#also i just?? love persie so much

[sanchoyoscribbles]

"mira had no idea what persimmon had been through to get to earth, not really. she always talked about it in a detached, matter-of-fact way. like: 'so-and-so happened to my people', never what happened to her, personally.

in the morning when mira awoke from a rare dreamless sleep, the bed would be long cold. persimmon would already be awake, getting ready for the day, putting on makeup and styling her hair and laughing with mira's parents as if nothing had happened.

the only time her mask slipped was under the cover of darkness, alone in her room. persimmon wouldn't ask how mira heard the soft and muffled cries through the walls, and mira wouldn't ask what the words whispered between sobs meant. she knew they were names.

they wouldn't talk about what happened in the night.

mira was fine with that.

she would be unshakeable in her faith that her team could save the world. she couldn't fix the past for her friends. but she hoped if she acted confident long enough that they might start really believing in her, and in hope for their future."

...A doodle that turned into something angsty 😳 persimmon has a very 'avoidant, bottle everything up and act fine' type of personality, but living in the same house as mira means there are bound to be times like these where mira overhears what are meant to be very personal emotions coming out and wants to help. all she can really do is be there, which does mean a lot to persimmon, who would've never sought anyone out when she's feeling bad! but persimmon probably won't thank her, because that means admitting it happened 🥲

[katerinaaqu]

Okay so that people will not think that I am an unecessary hater here are some things that I actually liked or loved about Epic the Musical:

So everyone who knows me, I openly express my dislike on the changes of Epic the Musical (although as I say many times the music is really good, the production very passionate and I congratulate the creator for getting so much love despite the fact that I personally dislike his artistic choice on the matter)

However here's a small list of things that I actually liked very much about the musical (sorry if it gets long!)

The first two sagas:

Honestly the two sagas (Troy and Storm) were masterpieces not only song-wise but also plot-wise. The adaptation remained loose with many things being adapted for modern audiences but it was still generic to the Epic Cycle in general and Odyssey in particular. The pace of the plot was quick like the fall of Troy was, the heroes speak as if they are on the right ("tonight we shall make the Trojans pay") to encourage each other even though then the reality check falls on them. Amazing fast pace songs give their turn to a slow and dramatic one

Odysseus and Astyanax:

More specifically as a sequence on the above I really liked the way the myth was depicted and again very loosely adapted off Iliou Persis version which is the one version we know where Odysseus clearly kills the baby with his own hands by "throwing it off the walls". Even if generally I am more aligned with the version of the myth that has Neoptolemous doing it, the fact that we have the actual protagonist do the brutal act was a very good touch and I love it how he uses only that small and so under-analyzed concept and he created a very beautiful moral dilemma. The setting stone of "monster vs man" was a promising thing too (although I personally got disappointed at the actual execution of it because of the changes in storyline). The way that Odysseus knows it is the logical choice to kill the heir of Troy and it tears him apart inside is not just amazingly executed but also very much IC with Homer's Odysseus.

Full Speed Ahead:

No need for explanations here. The song was great, was keeping in touch with the original Odyssey, spirit of Odysseus on-point and the essence of it great! Although it was way too happy after the darkness of the "Just a Man" one can understand that the tension created should be released and somehow it did point out the coping mechanism of Odysseus at some parts of the Odyssey which also lead to many emotional breakdowns for Odysseus (ironically the most infamous was the one that got him to offend Poseidon in the first place)

Giving Eurylochus and Polites more lines:

Eurylochus is known for questioning the authority of Odysseus and Polites for being his best friend but in general we do not see too much of them in the Odyssey (especially Polites who only appears once as mentioned at Circe's island). Even if making Polites a bubbly token character to balance the whole emotional burden of the war was a bit too overused theme for me I didn't dislike it per se. And it was good that he plays a good balancing role there. Also generally speaking Eurylochus's character development was not bad either (daresay I liked his character development more than Epic!Odysseus! XD) because it starts from a strong but opinionated man to a basic arch-rival figure to the end part.

Which is why I was kinda disappointed that Polites was killed off at Polyphemus's cave because it seemed to me that he was there for the drama (even future scholiasts of the Odyssey do not think that Polites was in the cave at all yet alone killed in it) but again given that Polites is pretty much a clean slate character if that was like the major change of it I wouldn't necessarily mind it.

Warrior of the Mind:

The song was beautiful and it captured Athena's essence very well (minus the very much overused mind vs heart content of hers which is good that it was somehow rectified a bit with God Games given that Athena was never against emotions neither did she try to stop her champions from having them and she doesn't make separation of logic vs emotions. In fact she fires up emotions to her champions many times knowing what a helpful thing emotion is. I think he overplayed the fact that Athena encourages logic to make her "cold logic material" but that wasn't really my issue so much I mean it is just an over-used trope but it is not completely inaccurate).

It was interesting to connect the boar of Parnassus to Athena (which is again a common trope in greek mythology that gods send random tests for whoever is worthy) and how ellegedly Athena and Odysseus meet in this context. Again it has nothing to do with the original Odyssey and yet this loose adaptation of their meeting was an interesting interraction with a lot of potential and emotional connection. I also like how Athena appears more cold in her speech like "change from the way I designed you" or "don't disappoint me" which is basically a genuine trope of Athena's. Like every champion of hers that disappointed her (for example Tydeus) didn't really end up well! Which is a change I adored for the Musical adaptation

About 2.5/3 of "Remember Them"

Okay the part with the dialog with Athena had me cringing a bit but the rest of the song was a masterpiece. Odysseus saying that there is no time to bury or mourn but have time only to save themselves and remember their fallen friends afterwards is EXACTLY what Odysseus would say and encourage his men to work their backs on something to save themselves and get out of their nasty situation. Also the final 45 seconds of it with his name reveal was probably what hyped me and wanted to get into the musical in the first place (before I started disliking the changes) because it was EXACTLY how it would go down! Also the choice for Odysseus's name officially be revealed on that song was incredibly clever and very nicely chosen

So basically I would only remove the dialog with Athena there given how it just didn't do justice in my head to the extremely complicated situation that led to him revealing himself. I also felt that the line "let's grab the sheep and away we go" was a bit too hasty to show their escape given how much complicated it was but I also understand the way to keep the song going and that wouldn't be done by adding a dramatic angst in the middle. That would mean that there should be a song in-between with their escape and that the second half of "remember them" would turn into a reprise of some kind. So yeah I understand that.

How Much Longer:

That song was also amazing and again not an event that happens to Odyssey but something that perfectly aligns with the spirit of it. Having Eurylochus openly disagreeing here and Odysseus taking him to the side to talk to him, the way that Odysseus comes up with a crazy plan before to groppel upon the castle that floats in the sky etc. It was a great foreshadowing on the actual events that follow which again seem to align greatly with the Odyssey and the events of it even if that itself is not linked to the material itself.

Done For:

Again one more song that I hyped over was "Done For". Harmonies were perfect, the way that the two of them have a duet, which is something that doesn't happen before in order to signify their aligning was amazing and the way Odysseus acts like a cheeky bastard there was something I adored. (Of course got crushed with "Other Ways" hehehe but the build up till there was great. To be fair "Other Ways" till that freaking "I can't!" or the whole "seduce so you can kill him" theme which also kinda ruined it fo4 me, was also a masterpiece to me, like I mention to another post of mine it would be great if the song was to signify their intercourse). The song was a perfect adaptation of the homeric poem for modern audiences (for it doesn't include everything like Odysseus drinking the potion, Circe being terrified and in wonder that her spell doesn't work on him etc) and it keeps the essential part of their interraction making it into a great choreography (with the exceptions of the "I have to protect my nymphs!" thing but again if that was the only change they made on it I wouldn't mind it so much at all in fact it is interesting that the nymph servants of the goddess mentioned in the Odyssey make a cameo here. Would i have liked that we wouldn't get a toned down Circe and instead we got her in her gray glory? Absolutely. But like I said if that was the only thing added here i wouldn't have minded it so much. Unfortunately though it was the whole Circe misadventure that was changed so yeah for me it was potential lost but i hyped at Done For).

Chorus of the Underworld:

Like you know I am one of the exceptions that wasn't impressed by the Underworld Saga and found it brushed off however the idea to add the dead men singing and bringing more guilt to Odysseus was an idea I knew Jorge would go with and he did and it was interesting. Not only the melody of that part was really beautiful and haunting but also the impact was great (I will just choose to ignore the part of "ruthlessness is mercy" and the "klling of cyclops" because of thesame reason that I didn't like the dialog between Athena and Odysseus before the revelation of his name). I also liked the parts of Odysseus's solos but for the rest of it again I think it would be more impactful to me if the original plot was followed more faithfully.

Tiresias song was good, very good actually, as a song but as I mentioned to another post of mine, too vague, too not answering anything.

The rest felt scrapped off. I would love to see at least one or two of the interractions of Odysseus with the dead especially his mother because as I mentioned before it is of outmost importance that Odysseus knew beyond doubt that his mother didn't just die waiting, she died BECAUSE she was waiting. And that has a big difference for me. But again that is just my opinion.

