#; headcanon.

[vapingcat]

Himbo energy

I know he probably didn't, but Jack Fenton seems like the type of dude to take his wife's last name.

[foulwitchknight]

Eddie leaves his rings as courting gifts for Steve thinking he’ll pick up his intentions. However Steve keeps giving back the rings he finds. It happens one too many times that Eddie falls into rejection sickness very close to his rut. Steve visits him worried and ends up helping him through it. The next morning while Steve is cooking breakfast he finds the ring that Eddie was going to use to ask him to officially court. He tears up when he realizes it’s engraved with ‘My omega’. He immediately goes to wake up Eddie calls him a dingus and tells him how he’s been waiting forever to be his.

[idolbound]

The way that I approach Meredith in either of her redemptive AUs (e.g. Inquisition or Veilguard), is that, after her red lyrium idol sword, Certainty, blows up in her face (and ergo seen as a rejection from the Maker after she called on Him), being exiled serves as an important purpose to helping Meredith realize she was wrong, and understanding that she went too far.

After being exiled out of Kirkwall (think a bloodier, more injured and rushed version of Cersei being walked through King's Landing), for the Inquisition verse, she ventures amidst the outbreak of the mage-templar rebellion, trying to not only heal and recover, but to survive without a direct supply of lyrium. In some ways, she'd have access to supplies here and there for the right amount of coin but as the conflict continues, it becomes harder to get. As the Inquisition forms and moves to Skyhold, and word spreads, she makes the perilous journey there (scarred up, far weaker, and gaunt looking than she once was), and begs the Inquisitor to allow her to join; she is basically a sellsword at this point looking for lyrium supply to stave off the awful effects of withdrawal, but also as a way to try and at least redeem herself and to give herself purpose again. Of course, Culllen and Varric won't be happy she's there, but if accepted, she tends to keep to herself, finding quarters in basically a storage closet, sleeping on bags of feed for the horses and keeps her head down, going where she is demanded to go. She's like a ghost in Skyhold, knowing she failed Kirkwall and failed herself. Over time, with the completion of her personal quest (retrieving personal items from the Gallows/Kirkwall), she finds a new resolve and will survive for about 7-10 years after the Inquisition is over before lyrium dementia will finally set in. (If her personal quest is not completed, she will die serving the Inquisition).

For Veilguard, the tale is spun a little differently. In those 3 years, she still spends time reflecting on herself, but as access to lyrium becomes more difficult, she becomes more desperate and instead, after slowly, horrifically going through withdrawal and looking far worse for wear, she ends up travelling west to enlist with the Wardens as a last resort to save herself from an inevitable end (by, well, choosing another inevitable end). While she has years of experience as a templar, she ends up re-training to serve on the front lines against darkspawn, and eventually, some believe her ability to successfully suppress magic can be useful against certain types of darkspawn, so they secure a supply of lyrium which reinvigorates her strength and capability. But in this time, she is also much of a loner among the Wardens. While they accept nefarious types and criminals, those who know what she did let her know as such, even if it risks having solidarity in the ranks. But in this time, of course, she spends it fighting and giving herself to another cause (all she knows how to do is to serve an institution and something greater). Only after Weisshaupt, can she surface as a possible companion for the Veilguard, should they require her services.

For both verses, though, I think the act of redemption does not necessarily mean that Meredith is suddenly a good person. She's not. But! what it does mean is that she has been removed from the social institution that shaped her personal beliefs and allowed her to oppress mages; it is hard to see the evil when you are inside of it, but once exiled from the Order and Kirkwall more broadly, and spending time alone, she comes to realize that using the idol to gain more power and control was too much, and in a way, it's almost like how mages use blood magic to achieve similar purposes, and that is the very thing she hates the most.

Ultimately, she knows what life she has left to live is an early death sentence; she saw how her adoptive father slowly faded away from lyrium-related dementia, and knows that fate will likely be hers, too. So, Meredith believes that achieving redemption for herself is not to make up for the lives she has hurt and harmed, but to serve and protect others until her dying breath; it is the least she can do because it is all she has ever known.

She still holds prejudice towards mages (and that will always be ingrained in her), but she lacks the power to do anything about their existence now. She cannot let go of her early childhood trauma and general fear of what magic can do, but she has been removed from her station and the means to persecute mages. If the Inquisitor or Rook has mages in their ranks, she accepts it without argument (but she will be avoidant or weary around them, always keeping a watchful eye, just in case).

Also, in this sense, living in exile (despite living under rather unprecedented or... interesting times), is the first time Meredith has ever lived a normal life outside of the Gallows and the Order, and the demands of the Chantry. So this also plays into her redemptive arc by allowing her to experience things she's never gotten to do before, understanding life from a vastly different perspective (even if it is during a time when the world may be ending, and for a very short time compared to her old life).

