#HE DOESN'T HATE ANYONE HE JUST DOESN'T HAVE ANY FUCKING SOCIAL SKILLS

[timegears-moved]

revali in the entirety of age of calamity just makes me go HE WOULD NOT FUCKING SAY THAT!!!!!!!!!!!!

[isa-ghost]

I see you have hcs, do you have any for mr fitmc?

Yes!!

Here's some ones of his relationship with Phil past and present too bc I don't think I have Fit standalone ones until now.

Obviously these will apply to AMFMN Fit too!

Fit is extremely observant and perceptive. Years of roaming a wasteland, spending every minute of every day documenting, chronicling, exploring and witnessing so much really sharpens those kinds of skills. Not much gets past Fit unless he simply wasn't there or doesn't know. All it takes is an inkling and he'll start connecting dots and making theories.

It's why he Hates the Federation. Not only is he an anarchist, he hates the way they make it so easy to keep him in the dark. It's why he weaseled into it in the first position he could get. Being a janitor sucks, but it's something. Anything to get a foundation for making next moves.

He struggles with trust though. He trusts people, but very few if any does he trust whole-heartedly. Pac & Phil are likely the only ones he trusts that much. And even then, he doesn't confide in anyone nearly as deeply as he does Ramon. Spending so much of his life in 2B2T has taught him to reserve trust for people who prove without a doubt that they're ride or die with you. He wishes he didn't find it so difficult to trust more people though.

Okay complete 180 in vibes here but I'm very passionate about this one: Fit has a giant warhammer that's his weapon of choice. Chainsaw, scythe, potato cannon, whatever other stuff he's got is good. But big fucking hammer. With those muscles? Oughoughouhgh.

By the way he never in his life had experienced people simping for his muscles or flirting with him prior to being on QI. It was whiplash and it's changed him for the worst /pos

On the surface it seems like Fit is pretty cold or at least disinterested in stuff that leans on the vulnerable side. It's not entirely wrong, he's spent so long in a place where vulnerability gets your base blown to smithereens or gets you robbed blind or both. But he Does enjoy such things. I mean, just look at the Fitpac date! And hugs? Hugs rock! He'd be so much worse off if he didn't let loose or let himself lower his guard every now and then. It takes a lot of energy to keep those walls up, it'd be unhealthy to never let them down. Especially in a place like Quesadilla Island, where it seems like it's a bit safer to do so. Honestly, he's the opposite of disinterested in letting walls down. He wants that more than anything, and it took being put on QI, becoming a dad, and falling in love for him to realize it.

Which makes keeping up this facade really hard. Not just the whole "snooping for data" thing, just Everything Fit has built himself to be over the years altogether. He doesn't want to keep holding people at arm's length and looking over his shoulder all the time anymore. It's exhausting.

That's not to say he wouldn't relapse right back to how he was before QI softened him up, though. Again, those trust issues. Purgatory really fucked with his head for a while. And plenty of things that happened after, like the whole Phil Ender King thing, really didn't help either. What he's going through is a form of healing, and healing isn't linear.

He isn't afraid to get his hands dirty. Be it with dirt, blood, or otherwise. His motto is you gotta do what you gotta do. He's a very means to an end kinda guy. And despite wishing he could shed being so hardened by the 2B2T Wastelands, he does value that it's given him this kind of strength. It takes a lot to be willing to do whatever it takes to get what you want.

The reason Fit loves fofoca is not only because he enjoys indulging his inner drama whore. He's spent most of his life roaming a place where secrets were as good if not better of a trade than actual currency. When he first arrived on QI, he wasn't entirely sure how to just. Casually socialize. There's little to no risk in it. It was incredibly foreign to him. But it turns out that gossip is like trading secrets in a different font. He's good at that. So collecting and spreading fofoca is how he taught himself to appear kind of "normal" to the other islanders.

Most if not all of the above is also evidence to support the fact that Fit in general is a very adaptive person. You can put him in any environment, as soon as he gets the gist of the status quo and what kind of stakes he's dealing with here, he'll manage no problem. Chances are he's experienced worse. Purgatory and the prison are 2 good examples.

Calling back to the wanting to be vulnerable + confiding in Ramon the most things, GOD is he grateful he got such a brilliant son. Ramon learned a lot from him, but even so, he already had many of the same traits Fit does. It did wonders for bonding, and it's part of what made trusting Ramon come so easy. He's glad he got a son that's so understanding of the way he operates.

The only thing stopping him from taking a page from Cellbit and just starting to kill Feds for information or other reasons is because he knows he'll get more out of playing the long con and letting himself be strung along. Infiltration goes further than outright brutality in his eyes. Brutality is saved for something you no longer need anything from.

Btw his stealth skills are fucking insane. In 2B2T your detection is life or death, and it'll only end in your favor if you can talk sweet enough or have something worth bargaining with. He often did one or the other, but even so, a historian like him typically lacked anything of much value to most bandits and the like. He was simply charismatic and lucky. Which means staying hidden, laying low, and moving with more calculation than a math class is more beneficial to him. And boy has it come in handy on the island too.

In his time on QI, once The Horrors all started, he's learned he really likes having intense intellectual talks with other islanders. Strategizing, theorizing. It feels like the survival he's so used to but with less imminent threats on his life. Bagi especially is an absolute delight to get into these kinds of talks with. It feels like casual socializing and the kind of talking he's used to at the same time. Very much his jam.

[selene-moonie]

AOT: Faith in the 'Cause' and Social vs Inherent Value

NOTE: SPOILERS for the entire series. Also, I'm not saying anyone is right or wrong here. I only hate the shitty parents. Each character worked within the worldview they were raised with, and each of their decisions matter in the story.

Let's get a few definitions out of the way to start:

The 'Cause' - whatever you believe in that's bigger than you. Saving your country, ending the titans, getting a better life.

Social Value - when your worth comes from your ability to support others or your accomplishments.

Inherent Value - the idea that everyone has individual value regardless of their social accomplishments.

There are a few different types of parents. Some raised their kids to believe in a 'cause', others didn't, and some originally believed in a cause and then started valuing their kids as individuals.

Let's start with one of the original villains - Grisha Yeager. He raised his first son to believe in the 'cause' and valued him mainly for his ability to progress this cause. He will be written into history as a monster, like his brother, but it started when Grisha and Dina removed his humanity.

Zeke valued himself so little that he got his parents killed, endured years of spinal injections (and essentially became a male brood mother which is horrifying), had no close relationships other than the one with his mentor, and died for his sins right after he finally started smelling the roses. That is a fucking tragedy if I've ever read one.

His brother didn't get it any better either. Eren grew up with more love, and less of a cause than Zeke, but Eren picked up his own cause and inadvertently copied his dad. Eren's mom is a black haired woman, and Eren kept everything secret from his loved ones till it was too late. He's also dead because he valued himself more for what he could do for his friends than actually living his life.

Which is a shame because Mikasa deserved better than beheading the man she loved. I know Eren couldn't end the cycle of violence himself, he could only save the people loved, but it sucks that he had to die to do that.