Aphrodite speaking of other types of love:

Gods Games is just a not for me for many reasons but the detail of Aphrodite mentioning a mother's love intead of romantic love was a great touch and amazingly changed from the usual reoccuring pattern of romantic love or passion. It was good that her arguement was based on a mother's love and pain and ironically Aphrodite herself is a mother who has children to protect

The final part of Love in Paradise:

The rest of the song was ak-ok for me (and thank the old gods and the new that at least THIS experience of Odysseus was kept faithful to the original up to one point. I mean the sexual abuse is not touched there directly but given the leap of time and the condition Odysseus is to the final part one can expect that it did happen maybe? I am talkng only on the perspective of the listener since I do not know the background info on it). In my mind it happens and the song just dodges to addrsss it like it happened before but as I said that is only me hearing THIS specific song not any other around it or the background info of it.

But the final part where Odysseus stands at the edge ready to throw himself at the sea to his death is definitely having me "FUCKING FINALLY!" and be so happy that they kept that dark theme at least! Because I simply loved that essence of the myth in the Odyssey and it was something I can absolutely see happening myself and contemplating it as a scene when reading the Odyssey; how Odysseus might possibly make more than one attempt against his life and Calypso stopping him somehow.

The rest of the song was okay as I said before and thankfully it was touching the homeric thing (I lso liked how Jorge chose to get there by having us hear the small portions of other songs as Athena "scans" although as I said the chole concept of "my goodbye" or something just didn't align to me) but the choice was really good but as I said before it was the final part that truly got me! With the final prayer to Athena which again would be something I would SO imagine myself Odysseus would do! In fact I myself imagining him doing it many times over!

That part was probably my favorite so far and is just a few seconds! Which again makes me wish more things were like that...

~*~*~*~

Anyways I believe that concludes it so far. Generally as you know I am not a fan and no I do not have problem seeing this as "different media" or "loose adaptation" or "retelling" or whatever. It just is not my cup of tea and I it doesn't need to be (and the fact that it is so changed beyond recognition of the original is what makes me think of it of yet another average "loosely based on" holywood film material and we have had enough f those already in my opinion of course). I still adore the harmonies the music the singers and such are amazing and the passion is apparent

Is just that I just cannot stand the butchering of the story to the point of literally being easy to replace the characters names and still with the proper background buildup the story can still be told! Because it is not the Odyssey anymore.

HOWEVER

No one said that I disliked every single bit of it. This is a small sample of things that I liked and a small reasoning why. I hope that helps

[safety-pin-punk]

firstly, I love your blog and it's been a great resource to have as I've been learning abt punk! I hope you're well & ty for everything you do <3 do you have any advice for finding punk communities, both irl and online? I really wanna talk to ppl abt everything I'm learning and loving, but it's really hard to find communities. besides the landmine of trying to avoid nazi punks and the like, I don't rlly drink or anything so bars/clubs can be weird -teacupqueer/persie

Thank you so much!! I’m doing pretty well!

Finding Punk Communities Online:

I’ll be honest, I can really only speak on behalf of tumblr here. I don’t use other socials all that much.

But! If you want to find a fun awesome punk community on tumblr, you are already off to a great start! Find a punk blog you like or who has similar music taste, see who they reblog from and tag in their posts. I’ve met a LOT of really cool people this way on here! (Shoutout to @polyamorouspunk and @my-chemical-ratz whose blogs you should check out simply because they are cool people). And I’ve also met people who are in bands, or involved with bands (like @necromancy-savant and @dopamineband (who don’t use their tumblr anymore 😭)). I didn’t meet these people right away, it took a while of steady interaction with tumblr to build up these connections.

There are also Discord communities too, I don’t use discord much but I *think* (?) I saw a post go around a while ago where someone was starting up a punk discord server? Honestly maybe I’ll take the time to start one up, it might make me use Discord more lmao

Finding Punk Communities IRL:

Bars and clubs aren’t the only places to find punks!!

I’d recommend checking out any queer spaces in your area, I doubt it would surprise you to learn how often these two groups overlap.

Also! If you are near a city, chances are you have an underground scene somewhere. Google and Reddit are great resources to find the places punks gather in your city. For example: in my city theres a cafe and record shop that are popular among the alternative crowd that I never would have found without the use of Google.

Otherwise, what are your hobbies? If you like gardening/are into solar punk, see if theres a local gardening club! (I’d say a 50/50 chance of punk or karens tbh with this one).

Start up a book club at a local library that focuses on books like 1984 and Brave New World.

Go to gigs that arent at bars or clubs, I went to one back in February that was at an abandoned church, that was turned into a concert venue. The place was child friendly so there was no alcohol, but there were a lot of cool people there!

And the best tip I have for you to avoid nazis is to just know their symbols and signs. Do a bit of research on it and familiarize yourself with what to avoid

As always, other suggestions for anon are welcome!!

[weirdbeancurd]

Attempted Apologies, Chapter 3- ULTRAKILL Fanfic

Chapters: 1 2 3

Ao3 (Link)

@h0ped3lusion @vallianttreedreamland (thanks for loving my work lol)

god I am SO sorry for taking so long to write this, but I've been super busy with a job, moving, and a bunch of other adult stuff. thank you all so much for being patient and leaving lovely comments. I'm not totally happy with some of this story (I'm never happy with my writing lol), so I might make minor changes, but other than that, this fic is finally done!!! thanks again for sticking around, and thank you @persi-person for helping peer review!

also I originally planned for this to be strictly platonic, but it definitely leans more into romantic territory with V1 and Gabe (and a bit with Minos and Sisyphus). it can still be seen as platonic, if that's what you'd like, though!

Takes place in an AU where the prime souls live, and Gabriel and V1 live on the surface as apocalyptic roommates. (oh my god they were roommates)

Summary: Gabriel attempts (key word: attempts) to apologize to Minos and Sisyphus for their executions, but it doesn't go as well as he had hoped. Chapter 3 out of 3.

“I, uh. Love what you did with the curtains?”

Gabriel’s feeble attempt at small talk is ignored. Breaking the ice has never been this difficult, and he's getting absolutely stone walled by the man stitching up his skin. Prestigious ruler or not, his bedside manners can use some work. He tries not to let his irritation show through his body language. I think I’d rather get my ass handed to me again over whatever this is.

“Is everything alright?”

“...”

“Look, you really don’t have to do this. I can just head back and patch mys-”

“Hold thy tongue,” Minos snaps. His mouth slams shut. He immediately drops the subject.

“Oh, um yeah. I can do that.”

He fidgets with his hands for lack of anything better to do. The loopiness from his fever is fading, his dampened healing factor working overtime to repair weary muscle. While he still had his light, Gabriel’s regeneration was enough to mend any wound in seconds. Now more than ever, he longs for that invulnerability, bestowing him confidence to the point of arrogance, reckless beyond abandon. It encased him like his shell of armor, covering incorporeal flaws. If only he could see himself now, having to rely on the tools of man and the care of another to heal. Some days, he berates his reflection. “How weak,” “how distasteful,” he thinks. “How pathetic.”

How the mighty have fallen.

His eyes flick back and forth from Minos and the floor, trying not to get caught staring. He doesn't deserve to be in their presence; a kind and noble man like him shouldn't be tainted by his darkness. Perhaps that's why Minos is being so irritable; he must be rubbing off on them. Despite the need to shy away, he spares another glance.

Gabriel's helm shields his face, but he feels naked, transparent, like the king’s iridescent skin. He sees right through them, literally and figuratively. Right through their resentment, which is held not only for Gabriel, but also for the man himself. V1 once spoke of his rage upon being liberated from the flesh prison, going as far as to describe his demeanor as “violent;” a bit ironic coming from the literal murder machine. He never thought those two words could be said in the same sentence; violence and Minos simply aren't compatible, like oil and water, fire and ice. Or so he thought.

Halfway through their battle, he grit out a single, spiteful word; “weak.” He spat it out as if it tasted vile, vicious and repulsive like acid on his tongue. And while yes, Minos despises V1 for all their kind has done to humanity, he’d never deny their skill in battle. The king was struggling to his feet, having to push off his knee to stand, frustrated that his muscles seemed to rebel against him. It's almost as if that bitterness was directed not at the machine, but instead at…

Hm. Maybe they're not so different after all.

Gabriel observes the man beside him, no longer trying to be discreet. Their shoulders are tense, whether it's from being hunched over so long or the restraint needed to not beat him until his bones are a fine, white mist, he doesn’t know. But he will risk his skeletal system if it means this’ll stop being so damn awkward.

“I’m well aware you told me to shut up,” Gabriel says, holding his hands up in a placating manner. Minos gives him a deadpan glare (or what he assumes is a deadpan glare), but lets him continue. “But I must speak my piece.” He takes a deep breath and resists the urge to pray to a god that no longer exists.

“The father once told us that all sin can be forgiven with a confession and a wave of the hand.” He laughs bitterly. “Now, that's really not true, is it.” It's not a question. He knows the answer.

“No confession will ever right the wrongs that are my actions. No apology of mine will ever be worthy of your ears. I presume you would not want one from me, anyways.”

Minos doesn't dignify him with a response, opting to stare straight ahead.

Gabriel is reminded of his own silent brooding, remembering the warm glow of the campfire while he pondered his questionable morality. After a (not-so) healthy amount of denial, he'd turned to self loathing. How could he have not recognized the council's manipulation sooner? Was he that blind, that moronic to believe their lies? Or was he just too pathetic to form any sort of resistance? What if he was more observant, would he have figured this out earlier and prevented it all from spiraling down to disaster? These questions crowded his mind, like fish in a much-too-small bucket, gasping for air, suffocating each other as they squirm and writhe. The “what ifs” and “if onlys” taunted him with a universe in which he was better, stronger.

