#we love a schemer

[cloneboywonder]

im so CWCcoded

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Tis but a flesh wound!

[First] Prev <–-> Next

[ano-pane-jiri]

How did Liechtenstein even become Jobst's court spy? He's portrayed as a Wency supporter (doesn't he even give a Death to the enemy! toast lmao?) but....he works for Jobst? And he's first shown at the end of KCD 1 as already a member of his council AND a court spy, so he must have been working for him before Jobst decided to switch sides. I understand being on the council even if he doesn't vibe with Jobst's plans, after all, he's a fucking Liechtenstein, they're rich and powerful and of course they want to have a say - but being directly Jobst's spy?

We all know that Jobst is only loyal to Jobst, and works in his own best interests. But what does John do? Did he make Jobst switch sides? Was he being all cunty and stylish, taking the temperature of the rooms full of Sigismund supporters, and then telling Jobst that there's no future there? Will he free Wenceslas from the Vienna prison in Jobst's service (whether Jobst actually knows about the plan or not - I prefer him not knowing) so that Wenceslas feels the need to reconcile with his treacherous cousin?

So many questions.

Look, I love pookie lovey-dovey blueberry man Liechtenstein as much as the next person. BUT. I also dig the idea of him being a shady, self-serving noble, who's been through Jobst's School of Cuntery and Betrayal™

[sumikae]

The new chapter.....how I love ekuoto, it never disappoints me. It's a nice touch that they go fishing while discussing Lucifer's plan to save both humans and demons, as early Christians used the fish symbol to represent Jesus Christ the savior. Lucifer's character really fit my interpretation of him and their discourse on God's system addresses many interesting points that I've always looked forward to. It's a very delicate topic, so I have high hopes for Pride arc to handle it with as much nuance and care as it deserves. About Lucifer, I'd prefer him not deceiving Priest and being genuine. If he had to resort to trickery and deception, then that means he himself weren't good enough to play fair. And since he's Pride, I imagine he'd take his code of honor very strictly.

[akkivee]

was thinking about that event where they put some of our hypmic cast in a movie and samatoki was doing his best to act that role and it made me think of the time he also did his best to act in different roles in canon lol

[sunoflegend-a]

i love being obsessed with metalhawk and starscreams dynamic despite the fact it happens so early on in RID and he's barely a character who's there

[jaimeslanisters]

Girl waking up and seeing your post notification literally made my day!! I was honestly so relieved to see you post I was getting worried for u lol

The story is amazing AS ALWAYS and don't feel bad for taking your time I will literally wait years for an update on pawn I'm so invested

Always love the way you build the plot and I love how we get to see more of Lady lannisters cunning and scheming!! We Stan one (1) strategic queen

So excited to see more!!!

thank you for your concern!!! i was indeed alive - just super busy and managing a lot of other stuff 😫 glad i could finally lay those concerns to rest lol

tysm for your patience!! it will definitely be needed during this journey lmao hopefully i get back into the swing of things but no promises rip

lady lannister’s scheming is SO much fun to write - she’s never not planning and plotting and it’s just a freaking blast to write her lol

[jumexju]

This is so real bcs he had a valid reason to hate the village due to the things he went through, unfortunately the fandom likes to make him out to be this narcissistic, evil traitor when really he was just hurt.

if you're gonna hate any uchiha, hate madara ☠️

Saskue had a pretty normal and realistic reaction (of course a big exagrated since it an anime after all) of wanting revange on the person he saw as the one he the closet too that endup killing his entire clan making him choose leave the village that did not really show much care for his anger and grief. Yet he painted as the tratitor and cruel both by the fandom and by the people of village and I would say that really show how people treat victim when dont have a "soft" reaction to trauma.

[hazelcallahan]

ok “all vi needed to do was call caitlyn cupcake to make her turn on ambessa” is a fun little bit that i will participate in but i really feel like it’s contributing to two major misconceptions/complaints:

1. that caitlyn’s heel turn was sudden, and

2. that vi and caitlyn have reconciled

so let’s break that down, shall we

1. every single hint was there that caitlyn was chafing against ambessa’s regime and doing every little thing in her power to resist without putting herself and her loved ones at great risk. from the first scene with maddie - hell, the opening montage - you can tell cait is fucking EXHAUSTED. weary. that’s a woman who has spent months suffocating, doing desperate damage mitigation when put into an impossible situation. she didn’t want the mantle of leadership, and what was she going to do, say no and let someone worse take it? so she’ll take it. she’ll ban the use of solitary confinement cells. she’ll argue against ambessa’s soldiers attacking civilians. she’s in too deep to really do much else.

additionally, there are hints that she’s been planning on ways to take down ambessa for months. that one scene with dialogue over them sparring is literally there to symbolize how every single conversation between them is a battle, both of them looking for openings, and no matter how hard caitlyn tries ambessa always seems to come out on top. you also don’t just come up with the plan she did entirely on the fly - tracking things like guard rotations is something only a schemer does.

