#I know they have a close relationship with Germany as well - but I don't think their personalities mesh good enough for a ship

[ifindus]

Who do you ship denmark with? If anyone?

I don't really have a specific go-to ship for him, but I like seeing exploration of his relationship with nations that aren't Norway ✨

I think he'd be very close to the BeNeLux siblings, and both Nethlands and Belgium can be good ship options for him in my opinion.

Ireland is also an option ofc, but then leaning more towards a nyo!Ireland for Denmark. He does strike me as the token straight brother of the Scandis 😅

[fictionadventurer]

Top 5 obscure light vintage novels! (Not sure if my previous ask got eaten, but also curious about this one specifically)

The strictest definition of what I consider "obscure light vintage novels" requires a book to meet a lot of criteria:

Published before 1960

Not recommended to me by anyone I know personally (including on tumblr)

Doesn't have a fancy Oxford-Classics-type edition with an introduction. (And none of the author's other books are well-known enough to have one)

Has a realistic setting

Ideally written by a woman or centered around a female main character

Which means that very few books fit this list. But of those few, here are my top five.

Desire by Una Silberrad: Flawed but fascinating Edwardian novel about an eccentric heiress who meets a soulful author and eventually winds up working for him when she loses her money and he inherits his father's pottery business. Fascinating characters, amazing romance, lots of interesting themes. I'm also going to count the author's other novels in this category, because she's come to epitomize "obscure light classic" for me. The Good Comrade is a much frothier novel with some great characters, and Curayl is highly flawed, but its silver-tongued hero lives rent-free in my head.

The Ark by Margot Benary-Isbert: I finished this book less than twenty-four hours ago (so I could include it on this list). It's a 1953 German novel set in 1947, about a refugee family building a home after the end of the war. It reads like, if you can believe it, a cozy post-apocalyptic novel. These people are living through some terrible things, but they make the best of things and manage to find joy. It's chock-full of fascinating details about life in post-war Germany, and reminds you that the people on that side of the war were human too, losing people and places they loved, and doing their best to live in terrible times. There are some superstitious elements later on that I wasn't crazy about, but otherwise I adored this story.

The Romance of a Shop by Amy Levy: Novel from the 1880s about four sisters who open a photography studio to support themselves after their father's death. Extremely underwritten (one of the girls meets an old flame and marries him between chapters), but a very easy, pleasant read with interesting historical details, and some nice sisterly relationships that remind me just a bit of Little Women meets Oscar Wilde.

The Heir of Redclyffe and Countess Kate by Charlotte Mary Yonge: Books by one of the bestselling authors of the Victorian age who's completely forgotten today. Both get too preachy at times, but make up for it by having amazing characters. The first one is a family saga about cousins caught up in an old feud, and the second is like if Anne Shirley suddenly found out she was a countess.

The Rosary by Florence Barclay: The bestselling novel of, like, 1920. It gets very melodramatic, but I was also surprised at how grounded and witty the characters were. I remember very little about it, but I have fond memories of the reading experience, and it earns a place on this list because when I want to find an "obscure vintage light novel", on some level I'm thinking I want to find a book like this.

I know you didn't ask, but I find myself wanting to list five novels that don't quite meet the strict criteria above, but are close enough that I want to highlight them.

The Dean's Watch and The Rosemary Tree by Elizabeth Goudge: Goudge isn't exactly obscure in this section of tumblr (which is why I heard of her in the first place), but she's obscure enough that a lot of her books are out-of-print or otherwise hard to get, and these two in particular are among the best books I've ever read.

The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery: Montgomery is extremely well-known, and this book has an ever-growing and very devoted cult following, so it's not exactly obscure, but it's much less well-known than most of her other books. A deep cut, if you will. It fits perfectly within the light vintage novel category, and has long been one of my favorite novels of all time.

Lady Audley's Secret by Mary Elizabeth Braddon: It's got an Oxford Classics (or similar imprint) edition, and is well-known as one of the very first sensation novels, but it's not exactly known among people who don't deep-dive into Victorian literature. I read this last month and loved it. It's a cozy sensation novel with an amazing main character, great atmosphere, and a plot that manages to grip you even while not much happens.

Mrs. Miniver by Jan Struther: It's not exactly obscure if it has a movie adaptation, but from what I know, the movie basically ignores the book, which isn't that well-known today. Charming slice-of-life from the very early days of WWII England.

Helen by Maria Edgeworth: Not exactly beloved, and Edgeworth isn't exactly obscure, but this is a lesser-known novel that fits well within this category. The first half had some moments that were so dull I considered not finishing, but the second half was gripping enough that I can mention it as a nice, obscure surprise of a book.

[writingbyshiloh]

Medical Drill

Summary: Just more Team Germany stuff in the Toledo House

CW: smoking, FEM! Reader (referred to as “pretty lady”), general Berlin-ness, secret relationships, implied previous smut

AN: I ADORE Moscow so he’s featured in this. If it is disjointed it's bc I wrote half a month ago and another half while making bread. No beta. @soraya-daydreams <3.

WC: 1.65

You rub your eyes, trying to adjust to the darkness of your room and what must have happened to wake you up so fast. The curtain you drew last night is firmly in place, all your belongings are where they should be. You start to lay your head back down. You bolt upright when you hear another knock on your door followed by the Professor stage whispering. 

“Vienna! We need you! Something happened to Moscow! He can’t breathe!” 

There is a high chance it’s a drill. You tell yourself. If something is wrong, he will be in your room shaking you awake. 

With a sigh, you heave yourself out of your bed and start rummaging through the “medical kits” scattered around your room. The real ones for the heist are still being assembled, so you have old books ranging from Care and Keeping of Farm Animals, to Don Quixote, labelled by which kit they are and the supposed contents. The order of them generally goes from the head down, no.1 being head injuries, no.2 and no.3 being neck and heart respectively. You pluck no.4 - lungs - off the floor and sprint out of your room. The hall is quiet, meaning Moscow must be at the checkpoint with the Professor. 

You wince slightly as the steps creek while you run down them. But if you can’t get any sleep, you don’t feel back about the others waking up. Stumbling out the house door you don't even register the temperature change and just keep running. 

Moscow and the Professor are sitting at the outside table quietly talking, while every few seconds the Professor looks at his stopwatch. The night is warm with a clear sky so they don’t seem to mind being awake. You run faster outside, trying to make up for lost time. Slaming the “medical kit” on the table you look up at the Professor (ignoring his wincing at how you treat the medical kit) to get your reaction time. 

“This says number 5 on it.” Moscow tells you. You almost break your neck with how fast you turn your head to look at the book. You see the clear Medical Kit 4 label and look back at Moscow to see if he actually is having a medical emergency. He lets out a small laugh and pats your arm as if to apologize for pranking you. You feel yourself smile despite the early hours of the morning. 

“I’m just messing with you. You did well.” He says. You don’t have it in you to be mad at him, and lightly push his shoulder to let him know you see the funny side. 

“Well, good yes. It’s faster than last week's drill. However, in a heist, every moment is crucial to treat the hostages.” The professor tells you moving his fist to articulate his point. Pulling out a seat you sit next to Moscow, who offers you a cigarette. You nod and he hands you one and his lighter. You force yourself to nod and pay attention to the impromptu lecture knowing you’ll never have to work again in a few months.  

The professor only has a few more comments, things you make mental notes about to try next time before he bids you a good (but quite early) morning and leaves to prepare for the class day. 

“Thanks for doing this,” you say quietly. 

“I used to wake up at 4 in the morning for the mines. This is nothing for me.” Moscow tells you. 

“Mind if I sit with you for a moment? I’m wide awake now, I don’t think I could sleep.” 

Moscow nods and you lapse into a comfortable silence. Moscow is kind to you and praises you in front of Denver for getting an education to gently tease his son. He has ended up being your partner for many heist-related team exercises. At first, it was because his son kept ditching him to team up with Nairobi or Tokyo, but now you prefer to work with him over anyone else. Berlin is a close second. 

“How are things going with your boyfriend?” He asks lighting up another cigarette. You frown thinking over his words while you watch the cherry of the cigarette burn. You don’t tell anyone about previous partners you’ve had before joining the heist, trying to keep going through with the future and ignoring your past. 

“My who?” 

Moscow turns his head to see if you’re joking with him. When he seems you’re not he continues “C'mon, you know. The other half of Team Germany.” He adds extra empathy to the team bit. 

You drop your gaze down to your cigarette in the ashtray. Moscow places his hand on your shoulder and gives it a small squeeze. You like Moscow, he’s like one of those uncles who aren’t blood-related but always there for you. He dances with you after three beers and tells you corny jokes. 