How he yearned for someone to battle his thoughts for him, to shut down the paralyzing convictions that plagued his dreams. So maybe what they really need isn’t an apology, just simple reassurance.

“You…are not weak. Far from it.” The words come out awkward and stilted, though he barely needs to think before he speaks. It’s like the syllables have long been ingrained in the deepest parts of his mind, mouth moving to form sounds that have already left his lips.

“You were wronged, and people suffered for it, but it wasn’t your fault. Your strength would not have made a difference, though you harbor more of it than I ever will.”

It's hard to tell what Minos is feeling, half from the fact he lacks a face, and the other half being that Gabriel's people skills are out of practice. In fact, he never had them in the first place. Never had a reason to, if your only purpose is to carry out orders.

“The fact you still stand here today, tragedy after tragedy, is a show of resilience. Though you couldn’t prevent the tragedies in the first place, you did your best to make do with what was left. What’s done is done, Minos.”

He wishes he can take his own advice. Practice what you preach, as they say. Gabriel was never a good preacher, but he tries. He makes sure the other man is listening before delivering his final words.

“You did good.”

Minos says nothing, and for a terrifying moment he thinks he’s made a fatal mistake. And then the man huffs a quiet laugh. Gabriel stares in confusion.

“I…appreciate thy appraisal, but I must admit I’m rather conflicted. On one hand, I understand thou hast merit, but I am reluctant to entertain thy words, due to our history.”

Gabriel lowers his gaze, disappointed he didn’t get through to them, but Minos starts again.

“However, I must thank thee. Thou clearly drew from thy own experience; that shows courage. I shall consider thy appraisal.”

He perks up at that, looking to the king with elation and surprise.

“Just…keep the creature of steel away from this layer. I’m sure thou can surmise why.” He sounds like he’s trying to keep his anger at bay, staring at the floor.

Oh, V1. Yes, he can do that. It did destroy much of what was left of Minos’ kingdom after all, so a permanent ban from the lust layer is more than fair. And that’s not even delving into their battle, the man treating his own defeat as a sign that he’d failed humanity. He shudders at the thought of what Minos would do if he got his hands on them again.

“I understand. I’ll tell them to avoid your city.” It’s Gabriel’s turn to laugh. “Maybe it’ll actually listen to me for once.”

He fixes his eyes on the floor as well, the two sharing a moment of understanding. And then the moment is gone, brief as it is cathartic.

“Sisyphus will accompany thou as I prepare supper. Stay.” Minos goes to open the door…revealing the man in question. Speak of the devil. He has the gall to look smug, bent at the knees to press his ear to the door, the shameless bastard.

“What have I told thee about eavesdropping,” Minos seems unphased, expectant, even.

“Sorry,” But Sisyphus’ grin says otherwise. “I can't help it. Force of habit, I suppose.” The other lets out a rather childish groan.

“I would tell thou to cease thy antics, if not for thy refusal to listen.”

“That's not true. I listened in on your conversation perfectly well.”

“That's…just entertain thy guest.”

“Anything for you, my friend.”

Minos tries to slip past the other, very much ready to leave, but not before Sisyphus catches him with a warm hand on his shoulder. His large frame blocks most of Gabriel's view, but he sees his body lean into theirs. All encompassing, like a solar eclipse. He can't hear what they're saying, so he can only imagine the kindness Sisyphus reserves for friends alone, something he knows he’ll never deserve. He’ll let them have their moment, too.

Once Minos has had enough (said affectionately) with his friend’s fussing, he leaves the two alone in favor of attending to his kingly duties (or whatever that man does in his free time). Sisyphus takes a place at his side, awkwardness not any less prevalent. Time to pull out his award-winning small talk skills again, because that went over so well last time. Believe it or not, Gabriel's smart enough to know that bringing up the king's beheading is a bad idea. The traumatic event is likely still an open wound, for lack of a better term. When would it be appropriate to “get over” your own beheading, anyways? Fourty, fifty years? A hundred? Never? It's not like he's going to get his head back. Alright, now he's just stalling. He needs to come up with a conversation topic quick, because he swears the silence is eating away at his soul. Maybe he can talk about V1; he finds himself doing that often. Not that it means anything.

“...I apologize for my friend's behavior.”

Sisyphus raises a brow.

“You have friends? I never thought you had it in you to be likable.” Oh, so that’s how it’s going to be. Gabriel rolls his eyes, giving an indignant glare. “I do not know who you are referring to. Not many can tolerate your presence.”

“I'm just going to ignore what you said and move on. Look, the machine has said it regrets it's actions-”

“Ah, you mean the child of man.” His mood lifts instantly. “At least you have good taste in company. Our battle ought to be remembered; it was invigorating. I hope to have a rematch someday.” Well, that was very much not the reaction he was expecting.

“You don’t…hate V1? They nearly killed you!”

“Is that its name? I shall honor that, for unlike you,” He shoves a finger in his direction. “it fights with a sense of decency.” Gabriel shrinks under his scrutiny. “How ironic, that a war machine holds more virtue than the supreme angel.” Ouch.

“...That was uncalled for.”

“Was it? It’s not my fault that your lover has better morals than you.”

Time stands still for Gabriel. He feels like he just got shot by the railcannon. There’s no way he heard that right…right?

“I’m sorry, my WHAT?”

“Your lover,” he says, like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “You two are joined at the hip. It’s nauseating, honestly. Or was your relationship supposed to be a secret?” Gabriel flounders like a fish out of water. This greatly amuses Sisyphus, who’s found his new favorite pastime: pestering a certain archangel.

“I-we are not a couple! I don’t know where you could’ve possibly gleaned that from, but you’re wrong. They are my companion, nothing more.”

“Denial does not look good on you, Gabriel. I thought you were past that.”

“Listen,” he grumbles. “we may be close, but I do not have feelings for the machine!”

“Whatever you say.” He drawls, voice dripping in sarcasm. Sisyphus grins when the other lets out a frustrated groan.

“You-ngh. You are impossible. For the last time, I’m not in love with them. I don't even like them; they're, uh. Sinful and unholy-”

Thud. They whip their heads towards the noise. It sounded like someone kicking open a pair of doors.

“Did…did you hear that?”

“Of course I heard that. Now shut your mouth.” They sit in tense silence. A single beat passes before the quiet is shattered by a thunderous shout.

“CREATURE OF STEEL.”

Oh no. It better not be who he thinks it is. It seems Sisyphus has the same inkling, both slowly turning to give the other a wary look.

“...Is that-”

CRASH.

The wooden wall by the door explodes inward, a blue torpedo rocketing into the room, splinters flying everywhere. Gabriel lets out an undignified shriek. As the dust settles, he can make out a familiar figure lying in the rubble. Shit. It is who he thought it was. At least they seem completely unharmed, despite crashing through a damn wall. It perks up when it sees Gabriel. V1, like the menace it is, waves excitedly. He can’t for the life of him conjure up a single word to say, speechless for the Nth time today. Sisyphus, for one, doesn’t appear phased, greeting them with a hearty chuckle.

“Ah, V1. We were just talking about you. How nice of you to join us.” It would've given him a wave as well, but their friendly conversation is interrupted by a foreboding presence.

“THOU ART NOT WELCOME HERE.” Minos has arrived, and boy is he pissed. He stands in the hole left in the wall, posture stiff and gaze unyielding. The dim, blue-tinged light that once emanated from his form has grown into a blazing, turquoise glow. His heart pumps furiously, veins bulging, visible through his translucent skin.

If Gabriel thought Sisphysus’ wrath was terrifying, Minos’ is nearly enough to make him go into cardiac arrest. Before he can properly process his own terror, the king starts approaching V1, fists ready. Gabriel quickly scrambles to put himself between the two, reacting before his common sense can stop him.

“Don’t!”

Minos glares down at him. Somehow his lack of eyes makes him even more terrifying.

“Please. Spare them.”

The realization sets in that he’s keeping a predator from its prey, and there’s a slight tremble in the arm he shoots out to keep the man at a distance. With a huff, Minos tries to shove past, but the angel shifts to block him. Gabriel sternly shakes his head.

“Move.”

Minos’ voice drips with venom, thick with barely concealed rage. It takes everything within him to stand his ground, anticipating the worst. After all, V1 would do the same for him.

“I will not. Ask. Again.”

Fuck. Gabriel is starting to regret not bringing his swords. He watches helplessly as the other advances, quick steps with murderous intent. He tenses his muscles, steadies his breath, and prepares for a jaw shattering punch…but is instead met with a voice, low and understanding.

“Minos. Think about what you are doing.”

Gabriel locks eyes with his unlikely savior. Sisyphus is the picture of neutrality, brow set in careful analysis. He's well aware of the fragility of the situation; Minos looks like he’s just about to go off the deep end. And while he has good reason to loathe, Sisyphus knows he'll regret lashing out. His conscience always comes back to haunt him, the damn thing. As much as he'd like to see the two mashed into a red paste, Minos doesn't need another thing to lament over. He can’t say he’s looking forward to defending the duo, suddenly reminded of what provoked such an intense response. He scolds himself for starting to actually get along with Gabriel, nearly forgetting the horrors he unleashed upon his greatest friend. Sisyphus schools his expression, trying not to let his own anger show.

“Your people, they look up to you for your compassion and empathy. Where is that mercy now?”

