#Alt version later perhaps?

[caffichai]

Regular Abyssal Hunter downtime activities

[amalgamationink]

NAPOWRIMO24 #4: communism among the bees

[dentos-wife]

Let’s talk how about Chrom and Robin’s bond evolved over time

With everyone clamoring over the new emblem I wanted to take a look back how we got here with their relationship and why I think at this point Chrobin is the intended or inferred Chrom pairing when it didn’t used to be.

In 2012 we got Fire Emblem Awakening, and as Chrom was related to Marth, his inferred pairing was Sumia a pegasus knight as a nod to Caeda, Marth’s canon wife. Granted because part of Awakening’s charm is you could pair anyone up, you didn’t have to pair Chrom up with Sumia if you didn’t wish to. But to IS she was the intended choice.

She had special scenes with Chrom and was the most likely to end up paired with him if you weren’t gunning for a specific wife for him

And you see her here in the opening with Lucina

Robin is you, the avatar, they don’t even have official art, just them with a hood

They had a canon design what we all know now but it wasn’t really used. And that should have been it as far as IS was concerned. Awakening was their last hurrah. And then FE blew up.

Robin’s canon design is now getting used, both the male and female version are now in Smash Bros. Then we have Warriors and Heroes and the Awakening cast shows up more. But not Sumia. Perhaps it’s because she’s not popular or the people flocked to Cordelia instead but she is the pegusus knight everyone loves. Sumia isn’t even in Warriors or the base FEH she gets added much later to FEH only with other less popular Awakening characters.

It’s here when FE became more maintstream I believe that IS changed their tune on Sumia being the intended wife and retconed it. I fully think Sumia was dropped and they no longer had an intended pairing for him all because she just wasn’t popular. Him and Robin were close of course they always were, obviously some would see it as friendship others would see it as something more the usual nothing really changed there.

And then 2022 ten full years after Awakening’s release...this happened

Couple things here. I fully believe the reason Chrom was paired with MRobin here instead of FRobin is for two big reasons reasons.

1) If they paired him with FRobin it canonizes a pairing so MRobin is the safer option, FEH doesn’t usually pair men and women unless they’re already a pairing. So MRobin got paired with Chrom and FRobin was on her own but she still has lines about how much Chrom meant to her.

2) MRobin is the more popular Robin as has been shown every year in CYL and he’d even win next year

So Chrom and Robin were always close it was a no brainer to make them a duo unit, they picked the male version on a very family oriented banner.

That said some of these lines...well let’s just say if a man and a woman were saying that to each other there would be no doubt here. Imagine if this Robin was the female version

Robin: There's Lissa, Emmeryn, Lucina, Frederick... I think we've got gifts for everyone. Don't we? Chrom: Well, all but one. What would you like your gift to be, Robin? Robin: What? Me? You can't just come out and ask like that, you know. There are rules! Chrom: You know I don't care about that. Just tell me what you want. Robin: Truthfully...I can't think of anything. Chrom: You don't want anything? Aw, come on. Think of the bind that puts me in. Robin: You gave my life meaning when I had nothing—not even my memory. The sense of purpose I've found at your side, working for peace in the world, is all I could ever ask for. Chrom: You're not alone in that, you know. I feel the same way. That's why I wanted to give you something nice. To show you how I feel. Robin: All right, all right. In that case, why don't you give me one of those flowers you're wearing? Chrom: It's only going to wilt. Robin: I'll press it into one of my books. That way I'll never forget this Day of Devotion.

Snippet from their duo convo. Usually when someone gives flowers it’s considered a pretty romantic gesture I’ve heard plenty of people call this alt playfully the gays and yeah this is very strong.

FRobin even comments on them in one of her lines.

“That man with Chrom is a Robin from another world, right? They get along so well, I'm almost jealous...“

There was no need for that line at all, we can tell from their lines how flipping close they are but they felt the need to have another character comment on it in base lines

I do believe MRobin was used not to canonize a pairing...at first. And then they gave up because it looked like people really liked it going even further in the next year.

In Awakening Chrom and Robin refer to themselves as two halves of the same whole which is already a loaded term. But it’s never been used after and was just part of the game

Enter the next time they pair up as the Emblem of Bonds which brought that back for the first time since 2012, in full force

Correct me if I’m wrong but no one besides them have referred to each other as their other half in Awakening

Lucina does it in Engage. For reference other half means husband, wife or partner (romantic). I think after the Valentine’s alt they decided sure why not and now they’re really going in with Robin being Chrom’s other half when they only touched the term once past Awakening in a FRobin cipher card. Other half in Engage is Robin and he pops up when engaged with Chrom to mix magic with the attack. I don’t doubt you can mean a friend with this term but when paired with everything else they say to each other, it’s pretty strong evidence it’s further than friendship.

Okay now for the the ultimate Robin is now Chrom’s intended partner view, Legendary Robin also released this year

“Tactician of Ylisse. Celebrated as Exalt Chrom's other half in the legends that followed their exploits. Appears in Fire Emblem Awakening. “

I saw some people argue exalt could mean Lucina too but no it doesn’t, it clearly means Chorm it says so and if you didn’t believe that, we got a map that was the two called Chrom and his other half. Which is Robin.

His art also references his other half status, he now wears blueish green jewelry which stands for Chrom and the brand of the exalt is on his chest plate

Finally in his damage art he once again has the symbol of the exalt formed in magic.

And a ring, some have argued it’s his clothes but usually the magic gauntlets he wears are on his middle finger and not under his gloves; pretty sure it’s a ring, it’s even on the ring finger of his left hand, where you generally put a wedding ring.

All this together is some very strong evidence, but put it with everything else they’ve done since last year and it’s clear to me, IS now is pushing Chrom and Robin as the intended pairing. Not canon like Marth and Caeda or Alm and Celica, but intended like they do with Eliwood and Ninian and some others I’m probably forgetting. And because MRobin is who they use and their “canon” sort of like FCorrin is the “canon” Corrin, IS is strongly hinting at MChrobin

Which fascinates me, we went from Chrom with a intended implied wife to scrapping it and pretended it never happened to this, Chrom with an intended husband. Him and his best friend, both two guys, very much in love. In ten years IS changed it’s mind on the intended canon pairing that isn’t even possible in the base game. They are a fate defying duo, the emblem of bonds, the exalt and his other half, two halves of the same whole and they are showing that in symbolism harder than ever. I think that’s really cool

To end this I’m aroace and see romance a little differently from the amatonormic norm Chrom and Robin could just be really good friends lord knows I also think friendship should be just as important as romance BUT if they were, it’s very clear they are each others most important person over any wife they might separately have.  But even that doesn’t follow a typical heteronormative relationship no? Chrom and Robin’s bonds are so strong they transcend the concept of romance and friendship as we know it, there is no name for the type of love they share it’s beyond us.

But what about Lucina? (and Morgan) In a world with magic, dragons, people dying and coming back to life, time travel and more the idea of two guys somehow having a child is no longer far fetched at all really, or even surrogates exist.

Also they act like kind of like dads with her and it’s really cute

Now granted IS could remake Awakening and MRobin will still not be able to marry Chrom and this whole analysis would have been for naught but I think if they do remake it they’ll add it. Look at how many people have been introduced to them just through Heroes and Engage you don’t think people are going to want to pair up the exalt and his other half in their game?

To sum it up, yes there literally is no heterosexual explanation for where IS has taken this. It wasn’t originally the intended pairing but it sure is now, I don’t think there is any room for denial anymore until we see what they do with a remake.

[ataraxiaspainting]

The End.

Yan Kafka x F Reader.

Synopsis: Kafka always sits in the front row, despite being part of the show herself.

Warnings: Yandere themes, stalking, thoughts of violence, manipulation, and unhealthy relationships.

Word Count: 1k.

Ten Songs Like This Piece:

Breezeblocks by alt-J

Waltz No. 2 by Dmitri Shostakovich (feat. The Dixie String Quartet)

Swan Lake by HAUSER

Claus by Los Tres

Doin’ Time by Lana Del Ray

Lie by BTS

She’s My Collar by Gorillaz (feat. Kali Uchis)

Cha Cha by Freddie Dredd

Michelle by Sir Chloe

MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name) - SATAN’S EXTENDED VERSION by Lil Nas X

*~*~*~*

The roses are wilting.

It was destiny, fate. Such pretty things never last forever, after all, even if the entire universe wished otherwise. One way or another, they are meant to fall, like how the sun drops below where anyone can see it, being replaced with the moon, and vice versa. They fall deep, deeper than hell itself, and no one can pick them back up, unless one would be inclined to make a pact with the devil himself, doing horrendous things in his name. But Kafka has already committed such sins, so why deny doing so any longer? It is who she is. It is who you are, to be entangled in her lies and be forced to dance and to sing and to act.

With two gloved hands, she picks up the vase, spilling out the moldy water and the dying roses, the roses she got for you after you sang so well at the opera house, looking so beautiful, into the trash can underneath your makeup vanity, where little clumps of hair and emptied products always meet their end.

She’ll get you a new bouquet later. A new vase too. Perhaps instead of white roses you would like red ones instead? Kafka knows that this vase is cheap too, from one of your fellow divas, whose high notes are not as high as yours and her costumes not as elaborate or as elegant as yours.

“I honestly don’t see why you even try to befriend any of them, darling. They are all envious harpies. They can’t hold a candle to anything you do.”

You are not here, but Kafka’s mouth always has a mind of its own, so it spins lies even when your delicate, lovely ears are not in the general vicinity. Not that she minds it. But yours is what she is quite more so than trifles with, because yours is carefully controlled by her and her alone, and you, as always, don’t get a say. It’s a sort of hypocrisy, Kafka thinks, but she doesn't mind that either.