“I, um, we have been ‘seeing each other’ for a few months.” You say, using air quotes to describe the nature of your relation to the leader of the heist. Moscow shows no anger or judgement, just his kind eyes so you keep going. 

“It’s supposed to be causal. And I’m keeping it that way ‘cause who knows what will happen inside the mint. I can see why he was married five times. Part of me wants to go along with it, even after the heist. But I can't risk ruining the money.” 

“Are you going to tell him?” 

You sigh, watching the wind blow through the bushes. You tell yourself you will but there are so many what-ifs it's hard. 

“I’ll decide when we're all on the boat.”

Moscow looks like he has something to add, but isn't sure if he should say it. When he opens his mouth to speak, all that comes out is a bad cough. You rub your hand over his back as he hunches over, carefully watching and waiting before you offer him water or a cough suppressant. Much to your dismay, he resisted, trying to get back to the conversation between you. 

"What were you saying?" he asks. 

"I can't remember." you lie, and Moscow is kind enough to understand the topic of the conversation entirely. 

“Let me cheer you up. Have you heard the one about the doctor and the teacup?" 

You turn to look at him, excited for whatever it could be. 

“Darling, you look exhausted,” Naririobi says joining you at the table for a lunch break. You nod slowly as if each movement is exhausting you, which isn't far from the truth. 

“There was a medical drill last night. I couldn’t sleep after.” You tell her. She nods sympathetically as you reach for another glass of water. 

“Go and nap. I’ll wake you before class starts,” she says. Thanking her you push your chair into the table and start to make your way to the stairs. 

You’re so close to your bed that you can almost feel the soft pillow under your head when a hand reaches for your wrist. Too tired to question or pull your hand back you just follow the hand to an arm clad in an expensive suit jacket, to a handsome face. 

You blink slowly, not to be seductive but to try and get some moisture back into your tired eyes. It helps but also puts you closer to an eye twitch.

“Hey pretty lady, where are you going?” he asks quietly. Everyone else is downstairs eating or outside to enjoy the summer but you appreciate his commitment to keeping it hidden. 

“To bed.” 

You watch his lips curve into a sharp smile, thinking you’re going to take him with you. 

“In the middle of the day? When is everyone awake? That’s risky for you.” He gently twists your wrist so he can kiss the back of your hand. “I like it.” 

“I’m going to my bed, alone, to nap,” you correct him, making no moves to pull your wrist back.

“How much time did the Professor say was an efficient nap? 20 minutes?” he twists his wrist to check his watch, shaking your arm in the process. “You can nap and we still have another 30 to spend together.” 

He chuckles as you shift your weight, seriously considering his proposal. 

The rapid heavy thumps of footsteps on the stairs make Berlin drop your hand and turn around. You bend at your side to peep over his shoulder to see who is coming. Denver comes into view first, with Moscow starting to loom behind him. 

You see Denver nudge Moscow to start speaking, some questions addressed to Berlin, something about the phone that will be wired to the Professor. 

“As you can see, I’m talking to Vienna right now,” Berlin says, turning back to you. He looks apologetic that your time together will have to be cut short. 

You wave a hand in front of your face. “I have to nap anyway. We'll continue this later?” 

Berlin smiles at your words, hearing the subtext in them and nodding in agreement. Turning back to the other men, you’re sure he’s still smiling. As he and Denver descend the stairs, Moscow catches your eye and gives you a friendly wink. One that just screams I was young once too. 

Face burning, you rush into your room, kick off your shoes and settle into bed. Even though you know you won’t be able to fall asleep now.  

[oneinathousand]

I've assembled some lesser-known quotes about Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, I hope there's at least one in here that most of you have never seen before, though the super-fans among you have likely seen them all ;)

Lee fancies himself playing Aragorn, the archetypal heroic figure of the piece - he would probably be cast as Sauron, the Satanic figure in Tolkien's Middle Earth - but he feels that only a Walt Disney feature cartoon could possibly do justice to the work.

-"Cinemafantastique" Vol 3 No 1 (Fall 1973)

I knew that Lee wanted to play Gandalf when he jumped on board the LOTR movie trilogy, but I didn't know he apparently originally wanted to play Aragorn! My guess is that once he got older, he figured he would be better as Gandalf, though of course he didn't get it. But Lee as Aragorn... if he played the part in the late 50's, 60's or early 70's, I could see him pulling it off, what with his swordfighting abilities. Did he ever comment on the Ralph Bakshi adaptation?

After the liberation of Germany, he [Lee] visited a number of the concentration camps, including Dachau, a deeply disturbing experience which, he says, provided him with such a close-up view of the charnel house side of real life that he is unaffected by anything he sees or does on the screen.

-The Dracula Scrapbook, Peter Haining

I have decided now to tell a tale a bit "out of school" regarding the relationship between Peter and Helen Cushing, especially since this is a lady who remains a bit of a mystery to most Cushing fans - like a figure out of an Edgar Allan Poe tale, considering the way Peter lionized her as if she was indeed his "lost Lenore." During the latter part of 1977, I saw quite a bit of Christopher Lee as he and his family were living in Los Angeles where he played golf (and made the occasional film or television movie of the week.) One afternoon, we were at lunch, and the subject of Peter and his wife came up in conversation; Christopher leaned over to me and said, "You know David, Helen Cushing was a bit of a psychic vampire in life; she kept Peter very close. It was as if she could read his very thoughts before he had them. They really were soulmates of the first order; make no mistake about that! I don't think Helen ever really trusted me where Peter was concerned - even after he and I had made several films together. In fact, Helen used to say to me, "I know you think you are now bigger than my husband don't you?" Well, I just looked at her, smiled and said, "Well Helen, I am taller than Peter you know." Christopher felt that Peter had such guilt - imagined or not - about anything he might have done when they were married; if for example he ever found himself attracted to any of the Hammer glamour girls; whom he worked opposite, it all was now too much to bear. On the other hand, Vincent Price responded to Peter's intense mourning with his usual brand of humor. During the filming of Madhouse, he observed Peter discussing ways of communication from beyond the grave by perhaps installing a phone in the crypt; Vincent listened to all this and then replied with that unmistakably deadpan voice, "Well Peter, what if she's out?"

-David Del Valle, "Diabolique" #16

A few of you may recall seeing a quote posted here from Lee calling Helen a psychic vampire. I tried to find the source for that, but I couldn't. Instead I found this other version, possibly by the same person, which seems to give more insight about what Lee actually thought of Helen, and it comes off as much less harsh on his part than the other one.

A while back, I looked up interviews about the making of The Legend of the Seven Golden Vampires, and I swore I saw a magazine or something where Roy Ward Baker, the co-director of the movie along with the Shaw Brothers, said something about Cushing during the making of it to the effect of: “He was absolutely miserable, poor bugger.” But I forgot to take a screenshot of it then and for the life of me I couldn’t remember where it came from, I tried to look through my search history but couldn’t find it. I swear that I saw it, though!

Oh well. Next up is a quote about Lee and Cushing watching Looney Tunes together for the last time, get your tissues out...

In the early 90s I worked for Hammer Films and was asked to organise a voiceover recording for a Hammer Films documentary. Both Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee had agreed to work together one last time. Christopher Lee had asked me to organise one thing: a television and a VHS player in a private room and to have some alone time with Peter. After the recording, I cleared the studio and left Peter and Christopher alone with the TV. They hadn’t noticed that I was still at the mixing desk so I waited to see what they were going to be watching. I saw Count Dooku and Grand Moff Tarkin sit watching Looney Tunes cartoons – each doing perfect impersonations of Sylvester the Cat and Tweety Pie – all line perfect! I can’t remember exactly – but I think Christopher Lee was Tweety Pie and Peter Cushing was Sylvester.

-"Popbitch" 2015 Annual, the quote is just credited to a "JH", but IMDB lists a Jane Hughes as having worked as an assistant director in the Canterbury studio where Lee and Cushing recorded their voiceover, so this is most likely her. I personally would like to believe that Lee was playing Sylvester and Cushing was Tweety because Lee said he was always Sylvester to Cushing, and come on, Cushing MUST have been Tweety, that character would fit him like a glove!

For this final quote, I'm gonna do something different and copy-paste a whole interview done with Lee by a guy named John Exshaw about Cushing a year before the latter died for the magazine Cinema Retro, the interview being put up on their website. The formatting on the interview is all messed up, so I fixed the apostrophes and em-dashes and will put the whole thing here for your enjoyment.