I do want to say here that the parents who pushed their kids to further the cause are the ones aware of the reality of the world, like the fact that there's a war, the discrimination against the Eldians, etc. The parents who raised their kids not to believe in a cause, but instead valued them as individuals are the parents unaware of these things.

That doesn't mean they lack awareness of their immediate reality, as in the case of Artur Braus, Sasha's father. He straight up told her she could hide out in the forest and choose to not adapt, but he would change his family traditions to cope with the changing world. Her response was to rebel by joining the military but Sasha eventually came into her own and was one of the best members of the Scouts.

I think of how Sasha and her dad were key players in making sure another Eren wasn't created in Gabi. Her entire character arc was her learning that the Paradis Eldians were people just like her. The kindness, courage, and fighting skills that Sasha brought to the table years prior paid off in Gabi's interactions with her family, which is eventually what changed her mind. I just love seeing the cycle of violence end.

Jean is another one who was brought up with inherent value. He was self-absorbed and self-interested, but also ended up having one of the biggest character changes throughout the story. Jean quickly realised that his skills weren't as useful inside the walls as outside. He also chose not to kill a child soldier, in addition to saving Reiner, despite everything Reiner had done. He was one of the pettier characters, yet he grew into a really responsible man who chose to do better than continuing the cycle of violence as well.

Now the third type of parent is the one who originally valued their children for their social value, but eventually came to love them for their inherent value. These include Karina Braun and Leonhart. Karina straight up used her son to get a leg up in their society, and Leonhart adopted Annie for that purpose which is wild to me. I'm not sure how, or why they started loving their kids after they'd gotten them into the war criminal stuff, but hey, their kids eventually started making decisions that aligned with their true identities. Annie just wanted to go back home, and even though Reiner developed borderline personality disorder and suicidal ideation, he turned out ok as well.

I do wanna talk for a sec about the fact that the ones who were valued socially engaged in the most self-sacrificial behavior. Eren was in love with Mikasa since day zero or something, but he never told her. His relationships were strained and eternally kept at arm's length for his cause. Zeke didn't even have close friends, and Pieck apparently always knew he was a liar.

Meanwhile, the ones who saw inherent value in themselves ended up being the most well-adjusted of all the kids. They were also the ones to reach out and bridge the gaps between the Eldians in the end. Sasha probably never went a day wondering if her best friends loved her, and even though Niccolo hadn't proposed, she probably fantasized about marrying him as well. She lived fully, though she became a casualty of war. I don't think the ones with the causes got to do that.

The kids who eventually learned to value themselves as individuals (Rei, Annie, and Historia) had to assimilate their shadow selves, and they also learned to live life for themselves.

Each of these kids' parents had an active role in the decisions they made and how they valued themselves. The ones who were valued socially died alone and sad, while the ones who did die but were valued inherently had happier relationships. And the others just had to find ways to deal with the shadows they had collected along the way.

[medusasea]

South Park Younger Siblings

South Park creators, you have Ike from the very first episode, you give him tons of development and scenes and even make him unrealistically badass for his age.

Well done! Ike rocks.

You also had plans in Starvin Marvin to give Kenny a sister, but you decided not to, only to add her many years later after all, even though her existence doesn't make sense. Now, the South Park timeline doesn't make sense, but since the other children barely aged, it looks like Karen popped out into existence, since she is 6 years old. To be fair, the show sort of has selective continuity. It's not like Avatar The Last Airbender, where such a decision would be horrendous. I still would've been more invested in Karen if she was from the beginning or at least if her existence didn't break story rules, but if you write her well I can forgive it.

What is Karen's role in the show? Kenny saves her and takes care of her. Sure, she is nice, but she didn't really help anyone or herself either, not on-screen at least.

She barely even showed personality traits. We know she is shy, sensitive, naive and does not like conflict. She is close to her mom and brother Kenny. She likes dolls. In the fractured but whole we learn she doesn't often get to socialize with others besides Kenny and thus she joined the vampire kids only to later realize how fucking lame they were and to join the Goth kids. Later she is no longer a goth with no explanation and no further character development. The show does not even use her in the Karen episode, but it makes Randy a Karen.

South Park creators, if you just wanted someone Kenny takes care of, he was already helpful and even heroic towards both his friends and strangers. Spoiler: He was even willing to die forever for his friends in the Coon trilogy. Did you plan for Karen to just be someone who Kenny takes care of even in Starvin Marvin, where you decided not to add her? You are capable of giving Ike tons of development, what is stopping you from giving Karen a little more development and importance?

Karen is barely more than a damsel in distress. The damsel in distress trope is not inherently bad, I only hate it when a competent character does something extremely stupid just so that they can become one or when the character in question has little to no personality and agency and is more a plot device than a character. About the latter, when I say the character needs agency, I am not saying they need to save themselves or others, but they should show skills or at least attempt to do something, otherwise they come across as unbelievably weak. The only exception where I don't care about this is if the characters overall don't get much development, like most old fairy tales or certain video games where the gameplay is more important than the story or characters. However, this is not the case with South Park. I used the term damsel in distress, but this can apply to any character regardless of gender, though it is more prevalent for female characters, in older stories at least. While South Park often underuses female characters in my opinion, it also underuses plenty of male ones too and most female characters have a fair share of development and agency even if I think they don't appear as often as they should. However, I can't help but find it fishy that out of the main characters' younger siblings the girl is reduced to a damsel in distress while the boy gets tons of development and relevance. It was probably not intentional, but it reminds me of the sexist world view of women being inferior to me and needing constant protection.

[ohanny]

what kind of drunks would the pit babe characters be

babe - the hot girl. he acts all cool and sits there in his leather jacket, being hotter than anyone. his drinks also aren't half as strong as he let's people believe because there's nothing attractive about a sloppy drunk. if he's forced to take multiple shots, he will quietly walk to the bathroom to give himself a drunk girl pep talk in front of the mirror.

charlie - the sober one. he doesn't drink, period. he actually hates the taste. he was destined to be the designated driver (yay, cars!) and the mom friend (sometimes this makes him wish he did drink because fucking hell, he is friends with actual gremlins).

way - the professional. he's on his tenth shot of vodka at the bar, chasing them with a whiskey and coke, mumbling “weak” at the people who started acting up after their third drink.

pete - the crier. he's a nice guy working in a high stress environment, okay? on the rare occasions he gets completely wasted, he will see a particularly artfully arranged napkin dispenser and burst into tears because life is just so beautiful, you know? and it really is unfair how much shit all of them have had to endure!

north - the social butterfly. drunk north knows the lyrics to every song ever written. at the end of the night he has like 50 new instagram followers, he's helped a girl through a break up in the women’s bathroom, he's learned the dj’s mom’s name and might have accidentally agreed into a threesome with a married couple (not that he knew what exactly they were suggesting). he's just pure vibes.

sonic - the instigator. drunk sonic has opinions and no sense of self-preservation. he will walk straight up to the enormous bouncer, get right in his face and go “wow. you're like… really ugly.” on an average night out, he should have died around five times but always gets away unscatched because, like a princess, he gets rescued by people who think he is way too cute to die.