There's a near unperceptive tremor that wracks his friend's tense frame. Good. He's getting through to him.

“The beings before you did what they needed to survive. While their actions had dire repercussions, and I am not absolving them of fault here, consider their circumstances.”

Minos doesn't want to. He doesn't want to humanize them any further. He wants to tear them apart like they did humanity, unhindered by stupid morals.

“Would one blame a trout for thrashing when caught? Would one scorn a wolf for killing to eat?”

A thick, black liquid starts to ooze out of Minos’ abyss-like face. It flows like tar, ugly and coagulated with sorrow and feelings he'd hate to dissect. In the hollow silence that swallows the room, they can hear his breath hitch.

“Gabriel,” Sisyphus says, fixing him with a piercing stare. The angel stares with wide eyes, not expecting to have been brought into the conversation. “You were a weapon wielded by another, neglected and abused. When you inevitably faltered, you were discarded like a rag.”

Gabriel lowers his gaze. He hates that they're right.

“The sins you committed were the result of eons of manipulation and torture. When you finally realized what you'd done, you took immediate action to correct your mistakes with the little time you had left.”

The angel in question is stunned into silence. Truly, what more could he have possibly done in his situation? With only one day to right his wrongs, it’d be futile to reason with the council; killing them was the sole solution. As for the sins of his past, perhaps all the blame does not fall on him. It was the council’s abuse that forced him to carry out their word, conditioned to be unquestioningly loyal to the point of blind faith. While he was the one to strike innocents down, the blood is also on their hands. An ancient weight is halved, lifted from his shoulders, no longer unbearable. A sliver of forgiveness, not from another, but for himself: a gift he never expected Sisyphus of all people to bestow upon him. He would’ve expressed his gratitude if not for the sudden shift in subject, mourning the chance to thank his unlikely advocate.

“V1,” the machine perks up at the mention of its name. “You were created to kill and survive, and you did just that. After the threat of death had passed, you opted to explore beyond your nature. If passivity was an option, you took it.”

They do little more than tilt their head in consideration. They’re a bit hard to read on the count of not having a face, so he can only speculate if it's having a similarly Earth-shattering revelation like his.

“You defied your creator’s wildest expectations. Yes, you are violent, and ruthless, and efficient, but you are more than just that. I see flair in the way you fight, confidence in your skills, and a desire to succeed. You are so much more than the actions you did in order to survive.” He lets a beat of silence pass for the information to sink in before addressing the man of the moment.

“Minos, listen to me.” The king doesn't turn to face him, but he's known him long enough to tell he’s hearing every word. “You are a just ruler who took the time to care for each of your denizens, and you have every right to be angry that they met an untimely death. You did not deserve your fate, and neither did they. And neither did V1 and Gabriel. We are all victims of circumstance.”

Minos’ fists shake, clenching and unclenching. Everything sounds like it's underwater, words garbled and distorted, yet frustratingly coherent. He wants to plug his ears and scream until he suffocates, anything to get Sisyphus’ voice out of his head. He wants to destroy everything and everyone, until there is nothing left, and then destroy himself too. For once, he just wants revenge, not resolution. It’s not like he can ever get his people back, anyways. Clench. Unclench. Clench. Unclench.

“The only thing we can do now is to live on. Stand down, Minos. Is this what your people would've wanted?”

Something in him snaps, and the fight leaves him all at once. It’s not. It’s not what they would’ve wanted; how deplorable it would be to kill in their memory. Wordlessly, he rushes out of the room. Sisyphus holds out an arm to stop the other two from following.

“No. Give him time.”

The air is plunged into silence once again. Gabriel dares to break it, eager to give thanks.

“I-thank you. We truly appreciate-”

“Don't. Just-” Sisyphus sighs, shaking his head. “don't. I didn't do this for you.”

“...”

“We will meet by the castle entrance when the sun starts to set for your departure. Do not follow me.”

“...I understand.”

Wow. A bit harsh. Regardless, he's still grateful for this new perspective, if not a tad disappointed. Sisyphus rises from his chair and heads toward the door, steps stiff yet dutiful. Lost in thought, it takes Gabriel a moment to notice the king hasn't actually left the room yet, lingering with his back turned.

“The suffering you’ve brought my dear friend is beyond cruel. For that, my forgiveness is withheld, but my words hold true. Do with that what you will.” He finally exits, figure slipping through the door.

Huh. The pseudo-approval of Sisyphus feels…nice. It’s easy for him to get lost in his own sense of accomplishment. Gabriel feels a hand rest upon his. He snaps out of his trance, eyes trailing up its arm to see the machine sitting beside him, staring ahead. There's an awkwardly long pause before V1 has the courage to speak up.

Its hands move in quick, stilted gestures, conveying aggression in its urgency. Oh, they’re angry, he realizes, cringing in anticipation. He’s had more than enough action for today, thank you very much.

What are you doing here?!

“Me? I-uh,” Gabriel scrambles for an excuse. “I was just visiting lust for a chat with a couple old friends, but um. We had a little disagreement.”

The machine raises a single brow. Or they would’ve, but making fully-functional robotic eyebrows was apparently not one of their creator’s priorities. Shame.

Right. It looks like you three had an absolute ball.

The angel grimaces.

“Alright, fine. I came here to apologize for my actions.” He huffs. “And clearly, it didn’t exactly go to plan,” gesturing to the bruises that still litter his torso.

No shit. And without your armor, too. What, were you trying to get yourself killed?

“W-well, when have you ever cared about my wellbeing?” Gabriel growls, suddenly standing to his full height. “Even if you do, I’m just a bloodbag to you. You only care about your own survival. You always have.” V1 narrows their optic.

You don’t mean that.

“What if I do? And what if I was trying to kill myself?!” He shouts, picking up the nearest chair and chucking it across the room. It isn’t until its splintered remains settle on the floor that he regains his composure, kneeling on the ground, visibly deflating.

“I should’ve died after those twenty-four hours were up. I should’ve.” He whispers. He sounds so frail, a startling divergence from his usual bravado. Cold metal makes contact with his shoulder. He turns sluggishly to V1, if only to “hear” what they have to say.

I-

Its movements falter momentarily.

I do care about you. And I always have.

They don’t meet his eyes, but he still desperately clings to the hope that it’s speaking truthfully.

“I…I need some air.”

Gabriel speeds toward the balcony, the machine following suit. He takes a seat on the banister, gaze facing forward as V1 does the same. They both stare at the blazing horizon for a while, until V1 can’t take the silence any longer.

You make me dissatisfied with existence, it blurts out, signing almost incomprehensibly fast.

Gabriel blinks. How to respond to that, he does not know.

“I…thanks? I guess?”

It frantically waves its hands, trying to show it means no ill will.

I mean, you make me want more out of life.

It was never allowed to enjoy things; It never had the chance. But now, they spar for the heck of it, not over sustenance or resources. It takes the time to manually read books instead of scanning them, something they once considered a mere waste of fuel. It ignores the alerts that flood its vision, closing them before they have the chance to tell it that it's being “inefficient.” Text irrelevant its ass. Before Gabriel, they were just surviving. Now, they live.

Gabriel can't help but smile. They said so little, but they needn’t say more. He knows what they're feeling all too well. It takes a bit of effort to muster up the courage, but the machine’s honesty spurs him on, and he manages to find his words.

“I think I understand. You taught me to…want. And by the heavens, I wanted to live, I wanted to fight and struggle and fail, to laugh and cry and watch the sunset a million times over just to say that I did. When my light was taken away, it was you who gave me clarity, and for that…I cannot thank you enough.”

He leans a bit closer, just reveling in the comfortable silence they've created. V1 scoots over, closing the distance between them. The cool metal feels nice against his skin.

I think he's right.

“About what?”

Only thing we can do now is keep living, despite-no, with the guilt.

“...How?” The question of “why” goes unasked.

Not sure. But we're still alive, so we've got to be doing something right.

“...I suppose you have a point.”

Perhaps those questions can be answered another time. Right now, all that seems to matter is the gentle breeze that passes through the cracks in his armor and the feeling of the machine's plating against his shoulder. His heart swells as they bask in the “sun's” rays. Considering they're in literal hell, that glowing ball is no star, but whatever it is shall suffice. They’ll make do, as they always. A ray of light falls upon the pair, encasing them in warmth. How picturesque. Two beings at the end of time, watching the sun set as it slips below the horizon.

…Hold on.

Aren't they supposed to be heading somewhere right now? Oh. Oh. Sisyphus is expecting them.

“Shit. We need to go, now.” He snatches V1's hand and bolts for the door. Heart to heart be damned, they have a deadline to meet.

Maybe Gabriel's previous difficulty navigating the palace was procrastination after all. It's remarkably easy to traverse, especially with his head clear and V1 helping guide him. He supposes everything feels a little easier with a clear head, and they find the castle gate in record time. The prime souls are already waiting there, punctual as expected.

As the two pairs face each other in the doorway, Gabriel notices Minos’ glazed look, Sisphysus’ hand resting on his shoulder. He follows the king’s stare, his eyes landing on the city below.. Before he has time to wallow in shame, Minos’ gaze drifts back to him. Silence. Introspection. After an excruciatingly long lapse in conversation, Minos sighs.