If she has to, she’ll even sew your mouth shut, your ears shut, your eyes shut, if that is what it takes for you to stay with her. She doubts it would ever come to that, though, because you are always too fragile and too trusting to tell the difference between an Iago and a Desdemona. But the latter role would much better suit you, her little flower, her princess.

You are so precious, but also a treasure prying eyes will always want to touch and see and hear. Kafka would, in all honesty, love to cut their hands and tongues off, if it did not ruin the carefully crafted image she made just for you. Maybe later, though, when all the stage lights are off.

“Lady Macbeth, hmm?” She murmurs.

She disagrees with the role you were given entirely. But, you were not one to stand up for yourself, so Kafka let it go. 

“You really ought to leave this business soon, dearest.” Kafka looks around, her arms crossed, not impressed with the room you were given in the slightest. “You can always just come with me.” She meant it. “Imagine all the sights you would see. All the food you would eat. All the gifts I would be so happy to give you. All the hugs and kisses you would receive from me. Everything… just think about it.”

She could imagine it herself. It is not hard, really, for the mind to reject all sense of logic and bow down to the whim of what is known as human emotions, mortal joys, woes, desires, wants, and needs. She could imagine sitting you on her lap as the ship jumps to the next world she will have to visit, telling you stories of the past, present, and future, as you look on with amazement. You don’t do that anymore, now. She would do anything to see it come back. She would steal a crown and place it on your head, though you having the genuine article does not make you any stronger. If anything, perhaps it would make you weaker to her whims.

“Imagine that…” She sighs, closing her eyes as she smiles. “We can go to Penacony. Your dreams would come true there if I cannot make them true myself. You can sleep on beds worth more than this entire opera house. If only you would let me. I know it would make you happy. I know it would make me happy. So why wouldn’t it make you?”

She would listen to your ultimate pains, and your ultimate wishes, and act accordingly. She loved you. You will too, again. It is only a matter of time, isn’t it? Yes, Kafka thinks, it is fate. 

…

Kafka always sits in the front row of the theater.

It does not matter whether or not she purchased the tickets for it, the seat, or the show soon to come to fruition. No one dares talk back to her, even security. She finds comfort in that. No one gets in the way of her having the chance to see you. Better yet, no one else sits in the front row when she is present.

So, she watches, one of her legs crossed over the other, her eyes never blinking. During interludes she likes to adjust her makeup accordingly, painting on another shade of crimson to her lips. Art comes in many forms, after all.

Kafka told you that once. As always, you listened dutifully as she taught you to be.

She taught you many things, not just that. She taught you how to read constellations. She helped you learn her vocabulary in the books she gave you, often long fairytales or poems. She preferred it that way when you used to be so eager to have someone be friendly to you and not want to simply use you for their own amusement, not wanting to throw you out of the opera house altogether.

The opera house may rot after it goes up in flames, in the future, if things go her way as it always does, but she’ll stay to watch it all, to take you in as you cry and as she shushes you. She’ll be happy. Maybe you will be too, for her. It matters how good your performance is, if you even want to act anymore, after all.

The lights dim, and she shows her pearl-white teeth as she grins.

[foundry-fabrications]

Hey folks! Been sitting on this one for two weeks, done and ready, not wanting to release so close to the Behemoths and just reveling in the fact that for once I have a small stockpile of brews that are done/close to done. It's nice to take a break and not worry about what's next.

Anyway, this is a complete rework of my Transformation Cog item I did a few years back. For those not familiar with the source material or just need a refresher, the Transformation Cog, or T-Cog, is from Transformers and is the organ that allows a Cybertronian to transform into (and scan in later continuities) an alternate mode.

The original version was a reworked version of the Druid's Wildshape feature, with a focus on beast forms rather than vehicular ones. This time, I've gone the other direction and made various types of vehicular alt mode, each for a different purpose and giving you related benefits. A focus of this new version was, as with most of my reworks, refinement of the old idea and simplifying its mechanics to be easier to use. I think I've accomplished that goal, but we'll see how she plays.

I pulled a lot from the Shifter race from Ebberon, as well as the official Transformers RPG by Renegade Games, which is a pretty robust RPG in its own right, though a touch complicated for my tastes (maybe worth a System Spotlight in the future). Eventually, I would love to use this new version as a base for a beast mode T-Cog, and make a Cybertronian lineage that incorporates perhaps an even more simplified version of what I have now. Something to think about.

Anyway, that's it from me, hope y'all like the update! Stay safe, don't forget to love each other, and I'll see you next time.

Enjoy my work? Consider supporting me on Patreon! Patrons gain access to high quality PDFs for all of my content, weekly updates, early access, and more!

[wrencatte]

mini-fic 5!! (ish) Post-Survivor. Rambler Crew + Mantis Crew + Cal's ponchos. Omniscient POV. 1k words Reminder! I post these on my Ao3 as well (a day or so later), including an alt version of mini fic 3 that's Ao3 exclusive!

“That is not a good look.”

Cal frowns and looks down at his new poncho, stretching it out from the bottom to put it on full display. “What’s wrong with it?”

“It clashes with your hair,” Merrin says.

“Everything clashes with my hair.

“Well, that is worse.”

“It smells,” Greez complains. “Where did you find that thing, the garbage?!”

Cal grins. “Actually – .”

“Please no.”

“I found it in an oggdo abode.”

“And you put it on?” Greez demands in horror, his voice higher and squeakier than Cal’s ever heard it get before.

Cal stares at him for a long, long moment before he lets out a sharp giggle, and then that giggle turns into a full-on cackle. He falls against the bar top for support. The present cantina patrons watch in amusement and fondness as their resident Jedi turns red faced at the force of his laughter. They don’t get to hear him laugh very often, and the smell of his ‘new’ poncho is nearly worth it.

Greez isn’t done: “Why the hell is there even an oggdo on this planet? I thought we left that sithspawn on Bogano!”

“Maybe it followed you just as the boglings did,” Merrin suggests, patting Cal on the back as he wheezes. “Perhaps you missed it on the ship, it seems quite miss-able.” That, for some reason, just makes Cal start back up again, covering his face as his ears turn bright red. It’s a borderline hysterical laugh, but everyone very carefully avoids making note of that.

Greez points at her. “You, be quiet. And you.” He marches up to Cal and starts tugging on his ‘new’ poncho, but all he succeeds in is yanking the Jedi around while he smacks at the latero’s hands. “Take it off! I can’t have you stinkin’ up my saloon!”

“Hey! Hey! C’mon, it’s not that bad!”

“No, it is.”

“It really is, Cal.”

“Sorry, Red, but that thing smells worse than nekko crap.”

Cal turns to his gathered friends with betrayed tooka eyes. It really only works on Zygg, who immediately looks away, hiding her face with a hand so she’s not swayed by them. Mosey covers her nose for emphasis even though she’s smelled way worse on her own adventuring. She’s even said so and Cal swears a bilemaw smells worse than the oggdo did. Cal covers his heart in mock betrayal before all the pointed looks and disgusted expressions makes him reluctantly give in and pull off the pink poncho. He drops it into Greez’s waiting hands. He knows when he’s been outnumbered despite what some people would think.

“Good,” Greez says, holding it as far away from himself as possible. Which isn’t very far, but Cal counts that as pay back for making him take it off in the first place. “I’ll just…run this a couple hundred times in the washer and give it back – .”

“Tomorrow?” Cal asks hopefully where he’s started to rummage around in the bag he’s been carrying around lately. Says it’s a better place to put all the seed pods and priorite he’s been finding around Koboh. Merrin joked once that it was the perfect size to fit a fully grown bogling and he really just wanted to show it the scenery. Cal hadn’t denied it.

“Never?” Merrin suggests then laughs airily as she dodges one of the aforementioned seed pods Cal throws at her good-naturedly. BD-1 beeps his protest at the seed pod being treated like that, earning an apology from a suitably chastised Cal. “I am just saying, you’ve outgrown the ponchos, Cal. This style you’ve cultivated over the years is much better.”

“But they’re comfortable,” Cal complains, still rummaging.

…The bag isn’t that deep.

Mosey eyes him suspiciously even as she says, “I’ve got a couple’a ponchos you can have, Red. They were my pa’s, but I doubt he’d mind if you took ‘em off my hands. They’re good for the mountain trails since it gets cold up there. And they’ve been stored up all nice and clean.”

Cal flashes her a smile. “Thanks, Mosey, but no thanks. I’m all stocked up.” Everyone watches in horror as he pulls out another poncho. It’s not nearly as garish as the pink one, but it’s still ratty and smelly and Cal pulls it over his head with a bright, beaming grin. “See? Problem solved.”

“Problem not solved!” Greez shrieks, flinging the pink one away. “You brat! Are you kidding me right now?!”

“I have four more!” Cal declares proudly.

“No,” Merrin whispers, aghast.

Cal nods, his smile getting smug now. “Yes. A crate of them just sitting there. It looked like someone tried to set up camp and the oggdo took offense to it. You can take one, but you can’t take them all!”

“Merrin,” Greez says, voice low and serious. Cal looks at him, eyebrow raised in a challenge. The latero puts one set of hands on his hips and points at Cal. “Get him.”

Green magick flares but Cal is already running out the main door, cackling loudly as Merrin gives chase. The rest of them are left behind to stare at Cal’s bag still sitting on the ground.

“Do you really think he has four more?” Moran asks, clutching his drink to his chest. He’s looking a little pale.

“We could throw out the whole thing?” Ashe suggests. “He can collect more seeds later.”

“Doma would kill us for the priorite.”

“Kark, she would.”