kim - the sappy one. also a total lightweight. will declare his love for you after three beers. give him a shot and he will earnestly look you in the eyes while clutching the hem of your shirt and tell you what a great job you do and how he has always secretly admired you.

kenta - the horny one. he wants, okay? he downright needs. is he going to do anything about it? no. he will sit in some corner, vibrating, stewing in his hormones and if anyone dares to ask him how he's doing, he will look at them and go “do you have any idea what i would let him do to me?” and his smile is so terrifying no one wants any details.

alan - the slutty one. yes, there is a difference. see, alan is a man of action. alan will make it awkward for everyone by sloppily mouthing at jeff’s neck and trying to shove his hand down jeff’s pants on the sidewalk while they wait for charlie to pull up.

jeff - the houdini. he just… disappears. one minute he's there and the next he's gone, only to be discovered three hours later on the roof of a supermarket, feeding chunks of bread to pigeons. either needs a helium balloon tied to his wrist so you can easily spot him in a crowd or an ankle monitor. (was once found in a car, the morning after a frantic search. gave them a sleepy little smile and said “the gps knew where i was.”)

dean - the mute. once he hits his limit, he goes totally nonverbal. just trails behind everyone with a big happy smile and nods his head when asked if he wants to dance / have another drink / make out. super happy to be there.

winner - the big shot. tells everyone he's like the best racer ever and when people who still have critical thinking skills ask for evidence, distracts them buy buying everyone a round of the cheapest shots the bar has to offer. keeps challenging people to arm wrestle despite having noodle arms. finishes the night pissed off, buys two portions of street food and sits down next to a homeless person to share. they always let him talk uninterrupted.

tony - never goes past one glass of wine or whiskey, a lesson he learned the hard way. the first contract he lost back when he was just starting out? he hit the post meeting cocktails a bit too hard and drunk performed whitney houston’s “i will always love you” in karaoke. the humiliation was too much and i fear it really affected his behavior negatively.

[dellovestorant]

This is gonna sound a bit interesting but it's getting ridiculous and kinda hypocritical of certain people considering the way some of them went after Max and still continues to go after Max.

Hate comments and death threats are never ever ok to send to anyone. Sending death threats in any way shape or form, depending on the country you live in, is actually a crime. Some people need to realise that sport is just that. If you are a spectator of a sport it's really never that fucking serious to be sending death threats to an athlete. And bombarding their comment sections with hate comments is also just such online behaviour. There is a very thin line between criticism and critique vs just pure hate and vitriol that some of you need to learn where the fucking line is and move tf away from it.

Now Max has a social media manager that posts for him (who exactly it is apparently is a topic of contention rn), George has a social media manager that posts for him. Lewis has such self restraint in what he checks on social media (which is a feat in itself) (there's another point regarding his social media presence I won't make rn) but all of them compartmentalises better than him it's bloody obvious. Max can shake hate comments off, Lewis does as well, George mostly does but he's realised how to limit the negative things he sees. Tom Holland deletes his social media when he doesn't need to post promotional stuff. George does see hate comments yes but he's realised it's not doing him any good and he's taken actions to avoid having that negatively effect him. Yes mental health of every one is a conversation that continues to be had and continues to be needed but but at the end of the day the drivers that have spoken out have also taken proactive steps BY THEMSELVES to limit the damage on their OWN PSYCHE. Where on earth is this victim complex coming from. Yes the comments have gone so so so very overboard and absolutely ridiculous at times but no one is forcing him to scroll through his comment section and LIKE hate comments. Like that's consciously his choice. You cannot control the actions of others but you can control your own actions. As a sports figure and a bloody public one at that, he's inevitably going to get hate. All athletes do not matter who they are or what sport they're in. Heck Michael Phelps even gets hate comments at times (rare but they're there). Log off. Lock apps. Delete apps. We are in the age of social media and the internet yes but you can limit so much of the damage if you truly wanted to. Yes you can argue they shouldn't need to do that but, and this will sound harsh af, come on every single person on this planet has had to adapt in someway or form or compromise in some way or form to ensure they're living the best they can. And yes millionaires are human and everyone deserves to be treated equally YOU CANNOT CONTROL THE ACTIONS OF OTHERS BUT YOU CAN CONTROL YOUR OWN. Like at some stage we've got to admit and realise right that nothing is evidently going to change so start doing what you preach. Liking hate comments and continuously doing it is sending a weird fucking message to kids that look up to you. Kids who may not have the critical thinking skills to realise hey that's not fucking normal behaviour.

Consciously picking the option to scroll through the comment section where you know you're gonna see negativity is just absolutely insane to me.

But also how tf has the team around him pr or otherwise not tried to limit the exposure. Like a certain bloody admin on twitter is contributing more in my pov to the hate than placing him in a better light. McLaren is not helping one bit either. Mercedes fucks up day after day hour after hour but they've most definitely tried their best or if not their best they've done something to try and limit the hate their drivers and team is getting (whether it works or not is another story entirely but at least they TRY). McLaren trying to fix PR does not fix at all and makes things worse.

All in all some people should be banned from using social media apps because clearly they're a little fucked in the head and cannot separate fiction from reality or tv from reality or realise most things in life are never that serious and sport is one of those things.

Complain, rant, go over things over and over again, complain some more, sure that's the beauty of being a sports fan but when you get to the point where you are committing crimes you're an absolute moron and should be supervised 24/7.

[skelpiescool]

You want ocs????? OCS!!!!!!!!!

I only have two physical copies I'm sorry🙏🙏

The first was for a thing in a discord server don't look at the caption....

Anyways the first one is Neil!1!1! He's my child my boy I love him. The second is Starla!! She's a magical girl who hates being a magical girl I love her.

Anyways the rest of this is just my lore for Neil because he's the favorite child

Neil was born into a rich family with neglective parents who just give him whatever he wants (except love >_<). His special interest is robotics of any kind. He loves making robots and taking technology from his father's workshop despite him not being allowed to. He made a bunch of robots to be his friends! (Because he has none). People think Neil's a bit weird because he's always working on technology and rarely talks to anyone. And probably because he doesn't have social skills too. Anyways to the main plot of his story!!11! He runs away from home!!! And he ofc brings his robots !!! Anyways he finds an abandoned or supposedly abandoned lab. Turns out it was an illegal experiment lab!! Doing experiments on humans!!! He walks in to find a bloody mess >_< but ofc he's too focused on the technology he finds to really care. He then gets ambushed by a rouge experiment (aka the one who caused the bloody mess). At the end of the encounter said experiment becomes his friend and mother/older sibling figure. Oh and he's a villain because yes. Idk how he became a villain he's just too silly!!!! (Hes so silly he doesn't know he's being bad he just likes to steal technology he's so silly I love him)

(We die like Neil's sense of right and wrong not reading this over)

FUCK YEAAA (im drawing him later i am very comfy in bed rn)

[rainofthetwilight]

AND FINALLY HERE IS A SMALL MASTERPOST FOR THE HELLSPAWN WALKER SIBLINGS!!

