#I liked SoV but the message it tried to paint

[randomnameless]

Ok I'll be honest here: I disliked Alm in Echoes a lot. That game was very sexist and it kissed Alm ass so often I almost gave up. But Alm as a character is weird. He's a war hawk BUT he seemingly also only gets that way BECAUSE Rigel first invaded Zofia. Alm sees Zofia as his home, thus he wants to protect it. In this sense, Alm has more in common with Dimitri than with Egg. Alm is a war hawk but he's defending what he thinks is his homeland. Rigel is like Adrestia in terms of the conqueror. (1

Hell, Rigel even has Rudolph start the war on stupid premise, just like Egg does in 3H too. Rudolph and Egg are the red emperor archetype. Alm is defending Zofia that he grew up in and loves. However, I think people get too gung ho about Alm supposedly being anti dragon/god and thus the Egg parallel. But that feels unwarranted too, because it's still Rudolph and Berkut (aka humanity) who started this war and invaded. The Duma cult is a separate issue entirely and has no 3H parallel at all (2

To be honest,

Ditto anon, the Alm kissing made me think that even if the game doesn't have a proper self-insert, Alm received all "self-insert" privileges, the narrative always paints him as right (when Celica is painted as wrong, when both are supposed to work together!).

And I think it's really the framing of the game that irked me, because bar that?

Alm is a farm boy who loves oranges, Celica, his grandpapa and his village. When Alm joins the Deliverance, it's because Rigel attacked, and because Mycen wouldn't join, so he did on Grandpapa's behalf (a bit like Mulan?).

Alm wants to protect Zofia, and kicked Desaix out, and in true FE fashion, is going to invade the Empire that is attacking him because as long as the stupid Emperor is here wanting to conquer Zofia, Zofia will always have to fend off against invasions.

I shat a lot about Rudolf and his "Master Plan (tm)" when I was playing FE15, but Rigel sucks because... people in Rigel sucks.

Sure, Duma promoting strength over compassion encouraged this behaviour, but amongst the Duma faithful, the people who follow his teachings, we also have... Tatiana. Who isn't a war hawk, and that dude Halcyon.

Rudy sucks, Jerome sucks and Berkut sucks, not because they are from Rigel and under Duma's influence, but because they are shitty persons. And that line where Alm adds Berkut, amongst anyone, as a victim of Duma's folly really pissed me.

You could say the Duma (Jedah) cult has a parallel, if you stretch it a lot, with the Western Church in FE16 - both try to take over another branch, and if Lonato is any indication, both are ready to sacrifice their own children (even if Ashe isn't his biokid) to serve "the cause".

[fragmentedink-archived]

oops nik odds 🤷‍♀️

UR VALID ANON

1. What’s their full name? Why was that chosen? Does it mean anything?

Nik’s full name is Nikolas Isaac Arwaine

Nikolas means ‘victory of the people’ Isaac means ‘laughter’ and Arwaine, I took the Celtic god of the dead Arwan and added a few letters :)

It was chosen bec when i orginally was writing him, he was inspired by Nikolai Lant/sov in Grisha.

3. Did they have a good childhood? What are fond memories they have of it? What’s a bad memory? 

Nik had,,, an interesting childhood. HIs father wasn’t,,, outwardly abusive, perse. But he did lock his kids in places to get out (he broke nates hand bec nate wouldnt stop drawing). His mom taught him how to lie and his parents gave him whatever he wanted besides the one thing he Really wanted

He has fond memories of Adrien and his ohter brothers taking him to the ocean. He had fond memories of hanging out with Nate in Nates studio. One of his fave memories is Nate putting face paint on his face when he was a lil birb

A bad memory he has is getting so afraid of not being able to get out of a room, he threw himself into a panic attack and he was shaking and crying so hard that his dad was so damn disappointed in him that he didnt talk to Nik for a Long Time

5. Do they have any siblings? What’s their names? What is their relationship with them? Has their relationship changed since they were kids to adults?

he had Three (3) sibs. Blake, Adrien and Nate. 