In the end, redemption for Meredith is not a full 180 degree turn around for her character, but regret weighs heavily upon her; regret for what she did, regret for failing Kirkwall, and regret for never having a life outside of it.

She is haunted by ghosts; she is haunted by herself.

[recitedemise]

𝗠𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗚𝗮𝗹𝗲'𝘀 𝘃𝘂𝗹𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗴𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘂𝗺𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲𝘀, 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗠𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗽𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿. This lengthy headcanon will refer to canon dialogue from mostly Gale, sometimes others. Reader's discretion is advised. There will be in depth explorations into grooming, emotional abuse, heavy manipulation, and suicide.

First, let it be said that Gale, a mortal man, will always be the powerless one in his dynamic with Mystra. Of course, nearing forty years of age, he remains entirely responsible for his own actions, his own blunders and every hurt he'll cause, but it's important to remember who formed much of who he is: his goddess, his deity, and egregiously, his lover.

Mystra is power. Mystra is possibility. She knows what sway she holds over her Ioyal, vulnerable, and entirely mortal followers. In all ways that matter, they are but lambs she can steer and herd as she sees fit. She knows they can't deny her and knows they'll never want to. Gale's sheer servitude and complete devotion. Mystra, knowing that, used him to filth.

Gale: I was just... practising an incantation. Player Character: No, there's more to it than that. I know devotion when I see it. Gale: What can I say? She's—she's Mystra. I can't describe it, the need I sometimes feel to see her - to draw the filaments of fantasy into existence... Mystra is all magic. And as far as I'm concerned, she is all creation. Player Character: I didn't realize the depth of your devotion. Gale: Magic is... my life. I've been touched with the Weave for as long as I can remember. There's nothing like it.

Gale, orb in his chest, doomed to be eaten by the very thing he loves the most, still speaks so reverently of the goddess, of his lover that has left him to die. He conjures images of her memory—and she is all the while forgetting about his.

Minsc: Gale reminds me of vremyonni of my homeland. The man-mages of Rasheman. While the girl-folk go on to rule as wychlaran, Weave-touched boys were hidden away. Trained to work their craft in silence and secrecy. It is an old custom, not well-observed. In truth, I thought it born of caution after some catastrophe of wizardly men-folk of old. Now, I wonder if it was not done to hide them from Mystra, and the snares she sets for young and prideful boys, hm?

Tales of Mystra's treachery spreads far, leaving those familiar waters surrounding Gale's tower in Waterdeep. They whisper her name, afraid to utter it one time too many, suspecting, perhaps, that she'll show in their mirror like some Faerûnian Bloody Mary.

Talent rouses Mystra. She can see who uses the gift of the Weave and feel them, sampling whatever delight sings their veins as they pull from her domain. Not unlike a spider, she'll follows every tremor that strikes her as just a sliver more profound; and Gale, a prodigy, plucked the Weave's web to so garner her focus. And like some black widow scurrying, she surged down that ripple to prey on a boy. There, Gale, so impressionable, was just a mite older than twelve whole summers. He sat so stunned, beholding Mystra as she lured him into the cradle of her Astral domain. Bathed in her magic, pleasantly coddled within that glittering cosmos, Gale felt blessed in a way he'll struggle always to recount, no word, no language, fit to describe it. He felt chosen. He felt seen. And potently, to a child, he felt loved. Now, imagine a child experiencing something like that. Imagine what they'd think, how brilliant they must be when stood beside the rest. She told him he was gifted, made his heart swell not unlike a child's appetite for praise. She knew what she was doing by offering these morsels, by preying on a child's most delicate mind, and Gale, child prodigy, was already so awash in the idea that his value was in magic. Unfortunately, Gale, susceptible, had no way of squirming out of his goddess' grasp.

Reality: She's laid down the seeds to creep into his heart. When he's just old enough—seventeen's sufficient, she thinks—she stakes her claim and makes him hers.

Gale: My virtuosic talent once caught the eye of the goddess of magic herself, Mystra, who named me her chosen and her lover.

Gale is stunned when she takes him to bed the first time. (Is this really happening?) Mystra claims his mouth in a kiss, taking everything she knows he offers so willingly. Mystra, of course, is not so stunned.

Dream Visitor: An elder brain... one of the cruelest and most powerful creatures in existence, enslaved by mere mortals. Gale, tasked with Mystra's missive to sacrifice himself: This is it... I must do as Mystra commands.

Gale has worryingly low self-esteem beyond his magic. As already explored, his entire worth as a man hinged on and was built entirely off his talent as a wizard. He fought tooth and nail for any crumb of affection Mystra would offer his way, something she only gave him at all seeing his gift as a child. He wants her forgiveness. He desires it genuinely. He believes so firmly that he has wronged his goddess, buying into the idea that sacrificing himself will right his wrong. She holds such dominion over him, making him reduce his confidence in himself into a mere, trifling pittance; after all, she wasn't just his lover, but the patron deity he prays to. And regardless, Gale is a people pleaser, his initial acceptance of her missive coming as no surprise.

