#thematic oc asks

[starrysnowdrop]

Land, sea, or sky? Of the realms of the world, which one does the character belong to? Are they the sun, moon, stars or something else in space (black hole, meteor shower, etc)?

Ohhhh yes, I was hoping I’d get asked these particular questions!! Since I think about these a lot, I’ll explain for not only Yume and Hali, but for my neglected angy catboi R’angi.

Yume 🌸

Yume would belong to the sky, as I symbolize her with birds and obviously the sky is their domain. Another reason is that the sky seems best suited with not only her elements of fire and light, but also G’raha’s element of wind. With all the elements combined, the sky seems the best choice for Yume’s domain.

Along this same line of thinking, the object in outer space that is best suited for Yume would be the sun. Not only is Yume’s elements fire and light as stated above, but she’s also my Azem, who’s symbol is the astronomical symbol of the sun. Another thing is that she’s also a Raen, and according to Auri beliefs, she would be considered a child of Azim, or the sun.

Hali ✨

Hali’s domain would absolutely be the sea. Not only is she represented by the element of water, but her name also is Greek for “Ocean”, and she is from Sharlayan, which the city-state itself seems fond of water.

Hali’s astronomical object would be the stars. Her canon job is an astrologian, and she’s always loved stargazing. There’s also a connection here between Hali being represented by the sea and the stars both, as sailors had always navigated by the stars, and it was the night sky that guided them on their journeys across the world.

R’angi 🎋

R’angi’s domain would be the land, as one of his main elements is Earth and he’s also canonically a Geomancer, whose magicks are drawn from the earth itself. He’s the one most in touch with nature, and so the land fits him the best out of the three.

For astronomical object, R’angi would be represented by a meteor shower. In ancient times for many cultures, meteor showers had a spiritual connection, a sign given by the gods for a particular purpose. Unlike my two girls who are agnostic and the spiritual realm doesn’t have much of an effect on their lives, R’angi, on the other hand, is deeply religious and he would look to a meteor shower as a sign from the kami themselves.

Thank you so much for the asks @meepsthemiqo!! 🥰💖

[strafethesesinners]

1, 6, 11, and 17 from the Thematic OC Questions? :D

Thank you for sending these and I’m sorry they took so long to get to!

1. What is the main color associated with them? What connections with that color do they share?

Yellow, although more specifically gold/goldenrod. I see his “color” as the soft gold of the afternoon sun on wheat fields. On a superficial level it’s because of his hair, but on a more symbolic level Cooper does have a kind of light of his own. He has a way of making people feel warm and at ease around him; as well as an ability to cheer people up. On the flip side, he can be a little too intense at times (not to mention just too hot) and his mood can go dark very quickly sometimes, like clouds passing over the sun.

6. Which of the four seasons best fits them?

Summer! Like I said above, Cooper is almost unbearably hot lol. Moving on to more symbolic meanings: to me summer represents freedom and rest. These are two things that are crucial to Cooper’s character.

11. Land, sea, or sky? Of the realms of the world, which one does the character belong to?

This is a tough one! I’m going to say sky. Cooper is calmness and chaos balanced both perfectly and precariously, like both the ocean and the sky, but without the darkness of the ocean. True, Cooper has “hidden depths” but it’s more of a literal secret than anything about his personality. In that aspect he is entirely open. Cooper is also free but with almost unbreakable boundaries on that freedom, both literally and in terms of his thoughts and spirituality. Just as the sky cannot extend beyond the atmosphere of the Earth without dissolving into void. There are some ways of thinking that Cooper will never be able to comprehend. And of course his physical freedom is threatened every day, and he lives on borrowed time. This got away from me a bit lol. I could probably also make a case for land but I’ll leave it here. Also this is the first thing that came up when I googled “what does the sky represent in literature”

17. What instrument would be used in their leitmotif (essentially their character song in this context)?

Gotta have that twangy telecaster guitar, fiddle, or banjo, or maybe even saloon style piano. Something that is heavily associated with cowboys and the west. It wouldn’t be appropriate to use any kind of aboriginal Australian instrument for him, but maybe if there’s something that is associated with just general Australia that could be cool. I don’t know what though.

[lookbluesoup]

What mythical creature would they be represented by? (for all!)

