#I like talking about my Commander

[0carkki0]

For an AroAce I surely have a lot of sexually active characters. Well the thing is I’m not sexually attracted to real people. Characters I can be. Also, my characters aren’t really that romantic. They are able to love very strongly and passionately but they don’t show it in materialistic way. They usually show it taking care of their love interest, if they are sick. Protecting them if attacked. Physical affection. Of course not in the middle of a fight or official political meeting... And sexual behavior. 

I’d like to think... No that’s wrong way to put it. Taimi has most likely been assaulted by Vivs’ psychopathic side at some times. But Taimi has learned how to deal with that. First time was probably even a bit traumatizing to her, but once she learned that the psycho side doesn’t like pain she began to hurt him aiming at the areas that would cause most pain. Trying not to damage him too much. Of course the psycho side can stand pain in the same way as normal people can, who aren’t into physical pain, but like with anyone there is a limit how much he can stand it before he wants to go ‘hiding’ behind the good side again. The good side does like pain, but this doesn’t mean he is immune to it. He still get paralyzed by it especially if it is very strong pain. But that’s exactly what he loves about it. It’s kind of like stimulation to his mind, and it is momentary relief of the sexual pain he feels from being aroused all the time. Which unfortunately also works as sexual stimulation. ^^; And if he gets too horny there’s a risk of the psycho side getting out. What to do then? Is just let him do what he wants till he reaches that climax. Usually after that the psycho side is satisfied enough to let the good side take control again, but Vivs in general probably isn’t happy with just one release. Now that the good side is in control again, if Taimi hurts him again he most likely is able to stop. If she lets him still do whatever, it can take some time and many releases till he’s completely satisfied. This is why some people avoid doing it with him. They just can’t keep up with his stamina. Nowadays Taimi is able to at least stay conscious till he’s done, but she thinks she still needs more training... And of course Gorrik as well... - w - 

What I like to think is that Taimi finds Vivs’ psycho side scary, but at the same time kinda exciting. She has started to doubt that the psycho side is able to kill her. He can of course hurt her physically, and even harm her mentally, but he won’t kill her. He wants to own her and control her mind. Make her as his possession. About the good side Taimi has fantasies where she has him under her control. That the Commander was her puppet and she was the puppeteer. And the funny thing is that the Commander would not mind this at all. 

The problem was just the world threats, and that Vivs seemed to be this important peace of a whole puzzle that wasn’t stupid. He often was in situations where he had to be alone and think for himself, so Taimi just couldn’t risk the future of Tyria by taking over this important piece’s mind. Otherwise, the puzzle would never be solved. I think Taimi has realized that her and the others were more like the supporters of this important piece of a puzzle. Important supporters, but supporters nonetheless. Even if she keeps joking about how she was the key element of solving all the problems thanks to her high intelligence. ^^

But just like she once said: facts are facts. No sense in pretending like those didn’t exist, because those pretendings could become fatal. This is partly why she is willing to even suffer a bit in the hands of the psychopath so she could fulfill her role. 

Also another funny thing about Vivs’ split personality is that while the good side would like to make each Inquest member to be treated like they have treated the innocent creatures, the psycho side also would like to do that, but more likely for irony of it. Making them go through that while pretending to be the good Vivs being all like ’this is What you did to those poor innocent beings! Since you seemed to love it so much, I had to force you to experience the same bliss! Feels great, doesn’t it?’ Of course the psycho side would be a perfect fit for the Inquest, if he didn’t want to conquer everything. Which would mean, like the asura Commander said in the Infinity Ball story, ’out-Inquest the Inquest’.

[aailbhe]

My corrie guard: *starving, dying, generally suffering*

Also my corrie guard: *singing hot to go over internal comms, making pizza rolls at 3 am, prank calling senators*

[bytebun]

my piece for @thecodywanzine! thanks to the mods who let me go completely ham and cheese on this bad boy. this one's about living longer than you ever expected and not knowing what to do with it

[soren-apologist]

time for more soren character analysis:

petrine’s battle conversation with soren in chapter 23 has always been a favorite of mine, and now that i’m looking at it again i noticed a few extra details:

it’s important to mention that this battle takes place directly after ike and soren’s a-support, in which soren confesses he’s a branded and expects to be shunned, only for ike to tell him that it doesn’t matter and he wants soren to stay by his side regardless.

anyway, besides “Now let me show you true fear!” being a really hard line, it’s really cool to see how soren’s reaction to his branded status being pointed out changes so sharply over the course of a handful of chapters. i already analyzed his reaction to nasir’s betrayal where he’s agitated over the fact that he could have prevented it if nasir hadn’t threatened to reveal him being branded to the army, so seeing him being so confident in himself is great, and i’ll touch on why here.