“I bid thee farewell. May thy travels be uneventful.” He senses the sincerity in his voice, and it's honestly relieving. The fact they can even speak to him without hatred oozing from their words leaves him dumbfounded. And it’s not forgiveness, most definitely not, but it’s something. After the atrocities he’s committed, Gabriel is endlessly grateful for this morsel of absolution. The corners of his lips turn upwards as he bows his head in gratitude. His core blooms with warmth.

Ever impatient, V1 halts their respectful exchange by tapping him twice on the shoulder, metal meeting flesh. It raises its hands to sign. Home? It asks. Gabriel huffs fondly, rolling his eyes.

“Yes, yes. We’re going home.” He pivots to the kings. “Thank you very much, truly, but we must get going. This one,” gesturing to V1. “is getting restless. And should also learn some manners.” That earns him a flick to the helmet. He swears he hears Sisyphus stifle a chuckle.

Resisting the urge to bicker, Gabriel turns away, guiding V1 into his hold. With a flap of the wings and a powerful thrust from his legs, they take to the sky. Every beat takes them higher and higher, and further and further from Lust. He doesn’t look back, just focuses on keeping V1 from slipping out of his arms.

His stamina isn’t as infinite as when he still had his light, so by the time they reach the surface, Gabriel is exhausted. They decide to call it a night and rest where they land. He sets up a campfire, not unlike the aftermath of his second defeat, but now with kinder circumstances. It’s nice having someone beside him, even if they are a bit of a pest.

“You're a nuisance, you know.”

The machine gives a cheeky thumbs up. Gabriel heaves a heavy sigh, and for the first time in eons, he feels light. His burdens do not sag and tug at his heart, and the gnawing guilt he harbors has lost its bite. He laughs, pulling V1 in, sheltering them with his wings. Joyous and content, Gabriel gives in to the lulling effect of the setting sun. As sleep pulls him under, he dreams of a hopeful future, not of tongues and teeth.

And though the sight of the lust layer still fills him with regret, the weight on his shoulders is a bit easier to carry. Gabriel may never be able to cry life back into the townsfolk, nor grieve them back from death, but he’s made an effort to make amends. It's a long way forward, yet it's a step in the right direction. These days, the shame doesn't linger and fester like it used to. It's been replaced with a fire that burns bright and unyielding. Gabriel decides he likes his newfound vigor.

And oh, how it suits him to feel strong.

Leave a reply telling me your thoughts if you'd like. :) I appreciate any and all replies lol. And yes, the last line is a reference to the dodie song "Ready now" hehe

[pr41sethemoon]

Take Some Time | Jake Kiszka x Reader ☾

Word Count: 927

Warning(s): Little bit of stressed-out Jake lol, a smidge of sexual tension, and but ultimately Fluff 🤍

|Sorry in advance if any errors|

Okay Jake moment here…don’t imagine

Jake is having an irritating day. He's been stressing out lately over stuff at work. Been in and out of Zoom meetings all day. Trying his best to write and come up with new riffs for a few songs while attending those meetings. He was dreading today. The huffing and puffing fits were in full force. He had no patience for anything. Overall, Jake was tired and overworked at this point.

You could tell once he came home from the studio, especially how he greeted you. He didn't say anything but gave you a small kiss on the cheek and went straight into his office. Your brows furrow as your lips slightly pierce together feeling bad for him. You knew he needed a bit of space for a while, so you figured you come up with something for him.

About an hour or so later, you give his office door a knock. You're also trying to balance the tray and the drink you held. The door opens with a gust of wind, revealing Jake who was looking down at you. You give him a sheepish smile, "I brought you something to eat." already walking in, you give him a little bump with your hip.

A brief small smile is shot your way before he gives your hip a tap. You could hear him give a tired huff as he walks back over to the desk, "Thank you, sweet." he says softly before taking a seat and getting back to work.

"Woah woah," your brow arches, " Could you take a break?" you set the tray down on the little coffee table.

He’s already tapping away on the keyboard, "Sorry honey, this stuff has to be finished by Sunday and I want to get it out the way."

You fold your arms over your chest watching him "Jake, It's literally Tuesday, I'm sure you'll have it done in no time." you say softly.

You saw that he was not budging, and your head slightly tilts at his stubbornness. You move to stand behind his chair, wrapping your arms around his shoulders. He's already shaking his head at you.

"What are you shaking your head for?" you ask as a smirk slowly appears on your face.

He already knows what you're trying to do. His brows furrowing as he keeps his focus on the computer screen "You're not going to get me to stop like this." he’s so damn stubborn.

You chuckle quietly "What are you talking about? I've hardly touched you."

He snorts but doesn't respond, he's going over some notes he wrote out during his meeting.

“I know you’ve been at this all day at the studio,” your hand slightly rubs over his chest, playing with the charm connected to his chain. “You’re tense, Jacob.” lips ghosting the shell of his ear.

He sighs “It’s not going to finish itself, love.”

Silently sighing to yourself, moving a hand to slide over his hand that was on the mouse. "Jacob." you coo to him. "You're overworked, and you need to relax." you nuzzle your nose to his sweet spot just before his jawline.

You could feel him tense against you, leaning back into you with a slight furrow on his brows again. "Plus, I miss you Jake, you've been working so much." pressing your lips to that spot elicited a small groan from him.

Jake turns his head a little to face you, he's giving you his signature squint. "You're going to drive me crazy." he says with a huff.

You give him a cheeky hum before cupping his jaw gently as you plant another kiss on the sensitive spot. This sent ripples through him, and a smirk plays across your lips "You can't deny that you love it though." you coo to him.

He stares back at you, his brows tinge. As much as he wants to hold his ground with you, he simply can't. Not this time at least. You got him wrapped around your finger and all you could do was smile innocently to him.

"Maybe for a little bit." he finally decides. Your smile grows bigger, standing before him you. His hands slide up the side of your hips, pulling you between his legs. "You're so persistent." He says softly as he looks up at you.

You chuckle with a playful roll of your eyes. "Please, like I said, you love it." Your hands slide into his as you pull him out of the chair. Closing the space the two of you as you lean up to give him a gentle kiss on his lips. You then remember the food you made for him, "I can reheat that for you."

He looks over at the food for a moment as he mentally makes his decision. He hums, his hands slowly sliding down your lower back. A smirk slowly creeps its way to his lips before he looks down at you. "I don't think so." Before you could even process what he says, his hands are on the backs of your thighs lifting you up. Squealing, you wrap your legs around his waist.

"I can eat that later." he says softly as he nuzzles his nose into your jaw. "But right now, were going to spend the rest of the day how I'd like to spend it."

He's littering your neck and jaw with kisses, hitting all your ticklish spots. "Sounds like a plan, my love." you say between giggles as your arms wrap themselves around his neck, letting him carry you out of the office.

Fin

| You made it! Thank you for reading. ♡︎ |

[starrysnowdrop]

Reintroducing…

Kore Gharl AKA: Persie! 🥀

So, for those that have been around forever, like 3-4 years ago, you might remember her! Though Yume was my first WoL OC, my second was a Xaela woman Kore, but I lovingly called her Persie. She was originally of the Mol tribe, and she had pink hair and pink eyes. But since @meepsthemiqo asked about her lore the other day, I got brainworms and decided to recreate her and change up her looks and her lore a bit. So, here we go!

First, I changed her tribe to the Gharl tribe, as I thought it was fitting for her symbolism of being connected with the earth. Here’s the wiki entry for the Gharl, with a screenshot of the Gharl tribe from the cutscene of the Naadam:

Before each migration, the Gharl will fill a sacred urn with the soil of the place they just camped. This soil is then dumped upon arriving at the next location. This tradition has been carried out for thousands of years, leading people to believe that most the steppe is now all of one soil.

When the Tsagaan Sar ends, the Steppe holds a Naadam to decide who will be the new Khagan. The location of the dispute is revealed only at sunrise when the Gharl has scattered the soil.

Anyways, the next thing I decided to change was her looks, which I ultimately didn’t change much, outside of her hair and eyes. This is because she originally had pink hair almost identical in shade to Hali, but since I love Hali too damn much, and she is my only OC that I want to have pink hair, Persie had to get a makeover. I do think the brown hair and grassy green eyes are very earthy and suit her well.

Oh, and in case you’re noticing her name and nickname, yes, her Unsundered self is Persephone, and I had shipped her with Emet. I know I know, not the most original idea ever, but I tried to be a bit unique with her backstory.

Here’s a bit of her backstory, though I’m now reworking it so this is just a very short snippet: Kore was born to Arik and Zaya of the Gharl Tribe, and was their only child. Her mother died in childbirth and was raised solely by her father until he tragically passed away during a battle with a neighboring tribe, trying to protect her and the other children of the tribe. Due to the tragic loss of both of her parents at such a young age, she wanted to become a healer, and to save as many lives as she could. Kore is not a Warrior of Light like Hali is, but she does join the Scions in the course of the events of Stormblood. Her canon job is a hybrid job that I’m calling Shaman, and it’s a mixture of White Mage and Geomancer, with perhaps some other magic thrown in. I haven’t thought that through yet.

Oh and though we may all be hyped for Fanfest right now, feel free to send me asks about her if you’d like! She is also a new alt in game, which you can find her as Persephone Kore on Seraph (Dynamis, NA)! Thank you all so much for your interest in her! I might work on her more if I get more inspiration to.

[randomnameless]

Okay I can see various fire emblem lords being big horseback riders and skilled in equestrian riding.