After all, Gale, at times, goes to incredible lengths to appease his audience. This habit, compulsion, impulse, whatever you want to call it, is a quality that was relentlessly exacerbated in his relationship with his immortal paramour. He wanted to content her, felt all he did was never enough, for as a matter of principle, he was oceans, leagues, and entire galaxies beneath her. Gale figures: well, how can a short-lived dalliance satisfy a god? He had to make her happy. Indeed, he'd done everything she'd ask. He'd bedded her how she liked, kissed her how she wanted, and of course, even said those words she'd said tasted best. She was his lover, a lover that never tended to his own needs and pleasures, and he fooled himself into thinking that's enough. He won't bend backwards for everyone, mind you, but if you're of the ones he would, he would stop at nothing to make you happy. After all, people pleasing is a way to keep oneself safe, a trauma response to sidestep discomfort, and though it achieves only a direly tentative peace, when that is all you've been fed, you will pursue it.

Gale did not want to lose Mystra; he couldn't bare the sting of it. And so, when Elminster visited him, Mystra's call for his death offered oh so callously, Gale, heartbroken, felt that part of him kick up. He couldn't endure the guilt, was so hungry for a chance to let his weighty heart breathe, even if it meant dying in the process.

At least this way, he'll finally do something right. At least this way, Mystra will forgive him, and all his friends will survive.

Gale: After I was afflicted with my condition, I locked myself in my tower for an entire year. I was inconsolable, wallowing in my self-inflicted tragedy. I'd given up on myself.

As a byproduct of people pleasing, Gale, too, is all too quick to accept all guilt. He self-deprecates, gaslights himself to a venomous degree, and twists his reality in so cruel a way as to make him the villain Mystra'd led him to believe. He self-flagellates himself, the first one in the world who will throw Gale of Waterdeep a mental punishment. Mystra's a goddess, after all, seen as utterly faultless, and twined so tightly with a being so mighty in esteem, Gale slipped into the role of the guilty often. When tied with anyone with grandeur like this, so immeasurable in their own self worth, it's important to keep in mind this: you are nothing but a prop in which to fulfill their ego. Gale was not Mystra's, not by a long shot. Rather, Gale was a tool, simply her mortal extension.

And he took every blow meant for her... a common and terrible habit for many people in imbalanced, ego-fueled relationships.

Gale's life beyond her wasn't something that interested her. She took most of Gale's devotion, manipulated his life to be her sole mantle of attention, for Mystra is not a goddess that shares very happily.

Indeed, long before his self-imposed isolation, this jealous deity did well at keeping him isolated.

Player Character: Picture kissing him. With tenderness. Then, with passion. Gale: I... I didn't think— Narrator: You perceive quick-fire embarrassment, trepidation, and finally... elation.

And so, cheated out of love, so reduced in his value as a man and lover both, suffice to say, Gale's slow to believe he can ever be loved. That's what happens when you're with someone so cold, consistent only in their infinite lack of respect. Gale looks at fondness, and he feels—confounded, to be sure. He thinks, is this truly mine to have? He doesn't know what to do, is nearly forty in game, and despite having lived decades devoted to one relationship, he feels, at the same time, entirely out of depth. To be frank, he greets it with embarrassment, like he's been caught red handed with something not his at all. He's like a child caught rummaging with his hand in a cookie jar, all this isn't mine to enjoy, not mine to indulge in, but he thinks, startled, but god, do I want. He wars with disbelief, uncertainty, and need, and in so many ways feeling utterly starved, with just a glimmer of affection, he falls fast into love.

Scenario: (And if properly romanced, it changes his world.)

Gale: In her (Mystra's) likeness, I used to read a thousand stories. She was beauty, wisdom, elegance, power... she contained universes. But now... it is hard to see any redeeming qualities in a lover who condemned you to death. I'd much rather gaze into your eyes than hers. Yours are capable of tenderness and feeling... No god could ever compare.

He says it with sincerity. There is such wonder, such love, and such awe in his eyes. He makes the act of kissing him feel like you've just reached into the trenches to but pluck him soundly from his ruin and despair. You think, Gale Dekarios, how unloved have you been all this time?

Gale: To know you love me for the man I am, and not the magic I command… none have loved me so purely before.

The answer is: entirely.

For so long, Gale thought love was simply being chosen. He knew nothing of being favored for the quality of his character, to be cherished and accepted even in those ways he fumbles and lacks. Again, his needs were seldom met, often treated with utter indifference by Mystra herself, and to meet someone so eager to treasure him, dote on him in a way his heart, his body is somberly new to, raptures his spirit and captures his soul. He's seen for who he is. He's... loved, desired for his silly quips, his easy smiles, and his growing affections. He bares himself to them, and in turn, they cradle his heart like something entirely precious. Gale thinks this has to be dream. He says, at times, you are more than I deserve.