I present to you, Jenna and Ethan :DD

(also since you asked to be tagged, @alizibtheterrible)

(pssst, here are the ref sheets for these kiddos)

-

before I get into anything, here are my timelines in this AU:

2 years between moto and season 11, atleast 5 months between s11 and s12, 5 more months between s12 and s13, 4 months between s13 and the island, a month between the island and s15, canonically a year between s15 and crystallized, 2 years between crystallized and the merge, 5 years between the merge and the events of DR

and jenna and ethan's ages during these times:

jenna: a year old during s11, almost two years old during s13, turned three a while after nya left, four during crystallized, six when the merge happened, and 11 in current time

ethan: a year old when the merge happened, and 6 in current time

I..know it's probably confusing, but I can attempt to explain more if you don't understand!

my fic for these two is currently being rewritten!!

and now, time to ramble abt the kids!! (warning, VERY long)

their full names are: Jenna Edna Lilly Walker and Ethan Ed Raymond Walker (you can guess who was named after who)

jenna was born just a year after moto, and ethan was born also a year after crystallized!

and from that, the age difference between them is 5 years

jenna inherits jay's powers, and ethan inherits nya's

ethan has ADHD and lacks good social skills due to being surrounded by only 2 people for most of his childhood, while jenna has anxiety, trust issues and some slight ptsd

oh and I can't forget to sprinkle the t r a u m a on them both

they have a good dynamic and bicker normally like siblings always do, but jenna sometimes needs to have her alone time and hates when anyone bothers her so she can snap at any time

while ethan is sensitive and cant control himself, especially if he sees someone distressed, but if he himself is the distressed one either no one should even come near him or he needs a genuiene hug or encouraging words from someone

I'm not sure when jenna will get her powers and will get her true potential, but until I figure it out, she gets her potential when she saw a certain someone in danger (kinda placeholder!!)

she didnt have control of her powers much at first, but would soon learn its abilities

and when ethan gets his powers, it doesn't go smoothly at all due to nya having been turned into the sea, so all the sudden power is..quite a painful experience without control

his true potential? realizing his worth and saving his sister from danger

I don't have exact birthdays for them yet, but the placeholders for now are may 23rd (jenna) and october 8th (ethan)

when they got a bit older, jenna decided to dye some streaks of her hair blue (and one time had a pixie cut), ethan didn't take any creative liberties with his hair but would sometimes style it when he's bored

jenna was named by jay, and while nya had wanted lilly she didnt mind and just she told him ''as long as you don't name her nya junior I won't throw you off a building"

lilly in the end was just given as a middle name

want a fun fact? jenna was the one that named ethan, the moment she saw him in his little blanket she just kept shouting "ethan! ethan!"

and jenna has a HUGE obsession for drawing and painting, while ethan likes cooking and is declared 'the gordon ramsey of the walkers* by jenna lmao

Jenna: dude please just open your own restuarant at this point Ethan: for the love of the fucking fsm Jenna-

jenna's special nickname is JJ! long story short, it was at first a shortened version of 'jay junior' that was actually a joke but then it became her actual nickname lmao

jenna is aroace and will go by she/they in the future, while ethan goes by he/him and will come out as bi!

jenna was attached to both her parents but felt closer to nya, especially after seabound

she'd watch her and jay in the sam x cave for ages

never remembering nya nor jay, ethan was wary of nya at first and tried to stay close to jenna but the moment she hugged him? he felt safe and knew it was right (shoot I'm kinda spoiling the reunion uhh)

jenna says she has no favourite uncle, but it's secretly cole and only he knows that

and she bullies kai, even when she's not ordered to do so by jay 👌

she does have a good bond with all of them tho!

jenna, in dragons rising, is 5'0 and will stay that height for a while until she hits a sudden growth spurt at 13 and is literally 5'6

and she'd be 5'9 at 16

happens with ethan aswell, he's only 6 so he's about 3'8 which is average for his age, but he'll keep growing taller and taller and he stops growing once he reached 5'8

The Forest Of Walkers(tm) as a moot of mine once quoted (we both hc jay to be very tall, finn I am looking at you)

and yes, that small part of the drawing of them walking is them in the future, I have no exact design yet and just wanted to throw that in bc of the free space lmao (I will post their future designs tho trust)

fun fact: when me and my friend were still planning what jenna and ethan would be doing after the merge, instead of staying with lloyd they had ended up with sora and arin

in this au, maya and ray are a tad closer to nya than they are in the actual show, they visit regularly to check on her, jay and jenna (soon ethan aswell)

both them and ed and edna SPOIL HER TO DEATH. they'd gladly take jenna any day

..which actually happened, seabound stuff :")

from the way all the ninja grieved, it was extremely lonely for a 3 almost 4 year old kid, especially with how everything happened so suddenly and how she can't yet process grief well, she only had cole who'd stay with her alot when she wasn't at her grandparents

even at their places it felt gloomy, but she loved to distract herself when she'd be in the junkyard by helping ed collect scraps and build with him (when her love of mechanism began)

and she loved to take walks with maya or ray at ignacia, or watch ray blacksmithing

it calmed her down a bit, but she knew something was still missing

edit: jay was also not in the best place after nya left, and wasn't able to spend time with jenna because she reminded him so much of nya, so he went to the lighthouse before he got too far

crystallized was..not the best experience either

because of spoilers and still planning out some more stuff, time to jump to post-crystallized

jenna grew much closer to nya, and had went to school 2 months after ethan was born!

she started in first grade, and was chaotic as fuck

she beat a kid in her class once just because he didnt like her drawings, obviously did not end well but she won and she was proud af 😎

during the timeskip after the merge, when ethan hit 4, lloyd would do some sort of homeschooling for him since he and jenna never left the monastery

Lloyd: okay, what's 5+6?

Ethan: 10!

Lloyd, trying not explode because he was so close:

I have so much more, but this is getting long af and I'm tired lmao

for my moots that are in the combined au, feel free to ramble in the tags aswell if u want to btw!! I wish I could too but I don't have the fuckin energy :'))

I may add on once I have the time and energy in the notes (or another post), but for now here's some info abt these hellspawns :"DD

