#I never actually managed to recruit him 😔

[driftingballoons]

Day 3: New Teammate

He’s excited! But doesn’t quite understand why the other explorers seem wary of him…

@heropartnerweek

[reverienne]

Corinne/Sidane obvi 😌 okay here's a fun(ish) one: Jul and Bogusia swapping bfs lol. could Bogusia go on a date w Chase without getting mad at him. would Red and Jul lose a their money buying old books from Chandry. the important questions, here.

Corinne: Time and place, gorgeous? 😉

I need not to say that it's a yes. Sidane is handsome and full of gender swag, Corinne would definetely be up for flirtation (or possibly more). A tragedy that they get separated by their respective universes, but we both know that it was only because they would be too powerful together. 😔

ooh, this is a fun one! thank you for making my brain cells rattle! 💕

(mild nsfw behind the cut)

...so, I'm surprised to say, Bogumiła WOULD be more than able to go on a date with Chase IF 1) Chase managed to convince Bogumiła that his attraction to her is genuine and not a joke, 2) if Red hasn't been recruited to the Shepherds and is generally out of the picture. Bogumiła seems to have certain issues with perceiving herself as desirable. She's convinced that Red only fell for her brilliant mind and sparkling personality - or rather, that they've been friends long enough that his love for her as a friend made up for any shortcomings she had in a love department (like her appearance). This is obviously not true, but the time distance since their break up and general miscommunication shenanigans of exes!Redmance cloud her judgement. Having Chase confess that he's into her largely because of her appearance would shake her opinion of herself AND of Chase (whom she considered, a bit rightfully, a shallow flirt - one who flirts with everybody and mostly doesn't mean his words) in the best sense. And if Chase was otherwise a good friend to her? If he ended up hearing about her being ditched by her fiance before joining the Shepherds? If he suggested sleeping with him as a way to rebound, to one up the loser by getting it on with (in)famous Chase Trinaeste? And for stress relief, obviously, a much needed side-effect in their line of work? And if he suggested it at the exact right moment when Bogumiła's judgement gets a little, shall we say, unhinged? She could end up getting in fwb with him. Yes, I know, I didn't expect it either.

(Gosh, I need to see Red, Pan and Neon's faces when they learn that Bogumiła Niepołomska is in fwb with Chase Trinaeste.)

They wouldn't be a perfect match. I can't see Chase falling romantically for Bogumiła or vice versa. They would end up separating sooner rather than later and their arrangement would hit quite a hitch when Red inevitably appears, but I think that they would have a mostly good influence on each other and they would come out of this wacky scenario as genuinely close friends. And Bogumiła could use more such friends. Bonus points for Chase possibly matchmaking between her and Red, once he realizes that they're actually both idiots.

Okay, back to a predictable match.

Juliander and Red? Have them do a $10.000 Shein haul together except it's all second hand books and they'll experience a platonic high they never knew existed. And then they'll experience a platonic low they never knew existed - once they realize that they encouraged each other to go in debt over books and don't have a penny to their names for the upcoming month. Thank goodness that the Order provides free food and shelter. Bogumiła is going to look SO (un)impressed by this.

They would make each other worse. Juliander's finances are already in shambles and I can assure you that with Red by his side they would be absolutely broke. Juliander spent his entire monthly salary on a single book and didn't consider himself scalped (I did, I cried while purchasing it). Red would assure him that he absolutely wasn't, in fact, it was a steal because the book in question turned out to be super rare or something (I don't care, I love you, Red, but this pixel money wasn't worth it). Books to this two are sad puppies left in the rain. You simply have to get them a good home and let's face it, when you say "a good home" you mean "your home" because who else will cherish this book so much as you do? They're incorrigible nerds. Red would ramble about his obsession of the day until his throat ran dry and Juliander would listen to him adoringly, and maybe even take notes. They would be mostly key words to look up in the library later because he's not on Red's level of nerdery, having been raised by Belnus Farplane, but they would be notes nonetheless. There would be absolutely NO checks and balances - Juliander is Red's brain's no. 1 fan and when I say that he would listen to whatever Red was rambling about with the utmost admiration and adoration, I MEAN IT. They're bad enough as friends, now imagine them without the insulation of their other friends, imagine them as lovers. I shudder.