Before any of them can make another suggestion, a little body dashes through, scoops the bag up to her chest and pauses, giving them all a good moment to really take in the sight of Kata looking at them all wide-eyed and innocent… wearing a smaller and cleaner poncho in her favorite shade of purple. BD jumps onto her back with a happy beep, and she grins brightly at them before she then – runs away, giggling.

Greez blinks once, twice, and then swears loudly.

“I knew it! I knew they were working together! Those, those brats!”

[sun-and-moon-mushroom]

Day 3: Alt Prompt — Immortality

AO3 link

(note: based on the ‘original draft’ version of LBH who ended up completely alone, taken to it’s logical conclusion)

(cw: suicidal thoughts)

What is there left after you’ve done everything? After you’ve seen all the world has to offer, after you’ve conquered any challenge you’ve faced, what else is there to do? Where do you take the fight when you’ve become the undisputed ruler of the world?

What do you do when you finally come across a problem that you can’t solve, in the form of your own reckless actions from centuries ago? When the realms you fused together start to shrivel and die, and no matter how hard you look, you can’t find a way to undo it. What do you do as the empire you’ve built begins to fall apart, as the masses claw at the gates of your palaces, begging for the food you stopped eating decades ago?

What do you do when you sit on your throne, as alone as you’ve ever been, and slowly hear the world around you become quiet? What do you do when, years later, you finally step outside, only to find a desert where great forests once lay?

What do you do, as you search those deserts and wastelands, each sign of life holding on something rare and valuable? What do you do when the sun burns even your skin, and the small plants you’ve found and nurtured begin to wither away?

The sun is dead now, long gone, along with it’s sister, the moon. Those craggy landscapes you wandered are now cold and dark, the only light the distant glimmer of stars. Are there less of them now? It’s hard for you to tell. You remember, faintly, being taught the constellations as a child, but you can’t remember them, can’t remember much from that far back. There’s a few faces and names that float around in your mind occasionally — an old woman, who taught you how to cook, a young girl, who smiled at you and shyly held your hand, a cold master, who took you in anyway. You don’t remember how they died (you don’t want to).

You stand in a dying world, and hold out your sword. Long shattered by a fit of your own rage, and then reforged to fit a new purpose, you choose to use it once more, even after swearing it off once before. At the end of the world, what else is there to do? Maybe it’ll even manage to kill you?

You can feel it’s grip on you tightening as you blast through the rocks around you, and cut the tips off mountains. The energy swells, and swells, and then overflows —

And suddenly, you’re somewhere else. Somewhere warm, and bright, and oddly familiar. You pull yourself up off the floor — polished wood, freshly dirtied by the dust of your robes — and look up into your own face. He looks weak and foolish to your older eyes, a woman hanging off his arm as if he actually cares about her — you know that you only ever married for political reasons, and you have no reason to doubt he is the same.

This is a chance, perhaps, to fix your own mistakes, to teach yourself so that he won’t face the loneliness you did. You meet his eyes, as a smile stretches it’s way across your face, straining muscles that haven’t been used in many years.

“Hello, little brother”.

[sodabranch]

Halo, back with just one idea, but man am I excited to share it right now!

A continuation on the concept of Justice and the employee finding themselves to be the last alive, of their crew. Justice, by now, would do more than anything to keep this one from dying! However, if they kept on doing more Company work, they're doomed eventually.

But then Justice gets an idea. It's a mad one, but how could one get out of this situation without drastic measures? Like I mentioned before, there are moons out there one could surely scavenge ingredients from (and the food scrap meant to go to the Company), there's now more ship rations for the single employee, meat could be gathered from certain entities, Justice is still great at protecting a lone employee from entities, and humans have lived in these places before! Could it happen again?

Perhaps the employee feels hopeless; just wait for the Company to eject them, and try to enjoy all the time left in the ship. But they notice Justice is acting more determined than before, as it dutifully types commands into the terminal. There's a certain place in mind, which may not be the first choice for a human considering this, but its familiarity with the moon will be an essential asset.

The employee looks off to see the screen to the side has changed, as Justice begins packing up as many important items from around the ship as possible. It set a course for 7-Dine? Did it decide it wanted to go back home?

It's going back to Dine, alright, but it's never going back to loneliness. The employee finally gets the memo, realising why Justice is escorting them out of the ship with all their belongings with them, following the lights to the old mansion. Maybe it won't be so bad, once Justice picks a decent place to serve as the bedroom and they settle in. Preferably one close to the exit, for an easy evacuation. Maybe it can find a way to reason with the other nutcrackers, so they stay away. And maybe it can finally have an excuse to use that stove in the kitchen...

Later, the ship leaves, without any trace of the crew inside.

(You could write a whole fanfic on this idea, really. I don't have that type of motivation, unfortunately.)

(Alt version: you implement the "OOPS, all nutcrackers!" idea, and now you have to deal with dozens of unique nutcracker roommates.)

~ Halo

Oooo I wanted to answer this yesterday but I am just recovering from the strongest fucking fever;;;; i like,, saw this and exploded because WOAh

So you want a whole fanfic? I'll give you a small writing:

First, Everything you said is so real,, I can imagine Justice suddenly jolting off the ground, waking up the groggy employee in the process, and instantly beelining for the terminal.

It is determined to keep this human safe, even with all the odds against them. So in the midst of this sudden newfound vigor, Justice types the letters on the keyboard just as its crew taught it to,,, and with the rumble of the engines changing course they are now heading towards 7-Dine,, a familiar scenery being a welcome change from all this uncertainty.

So having stored all the equipment and food it could get its hands on, Justice took the employee's hand and bolted off the ship, leaving all their memories behind.

The sudden change in atmosphere shocking the crewmate, of course, the cheaply made company uniforms are not suited for extreme temperatures, and there was currently a major snowstorm going on. So with expertise, Justice stared to quicken up the pace, seeing the entrance appear through the fog.

It was calm inside, but you really couldn't be sure. Justice insisting on them going in front to be able to protect them better from incoming danger, practically escorting them now, rifle ready in hand.

... They continued walking for a while until they reached one of the many rooms in the mansion,, suddenly stopping in front of a door, which looked just like every other one, but to Justice this was a special one. So with a turn of a key it pulled out of its hat, Justice pushed open the door, revealing a (surprisingly) well mantained bedroom inside.

The first thing they noticed was the thin layer of dust covering most of the surfaces, the atmosphere felt thick from many years of it being abandoned. But really, did they have any other option? Compared to the ship's stiff bunk beds this was a blessing,, If that could even be called a bedroom.

So without futher ado, the employee chucks themselves in the bed that awaits in the middle of the room, raising a cloud of dust in the process. They could swear they just saw Justice physically recoil from the corner of their eye, who is visibly working hard to supress the urge to clean this whole place up.

Instead, it just chooses to sit besides the tired employee,, holding their hand. This small gesture making it feel a warmth it hasn't felt in a million years before.

-- Now I kinda got tired already (nini time soon...) but I promise one day I'll actually write something for you<3<3

Now some ideas I had nyehehe:

Justice having to lock the employee in the room at the start; not because it doesn't trust them, but because it doesn't trust the creatures in the mansion :( it has already lost three of its friends,, it needs to protect this one

If they get out, they need to be EXTREMELY careful, always checking around the corners and all... Justice being uncharacteristically paranoid

Alsooo the kitchen omggg!!! kinda off-topic but having like 12 years of experience as a baker I can just tell you which recipes are its favourite aaa :333!!! <- nerd

ALSO I draw this yesterday while pondering this ask:::

The employee having to hide wearing a mask;; Justice made for them,, because that's the only way it would let them out of the room ALSO I JUST DID THIS BECAUSE I LOVE JUSTICE HAND HOLDING lmaoo (I thought of it like,, maybe the entities would confuse it for a masked?? ofc the smell is still human, but there should be a way to kinda hide it..)

(I need to make this guy an oc or something OUGHH)

THIS IS KINDA ALL I HAVE FOR NOW? INM SORRY I caught a serious illness and have to rest full-time Just used all my brain juice for tonight butt i hope you like it waaaaa<3<3

[calling4glaives]

Eve of the Signing Party

The next place we see Nyx on guard duty is at the party before the treaty signing. Thankfully this one is a little less confusing. We’ll look a little bit at the setting and the people there as well.

Thank you again to @starjunco for the screenshots. IDs are ALT.

As background information, the wiki has information on the previous iterations of this location in the XIII Verses trailers, concept art and various demos. It talks about how the aquarium and dome have disappeared and reappeared, the area itself has changed, and that even the music (“Somnus”) played during this scene is a reference to the trailers. It also tells us there are posters for the Royal Aquarium that is located in the building, and that the picture in the large water display Nyx and Luna talk in front of depicts Etro, who was quite important in earlier versions of the game but has almost no mention in the FFXV or Kingsglaive we got.

Now on to information we can see in this scene itself!

As stated above, the party takes place on the roof of the Caelum Via (which might translate to “Heaven is the Way”; if it were the more obvious “Way of Heaven/Sky” it would be Caeli Via or Via Caeli, though leaving it in the Nominative could just be a nod to the Royal Family) Hotel & Resorts Insomnia. The name itself implies other locations, though we don’t see them explicitly in the game.

Later in the movie (see the white and gold ad on the left behind Glauca), there is an Altissia location advertised, which says interesting things about trade and connections for sure! Wonder which one came first...

Also on the Insomnian building are the same number/coordinate system we puzzled over on the bridge at the Nyx’s Neighborhood deep dive. There, the bridge had the coordinates N35-41-39, W13-19-36, here the hotel has N35-41-39, W13-21-28, which seem to be rather close indeed.

There is a helipad here (with some sort of crest on it), which raises interesting questions about the state of Lucian air travel. It would seem odd that this exists solely for the possibility of Niflheim visitors, but other than the modified Regalia we don’t otherwise see Lucian aircraft.