[nighthaunting]

i have been trying and failing to make a well-worded post about the wild increase in ageism i've been seeing from people who claim to be progressive and anti-discrimination that appropriately extracts the issue from current politics in a way that will actually let people understand what i'm talking about without it getting mistaken for some kind of apologia but this is honestly bothering me so much i don't care anymore

calling every older or elderly person who is doing things you dislike "demented" or talking about how they must have "dementia" or be "sundowning" is ageism flat out, with a nice soupçon of ableism on top

the automatic assumption that dementia is just something that 'happens' to every elderly person is ageism (and also ableism) and also a very harmful and frightening stereotype

the lack of understanding of what dementia actually is and what it looks like, as opposed to other neurodegenerative disorders and disorders that can cause cognitive decline or cognitive disruption as symptoms, is actively harmful

the people this harms are not the wealthy and privileged people who are doing the things you dislike

the people this harms are regular people who not only have to deal with an extremely youth-focused culture, widespread age-based discrimination, and widespread ableism but also the stereotype that every elderly person who doesn't speak with the clarity, diction, and humorlessness of a news anchor must be demented

the old lady who is being forced out of her home so her children can sell it and profit off the house she's lived for most of her life because they're saying she's got "dementia" and needs to be institutionalized is a victim of elder abuse enabled by this stereotype

the old man with a uti who starts having cognitive disruption caused by the infection and ends up getting misdiagnosed and foisted off into a skilled nursing facility where no one notices that the infection's reached his kidneys until he's actively septic and dying is a victim of medical malpractice enabled by this stereotype

the old lady who starts slurring her speech and having difficulty remembering isn't demented she's had a fucking stroke and needs to be taken to the hospital

if literally none of the rest of this is enough to get through to anyone please do consider that one day you too will be old and have to deal with every younger person you interact with being willing to dismiss anything you say at any time because hyper youth focused culture has convinced them that everyone over the age of 50 is a decrepit mummy about to precipitously start losing mental faculties

the sheer disdain and virulent hate i've been seeing recently as people express their feelings about The Current Politics...while using every derogatory term for elderly people they can think of....everyone needs to remember that insult reflection meme because whichever current politician you hate can't hear you saying that everyone over 70 should be forced into a rest home but your older family members sure fucking can

real true life story of someone i know:

elderly person went to the ER and got stuck in a bed in the hallway for three days because it was so overcrowded. when they went in they were completely oriented and aware, no cognitive decline of any kind, and by the time they managed to get out of there, after spending three days in pain and unable to sleep at all because they were laying in a bed, in a brightly lit and busy hallway, where people were constantly walking past and intercoms were constantly sounding overhead, the discharging nurse was trying to connect them with a social worker to help their family get them into care for their dementia because they'd gotten hospital delirium but never actually been assessed for their cognitive function so the nurse just assumed they must normally be like this

i don't think anyone here really understands how easily that even a young and healthy person being put under stressors like lack of sleep and illness can start having cognitive issues. every healthy 20-something i have ever interacted with who's told a funny story about how they barely got any sleep for a few days and then had some amusing cognitive slip, especially those who've then turned around and dismissed an older person as being "demented", are really only 30-40 years away from being that older person who's dismissed as being "demented"

once again, if you are very lucky, then someday you too will be old and having to deal with how our culture treats the elderly so it is in our best interests to start changing that culture NOW

[gorebek]

Bro you should def infodump e v e r y t h i n g about your Torbek swap au

only if you wanna of course 👉👈

Its hard to do literally everything because im stupid and cant put thoughts to paper but i can talk about a lot of stuff i have in my head

big disorganized yap session below cut

I plan on drawing a ref EVENTUALLY but some of the core stuff i want to add is gorebek being younger and shorter because he got the operation done a couple years before torbek

and he gets it done willingly so its less of a botch job like toebek the pipes that go through his body are more neat i guess is the best word they look cooler and he has actual clothes that are also adapted for his new additions

im thinking hunter fit like torbek but also idk... I still want to incorporate the suit but idk how i hate designing clothes

For how they met they never had any pre operation interaction like no working at the carnival but he was released post operation like hey go hunt people trying to fuck with us and given the carnivals whereabouts or something idk and when he gets to the inn and threatens them and powers up torbek fronts and just immediately starts crying and hides gricko is the first to reach out and realize hey this dude is pretty chill and then they take care of torbek until gorebek fronts again

Gorebek in this is probably like early ouaw torbek whos very new to things and the world torbek is that but way worse they both only know operations and experiments and whatever they were told without really experiencing the outside world while gorebek socialized torbek literally never has in his existence (himself, probably has cofronted and seen gorebek talk but its different)

idk how exactly this would go but i feel like he would follow them at first after the fight being like yess yes evil secret intel and slowly get accepted into the found family realizing they actually care for him and dont treat him like a creature to test on unlike insert evil people (release the duke backstory after hiatus so i can make this more accurate pls ouaw)

i think this process would be WAY way longer for gorebek then it is for torbek torbek probably fronts more often and connects with everyone while gorebek rarely lets himself get the chance to bond with anyone

in this i dont think gorbek is like explicitly evil i think he is acting on his beliefs and can be more connected to the carnival then canon gore

but i think that connection will be very co dependent after being held for so long and being told he was a tool he would probably crave that feeling of being needed again even if its warped and fucked up and probably act out but also crave love and the acceptance like torbek gets so gorebeks relationships would all be extremely hot and cold and constantly changing while torbek is just chilling (mostly)

Gorebek is also very self destructive i can see a shit ton of stuff they do being fucked up because gorbeks ego takes over or he just doesnt care what happens to him or those around him and when torbek is fronting for quests hes just clumsy and still very unaware and fucks it up like that

In canon ouaw torbek gets smarter and more leader-y even if the group doesnt wanna go with what he says and i think gorebek would try to be like this but fail he would definitely get smarter and learn a lot but leader-y not so much i dont think he would plan anything and fail because of it

Talking about reverse gorebek makes me want to talk about canon gorebek parallels and how i think canon gorebek plans everything meticulously and is an extremely good leader because hes given the skills to because he doesn't front he controls the witchlight while reverse was thrown to the wolves without developing skills because he cant harvest it like torbek can but torbek was given up on like canon torbek and just kinda tossed out as well idk idk

I did not reread any of this sorry if theres a bunch of mistakes im just ranting

[drawnecromancy]

Since you've been posting such cool art of them, I thought I'd do the Revealing OC asks for Eleanor and Nathaniel!

For Eleanor:

6. Who will they take advice from, no matter what it is? Who won’t they take advice from, no matter what it is?

15. What would they consider a waste of time– other than school or work?

For Nathan/iel:

13. Name one thing their parents taught them.

3. Ask them to describe their love interest. (Or someone he's close to, if romance isn't his thing.)

--@ceph-the-ghost-writer

Ooohh thank you ! This is very kind especially considering most of their art is getting a bit old, haha :3

Questions from this ask game !

I will be placing this all before Eleanor's (first) death, so they're both about 50 and shit's super fucked. :]

Eleanor

6. Who will they take advice from, no matter what it is ? Who won't they take advice from, no matter what it is ?

She doesn't really take advice from anyone. Honestly it would be easier to advise a donkey than her, so I guess the answer to the first question is "no one because she'll tell you she can handle it, fuck off".

The second question though ? Nathan. Definitely Nathan. And yet he keeps trying.

15. What would they consider a waste of time- other than school or work ?

Socializing but that's mostly because she's bad at it and has a horrible time talking to anyone ever lol

She's 50-something, has never developed a social skill of any kind that isn't yell at people until they leave you alone, and parties are her worst nightmare. Although at least there's usually alcohol at parties.