They would be an absolute mess. Red cannot function without a dozen books strewn around him, while Juliander strikes me as a bit of a neat freak. I spoiled myself that Red's biggest turn on is MC being smart and while it works for Bogumiła who would react "Damn right I'm smart, let's make out", there's no way you would pull Juliander away like that from his research. Taking aside the fact that his research time is sacred and he's most likely in the zone, hearing an affirmation of his genius by Archmage Liefred Antiqua would up his research enthusiasm incredibly. "Wait, are you sure that I'm right? Aren't we forgetting something? Tlatou's Law, for example? Maybe we should ask someone for a second opinion? Maybe Bogumiła? Wait, I need to write it down!", while poor Red is peeling off his shirt like "Tlatou's Law doesn't apply here, Jul. I'm sure that's fine. Let's ask her tomorrow".

Let's all say thank you to Chase Trinaeste who had Juliander Strzygomski so in deep by Ch3 that Juliander had his eyes only for one person. And to Bogumiła Niepołomska who took upon herself the task of wrangling Red Antiqua (affectionate).

[sharkface-daydreams]

i don’t know dragon age so give me. either your favorite or most niche dragon age ship

🥺🥹💜 ask dragon age for me.... 💜💜💜💜

well my favorite of all time is a pc/canon ship but not a canon romance but i did think of a niche npc/npc ship that has recently made me feel like eating glass lmao so i did two

i attempted to give some context but not completely infodump >< idk if that was achieved lol

My Grey Warden who has to go save the world after being recruited from a no-caste nothing on the underbelly of dwarven society fell for a guy you can't romance bc his culture is the Qun, which dictates basically your role and existence since you're born. They don't do like romance or marriage or whatever bc genetics are dictated by people who manage that. (Although some people do escape and live outside of that) His name is his job title. But he's a good man, a good soldier and a good friend and Torani Brosca respects the shit out of him so she keeps her feelings to herself. But yes she'll fight by his side and find his missing sword and stay as close as she can 🥺 and she never ever thinks of herself and her wants bc everything went towards her sister's chances of getting the family married up out of poverty so she really doesn't examine the feelings either it's just. I want to be close to you. Always. 😭

Uuuuunfortunately in my canon playthrough she takes the final hit in the last boss fight to kill the big bad and dies :( Beforehand she asked Sten to return her sword to her sister in Orzammar so Rica could have something to remember her by. She technically could have lived but that involves a mage party member fucking someone so she could have a baby and uh. suck the undying soul of the Arch demon into the unborn vessel instead of requiring a Warden to essentially cancel it out by killing it and... i don't actually remember the specific mechanics but a Warden specifically has to die in order for the big bad to STAY dead bc they have a like. half vaccinated version of the blight that kills them extremely slowly. But dorfs have such a low reproduction rate and the only way for them to get out of castelessness was for Rica to have a nobles baby and marry up... so Tor was like no i am not forcing anyone into that I'll just take the hit. 😔 so there's glass snack #1.

glass snack #2 is from the Dragon Age Inquisition DLC The Descent so this'll be spoilery lol but omg Renn and Valta

Ok. Dwarves live underground, are immune to magic and the magic ore only they can dig up bc it kills anyone else. There's a group called Legion of the Dead who are socially dead, they literally have a funeral for them when they leave, and they go into the old deep roads and protect the city from the Dark spawn until they die out there with their boots on. This is what Renn does. Valta is an archivist who's been essentially put on bitch work bc she pissed off a higher-up by not erasing something really trivial from their records. And we're down there helping them figure out why the earthquakes are suddenly nuts. It seems like they've been working side by side for years and Renn either has a specific task or personal obligation to defend her while she's in the dangerous tunnels and old roads, I'm not sure which. But while they bicker a LOT there's soooooo much fondness underneath all that and they care about each other so fiercely and honestly we don't get a whole lot of conversation and banter even but what we do get is just fucking LOADED with meaning and I'm just *eats drywall* about it

ough and when he dies defending us from some threat we've never faced before she's even more determined to figure this out so he hasn't died in vain auuuurghh god so many things ending in tragedy but in the meanwhile.... the meanwhile is so good 😩 and that dichotomy of already being 'dead' but still having reason to live, to fight for and protect someone. ough...

[mojaves]

Let's do 🫀, ☕, 💞, 🎄, and 🪂 for Seb?

He shant overtake the blorbo that I made in my head, but they may snuggle in our heads!

OHEHEHEHHE

🫀 ANATOMICAL HEART: Do they have any “upgrades” to their body, like cybernetic enhancements?

YEAS but they're not exactly 'upgrades', there so his body doesn't like. fall apart. he's got jaw/neck cyberware + a prosthetic leg from when [redacted] happened and he nearly died <3 also!! mantis blades. knife arms. now yeah ok that is just an upgrade But theyre useful AND sexy.

