a very dangerous one as well The person responsible is considered to be very important to the security of both nations and couldn't possibly be considered a suspect The Nation of Galilee settled in there territories depending on who you ask for twenty five to thirty years while sometimes dreading and sometimes celebrating another invasion that never came The Republic of Rust to them however represents a target ripe for invasion and have already made plans for such an event Most traditionalist from the Republic of Rust believe that you should have taken the opportunity to invade the svelk infested nation long ago, they question if you're fit to lead anymore and assume command yourself The Nation of Galilee settled in there territories depending on who you ask for twenty five to thirty years while sometimes dreading and sometimes celebrating another invasion that never came While the Republic of Rust lost there lands surely it was because you were a weak leader who didn't know the value of honorable warfare The only proper mentality for a warrior! Their thoughts are so blind they don't question how out numbered you were in the first place and that you had little to no hope for reinforcements in a pitched land war Give them enough time though and who knows what technical advances may give them an advantage? While the Republic of Rust lost there lands surely it was because you were a weak leader who didn't know the value of honorable warfare For the citizens of the Republic of Rust , life has changed quite a bit No longer are they complacent in there once greatest nation, they live in fear of war and don't even implement scouting anymore, they send in full assault troops into Galilee Something which would've surely started a war if you hadn't intervened decades ago life has changed quite a bit When you compare the past for the Nation of Galilee a historian would record that it experienced a great loss, that the derro were near extinction but were saved at the last minute It would be recorded that they existed but nothing more You decide to take what precautions you can for the events to come lest you want a war on your hands like the one a few decades ago You buy as many horses and wagons as possible and make sure to keep large stockpiles of food and resources When you compare the past for the Nation of Galilee a historian would record that it experienced a great loss, The official attitudes the Republic of Rust by the Nation of Galilee affects commerce and trade between the two nations While neither of them are officially "at war" it certainly acts like one for the common man, and not just in the Republic of Rust After several months the tensions start to cool down and eventually the two begin to trade with each other again if only because some businessmen have complained to you that empty store shelves aren't doing anyone any good except competing companies and that this is really going to have a negative effect on the economy when it could be easily prevented The official attitudes the Republic of Rust by the Nation of Galilee affects commerce and trade between the two nations start decreasing their quantities as well since they are only willing to trade with one or the other but not both Eventually you receive a letter from a councilmember stating that it would be in everyone's best interest if trade was normalized between the factions again You can't honestly disagree with that, both factions need to trade but you wonder if doing so might start this all over again, on top of the inevitable war preparations seeking to reclaim the old lands which will undoubtedly be costly endeavors The tensions between government cause the merchants to The tensions between government cause the merchants to start decreasing their quantities as well since they are only willing to trade with one or the other but not both On the borders of the Republic of Rust customs inspectors now check every shipment going in and out for any smuggled goods or other illegal activity They face the same scrutiny entering and exiting the Republic though as that doesn't stop there still being Galilean merchants in their nation or vice versa On the borders of the Republic of Rust customs inspectors now check every shipment going in and out for any smuggled goods or other illegal activity You are glad you were able to buy up much of it before this new decree The government of the Republic of Rust regulates and places a tariff on all imported items from the Nation of Galiée, further complicating and cracking down on trading between the two Rather than lower the embargo they outright ban certain types of food being brought into the Republic The reasoning is that they have almost endless farmland so there is no need for it to be imported when it could be grown just as easily within their borders

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ourmrmel · 6 years

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Reasons to Work with Mel Feller — A Business — Executive Coach — Life Coach — Coaching — Mentoring With Mel Feller

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exaggeration excessive focus on others excuses extremism failure fantasizing faulty beliefs fears feeling needy fixed ideas focusing on the past foolishness forgetfulness frustration futility future thinking glamours greed guilt hate hopelessness humourlessness humour ignorance ignoring illness illusions impatience impractical impulsiveness inaccuracy indecision indifference inertia inflexible character injury insecurity insensitivity intellectualisation intolerance isolation jealousy judging justifying limitations lack of commitment lack of confidence lack of creativity lack of discipline lack of energy lack of purpose lack of trust laughing it off laziness living in the past loneliness low energy lying malnutrition manipulation martyrdom

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Mel Feller can do wonders for busy entrepreneurs. As you run a growing organization, everything gets complex; you get busy and sometimes push off things you know are important. This is where a great business coach like Mel Feller comes in. You can discuss the vital things you need to accomplish in order to achieve your goals, and your coach will hold you accountable. That alone will make you more effective. — Sandra Hoodik

As you achieve your goals, it is important for you and your team to take the time to celebrate. Sharing this journey with your coach will be exciting and rewarding.