Thank you for the ask! :3 There is a mature label and a cut to hide the art for some exposed boobies, but it's nothing smutty.

Nahte and Louis are answered here!

Thematic OC Questions

I was torn between siren, harpy, and tengu for Lyrha but they all have Bird Lady forms so... there's hers! Sometimes noble, sometimes villainous, alluring or hideous depending on the viewer.

[queen-scribbles]

Hello!!!! For the Thematic OC question: 1 and 16, for your OC (or OCs) of choice.

Hmmmm let see here... this is gonna be kind of a mixed bag of fandoms just bc I can ^^

1. What is the main color associated with them? What connections with that color do they share?

Endrali and Vesper are both blue; for the surface level reasons of it being Endrali's skin color(bc Chiss) and the main heraldry color for Vesper's home faction in Greedfall(Merchant Congregation), sure, but also bc it's one of those cool, soothing, calming colors and they're both very good at settling frayed nerves and defusing tense situations

Jael and Trinne are both purple, Jael bc it's the color of her eyes/facial markings and bc her personality is a mix of more outgoing "red" traits like snark and recklessness and the "blue" ability to talk Aeran out of trouble people out of being mad. Trinne is purple bc it's bold and bc it's the color of her lightning magic, which are her very favorite spells(I also associate her with red, pink, and green to an only slightly lesser extent, but purple's her main one).

Silver, Tel, and Jas are all red bc they're all reckless, out-going, boisterous redheads. xD

Vikkari's an even match between light blue, green, and purple; they're all fresh, springy colors, which is his favorite season, there's a sense of freedom, renewal, and lightness to the combination of those three colors that fits him and his story arc v well.

16. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and anything between. What kind of dish are they?

Endrali is sweet flatcakes; light, sweet, but still satisfying

Vesper I associate with plums just bc they're her favorite fruit, but I think the richness of them also fits her somehow

Jael is punch-you-in-the-teeth strong coffee with just a hint of hazelnut cream in there at the end to sweeten it up/soften the blow

Trinne is something either spicy or tart, lol, I haven't narrowed down a single food item for her yet that I remember, just the vibe

Silver and Tel are, as fits their Corellian heritage, fried ice cream

Jas is hard apple cider; sweet with a kick to it

Vikkari.... Vikkari is something comforting, like chicken and dumpling soup, or homemade french toast, something satisfying and filling that makes you feel loved bc you know it took effort to make.

Thematic OC Asks

[ashren]

ok ok ok i think i got it! Big Thank You @kourumi for the ask! I think I had already answered the first two you asked, and i BELIEVE these were the ones you sent in that I haven't done for Ren yet!

AGAIN sorry i deleted the ask :,)

Are they the sun, moon, stars or something else in space (black hole, meteor shower, etc)?

(my third grade hyperfixation resurfaces for the first time in ages... i spent so long on wikipedia and forgot why i was reading about space LOL)

Planetary Nebula! They're technically the end of a stars life cycle, but that's still hundred if thousands of years so we're not looking too much into that. Instead, the fact that Planetary Nebula (are thought to) help with the creations of stars and other space ~things~, aiding in the creation galaxies. Which seems fitting for someone who's legacy is that he helped create a better Halcyon.

Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and anything between. What kind of dish are they?

Oooo Ren's more like a snack (hehe) but like something to work on throughout the day. He's not really got time for meals, nor does he remember to eat them, and well, u are what u eat or whatever!

He'd be something energizing though, because somehow he's always ready to go, so like a healthy trail mix (with some chocolate of course)

[landoffreaksandfrogs]

idk if you thought abt this yet but...whats aranea like in ur bloodswap au...

no SOLID solid ideas, but heres a few rough concepts

a couple of notes

alpha araneas kosode is folded right over left, rather than the traditional left over right, to represent her death, as if she were "prepared for burial"

she wears black half-moon glasses to represent both sn0wman(the 8ball) and the green moon

i wanted to keep some japanese inspiration and i felt aranea as a miko would maintain that while also keeping her distinct from damara

still a huge nerd

[veveisveryuncool]

I'm thinking about naming my gardener waddle dee Daisy,any thoughts?

hfjsnjfngkxnv ohhh my goodness that's such a sweet name!! dandelion definitely thinks soWAIT NO DONT GIVE A FULL POWERPOINT PRESENTATION 😰😰

i think it fits nicely! honestly a good chunk of my gushing comes from it being a "d" name for a waddle dee. like how perfect is that aaaaaaaa ✨ AND it has the "ee" sound at the end! dais-ee! daisy dee! that's way too adorable omgomg

[wraithsoutlaws]

From the soft otp prompts & for the bbs ☺️ 3 & 4!