Nathan

13. Name one thing their parents taught them.

That he could live his life how he wants and he didn't have to become a warrior at all if he didn't want to. Yes, yes, he's super good at fighting and magic and everyone encourages him to become some kind of legend - and hit parents sat with him when he cried about other people's expectations and gently told him that he didn't have to. No one would force him. He was going to grow up and he could just choose to do something else.

In less poetic stuff they also taught him how to behave as a vampire because vampire puberty is fucking weird. You're exactly like a human until you hit puberty and then you start biting people what the fuck

(I guess that's two things, lol)

3. Ask them to describe their love interest.

At ~53 : "Oh, you know. The shouty general who hates me. Not sure why I keep trying to speak to her at this point."

10 to 20 years earlier : "... I've missed her. A lot. I know things are very different nowadays, and I don't quite think she considers me a friend anymore, but just being around her is nice. I'd say she's gotten grumpier but I think I'm just not used to her being grouchy all the time anymore... Oh you want to know what she looks like ? Haha, I've already said too much."

Back when they were teenagers : "She intimidates me because she's better than me at almost everything, but she's also so cool, you know ? Have you seen her disarm Torick the other day ? It took her less than a second, he had no idea what the fuck happened ! She's so cool. It's incredibly scary to spar with her it's almost like she's actually trying to kill me."

[jinxpologist]

brain worms got to me so. how the tf classes and their overwatch counterparts would feel about each other. i just got into tf2 so this might not be Super accurate but i'm going off vibes so whatever.

spy and sombra: i'm getting begrudging respect from spy and probably annoyance or dislike from sombra. they can get along, sure, but they probably wouldn't seek each other out voluntarily. just the mutual knowledge they'd stab each other in the back to protect themselves but also knowing they probably won't have to do that.

spy and echo (bc she duplicates ppl): echo would learn a lot from him and i think they'd actually end up liking each other somewhat! she's too polite and genuinely earnest for him to dislike her, and i can't see echo really HATING anyone. he'd give her social skills lessons and she'd have fun putting her lessons to use, then running back to him to ask how she did.

demoman and junkrat: they'd blow each other up and laugh about it together, no hard feelings at all. these two are the type to literally attack each other with cartoon hammers just to see the other person squashed all funny like a pancake. LOTS of respawns here. inseparable.

soldier and pharah: she'd be annoyed by him because of his... well, his everything, but he'd probably have a lot of respect for her, especially since she has a much easier time rocket jumping and can actually fly for short bursts. he's like an annoying dog that she can't get away from.

sniper and widow: they would never talk to each other. this is a silent conversation. nothing is going on here. they wouldn't even work together because they're both snipers and they'd move the hell across the map away from each other. mutual respect but they have literally never spoken.

heavy and zarya: oh they'd be besties 0 doubt about it, two huge strong russian mercenaries with giant fucking weapons? nah they're best friends. catch them wrestling at any hour of the day just for shits and giggles. also one of the loudest pairs ever if you get them going.

engineer and torbjorn: probably good friends who work together well. engineer seems like he'd be good with kids and he would probably be really sweet with torb's family. engie is very calm and could balance out torbs intense energy well, plus they're both VERY technically competent which creates a lot of respect. overall buddies.

scout and tracer: i think they'd honestly hit it off!! scout to me gives off a sort of... idk what a fag hag is for lesbians but that's what he is to me. they'd race and she'd win every time if she was trying but sometimes she lets him get it just to make him feel better. he probably gets a crush on either her or emily for a few months.

pyro and mei: hot take, i think pyro would fucking adore mei. she's so sweet and sunshine and rainbows, how could they not? they'd bond over a mutual love of cute things and would be very playful with each other, but mei would be kind of weirded out and scared by how much pyro genuinely seems to LIKE burning people alive. they would def be friendly tho.

medic and mercy: honestly, i think mercy would feel about him like she does moira - a genuine respect and awe for his work, but total revulsion at the way he does it. nonetheless, he actually cares for his teammates in a way moira does not, so she'd like him for that. i think medic would like her but think she's a bit of a coward or her heart isn't in it (the second half which is literally true). they could work together, but they'd constantly try to influence each other in a way that would become a very annoying power struggle over time.

medic and ana (bc of uber/nano): she'd hate him. she'd literally kill him in his sleep if she could. she'd avoid him at all fucking costs. she does not like this guy and mercy would be stuck trying to keep them apart so he doesn't innocently ask a question about her tech or something and end up sleep darted in the hallway.

[demonsfate]

another thing i hate about the tekken fandom is how some ppl call jin a "gary stu/mary sue" (then again since when has any comfort character i love ever NOT been called that ex. superman from dc comics and aizen from bleach). like if he really was a gary stu, he would've kicked kazuya's ass in the start of tekken 8 and then kazuya throws a temper tantrum or something. but no, my boy got his shit rocked and got washed badly. kazuya doesn't cry like a baby when he loses to jin. also he fucking loses to hwoarang and miguel. jin also has character flaws like being a tad anti-social due to trust issues by heihachi betarying him and fear that those he cares about might get hurt in the crossfires of his dangerous life. like wtf...then again like i said, literally every character i adore is called that guess i'll just continue to get used to it while enjoying my pookies.

the thing about gary stu / mary sue is that people had completely forgotten what it meant and now believe it means any powerful / strong character. even though the original definition of gary stu / mary sue wasn't Strong Character, but it meant a character that never had any losses, always wins and is good at everything, even skills they realistically wouldn't have, character that has zero flaws (or if they do have "flaws," they're not really flaws / they're likeable flaws) and a character that is virtually liked by everyone (except the bad guy and usually that's just because the bad guy is either jealous or somebody to be hated.)

most people cite tekken 4 as to why jin's a "mary sue" because he was able to defeat kazuya and heihachi. but like. it's important to note that heihachi has been defeated by kazuya at least twice in canon now - so defeating heihachi isn't the Biggest Feat that his fans like to make it out to be. and also heihachi is a strong human, but in the end, he's just a human. and then like, kazuya couldn't even beat paul (they also fought to a draw) and kazuya has canonically lost to heihachi once as an adult. and then we saw how lars has held up his own to kazuya (also just a human). so... we've seen how kazuya can struggle against mere humans before, why is it so shocking he'd lose against a mishima + hachijo (devil) + kazama descendent? also despite being related to one powerful bloodline, and two bloodlines with supernatural powers, it's not like jin is an Expert at Fighting because the lore Said So, jin worked fucking hard to earn his skill. jin spent 4 years straight doing nothing but strenuous training to fight a god. i'm not gonna belittle kazuya's efforts either, but heihachi probably did train jin harder than kazuya given the circumstances (there was likely a time limit as to when heihachi wanted to lure ogre in with the tournament, and he knew he was gonna set jin up against a god/beast. kazuya never ever had to go up against anything like that in tek1.) then after this, jin went another 2 years straight training to learn karate. jin trained, probably virtually nonstop and pushed himself to over the edge, for 6 years. jin is also an expert in three styles of martial arts, which is more than many of the, if not most, of the fighters. we've seen him earn this. it isn't like he didn't do a damn thing and is just good because the story Wants him to be!

tbh it's probs noncanon that jin lost to miguel as most tek endings are noncanon. but still - jin did lose to hwoarang (err... at least came to a draw with him. devil jin canonically lost to him tho LMAO) i guess he lost to lars, too in tek6 as well? and so on - jin has had many losses. there's a reason i often call him a Failboss. and jin's flaws probably outweigh his pros so like... no way jin's a mary sue and i just find it annoying when people try to insist on it. especially when these fans tend to be the type who think heihachi or kazuya can never lose to anyone else haha

i just wish people would realize that powerful characters, even characters who are very skilled in fields, aren't mary sues / gary stus. a character can be powerful and talented and still be a compelling character who isn't perfect.