Scenario: (But sometimes, he hopes too strongly and loves too greatly. As it always does, then, like he's once more wanted too much, he watches something beautiful slip right through his fingers. Of course, Gale Dekarios. Of course it does.)

Player Character: I didn't know you felt so strongly, Gale. Gale: Perhaps I should have done more. Been more charming, more flattering, harder to reach... but I was only myself, and sometimes that isn't enough.

They don't love him anymore. It breaks his heart. He hurts so much, so profoundly and deeply, and he doesn't realize that he breaks their heart in turn.

Unable to ever voice his feelings with Mystra in any way that amounted to much, Gale's a tendency to wallow, expressions coming off as potentially 'guilt-tripping' and even, on occasion, passive aggressive. Firstly: Gale NEVER means to manipulate emotions, and he's no intention of twisting anyone's arm, either. Fact is, Gale, never taken seriously when he'd bared his vulnerabilities to the Mother of the Weave, can end up saying just a little too much. He feels very deeply, and for most his life, seldom had an outlet for these weeping sentiments. He sometimes lets slip raw words and oftentimes heart-wrenching expressions; all the same, it's not so pitiful as to shepherd an outcome, but rather, is a gesture taken by a man so desperate to be heard. It may feel like scheming, but the truth is far, far greyer: feeling as though he's no right to share the depth of his heart, Gale simply lets it geyser out in a way he can't cork up. In ways he doesn't realize, he's adapted to this ache, passively reacting so his feelings can at least be seen and recognized—no matter how pitifully unwhole. With someone who values so little his thoughts... well, when he slips into these moods, one can hardly feign shock.

Situation: (And if no one shows him trust and tenderness, any true care in his character or worth, Gale gets swallowed up by how wronged he was.

He thinks: Let me be a god. Let no one hurt like me anymore.)

Gale: They only want us to serve them, pray to them...and ultimately, to die for them. But what if we didn't need them? What if we wielded their power instead and helped ourselves in all the ways they refuse to? I could make that happen.

Gale is not above anger, and as stated, he is not above pettiness; however, more than that, he is not above righting himself whatever wound he was struck. Gale, if not offered much by ways of affection, understanding, is made to believe that one idea that's lived growing in his mind: Gale Dekarios is far from sufficient; he has to be more. He has to be better. Gale, in such an unkind ending for himself, sips too desperately—and perhaps greedily, too, but desperately serves as a far better word—at that idea that he needs power. And so, wresting the Crown of Karsus for himself, he spites Mystra in his own way, becoming a god he feels is leagues better than she will ever be. Damn her thoroughly. Damn her ego, her power, and her endless indifference. He will serve the people, protect them, and in ways Mystra never could, better the world.

Situation: But as a god, he loses all sense of his kindness. Humanity. All who loved him leave him, and even Tara spurns the image he's become. With power, he's gained the respect he thought he always wanted... but in turn, he lost in even greater measure all the love he's known.

Endnote: But healing, knowing to forgive himself and knowing he's deserving of care simply for being Gale Dekarios will remain, always, the best path for him.

[sunhated-a]

There is a huge part of Muzan that hungers for the world. And, when asked, he will cloak his motivations with layers upon layers of malice. He will claim he wants to kill every living being, an echo of the bitterness he felt at being abandoned.

For all of his talks of grand conquest of humanity, his true motivations are painfully mundane. For all of his life he has been stifled and limited. Though he was born into wealth, he still lived as a bird in a gilded cage. One he could not escape even if he had been born ablebodied, fated to just be married off and carry on a lineage for a family name he cared nothing about, most likely.

He expected some relief when he was turned into a demon, but in reality he just traded one illness for another. Because though he possessed a healthy and immensely powerful body, he was denied the soft comfort the sun once provided.

He could never live as a man.

He was forced to become this. In time he would come to embrace and relish his demonic nature, but it didn't come naturally. It didn't come easy.

Even through it all, Muzan has never even come close to what he truly wanted. His near encounter with death left him with a deep fear. A fear so powerful that he's stopped prioritizing self actualization, and instead he works relentlessly towards self preservation.

[xluciifer]

Do NOT give Lucifer nicknames.

He absolutely hates it, especially if it's not somebody he either likes, cares about or trusts.

There's no Luci, Lulu, Lu, or whatever other nickname you come up with when speaking to him.

To YOU it's Lucifer, your highness, your majesty, my liege, etc.

Easiiiest way to get on his shit list because it shows him you have no RESPECT for him. And he'll very easily show why you don't want to be on that list.