He has a fairly easy going relationship with Blake and Nate. Tho he butts heads with Adrien a Lot. Blake and Nate’s relationship with Nik is kinda the same growing up, tho his and Adrien’s change. Nik used to idolize Adrien, now they just fight all the time

7. Did they have lots of friends as a child? Did they keep any of their childhood friends into adulthood? 

Nik,,, had more superficial friends than Friend Friends. People liked his money and his influence more than they liked him. Tho he is a very infectious person, so he probably does have friends, theyre just awful people who are flighty when things go Wrong

9. Do animals like them? Do they get on well with animals? 

y’know I think Nik does like animals!! he likes all kinds of animals and would like a pet snake or spider but IM NOT GIVING HIM EITHER. He tries to pet Bay’s pet kitten but she claws the hell out of him :(

11. Do they have any special diet requirements? Are they a vegetarian? Vegan? Have any allergies?the main requirement that Nik has is that he doesn’t like his food touching. He doesnt mind mixing his foods, like hot dogs and mac and cheese, but he doesn’t like them touching. He is also allergic to strawberries ;-;

13. What is their least favourite food?

peanut butter

15. Are they good at cooking? Do they enjoy it? What do others think of their cooking?

Nik is actually very good at cooking!! Most of the time he hates it unless hes making something Big or baking something with Cameron, who stress bakes. Cameron secretly likes his cooking but he wont admit it

17. Do they like to take photos? What do they like to take photos of? Selfies? What do they do with their photos?

oh hell yeah!! Nik loves taking nudes pictures and sending them to cameron. His cell phone (if he had one) would be full of random pics of people and of places. MUCH PICTURES OF THE OCEAN. He has a bunch saved on his phone and he has some in photo albums and such

19. What’s their least favourite genres?

mmmm i think nonfiction would bore him, especially for industrial revolution area. I think he would actually really like scyfi and action. Absolutely would love anything that was just fast and action packed. he would fucking LOVE deadpool

Nik: if he backtalks he gets his head cut off but he comes back from the dead. if i backtalk im just DEAD. not fair :(

21. Do they have a temper? Are they patient? What are they like when they do lose their temper?

Nik absolUTELY has a temper. Its quick, its hot and he often makes an ass of himself. He’s not patient. He has,,, some patience, I guess. Where it counts. But it’s nowhere near as long as Nate’s.

When he loses his temper people get wounded or just DEAD. or he just makes an ass out of himself and has to apologize

23. Do they have a good memory? Short term or long term? Are they good with names? Or faces?

Nik has a somewhat good memory. HIs long term memory is much better tho. He’s much more visual and is better with faces.

25. What do they find funny? Do they have a good sense of humour? Are they funny themselves?

NIk has the most juvinle sense of humor lol. But he also has a really fucking dark sense of humor when it calls for it. If someone is bleeding out, and they deserved it, hed laugh

well. he certainly thinks hes funny

27. What makes them sad? Do they cry regularly? Do they cry openly or hide it? What are they like they are sad?

Nik,,, doesn’t really get sad. He gets pissed. He tries hiding his tears, and he tries to not cry. He shoves negative emotions down so much (which is actually why hes such an angry dude :/)

WHen he does break down and cry Cam,,, tries to be comforting with him. They can get surprisingly soft

29. What do they do when they find out someone else’s fear? Do they tease them? Or get very over protective? 

mmmm it would depend on the fear. Like if it was as Genuine fear (like his is) he wouldn’t tease them. But like,,, if it was something stupid hed absoluTELY tease them for it. He would get kinda protective about it, and would tell whoever it was bothering them to fuck off and leave them alone

31. Do they drink? What are they like drunk? What are they like hungover? How do they act when other people are drunk or hungover? Kind or teasing?

DOES NIK DRINK LMAOOO YES YES HE DOES

Nik is mostly a cheerful drunk and hes a fucking idiot while hes drunk. Also is very slutty when hes drunk (tho when isnt he???)

Nik: hungover? I don’t know her. i just start drinking againMe: Nik pls

When ohter people are drunk hes,,, pretty relaxed about it and help them from making an ass out of themselves (tho tbh he would absolutely record them being an idiot). He would try to pry someone off him if they tried to undress him

Nik: yes yes i know i am hot. But unfortunately my conscious would not sit well if i took advantage of the situation :(

33. What underwear do they wear? Boxers or briefs? Lacey? Comfy granny panties?

Nik doesn’t wear underwear. 