3) Write about your ship holding hands in a tense moment / 4) Write about your ship holding hands in a happy moment.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

Blood exploded from Dagger’s mouth and he saw stars for the second time as Dum Dum knocked him on his ass. The constellations mocked him in a dim flicker above. For a moment he couldn’t move. That chrome fist shattered a tooth–not for the first time, though depending on the outcome of the night, it could be the last. He didn’t think Dum Dum would kill him. He may have underestimated him until now.

Before his vision had time to clear, he felt himself ripped upward, heaved into another punch that left him coughing, choking on his own blood.

“I trusted you–” Dum Dum spat. His voice sounded like a car crash, and he hit just as hard. Dagger’s skin split open above the eye, and his left optic turned suddenly to static. The seven red lenses staring down at him overtook what was left of his blurry vision. He could barely make them out in detail, just the bleeding glow around him like watching the world through a rain soaked windshield. “You never gave a shit about any of it!”

His tone shifted. There was a human crack in the words that sounded foreign on the otherwise mechanical growl of his voice. Dagger felt it like a knife in his chest, wedging him open. Something else he wasn’t used to.

His lungs heaved with heavy breath. Voice wet and ragged. 

“You ever hear about the scorpion and the frog–”

Blood sparkled on chrome knuckles and Dagger’s hand came up on instinct to stop the incoming blow. The impact radiated down his arm but his fingers tightened and he held true. It might be the last time he’d ever feel that touch. Part of him wanted to remember. A fingertip brushed across the scarred metal of his hand and Dum Dum went still, like for a moment the rage fell way to something softer.

They were never very good at softer.

Dagger’s grip tightened suddenly, savoring the feel of him one more time before he sent his free hand flying into Dum Dum’s face and knocking him sideways.

He forced a smile tight over dripping red teeth. Wild as a dog. 

“Is that the best you got, tin man?”

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

Dagger scanned over the horizon, flat land dusted with the setting sun. He’d purchased the lot on a deal. Holding a man at knifepoint makes negotiations smoother–something he’d learned long ago. Twenty miles out and you’d hit Vegas, but it was quiet here and empty. Nothing but sun-bleached barren road, forgotten and neglected by anyone who wasn’t Raffen. He had no problem dealing with Raffen. They’d learn soon enough where they sat on the food chain. 

His eyes dimmed automatically against the golden light as he tried to picture the sprawling carnival set so clearly inside his head. It’d take time, years maybe, but it was doable.

He heard the dirt crunch behind him and turned. Even those blaring red eyes paled in comparison to the sun. 

“You ever imagine I’d go legit?” He asked as Dum Dum stood beside him, stretching out the cramps in his legs. The truck sat on a ridge a few feet away, a veil of dust filling scratches in the paint. It was a long drive out, but they were home.

He shook his head, tone flat. “I never imagined you’d live past thirty-five.”

“Well, I am a man of surprises.”

“Hard to figure, though.” Dum Dum took a step forward. “You finally choose to spend a fortune and it’s five miles of fucking sand. ” 

He knew Dum Dum didn’t share the same longing for the wide open. He watched him scratch at the vents of his cyberware, brushing out the dirt trapped inside. 

“You just ain’t picturing it,” Dagger said, determined. He threw an arm over his shoulder and pointed him toward the west. “That right there’s where we’ll have the stage. Good music, not that fucking laser pop electric shit.”

He heard a laugh at his ear, and turned to the right, pointing out an especially flat section of desert. “That’s where the haunted house will go. Behind it will be the coaster. Biggest one on this side of the continent.” He was grinning now. The structures were clear in his vision. It finally felt real.

“You sound like some shitty salesman.” Dum Dum quipped.