The jugral lords being into dressage, the hoshido nobles being into horse racing, I can see the tellius lords being into cross country, and show jumping being popular in Valencia.

Thoughts on horseback riding and fire emblem lords?

Oh!

It depends for the Jugdral Lords, if you mean Siggy, Eldie and Quan then yeah, maybe dressage was prevalent in their places, maybe just to show their mastery over their horses.

However, Seliph and Leif weren't raised in the same "environment", with Seliph wanting to emulate Shanan rather than his dad through Oifey lol

As for Leif, being on the run since age 4 sure didn't help him take riding lessons, even if I'm pretty sure Finn wanted to have that covered!

TFW both Hoshido and Nohr enjoy horse racing (tenma racing for Hoshido, they don't have pony classes, so most likely no pony in Hoshido?).

Imagine Elibe : Lycian Lords love cross-country and love participating in contests... but then Lyn's grandpa has the idea to bring a Sacaen golden horse to the contest, and it's a drama : Sacaen Golden Horse can cross rivers and forests with ease, it can jump to 10 meters with his rider.

Lord Caelin is thus banned from ever entering a cross country contest with his "foreign" horses - which raises a shitstorm because it's not cheating, and maybe the Lycian horses should be trained just like their Sacaen cousins as well - have you seen Lord Eliwood's horse?

Lord Caelin being overjoyed when his great-granddaughter Sue asked him to name her first horse and writing him letters about how his horse loves the Caelin carrots

Tellius nobles don't usually ride horses for war, but more as an demonstration of etiquette and for leisure.

However, duke Persis, cannot ride horses for shit - even if he lost his powers, his laguz instincts are still there to make him fall from any horse, but hopefully, Begnion Senators aren't expected to ride horses unless necessary (which might or not be the reason why he lent warp powder to Lekain and oversaw the development of warp staves).

Alm'n'Celica?

Rode the hell out of Grandpapa's Mycen horse when their were kids, hell, Mycen taught every kid in Ram Village how to ride a horse - not necessarily how to fight on horseback, but just, you know, how to "not fall" when sitting on a moving horse.

Zofian Nobles enjoy horse racing for the "noblest/purest" ones, the others help in the fields, but in Rigel they're more valued so put under less stress - and when their time come, they're also used for their meat.

Fodlan wise?

Adrestia being in dressage too - which utterly puzzles Faerghans who use their horses for war or to plow the fields that can be worked even in winter (aka not galatea lol) - and while Leicester also had a history with horse racing, its nobles, who want to emulate Adrestia, thinks it's vulgar and want to start the trend of dressage too.

Too bad for them, horse racing has such a massive following and is actually a not that ridiculous part of Leicester's economy in Gloucester's own territory that horses are still, mostly, used for racing.

For their part, full-blooded Nabateans, much like Lehran, cannot ride horses for shit. Let it be Seteth or Rhea, whenever they "sit" on a horse, they fall within seconds. Flayn hopefully can ride better than the rest of her fam, and back in the days, Saint Indech was a beast at Chariot Racing in the newly founded Adrestia : but given how Chariot Racing became highly political in Enbarr, Empress Fredegund III banned it in 354.

[realmythsmoved]

Persephone doesn't think of death the way most people do. Whenever her birth parents would talk about it, they'd always say that people "go to the stars", and Persy always imagined that as becoming one with the universe. She couldn't imagine a better fate.

She's scared of death, of course. Everyone is. But she's also looking forward to reuniting with her birth parents, wherever they may be. She doesn't see death as an end, but rather as a new beginning.

Nothing, in her view, ever ends. It just takes on new forms, etc. Persy doesn't believe that one's soul, one's inner sense of being, can ever be destroyed by anything other than that which made it. And personally her view of God (though she's more spiritual than religious) is a benevolent Creator who would not spend much time punishing Their Creations.

Persephone is a big believer in redemption. Though in her view, redemption does not always equal forgiveness. She would never forgive her first two foster parents, for example. But does she believe they can improve and beccome better people IF they want to? Absolutely! Does she think they deserve to be shunned from society and hated forever? No!

Persephone doesn't really hate anyone. She doesn't believe in it. Not for others, but for herself. She doesn't like the way hating someone makes her feel. So she tries her best not to do it. The only people she could say she hates are her first two foster parents, which is 100% valid. They did mistreat and abuse her. So she is well within her right to hate them. But even with them, she tries not to focus on her dislike of them too much, as she still doesn't like how it makes her feel. She much prefers to focus on the positive, on all the love she now has in her life.

She doesn't believe in pushing her beliefs on others. But she does believe that everyone should try to accept other people for who they are, and that most of the problems in the world would be solved if more people could be kind and open-minded. She doesn't think she has all the answers, either. But she does have the right questions, at least in her opinion. And she's willing to listen and learn, always. Though she can be biased in favor of her own views, if she is presented with new information that challenges her view, she will take it in and do what she can to process it and make it part of her worldview.

She does know that there is darkness in the world, of course she does. But she still has a lot of faith, an inherent belief in the goodness of most of humanity. She has a lot of hope, that even those who are bad can be redeemed somehow. And she always tries to act with love, whenever she makes a decision.

Though she does not believe in any religion necessarily she does believe that there is a force behind the creation of the universe. She does believe that that force is good. That that force believes in those virtues that she exemplifies. (Faith, hope, and love). She will never give up on what she believes. And that is her true strength, as a character, I think.

No matter what she goes through, how the world tries to knock her down, she will never falter. Her conscience will always be clear as long as she acts in alignment with her values. And she always tries her best to do just that. Her confidence can be shaken, but never broken. And she will always be exactly who she is. She just can't help it. She is a softer kind of strength, but no less valid, I think.

[justmenoworries]

Lore Olympus Episode 254 Spoilers

So, Apollo succesfully poisoned Zeus and, through a series of extremely convenient coincidences, has managed to get Eros and Psyche, the only two deities who know it was him, out of the way for now.

Does he...

A) ...keep away from the scene of the crime, so as to not be associated or draw suspicion onto himself

B) ...pretend to not know what Zeus is afflicted with and call emergency services together with Hebe to feign being a worried son so that he's less likely to be suspected by the authorities

or C) ...unecessarily frame someone else with no solid evidence whatsoever and call not medical services or the police, but the media, in the process getting as many eyes on him as possible which is the last thing a murderer should want?

If you picked anything other than C), congratulations.

Not only do you still have some good faith left for this comic, you're also a better writer than RS. (Not that the last one is a high bar to cross.)

So Apollo wants to frame someone else for his crime. Well luckily for him, there is already an established deity among the cast who doesn't get along with Zeus, has expressed the desire to overthrow him multiple times and is known for having a bad temper as well as having a grudge against hi-

It's Hebe.

He chooses to frame Hebe.

You know, one of the few gods on Olympus who has absolutely no reason to want Zeus dead and gone.

Just... why?

Ares was right fucking there!

If you absolutely needed to frame someone (which, just as a side note, you absolutely didn't) why not choose the war deity who everyone knows gets regularly banished to the Mortal Relam because of how much he doesn't get along with Zeus???

I mean, the best explanation I can think of is that this is supposed to reference how Hebe lost her position as cupbearer of the gods because of Apollo in one version of the myths, but if that is the case... wow, that's an extremely contrived and clumsy way to incorporate that into LO.

So, Persephone's deal with Erebus somehow altered her powers and now she can no longer make plants grow and only causes cold and decay whenever she tries.

And the winter that was essentially Demeter's power play in the original myth is now not only given to Persie but made into a terrible consequence of wanting power for herself. To save everybody she loved, might I add.

So empowering.

So feminist.

And as always when Persie screws up, she does what she does best:

Cry foul and beg someone else to fix it, then throw a tantrum when said someone else actually does try just that.

RS really misses no chance to try and villainize Demeter. Even if Demeter is absolutely, completely, undeniably in the right, she always has to be the eeevil mother-in-law making Hades feel bad.

And that's no different here.

Demeter is right, this is Hades' fault.

If he'd kept his damn mouth shut about the pomegranates or at least elaborated on the price one has to pay to get the Underworld's power, maybe his noveau riche wife wouldn't currently be killing all life in the Mortal Realm.

And the way he doesn't even try to dissuade Persie from "helping" and just watches as she keeps making everything worse because "lulz, I'm not gonna be a controlling husband and stop my wife from killing people".

But hey, this is the same guy who rewarded Persie with sex for breaking and entering and making death threats against a nymph. At least we're keeping it in-character. /s

Oh look, Persie has conveniently passed out from the strain so she won't have to deal with the direct consequences of her actions.

Wonder what kind of deus ex machina will absolve her of all responsibility this time.

[midnightmah07]

Wassup again

Pookie, I'm being catapulted back in time whenever I open this blog, release me from whatever time loop you put

And I have more questions for Daisy, hi Daisy!!

What are your thoughts on Rigel and/or Coral?

What were your parents like before they unfortunately died?

Love ya girly!! Mwah!

[before I answer just wanna let u know u reached the max of questions per person! 3 for each person! I realized with someone else asking this question that I didn't put up a limit so I'm doing it now to make it fair lol]

"Alright, let's go by parts, shall we? I like Rigel! He seems like a sweet boy, but his eating habits worry me... I asked Persie once if she'd like me to share some of my pumpkin pie with Ignihyde members in hopes that he'd eat it, but she told me she wasn't sure he'd do it... I hope he gets better from it. Coral is uh... Interesting, I suppose. I try to not think badly of him but I can't like someone who put someone so important to me like Persie in great distress, and I also don't like how he encourages Rigel's eating habits..."