Tho he has been known to try on lacy panties ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Nik: don’t judge they’re surprisingly comfy and make my ass look GREAT

35. What’s their guilty pleasure? What is their totally unguilty pleasure? 

ok Nik doesn’t have guilty pleasures. hes not going to feel guilty for likeing the things he does. His total unguilty pleausres is trashy television shows. He lovesss binge watching say yes to the dress for fucking hours while sprawled out on the couch eating oreos and stoned

37. Do they like to read? Are they a fast or slow reader? Do they like poetry? Fictional or non fiction?

Nik,,,, is not fond of reading. He is Dyslexic and he doesn’t like sitting still or being forced to focus. Tho,,, i think he might read, depending on what he was reading. 

fiction, absolutely fiction

39. Do they like letters? Or prefer emails/messaging? 

mmmmmmmmmm messaging and emails. Much better bec he can read them better. Tho, he does like letters every now and then. Especially if theyre like,,, looove letters 

41. What’s their sexuality? What do they find attractive? Physically and mentally? What do they like/need in a relationship?

He is a slutty, slutty bisexual, my dude. Nik has a hand kink. he finds slender hands attractive. he likes,,,, cool eyes?? if that makes sense?? He finds people who are kinda,,, not,,, cold cold but cool and calmness attractive. That cool confidence, like a sheet of almost frozen water.

He finds delicate features attractive. Like fine bones, not brashness. Sharp as glass cheekbones, slender hands. Tall, not,,, too much muscle. (am i describing Cameron? MAYBE SO) NIk, upon meeting Cameron: oh no hes not

mentally, he finds confidence attractive. he finds assertiveness and dominance attractive. He likes someone who can command a fucking presence. He finds passion attractive. Someone that is so passionate and so devoted to something/one attractive

What does he like? he likes someone that will meet him halfway, who will want him, and that he will be enough for them. He has a bit of an inferiority complex  and he thinks that people will just get tired of him and he wants- he NEEDS- someone that he will be enough for, that they arent going to just bolt when things get rough. Which,,, is interesting bec Cameron,,, is Cameron and hes going to want to control the situation who is afraid fo feeling anything for anyone

43. Are they religious? What do they think of religion? What do they think of religious people? What do they think of non religious people?

Nik,,,, acknowledges that there are gods. But i would not call him religious. If he were in modern day, he might MIGHT be spiritual but he will joke and be like dude, im going to hell.

He thinks of religious people, and nonreligious people the same way. Believe what you want to believe, but don’t shove it down my throat

45. How do other people see them? Is it similar to how they see themselves? 

A lot of people see him as a lost cause, as some druggie who is going nowhere other than down. Some think that he’s just,,, lost. HIs dad sees him as his Son who just needs tough love and the right pressure to Honor His Family

Nik,,, sees himself as a hot guy, whos shallow and with money. People dont like him, they like his money and what he can do for them. 

47. How do they act in a formal occasion? What do they think of black tie wear? Do they enjoy fancy parties and love to chit chat or loathe the whole event?

mmmmmm Nik doesn’t like many formal occassions. He thinks theyre boring and people are fake as fuck. He Hates black tie wear and he only agrees to wear a tie if Cam uses it on him later ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

he hates chit chat but he does fucking love gossip. He’ll find a couple of people to hang out with and get the Dish

49. What is their most valued object? Are they sentimental? Is there something they have to take everywhere with them?

his lighter. Its a flip lighter with engravings on it, that Nate got him. He uses it when he gets anxious. That,,, is actually the reason Nate got it for him, tho Nate did not say that.

If nate said anything about Nik having any kind of disorder, Nik would shut him down instantly.

Tho, Nik does take it everywhere with him

[what-a-wicked-thing]

Arc I Rising Tides (6/ ?) Silken Threads of a Spider’s Web

Reading the Wind/ Casing the Quarters (Part 5)                        < previous|next>  

Avalei secured the pike chassis as she waited for the start-up command she had programmed to awaken her companion. That companion being a former RedJack frame. Simond 99-40. Retired from Iron Lord Saladin’s services, and misplaced in storage for decades. Avalei had considered it a new pet project and had begged and wheedled to have him released to her. She had friends in high places after all. Simond had not appreciated her efforts. “Light persists,” had been his first observation after his long hibernation. Unfortunately for him, he didn’t have much choice in the matter. He had no legs. So he had to suffer her sophomoric mechanical attentions, while he reacquainted himself with the times. His insights never failed to amuse her.

 Simond’s shutdown mode was in upright position with a bowed head. His eye flashed on and focused His head hung down heavy on his chest , but quickly elevated and locked into place. His white and red paint scheme with the Crucible blazon on his chest, was faded, and they hadn’t been able to come to a consensus on what his new paint job should be; if there was to be any at all. His movements were stilted and she observed them, so she could reconfigure his joints if needed. His replacement legs had limited mobility, and he managed a stilted walk, but running was a no-go. She had suggested wheels, but he declined. A hard NO. As he slowly straightened, he gave her a cursory once over. She spun around to show him she was still alive and well.