2. sure, “cupcake” is a fun little pet name, but it’s so much more than that. the most obvious is an olive branch. vi doesn’t want to hurt caitlyn. there’s so much affection still there.

the bigger thing, though, and the thing i believe caitlyn is reacting to there, is it’s a sign of distance. vi used “cupcake” as a way to needle at caitlyn when they first met, when she didn’t quite trust her even though she’d broken her out of prison. after that, we hear her use it twice more in s1: on the bridge during their parting hug, and after the council meeting as she’s trying to leave. both instances where she, in that moment, believes they’re never going to see each other again, and so she has a vested interest in creating that distance. on the other hand, we hear her use caitlyn’s name after she hears the gunshot on the bridge, in a moment of genuine fear and affection.

come s2, vi doesn’t use “cupcake” at all in act 1. she used “cait” a lot. still a nickname, but also caitlyn’s actual name - i know you, i see you, i care about you. caitlyn’s observant enough to notice this, even passively, even if she didn’t realize it until she heard “cupcake” months later, but i can’t help but feel like she takes that nickname as a sign of how they’ve drifted. she feels like she has to start over again with this woman she clearly loves. the meaning is clear to her: i won’t hurt you unless you give me a reason to, i’ll work with you if that’s what you need, but i’m not going to let myself get close to you just yet.

[ano-pane-jiri]

Some niche thoughts for this lovely Friday:

I just think Jobst and John should hatefuck and Jobst should badmouth/mock Samuel and John should slap him

[sl-vega]

💌 PROJECT: LOVE LIASON!

🌷 - a highschool social media au ll scaramouche x fem! reader -🌷

𝜗𝜚 SYNOPSIS: you're head over heels in love with childe, and scaramouche is (begrudingly) smitten with his "rival" mona. and, by sheer divine coincidence, you both happen to be the best friends of each other's objects of affection, so you strike a deal with each other. if scaramouche helps you ask out childe, you'll set him up with mona. so with the annual spring formal right around the corner, the two of you vow to be each other's wingmans so you can end your junior year on a high note (and maybe even kick off your senior year with a new relationship!). between, scheming, planning, and researching, you and scaramouche find yourselves developing a new relationship via helping each other out. now the real question is whether this friendship will remain as a pure platonic bond, or blossom into something more?

genre: strangers to friends to lovers, friends/classmates to lovers, pair the suitors, smau, high school au, modern au, social media au, crack, comedy

warnings: swearing, crude humour, potentially ooc, keys/kms jokes, suggestive/sensitive content, pictures used are not meant to depict y/n's physical appearance

status: ongoing

side ships: navia x chlorinde

additional notes:

this smau is heavily inspired by toradora (finished it recently and I adored it)

this will get more frequently updated (once the first chapter drops) as I have already made several chapters in advance

taglist is open! as per usual, just send me an ask or comment if you want to be tagged!

💌 means that the chapter contains written material!

dividers by @cafekitsune a + @anitalenia

ᥫ᭡ STARRING:

0.1; retired theater kids // 0.2 abandonment issues personified

PROJECT LOVE LIASON IS IN ACTION!

00-PROLOGUE; fate hates me

ACT ONE; we wing-manning?

01; we need to stop meeting like this - [💌] // 02; stalker! // 03; tag along squad! // 04; next door nuisance - [💌] // 05; mixed signals // 06; girl talk! - [💌] // 07; smitten schemers // 08; operation: first (study) date! - [💌] // 09; devil's advocate - [💌] // [MORE TBA]

ACT TWO; cuz baby, you're a firework!!