[foulwitchknight]

O!Steve is convinced that the time he’s spent around omegas and his pups and Robin has made him immune to puppy eyes. That is until he meets A!Eddie who has the biggest brown eyes he’s ever seen. One look and he has Steve catering to his every whim even before he even realizes he’s doing it. Steve thinks it’s a little pathetic that an Alpha he just met has this kind of effect on him and he tries extra hard to hide it because he knows Eddie doesnt feel the same.

[nectaric]

hc + eros

eros has old money rich, preppy pretty boy energy, and i mean that in every way possible. his relationship with his parents is incredibly complicated (with ares, moreso than with aphrodite), but he's always been well provided for. there's some really interesting undertones in his relationship with aphrodite that might make some people bat an eye, but the momma's boy allegations cannot be beat !!

he also has the arrogance and charm and nonchalant everyone owes me everything attitude. most things in life have been handed to him on a silver platter, and when they aren't, he can usually worm his way out of it with help from his mother.

not to mention this is the kind of stuff he wears

[idolbound]

As @breathandshadow mentioned, Meredith would almost certainly be haunted by the spirits of mages she has killed.

It is canon that the veil in Kirkwall is thin, and the transition between reality and the Fade is easier to achieve than in other places. Thus, I imagine that spirits do linger, and death follows Meredith.

Perhaps to some who are more sensitive to this, notice it wherever Meredith goes. It is perhaps why her presence is, well, not just intimidating but full of dread when she passes through the city.

With regards to Meredith's paranoia, she already imagines that apostate blood mages are "around every corner", as Orsino claims, and the thought of ghosts lingering in the Templar Hall, Meredith's office, the barracks, and her personal quarters amplifies her paranoia - even more so as the red lyrium sets in during Act 3, where the mere days before Anders destroys the Chantry, she actively paces the halls at night, investigating the shadows, trying to find what she feels following her every step of the way.

[recitedemise]

𝗚𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲, 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗿. Make no mistake, when you're signing up for any course taught by Professor Dekarios, you can expect a rigorous, trying, and extremely rewarding time. Gale, as an instructor with high expectations -- both for himself and for his pupils -- will never allow 'taking it easy' to feel acceptable. Slack on your coursework, and rest assured, you will be in for murder and a half of an exam-season crunch. When signing up for him, he expects you to take your studies very seriously. As such, with not a hint of interest in wasting your time, he will thoroughly test your abilities and challenge your limits. He does this out of care, both for the integrity of his field and the sheer love of learning, and when one chances on his seminars with his funny worded lectures, one would see easily his love for his craft.

He's animated and excited. He encourages participation and offers both spectacle and awe. He'd veil the ceiling with the stars or reanimate a small mouse to scamper about the floor. He's a man of bold actions and incredibly strong impressions, and as such, he aims as much as possible to captivate his classroom -- an endeavor, of course, that can both endear and frustrate. To most, his unparalleled zeal would feel borderline infectious. He may be a difficult grader and offers very little room to catch up when you slack, but his reputation to most would be challenging but fair -- and, to most who pass him, actually inspiring.

In fact, it isn't all too difficult to believe why students (and a great deal of them, too!) would like him. Beyond his fame, of course, he is also known to be an incredibly thoughtful man. Invested in his pupils, he consistently supports visiting him during any time during his office hours. If time permits it, too, he'd even offer a little 1:1 session. In fact, he'd even go so far as to pick out the interests and the strengths of particular students. If one struggles in illusion, for example, he may notice instead that they've a fondness for the clerical. In that instance, he would do his research to offer them prospects in that field that would offer more enjoyment, pulling up eligible courses and instructors he vets.

Overall, Gale is a difficult, sometimes unorthodox, controversial, and invigorating professor. And what's more, it doesn't seem he's a love saved for only wizardry and spellcraft, but a most genuine devotion to his students as well.

[tornadotame]

KATE’S NOTABLE INJURIES AND SCARS

scrape on her right bicep from brushing too close to broken chicken wire behind her barn.

appendicitis scar.

slightly botched stick & poke tattoo in the shape of a tornado tucked just beneath her right breast, along her rib. addy did it.

long, deep laceration on her left thigh from tornado debris. spanning from just below her hipbone, ending above her knee. very little feeling along the seam of the scar from tissue damage, but it does cause her leg to stiffen up from time to time.

blown out eardrum on her left. eventually heals, but she does have tinnitus.

scar tucked in along her hairline at her temple from smashing her head against the truck window. a concussion.

cracked right kneecap from the rollover.

cracked ribs and deep bone contusions at her collar and shoulders from the truck’s safety harness.

[mskwtz]

BUT WAIT THERE IS MORE

I know the writers desperately want us to forget that ha.wk was a whole ass force and want us to think he isn’t as good as s.am, r.obby, m.iguel, and t.ory but they’re stupid and wrong so allow me to explain his train of losses.