 “Wonderful. You are in one piece. I was hoping I wouldn’t have to write up your death certificate.”

 “Your faith in me has been rewarded.” She riposted. Truthfully, she had been a little lonely during the journey, and a friendly face, even one without a mouth, was a comfort. He had been approved as her tech assistant, and once she had a steady power supply, she would be able to keep him activated at all times. And if he got too mouthy she could always just switch him off. Easy! She knew several Guardians that needed a shutoff switch.Or at the least, a mute button. Robots were superior in every way. And they let you know it.

 At the moment Avalei was more excited to relay the adventures of the day.

 “You’ll be proud to know I stuck to our script.” She followed after him as he seated himself at the main console. He didn’t bother to touch any buttons, but simply communicated wirelessly with the ship. Avalei had been warned to be respectable to the de facto leader of the Tangled Shore: Spider. The eliksni warlord had carved himself a comfortable niche in the lawless area of the Reef. Mara Sov’s disappearance, had emboldened him, but the resurrected Scorned Barons, had handicapped him.

“I’m sure you found some way to offend them.”

“You’re not wrong. My eliksni is not the best.”

“I think you mean ‘inadequate.This is the Tangled Shore, even the smallest mistake could be fatal.”

He finally connected to the onboard computer, and Avalei tried to make herself seem as busy as possible. There wasn’t much to do however. She rifled through the MRE’s. “Pineapple beef? Gross.” She considered escape, he couldn’t move very fast yet. Simond’s creaky joints rattled together as he visibly stiffened as he digested the readouts from the journey to the Tangled Shore.

“Avalei.” he spoke evenly. “I told you to wake me when we were in danger.”

“It wasn’t completely unforeseen. ‘Beware, here there be pirates.’” She brushed his concerns off.

“My first and foremost directive is to keep you safe. Your cooperation in this nigh impossible endeavour would be most appreciated.”

“Okay.”

“Is that all you have to say?”

“I made positive contact with the locals?” Avalei helpfully warbled.

Simond 99-40 shook his head in disbelief. “Somehow, I doubt it. Well, let’s at least write up the days report.”

“Can it wait? I’m a little tired.” Avalei hadn’t been this exhausted in a while. She didn’t sign up for a vacation, but field work was more taxing than anticipated.

“Agent is exhausted, cannot fulfill duty. Send?”

“Ugh, fine.” She gave a detailed account of the days events, but peppered in some unimportant details like “those cold cobalt blue eyes” and a couple of anecdotes about eliksni.

“This reads more like a traveler’s log than a Hidden report.”

“I’m just spicing it up a little. Also, I’m a hidden Hidden so it works out I think!”

Simond 99-40 suffered in silence. “Encrypting… Message sent. No inbound messages from command. Travel Alert for the Tangled Shore: Cabal, Hive, and Fallen aggressors are widespread and considered armed and dangerous. Hitchhikers could be escaping convicts.”

Avalei laughed as she pulled a bed roll from her private footlocker. “The “fallen” are better endowed in that case. They have four arms! Get it? ‘Armed and dangerous?’”

“I’m sorry Agent Avalei, I am afraid I never quite developed a sense of humor.”

“Yeesh. Oh, well. We have plenty of time.” She flopped down onto the self-inflating sleep roll, “Oh, my ribs,” before it had absorbed enough oxygen to fill its starving air cells. “Goodnight, Simond.”

“Goodnight, Agent.” Simond 99-40 dimmed the interior lights, and went into a quiet standby mode. He was alert, but he wouldn’t be much help in a firefight, he hadn’t touched a firearm since he had been wrested from that dusty storage room. Ah, to surrender back to the nothingness of a hard shutdown. But, for better or worse Avalei had found him, and who doesn’t like to be needed?

[jedimasteramell]

post somnia; veritas

Theron Shan, Original Characters // Post Umbara // SFW

After the dreams, all that’s left is truth.

Umbara really should have just been called ‘the sad train’. A short companion piece to omnia cum pretio, and a direct sequel to this fic.

Once more for @uldren-sov & their SW Elora whom I like to torture with angst.

------------------------

The low ping of his holo messages and the ticklish warning from his implants pulled Theron out of his (mostly) failed attempt to meditate. Immediately the sensation chased away all the disparate bits of collectedness he’d tried to hold on to, throwing off the calm blanket of meditation and back to the startling now. A now of low engine noise, the dazzlingly common show of lightspeed, and the ache in his heart.