There are three tiers of seating at various levels of proximity to Aldercapt and Regis. Nyx (and possibly Drautos) seems to be the only visible guard on duty across all three levels. Even if he takes the posting very seriously (using it to dodge Luna’s attempts to talk, and as a distraction during the talk itself) that does seem to imply he is either the very last line of defense for Luna and/or Regis or just there to look pretty.

Perhaps they negotiated down the number of guards they could each bring, but it does raise the question of where Clarus is...

The water motif continues with this small waterfall and river. It could be a sign of the connection to Altissia (perhaps the chain started there), perhaps a sign that nature or the imitation of it a luxurious novelty in the midst of the very tight urban area, a boast of wealth to pump the water that high and maintain the cleanliness, or perhaps merely a cover to mute the noise of the city and conversation. (though the fireworks likely do an excellent job of that tonight, as well!)

The area is otherwise decorated with the ubiquitous gothic arches of Lucis and geometric patterns, and solely uses a dark blue, maroon, black, gold, and hints of white. Which, appropriately enough, will be the strict colors used in the guests’ dress.

A better view of the middle tier, showing bamboo-like greenery areas and a survey of our crowd. The central gate on this level, through which the water appears to originate, is topped by a six-pointed star or flower, likely a reference to the astrals, which is a nice detail.

The lamps have an art deco feel, perhaps indicating either the age of the hotel or the age it wants to appear, or just a general Lucian aesthetic. I do wonder if the low lighting is less comfortable for the guests from beyond the Wall, who might prefer brighter illumination at night.

You can also barely make out Nyx next to the Aquarium, Regis on the balcony, and Aldercapt and two other important figures from Niflheim making their way up the stairs. Perhaps they were dropped off on the helipad or came through the tiled walkways into the hotel itself.

A close-up of Aldercapt’s robe and the back of the truly bizarre helmet we’ll see a better view of later as the people toast to the Emperor.

And Nyx shows up! Notice how he is very definitely not looking at the Emperor or the commotion.

If we pull our eyes away from our main character, we can see a very interesting statue of a woman in draped clothing with wide sleeves holding a sword above a very colorful collection of bottles. There is a matching statue on the other side. Who or what does she represent?

Beyond her is a/the wall, topped by what seem to be glowing tanks of some kind. These could either be illuminated water towers beyond the (Citadel) Wall, or some sort of light/magical storage atop the wall that helps keep it running, perhaps to replace the ones Ardyn destroyed on the Founder’s Day Attack.

If we pull our attention back to the foreground, between Nyx and the Emperor is a nice grouping of the eight NPC models (four appear male and four female) used in this scene. Keep an eye out for them elsewhere. From left to right: Gray Suit/Gray Hair, Dress with Cap Sleeves/Short Dark Hair, Dark Suit/Medium Hair, Dark Suit/Dark Hair, Blue Asymmetrical Dress/Shoulder-length Light Hair, Maroon Ruffles/Bun, Suit Dress/Short Light Hair, Gray Suit/Dark Hair.

This fountain combines many of the elements of this design - light, water, and statues. And look! Fireworks in other colors! They do exist! It’s also fun to see the light/dark contrast between the two sovereigns.

Another view of the scene, showing the lovely delicate railing of gold and glass. Lurking behind the main figures are Drautos in the background as well as the priest-looking Niflheim Dignitary, similar to the figure who said “Release the Daemon” in the opening battle.

A nice shot of Aldercapt’s robes from the front, showcasing many interesting symbols. The dragon in particular is very neat. Though the cut of his shirt and the harness-like straps across his coat are a bit odd, they are clearly very well made. Nyx is also lurking in this shot. Hi, Nyx!

Here also is the promised front view of the ridiculous helmet. Presumably there are some sort of screens inside, scanning the area and at least allowing him to walk, though the skullcap and the rest of the helmet are also just odd. The collars are very reminiscent of Ravus’s outfits even in Tenebrae before his mother’s death, showing the cultural crossover and similarities. 

The crowd shot of the middle tier shows some very familiar faces, and some oddities. The statues from the bars are also found on this level, and if the central part truly is water-filled as it appeared earlier, those poor guests on the rear squares had quite the journey to get to their spots, not to mention the servers!

Aside from a nice view of Aldercapt's bracers and Regis's cane and brace, we can see the priest-like figure again, and Ardyn! Everyone is still toasting obediently.

And released! The guests can finally sit down. And Luna makes her appearance. How long has she been here? Have fun counting the doppelgangers in this scene as well.

There are tropical fish and sharks in the aquarium, as well as the mini-leviathans. Perhaps another nod to an Accordo origin? Or perhaps the Lucinia Sound and other waters around Cavaugh are warmer than expected.

The wings on the sculpture surrounding the painting is somewhat reminiscent of the armor of the Lucii.

Look at how massive and ornate this whole setup is. The entire area below this upper tier must be support for the aquarium. Fish, a painting, the massive gold and black thing inside, the mirrors in the supports… this is a major display of wealth and technology. It’s no wonder the party was set here. Not to mention it is slightly more neutral ground, for both parties’ peace of mind. Also, note the violin and piano players. They are working hard!

In addition to being nice shots of Luna and Drautos (and the Kingsglaive cuff), these images show off the painting of Etro fairly well. Is she being supported or bound by the organic pillar-like things on either side of her? Her legs are bare, but she is wearing an ornate collar and shirt. What is the lore, Square?!

It’s also very interesting that Drautos and Nyx are set up in corresponding places. What is Nyx’s position that he and the Captain are the only visible guards here? And yet Nyx is not wearing a dress uniform of any kind even here, just the standard uniform with his silver trim and double chain.

Notice how closely Drautos watches Nyx and Luna's conversation, though, and his odd expression as he looks up. Is he smug things are proceeding as he planned, or something else?

Thank you for sticking with us through another deep dive. We hope this was able to help your creative works (especially for Nyx Week!) and maybe even start some discussions. We’d love to hear your thoughts, disagreements, and little things you might have noticed!

Good luck!

[bananaofswifts]

5 STARS

If the Taylor’s Versions project has taught us anything, it’s that the past doesn’t have to be a foreign country.

Sure, they did things a little differently there, but with the right motivation (reclaiming the songs that were sold behind her back), Taylor Swift’s glorious history can be recreated almost exactly how it was when she first burned these songs onto the soul of a generation.

That approach, however, was always likely to face a few challenges along the way and ‘Speak Now’ – for true hardcore Swifties, perhaps the most cherished album in even her beloved catalogue – is one of them.

Because her third album saw Swift fearlessly taking control, writing every note of the record herself and boldly choosing to capture a snapshot of her unvarnished teenage truth.

So, ‘Speak Now’ is always honest, sometimes brutally so. No one batted an eyelid at it in 2010, but in 2023, such things tend to be viewed through a different lens.

So, this third in the series of Taylor’s Versions sees the first significant rewriting of her not-so-secret history. She replaces the controversial ‘Better Than Revenge’ lyric, “She’s better known for the things she does on the mattress” with the more sisterly, “He was a moth to the flame, she was holding the matches.”

The new line works well, even if it might not hit as hard. So, before the faceless suits that now ‘own’ Swift’s original albums celebrate that there might be at least one song in their vault to still get streamed after receiving the TV treatment, it should be noted that that is the album’s only real attempt to mitigate the raw emotions of the past.

Instead, it’s worth noting that ‘Better Than Revenge’ is followed by the wise-beyond-her-years philosophising of ‘Innocent’ in which Swift observes that, “Life is a tough crowd/Thirty-two and still growing up now”.

Swift was indeed 32 when she re-recorded those words but the empowering, elemental force and simmering hurt that made the original ‘Speak Now’ such a remarkable record remains strikingly intact. The snarky gown-shaming in the wedding-crasher title track remains wonderfully unfiltered. The wounded distress at teenage tormentors and bitter bloggers in ‘Mean’ still cuts every bit as deep. And the forensic disassembly of a gaslighting ex on ‘Dear John’, now with added protective wisdom for her younger self, is as quietly crushing as ever.

In short, Swift knows exactly where to draw the line. And, on ‘Speak Now’, the lines she draws are beautiful, showcasing the countless things Swift excels at beyond hell-hath-no-fury-like-a-teenager-scorned retribution.

So, the joyous shimmer of ‘Sparks Fly’ reminds you even this most heart-breaking record still had moments of unfettered delight. The nostalgia of ‘Never Grow Up’ remains as guilelessly devastating as ever, despite the fact that Swift is now as far away from the third verse’s uncertain adulting as she was then from the first verse’s childhood snoozing. And best of all, ‘Back To December’ – a serious contender for Swift’s finest song – shows that, actually, there is nothing Swift does better than regret.

Of course, Taylor’s Version offers her the opportunity to do what that song’s protagonist couldn’t: go back in time and change it. But, while the main album production (by Swift and Christopher Rowe, replacing Nathan Chapman) softens the Nashville neon and country vocal twang, she generally resists the temptation to mess with perfection.

Meanwhile, the ‘From The Vaults’ unheard tracks – with co-production from Taylor’s favoured 2023 colleagues Jack Antonoff and Aaron Dessner – showcase both where Swift was and how far she’s come.

As befitting SN’s status as her most emo album, her collaborators come straight from 2010’s alt-rock top drawer. So, Fall Out Boy elevate ‘Electric Touch’ to soaring pop-punk status and the presence of Paramore’s Hayley Williams on ‘Castles Crumbling’ makes it a duet for the ages, their voices gorgeously intertwining as they wrestle with the fear that the cheers may one day turn to jeers.