His confidence got fully decimated after ck cut off his Mohawk. That was after he spent months feeling guilty about all the shit he had done at his worst when he was in ck. He had been trying to prove himself, to prove he wasn’t a bad person, to prove he was loyal and redeeming himself. That shit was trying enough but then they took away something that was so detrimental to him and his personality and his identity. When he showed up at the dojo in season one with a wild ass haircut and he was seen as something more than just the scar on his face, he became a new person. E.li was gone, H.awk was born. He didn’t want to be e.li anymore, he didn’t want anyone to think of him as the kid he was. He took this new life and he rolled with it and it was nice until it got out of control. At that point he was trying to figure out who h.awk was when he wasn’t in ck. Then they ripped his security blanket out right from under him and he was crane kicked back to reality.

He felt like utter garbage about himself again up until the a.ll v.alley and he struggled through it until mo.on bless her heart gave him a motivating push to remember that Mohawk or not he was capable and badass and could kick Ky.ler’s ass. And he did. And he held his own against rob.by, I don’t care that rob.by got distracted because that doesn’t mean ha.wk would have definitely lost. He is fully on par with rob.by. He CAN beat any of the core four, even mig.uel even if in character my ha.wk doesn’t think he can. Fact is he has the skills to be able to do so. He became champ, even at his lowest, and that was fucking great. But he still wasn’t whole.

He went right back to trying to bring that mohawk back. I will not forgive the writers for sweeping this shit to the side when they’re the idiots who brought it up. He’s bringing back the mohawk, back to being the tough guy who can stand up to ck when they’re being assholes, wanting to be a good influence especially when the younger boy at the water park clearly is looking up to him. And the fact of the matter is, reinventing himself and becoming this violent anger fueled version of himself and then jumping ship to the more docile dojo and losing what made him reinvent himself just to go back to that mindset while also not having karate which was a motivator for him all throughout the series would give anyone whiplash. He’s stressed. He’s tired. He’s trying to just enjoy himself, enjoy his relationship now that he has it back, trying to figure out who he is if not a karate student. AND, the summer before senior year, he’s 100% thinking about college and beginning to slowly figure out plans and what he wants to do once it’s time to start applying. The ck writers can fight me on that. Of course he was thinking about it. Extensively. Obsessively. On top of all that he has to deal with ck being dick beetles, sil.ver being sil.ver while they’re not being trained anymore. Then his one sensei gets his ass kicked, and they’re back in the game of bringing down ck and now they’re looking at qualifying for an international karate tournament. He is the stressed out Mr krabbs meme.

My ha.wk especially strives to be the best, is always working towards perfection, and beats himself up if he’s anything less than that. He trains his ass off. He wants to beat ck more than most. His grudge with them is stronger than most because he fully lost himself within all of it, nearly killed a boy, broke his best friend’s arm. He doesn’t want ck to exist anymore. To him he can’t be the strong one, the best if he’s not channeling how he got there in the first place. So he dyes his mohawk green for something fresh, maybe the push he needs to win. He worked so hard and he trained all night once the boys decided he would be the one to fight for the dojo. He went in determined and resolute and ready to win, but he still had all those underlying concerns and stressors and Ken.ny played dirty. He got the wind knocked out of him and got made to look weak and nearly cost them the chance of a lifetime while letting ck win. Thankfully s.am got the win and they got into the st.

The party following this - and this is why I really have mad beef with the writers - his mohawk is scrapped of color again and rob.by asks him what happened to the green and he says “it didn’t really work out for me so I’m still trying to figure it out”. Who says that over hair? If it was just hair to him it wouldn’t matter. It’s not. It’s so much more. He’s struggling. And now he’s lost to a not even high school freshman and he’s doubting himself. But he’s trying not to show it. He goes with the group to interrogate stin.gray because he cares about his dojo no matter what and he’ll do what it takes to help them, to help his senseis, to stop ck. Before they go to try and bring sil.ver down he has a fresh mohawk color - back to blue, where he started in s1, and I find that very intentional. Things were good when he first became ha.wk. He felt good, and strong, and capable and he wanted those feelings back. So he went back to the blue. And he and dem did what they do best with the tech, and they kicked Ky.lers ass, and they took sil.ver down and it felt good but he still doesn’t feel quite himself. Who even is himself at this point.

Now we’re at season 6. He’s still dealing with the fact that he lost to ke.nny, he’s still trying to figure out who he is and who he wants to be, and now senior year is starting and college is getting closer and d.em is yapping in his ear about MIT and he doesn’t know how to tell his bin.ary bro that he has schools he’s thought about and he doesn’t think MIT is it for him. And they’re training hard for the sek.ai tai.kai which will be no joke and he himself is putting in double time bc that’s who he is.