[MORE TBA]

ACT THREE; pair the suitors

[MORE TBA]

🎀 - taglist!;

@agaygothicmushroom @035814 @freyao7, @sketcheeee @tsukimara @shyentsmissingink @peachystea @aries-afk @lxkeeeee @sakiimeo @sugxryratz @shutingstar @lalaloveallmydays @bellflower1257 @haruumei @kichiyosh1 @littlemisssatanist @dee-zbignuts @candyescapism @crimxeorcremeexistspeacefully @h3ll0-kitty-4lly @franaby @la-cursii @heusalettle @automaticpatroltragedy, @c4ttheart, @meigalaxy @misswetty @introvertaku02, @daiyunjin @trulyylee @lily-lmao @kazumiku @kunikuzushis-darling @vitanye @livelaughlovekuni @imnotyizhuo @akagi0021 @rook-kisser @mitsuribe @scaraenthusiast1 @chemiru @193i3 @matolka @tamikahoshiko @jayzioxx @samyayaya @dontmindtheevie @v3ntis-lyr3

[strangeracrossthestreet]

👏 Leo knows what he WANTS 👏

and, more importantly, he knows what Annabel wants 😏

The expression she has when she's like "You can have your life back!" haunts me (positive) god I love how unhinged she is.

10/10 post your honor, 10/10 screen shot selection

Leo my gODDAMN beloved

Yk, I love thinking of Lenore and "Leo" as different people (technically they are by personality) and I have SUCH a big attachment to Leo, my bro is just a crazy guy who does crazy things for his wife (and their own freedom, but hey) how romantic isn't it?

look at him thinking of his own scheme💕

LOOK AT HIS FACE, HIS FACE OF OBSESSED AND DESPERATE FOR ANNIE TO ACCEPT THE PLAN

Confidence and boldness🙏 Leo please come back to us and your wife, I'm going CRAZY with Lenore being a bipolar bitch

Say what you want, but I prefer "Leo" a thousand times over Lenore

[mqyra]

GOSSIP GIRL

Hey Upper East Siders! Gossip Girl here. You're one and only source into the scandalous lives of Manhattan's elite and most importantly: our thrilling four. And who am I? That's one secret I'll never tell. You know you love me.

XOXO, Gossip Girl.

DISCLAIMER this is purely fiction, it has no real connection to the actual series "Gossip Girl" and none of these characters are seen in Gossip Girl, this is simply an alternative universe. this is not Outer Banks setting, this is in Manhattan, New York. some of these obx characters, not all because there are far too many to put in one series, aren't here, but I have tried to put the ones I remember. The plot has been inspired by Gossip Girl and Gossip Girl only, but I do not claim their plot as my own. Please do not steal, copy, claim or rewrite my work, my work or my own characters. My work is my own. But I would really appreciate some support as this is my first big series, other series tend to be not as big and developed as I have done this series. More characters would be added later on in the series as I develop it.

WARNINGS toxicity, classism, privilege overload, not a lot of morals around here, problematic early 2000s vibes like slut-shaming, toxic beauty standards, gossip culture, heavy drama and language, trauma, mental health struggles, elitism, substance abuse, infidelity, emotional abuse, ed and body image issues, violent threats, cyberbullying and bullying in general but unlike gg, this is a diverse casting. this series target audience is 18 and above. viewer's discretion is advised throughout the series.

COMMON THEMES elite upper class, wealth, power struggles, control, love, lust, toxic romance, infidelity, virginity, identity, social hierarchy, popularity, secrecy, betrayal, lies, family dysfunction, arranged marriages, pregnancy scares, coming of age, young adult, media, influence, revenge, mystery, double lives, reputation, scandals, insecurity, mental health ( but no actual help for it ), obligation, duty, desire, drug abuse, addiction, chaotic, class warfare, hollywood stardom

SYNOPSIS The Non-Judging Breakfast Club— as Serena Elizabeth Rhodes says ( future Cameron through Clarissa Rhodes and Ward Cameron's marital union ) were considered to be Kildare royalty through and through. The audience follows through the scandalous lives of the four infamous teens, with a threat weighing on their shoulders, some more heavy than others, of an anonymous blogger exposing their secrets at every given opportunity. The big question is, do you have what it takes to survive in our world? Or will the vipers of Constance Billiard swallow you whole? Send us all the deets at the official Gossip Girl website.

Now as we all know our Ancient Greek facts.. you don't? Well let's brush up on our facts! For one, the Ancient Greeks believed there are four elements of matter. In the depths of Manhattan's private school, Constance Billiard? We have that too! Except in the form of the core four students... make a good first impression.