Everywhere, you’ll find foreshadowing of Swift’s supremely versatile future: the astute third-person observation of ‘When Emma Falls in Love’; the folk(lore)y mannerisms of ‘Timeless’; the edgy guitars/saucy lyrics combo of ‘I Can See You’.

Her current tour has made Swift a bigger star than ever but, 13 years on, ‘Speak Now’ remains the foundation stone that her songwriting empire was built upon.

It was, as the main album’s closer ‘Long Live’ notes, “The end of a decade/But the start of an age”. And even if things have changed a little since your last visit, this Swift era is still guaranteed to give you the time of your life, whatever dragons you may be fighting these days.

[clean-casual-analysis]

How I’d ruin it: Transformers part two

The second part of this hypothetical TF series will be going over the various plots and characters. There’s nothing harder than picking a handful of transformers characters for your own personal continuity, but I hope I managed to get a good cast. First up is phase one. Also, here’s a link to the first part of this:

Phase One: Roll Out and Rise Up

The first phase of this TF series focuses on the battle for earth. After a devastating offensive by the decepticons (inspired by All Hail Megatron), cybertronians are a known presence to humanity and have sided with the autobots in protecting their world. But there’s more going on than simple good vs evil. The commanding lieutenants of both factions have created unique squadrons for their occupation on earth. The autobot squad’s primary goal is to defend and save as many lives on the battlefield as possible. The decepticon squad isn’t actually allied with Megatron but is secretly a breakaway faction that wants to end the war quickly and not sadistically draw it out. As the fight for earth goes on, (and character development happens) a third unknown group seems to be working behind the scenes. At the end of phase one, Optimus and Megatron appear for the first time and the intentions of the third group are revealed.

The Autobot Lifeguard Squadron: Created at the request of Optimus Prime himself, this squad is focused on saving autobot rather than killing decepticons. While the group does have its fair share of skilled warriors, their duty is one of strong defense and frontline aid.

Field Commander: Kup. One of the first cybertronians to emerge from the well of all sparks, Kup has seen nearly every conflict that Cybertron has gone through. Old age has definitely slowed him down and dulled his edges, but he’s still a seasoned veteran and expert strategist. After a recent traumatic event on a desolate planet, the usually cantankerous robot has taken a different approach to commanding. He’s much more forgiving to those turbo revving youngsters that always seem to get into trouble, even joking that he used to be the same way. Still an old coot in many ways, it isn’t long until the friendly bot starts rambling about an old war story or complains about an aching joint.

Alt mode: Old fashioned pickup truck

Inspiration: All preexisting Kups

Notes: This version of Kup would be more akin to a kindly grampa than a typical cranky old man.

Warrior and close combat specialist: Sunstreaker. Once a severe egotist with mild sociopathic tendencies, Sunstreaker had the audacity to challenge Megatron to a one-on-one duel. His resulting capture and subsequent torture had him reveal autobot intelligence that led to the invasion of earth. Humbled and deeply regretful, the soldier is now solely focused on fighting decepticons. While his close quarters combat skills are unmatched and driving skills are top tier, his depressive disposition takes a different kind of getting used to. Perhaps being assigned to a new squad will brighten his darkened spark.

Alt Mode: Sports car

Inspiration: G1 and IDW Sunsreaker

Notes: All Hail Megatron made Sunstreaker one of my favorite tragic characters, so I’d love to use him here.

Field Medic: Lifeline. A cool headed and mild-mannered medic. Autobots have no shortage of pacifists, but Lifeline just might be the staunchest in her beliefs. Her desire to preserve life is so great, she has given aid to decepticons on the battlefield. Such actions caused her dishonorable discharge, but she was reenlisted several years later due to deception high command putting a premium on killing autobot medics. While she doesn’t force her beliefs onto others, Lifeline will defend her right to save any and all those injured on the battlefield to the point of stubbornness.

Alt mode: Cybertronian rescue car

Inspiration: G1 Lifeline

Notes: With plenty of main character autobots eager to fight, here’s one who’s eager to heal and willing to look pass allegiances.

Weapons supervisor: Crosshairs. It’s Crosshairs job to maintain and provide basic weaponry to autobot soldiers, and it’s a job he does well. During the war for Cybertron, his old battalion ran out of ammo in the prolonged mission. Although the resulting failure and the deaths of his comrades affected him greatly, he still strives to be amiable and hard working. Meticulous and careful to a fault, he refuses to fire his weapon unless he’s absolutely sure that he’ll hit his target and not waste ammo. While this can make him somewhat of a liability on the battlefield, it also resulted in becoming a remarkable sharpshooter.

Alt mode: Delivery truck

Inspiration: G1 Crosshairs

Notes: Crosshairs isn’t an inventor like Wheeljack or Brainstorm, he just knows a lot about weapons and how they work.

Battle Master and engineer: Pinpointer. Because of the energon shortage and many of his friends needing to be put into stasis pods, Pinpointer has become irrationally afraid of wasting energy. From how often he transforms to how many words he says in a sentence, each action is calculated to use as little energy as possible. His stoic and business-like attitude can come off as rude, but Crosshairs does understand where the minicon’s coming from.

Alt mode: Blaster with grenade launcher attachment.

Inspiration: G1 Pinpointer

Notes: Something about tiny transformers becoming weapons for other transformers to wield is a fun gimmick to me.

Warrior and explosives expert: Warpath. Despite his relatively young age, Warpath has made a name for himself as a gifted and deadly soldier. Boastful and confident, this noisy tank loves to drive headfirst into the action and has taken to warfare with seemingly unnatural gusto. While his bragging can get on his teammate’s nerves, his raw skill and good-natured attitude are admired for good reason. Before the war, Warpath tried out for the gladiatorial pits of Kaon. The pits needed a new heel and forced the persona of an abusive jail warden onto him. Left unsatisfied with the mean-spirited role he was given, Warpath vowed to live life truthfully and live it loudly.

Alt mode: Tank

Inspiration: G1 and WFC Warpath (While taking a jab at Animated Warpath)

Notes: I just really like Warpath.

Autobot Lieutenants of earth: The ones in charge of defending earth.

Spec ops commander: Jazz. Talented spy, closest friend to Optimus Prime, and just about the coolest bot you’ve ever met. Upbeat and outgoing, it’s borderline impossible not to like Jazz after meeting him. While spec ops require tough decisions to be made and dirty deeds to be done, he takes to it with style and grace. He’s always eager to learn about organics and has taken a particular liking to human cultures.

Alt mode: Race car

Inspiration: Most incarnations of Jazz

Notes: While I won’t list human characters, they’d definitely be part of my continuity. Jazz would be the main cybertronian that they would interact with.

Communications officer and war broadcaster: Blaster. On the galactic airwaves, Blaster is a loud and proud autobot with a love of all things musical. His radio show is all about trumpeting patriotic victories against the decepticons and providing unique beats from across the stars. This hip and happening bot, however, is an exaggerated persona to boost soldier morale. Blaster’s still a friendly guy with a deep passion for music, but he also takes the war very seriously. When forced into fighting alongside his minicon partners, he’s as stoic and grim as any hardened soldier dedicated to stopping insurmountable evil.

Alt mode: Boombox

Inspiration: G1 and IDW/Marvel comics

Notes: Really liked the idea in IDW where Blaster’s over the top personality in G1 is a persona put on to conceal a more serious person like in the Marvel comic.

Military commander: Elita One. Once a manual laborer by the name of Ariel, temporarily holding the matrix of leadership for a damaged Optimus Prime made herself into a prime. Whether it’s through combat exercises or a friendly game of cube, the adrenaline hungry Elita strives to be the best in everything she takes part in. While this drive to push herself and others can make her seem needlessly competitive at best and snobbishly perfectionistic at worst, her dedication and belief in the autobot cause makes her an inspirational leader. Of course, being Optimus’ girlfriend helps your social standing as well.

Alt Mode: Muscle Car

Inspiration: Earthspark and G1

Notes: I’m a vanilla oplita shipper and there was no way I wasn’t going to include her.

Starscream’s Ascenticons: After realizing that the decepticon cause was more about killing autobots rather than creating a new cybertronian empire, Starscream got to work on creating a secret sub faction. The underground ascenticons are dedicated to the original vision of their movement, cybertronian pride and militaristic cooperation with other species. Focused and determined, the future uprising against Megatron and other cruel decepticons is steadily growing in number.

Field commander: Hailstorm. Unlike most heavy hitting decepticons, Hailstorm has a a good deal of brains to go with his brawn. The surprisingly humble and no-nonsense sergeant has an optic for detail and adaptability to changing circumstances that rivals the best tacticians Cybertron has to offer. The thing stopping him from rising through the decepticon ranks? He’s a lousy fighter. His aim with a blaster is nonexistent and his hand-to-hand fighting skills substandard at best. His only effective attack is long range strikes using homing missles. Thankfully, Starscream doesn’t care if Hailstorm can’t win a fight personally just as long as his squad does it for him.

Alt mode: Anti-aircraft rocket vehicle

Inspiration: Hunt the Deceptions toyline Hailstorm

Notes: Hailstorm was one of the first toys I bought with my own money, so this obscure toy-only character has a soft spot for me.

Medical officer and biologist: Scalpel. Expert medics for the decepticons are few in number, and decepticon scientists that aren’t cruel experimenters are even fewer. Because of this, you’ll find the egotistical Scalpel often ranting about how under-appreciated he is. Since there’s not many decepticons with genuine medical training, he’s invented small drones of himself to simultaneously repair allies and sabotage autobots on the battlefield. The most unsettling part of his behavior is that he collects small scraps and paint chips of those that he and his drones have healed, but that’s mostly just to show off how he saved the lives of legendary decepticon warriors. While Scalpel’s high-strung and prone to anger, the minicon’s medical knowledge of both mechanical and organic beings is unparalleled.