I find this interview fascinating not so much for what Lee says about Cushing, but for how it implied he saw himself compared to Peter:

I didn’t meet him until we did the first Hammer movie. I’d seen him. Of course the thing which I’d seen which impressed me most, understandably, was 1984, which was remarkable. He was wonderful in that… Live TV! [shudders]

Total dedication; and this is the answer to why Peter Cushing is an actor. Total dedication. Total! The most professional actor I have ever worked with. And I’m not going to say underrated, because he isn’t underrated. He’s highly regarded all over the world as a brilliant actor, and deservedly so. The record shows that… Also, one thing that we do share, I think, more than anything, which is more important than anything else - I think we share the same dedication, I think we share professionalism, I think we share the same feelings about doing the best we can - one thing we certainly share is the same sense of humor, which of course the general public is totally unaware of. If they knew what we got up to on the set in every film we’ve made… the imitations that I used to do… Oh, we used to dance together in the rushes, yes; me made up as the Frankenstein creature, a sort of, a sort of, what do you call it - buck-and-wing dance, you know. And in years and years and years he and I have shared this idolatrous love of the Warner Brothers cartoons, you see, and Sylvester, and Tweetie Pie, and Yosemite Sam. And I’ve always imitated them, you see, and he’s done the same. And we used to do that on a set; people used to think we’d gone out of our minds, and we’d make each other laugh. Sometimes it’s so important - in a way, it’s absolutely essential - but we’re both of us ice-cold when it comes to doing it, even if we’ve been been laughing a few moments before. And that’s a thing we also share, total concentration.

And what can I say about Peter Cushing that I haven’t said before? I mean, consummate actor, brilliant technician, and a marvellous human being. I’ve always said, you know - I’m sure you’re aware of this - that he should have been a priest… Because there is a great love for his fellow man. There’s an almost superhuman loving kindness in Peter, and it’s always been in there. I’ve never heard him say anything harsh about anyone. He’s also a deeply religious man. Those are the two things we don’t have in common. I’m afraid I do say what I think. I’m not tactless but I am a more direct person than he is. I don’t have his tolerance. I don’t have his gentleness. I don’t have his faith; I wish I did…

He is not an easy person to get to know, believe you me. There’s a lot about Peter that I don’t know… But of course, as you know, Helen died in the 1970’s and that is his only desire left in life. And it’s genuine. He has stayed alive because he’s a man who would never take his own life because that would be a great sin, and he has stayed alive through some pretty terrible experiences, you know. He’s had cancer, and problems with his legs, his hips, breathing, and all sorts of medical problems, but the spirit is unquenchable and the speed of thinking and the mind haven’t changed at all. I mean, it’s another cliche - the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. The same thing with Vincent [Price]; mind like a rapier, both of them. Only the physical disabilities of getting old…

But he’s certainly one of a kind, and of course this business of staying alive, simply existing, which is how he looks at his life - existence. He’s only waiting for that moment; only waiting for it. And he’s been waiting now for twenty-three years. It must be terrible to be so admired and so loved and so respected but to impose, I feel, on yourself, deliberately, a sort of monastic seclusion which he seems to prefer. He seems to; I mean, you wouldn’t think of it if you saw him with a group of people but I think he prefers to be alone. I don’t think the house is full of people. I don’t think there’s many very, very close, intimate friends - but nor have I, and nor have many people.

Acquaintances, yes; admirers, yes - scores of thousands all over the world, people who feel they know him, people who feel that he’s a friend - all that. That’s on a professional basis; I think on a personal basis, I get the impression that he’s a person who keeps his life and his relationship with his wife very much to himself. It’s locked up in a cupboard of which he has the key. He doesn’t open that cupboard and release anything unless he chooses to. But I don’t either.

[possessionisamyth]

Just finished reading Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (it's shorter than you think) only to come to the conclusion that all the tragedies involved could've been prevented via gay sex.

To completely shelve the fictional addict to real life addict comparisons people often make of the narrative, I am serious when I say Henry Jekyll having gay sex could've stopped the creation of Hyde.

Dr. Jekyll is an educated christian, british, white man in his middle age who is both unmarried and childless. He's well off, and by well off I mean he could take a year's vacation to Germany without much issue if he wanted. However, he's tired of his safe life and uses Hyde to embrace a darker, evil, and bestial side of himself. He wants to traverse around town in this state as he pleases but also mostly be left alone during this.

Two big reputation killers and scandal causers of the 1800s was murder and sodomy. Like sodomy was really bad unless it was treated extremely under the table. A wink wink nudge nudge if you know you know type of situation unless you didn't mind uplifting your entire life to move to a different city or country with the hope the rumors don't follow you.

If Dr. Jekyll with his scientific and social standing were to suddenly employ a handsome young man of good standing and countenance as an apprentice no one would bat an eye. The young man could travel to and from Dr. Jekyll's home freely and could also be summoned whenever there was something new to be "taught or studied". Whatever strange noises occurred behind closed doors could be brushed off since Jekyll is a chemist and they work with so many drugs.

Henry Jekyll could in secret engage in these sinful, "horrible", and pleasurable acts to satisfy the perceived evils within his heart. He could take his apprentice out to events or dalliances with colleagues and get a thrill from knowing the true nature of their relationship and his connections being none the wiser.

Another layer of secrecy is added because if the apprentice were even to consider blackmail by revealing the nature of their relationship, he'd be caught within his own trap of the sodomy crime. Besides, it's more likely he wouldn't as Henry would write in his will to give all his shit to his apprentice in the event of his death or disappearance. And I can make this assumption because in the book he gives all his money and possessions to Hyde and then rewrites it to give his stuff his lawyer. If that man had any estranged family, they weren't getting shit from him.

Not to "men be fighting demons and those demons is bisexuality" this theory, but the post nut clarity that comes with gay sex would not have only fixed Henry Jekyll, it also might've paved the way for some advancements in medicinal drug use.

[thebearme]

I always wondered like why does medic act so mean towards engie in ur fanart are they exes or medic just hates him for no reason..? Plus the hc of administrator being engies mom is rlly cool u cooked

well alot of the of the stuff of engi and medic beefing were lil joke based off a fic's writing of engi (so it was granted)

But- you aren't wrong either cuz in my headcanons medic and engi were a thing but there is no animosity. It's was back when they were on the BLU team and dumped each other shortly after the merge. But they're still chill with each other, still best friends and still have a blood pact to die before EVER confessing The Administrator contract for them to ANYONE.

So don't worry, they're not bitter exes

And for the second thing, I don't have the hc that The Administrator is Engi mom. She DID practically raise Engi tho. I imagine that The Administrator tends to interfere with people's personal lives to get the people she wants to serve her. Like hiring a hit squad to "hurt" Spy's family, causing him to think that his spy life and family lives can NEVER be this close and making him pick one or the other. Or getting a german doctor off of death row Or getting rid of any distraction for the Conaghers. And if it means the birthmother possibly leading her husband and child away from continuing working for her then bye-bye Mrs. Conagher.

This woman is a control freak and always five steps ahead, she finds ways.

but speaking of which! I remember this one headcanon from a ao3 fic tag saying The Administrator and Medic being related, like being his great great aunt or something. And THAT still hasn't left my head. Like it makes sense in a weird way, idk but when I first joined the TF2 fandom and read the comics I thought if anyone were to replace The Administrator for some bizarre reason, It would be Medic. idk but he just seems he has it to be 'The New Administrator' maybe just needs chill pill so he's not too high energy

Anyway with the hc it makes me think like- you could have gotten him out of Germany before everything happened why?? For war experience?? to break him??? Why was our Medic The Medic you kept?? Is he more manipulatable to do your bidding?? The Administrator knows everything that happens inside her walls, so she knew about Engineer's and Medic's relationship. She HATES when the mercs have big amounts of communication with each other, so why was this fine? Is it because she knows that she has enough control over them in their personal life to the point she has no fear??

All things I have no answers for but the fact theres a hc that scratches my theorists brain makes me happy to keep it.

sorry this turned into a Administrator post but is one interesting lady and that leads some of my headcanons to come back around to her.

[fortloser]

Hello again! Sooo kinda a personal question but what was yalls childhoods like?

(Also, hope u feel better snipes!)

-Terror

Hallo everyone! I finally got my hands on those portraits! Now most of the others became rather uncomfortable when I started questioning them about their youths. I got answers ranging from “why are you so bloody intrested in how im doing! There’s nothing special about me or my childhood, now bugger off.” to more reasonable explanations. I tried calling Scout on his cellular device but he seemed very preoccupied. Oh well, he’ll get back to you on that, onto the testimonies! Brace yourself friends this will be somewhat lengthy.

I first approached herr Demo, and getting him to open up was fairly easy. His favorite alcoholic beverage and a snack did the trick!