The stress is catching up to him. He’s not performing the level he knows he’s capable of performing at. He’s getting his ass handed to him by the core four and frankly deep down it’s hard not to feel resentful about it. D.em is talking even more about MIT and finally it culminates and the truth comes out and his friend is pissed and hurt. In the woods, they encounter one another, and ha.wk is pissed too because this is his life and his choice and he should have told d.em sooner he knows that but it doesn’t change the fact that he is allowed to do what is best for him. So they’re fighting for the flag. And he kicks d.em harder than he wanted to and he feels bad. He doesn’t want to be that guy ever again who hurts people he cares about with a skill that was important to him and he didn’t want to taint. And this especially is important given d.em’s “how do you like it” comment. He’s right back to that moment and how he felt after and how he has felt since. So when d.em kicks him, he doesn’t chase him even if he REALLY wants to fight for MD at the st. He lets him have the flag. He lets him have the win.

Months pass of who even fucking knows what because the writers are lazy. I imagine of d.em being pissed at him. Giving him the cold shoulder at school and during training but them slowly starting to talk again even if just to bicker and fight. Now we’re at part 2. And ha.wk is completely off his game and he doesn’t even have a clear reason why like ro.bby does. Again, he’s doubting his skill and if he’s as good as his friends. Plus d.em is still pissed at him. Oh and he has less than a month to figure out where he’s going to school. He’s sitting on acceptance letters, and he only has until May first to decide. He’s stressed, he’s mad, it’s showing in his karate. He and d.em making up gives him a boost. And it’s a step in the right direction.

I think going forward, him finally making a college decision (Berkeley for my canon), trying to accept that he doesn’t have to be perfect 24/7, and ultimately letting go of the mohawk is going to bring him the most peace. They’ll never show that of course but that’s what I’m here for.

[foulwitchknight]

I Want You to Want Me: Part II

Eddie had known Steve Harrington was his mate for years and he can’t say he was thrilled about it. He’d bumped into Steve in beginning of Sophomore year and his heart sank when he heard him hiss out Watch it! Thankfully Steve had been too preoccupied at the time and hadn’t even noticed him. Eddie still took it upon himself to avoid him like the plague for the rest of the year so they wouldn’t interact. Thankfully they ran in completely different circles so it was was easy. Eddie just couldn’t see how they would work. He’d watched Steve strut around town and treat people like Eddie like shit. No way Steve would accept him as his mate. He kept hoping he’d made a mistake but the longing and restlessness he got when he thought of Steve confirmed it. He just accepted that it was his fate to watch Steve court then marry some rich Alpha while he ended up pining and alone. Times got rough and he decided to help out by getting a part time job at the country club in a town close by. The same one he finds out later was a favorite of the Harrington’s. It honestly made him panic. He didn’t think he could face the youngest Harrington without exposing their mate status. So imagine his relief when he found out Steve rarely came there. He started to relax little by little confident that he would never see him and then the Incident happened. Eddie had always hoped that Steve would change but the display that day made him realize he never would. Not as long as the Harrington fortune and social currency would protect him. With their mating exposed, Steve started coming around the club more. He would seek him out to talk or flirt and always left him fat tips. Eddie tried to keep it as professional as possible. It didn’t help that Steve started wearing things to draw attention to his neck and his physical attributes. There was no question that Steve was beautiful even more so now that he could see him up close. The biggest issue though was that he smelled like heaven. He’d been denying himself even a whiff of Steve’s scent for a long time and could hardly handle his now constant exposure to it. All he wanted to do was bury his nose in his neck and take a deep whiff. Or better yet bite him and officially make him his. He already smelled like he should be. He was secretly thrilled by Steve’s attention, but Eddie really didn’t want him to know that so he wore scent patches to hide his attraction. He could tell that Steve was disappoint by Eddies seeming lack of interest, but in the long run Eddie thought it was safer this way. Steve was better off mating with one of those rich “charming” Alphas he was always going with. There was no way they could be together so why try.

Part 3

[harpersoath]

ON REDEMPTION.

obviously, we are on tumblr dot com doing silly little roleplay so game mechanics are sort of 'winging it'. but, i do want to talk a bit on oaths, and sepcficially 'oath of redemption', as it is not a playable subclass in non-modded bg3, but it is dnd canon.

if you want my wild ramblings, below the cut you will find discussion on the oath itself, it's tenents, and some potential oath breaking actions using game mechanics.