Alt Mode: Microscope

Inspiration: Bayverse and TFA

Notes: Scalpel would show off how little the decepticons care for medically treating their soldiers and how most decepticon scientists are mad doctors. He finds scientists that just create bioweapons and war machines to be an insult to his true medical genius.

Political negotiator and assassin: Shatter. Before the war, Shatter was an upper class cybertronian who owned a chain of high society clubs called ‘Crimson Delight’. Most of these clubs were situated in Crystal City before it was decimated by years of conflict. Shatter was already a member of the decepticons during this time, acting as both negotiator and soldier. Once Cybertron went dark and the war started to spread across the galaxy, Shatter really began to flex her smooth-talking and charismatic personality. She takes great delight in manipulating politicians and mercenaries, both cybertronian and organic alike, into distrusting the autobots. But that job’s getting harder to do with organic life forms, all thanks to Megatron’s contempt for any being not made of metal becoming more visible as time goes on. While she enjoys twisting the knife in her enemies and verbally teasing her flawed allies, she knows when to separate business from pleasure.

Alt mode: Combat jet

Inspiration: Bumblebee movie

Notes: Shatter and Dropkick would not be triple changers in this continuity, mostly out of simplifying the visual designs.

Warrior and air combat specialist: Dropkick. At first glance, Dropkick seems like the typical deception goon eager for a fight. This thirst for battle doesn’t stem from sadism or a desire for glory, but from a melancholy mood and quickness to boredom. Physical activity, from combat to sports, seems to be the only stimulant that can bring joy and excitement out of him. Outside of these activities, he’s sullen and broody. A dirty brawler and a vicious aerialist, Dropkick is a pure and uncomplicated soldier in an army of reckless and unstable warriors.

Alt mode: Attack helicopter

Inspiration: Bumblebee movie

Notes: Dropkick would form a friendship with Shatter as she shows him different hobbies outside of hitting things.

Warrior and sword specialist: Bludgeon. Former Mayhem Attack Squadron member and practitioner cybertronian mystic arts, Bludgeon’s reputation as a merciless and bloodthirsty swordsman made him the furthest thing from a potential ascenticon member. Thousands of years ago, however, he deserted from the decepticons and went into deep space. His self-exile was to look for a way to destroy entire worlds, believing that planetary sacrifices would mystically revive Cybertron after the allspark was lost. When Bludgeon returned from this quest, he was almost a completely different bot. Why not a socialite before, he was more aloof and meditative than ever before. When asked about his former quest, he solemnly replied that the destruction of worlds would bring more harm than good. The swordsman also took up the ancient art of Metallikato, focusing the raw power of one’s spark into increasing the natural speed of the user to deliver devastatingly fast blows. Metallikato also comes with a strict code of honor; never strike down those who cannot or refuse to defend themselves. Given that most decepticons flatten defenseless species under their boot heels, Bludgeon’s recruitment to the ascenticons was inevitable. Though he has mellowed, he’s still a vicious warrior whose skill seems to defy what’s natural.

Alt mode: Tank

Inspiration: IDW and Cyberverse

Notes: We’d find out that during his mad quest for planetary destruction, Bludgeon would get infected with dark energon. A slumbering Unicron whispers in his ear promises of becoming one of his great heralds and plagues his thoughts with visions of the destruction that the chaos killer will bring once he returns to full power. Knowing Unicron is a corruptive being that feeds off of the hatred and conflict of cybertronians, Bludgeon vowed to resist his dark desires and replace his bloodlust with the honor bound fighting style of metallikato.

Scout and tracker: Scourge. An ancient cybertronian of great renown, Scourge has seen a good number of great leaders fall to corruption and pride. He knows not to speak ill of the decepticon leader, but he knows that Megatron is going down a similar path. He tried to explain his doubts to his partner, Cyclonus,but the warrior’s cybertronian pride blinded him to the decepticon cause’s faults. His wavering loyalty thankfully hasn’t dulled his skills as a scout and sniper. Scourge is an expert tracker and gifted huntsman, relentless in taking down fleeing autobots. Outside of combat, he’s surprisingly well-mannered and studious. He’s got a great interest in studying history, cybertronian or otherwise, especially about the rise and fall of civilizations or empires. If necessity hadn’t made him a Hunter throughout Cybertron’s many conflicts, he’d be a historian.

Alt mode: Cybertronian hovercraft

Inspiration: G1 and IDW comic

Notes: Outside of him sharing the name of Rise of the Beasts main antagonist (who we’ll also be getting to in phase two), the original Scourge hasn’t had a time in the spotlight like Cyclonus had with IDW. He’d have the personality of an old timey british hunter.

Leaders of the Acenticons: The main decepticons in charge of the breakaway faction who plot to overthrow Megatron.

Air commander and Ascenticon leader: Starscream. Once the assistant to scientist Jetfire turned lead senator of Vos, Starscream fully agreed with the ascenticon cause. But once Megatron took command and rebranded them as decepticons, his distaste for his new master and his love of violence grew. Now, the air commander plots to backstab the tyrant and reestablish the ascenticons into a better empire. Despite his “noble” pursuit of changing the decepticon cause from a genocidal dictatorship to militaristic one, Starscream is far from perfect. Egomaniacal and insecure, he’s often prone to outbursts of rage when he isn’t given respect. While the millions of years as second in command have honed his tactical skills, he’s still a coward at heart and will often call for retreat when he and his forces are out matched.

Alt Mode: Fighter Jet

Inspiration: Aligned/IDW/Earthspark

Notes: Starscream’s character development has him realize that his ego and angry outbursts towards failing subordinates makes him more like Megatron than he cares to admit.

Seeker drone commander: Skywarp. Because of his amazing ability of natural teleportation, Skywarp doesn’t seem to take anything seriously. Whether it’s a deadly combat situation or a serious debate over the ethics of warfare, the mean-spirited prankster will always give a smirk and a quip before teleporting away. The only reason he agreed to join Starscream’s sub faction is because he thinks pranking organics is more fun than obliterating them. While he’s not the brightest commander around, he directs his seeker armada with adequate efficiency with surprise ambushes and relentless attacks.

Alt mode: Fighter jet (recolor of Starscream)

Inspiration: IDW2

Notes: I was never attached to Skywarp as a character, but IDW2 made me really like the chaotic teleporter.

Ground drone commander: Thunderblast. The former naval commander craves power and fortune more than anything. Since Thunderblast lacks the raw strength and skills required to usurp others, she instead fawns and flirts over whoever’s the highest ranked bot in her vicinity. When this strategy sent her straight to the CR chamber when attempted on Megatron, Starscream was the obvious next choice. While the air commander finds her gold digging and flirtatious demeanor obnoxious, he sees that she isn’t an airheaded fool like others claim she is. She knows how to use autobot morality to her advantage, pretending to be unskilled as a tactition and helpless until the moment is right to strike. She’s an effective warior on land, but unrivaled when it comes to naval combat.

Alt mode: Cybertronian boat (retool of Scourge)

Inspiration: Unicron trilogy Thunderblast and G1 Starscream

Notes: While I never watched the unicron trilogy, I was introduced to this fun character through fan works. I just think she’s neat.

The third group: As phase one goes on, a third squadron is operating in the shadows with ominous intentions of creating a “secret weapon”. This third group is revealed to be a breakaway faction of autobots lead by the morally dubious Prowl, who’s willing to end the war no matter the cost.

Former Spec ops specialist: Prowl. Once a stern military advisor for Sentinel Prime and morally dubious Spec Ops commander of the autobots, Prowl was dishonorably discharged and sentenced to prison when it was found out that he was going to alter the mind of a well-respected commander (later revealed to be Kup) to tell dare devil mavericks to keep in line. After a surprise escape from his prison, Prowl has a new plan to end the war once and for all. A calculating and cold pragmatist that was once captured and tortured for hundreds of years during the war on cybertron, Prowl’s seen firsthand the cruelty that the decepticons have caused and believes Optimus’s restraint is a weakness. There’s no deed too rotten and no sacrifice he isn’t willing to commit if it means stopping the decepticons from winning.

Alt Mode: Police Car

Inspiration: IDW Prowl

Notes: The prime example of “not all autobots are good”, Prowl is a perfect character for morally grey depictions of the autobot/decepticon war.

Escape artist: Getaway. One of Prowl’s few loyal soldiers, Getaway fully agrees that the ends justify the means when it comes to defeating the decepticons. Unlike his cold and anti-social commander, however, he’s a smooth talker and uses his natural charisma to manipulate others into getting what he wants. A coolheaded escapologist without an equal, Getaway’s growing ego and delusions of grandeur are only matched by his satisfaction at a dirty job well done.

Alt Mode: Sports car

Inspiration: IDW and G1 Getaway

Notes: Unlike Prowl, who shows shreads of guilt over what he’s done, Getaway doesn’t care and even takes delight over manipulating people.

Former leader of the Wreckers: Impactor. Decepticon soldier, autobot wrecker, merciless killer. All titles have been applied to Impactor. One thing many don’t know about him is that he actually does feel guilty over the hard calls he’s made and amoral actions he had to do. After his most brutal crime, executing unarmed prisoners, he was content to rust in jailcell for the remainder of the war. Prowl, needing a capable bodyguard for his exploits, broke him out with Getaway’s aid. The two negotiated and manipulated Impactor into joining their team. While imbittered and reluctant about the situation, the harpoon handed autobot still hates decepticons more than anything.

Alt Mode: Cybertronian tank

Inspiration: IDW Impactor

Notes: Wreckers would be included in this story, but I already got my hands full writing a bunch of other stuff so that team will need to wait their turn.