[onlyplatonicirl]

Errink word waterfall for no reason

I think when you really analyze just how absolutely fucked Errink can be, it becomes a very interesting dynamic

I know a lot of people who write them in super healthy nice relationships, and there's nothing wrong with that, fluff heals the soul.

But let's assume we're going off their more canon-ish personalities, and see logically how that plays out.

(This may lean a bit into personal interpretation so if you don't think its accurate, remember im not comyet or CQ and errink isn't canon anyways lololol. I just love my hypotheticals.)

Ink is driven mostly by his drive to stay alive, to feel emotion, and to not be forgotten. He wants validation, he treats emotions and feelings like a drug, and will seek them out anywhere he can find them. This state of soullessness can occasionally drive him to make morally unethical decisions in his pursuit of feeling and entertainment. It is not out of bounds to call him selfish at all. He is extremely selfish, whether he wants to admit it or not. His emotions can impact who he is as a person. Most of his life he's aroace but if he downs a vial of pink stuff then he'll have love hearts in his eyes because he doesn't work the same way people with souls do. He is at the whim of his paints, and while he can keep himself stable, he can also mentally alter his state of mind however he pleases, which is an incredibly scary ability.

(Side note: When i wrote the tcoti chapter when ink was acting like a lunatic over error, I had a few people be like "Lorel this feels out of character, Ink wouldn't behave like that." YES!!! That is extactly the point!!!! He has full control over his own emotional state, and therefore his mental state. He can manipulate himself into a wildly different person if he so chooses, and he literally chose to douse himself in pink out of guilt to the point he could no longer think straight anymore and his whole thought process was clouded with an extreme, unnatural, and manic sense of obsessive love. Him being out of character was precisely the point, and something I absolutely love about Ink.)

Now moving onto Error:

Error is a manbaby, Error is incapable of a lot of empathy, and has this absolutely insane murderous mentality that literally results in mass deletions of entire universes and civilizations. His actions are absolutely monstrous, and I feel like a lot of fans overlook just how wildly evil a lot of his actions. Does he have an excuse? Sure - he's completely insane. Spending so much time in an anti-void that corrupts whatever's in it past repair can definitely have some ill affects on your mental health and world views. He cannot be touched, he cannot socialize with others without trying to intimidate them, and he does not have any friends. Well, anyone that he genuinely has a friendship with anyways besides generally tolerating. For the most part, he is alone, left to knit and watch TV. Despite his actions being abhorrent when it comes to his disregard of other character's lives, he's clearly not without feeling. He is shown to care about others on occasion, he does genuinely like a few people enough to not want to kill them, and he enjoys trash tv. He has a very distinct personality. He's not a complete monster, but is not really the most friendly and approachable guy either. Plus, not to mention what being alone for years and years on end can do to your social skills. Now put the two of them together.

Ink would find Error to be absolutely fascinating. Ink, when on a default emotional palette, is a pretty friendly guy, and really likes making connections. (Again, for selfish reasons of entertainment? Very possible.) Why wouldn't he want to make a connection with such an utterly unique character, one who's personality and morals are unlike any other he's come across? Error would hate him, of course he would - Ink directly interferes with his plans of absolute destruction, and Error interferes with Ink's. The two cannot coexist peacefully. They are each other's antithesis.

But imagine time passing. Years, decades. How long do you think Error can continue to sit in a white void of silence before it starts wearing him away? It's already sandpapered his mind into a mangled mess of what it once was, but no one can be alone for so long. Error never seems to make any progress destroying the universes. More pop up than he can destroy. Not to say he doesn't try - what else can he even do if not that? Even with his narcissistic and temperamental behavior, would it really be a stretch to say that he may eventually start to fade, to become lonely, to start rethinking the ideologies of destruction he's had since he can remember waking up in this blank space? Would it be out of character for him to begin to feel a gnawing at his soul, wondering what will become of him one day? a deeply subconscious craving for any type of positive presence in his life - a friend, a family, someone who loves him whether that be romantic, platonic, familial. Those with souls naturally wish to seek affection. There is only so long one can go spending their whole lives alone and without any type of affection or anything. How long can you spend knowing you are utterly despised by so so so many?

And Ink? He's found that spending time with Error has been emotionally fulfilling him in a way he never thought possible. new experiences combine emotions into something new, something more diverse and broad than simply "happy" or "sad" or "mad", like a elementary schooler's mood chart. He's found a comfort in someone who's outcasted and unique for it, just like he is. While they don't have the same problem, Error has no qualms with his lack of soul, just as Ink has no qualms with is horrid crimes. Ink gets hooked on this feeling of new emotional bonds. They're like the connecting of neurons that had not previously been attached, lighting up an entirely sperate pathway in a brain. It's addicting. So Ink wants to try something new. Something he's never tried before, and something he thinks will utterly shake the course of his world - an brand new form of enjoyment, to fill up the emotional void in his chest and fall back on his endearing opposite.

And Error, maybe Error's willing to go along with it, after spending so long alone, maybe he's just happy someone genuinely cares.

Ink promises him a happier life, one where he can be truly happy instead of truly being miserable. Error isn't entirely sure about it but agrees anyways. They both take it slow.

But underneath their relationship lies two extremely flawed, manipulative, and selfish creatures, sucking the life out of one another to stop the leaks in their own boats. And they're not quite sure if it's even working.

[melishade]

The Beloved Timeline is so sweet it's giving me a sugar rush! Optimus and Elita bring kind and supportive to each other is the greatest thing I've ever witnessed. Can you imagine what it must be like for the people of Paradise to witness Optimus, the stoic and super serious but gentle metal giant, be head over heels for someone?

Survey Corp must be in disbelief when they see Optimus being a stuttering dork:

Or a smooth as butter romantic.

It must be quite a sight to behold.

Previous Episode of the Beloved Timeline

Number 21

Pilot Poll Open until next Sunday

I suppose now is as good a time as any to talk about dynamics.

They want nice things for Optimus, because the last time that someone from Optimus' past showed up (Megatron) it was literal hostility until the coup was over. And even though the coup is over, there's still a strain between the two, and Megatron isn't making it any better.