“ It must be me birthday if yer spoiling me rotten doc, I guess I can share something about me youth if yer willing to lend an ear. I grew up in Glencoe Scotland, a great place if you like trails and hiking. Me mum and dad were professional monster hunters and me being the wee little lad that I was wanted to impress em with the greatest catch any child could give their parents, the Loch Ness monster! I did it all on me own but it came at a cost,,”

After that herr demo just stared off in the distance and I made a mental note to ask him more about that later, The Engineer was also very open about his youth! I came to him shortly after dinner knowing he would be busying himself with one of his long-term projects and would enjoy some company, his leg was still a little stiff from a rather nasty fall and so movement was difficult at times. He was more than happy to talk while I assisted.

“Luckenbach Texas, everybody is somebody there. It was recently bought by a goat farmer. Can you believe that? He called himself an Imagineer and after that, a bunch of hillbilly musicians started moving in. Can't complain though, It breathed new life into my home, I hated going back and seeing the state it was in. My mom and pop own a small pig farm there, and I still try to visit though unlike my good-for-nothing twin with his stupid fancy job at “NASA”,,

I don't think I should share his personal frustration about his twin with the public so let's move on, yes? The next day I approached Heavy, he was last on my list and seemingly already aware of me interrogating the entire team, and as he was cleaning his minigun he told me to take a seat.

“You want to know about heavy, Da? Then I will tell you about heavy. Grew up in big town near mountain, you would not know it. Had big family, many sisters and brothers but Heavy was oldest. Family was poor but happy, loved summer, snow would melt and grass and flowers would show, heavy likes this. Went to good school had many friends, now heavy works to give family same life. Doctor is happy  with answer?”

I was surprised he was so willing to talk about his youth, I politely thanked him and left to prepare for that day's battle, I suppose that only leaves me left.

I was born in Germany, my mother was German and my father was Dutch and they both moved to Germany so my mother could be close to her family, he was a watchmaker and she was an artist, this relationship did not last and they got divorced. My motherstayed in germany allowing my father to raise me on his own back in the netherlands. I spent a lot of time in my father's workshop while he was trying to fix up old clocks. I didn't have many friends but who needs them when you have books and wildlife to observe? I excelled in all of my studies and pursued medicine, and eventually ended up here writing to you after I just finished up patching the last of my colleagues.

Stay healthy

With kind regards medic

[coralcatsea]

Can't all of that usuk things be seen as brotherly love or someone who is important in your life but not in a romantic view? Not hating, honest just thinking

Your ask is about this post, right?

So looking at my examples, you can interpret it that way with some if you want, but with others...not so much.

I hope you actually want to hear me out, because this might get a bit long. Apologies in advance. 😅

-I can't imagine how awkward it'd be to view them as sıblıngs considering some of the suggestive things they do in canon. Personally, I think it'd be pretty weird to grab/tug on a sıblıng's apron when there's nothing underneath and say it "matches them well".

-If someone talks about your sıblıng being good looking, I don't think most people would get flustered enough to start sweating and trying to play it cool. I feel like the sıblıng equivalent would involve something more like eye-rolling.

-For the cake one, sure, you could interpret it as them being goofy in-universe, but from a meta perspective, putting an item that is so heavily associated with you on top of the cake seems to me like putting the wedding figures at the top. It comes off as intentional fan service, which Hima often likes to include.

-For Valentine's Day, the scene with Alfred and Arthur is paired narratively right alongside the shippy GerIta stuff. Additionally, there is a note that says this:

"In Europe, it's traditional for lovers to give gifts to each other."

"In America, giving gifts is also mainly done between lovers."

It does indeed mention male to female, but only to give cultural trivia about the difference between Europe and America. The important part is the emphasis on lovers, and we all know Hetalia doesn't shy away from same-sex shippy moments – as evidenced by Germany proposing to Italy in the very same strip. Speaking of proposals, one dynamic that closely parallels Arthur/Alfred is that of Antonio/Lovino, and Antonio tried proposing to Lovino in the manga.

I digress.

-Sıblıngs typically don't suggest ideas like dressing in sexy outfits and swaying their hips provocatively. Which reminds me, I forgot to include a similar scene in my post where Alfred intentionally has Arthur wear a Robin costume that shows off his legs. Yes, intentionally.

"Also, didn't you notice your costume is from the movie and mine is from the comic?"

Of course Alfred would notice. There's no way a big Batman fan like him would've chosen Arthur's costume carelessly, but instead of answering why Arthur has the skimpy version of Robin's costume when it doesn't even match his, Alfred instantly deflects. He then proceeds to tell Arthur to stop crouching and show – ...something. Based on what Arthur is covering, the logical assumption is that Alfred is telling Arthur to show off his legs.

-"Are you fighting like an old married couple again?" Self-explanatory. If they were sıblıngs he could just say, "Are you having a brοthεrly quarrel again?"

-Cardverse is a canon AU by Hima, and Alfred and Arthur are the King and Queen. Magical Strike is also a canon AU, in which Alfred has a fαthεr who is the company president. No other fαmiliαl relations are given. Arthur is a salaryman who simply works for the company.

-There's the scene where Arthur is dying that plays on the "near-death love confession" trope.

-Other characters comment on their relationship...

Again, if it was brοthεrly they could just call it a brοthεrly quarrel. It comes off to me more as teasing friends who could potentially have romantic feelings for each other.

-Tony sees it, too, teasingly commenting "Love me bubu. Kiss me bubu," in reaction to Arthur and Alfred's conversation. He doesn't normally say things like that, either.

-Terms like "big brοthεr" in Hetalia shouldn't automatically be taken literally. They are used in a more Japanese sense (e.g. calling a somewhat older person who isn't related to you "big brοthεr" out of respect). France calls himself "big brοthεr" to literally everyone and even Norway refers to Denmark as "brοthεr".

-Regardless of how you interpret their usage of "big brοthεr", Arthur decides against being called that right away, Alfred himself rejects the idea of it during the Revolution, and Arthur later claims their relationship is "not like that" and fumbles for a way to describe it, mainly considering himself as more of a former mentor or boss.

So I believe that after the Revolution, it's most accurate to consider them as coworkers or friends (who may or may not be attracted to each other).

_____

At the end of the day, you can interpret it however you want. But with how often USUK fans are given a hard time for liking this ship, I wanted to point out that we're not pulling this stuff out of nowhere. It's hinted at and given shippy fan service moments just like several other ships.

I only really disagree with people constantly insisting they MUST be fαmily. Romance vs fαmiliαl are NOT the only two options. I would honestly like to see more non-shippers just let them be friends. Just because I ship it doesn't mean others have to, and just because some perceive it in a fαmiliαl way doesn't mean everyone else must view it like that, either.

And to those who do decide to hop aboard our ship, welcome! We have lots of variety to offer and are always glad for more people to have fun chatting about ideas with.

[umseb]

Vettel: 'They called me Baby Schumi. I didn't like it but I understood'

8 MARCH 2010

Sebastian Vettel whips off his grimy beanie and ruffles his tousled hair in amused relief. He is the most thrilling young driver in Formula One and, following his second place for Red Bull in last year's championship, the most intriguing competitor in this season's potentially riveting battle for the world title. But Vettel is also, by far, the most relaxed and engaging racer in the notoriously guarded paddock. "You might think I'd get more attention this year," the 22-year-old German says in his immaculate English, "but there has actually been less focus on me. This is all because some old German guy decided to come back. He is keeping all the German writers very busy and that's good for me. I take my hat off to the old guy." Vettel waves his beanie in the direction of the Mercedes motorhome where a returning Michael Schumacher offers just one compelling strand in a revitalised racing narrative which resumes this Sunday with the opening race in Bahrain. "This season we might get lucky and talk about the racing rather than politics or business," Vettel says. "We've got Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes and Red Bull. That's four teams and eight drivers. At the moment it's difficult to know who is at the top. One of us will finish first and one of us will finish eighth – with six others between.