MEET OUR THRILLING FOUR! Fire — passionate, ambitious, driven or if we wanna talk about 17 year old girl with a stance of five foot six, let's talk about Zara Victoria Bianchi, Queen Zee, as Kildare's Gossip page states, but not exactly the it girl, that's all Sabrina Rhodes... Zara's more of a schemer than your mother's three course meal plans, thriving on perfectionism in every sense of the word. She burns bright to conceal the ashes. A constant need to conquer and go forth, all her emotions conflict and fuel her sparks. Known for her strategic scheming and sharp wit, Zara's got her whole swarm of bees that'll feed off you if she says otherwise. You'd know better than to give a bad impression to the Constance's shining star or are you just stupidly brave?. Faceclaim: Cindy Kimberly.

Yet, despite it all, she's a devoted girlfriend since childhood to every girl's dream boy since diapers, Theo Laurent. Speaking of Sir Golden Boy himself....

Earth — loyal, kind, grounding. Also known as Theodore Fitzwilliam Laurent. Famously known to be the Golden Boy of Manhattan, with the handsome looks of a foreign God you could only fantasise about and all dreamy eyes. Beneath his all that polished exterior, is a boy who tries to be the right guy. Loyalty runs deep when it comes to Theo, almost to a fault. he rarely is apart of his girlfriend Zara's spitfire, but somehow gets caught in the crossfire. A quiet constant in a world of chaos within his friend group, that's until of course he loses his virgnity to his girlfriend's best friend Sabrina Rhodes in a certain Clemonte wedding and lives with the guilt. Till of course, the lady of his dreams appears once again in his life, and Theo is torn between desire and loyalty. Faceclaim: Charles Melton | Cha Eunwoo

Now for the lady of his dreams, as I say....

Water — glowing, magnetic, perfect. Sabrina Elizabeth Rhodes. Effortlessly beautiful, irresistible to a tee. When she walks in the room, the world stops and all eyes are on her. Serena acts with her heart, not with her head unlike her best friend, Zara. The IT girl of Manhattan, caught between two worlds throughout the series, who she's supposed to be, and who she truly wants to be. She's the friend who'll drop everything to help you, but disappear when it gets too much for her. Sabrina Rhodes is a walking contradiction, with that dreamlike presence swarming around her. Always in such a hurry to reinvent yourself, go to a new city, change your name, start again, isn't that right, Rhodes? Attention isn't what you want to grab, Sarah, but when Theo Laurent catches your eye, you just couldn't help yourself. Faceclaim: Madelyn Cline

Last but not least, everyone's hotshot...

Air — playboy, cocky, charming. Rafe Cameron. The boy who throws around wealth like it's simply a few pennies, the playboy of the Upper East every girl says they'd never fall for but they're already tripping, always waiting for the perfect moment to strike. He's the definition of lavish, a penthouse in the Hamptons, cigarettes and sex, with his signature smirk and cocky attitude. Heir to Ward Cameron's multibillion businesses, yet daddy dearest isn't so faithful in his business management skills. Whilst some of the ladies may enjoy a golden boy, there's the rare few, that prefer dark and mysterious. Under all that arrogance and promiscuity, is a drive for daddy's approval. Will daddy ever look at you like you're anything but a player? There's a lingering threat, Rafe, your empire is under threat. Faceclaim: Drew Starkey

MORE CHARACTERS Kiara Abrams | Madison Bailey ( Vanessa Abrams ) Evan "Trust Fund Burnout" Lancaster | Rudy Pankow ( Carter Baizen ) Nathaniel "Nathan Lonely Boy" Scott | Nicholas Chavez Charlotte "Lottie | Aspiring Singer" Prentiss | Sabrina Carpenter Josephine "Josie | A-lister Actress" Fernsby | Malia Baker Jennifer ( Jenny ) "Brooklyn Girl" Scott | Tessa Holloway Gianna "Wild Child" Westwood | Savannah Lee Smith Zayden "Rising Soccer Star" Westwood | Rome Flynn Sierra "Two Faced" Rosales | Kaia Gerber Hanna "Wang Heiress" Wang | Anna Sawai

Enzo "Druggie" Ramirez | Nicholas Cirillo Diego "Older Guy" Sanchez Monica Delgado Penelope Cruz