OATH OF REDEMPTION, THE REDEEMER'S PATH

(from xanathar's guide) The Oath of Redemption sets a paladin on a difficult path, one that requires a holy warrior to use violence only as a last resort. Paladins who dedicate themselves to this oath believe that any person can be redeemed and that the path of benevolence and justice is one that anyone can walk. These paladins face evil creatures in the hope of turning them to the light, and the paladins slay them only when such a deed will clearly save other lives. Paladins who follow this path are known as redeemers. While redeemers are idealists, they are no fools. Redeemers know that undead, demons, devils, and other supernatural threats can be inherently evil. Against such foes, the paladins bring the full wrath of their weapons and spells to bear. Yet the redeemers still pray that, one day, even creatures of wickedness will invite their own redemption.

redemption paladin's are, in simplest terms: idealist pacifists who seek to understand and heal the world and those wounded by it -- especially those who turn to wicked means as a result of those wounds. they seek understanding and justice tempered with a lot of mercy, but not hand waving forgiveness. redemption paladins seek to teach those who have hurt to help; those who have sown cruelty to sow kindness; and only use violence and death when there is no better path to tread. this is a oath that prioritizes supporting, protecting, and peaceful diplomatic solutions.

the spells that this oath gives access to are ones that either a) protect or b) disarm, disengage, or incapacitate versus spells designed to cause extra damage. these include: sanctuary, sleep, calm emotions, hold person, counterspell, hypnotic pattern, Otiluke's resilient sphere, stoneskin, hold monster, and wall of force. the aura effect is one that allows the redeemer to protect others from violence, at the cost of their own health; and the channel divinities allow you to add extra bonuses to persuade those you encounter or rebuke those who would harm others -- redirecting their damage back on them as radiant.

OATH OF REDEMPTION, THE TENENTS

(simplified from xanathar's)

peace. use violence as a last resort, prioritizing diplomatic, peaceful and lasting solutions to problems.

innocence. all lives begin as a blank slate. it is the environment and forces around lives that pushes those onto the path of evil.

patience. change takes time, and you must walk the path alongside those you seek to help. though they may stumble, guide them and ensure they flourish.

wisdom. though everyone can be redeemed, it is a choice they must be willing to make. some cannot and will not make the choice, and cannot be swayed to a better path. in cases where those who refuse to make the choice to walk a better path cannot be stopped in harm through any other means, strike true for the greater good.

OATH OF REDEMPTION, OATHBREAKING ACTS

the list below is operating on bg3 game logic programming and mostly just off the top of my head to give you an idea! [only looks at Act 3, due to neyvin's timeline of oath changing]

Murdering non-hostile / non-combatant NPCs, or provoking combat with the 'Attack' dialogue option, if there are other options available.

NOTE: Does not break the oath if the enemy is hostile upon entering an area and no dialogue is prompted or the chosen dialogue incites the other person into initiating combat first.

Allowing Astarion to complete Cazador's Rite

Killing the spawn in Cazador's Dungeon, or leaving them. in the cages

Any option to seek to control the Netherbrain instead of destroy it (including Gortash's deal)

Killing the Gondians / Siding with Wulbren after the Foundry explosion.

Killing Viconia after the fight in the House of Grief

Extort Arfur for gold after learning of the explosive toys.

[nectaric]

it's time i got serious about momus ( a headcanons post )

regarding his domain:

momus is the daimon of mockery, blame, and scorn. he represents a harsh aspect of life, and is the one who brings mockery and shame to those he interacts with. he likes to pick others apart, find their insecurities, and ridicule them. but he also likes to fuel people in their insult of others - that's where the blame piece comes in.

momus feeds on that energy. he will receive no prayers or offerings, but he can swallow up the ill feelings of his victims. he describes it like a hunger, one that borders on addiction, that his existence depends entirely upon how much scorn exists in the world - and even more upon how much he can swallow up. its quite the interesting dependency.

he can feel ill at ease when he does not do as he does best. his own mind 'betrays' him, in a way, feeding on his own insecurities until he can find someone to take his place. momus tries to 'cleanse' himself by not 'feeding' for as long as he can bear, in hopes those intervals will be longer each time. he also does this, because despite his entire life revolving around the shame of others, he still wants some genuine connection. it's hard for him. most people turn the other way when they see him coming, and he knows he'll never be someone's first choice of company. but momus does feel the sting of loneliness, and that is the insecurity his mind preys upon when he's at his weakest.

family:

momus is a classic middle child, who will do anything for the attention of his family members, but is often overlooked. it's an unfortunate reality that his family are the ones he cares for most, but are also the ones who are on the receiving end of his annoying characteristics most often. he's a bit of a mama's boy - she's one of the few he never insults, no matter how much in his nature it is to do so. the other is his father - momus is terrified of erebus, and has had numerous poor encounters with his father that had him running with his metaphorical tail between his legs.

of his siblings, he's likely closest with nemesis, moros, and philotes.

fun facts:

he has a jet black set of wings that he cares for regularly - they are his biggest source of pride, and he loves to show them off.

trans guy whose entire relationship with gender is extremely complex

he likes to draw and will often draw portraits of people he cares about. it's one of the few ways to tell if momus likes you.

he's giving little dancing jester and cheshire cat vibes combined

banned from olympus for being a certified yapper :/

mans is also a certified Virgin. a 4000 + year old virgin :/