"And we have this interesting competition between team-mates. You've got two British drivers in a British team – with [Lewis] Hamilton and [Jenson] Button at McLaren. I don't think it's going to be easy for Jenson. Lewis is very quick and he has known this team for many years. You can see what he did back in 2007 when Fernando Alonso was at McLaren. So I'm very interested to see McLaren and Ferrari [where Alonso and Felipe Massa have had their moments of strife]. "Obviously in Germany people are more interested in Michael and Nico [Rosberg] and a rivalry between two German drivers. A lot of things could happen in all these teams. So I think the most spectacular combination is me and Mark [Webber] because everyone knows we don't have a problem. Of course I want to beat him every time, and he wants to beat me, but we get along well." Vettel nods in acknowledgement when reminded that he and Webber have had their problems. Their relationship started badly when, in 2007, Vettel shunted Webber off the track during the Japanese grand prix. Vettel drove then for Toro Rosso and he was chasing Webber who, in turn, was pushing Hamilton hard for the lead in sheeting rain. After the race Webber seethed: "It's kids – they fuck it all up." Last year there were also some combative battles between Webber and Vettel as the Australian veteran and the German tyro came close to hunting down Button after the British driver looked to have wrapped up the title after winning six out of the first seven races. "You know Mark," Vettel says of his similarly likeable team‑mate, "he is not afraid of saying what he thinks. So after that crash in Japan he was direct. He was angry and I was angry but, afterwards, I was sorry. We've never had a problem since." Webber ranted against Vettel's inexperience in 2007 but the German's rise as a prodigy can be measured in the number of records he holds. He is the youngest-ever driver to score points in a Formula One race [when aged 19 at the US grand prix in 2007] as well as the youngest-ever to take pole position and reach the podium. He also became the youngest-ever race winner when, just a few months after he turned 21, he was victorious at the Italian grand prix in September 2008. It has long been an open secret in the pit-lane that Vettel is on course to become the next great star of the sport. Even more impressively, he appears as entertained as he is gratified by such bold claims. "All these nice people saying I'm going to be world champion won't make me any faster," he says. "You have to believe it yourself." Attention might initially gravitate towards Schumacher but Vettel should overshadow the racing great with whom he has been compared since his teenage years. "They used to call me 'Baby Schumi'. I didn't like it but I understood. In Britain, when you had Nigel Mansell, a national icon, the question after him was always the same, 'Who is the next Nigel Mansell?' The only one you didn't get it with was Eddie The Eagle because he was not much good." Schumacher has rarely been loved outside of Germany, or the fevered enclave at Ferrari, but Vettel has a wry humour and warm personality. His affection for British culture is already well-known with his passion for listening to the Beatles on vinyl and for reciting whole chunks of Monty Python and Little Britain already making him different to Schumacher. "I like British culture – and maybe it's because I have a sense of humour that is not always politically correct. That helps! I really like England even if it's always raining and there are lots of roundabouts in Milton Keynes [where Red Bull are based]. But let's not forget I'm a German driver in an English team so I don't expect to be the most popular person. I hear this phrase quite a lot in England – 'Oh, he's a typical German'. It's normal. In Germany we have the same thing about 'a typical Englishman'. I think it's quite funny. National stereotypes come about but not every person fits into the scheme.

"I saw how the British can be when I won at Silverstone last year. I don't think it was the nicest race for them but afterwards they were so happy, so cheerful, even though I wasn't Lewis or Jenson. I went on stage and thousands of British guys seemed to go crazy. It was incredible – and I was quite surprised." It seems even more surprising that someone as young as Vettel should be the only driver in Formula One to manage himself. "Well, I try to do it," he laughs. "I come from an ordinary family – my dad is a carpenter, a roof-maker – and we've always loved racing together. We never went on holidays. We went karting and even my big sister enjoyed this. She would take my lap times and so we were in racing together. It seemed natural to go this way when I went into Formula One and managed myself – while taking advice from my family and close friends. "You can have managers who will tell you how great you are. But your family is more honest and we are doing OK. People say, 'Oh, you need a manager to get you into adverts or to make you more money'. But I'm fine. I want to make my own decisions. Sometimes it's funny because, in a negotiation, you can sit at a table with some very experienced people in their sixties. But you soon forget about your age and you do your best." Has he made any errors as a self-managed driver? "No, I don't regret any step I've taken so far. The problem with Formula One and football is that so much money is involved. Formula One is big business and, unfortunately, everyone is too caught up in his own interests and what ends up in his own pocket. For some people it is just business. And that's a big problem. You can't always say what you'd like to say. But the important thing for me is the racing – and to stay the same person I've always been." As just one example of Vettel's determined ordinariness he insists that, whenever he watches Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga, he stands anonymously among the fans. "I've never been to a corporate box or a lounge to watch football. I couldn't do that. You want to be with the fans who are singing and shouting. And at half-time I enjoy going down and standing in the queue to get a sausage with everyone else." Does he get recognised much because of his burgeoning status in Formula One, having won four races last season? "The last time I went it was a derby match against Mainz. A bit like Arsenal and Chelsea – except much smaller. I had my hat pulled down low and only a couple of people recognised me. But I wasn't hiding. I was just like everyone else, huddling against the cold. But we won that day and I went away very happy. That's what sport is about for me." In the unforgiving paddock Formula One boils down to winning – and making as much money as possible from a corporate enterprise. But, this season, the very human and remarkably gifted Vettel might just transform the cynical perception of an often cold business. "Last year it was different. No one expected Red Bull to challenge for the title. But now people expect us to be at the top. I like that but I also think it's important for me to say hi to all the mechanics from those other smaller teams who helped me when I was starting out. Sometimes that gets lost along the way." Then, just in case he sounds too noble for his own good, Vettel leans forward intently. "I want to win a lot of races this year – and it would be nice to start in Bahrain. It's not my favourite track but I finished second there last year. There's no champagne but the trophies they give out are great. I got a small, silver one last year and now I'd like the really big one." Best of all, as Vettel admits, would be a glittering trophy at the end of season which seals his apparent destiny as he becomes only the second German to win the world championship. "I'd love that, but seven other drivers are each planning something different. But I like to think that, this year, I could be good enough."

[nordickies]

You've previously said that you prefer to ship the Nordics with those outside of the group. Knowing that, I'm curious to know who you ship Finland with!

Well, that's the thing, he's the only exception to the rule. I have no idea who I could ship him with! I have a long list of potential relations and affairs for the rest of the Nordics, but when it comes to Finland, my mind is just blank. Even Iceland has more potential to me, hahah

Estonia is an obvious choice, and I completely understand the ship's appeal. But I personally prefer them as best friends, if not borderline brothers. Estonia deserves to be affiliated with other countries outside Finland, and he needs someone better than Fin anyway. DenEst or SweEst interest me way more! And there's just something so wholesome and pure about Estonia's and Finland's friendship that I can't bring myself to ship them

Germany (and Prussia) have a historical connection to Finland, but it just doesn't scream romantic to me. RusFin yeah sure, but it doesn't really personally interest me. I have always gravitated toward the idea of Russia being aromantic, too? Perhaps there were rumors of them being close during the Grand Duchy years just for the sake of drama, but I can't see anything actually happening between them?

Please, if anyone has potential ships for Finland, I'm willing to hear them out! My mind is just a total void when it comes to the subject. But on the other hand, I actually don't mind him being that way - I think his friendships and questionable relationship with Sweden are entertaining enough

[aurcls]

HSHQTASK059: FAREWELL !

i know i already yapped in the admin post but let me continue <3

1: when did you join ? what made you join ? what do you remember from the plotlines that were current at the time ? where were you in life when you joined and where are you now ?

i joined in 2015 as a high school freshman, jfc ! i don't think there was anything major going on, the rp was very much a rich kids rp so the drama was chill and petty; entertaining but not that deep. one thing that made me join ( aside from my obsession with royals ) was the fact that phoebe tonkin - THE most popular fc at the time - was up for grabs. i thought it was meant to be !

2: which characters have you written over the years ?

errrmmm... merjem/kalla, olivier, livia, florencio, alexander, anneli, lixun, nicole, maryam, blazej, definitely some other characters whose names and existence i cannot remember

3: what is your favourite plotline that you've been part of ?

i think this is just nostalgia but i think olivier-viggo-armani-lykke-anton-etc era was my fave. artistically it's very hollow but i think the lightness of it all makes it my favourite. i also sort of view it as a testament of my own naivety and youth. i'm not saying i'm old now but i'm not 17 without a single worry. back then ( because i wasn't busy and i could sat in front of my computer for hours ) the plots moved quickly and the threads were really fun to follow. there weren't that many characters so everyone was, in a way, forced to write with each other so the plotlines were very interactive. i appreciate the organic way things evolved. ( i do have a soft spot for annexei but i think it's mainly bc i admire alexei's characterization so much and elisa's ability to depict depression )

4: what about other people's plotlines ?

i was insanely invested in the zulu conflict of 2020. it had so many moving parts and i think if it had only gotten a chance to evolve even further, it would have been on a whole new level <3

5: who is your favourite character from the ones you've played ? why ? what made you love them ? what made them so fun to write ?

i think nicole or olivier. nicole's plotline was so well defined that it was fun to write her. i loved her relationships and it was interesting to write someone older. i think she's a character i could write a book about but she wasn't the best for an rp setting ? getting a chance to be involved in the english drama was wonderful ! olivier on the other hand... i think he's just a fave because he lets me connect to the old days ? when rp was a top priority and everything was exciting and fun. i don't want this to sound like it isn't that anymore but times were different back then and i don't think it ever felt the same after maybe high school graduation ?