ADULT CHARACTERS Ward Cameron | Charles Esten Eduardo Bianchi | David Gandy Alistair Laurent | Hiroyuki Sanada Nazeera Bianchi | Melisa Pamuk Clarissa Rhodes | Kelly Rutherford Lillian Rhodes | Cate Blanchett

SERIES

i. episode one

PLAYLISTS i. Zara Bianchi ii. Theo Laurent iii. Sabrina Rhodes iv. Rafe Cameron

i. Gossip Girl: songs to listen to when you're reading the series

PINTEREST BOARDS

i. Gossip Girl AU

CHARACTER PROFILES

i. Zara Bianchi ii. Theo Laurent iii. Sabrina Rhodes iv. Rafe Cameron v. Evan Lancaster vi. Nathan Cooper

written by @arvhangel™ credits to @alinavalentine for supporting me w/ this! go to taglist post to be tagged.

[dystopyx-blog]

Hi hi hun! Hope I’m not bugging you but I’d love to hear your opinion on the yandere Twst boys and who is willing to share darling/me/Yuu. I see so much sentiment about yanderes never sharing/teaming up but I just don’t get it. Some characters have such tight friendships, or fill what the other lacks, that I see them working together so well! Like sure you could divide them by dorm, kinda obvious, but then there are other less thought of team ups that could be fun. I’ve seen on here what’s dubbed as the number 2 squad (Leona, Jamil, and Vil) and I think that could be a relatively healthy (maybe a little competitive) team up. Others that come to mind, Jack and Vil, music club, and the four house husbands (Trey, Ruggie, Jamil, and Jade). Like teaming up means darling always has SOMEONE watching them. One may be better at comforting/calming darling, while another is more sly and can manipulate them better. There’s just so many fun combos you could play with! I’d love to hear what you think!

Remember to take care of yourself. Drink water, eat a snack, and stretch! Have a great day! 😊

Ty for the lovely ask, darl’ 🥺

Okay! Let's start with the team ups within each house!

HEARTSLABYUL

Ace and Deuce -- obviously. They're your first friends in the school (aside from Grim, but he doesn't count), the only people they hang out with aside from you is each other. They bicker, but they also understand that it's more advantageous for them to work together. Ace still teases Deuce and I think both of them still Daydream of getting you to themselves, but you've taught them the magic of teamwork and, unfortunately, you taught them well.

Riddle and Trey -- Childhood friends. Like with what we know of their story, I feel that Trey in particular would be willing to share with Riddle. And they're pretty well balanced as a yandere team. With them there is no cut "good cop/bad cop." Yes, Riddle is strict, but he's also so very baby, yknow? With his raging mommy issues, I imagine he's the type who would love to be coddled by his darling. Trey is that older brother type, so of course he knows when and how to put his foot down, but he's also so so so sweet and gentle. Riddle is definitely more likely to dole out punishments, though.

Cater -- he doesn't need to teamup to have the power of numbers on his side.

All 5 -- Riddle doesn't just watch over you, but also the others lol. He creates a schedule and rules for the members of this yandere team to follow so they can work as a well oiled machine to care for and share you. Ace is the most likely to see you even when its not his scheduled time. Deuce is a suck up who always tries to earn your favor, VERY easy to manipulate and get favors from. Trey is very sweet, but incredibly difficult to manipulate. Cater is a schemer who would probably plan an escape with you to keep you to himself. And as I already said, Riddle is the one who keeps everyone in check.

SAVANNACLAW

Ruggie and Leona -- again, a fairly obvious one. Ruggie already works under Leona for table scraps, of course he'll work with him for you. Leona acts top dog in the relationship, and gets first dibs with you, but what that really means is that any time you're not with Leona, Ruggie is making up for lost time. Like in the Heartslabyul team up, Riddle makes sure to schedule breaks/alone time for you. You don't get that here, you are always with one of them. Your "alone time" is when Leona sleeps.

All 3 -- basically just Leona and Ruggie throwing Jack a bone (heheh). In this one you can technically get some sort of alone time, cuz if you talk it over with Jack, he'd be willing to give up some of his time with you to make sure you can rest up.

OCTAVINELLE

Octotrio -- or as I prefer, the seafood polycule. I already did a whole separate post just talking about them lol, but you got twins and childhood besties and they're also business partners, like these boys know how to work together and share.