☕ HOT BEVERAGE: Do they prefer coffee, tea, hot chocolate, or something else for their “hot beverage”?

black coffee 100000% no sugar or anything. just pure bean juice. he isnt a coffee elitist it's the only way he can drink coffee without vibrating for 6 hours. it's bitter as hell and definitely could be better but it wakes him up and reminds him of home 😔

💞 REVOLVING HEARTS: Do they have a best friend? What’s their relationship like?

YES amanda is his bestest friend of all time and forever. they met when they were kids and got to hang out pretty much every single day, even if it was only for a few minutes,, they eventually lost contact once amanda got recruited by militech, but they met again roughly 10 years later at a crusty corpo event and managed to stay in touch ever since <3 it was like they were never apart,, AND!! they started a gang and work together now. they trust each other so much with Everything. AND THEY LOVE EACH OTHER!!! oohhh they are so special. to me

🎄 CHRISTMAS TREE: Do they celebrate any holidays? How do they feel about holidays in general?

no </3 it wasn't a big thing in his family, so he never really saw the point in it. no strong opinions on it either way. but, he does love halloween bc it means he can dress in the sluttiest costumes imaginable. he can show off his tits if he wants,,, also in december, the gang usually get one or two gifts for each other and have a little party at their base,, it's always very sweet and fun. and theres always cake

🪂 PARACHUTE: What’s the craziest thing they’ve ever done? Did they want to do it?

he used to think it was scamming a corpo out of a few thousand dollars, and then getting a job and marrying said corpo bc of the scam. but then!! he one-upped himself by falling deeply in love with the guy who was sent to kill him <3 did he want to do it?? no one knows. did it happen anyway?? of course. does he regret it?? not even a little bit they are in love with each other baybeyy!!!!! [also the fact they were basically together for a year before they kissed and Actually Got Together. everyone assumed they were already dating. theyre stupid <3]

[haxorus-imp]

The last one made me think, about a reality where reader instead of betraying boss man gave up his life to protect him ( sorry 😔 but that last one broke my heart in the most powerful way really good)

Oh. I got an angsty entry for ya, buckaroo! May be a similar concept...but I think you'll enjoy it! LET THE ANGST RIP AND TEAR! -- It took forever for Black Hat to finally pull himself out of the rubble that had him pinned underneath it for what seemed like hours. His form was battered, injured, and smudged with building debris and soot. His monocle was cracked, his fancy clothes scuffed, and deep confusion lacing his face as he pulls himself out of the ruins of what was once his prized manor. Standing up, he stumbles slightly as he struggles to stay on his feet. Still in a daze, he looks around to get a survey on things. Finding his manor in complete ruin, he is shaken out of his stunned state and turned his attention towards his equally destroyed surroundings in surprise. Hat City...was leveled. Empty foundations marked the places where tall mighty buildings once stood, the once clear sky that was a bright sky blue not hours earlier...is now cloudy and blackened soot fell over the silent city like tainted snow. Shells of large structures that managed to survive the initial blast stood as skeletons of their former selves. The city streets empty and damaged. Black Hat blinked dumbly in silence and tried to recall what could've happened to cause such devastation. He remembered being in his office...reading his daily newspaper like always. He...thinks he was actually in the middle of having a pleasant conversation with someone...and then the windows in his office lit up with a bright light. He remembered feeling the sudden wave of death and screaming souls as he shocked himself out of the conversation. He only had enough time to look out the window to see a large shockwave of fire coming his way before the windows of his home were blown out...and someone screamed as the house was hit. His scattered memories could remember in the newspaper that same day...that some crazed villain swore that they had a weapon of mass destruction that would destroy the whole world in one fell swoop. Lots of people only took it with a grain of salt, as most villains tended to get defeated. Even with their world-destroying weapons. But...it was different this time... That villain succeeded. Everything was gone. His home...his world...and his...his underlings!! He was talking to his most recent recruit when the blast hit! Black Hat snaps back to this nightmarish reality as he looked around at the rubble under his feet and he began to call for his minions. Flug, Dementia, and even that stupid bear. But only his voiced echoed back to him from the foggy distances. He turned to his powers, using his demonic sight to try and pinpoint any life under his feet. Yet...the ground was just as empty and lifeless at the surrounding settlement. He falls to his knees and digs around in the rubble with his claws. He...couldn't really describe what he was feeling. Was it anger? Frustration? Stunned? Maybe even...pain? Black Hat dug for what felt like forever, only managing to find a pair of shattered goggles that Flug used to wear, Dementia's broken leg tracker, and wilted flower petals. But he did manage to find one...body. His claws managed to unearth your dormant form. He was relieved at first...but it quickly died off when he realized that...you were already gone. Your burnt body and crushed form lied on the ground...and he couldn't do anything to revive you or save you. He...he couldn't save anyone. A creature of evil and darkness like himself...he could create monsters, manipulate darkness, or even shapeshift into anything at will. He could do everything...except bring someone back to life. He wasn't a healer. If he even tried to bring you back...you and the rest of his minions would never come back the same. Black Hat could only stay on his knees and pull the only body he managed to find out of the rubble and close to his form. His face was expressionless as he stared at your cold pale face that was frozen in surprise. Almost as if you didn't even process what happened when you died. Tenderly, Black Hat moves a loose strand of your