6: if you could relive a plotline, which would it be ?

i think the finale of the english plotline maybe ? or the insanity of the lawn chair thing. possibly the rise of olykke too <3 but honestly i would like to experience all of it again, as cliche as it sounds. i will very think of the nights i stayed up until 4 or 5 am just to write/read the dash. waiting for a reply was such an addictive feeling and idk where i'll find my replacement for it. it really breaks my heart and makes me feel very old to realize that i don't know if i'll experience the excitement again. those sleep-deprived nights were some of my best. i've said "it's just rp" a million times but honestly, rping itself is such an experience and i'm glad i've gotten to get the best version of it.

7: is there a plotline that you'd edit now if you could ?

i think i'd improve the kalla era's germany. i didn't do much with it.

8: what's a plotline you wish you would have been able to finish before closing or just write more of ?

i would have loved to finish aurel x araya story, i mean i can probably still accomplish that but nbskdgbjs there were big plans for the slovakians and it's a shame we never got to write it out on the dash. i think i would have enjoyed writing the inner struggle of blazej. he had a lot of potential but alas, it could not be !

9: what is your favourite ooc memory ?

i have two that stick out but my trip with serre ? we were on my sister's couch writing the stupid lawn chair saga and i think it was the first time in a long time that i had that much fun writing ! the second one would be me visiting evy because it was a surreal experience and i have to admit i was so socially awkward that evy's family probably thinks i'm weird nfgbkdsgbj i just think it's amazing that those two meetings could happen ? prior to hshq, i hadn't really believed in online friendships, everyone felt just too remote ! a special mention goes to this crackthread thing we wrote: link just a random memory though: i remember when we did those feedback surveys. we sorta forgot them but they were so important at that one point. other funny thing is our old adminooc blog. snapchat replaced it and then some years later discord replaced snapchat. we should bring the admin snapchat back btw @armanicatherina & @barbiebraganca

10: where can others find you if they want to get in touch ?

i'll be on discord !!! you can find me on the hshq server ( which we aren't deleting if i can have a say ;) )

11: what else would you like to say ?

i said a lot in the admin post but i actually had to "keep it short" so here i will say so many things that you wish i had edited this. for me rping has been an amazing way to connect with other people, learn about people through writing and to experience emotions that i wouldn't otherwise. some of the words i've read here have managed to capture thoughts that i hadn't been able to put into words and it's been amazing to see how differently people think but also how alike some feelings among different people are. i often try to wrap my head around the fact that this group's been going for eight amazing years. i've gone through a lot in those eight years and the existence of this group has brought me a lot of joy. i am sad to let go of it and i guess i'm in a bit of denial because i keep thinking that 1x1 rping exists and y'know... even if a group doesn't exist, threads can still happen. when i think about hshq and the plotlines i've read and written, one thing really sticks out to me and it's the way we shifted from a p basic rich kids rp into something intricate and sophisticated ( yes, we had a drug related nye event and we've had a fair share of petty fights ). the range of emotions people have been able to write and the psychological work they've done to write a convincing and very realistic humans is something everyone can be proud of. i don't know if i look like a sadist but i was most impressed by the depictions of sadness, guilt and self-loathing. in my opinion it's not easy to write a piece of sad prose without it being a bit melodramatic. aside from hshq's longevity, the most amazing thing has to be everyone's willingness to get involved. the plot drops that i wrote wouldn't have happened without your input and when it got too tough for me to write them myself, y'all stepped up and continued the plotdrops with your newsposts. as an admin, it's been so so so so so awesome that we've been able to put some responsibilities on the members and have you guys perform better than well. i think we did something unique here and i'm so proud of us as a group!!!! i wish i could flex about this irl because hshq's history and way of working is something extraordinary. i really wish i could properly put my love for hshq into words. i don't know how to express its meaning and influence in my life. i feel like it has helped me to improve my writing but more importantly it has taught me a thing of two about empathy <3 i really hope we'll stay in touch and if anyone comes to europe, or more spesifically finland, don't be afraid to message me bc i'd love to meet up !

[karizard-ao3]

At fourteen, the pilots haven't matured yet and are going through that difficult period of being teenagers. Can you imagine what Shinji's relationships would be like if they didn't need to pilot the evas and came to know each other for a longer time, like from 14 to 18 years old?

You know, it's kind of hard to picture because they got to know each other due to becoming pilots, so I guess I'll start by putting them in a different setting where they can be coworkers of sorts but without all the trauma.

Okay, let's see. This is also tricky because most 14 year olds these days don't have jobs.

A school club, then?

Lol let's do Lego robotics. They don't pilot mechas. They build little Lego robots and program them to complete tasks. It's like a tiny, non-traumatizing version of the Evangelions.

In fact, Evangelions can be their team name and their chief rival is the Angels. Misato is their advisor, with the help of Ritsuko, who teaches science at their high school.

Gendo forces Shinji to join the club because it will look good on his college apps. Rei, Shinji's cousin or young aunt, was also encouraged to join by Gendo, but they have a good relationship so she's okay with it. Asuka transferred to their school from Germany and believes that she is the superior Lego builder because she grew up in a closer geographical vicinity to Denmark. She has been to the Danish Legoland.

So I think freshman year we can anticipate that their relationships will be pretty similar to canon. They're 14. They're brimming with hormones and irrational feelings. Shinji's got severe daddy issues. They do not function well as a team, particularly him and Asuka. Shinji accidentally befriends Kaworu online, only to discover when they meet in person that he is a memeber of the Angels Lego robotics team. Tragedy ensues.

I remember 15 being an absolute clusterfuck of a year. Like, peak teen angst. So I think they're probably all going through some stuff but maybe this is what starts to bring them together? Not at first. At first they are all real shits, but then I think they might start to develop some empathy and be able to see themselves in each other. It all comes to a head during a high stakes Lego robotics competition they're holding out of town. For whatever reason, they have a lot riding on the line. Maybe we can borrow from the ballroom dancing au and decide that Lego robotics is going to get axed as a school program if they don't start getting some wins (they did really bad the year before). Or maybe they'll lose funding? Anyway. The team bonds when, at the competitions, they each take turns having breakdowns and comforting each other. They begin to learn to work together and realize that team work does indeed make the dream work.

By age 16, they're starting to calm down. One of them gets a car so they drive to get snacks or whatever after Lego club pretty regularly. Shinji and Asuka are starting to figure out how to talk to eachother without triggering Armageddon while Asuka and Rei are starting to do girls activities with each other.

Oh, gosh. This is getting long and my mind is also wandering because it's getting close to my bedtime. Anyway, I think basically they just, over time as their wee little brains finish developing, start to be able to collaborate and see things from each other's perspective and they become a formidable Lego robotics team and go to nationals and then onto worldwide events. Gendo is happy with Shinji for once. Rei and Asuka go on Lego Masters together after they graduate and then Rei gets a job at Lego HQ in Denmark.

I feel like that didn't really answer your question. I don't really know why it turned into being about Lego robots, but here we are. I think, in short, the answer is, they start out butting heads and having conflicts because they are thrown together into a teamwork situation that they are not ready for (and also they are not good at team activities). Over time, they learn to work together and accept each others' differences and flaws. Eventually, they are able to collaborate and kind of learn and grow from each other's influence. They make up for each other's weaknesses by offering up their strengths. I think we get little bits of them trying to learn to work together in NGE but, unfortunately, they don't get the opportunity to succeed because they run out of time and must each face the end of the world almost entirely on their own.

God, I am tired af. I don't even know if I'm making sense. Stopping while I'm mostly ahead.

[teadreamsims]

Putting non sims stuff below the cut. TW for complicated family stuff, brief discussion of abuse, and health scares (not me, dw I've not had a health scare)

So, my dad and I have a complicated relationship. He was really awful to my mum behind closed doors growing up. Not physically abusive, but emotionally abusive I guess you could say. He'd say the most awful stuff to her, treat her badly, he even refused to be around my you ger brother when he was born bc he was born with a cleft lip and palate. My dad also would accuse my mum of cheating with his brother (who passed away 17 years ago) and say that my brother had to be his kid bc she "used the toilet after he did and that must be how she got pregnant". Suffice to say he wasn't a nice person to her. But he was always good to me and I just never knew what he was like until I got older and they separated then divorced years after.

Anyway, all that to say he moved to Germany a few years ago and he rarely ever messages me or talks to me. And whenever he does he never asks about me or my life, only about himself. This year he even forgot my birthday and that really broke me.

Well, he just sent me a text message to let me know he had a stroke BACK IN MARCH and never thought to tell me. Despite everything, I'm devastated. I feel horrible for how hurt and angry he's made me in the past and especially the past few months with how silent he's been. And he's just dismissing all my worries and upset with "calm down I'm fine now I don't burden people" and I just. It's all a mess in my head bc I struggle processing emotions and grief and stuff. Her could've died and I wouldn't have known, you know? He says I'd have known but I feel like I wouldn't and that's what really hurts me. He didn't think I needed to know that my own dad could've died.