"Ah, my parents! They were the best parents a girl could ask for! My mom used to make me tons of food that were made with pumpkins just to see me smile, she always read me fairytales and she taught me the value of kindness, and told me to be brave no matter what. My dad treated me like a little princess, we weren't noble nor royalty by any means but he always were so gentle with me, and he always played with me! They made sure I grew up to be accomplished, they gave me ballet and piano lessons, they taught me etiquette and much more... They were truly so loving and sweet... Ah, sorry, I guess a got a bit emotional, excuse me for a moment."

[endlessly-cursed]

fankids appreciation week 23: co-parent appreciation

ottilie enfield, daughter of odessa avery ( @cursed-herbalist ) & kit enfield ( @potionboy3 )

grace of alderly, daughter of cora hastings ( @camillejeaneshphm ) & henry of alderly ( @gaygryffindorgal )

cleo hexley, daughter of jacob hexley ( @the-al-chemist )

emmeline & lucy devlin, daughters of josie edwards ( @slytherindisaster ) & william devlin ( @unfortunate-arrow )

wilhemina stagg, daughter of siobhan llewellyn ( @kc-and-co ) & galen stagg ( @cursebreakerfarrier )

caitlin doherty, daughter of mathilde coventry & lachlann doherty ( @hphmmatthewluther )

reva amari, daughter of lizzie jameson ( @lifeofkaze ) & orion amari

Less: It seems like yesterday when we started talking and you posted Abe & Oscar's profiles and I remember being one of the first to interact with, and ever since you've been such a kind and patient friend and I see you now as some sort of big sister, deal with it 🫶🏻 thank you for deciding to join our little community, because your presence is just what we needed ❤

Annie: It's not a secret that I was at first intimidated when I started following you: you had such compelling characters and cool af videos and here I was, a little guy! But I am so thamkful of having talked to you through Sara and convinced Gryff for you to join our chat, even though you're not there anymore. I treasure our friendship and you and Gryff are now my oldest sisters 🫶🏻 Gryffie wedding when!!!

Gryff: I was intimidated by you too ajhsjssj. You had such cool gifs and content and interesting characters, and I had just started into the OC x OC world, but being your friend during these past years has been a true boon, and I hope to have gained an oldest sister who I can count on and have either a laugh or a very deep conversation. Te quiero, hermana 🫶🏻

Persie: Who would've thought I'd grow to love you so much and become such a close friend? To me, you're the little sister I've always dreamt of having. We can go from making fun of each other, to argue and then proceed to simp for our ocs and blorbos. Thank you for being an awesome friend and being there for me when I needed it ❤ J'et aime, cherie

Al: I've always looked up to you as a writer and a person, and despite being a bit intimidated by you as well, you have turned out to be a great advisor and inspiration for me! Also, you're officially the adventurous wine aunt 🫶🏻 I hope we can do something ourselves in the near future (i'm not exaggerating when I say it'd be a dream come true 🫶🏻)

Lily: Though, because of irl stuff, we haven't interacted much, you were always a great and supportive friend and I constantly feel inspired by you, not to mention that I found a fellow Choicenator here! (even tho chonces is now a dumpster fire but it's ours) and I always remember you fondly 🥺🫶🏻 love uuuu

Arrow: You gave me the impression of someone who was stoic, but once I got to know you through our two ships, getting to know your passionate side, your humour and your wicked wit has been a delight and I look forward to see what you're up to and start writing Aderva's story and get to share it with you 🤎

Kate: We have interacted little (I'm socially awkward and crap at managing friendships :c) I'm constantly in awe with your writing and creativity, and I always learn something new about you and from you, and it is such a privilege 🫶🏻

Sky: You were one of the first people to approach me, and getting to know you through our ships and the chat has been a privilege. You were responsible of me joining the fandom and I'm always in awe with your creativity and how passionate and intelligent you are, and I hope we can get up to more shenanigans together, even if lately we haven't been good at catching up 🫶🏻 you will always have a special place in my heart for showing me the best community ever 🥰

Guzma: You have been the surprise of the year! Getting to know you, talk to you through vc and creating our own verse in the founders era and our 2 am chats have been the highlight of my 2022-2023 and I look forward to getting up to more mischief with you 🫶🏻

Kaze: I think you're the one user I was most intimidated by 😅 you are such a big and respected blog, for a while I didn't have the courage to talk to you, but finding out how sweet, friendly and fun you are has been such a privilege! Like with many others, I'm always learning from you, as well as giving me inspo and motivation to better my writing and as a person 🥰 I look forward sharing something with you! I know I'll have a blast 🥳

Honourable mentions:

@cursedvaultss Alys: You're still new here, but show much promise to our little family! You're so sweet and creative, and I know that soon you'll get far here 🫶🏻 looking forward seeing what you'll do!

@nicos-oc-hell Nico: At first I was unsure of how to proceed with you, but finding out how many things in common we have and your killer sense of humour have been a great surprise! I am always laughing or smiling when I talk to you, and I feel very safe with you 🫶🏻

@mjs-oc-corner Mo: At first I was a bit afraid of talking to you, but you've proven to be funny, badass, super sweet and one of the greatest friends I've got here and, despite having little interactions, I treasure them all just like I treasure you ❤ love uuu hermanita 🥰

@that-scouse-wizard JD: Tbh, I was even more scared of talking to you (I struggle to talk to men in general ksjdjsmaks) but these past months you've been the funniest, sweetest and one of my best surprises this year, and Flossie and Frediette have my entire heart 🫶🏻

@kathrynalicemc Lari: Last but not least, you're probably one of the closest friend here, and talking to you makes my day. You've become very special to me and getting to share stories and shenanigans with you is always a boon to me ❤ thank you for being the absolute best and so you know, te quiero muchisisisisímo, mi mas querida hermana 😘

[maidstew]

Hi, Lily! Seeing the other anon who gave you the ships made me want to share my ideas with you as well, haha!

This is about to be very long, I'm sorry!

I'm also a Felix and Clemmie shipper myself, actually! In my headcanons, they have one daughter (I keep seeing people headcanon that Felix would have a daughter if he was alive, and I can totally see him as a girl dad!), who's named after Clemensia's older sister who passed in the war (Aelia, in my hcs), and as well as Felix's older sister (Faustina, in my hcs). So, their daughter's name is Aelia Faustina Ravinstill.

my hcs about the ravinstills:

Aelia looks like this: https://i.pinimg.com/564x/29/92/f4/2992f406a697190b04fb2c72d162070f.jpg

They live in a big mansion with black and gold as the main colors.

Aelia is a huge daddy's girl and a mommy's twin.

They have two dobermans.

Their garden is filled with orange blossoms and clementines.

Felix and Clemensia are total love-birds who had a gorgeous and magical beach wedding.

Everytime Felix & Clemmie go to events, Aelia would always ask them, "Do you really have to go?" with a pouty face before they go.

Next ship! I am a huge Arachne x Livia fan, so the anon saying they have a kid named Achilles and definitely a few pomeranions too made me add that to my hcs! Achilles' full name in my hcs is 'Achilles Seneca Crane-Cardew'.

my hcs:

Arachne and Livia are just the BEST moms in the world.

Their pomeranions are named after Brandy and Facet.

Whenever some kid tries to brag about how wealthy and how their parents got them this and that, Achilles would just say, "Oh yeah? Well, I have two moms!"

Arachne and Livia definitely had a huge, extravagant wedding.

Achilles definitely has Arachne's wit.

And Livia's adorable smile.

Their mansion's main color is pink. Definitely.

Arachne, Achilles, and Livia have a late night cuddle session together.

Now, onto Festus and Persephone, my loves. I can totally see that they have a daughter named Athena. (I saw it somewhere, so thank you to that person who said it first!) Athena Flavia Creed just sounds so Festus-and-Persie-kid coded. And of course, they have another baby son named Flavius Mizzen Creed. (named after mizzen<3)

my hcs:

I imagine Summer Fontana as Athena.

Both Athena and Flavius got Persephone's dimples and Festus' ginger hair.

Festus and Persephone had a beautiful garden wedding!

Their mansion's main colors are blue and gold.

When Flavius gets older, he looks a lot like Festus.

They have brown toy poodles.

Athena is a huge daddy's girl and Flavius is a huge mommy's boy.

Festus does anything Persephone tells him to do.

Festus definitely tells dad jokes.

Only Persephone laughs.

Persephone and Festus are huge lovebirds. Even in front of their children.

Additional hcs:

Athena, Aelia, and Achilles are a trio.

Plutarch Heavensbee, Hilarius and Vipsania's son (stole it from @felixravinstills) has a thing for Aelia, but doesn't show it.

Flavius definitely brags to other kids about how much people spoil him.

Achilles and Athena end up together later in the future.

When Coriolanus and Lucy Gray's daughter, Mary Topaz, was born, Achilles, Aelia, and Athena were already four, whilst Flavius was three.

Felix, Hilarius, Coriolanus, and Festus are a friend group, and they meet up at the club occasionally before they married and had kids.

Now they just play poker together at Coryo's house.

Whenever their husbands (then boyfriends), went to the club, Vipsania, Clemensia, Persephone, and Lucy Gray would have girl's night outs just shopping and gossiping. Arachne and Livia are invited, obvi. They still do it whenever their husbands play poker.