“Bite your fuckin’ tongue,” Dagger shot back with a playful grin. He walked a few steps over, leading Dum Dum with him, where he drew a line in the sand with the tip of his boot. 

“And this will be our door.”

“Our door?”

“Our trailer.” There was an innocence in his voice he couldn’t quell. 

Dum Dum looked at him, smile creeping over his lips. 

“I figure you’d prefer solid walls to a tent.” 

He examined it again quietly. The image in Dagger’s mind was so vivid, had been for a long time. Longer than he realized now that he was here, and it wasn’t the stage or the haunted house that made the bats in his gut fly wild. It was him. And it wouldn’t be the same if he was gone. Dum Dum stepped through the imaginary threshold and looked around, gazing at the promise of what might be. 

“Place is a fucking mess,” he joked, as if standing in the middle of a crowded room.

The bats fluttered through him gentle.

“Some things never change.” He joined him inside, surrounded by the shared daydream. His hand inched toward him, glancing off the edge of his fingers before a pinkie linked gently around his own. The rest followed like dominoes. It was the only time Dagger’s chrome hand felt like flesh again. Dum Dum’s grip tightened around it.

Some things never change.

Some things do.

“C’mon,” Dagger said, hardly more than a breath. “I’ll show you where the bed goes.”

[silversiren1101]

hc + 🧡 for Omorose?

An Omorose ask! Yes! Thanks Emi

[Ask is from this Thematic Headcanons]

🧡 A Friendship-Themed Headcanon for Omorose 🧡

Thinking about it, I am not entirely sure Omorose is capable of a genuine "friendship", and what would be a "friendship" to her would absolutely be stretching the limits of the word as we know it, lol. Friendship implies a level of equivalence and trust, so a true friendship to her would be 1) someone that is on exactly equal footing as her; and 2) someone that means no ill will and would not turn against her or use her (as she herself would).

So, I really don't think there is a chance at true friendship with her. Omorose defines people across these categories:

Tools & Assets: Can be used for leverage or to gain power or accomplish some means. Thinks very little of their opinion in return and their well-being.

Current allies: Heavy emphasis on *current*. There are no permanent allies with her. Just as she would turn on pretty much anyone if the opportunity struck, she expects others to do the same. Geb is a vicious place, and the politics even more cutthroat.

Nuisances: Not necessarily a major concern or danger, but something in the way. Thought of more as a thing than a person.

Enemies: Actual threats. These are people that she considers on equal footing but obviously at odds with her and her goals.

Pleasant Distractions: A fun category. Someone who isn't a threat to her, either because they are inconsequential to her power or because they mean no ill will, and she doesn't mind being around or interacting with.

Goals: Lastly, the aspirational category. Someone she needs to court or win over to her side as an ally or tool, or even an enemy she greatly respects and wants to obtain some measure of control over.

For most general people in the world, you'll want to land in the "pleasant distraction" category 🧡

[aroaceleovaldez]

Hi, I recently read your post about the Tri/Nero kids and it was very interesting and I was wondering if it would be okay if I asked you about you headcanons/aus/lore about the Tri/Nero: Poseidon kid, Hephaestus kid and Cassius?? If that's not too much to ask about, no problem if it is.

[Post being referenced]

Of course! I'm hoping to eventually feature all these guys on @deadangelos, but it'd definitely be a ways away (cause there's gonna be like, at least 4 more major arcs before we get to Tower of Nero stuff there) and I don't know how much detail I'll be able to get into with these guys when I do get to start featuring them.

Anyways, just going in order:

The one labeled Poseidon I imagine is a particularly powerful son of Thetis, cause Nero probably wouldn't be able to get his hands on an actual Poseidon kid. He's probably like 10 or 11 or something - one of the younger Nero kids. As a Thetis kid he as mild hydrokinesis powers - probably not nearly as much as someone like Percy, but definitely enough to be impressive. He also might have the Curse of Achilles, just cause I think it's fun if that's a super common thing for Thetis kids. It's just Thetis' default - dunk your newborns in the Styx for extra security. Out of the Nero kids, he's probably closest to the one labeled Artemis (cause moon & tides) and is like, one of two of the Nero kids who is able to calm her down at all or that she's willing to hang out with much (the other being the Apollo kid). That's his big sis and she would probably kill and maim for him lots and lots.