one of the reasons i like to say the game treats ike and soren’s a-support as canon is actually this particular conversation. soren, having just been reassured that ike will always want him at his side regardless of who or what he is, now suddenly has had his biggest fear and insecurity taken off his back. he doesn’t need to hate himself for being branded because ike, the only person who’s ever truly mattered to soren, doesn’t care at all.

back to the conversation, soren’s judgment over the situation at hand is no longer clouded by his own self-loathing. instead of comparing them as branded and seeing himself as just as horrid and disgusting as petrine (tiger branded, fun fact), he’s able to instead compare them as individuals and realize that what he’s done up to that point will never measure up to the atrocities she’s committed. i think the best part personally is just how disgusted soren looks by the notion he and petrine are the same, because he’s right— him being cutthroat and pragmatic is nothing compared to everything petrine has done in daein’s name— and the fact he can clearly see this means that, for the very first time, he’s finally starting to heal from the mental wounds inflicted upon him by his childhood.

overall, i like this little nod to soren starting to learn to grow and change from who he was at the beginning of fe9. it’s more clearly seen in radiant dawn, where he’s calmer to the point ranulf even comments on it, but these little inklings implying the start of soren’s healing are really cool to see.

[crossthread]

No jokes here. The Navy’s best pilot and the Navy’s best admiral. Between them, eight air-to-air combat kills and five stars. These were men who commanded respect with or without your approval. This was the picture of ruthless competence.

Debriefing (& Other Stories) • part 2 of Easier Done Than Said by @compacflt

[skltart]

life's hard when your general absolutely refuses to go to the medic. he just slaps a bacta patch on a stab wound and calls it a day

[blluespirit]

TL;DR: Zuko is not winning any Liar of the Year awards here, but he's by not a ‘bad liar’ either. He's also (apparently surprisingly) not sharing his every deep-seated thought and feeling to anyone and everyone and can in fact, keep a secret.

a canon vs fanon Zuko thing thing I see fairly often that I personally disagree with is that Zuko is constantly over-sharing and telling people too much about himself and his problems.

People love to use the Book 1 finale incident when he talks to Aang's unconscious body in the cave, but that feels like a bizarre example because... he's more talking to himself. He's not really talking to Aang. Aang can't hear him. Aang is literally none the wiser. It's not an inappropriate time or person or unreciprocated, and honestly the whole thing is more for the audience to get a sense of what in gods green earth is going through Zuko's mind considering how reckless this action was. And even if Aang was awake I still don't know if you could call it oversharing considering Aang has genuinely tried to reach out to Zuko before and tried to understand him (e.g., the Blue Spirit). Of all people, Aang would likely be the most receptive. Like... net zero information gained...

I've seen people use some examples with Iroh which I personally think is pretty ridiculous to count because it's not like he's saying anything Iroh doesn't already know??? Iroh is like the only one in Zuko's orbit who actually knew all the details about his banishment and trauma. I don't know how any scene Zuko could have with Iroh that you could call over-sharing. Zuko also never said shit to his crew about any of his past for like. two whole years. The most they thought of him was angry and spoiled. They didn't actually know anything about him. like... at all. Jee thought his scar was from a training accident.

People like to also use the scene on the ship with Mai in Book 3 when Zuko is returning to the Fire Nation, but even that feels like a bit of a stretch. Yeah, Mai dismisses him and tries to play it off, but nothing Zuko says feels 'too personal' especially when Mai is supposed to be his girlfriend and Zuko has literally not been home in three years. Telling your girlfriend/someone you trust how you feel in a obviously emotionally turbulent situation is not sharing too much, no matter their reaction or whether they asked first.

MAI: Aren't you cold? ZUKO: I've got a lot on my mind. It's been so long, over three years since I was home. I wonder what's changed. I wonder how I've changed. MAI: [Yawns.] I just asked if you were cold, I didn't ask for your whole life story. [Zuko frowns at her sarcastic response. Mai giggles and holds his face in her hands.] MAI: Stop worrying.

Another example I see is when Zuko rants to the badgerfrog. Again, not really an example since the badgerfrog is not a person and the story needed Zuko to Say Things Out Loud so we have some clue about what he's thinking. It's the same thing with the unconscious Aang. It's not oversharing. It's venting. And once again - net zero information achieved!!

Like, none of these instances feel like he's revealed too much information. None of it feels inappropriate in the context of the story.

I think people get 'over-sharer' and 'openly wearing your emotions' lines confused sometimes, but even that gets misconstrued in fandom.

I don't think that Zuko being more open with his emotions than other characters is an incorrect conclusion to make, however, I think there's something to be said about Zuko in book 1 and 2 using anger and rage as a coping mechanism rather than being vulnerable with his emotions.