Habit had him check the time. 48 standard minutes since he’d knelt. Could be worse.

Theron’s knees protested as he picked himself up off the lukewarm deck, muscles full of little pinpricks as the blood flowed unimpeded again. The flashing light of his holomail beat in time with his pulse. He shouldn’t expect but-

A furious skim through his messages and Theron dropped the breath he’d been holding. A dozen messages, Lana, Jonas, Lixell…. Nothing from El.

He didn’t know why that surprised him, he did know why it hurt.

In a long moment of vulnerability, he’d recorded her message across the holonet to him. In their years never had he seen her so defeated, so open, so… slowly falling into heartbreak, begging him to come home.

Home. Drawing a steadying breath, he shut his eyes and closed the holos. It wouldn't be like her to send a thousand desperate messages, to plead and beg for him to return, proclaiming her love and her paint. That one call was enough and more. She showed the galaxy just how much he meant to her. And his repayment was silence. It was both foolhardy and selfish to hope she’d contact him again.

Turning from the console, he debated sleep (restless) or meditation (sore knees) again, to fully prep for playing along with the Order. None of the options sounded at all fulfilling.

His holo pinged again, and his heart jumped into his throat in time with the noise. Temporarily distracted from making his choice between sleep and meditation, Theron’s pulse drummed against the inside of his skull and he hesitated just a moment over the inbox button. It wouldn’t be her….

Indeed it was not El. In flashing Aubresh an overwhelming piece of spam opened before him. ‘YOUVE BEEN PREAPPROVED FOR A NO-CREDIT DOWN PURCHASE OF A VACATION HOME ON EXOTIC MAKEB!’ glowed aggressively. Scowling as he swallowed the sour stone in his mouth, Theron almost deleted the message before he caught a series of typos in the first line… intentional typos. A long-since disused SIS cipher.

It didn’t take very long, and it provided a lovely little diversion for the time being, slowly but surely, a message unfolded. One from Cael.

‘Theron’ it began. ‘I’m going to hope you didn’t delete this and instead you figured it out. It took me a while to write this all out you know. Anyway, I wanted to remind you of a few things while you’re off playing cult member: the first is that I support you, and I’ll continue to support you. You’re one of my dearest friends and I know painfully well what this is like. The fogginess will subside, your concentration will come back, that anxious weight in your gut? Yeah that’s staying there. The second is an apology, I’ve broken in part my promise. Astra knows, not that I could hide anything from her anymore. She’s furious, but it’s out of worry for you more than a being left out of the loop. She’s coming around, and she understands what’s on the line. Lastly, I want you to know that we’re taking care of her.’ Theron noted with a painful flip of his stomach Cael hadn’t said her name. ‘The best we can… I’m not going to go over word for word, distract you from what you're doing, so don't ask me to, but we’re all here for her as I am for you.’

Though he knew it in his own best interest, Theron wished Cael had deigned to detail El’s state of mind. She was why he was doing this after all; to put a definitive foot down, to give her the peace she deserved, the galaxy that was finally worthy of the efforts she bled for. It felt like everything he’d done in part since they met on Manaan had been for her. He’d known she was full of will and absolutely stunning back then when she merely took his breath away, now she was that and so much more.

Tearing his thoughts from her, he went back to the hidden message. ‘If anything important arises, I’ll keep you posted, look out for more tantalizing adverts to lovely scenic planets! Anyway, take care Theron, we’ll be here when you get back, and so will she.’ Cael neglected to sign off, as was his precedent.

When he was sure there was nothing else hidden in the message, Theron clicked delete, staring for a long while at the now motionless comm. The unchanging module a mark to the end of his distractions.

Turning back to small cabin of his ship, a glance to the clock that counted down his hours until the next act, Theron pulled off his gloves and threw his jacket over the pilot's seat. A return to meditation eluded him, so sleep it would be. Settling on the edge of the cot, he kicked off his boots, a resigned thud on the steel of the ship floor, letting them stay where they landed. Sighing to the empty space and the stars that races by far overhead. Theron debated pulling up the records of El in his implant, going through all the reasons he had to succeed in his mind, but finally, forced himself to not wallow in what they had been and worry about what the would be.

Setting the frequency of his implant to hum at a barely-perceivable level, a white noise to drown out his thoughts, Theron willed himself to an uncomfortable sleep.

And he both hoped, and hoped he wouldn’t dream about her once more.