Mel Feller has over three decades of coaching and consulting experience in diverse industries, which provides a rich framework for his organizational insights and creative solutions. I brings a thoughtful approach to his work, carefully integrating both my coaching and consulting skills and abilities. When consulting, my focus is on “what you are doing” (i.e., goal setting, problem solving, taking action and achieving results). When coaching, my focus is on “who you are being” (i.e., how you are leading, aligning your values and tapping your gifts). As a client, they become more consciously aware of how paying attention to — and balancing both — are critically important to their success.

When you combine Mel Feller’s keen insights and engaging style with his in-depth skills, technical certifications and broad industry experience, the result is a uniquely qualified executive coach and organizational consultant.

So… what kind of coach are you?”

I get this question a lot. Moreover, the answer is… I am a Life Coach, Executive Coach, Career Coach, and Business Coach. I coach teens, business executives, authors, artists, entrepreneurs, retired seniors, busy moms and entire organizations.

“Truth telling, honesty, and candor: I loved you Mel Feller! You have so much energy and knowledge! I truly hope I get another opportunity to be coached by you. I see myself a little clearer now, and it’s not so bad.”

Lisa Mathews

“Mel Feller you added more value than we can possibly see right now. Mel Feller, you are warm, inviting, and accommodating. Thank you for coming alongside us in this transition!”

Vanessa Cavanaugh

“Mel Feller the best education session that we have attended in many years! Thank you so much — I am very excited to put everything you have taught us into practice!”

Michael Randolph

“Mr. Mel Feller, Thank you, thank you, thank you for giving a marvelous keynote at our Symposium! While we have not yet collected the official feedback, the unofficial feedback was that You Were a Hit! I heard nothing but compliments regarding your presentations. Thank you for making such a positive impact on our attendees! ”

Lyle Cunningham VP

“Mel Feller uses his humor, compassion, and direct nature to help bring out the best in me. Mel Feller is committed to helping me live…I mean, really live, life to its fullest.”

Jose Rodriguez

Mel Feller Links

https://www.instagram.com/mel.feller

https://ourmrmel.tumblr.com/

https://www.pinterest.com/cfs360/

https://twitter.com/melfeller/following

https://wordpress.com/page/melfellerinternetbusinessinnovations.wordpress.com

https://dribbble.com/melfeller

https://biggerpockets.com/forums/79/topics/49008-larry-goins-bootcamp

https://txbusinessdb.com/p/mel-feller

https://xindex.com/c/12031660488/mel-feller-financial-services-group-inc

https://buzzfile.com/business/Coaching-For-Success-940-569-9260

https://melfellerrealestateinnovations.wordpress.com

https://myspace.com/mfcfs360

https://goodreads.com/user/show/86266194-mel-feller

https://mfcfs.contently.com

https://alignable.com/wichita-falls-tx/coaching-for-success-360

https://quora.com/profile/Mel-Feller

https://about.me/melfeller

https://independent.academia.edu/MelFeller

https://medium.com/@mfcfs360

https://melfellerentrepreneurialideas.wordpress.com

https://about.me/melfeller

https://thecoachingoffice.com

https://quora.com/profile/Mel-Feller

https://linkedin.com/pulse/reflections-journaling-mel-feller-mel-feller

https://creonline.com/finally-my-first-deal

https://etrainingguide.com

https://reitips.com/open-letter

https://thecoachingoffice.com/testimonials.html

https://fortunebuilders.com/student-success-old/testimonials/page/9

https://agrandpaslove.blogspot.com

https://plus.google.com/u/0

https://youtube.com/channel/UCk_zDXJgadnWwmab0PhaIkQ/videos

https://linkedin.com/in/mel-feller

https://challengesinlife.com

https://melfellersuccessstories.com

https://melfeller.com

https://melfellerbusinessblog.com

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