Elita coming into the picture is a literal god-send to the Survey Corps! Even though the only ones who know of Elita and Optimus relationship are the Survey Corps, Pixis, and Megatron, everyone in the military has noticed that Optimus' mood has improved substantially! He's smiling! The only ones who had seen Optimus smile up until that point were Eren and Hanji! Optimus and Elita will be professional for professional sake and for the prevention of blackmail. They keep their relationship moments private for the most part. However there is some slip up P.D.A. in the workplace. And the Survey Corps cannot help but just be invested in the rekindling romance! When the two have an argument though and it's visible, the Survey Corps get so worried though. Sometimes it'll be as simple as doing a task, and it's a simple debate but a good portion of them are freaking the fuck out thinking they have to fix it.

Levi: They think you're having an argument.

Elita:...we were just talking about moving some items in the neutral ship.

And despite the fact that Elita social skills are quite rusty, she gets along better with the Survey Corps then Megatron ever did. After she beat the shit out of Megatron, she and Levi have become instant friends. Hanji is...well they are a little bit too much for Elita to handle but she knows they mean well. Elita is perplexed on how they've been able to somehow manage Megatron but Hanji replies that they have their own stubborn bastard in the form of Levi.

Levi kind of reminds Elita of Megatronus, but for the sake of Levi's sanity she keeps her mouth shut

The others in the Survey Corps do hesitate in approaching her, and sometimes Elita botches her social skills, but they still get along well enough. The only one who's kind of having trouble adjusting to this is Eren, unfortunately. It's not that he doesn't want Optimus happy! He does! Optimus is his mentor/father figure! Eren looks up to him! But on top of the fact that his first encounter with Elita was him was her trying to kill him, and the fact that Optimus actually being in a relationship with someone was kind of...weird? Eren was...jealous in a weird way. He and the Survey Corps have been trying to ease Optimus' worries and such and Elita just being there improved Optimus' mood substantially. He gets it. Elita's known Optimus for longer than anyone else except for Megatron, and they were in a relationship, and Optimus thought Elita was dead. Hell, if his mom came back to life, he'd be over the moon. He just...felt horrible for thinking this way.

One day, Elita does cover for Optimus when Hanji wants to do experiments with Eren. As Eren's doing experiments, Elita can't help but be curious and want to see Eren's battle prowess. Optimus had told her he was training him, and Optimus seemed to form a bond with the human. And Elita wanted to test out her new weapons she had crafted from the crew that she had mourned for. So Elita challenges him to a duel. Eren complies, but Elita can't help but hate how hesitant he's being and actively calls him out on it. She's just so sick of being treated as fragile at this point. Eren tries to explain that's not the reason, but Elita continues saying that she took on him and gave Megatron a run for his money. And so she immediately teaches him a lesson. His hesitance in taking on an opponent because they look like someone, or you might know them, will give any other Autobot or Decepticon the upper hand in killing him. And Decepticons would take full advantage of his vulnerability in that moment. And just to cement it further, she cuts off his leg. Eren ends up falling backwards but Elita kicks his stomach, causing him to skid across the ground, for good measure.

Eren is literally thinking that it's Annie all over again and he hates it.

Eren does put in more effort this time and gets over his hesitance and hones in on his anger, but he still loses. Obviously. He does knock the sword out of her servo at one point, but she just pulls out her new weapons, which are knuckle brasses and punches him in the face, blinding him. Eren does ultimately apologize to Elita and explains that he wasn't trying to treat Elita like she's fragile. He just...doesn't entirely know how to feel about her. He's happy for Optimus, but...he thinks this is weird and he doesn't know why. Elita knows that she can't entirely change his mind set about it. She knows Optimus cares for him, and no doubt Eren cares about Optimus. But she does offer her own services to Eren if he's willing to learn, just so he can get stronger and that the two of them can feel more comfortable around each other. Eren can't help but feel excited and tells her thank you.

More and more, the younger members of the Survey Corps, specifically the 104th will start to see her as a role model.

[wyldblunt]

For your whispers characters: best at going undercover, and who gets the most in character when under cover.

@commanderfloppy

YEYEASSSSS

donner - he's a natural. he's good at blending in, mirroring, and putting people at ease, has a quick wit and can always think on his feet, and only merrit and glyndwr are better than him at actual stealth (either magical or physical). the only problem is he gets cocky, and ends up getting distracted/fucking around/taking unnecessary risks pretty frequently. and he DOES love getting in character, it's fun for him.

merrit - okay i KNOWWWW i spend a lot of time making fun of him for how bad his undercover assignment in astorea went but in his defense he fell in love. if he is not literally in love with one of the people he's supposed to be undercover around he's actually really effective. better at going totally unnoticed than blending in, but takes none of the dumb risks that donner does, and is usually wayyyy better at actually staying focused on the mission than anyone else in the squad. merrit gets an extra paragraph here re: getting in character, tho... because in path of fire, HE'S the one who does the whole "pretending to be archon iberu" thing, and he. uh. gets way, WAY too into it.... because 1. he's high off the excitement of glyndwr trusting him with an operation this elaborate and important, and 2. after years of surviving under nightmare court office politics, all this bullshit passive aggressive "per my last email" shit is stuff he's INTIMATELY familiar with, and he gets a little too stoked about FINALLY being able to do it to other people. he was practically trembling with glee when he got to whip out that "your name WILL come up" shit, because he's been on the receiving end of that kind of evil corporate intimidation a billion times. and now it's HIS TURN. NOW IT'S MERRIT'S TURN TO THREATEN YOU AT WORK AS A WEIRD POWER PLAY. HOW DO *YOU* LIKE IT, HUH? I'M THE NIGHTMARE COUNTESS NOW! ME! ME!!!!!!! ...anyway, it leads to this interaction:

3. damage - honestly really good, especially at getting people to like her (and therefore getting away with shit or talking her way out of a corner), and she takes it more seriously than you would expect -- much like donner, she's disrespectful and insubordinate when she's off the clock, but once it's go time she really focuses in. the problem is her short term memory sucks ass, so especially in extended undercover missions where you have to keep track of a cover story/stay consistent in a bunch of interconnected lies, she's really likely to accidentally blow her cover by saying the wrong thing. will get into character if the role is fun, but if it's something boring she has a hard time keeping it up. 4. daimhin - they try REALLY HARD but it just doesn't come naturally to them. they overthink things, get nervous, and freak out. dav's real strength is in more straightforward field missions where they can flex some heavy arcana, not in anything that involves social skills -- at most, they're good for covering damage's aforementioned slipups by hitting everyone in the room with a quick rewind. but in general.... when it comes to undercover missions, daimhin is not invited. also, TERRIBLE at getting in character. 5. glyndwr - surprise! he sucks!!!! like merrit, his strengths lie in pure infiltration (not being noticed at all) vs actual undercover work (convincing people you're someone you're not), but merrit at least CAN do the latter. glyn is no good at it, he already hates performing any kind of social posturing at all -- and now that he's one of The Commanders, the idea of him going undercover without heavy disguises/mesmering is pretty bleak to begin with. he just can't inhabit the role of anyone else... he's Glyndwr, and you are going to end up able to tell.