Zuko will talk about his feelings a lot more in Book 3, which is actually super important to his arc, since he doesn't actually talk about his feelings in a real way in Book 1 and 2 (he's angry most of the time, and the only times I can remember when he does really talk about how he actually feels is usually when things have gotten Real Bad like when Zhao takes his ship or it's the anniversary of his banishment). In Book 3, he's really thinking and reflecting on how he feels and how he felt in different situations.

Even the 'Zuko is a bad liar' gets WAY over-played in fanon!

Yeah Zuko is not great at thinking on his feet when confronted, but it seems very context dependent, actually.

When in dangerous situations, while he's definitely not winning any Best Liar Ever Awards, he's not a bumbling fool either -

Zuko lies to Zhao about the Blue Spirit swords:

ZHAO: I didn't know you were skilled with broadswords, Prince Zuko. ZUKO: I'm not. They're antiques. Just decorative.

While not ultimately convincing, his delivery of it is far from terrible. The circumstances are against him here, though, after all, there are few people who hate Zhao enough to commit treason to stop him from capturing the Avatar than Zuko.

Zuko lies to Zhao about having found the Avatar:

ZHAO: [Pulls up alongside Zuko and smirks.] Two years at sea have done little to temper your tongue. So, how is your search for the Avatar going? ZUKO: [Aggressively.] We haven't found him yet. ZHAO: Did you really expect to? The Avatar died a hundred years ago. [Close-up of Zuko, as he slants his eyes.] Along with the rest of the airbenders. [Close-up of Zhao, whose face contorts in an evil expression.] Unless you have found some evidence that the Avatar is alive? ZUKO: [Faces Zhao and responds very clearly.] No. [Stares back in front of him.] Nothing. ZHAO: [With an expression of disbelief on his face, as he rises from his chair.] Prince Zuko, the Avatar is the only one who can stop the Fire Nation from winning this war. [Leans in and faces Zuko.] If you have an ounce of loyalty left, you'll tell me what you found. ZUKO: I haven't found [Looks up at Zhao and his tone becomes slightly more aggressive.] anything. [Close-up, as he continues on a softer tone, slightly mockingly.] It's like you said. The Avatar probably died a long time ago. [Gets up.] Come on, Uncle, we're going.

I'm not trying to say Zuko is secretly this great liar, but his effort here is commendable. It's his directness that gives him away, but he's not afraid, or nervous, or stumbling over his words like he's often portrayed to be.

Zuko confidently lies to Jet about not being a firebender:

[while on the ferry; you can see Zuko thinks for a second Jet knows who he really is. Jet doesn't pick up on this, and Zuko plays off his fear].

JET: You know, as soon as I saw your scar, I knew exactly who you were. You're an outcast, like me. And us outcasts have to stick together. We have to watch each other's backs. Because no one else will. ZUKO: I've realized lately that being on your own isn't always the best path.

[during Zuko and Jet's fight]

JET: Bet you wish he'd help you out with a little fire blast right now. [As Jet swings at Zuko's feet, Zuko stabs one of his broadswords through the hilt, pinning it to the ground. Jet looks at it with annoyance before focusing back on Zuko.] ZUKO: You're the one who needs help.

Zuko, throughout these interactions, plays off Jet's comments. He's learnt to be vague sometimes (like on the ferry to Ba Sing Se) and be confident when refuting someone. Yeah Zuko did go straight for Bodily Harm but that's very on brand to me.

Zuko lies to Chit Sang about the escape plan without hesitation:

SUKI: But how are you going to get the cooler out? CHIT SANG: [From the staircase.] Yeah, how are you going to get the cooler out? [Jumps down.] SOKKA: [Covering up.] What? We didn't ... w-we didn't say that. ZUKO: Yeah, you heard wrong. CHIT SANG: I heard you hatching an escape plan, and I want in. ZUKO: [stern] There's nothing to get in on. SOKKA: Yeah, the only thing we're hatching is ... an egg? [Zuko lowers his head and Suki covers her eyes while they both sigh in annoyance.]

Zuko comes up with a lie to tell the guards at the Boiling Rock about keeping his helmet on:

MALE GUARD: Hey, new guy! I know it's the rule to have your helmet on at all times, but this is the lounge. Relax. ZUKO: [plays it up] But what if there's an incident? If I'm not prepared, someone could strike me on the head. [The guards laugh.] FEMALE GUARD: Give it a week, he'll loosen up.

However, Zuko most often has the most difficulty lying to people who are kind to him (and who are Azula tbh) -

In Crossroads of Destiny, Zuko and Iroh are now refugees and Zuko bungles this conversation with Song:

ZUKO: [Nervously] Yes, we're travellers. SONG: you have names? ZUKO: Names? Of course we have names. I'm, uh ... Lee and this is my Uncle, uh ... Mushi?