SCARABIA

HA fuckin unlikely. Even if Jamil does have the patience to share a darling with Kalim, I just -- like I'd feel too bad to write it. Like let him have this one thing, I am not going to make Jamil share his darling with Kalim, ESPECIALLY because darling would probably cozy up to Kalim more because delusional sunshine yanderes are the easiest to manipulate.

POMEFIORE

Rook and Vil -- these two barely even need to verbally communicate, when it comes to their darling they are on the same wavelength, which makes them a formidable team up. Like they got systems in place that just happen naturally, no need to discuss. For example, if you run away, Rook hunts you, Vil punishes you. They just work.

ALL 3 -- Vil lets Epel join in so long as he behaves. Epel would be the easiest to manipulate, but Vil keeps the both of you in check. Despite Epel's negative feelings towards Vil, Vil and Rook can turn Epel on you just as you turn Epel on them. Epel isn't completely stupid, if he finds out you're taking advantage of him, it will not be pretty or cute.

IGNIHYDE

Ortho would definitely platonically help out. You make his big brother so happy, and you make the perfect older sister for him!!

DIASOMNIA

Silver and Sebek -- calm n loud. Basically their relationship with Malleus but transferred into yanderes + darling.

A part of me can see Lilia teaming up with Silver but I don't like thinking about it for too long

All 4 -- The situation in the Diasomnia group is basically understood as you are with Malleus, but you are allowed to also see the other 3. Like the other three are side pieces. Malleus is sharing with his boys. You gotta share with your boys.

MIX N MATCH

The Freshies -- Ace, Deuce, Jack, Epel, Sebek -- freshies gotta look out for each other, right? And that's what they're doing. Looking out for you.

The Discord Mods -- Azul and Idia. If Idia were to team up with any one person, I think it'd be Azul. Like in Azul's lab wear vignette, Azul was the only one Idia felt comfortable enough to ask for help from. I can imagine them scheming together in their club teehee.

The Overblotters -- they all realized they share one thing in common... no, not overblot, you! They all share you! They swear that you are their cure, the only thing to keep them stable. So you kinda have to stay with them, for safety reasons.

The House Wardens -- it's the overblotters but switch out Jamil with Kalim. And it makes all the difference, having the sunshine boy involved, istg. The housewardens deserve something nice, right? That something being you ofc.

The vice house wardens -- including Ruggie. A lot of them are very tired and just want quiet darling time, and the ones that aren't tired make darling feel tired enough to be quiet for quiet darling time.

Leona and Rook -- Leona did not consent to this, but there's not much he can do. Especially since Rook is happy not only to do most of the physical labor involved in caring for a darling, but also to stand by as Leona gets Darling time. It's weird and uncomfortable for everyone involved.

The light music club -- they spend most of their club time talking about you tbh. Also please don't listen to closely to any lyrics of the songs they write...

Basketball boys -- imagine going to their practice to support Ace. Ace brags to them about how close he is with you. But then now when Floyd isn't in the mood to ball, he'll chat it up with you. One day Floyd just asks "you what if we took them." And then they do.

These are just the basics, but I'd be happy to go into more detail on a group/pairing if asked to!

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

A fun question your opinion: In each arc, what do you think is the theme of each arc? ( It can be a motif, messages, subject)

These are a mix of jokes and serious thoughts ^^ just to avoid the post from being too heavy overall!

The Rose-Red Tyrant:

Breaking free from perpetuating a cycle of abuse

You are your own person, not a puppet controlled by your parent/guardian

At the same time, you have to take accountability for your own actions (your background can explain your poor behavior toward others but it does not excuse that behavior)

Control that is too constrictive will only push away potential connections and experiences, keeping you isolated and complacent

Anger management classes are good for you, guys

The Usurper from the Wilds:

Let’s play fairly and be good sports!

Judging people for their merits rather than by titles or birth

What makes someone worthy to lead is noble behavior and attiude

Standing up for what’s morally right, even if everyone else seems to be against you

You have value, worth, and hope in spite of what others may tell you and put you down for

It’s totally okay to get revenge on the asshole that tripped you that one time/j

It’s technically not a crime if you don’t get caught (except Leona did, in fact, get caught)

The Merchant from the Depths:

Don’t be ashamed of your past self—embrace it, accept it, and use it as a point of reference for self growth

Be the bigger person rather than becoming a bully yourself

Let your accomplishments speak for themselves

There is no “easy way out” or shortcut; be prepared to face the consequences of your actions

Not everything is as it may seem (think about the “trick” with Azul’s contracts)

… Read the terms and conditions very carefully and think things over before you sign a contract 💀

Schemer of the Scalding Sands:

Wow, this baby can fit so much generational trauma!!