hair out of the way of your blank stare. It was silent in the fallen city. The ground around himself was already getting covered by the ash that fell from the sky. The only sound he could hear was his own breathing. Being the strongest creature in the world...he was probably the only one that could've survived the devastating wave that plunged the world into ruin. He just didn't think it would wind up like this. He was there when humanity began...and he was still here...even when they met their end. He always nestled close to human settlements...for as long as he could remember. But without them...what could he do now? What was there for him to do? Why was he still here? He thought that this was what he would have wanted... But he was wrong. So...so wrong. It was so quiet and cold now...and everything he knew was obliterated. All of his underlings...his clients...his enemies...his allies...they were all dead and gone. And he was left all alone. For the first time in all his eternal life...Black Hat felt so...empty. He could only hold onto the deceased minion in his arms for comfort as he stayed there on the ground long enough for the soot to pile up on his hat and his shoulders. In the silence of the apocalyptical city...nobody would ever know it. Falling just like the soot that gently fluttered down from the bleak grey sky that covered the mass graves of the place he once called home... Black Hat began to weep.

[slightly-gay-pogohammer]

So I’m having a hell of a time finding good friendship fanfiction of Celes and people whose names aren’t Locke, Terra, or Setzer. It brought me to wondering, what do you think Edgar’s dynamic with Celes would be like? Would Celes and Sabin grow closer and become super good bros due to the length of time they would have traveled together with just the two of them in the World of ruin?

honestly... i'm not surprised, unfortunately 😔 i would say that it's kind of "understandable" since she mostly interacts with them, but she has nice interactions with Edgar too considering that he's one of the characters you're forced to recruit in WoR, and the basis for something interesting with Cyan is Right There!!!

tbh if theres one (1) thing i could complain about in ffvi is that there's no resultion for Cyan and Celes' first argument, or Cyan and Terra for the matter. like I REALLY like what they did with Cyan's character and I can see his growth, but I would've loved to see them chat in WoR or him helping her during the credits escape :(

ANYWAY, going under read more

I think Edgar at first in WoB would probably be a little suspicious of her. Like I think he's charismatic enough not to openly show it (and she's pretty so he would try his shots with her too at first let's be real), but I think that in the group he was one of the few who actually wondered if Celes was double-crossing them. Not outright believe it maybe, but he would have his fair amount of doubts and would mostly make sure that Locke is doing fine. He wouldn't tell him not to pursue her maybe - on the contrary, he would love to see him moving on from Rachel -, but he would make sure to keep an eye open In WoR, however... he would probably open up with her, even before he does to Sabin. I think he spent that year really wondering if everyone in Figaro Castle died and. I think his mind went in some very dark places, every now and then, and with both of them being High Ranks People Who Need To Suppress Their Emotions For Their Job... idk, i like to imagine them spending a night chatting about it on the BlackJack and drink something together to celebrate their second chance to make things right.

also idk the idea of him slipping That Coin to Celes when they first met Setzer and just telling her to "trust him"? It's very good. It's very nice. Please Consider.

As for Sabin? He likely saw the good in her. On the contrary of his brother, he was one of the very few in the group who felt like Celes couldn't be a spy for a single second. Call it being positive, call it being naive, call it Not Trusting The Cringe Clown Like Seriously Guys This Dude Is Nuts. He probably tried to chat with her more than once during WoB, with her being the one not engaging instead, especially when they put their hands on the Magicite and he tried to use magic for the first time.

sidenote sabin spamming reraise during the final boss literally managed to make me win the entire game we stan a legend

in WoR, he acted as if they never spent a day apart, and... Celes finally started appreciating him like he deserves. I like to imagine the whole Cid thing actually taking a little longer, and also moving on a raft probably took a day or two more, so she finally felt how it is to be truly alone and defenseless. Having him around, having such a positive person with her despite everything... really gave her an extra push to actually hope things would get better. He was there to lift her up whenever she fell and she taught him how to properly control magic, he consoled her when she was sad Terra didn't want to fight on their side and she reassured him when Edgar pretended to not know them.

...idk, Celes and Sabin being besties is cute..............