Warrior and instructor: Arcee. Beloved by the autobots for her sharp wit and feared by decepticons for her ferocity in combat, former teacher Arcee is a hard bot to miss. The reasons for her dedication to her comrades and intensity towards her enemies is simple, the parental bot cares deeply towards those she’s attached to and hates seeing them in pain. Prowl knows how to take advantage of her need to protect her friends and has recruited her to be her primary eyes on the inside. The most morally upright of Prowl’s renegade autobots, Arcee naturally has her outraged objections towards him. But threats to her partner Greenlight and mentee Gauge quickly put her back in line.

Alt mode: Cybertronian rescue car (recolor of Lifeline)

Inspiration: Most incarnations of Arcee

Notes: Arcee’s complicated partnership with Prowl was interesting to me, so I wanted to include it here. We’d learn that Arcee knew Prowl before the decepticon war to an extent and understands that he’s doing the wrong things for the right reasons.

Scavenger and Battlemaster: Pteraxodon. Prowl’s oldest partner and only genuine friend, the astute Pteraxodon is a bot of few words. While his physical body prevents him from being an engineer, he has an eye for powerful tech and scavenges cybertronian bodies for useful tech. An equally cold autobot who believes in absolute punishment towards decepticons, the battlemaster fully agrees with Prowl and is willing to be the execution axe of all decepticons he encounters.

Alt mode: triple changing Blaster/Axe

Inspiration: Siege Pteraxodon and Prowl’s pet pterodactyl in IDW2

Notes: Prowl’s teammates thematically serves as extensions of himself. Getaway is his manipulation of others, Impactor is his willingness to do terrible things despite his guilt, Arcee is his inherent goodness ang genuine belief in the autobot cause for freedom, and Pteraxodon is his cold and unflexing desire to stop the decepticons.

Leaders of the autobots and decepticons. Also included here is Prowl’s secret weapon: Self-explanatory.

Autobot leader: Optimus Prime. If he wasn’t forced into the position of a military commander, Optimus Prime would happily go back to being an archivist/librarian for the Iacon hall of records. The latest and greatest matrix bearer (often described as the one prime to match the heroics of the original thirteen), Optimus prefers negotiating for peace rather than fighting for it. But when fighting must be done, few can match him. Above all other things, he prioritizes saving lives and defending the innocent. He is patient, a remarkable listener despite his social inelegance, and always kind. There are some who believe that he’s not using the matrix’s ability to call upon the experiences and knowledge of the previous primes to its full potential. If he were to cut loose and unleash his full might, the decepticons would be defeated in no time. But if that were to happen, he wouldn’t be Optimus Prime any more.

Alt Mode: Truck

Inspiration: Aligned, original bio and bits of Cyberverse Optimus

Notes: I never got around to finishing Cyberverse, but the episode where Optimus is nervous and unsure during a normal party and steps out to enjoy peace and quiet made me relate/love that version of the character. Sorry, Basketball-playing-G1-Optimus lovers, It’s full introverted and quiet Optimus for me.

Decepticon leader: Megatron. Gladiatorial champion turned warmongering “slag-maker”, the mighty Megatron is one of the cruelest warlords that Cybertron has ever known. A prideful tyrant with little regard for those beneath him, he believes that all things not cybertronian are fodder for his empire. As with many deceitful dictators, his lies are sprinkled with truths. Protoformed into the age of rust as another mining slave for the quintessons, Megatron’s belief that his kind must conquer the galaxy and assert dominance over all is a belief born out of fear. The fear that he will lose his freedom and the power he gained from fighting in the gladiator pits of Kaon. This insatiable hunger for power is reflected in his poor battle strategies, which include full frontal assaults and ramming battleships into space stations. It doesn’t matter how many of his soldiers die, so long as he is standing triumphant on top a mountain of corpses.

Alt mode: Cybertronian tank (ala the Siege toy)

Inspiration: Aligned (especially the wfc/foc games) and original bio Megatron

Notes: Starscream would be the main decepticon going through redemption here. Megatron, while having moments of sympathy, is the villain through and through.

Prowl’s secret weapon: Nemesis Prime. A clone of the autobot leader, commissioned by Prowl and created by a quintesson scientist named Deseeus. Using a copy of Optimus’s brain module, Prowl removed everything that he believed was holding the prime back from ending the war. The result is more devastating and horrific than he could’ve imagined. Nemesis is all the dark urges, angry thoughts, and built-up frustrations Optimus has gained from fighting a four-million-year war rolled into an unstable killing machine. Sadistic decepticons, amoral autobots, organic dictators, everyone and anyone Optimus privately hated will be given no mercy or empathy.

Alt mode: Truck (recolor of Optimus)

Inspiration: Most Nemesis Primes and Bayverse Optimus

Notes: The final arc of phase one will by a slasher story of Nemesis killing villainous people one by one across the galaxy. The rampage ends with Optimus slaying his dark counterpart and Prowl being taken prisoner, but there’s unease in the air. This monster was not an Optimus turned evil, but An Optimus who wasn’t strong enough to be gentle. The autobots who viewed their leader’s kindness and willingness to forgive as weaknesses are silent, and decepticons/ascenticons now see just how deadly the prime can be when it’s absolutely needed. Despite their disadvantages, the autobots are going to win this war because of Optimus.

One more thing to note. The drone soldiers: Reversed engineered from quintesson technology, clone drones are mass produced soldiers made of cheap metals and basic combat programing. Because of their lack of resources, autobot drones are few and far between while decepticon drones are boundless. While not nearly as skilled in fighting as regular cybertronians, the sparkless bots can still overwhelm their enemies and get the job done. Primarily inspired by the vehicons of Beast Machines and generic troops you fight in transformers video games.

Next part will be phase two.

[eurovision-revisited]

Eurovision 2003 - Number 45 - Ruffus - "Eighties Coming Back"

It's Claire's Birthday! Seriously. Until shortly before EuroLaul 2003 Ruffus were called Claire's Birthday and had released three LPs in the early 2000s. They represent what is definitely a Baltic sensibility when it comes to Eurovision; a distinct soft alt or indie rock sound and attitude.

Eighties Coming Back is pure nostalgia encapsulated in gentle rock form. At this point in time, the 80s were not the flavour of the month. They had not yet come back. That was a least five years away - the thought of that era's return was unfashionable and the lyrics of the songs seem to convey that. The very thought inspires sleepless nights. Remembering the hairstyles conjures nausea and despondency. Yes kids, you're going to grow old. Then someone else's kids are going to rediscover your youth. They'll claim a remixed, subverted, artificial version of it as their own, and then it won't be yours any more. The whole song feels that malaise - the winding down at the end of a generation.

That's a bit too much of an existential crisis to be the norm for a Eurovision song and perhaps Ruffus did not expect to be here. They only won EuroLaul by a single point then could only reach 21st at Eurovision.

After their own identity crisis, the band split later in 2003. Lead singer Vaiko Eplik went solo and has released 16 subsequent albums at a rate of about one a year. He's also written two of the more celebrated EuroLaul and Eesti Laul entries in subsequent years. The rest of the band also stayed in the music industry. Bassist Ivo Etti joined Ewart and the Two Dragons, drummer Margus Tohver joined thrash metal band Palat, Siim Mäesalu went back into academia to study electronic music whilst Jaan Pehk turned to poetry but has been a guitarist in several other Estonian bands.

[vt-scribbles]

hello!!! on your sona-- can i just say, the living storm motif you have going on is SO sick. just. aauaugh the fire breathing and the electrokinesis and the fact that LIGHTNING ACTS AS A CATALYST FOR HIS POWERS??? THAT IS SO COOL.

anyways! a few questions. apologies if you've already covered these on your blog-- who are the other members of the caravan V joins? what was his reaction the first time he grew to a massive size, e.g. 100'+? are there any limits to his powers--or, at least, any interesting quirks you wanna share?

thanks again for the link to your alt!

SHOVES EVERYTHING OFF MY DESK

I have been /inhale/ ENABLED

OKAY HERE WE GO

DISCLAIMER: Very mild backstory/power Spoilers ahead! Anything discussed in asks or posts is not final and may change in the completed version of Find Your Wings!

Who are the other members of the caravan V joins:

Caravans are common in the land of Olmia. Being that it's a land magic, dragons, and other massive predators that'd sooner eat travelers than watch them pass through, 'strength in numbers' is a rule, not a suggestion. It's common for a caravan to have at least 10 members, 1 of which should always be magically inclined in some way in the case of emergencies of the mythical kind. A weapons expert or two is preferable, as is someone with at least a mild acuity for cooking.

V's caravan was no exception. It was a jaunty group of traders, with a leader, a few magic users, a drake, and a collection of civilians. They took him in, despite the caution of a few members, and quickly taught him the ways of a nomad. His leader owned a small storefront in a far-off city called 'Gadale', which they stopped in on now and then to trade goods. None of the other members particularly stood out... aside from one.

Without sharing too much, V met a charming young man who, for lack of a more graceful way to put it, gave V his first proper

experience.

The two had a fiery, flirtatious relationship for a while, but for reasons that would not be fair to discuss outside of the book, they parted ways. But that first crush has never stopped thundering deep in the back of V's mind, occasionally flashing through his dreams like distant lightning off a shore.

What was his reaction to being 100 feet+ tall for the first time:

Horror.

After joining the caravan, V took great pains to keep his size shifting hidden. He had only done it once, in the conflict with his family. In said conflict, he only shifted up a small bit. Perhaps a few feet, enough to almost hit the ceiling. He had no idea... just how big he could get.

And then one day, while sparring with someone, or perhaps during a fight in a storm... he was struck by lightning for the first time. At first, there was panic, as nobody knew yet that he could withstand a strike. The panic quickly melted into confusion and mild fear from his companions, as nobody knew what had happened.