In Tales of Ba Sing Se, Zuko struggles to find even ground with Jin and doesn't know how to answer her questions:

ZUKO: You have ... quite an appetite for a girl. [He fiddles his thumbs awkwardly.] JIN: [Uncomfortably.] Umm ... thanks? So, Lee, where were you and your uncle living before you came here? ZUKO: Umm ... well, we've been traveling around for a long time. JIN: Oh. Why were you traveling so much? ZUKO: We were ... uh, part of this traveling circus. JIN: Really? What did you do? Wait, lemme guess. [She thinks for a moment and quickly points at him.] You juggled! ZUKO: [Zuko folds his arms and looks annoyed.] Yes, I juggled.

In Zuko Alone, he's at a loss for words when asked his name:

SELA: Does this guy have a name? ZUKO: [Nervously.] I'm... uh... GANSU: [Off-camera.] He doesn't have to say who he is if he doesn't want to, Sela. [Cuts to shot of him standing with his family.] Anyone who can hold his own against those bully soldiers is welcome here. Those men should be ashamed to wear Earth Kingdom uniforms.

Listen, he's not weaving any incredible tales here, but he's not this bumbling little uwu boy who's completely helpless without Iroh or the Gaang that for some reason is incredibly persistent in fan depictions of him.

[sewermageboy]

As funny as the "You'll miss me" - "Not at this range I won't" exchange with Maya Brooks is, I think I still prefer the paragon interrupt there.

Brooks: "Afraid I'll come back for revenge? Is the great Commander Shepard pleading for his/her life?"

Shepard: "I am pleading for yours."

[hello-eeveev]

I’m sorry I’m confused; every so often, for like the last year at least, I see it treated as fact that Laudna is hated by the gods for being a Hollow One or that somehow her existence is defying them? and I do not understand where this has come from.

First off, if we are looking strictly at the events of c3, Laudna was brought back to life by a cleric and champion of the Everlight. And she still remained very much a Hollow One. Why would the Everlight do that if the gods as a group did not want Laudna to exist as she was?

Now iirc, Laudna has expressed fear that the Matron of Ravens would not be happy about her existence, and that’s fair, given that this is one of her edicts:

Undeath is an atrocity. Death is too good a punishment for those who pervert the rightful transition of the soul.

However: yes, the Matron doesn’t seem to be fond of undeath, but her vitriol pretty clearly lies with those who create undead (e.g. Delilah), moreso than those who live in it. So I think the Raven Queen would not be angry with Laudna herself, more angry for the suffering put upon her by the state of undeath. I don’t think she would smite Laudna down for literally just waking up one (very very bad) day as a Hollow One. It’s not like Laudna was trying to become undead or to unnaturally extend her life or cast off fate; she was murdered. But still, it’s fair that Laudna worries about that! She’s a fictional character with a limited scope of view and emotions that may not be informed by fact! I don’t want her to know everything and to be perfectly reasonable at all times. If that were the case, she wouldn’t be a good character, and she wouldn’t be Laudna.

But even if the RQ did hate Laudna for being a Hollow One, she’s just one deity. She doesn’t speak for the rest of the gods, so why would they have an issue with Laudna when they don’t seem to have a particular problem with undead (see: the base cleric spell list having both Animate and Create Undead).

So I don’t see where this rhetoric of “the gods hate laudna” comes from? She has not been personally victimized by the gods. She has been on the opposite side of a conflict to one, but she was revived by another. As far as I can tell, in all the text and supplementary materials, there is only one major deity who might be prejudiced towards her.

so yeah, I’m just confused where this came from and i’d like to know. if it seemed like it was a headcanon or a thought people were toying with, I wouldn’t care, but I’m seeing it being treated as a given and I don’t think that’s the case.

[shinesurge]

could have saved some time and just drawn this page instead of an entire arc probably

[nikalibres]

The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice / Jesus Christ Superstar: The Crucifixion, lyrics by Tim Rice

[the-starry-seas]

i'm still thinking about rescuing fox tbh

[shannonsketches]

we all know that Goku and Vegeta's foil in terms of their divine transformations is literally just Freud's Id vs Ego, right

Like how id is raw instinct with no particular pattern and ego is the conscious command over one's instincts

like how Goku's body moves on its own without any conscious input, and Vegeta still has complete and distinctly conscious autonomy while flooded with immense power he has no experience controlling

like we must have talked about this, right? as a family?

[teeth-draws]

“What do you mean he’s scary!! Look at him!”

— taking artistic liberties to scrunkle the face of @shepherds-of-haven’s Blade Bronwyn - a man with 0.6% body fat lol

[sysig]

Hazing (Patreon)

[microwave-prince]

Does anyone ever get a bit worried when their F/O shares the same name of a different popular fictional character??