Hephaestus kid is probably an actual Hephaestus kid, and one of the oldest Nero kids. He's definitely bffs with the Aphrodite kid and Nero just goes "Thematically appropriate! Continue as you were." I imagine Nero mostly leaves him alone/very intentionally pays him little mind and just kind of holes him up in his own little section of the building and the Heph kid is A-Okay With That. The less attention from Nero, the better. He probably narrowly avoided Nero considering throwing him off a building for mythological accuracy. Because he has a bit more freedom than some of the other Nero kids he definitely uses that to prepare machinations and is only like, one or two steps away from staging a coup at any moment (which is also definitely at least a little mythologically inspired - he dreams of getting Nero ensnared in his own throne and convincing all the kids to beat him up). He cares a lot about the other Nero kids and wants to help keep them safe.

Cassius i find very interesting cause I have two different directions I'll go with him - the first is that he's an actual son of Zeus and kind of marks the beginning of Big 3 kids being a semi-regular occurrence again, and no one knows who is mortal parent was. The second concept is that he's not only an actual son of Zeus, but also actually a third Grace sibling, because the entire thing with the Nero kids is that Nero stages their mortal parent(s)' deaths as accidents, which is perfectly in line with how we know Beryl Grace died (and it chronologically works with when we know Beryl Grace died). Plus, Apollo very consistently compares Cassius visually to Jason. Thalia and the quest of "wait how many long lost brothers do I actually have?" Anyways Cassius is just a little guy. Babey. I like to base him thematically around myths of infant/adolescent Zeus, cause that's severely underutilized territory. He's close to Meg and I think he also wants to be friends with the kid labeled Hera but she hates his guts cause Nero keeps trying to encourage them to be a duo but she just wants to do her own thing. He's probably also just generally on good terms with most of the Nero kids (he is babey how can you hate babey. Hera kid only hates babey because she is equally babey), particularly the other "Kronos kids" (besides Hera kid) (Hestia kid, Meg, Poseidon kid).

[starrysnowdrop]

What real life animal would they be represented by? What mythical creature would they be represented by?

Yume 🌸

Yume’s real life animal would be a beautiful, red-feathered bird, possibly this one I found, which is called the Crimson Sunbird, found in Southeast Asia. I’ve always thought that birds represented Yume because she always felt trapped in her station in life when she was still under her father’s rule, and she finally felt free when she was banished, just like a bird flying free from its cage. When Yume and Cid were together, he always called Yume his “little bird”.

Similar reasoning to above, the mythological creature that represents Yume is a Phoenix. Yume even has a large, red ink tattoo on her back of a phoenix. Because phoenixes burst into flame as they die and are reborn from the ashes, so too has Yume “died” as the daughter of a great Daimyo, and arisen as a Warrior of Light, more radiant than before.

Hali ✨

Hali’s real life animal would be a dolphin, as they are friendly, joyful, and playful, but are also highly intelligent, helpful, and protective, all traits that Hali shares. They are also sea creatures, and Hali’s element is water.

Hali’s mythological creature was harder to pin down, but the best I could come up with was a mermaid, mostly because Hali is similar in personality to Ariel from Disney’s Little Mermaid, but it’s also because of mermaids’ representation as an embodiment of the ocean: beautiful yet dangerous. Hali doesn’t look like she’s a threat at first glance, but she can definitely hold her own in battle and she’s a very powerful healer.

This was a great ask, so thank you so much @lookbluesoup!!! 🥰💖

[strafethesesinners]

2, 8, 9, and 20 for Cooper for the Thematic OC questions!

Thank you so much! Sorry for taking so long!

2. Drawing from the language of flowers, what flower would symbolize them?

Answered here!

8. Which of the seven heavenly virtues are they associated with? Do they embody that virtue or are they trying to learn it?

Well not humility or chastity that’s for sure! Probably charity honestly. Cooper will give to those in need when he’s able to, and in a more figurative sense, Cooper will always think the best of people unless they give him a reason to think poorly of them. He also gives people many, many chances, even if he sometimes shouldn’t

9. Which of the seven deadly sins are they associated with? Is it a negative trait of theirs or something they actively struggle with?