Sorry for the long post and vent. I don't want any sympathy or pity or anything yall, that's not what this post is for. I guess I just. Idk. I meed to get it out there bc none of my friends are really responding to me rn and I don't feel comfortable talking about it to my mum or younger brother bc their view of him is more negative than mine and I don't wanna put them in an awkward position. They know he's had a stroke bc I've just told them but they don't know any of what I'm feeling or thinking rn.

But um yeah. Stuff is weird and complicated rn and idk how I'm gonna get through work tomorrow bc this is all I'm gonna be thinking about and I don't wanna call out of work bc I really really need the money so I can save up for driving lessons and a car.

Thank you everyone who read this far and took the time to listen to me vent. I appreciate all of you and thank you in advance for understanding if I'm out of sorts the next few days

[iveneverbeenmorestressedinmylife]

Για το ask game Edgeworth και Ανδρέας

Miles Edgeworth 💅

First impression: OH I SHOULD GET INTO ACE ATTORNEY IMMEDIATELY THIS MAN IS GOING TO RUIN ME.

Impression now: I was one hundred percent correct in my assumptions. He did in fact ruin me. This man has the range honestly. He is kind. He is an asshole. He is traumatised. He has every subtype of daddy issues known to man. He is a bitchy gay queen. He is aroace-spec (to me). He is autistic. He has NO idea what to do with himself when he is not in a courtroom. He is insane. Ive seen it. I enjoy it. Amen.

Favourite moment: "thanks to you i am saddled with unnecessary.... feelings....". Everything about turnabout goodbyes. The talk with Franziska at the end of aa2. The talk with phoenix after the earthquake in aa3. I could literally never pick Just One moment sorry.

Idea for a story: ... I've brainstormed two (2) aus that involve Edgeworth with two different mutuals. The first one is the Eurovision au where vk just sends miles to represent germany in Eurovision and the second one is the ace attorney/παρά πέντε crossover me and @alalumin have been driving ourselves insane over. Out of the two, the first one is the most fleshed out but the second one i might actually sit down and write for one day. Thats about all the concrete story ideas ive had for this man so far dkskks. Everything else is just a jumble of vague angsty daydreams.

Unpopular opinion: hmmm a lot of people tend to ignore the fact that he was canonically suicidal after aa1 so i suppose that could count as an unpopular opinion? Like if he wasn't actually suicidal, the note meant that he straight up faked his death which makes him an even bigger asshole that he usually is, which in turn makes phoenix's misdirected anger and blame seem a lot more justified? Also a lot of people tend to ignore the fact that phoenix would NOT handle Edgeworth admitting that he meant the note literally well. And honestly im not really blaming anyone here. Their aa2 dynamic is sooo complex, Edgeworth hurt the people that cared about him by hurting himself and not all of them are ready to forgive him immediately and thats fine. I just wish more people would explore this whole thing instead of oversimplifying it yknow?

Favourite relationship: narumitsu obvs but honestly? The Franziska and Miles fucked up sibling relationship means the world to me, its like a really really really close second.

Favourite headcanon: does it actually count as a headcanon if its strongly supported by canon? Idk but he definitely avoids elevators as much as he can and considering that his office is in the twelfth fucking floor the man walks up a lot of flights of stairs. He must have thighs of steel skkskaka. Also i like to think that at some point after the investigation games he went to therapy and he finally (!) got some help for that unmedicated and undiagnosed canon ptsd hes been drowning in since he was nine years old. Also he got Pess because i love her. Maybe she is trained as a service dog. He would love her with all his heart and her death would kickstart a major depressive episode because god knows this man can't handle grief but in the end he could get over it. Maybe even get a second dog or learn how to deal with loss in a less self destructive way. Also i don't think he would ever be able to fully enjoy Christmas? Like sure his fathers death doesn't hurt as much anymore but i like to think that the nightmares rear their ugly head during the Christmas season. Sure, he IS doing better but some things never really go away. He can hang out at the prosecutors office or Wright anything agency Christmas parties without feeling utterly miserable but he doesn't enjoy the holidays as much as everyone else. Some people don't understand why or think thats its just another aspect of his charming personality but the people who do are sympathetic about it.

Ανδρέας Καλογήρου 🔪

First impression: γουαου ποιός είναι αυτός ο μαλάκας λολ. Ειλικρινά νομίζω την πρώτη φορά που είδα το παρά πέντε δεν με ένοιαζε πολύ σαν χαρακτήρας.

Impression now: κοίτα. Έχεις δει το μπλογκ μου. Ξέρεις πως νιώθω για αυτόν τον άνθρωπο. Ο Ανδρέας έχει θεματάρες. Έχει παγιδεύσει τον εαυτό του σε μια θέση στην οποία είναι και θύμα και θύτης και από την οποία δεν έχει τρόπο ή ιδιαίτερη θέληση να βγει. Κατά την διάρκεια του σόου πηγαίνει από την αδιαφορία για τους ανθρώπους που σκοτώνει, στην εμμονή με το να πιάσει τους πέντε και μόνο όταν τον συλλαμβάνουν και όλα τελειώνουν συνηδειτοποιεί πόσο μάταια ήταν όλα αυτά και πόσες ζωές έχει καταστρέψει συμπεριλαμβανομένης και της δικής του. Επίσης ο άνθρωπος είναι μούναρος 😔😔.

Favourite moment: το τηλεφώνημα στον Σπύρο στο φινάλε με στοιχειώνει τα βράδια.

Idea for a story: πέρα από το ο Σπύρος επισκέπτεται τον Ανδρέα στη φυλακή fic που βρίσκεται αυτή τη στιγμή στο wip hell μου έχει καρφωθεί στο μυαλό εκείνη η ατάκα που ο Παυρινός αποκαλεί τον Νίκο πρεζόνι και το τι μπορεί να υπονοεί για το Ανδρέας/Νίκος μπακστορι. Επίσης εκείνο το όνειρο που είχα δει ότι έχει κόρη και redemption arc, angst fic για την γενική κακομεταχείριση που τρώει από τον Παυρινό, το Ανδρέας/Νίκος καφενείο au το οποίο κάποιος πρέπει να γράψει σας εκλιπαρώ και το προαναφερόμενο ace attorney/παρά πέντε crossover στο οποίο εμφανίζεται ως μάρτυρας στην δίκη της Αγγέλας. Το πόσα από αυτά θα καταλήξω όντως να γράψω ποτέ είναι πολύ αμφιλεγόμενο τβχ αλλά το γεγονός είναι ότι μου τριβελίζουν συνέχεια το μυαλό.

Unpopular opinion: δεν ξέρω είμαστε στο παρά πέντε φάντομ, είμαστε δέκα άτομα όλα κι όλα κάθε άποψη μετράει για unpopular κσκσκσ. Αλλά απλά και μόνο για να πω κάτι. Νομίζω όντως προσπάθησε να αγαπήσει τη Ζάνα. Ο γάμος τους ήταν ότι πιο hand in unlovable hand και σφάζονταν όλη μέρα αλλά προσπάθησε να φτιάξει τη ζωή του στην αρχή τουλάχιστον, εξού και ο ευτυχισμένος χετεροσεξουαλ γάμος. Στο μυαλό μου ήταν από αυτά τα ζευγάρια που έχουν ημερομηνία λήξης και το ήξεραν και οι δύο. Μετά έπεσε στα βαθιά με τις δουλειές με τον Παυρινό και πήρανε επιτέλους διαζύγιο. Επίσης δεν νομίζω ότι με τον Νίκο τα έχουνε, έχουνε. Νομίζω έχουν μια ελαφρώς fucked up relationship όπου δεν επικοινωνούν τίποτα εβερ, απλά πηδιουνται περιστασιακά on and off και μετά απλά πηγαίνουν και τα φτιάχνουν με άλλους. Τουλάχιστον στην αρχή. Τώρα αν μετά το τέλος της σειράς βγουν ποτέ από την φυλακή θέλω να πιστεύω ότι θα μπορούσαν να φτιάξουν λίγο τη ζωή τους αλλά αν δεν βγουν ποτέ. Well. Πώς νιώθεις όταν συνηδειτοποιείς ότι αγαπούσες τον καλύτερο σου φίλο χρόνια τώρα αλλά δεν έκανες ποτέ τίποτα για αυτό επειδή απλά δεν τολμούσες να αλλάξεις τίποτα στην μοναδική σταθερή σχέση που σου είχε απομείνει στη ζωή σου και ταυτόχρονα ήσουν πολύ απασχολημένος να σκοτώνεις κόσμο; Πώς νιώθεις όταν συνηδειτοποιείς ότι τώρα μπορεί να είναι πια πολύ αργά; Γενικά head full many thoughts.