Sometimes you just miss each other’s messages or greatly misinterpret the other’s intentions (Kalim giving Jamil the benefit of the doubt, Jamil obviously being the Bad Guy and everyone else has to point that out to Kalim)

There’s a very complicated relationship between those in power and those without power; this can breed hatred for those at the top

Talent and skill left unacknowledged can fester into resentment

Institutions of higher education can and will accept monetary bribes, what are you gonna do about it?

Not everyone wants to reconcile and make friends; this is okay and should be more normalized

A Beautiful Tyrant:

You can try your best and work hard, but life doesn’t owe you anything (depressing thought, but unfortunately true)

Beauty is not limited to just one’s looks; beauty can also extend to one’s character and actions

Your worth shouldn’t come from external forces; if you are satisfied with yourself, you will always be “beautiful” no matter how you look or what losses you may experience

Public opinion and the entertainment industry are brutal af

Screw gender norms 😤

The Watchman of the Underworld:

The grieving process in general

Moving on from the past instead of fixating on it and letting the past consume your present and hold you back from a future

Learning to forgive yourself

Reaching out and making new support systems/opening up to others to help you cope

Bearing the sins of your ancestors (Shroud family curse)

The Lord of Malevolence:

Change is inevitable, all good things must come to an end; we must learn to accept them and bravely move toward the future

Love endures, transcending race (Sebek), blood (Silver), and time (Lilia)

Self-sacrificial love (Maleanor for Malleus, Lilia for the other Diasomnia boys, Dawn Knight for his own family, etc.)

Is it “true” happiness if it is a fake reality, a convenient dream?

We hate and fear what we do not understand, even though we have the capacity to

You cannot live forever in a happy fantasy world where none of your loved ones/favorite characters leave you, your trauma doesn’t exist, and everything conveniently pans out how you want it to; sooner or later, you must “wake up” and face reality (this point is particularly meta; it applies both in-game and in the real world, speaking to us players and our relationship with the escapist fictional content we consume)

Prologue: Welcome to the Villains’ World and Overall Main Story:

The power of friendship :))

Revisionist history (cuz… y’know… Great Seven and all)

We’re stronger together than alone

It’s okay to rely on others

We may be very different people from very different backgrounds, but it is still possible for us to understand one another

[failnaughted]

... And then, things go COMPLETELY off the rails. Just as Claude considers pulling back a bit to regroup and strategize, Professor Lachesis attempts to use her bow again - only to let out a scream, before crumpling down in a cloud of miasma.

Um.

Eh.

What?

"Professor!" Bow and freshly drawn arrow clatter to the ground as Claude rushes towards her. Behind him, he hears the clank of the axe.

Professor Ayra cushions her fall, while Claude gets a hold of her wrist and presses his finger on her skin, breathing a sigh of relief feeling the pulse under them; he catches eye of her chest rising and falling with a breath, too. "It's okay - she's fine," he calls quickly over his shoulder towards the panicked Rosado.

At the very least, their opponents' reaction has been reasonable - though, he would hope that most people would react in such a fashion to... whatever that was just now.

He winces, glancing at the bow the blonde Professor dropped, lying beside her on the ground, fading remnants of dark miasma still seeping from it.

"Iiiiii'm not picking that thing up," he mutters. "I'll report this to the Knights and someone can get it later. Or just burn in here on the spot, that's fine by me too."

With Professor Ayra taking care of Professor Lachesis, Claude gets back up, running towards Lambert and Rosado to join them on the way to the med tent. Towards Shez, he gestures with his head, inviting him to join them - there was little else to do here.

In all honesty, he isn't sure what he should say to the pastelhair right now. It's not really often that he doesn't know what to say, and it feels all the more awkward. He puts his hand on his shoulder.

"... She's fine, don't worry. Something was wrong with that bow. I'll report it and we'll find out what happened, okay? Let's go rest."

Claude 3.5/6HP hits Lambert 3/6HP with Flaming Axe (Helmsplitter activates!) [Roll: 1d20 + 4 = 18, -1.5HP, Lambert 1.5/6HP]

THIS IS FOR MY REPORT CARD!

✩ .　BOEL 2025⠀∶⠀round 2, battle 17.