Ah well that’s The Question isn’t it? John’s struggle throughout the entire time knowing Cooper. John goes back and forth between wrath, pride, and lust for Cooper. He’s also floated gluttony because of Cooper’s indulgence in well, everything. But me personally I think pride is probably Cooper’s. (Disclaimer I don’t believe in sins or anything but if I had to pick one). Cooper is pretty vain about his looks, although not at all insecure, and is overconfident in his abilities. Although only slightly. Because honestly he has every reason to be. Man is a beast. In fact, John and co underestimate him constantly.

20. What word/phrase is central to their character? (It can be something they say or something that summarizes them meta-textually)

“Yeehaw” ;)

I’m sorry if I think of something better I’ll reblog this with the update lol.

[aecholapis]

Helios is the fusion of Claude von Riegan and Adam Jensen

[esteemed-excellency]

4. What’s a hobby they used to have that they miss?

4. What’s a hobby they used to have that they miss?

Flower pressing! He had a lovely herbarium and a few albums with all the flowers he collected around Europe. He recreated one during his first years in the neath, cataloguing each new plant he found, but it was less fun without the variety of the surface flora.

[invinciblerodent]

one of my favorite little pieces of headcanon I have been rotating around in my mind is that in the graveyard scene in Astarion's romance, there is such a realistic chance for being caught.

i mean, it's in the middle of the Lower City. it's literally in a hotbed of activity (criminal and otherwise), at a place that's frequented by mourners, and zombies, and elements even less savory than that. the security, even if it does relax, probably doesn't stop at night, or at least not for as long as it should.

in my hc, the Mortarch who is patrolling the grounds during the day lives in one of the buildings overlooking the graveyard, and i'm thinking about a possibility where she just... happens to glance out the window on her way back from the bathroom, and catch a not entirely unusual glimpse of a macabre couple. (This is Baldur's Gate. There are most definitely people who are morbid enough to want to make love on top of a grave without any specific inspiration for it, and to be fair, it'd be more concerning if someone's first thought at seeing that was "hm, well hold on now, one of them could be the deceased, and this moment could be a beautifully cathartic metaphor for rebirth".)

in this version, a shout startles them apart, and they have roughly a minute to disentangle themselves from each other and flee before the Mortach would make it down the stairs.

yanking clothes on to make themselves actually presentable isn't really feasible, of course: Astarion can manage to pull his pants up to the point where they're kind of on, if undone still (they were around his knees, the upward motion wasn't the difficult part, it was stuffing himself back in there that proves a futile task), and Iona manages to make a split-second decision and opt for throwing on his shirt (which is at least long enough to pass for a dress on her, if a deeply indecent one, especially with nothing else on), and it's with truly uncontrollable, free laughter bubbling from them (and the rest of whatever clothing they -mainly she- had on clutched in their fists) that they half-run, half-drag each other out the gate.

the city is fairly quiet, of course. it's gone past being late and well into the small hours of the morning, the pink dawn is just about to start licking at the tiled roofs, and even a city as bustling as Baldur's Gate is largely empty, as if asleep.

they run and stumble through the streets chased by the echo of their own giddy laughter bouncing off the walls. they dodge the patrolling guards and Steel Watchers by ducking into side-streets and doorways, pushing and dragging each other up against the wall for playful kisses- a ruffle of his hair, a squeeze of her ass, a thigh drawn up to his waist with a grip just this side of rough, a scratch down his chest and a nibble on an earlobe, they just can't keep their hands off one another for long enough to make it back home.

she bloody well squeals as his hand finds its way under "her" clothes as she runs up the stairs to their rooms (to be fair, her ass was at eye-level, what's a man to do?), and picking that lock should be the easiest thing in the world (the key? who knows. probably fallen out of her pocket and into a sewer somewhere. absolutely not important.), but not with the dirty, airy whispers in his ear and the hot, insistent kisses being mouthed onto his jaw, his neck, his shoulder...

the communal room may have been a mistake in retrospect, but the roof... may offer some privacy. probably. it's more than nothing, at least.

besides, there is scarcely a better way to greet the first golden morning of a free life than... bathed in its light, warm and content, while overlooking a city full of such endless possibilities.

[wormonastringtime]

What is sil's favorite color(s)? obviously not colors close to her powers..

sil has the most complicated love-hate relationship with blue