Favourite relationship: Νίκος/Ανδρέας δαγκωτό.

Favourite headcanon: ναιιι δεν νομίζω ότι αυτός ο άνθρωπος είχε καλά παιδικά χρόνια. Ή καλό πατέρα. Ο Παυρινός κυριολεκτικά του πετάει πράγματα και αυτός ο καημένος σκύβει να τα πιάσει 😔 babyboy έχεις τραύμα. Η μάνα του είναι νεκρή (ναι κυριολεκτικά αναφέρεται έτσι throwaway σε ένα επεισόδιο και δεν το έχω ξεχάσει ποτέ) και επιλέγω να πιστεύω ότι την σκότωσε ο πατέρας του. Μισεί τον πατέρα του και κατά βάθος μισεί και το γεγονός ότι μεγαλώνοντας έχει γίνει σχεδόν ακριβώς σαν αυτόν. Ξεκίνησε να καπνίζει στο γυμνάσιο. Επίσης δεν πιστεύω ότι τελείωσε ποτέ το λύκειο.

[fumblingmusings]

Does it make sense to see Francis and Arthur as lovers historically? I mean only after WWII they got along and even then they saw it as necessary and still they have closer relationships with USA and Germany... teach me sempai

Oh gosh not sempai please really I am not a figure of authority in anything please 😭

I mean if you wanna make them a thing, I say you do you! You can find a way to make it work, there's too much crossover for them to not be important in each other's lives. For better for worse.

But huh! I guess... it depends how you want to define lovers? I mean, them having angsty nasty sex I can certainly see. Them being soft and tender and the (willing) emotional vulnerability? In the 1400s? Personally... I can't see it, or at least, not if you intend to keep it close to canon.

When they were small, i.e. pre Norman conquest, they were close for sure, but England didn't really matter to France's immediate neighbours and concerns (going through his own unification and the after effects of that split into East and West of Charlemagne's lands and, as well respected the Anglo-Saxons were for somehow being rich af and having a notable royal line... they're still across the water and isolated).

Once the Normans come, their relationship breaks and doesn't recover until the Tudors (sort of... it's really up and down in the 1500s), thereafter it continues undulating up and down until the end of the 17th century, then it's just down again until the 1830s. Then, it steadily rises until what it is today, with the occasional slippage.

At least, that is how I would map Anglo-French relations over a thousand years.

FrUK isn’t my favourite historical Hetalia pairing for either character - that goes to Toni and Francis (because there is your on and off again romantic rivals my god) and then Gabe and Arthur for anything pre 19th century. 19th yes FrUK wins (because what a turn around in relations from the start to the end of the century) and then yes, Ludwig and Francis and then Alfred and Arthur for 20th century. (Ludwig and Feli doing their slow burn nonsense in the background the entire time mind you). Francis' attention has always been more drawn to the continent. Not Arthur. Arthur is loathe to think of the mainland.

There's smatterings of DenEng and BelEng in there for Arthur and of course ScotFra on the other side but those are the main relationships. For me. Personally.

I think the two of them have long, long stints where their egos cannot stand the other, and Francis has very good reason to loathe Arthur, just as Arthur could see Francis as being the source of many of his own woes... 'Our dearest enemies' and all that. We've roughly fought 40 wars against each other. France won more than half of them quite comfortably.

I also think it's worth mentioning that France was a major power in Europe from like the 9th century. I wouldn't argue the same for England really until... oh God. I don't know. At least six hundred years later. France was always self sufficient in a way England wasn't. France had a larger population a better climate etc etc... England for a long time is a pain in France's arse, but he is not the most pressing concern for most of it. When England got to grips with banking by copying the Dutch, having a better political and legal system (thank you Napoleon for fixing that I suppose...) however, then things got more equal.

Arthur's greed is what gets Francis' attention, and not in like a good way. I think that is a fascinating dynamic, as is the fact that genuine affection can be born from them being such horrors to each other (and those unfortunate to be caught in their orbit).

On another note, I think England likes France more than they like us though. Personally speaking. I think Brits admire far the French more than vice versa. We're always going to be lesser than, to them. For one reason or another. We are too prone to cutting off our nose to spite our face, and they derive too much joy from the spectacle.

[randomvarious]

Fiction Factory - "(Feels Like) Heaven" Steve Masters Presents: A Trip Back to the 80's Song released in 1983. Compilation released in 1995. Synthpop / New Wave

For a pretty brief moment there in the mid-80s, right in the middle of the whole synthpop boom, the Scottish group of Fiction Factory really appeared to be onto something that was quite good. And the funny thing about them was that they actually, at first, had no intention of being a band themselves. Members had tried that in the past and had grown weary of having to play too many concerts, so when the group was officially formed, what they really wanted more than anything else was to be one of those behind-the-scenes songwriting outfits who could work on and make music for other people. In fact, that idea is what had inspired their whole name in the first place: they would be ardent songwriters, whose constant output would resemble that of a factory, but the notion that they were an actual band would be pure fiction.

However, once CBS Records heard their demo, that dream of relative anonymity had been dashed. Despite Fiction Factory's protestations to the contrary, the label saw a band in front of them that could potentially make it. And so the trio of Kevin Patterson, Eddie Jordan, and Chic Medley ultimately relented and decided to enlist two more members in order to fill out their ranks: a bassist named Graham McGregor and a former drummer from the already pretty successful Simple Minds—although "Don't You (Forget About Me)" had yet to drop—Mike Ogletree.

And things ended up starting out okay for them. Fiction Factory would make their debut in 1983 with a single called "Ghost of Love," which would manage to chart at #64 in the UK and #49 in Germany. But then directly after that, they caught lightning in a bottle with "(Feels Like) Heaven," an absolute feelgood, nostalgia-inducing, sweet and sentimental-sounding, middle-of-the-road, massive, and classic 80s triumph that they had actually crafted in the span of about 36 hours.

Now, if you're an American, chances are that you may have never heard of Fiction Factory before, because despite "(Feels Like) Heaven" earning itself some burn on both US radio stations—tastemaking San Francisco DJ Steve Masters was a huge proponent of it, especially—and MTV, nothing that this band ever made sold all that well Stateside, and as a result, they never charted here in any capacity.

But over in the UK, and also throughout parts of Europe, "(Feels Like) Heaven" fared extremely well: it was #2 in Switzerland, #4 in Ireland, #6 in the UK, and #10 in both Belgium and West Germany too.

And it's just such a tasty little morsel of unbeatably dreamy 80s synthpop, driven by a perpetually fluffy string synth backdrop that gets some simple, lovely, catchy, chiming keyboard melodies that attempt to emulate the sound of a music box to float atop it; and Kevin Patterson offsets his deep vocal tone on the verses with very different falsetto choruses too.

But while this song's overall vibe might leave you thinking that it'd be a perfect fit for any sort of 80s coming-of-age scene where the typically shy teenage boy main character finally gets up enough courage at the prom in order to ask his crush for a dance, "(Feels Like) Heaven" is actually one of those songs whose lyrics tell a completely different story. It may give off an appearance that it's about being comfortably and deeply in love with someone, but a more careful scan of the lyrics actually reveals the song's subject matter to be the exact opposite. What it's really about is that exhilarating feeling of liberation that one might get after a bad relationship has finally come to a close.

Twisting the bones until they snap I scream but no one knows You say I'm familiar, cold to touch And then you turn and go, 'Feels like heaven'

And I don't know how many people have actually picked up on the winking irony that's within this song, but you can apparently find it on a whole bunch of comps that claim to be comprised exclusively of love songs. And I bet some wedding couples have chosen it for their first dance too 😅.

Unfortunately, Fiction Factory weren't able to really succeed with anything that came after this bop, though; no other song on their 1984 debut album really seemed to sound like "(Feels) Like Heaven" itself, and because of that, I think people who'd bought it were a bit turned off. And CBS were also probably left unsure of how to market them successfully too. The group would return the following year with Another Story, but neither it nor its corresponding trio of singles were able to chart anywhere, and in 1987, they decided to go their separate ways.

Synthpop bands were about as prevalent as oxygen throughout the entirety of the 80s, and while Fiction Factory probably aren't the ones who first come to mind when you think of that era's top groups, there's no doubt that, for a whole lot of Europeans, "(Feels Like) Heaven" is still one of the genre's most fondly remembered hits, overall. And while Fiction Factory may not have had much longevity as a group, this one big hit of theirs still seems to land them pretty healthy residual checks to this very day, which is probably a whole lot more than most other bands of their ilk can continue to say.

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