None were more afraid than he was.

His body felt bloated, hulking, as if everything around him would be shattered if he dared touch it. He waited for the ground to crumble and swallow him up, but it never came. Not knowing how to shift back down, he hunkered on his side and waited out the next sixteen hours.

Later on, he honed his abilities out of fear of being stuck huge again one day. He learned how to shift up and back down by a foot or two, but never took it further.

It wasn't until years later that he finally began practicing these skills to the point where he can now reach 200 feet with ease, and shift back down at a moment's notice if needed.

But he's never recovered from that first experience.

Are there any limits to his powers or interesting quirks:

Calling V a 'living storm' is so ironic in ways that I cannot reveal, but just keep that phrasing in mind when I eventually release the pilot >:3

ANYWAYS.

Quirks and Limitations that I feel are noteworthy that aren't too spoilery:

Shifting up rips his clothes if they're not properly enchanted.

The bigger he is, the more energy it consumes.

He needs to be able to breathe in and out to use both his fire breath and his electrokinesis!

His wings cannot be summoned in a completely dark space.

He has to physically recite a spell when he wants to willingly turn invisible, which is a bit inconvenient when you're probably trying to hide from something.

He can still be detected while invisible. Either by throwing something like dust or water on him, or by a skilled magic user who is experienced with 'illusion detection.'

[sequestered-song-skirmish]

Round 1 Poll 53

Hyper Realistic Eyes：　「it is so ridiculously good. it just sounds so crunchy and it's clear the artist was so passionate about it, plus it's about being a kid and reading creepypastas which is just a great subject matter. just a very good song overall」

The Nightmare Song：　「While The Nightmare Song and the operetta it's from (Iolanthe) may not be totally obscure, I think this specific version of it is niche enough to count for this competition. Martyn Green was one of D'Oyly Carte's best comic baritones, and his performances in Gilbert and Sullivan shows are wonderful. However, while his renditions of G&S numbers are not impossible to find, they're also not easy to get ahold of either. The YouTube video I've linked to is actually an almost hour-long collection of Martyn Green singing G&S songs, and the whole thing has only about 1.1K views. (I don't know if it's on Spotify as I don't have a Spotify account) I've sent a timestamped link, to where the song starts at 38:30. The Nightmare Song itself is an entertaining and impressive example of patter, which showcases the talent and diction of its performer.」

The timestamp works for me currently, but I can't promise it will after posting. If it doesn't in the embed, perhaps it will in the link above.

PaddleOut：　「paddleout (and raven underground's music in general) has just really really solid guitar work. i happened upon this artist a couple years back? i don't remember exactly how, i think it was a chance spotify recommendation of something off of The War for Bohemia album. I ended up liking the Pangolin Bloodbath album more, though. anyway i fell in love with PaddleOut. the main riff is so smooth and the slides on the notes are so masterful. what's awesome is the riff shows up again in another song later on the album, UV Light. i love leitmotifs so bad... the vocalist has sort of an emo-ish lilt to their voice, but somehow it fits in really well with the overall indie rock/alt rock/mild grunge aesthetic of the instrumentals (i'm bad at genre identification don't @ me). PaddleOut has a really great full sound and i used to listen to it to fall asleep when taking naps. good ass song.

i know it has a bit more than the allotted streams/views but ive still not met another person who knows about Raven Underground unless i introduced it to them.」

(In case it's important to anyone, below is the only upload of the song on YouTube, which is unofficial and has <100 views. Their official YT has just under 900 subscribers. On Spotify, about 11K monthly listeners and 20K-ish for this song.)

[teaandsconeswrites]

The Monster Maketh the Man

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/43542124/chapters/112227922

I’ve been pretty lax about posting my fics here, so I’m going to try to remember to post my updates on Tumblr too from now on.

Alt Text & Chapter Preview Below:

Rating: M (Optional E side chapter later on, with both a ZC and TTL version)

Universe: SCP Foundation AU

Estimated Final Wordcount: >100k

Summary: Secure. Contain. Protect.

These are the words Zhongli lives by, working his way up the ranks of the SCP Foundation—an organisation dedicated to protecting humanity against anomalous threats. Now a respected researcher, he has spent the past two months as a consultant in Sumeru. His time on his current case at its end, the details of his next assignment arrive: he will relocate to Snezhnaya to assist with the initial analysis of a freshly contained SCP—a creature infused with forbidden energy and an insatiable drive to fight any who dare enter its containment cell.

For a man who has built his career on the principle of protecting humanity, his new assignment will test his resolve as he discovers that there is humanity even in the most monstrous of appearances, and a little monster hidden in the places least expected.

Tags: Alternate Universe - SCP Foundation / Modern Setting / No Visions, Supernatural Elements, Suspense, Plot Twists, Unethical Experimentation, Ethical Dilemmas, Worldbuilding, Built on lore up to and including Version 3.2, Childe's Foul Legacy Transformation, Captivity, SCP Foul Legacy, SCP Researcher Zhongli, Power Imbalance, Although they don't get together until that's resolved, Age Difference, Ajax is 22 Zhongli is 31, widower Zhongli, Past GuiLi, Guilt, Angst, Slow Burn, Angst with a Happy Ending, Torture (Of SCP-231), Minor mentions of loss / grief / moving on in relation to Guizhong, Blood and Violence

Chapter Preview: It takes three days for the maintenance team to repair SCP-72030’s containment cell, and a further day for the observation window to receive additional reinforcements. Although the testing of SCP-72030 has been placed on temporary hiatus, the less experienced staff working on the ground floor of Site-300-14 have kept Zhongli busy, eager to absorb any expertise he has to share.

It’s quite flattering to have his reputation considered so highly even this far from home.

Or perhaps they simply prefer to ask Zhongli over their less than savoury Site Director.

Following the initial experiment, which Simran declared a roaring success, he has taken to strutting about the office, bragging of his success in determining the exact containment parameters to optimise both security and cost efficiency.

Zhongli struggles to understand what he should make of the situation. On the one hand, Simran is correct, it is vital that the containment cell is reinforced to a degree that SCP-72030 cannot escape and harm neither the site staff, nor the world at large, but on the other, the data from the previous session haunts Zhongli's nights, hanging over his shoulder like a malicious spirit.

It might be a fluke. Due to many of the subjects in SCP Foundation existing in a state where they cannot be directly studied, the machine is not directly hooked into Foul Legacy itself. Instead, readings are taken from the external surroundings to deduce the anomaly’s internal conditions. Occasionally, this can result in erroneous conclusions. For example, indicating a human pain response in what is clearly an inhuman, elemental being.

Zhongli prefers not to think upon the implications otherwise.

On the fifth day the maintenance staff give the all clear to resume work on SCP-72030, and Zhongli arrives an hour earlier than required. The task Simran planned for today is simple—establish a greater array of base readings before analysing the direction of their research should head, or if they should continue at all.

However, Zhongli has observations of his own to make.

He steps into the observation room, the scent of bleach and disinfectant hitting him head on. The whole place has been cleaned immaculately, not the slightest sign of a footprint on the sleek vinyl flooring. Of course it wouldn’t do for any evidence of their sins to remain unscrubbed from the place; Simran would never allow his staff to linger too long on the implications of their actions, lest they develop some semblance of conscience.

His workstation is as he left it, although a cleaner has bundled the network cables neatly in the back corner. Zhongli sets the observation blind to open as he boots his machine.

This morning is time for himself and SCP-72030, alone.

[brennacedria]

5, 18, 26 for whoever is dominating your brain right now.

I'll do one couple per question, and the answers are true to the timeline, so...? It's long, though, so under the cut it goes.

5. How do they consciously realize that they like the other character? Does it take them a while?

Oh, for Elissa and Alistair, when was it? I think the first sort of moment is around the time they got to Lothering. He flirted, badly, to distract her from Ostagar and the Wilds and disgustingly damp weather. It worked. I'm pretty sure they weren't official until just before the first night at Redcliffe, but the bad flirting in Lothering was the doki doki *gulp* you're-cute-when-you-blush moment.

18. They’re going through something incredibly difficult—perhaps they’re very sick, have lost a loved one, or have gone through a traumatic event. Do they ask for or accept support and care from their partner, or try to isolate themselves?

...okay listen, I know it's an ask meme, but do they have to call Hawke out like this? ^_~

Seriously(ish) though, since there are technically two versions of Ria, this varies so I'm going to stick with alt!Ria and Sebastian. Between Bethany's death in the deep roads and Leandra's death a few years later, alt!Ria just... stops, for a while. She's not in an active relationship with anyone at either of those times, but Sebastian becomes a sort of a caretaker after Ria loses her mother. Sure, Bodahn can handle general household business. Sebastian steps up and handles her personal business until she's able to come back to the world. Ria never asks him to do it, and if he'd stopped helping before she was ready to return to normal she wouldn't know how to ask him to come back. But he does help, and she recognizes and is extremely grateful for him.

They hook up right around the time she gets back to normal again.

26. They have an argument with their partner—what is it about? Do things stay respectful, or is there some shouting and accusing going on?

*big inhale* Okay, time for Vee. Vrania and Cullen have... history. And history is potential drama. She's only lost her cool on him a handful of times, and it was very angry and shouty and accusing. Luckily, those times have been about things other than their relationship. The thing is, as reformed as Vrania is from her youth... she's not willing to give up what she's gotten, and so she never has confessed to him, or will confess, what happened during Uldred's rebellion. And if it ever does come up some how, and it turns into one of Those Shouty-Fights? He won't remember in the morning anyway. She'll magick that big-bad fight into nothing more than a big-bad dream when she's ready to be nice again.