The ten of them have occasional dinners with no kids.

please tell me your opinions on these, and continue them (give more ideas) if you'd like! I hope this interested you!

hello anon!!! i’m so excited you’ve come to share your ideas with me!! never apologize for the length- i want everyone’s thoughts on everything all the time!

felix & clemmie

i just can’t personally picture him with anyone but festus but your ideas are so delightful that i love it anyway!

you’re totally right- felix is 100% a girl dad (and aelia is so cute!)

her asking them if they really have to go- i just know felix melts every single time 🥺

seriously, this is all so cute! i would 100% read this if you ever deciding to write it up!

arachne & livia

i’m just adoring this idea of arachne & livia together! they really would be the best moms. i think arachne would be so overprotective of any child they have.

AHHH achilles being like ‘i have TWO moms’ to anyone bragging. the ultimate checkmate.

god, a child that’s a mix of arachne and livia- terrifying and absolutely able to take over the world.

festus & persephone

i adore the idea of them having a daughter named athena (it’s like a cute little nod to athena strates, plus it fits so well!) and then naming a child after mizzen 🥺 i just know mizzen is bragging to coral in the afterlife about that!

prayer circle for pippa everyone! she’s in a house full of gingers and i just know they’re all as mischievous as festus.

their wedding was definitely a beautiful but small outdoor wedding! and festus cried when he first saw pippa in her dress.

-

god, i would love to hear/read more about the adventures of athena, aelia, and achilles! i just know they get into some wild stuff.

i just love how happy these ideas are!! it’s so sweet 💛 i’m still not over them naming a child after mizzen like. ugh. my heart.

[batrachised]

How do you feel about the Ford Family?

This question brought to mind the Conan plays video games series, where he rates each video game at the end by saying on a scale of 1 to 166 where 1 is average and 166 is average and 17 is really good, he'd give it a 44XXIV or some equally nonsensical rating. If A is for A plus, and F is for failure, I'd rate most of the Fords an E in that they exist.

Most especially, Owen Ford merely existed to me; his function in the plot was Leslie's new husband haha. Same with Kenneth. He had "captain of the football team in high school" vibes, and to be fair, that's who he was intended to be. Rilla was the popular girl who lives in a bubble only to get slammed with the reality of WWI. Persis always fascinated me because her name is really cool, but I don't think we ever really learn much about her either.

Leslie though...Leslie almost seemed like someone out of a noir film. The first description we get of her IS something out of a movie:

The girl was tall and wore a dress of pale blue print. She walked with a certain springiness of step and erectness of bearing. She and her geese came out of the gate at the foot of the hill as Anne and Gilbert passed. She stood with her hand on the fastening of the gate, and looked steadily at them, with an expression that hardly attained to interest, but did not descend to curiosity. It seemed to Anne, for a fleeting moment, that there was even a veiled hint of hostility in it. But it was the girl's beauty which made Anne give a little gasp—a beauty so marked that it must have attracted attention anywhere. She was hatless, but heavy braids of burnished hair, the hue of ripe wheat, were twisted about her head like a coronet; her eyes were blue and star-like; her figure, in its plain print gown, was magnificent; and her lips were as crimson as the bunch of blood-red poppies she wore at her belt.

Beautiful and hostile--that summarizes Leslie Ford. I've talked about her before, and my take on her is that she isn't a good friend, but she is a good character. Leslie Ford is hard to judge because she's like a skittish wounded animal in a trap who's willing to gnaw off its own leg to escape. She's rude to Anne, including the scene where she tells Anne that since Anne's baby died, now they can truly be friends (!!) even if the narrative presents it as acceptable. She is by far the most interesting member of the Ford family (although, to be fair, she also receives the most attention from the story). She's standoffish, hostile, cruel, and above all, heartbroken. Most of Leslie Ford's actions are explained by the fact that she is heartbroken. Not due to a lost love, like Miss Lavender, but due to traumatic events that would be impossible to forget--such as seeing her 8 year old brother be crushed by a wagon wheel.

To be honest, I always wished for another glimpse at Leslie's life after AHOD. I know we get snippets of her living her best life in Japan and so forth, but I wonder at the radical flip her life did in a matter of weeks. How could you react to something like that? After so many soul destroying things happen to you, would you be able to accept something good? What was that transition like for her? Did she wake up in the middle of the night years later, dully thinking she needed to check on Dick only to realize? I love LMM because of her happy endings, and I'm delighted Leslie got hers, but she's such a rich character that I kind of wanted more. I don't think the things that happened to her are the type you're able to forget, even if everything gets resolved. Personally I'd have trust issues for the rest of my life haha (Esp. after the twist with her husband, I would literally be doubting my entire world forever lmao). I also just realized she's Rilla's future mother in law, which is an interesting intersection of personalities.

So, to the point, most of them are decent but Leslie is a cut above the rest. Of all the characters in Anne, she probably has one of the darkest storylines, from watching her baby brother die a violent death to a coerced marriage. It's interesting to me that Kenneth doesn't seem to have been affected by his mother's traumatic background at all although we do get so little of his perspective, and it reminds me of the Blythe children appear not to know that Gilbert and Anne ever disliked each other or that Anne was neglected as a child (see: Di Blythe being shocked in Ingleside about Anne saying she was very hungry as a child, or TBAQ in which the kids are astonished at their parents referring to old spats).

[samssims]

I just wanted to let you know how much I love Persie and Dez and how excited I am for their story! I've always been really interested in Greek Mythology, so I can't wait to read it once it has come out! 💖

🥺

This is so sweet! I am so glad they are drumming up some excitement! I am obsessed with them:

It's not going to be a full story but more of a comic style with icons because dialogue is too much to keep up with. I am also hoping to translate it into more of a slice of life comic to keep it fun and casual. And I cannot wait to add more characters into this mythology inspired world.

And just for you a lil sneak peak at the story format:

[bsaka7]

For the sleepover meme: your top five all time Arsenal players

ummmmmm i've been on a HUGE arsenal history kick so here's like. my best go of it. at the MOMENT. obviously subject to change and probably not much different than a lot of peoples....

Ian Wright. It was his sixtieth birthday yesterday! I really do love watching his highlights, although obviously I never watched him play for Arsenal, as he left before I was born! I also love listening to him speak - his Desert Island Disks genuinely made me cry and the Rocky and Wrighty documentary was excellent. His excitement and love for the game and the club is contagious, and his respect for those he speaks to and about is just massive. And wait...here's him talking about some of his ultimate PL goals for his birthday!

Bukayo Saka. I'm new here, right. I saw him play in England's game against the US in the world cup last year and went wait...who is this guy? Went and watched some highlights...found out he played for the club I loved as a kid...and now we're here! He's just a brilliant player and he came up through the academy and now he's worn the armband! I really love watching him play week in and week out and I rate him massively, though of course I worry about the incessant league, cup, and international schedule of the modern game. I know he's not accomplished what other guys on this team have...yet. But I love him.

Thierry Henry. It couldn't be a list without him, could it? I recently read a biography of his which I would describe as characterized by ambivalence. He's an interesting character with a lot of noise around who he was and what it meant. I find him quite funny these days. Obviously, some of the goals he scored were just - phenomenal. At times, he talks mad shit which kind of annoys me but I also loved how he described how Arsenal's attack works recently, so. I've also been thinking about this goal kind of a lot...

Theo Walcott. He was my favorite player as a kid. I know that team had flashier players - van Persie when I first started watching, Cazorla and Ozil by the time I kind of stopped- but I loved him SO much. He was SO quick. I do think he's a bit underrated, but maybe it is just the era he played in - and maybe the curse of players who are so good so young. I do hope he makes it good in punditry as I find him such an intelligent speaker on the game....and well. Arsenal :) Have this lovely goal where he goes down and pops right back up to score a hatty!

Dennis Bergkamp. His autobiography was…surprisingly funny? The Dutch version is quite a bit longer, I think, and I wish I could read it in Dutch. It was also deeply, deeply thoughtful about footie which is suitably fitting for a player who so represented Arsenal's evolution from the mid 90s to the 00s. I haven't quite gotten to the point of watching full matches from that era but even just watching extended highlights of various games…brilliant. It's always so interesting to hear his contemporaries speak about him. And well, that Newcastle goal, though I'm also wowed by this one, the way he brings down Wright's pass is just incredible....which could take me to the story of Bergkamp and Wrighty meeting at a gas station just after Bergkamp signed...but I won't bore you further. And they were roommates!

Other players I've been inexplicably obsessed with lately but have no business being on a "Top 5" list

Lee Dixon. Look, he was a class right back, okay. Look at the length of that tenure - he retired at 38 after playing a key role in his 4th league winning season with Arsenal! He may kind of suck a lot as a commentator on Peacock but I do like listening to him talk outside of that...I laughed so hard hearing the story about how he joined Arsenal! Also he was roommates with David Seaman and they were kind of considered lame which does endear me a liiiitle. And...he's scored a few good ones.

Alan Smith. "Smudge!" Smith has no business being rated as one of Arsenal's top strikers, because he's not. Maybe he sneaks into the top 5 of the modern era? But he was essential for Arsenal at the time and he scored some really lovely and really important goals. I also like his level-headedness. I don't pay much attention to his punditry career but I really have enjoyed some of the interviews he's given about his Arsenal career.

Other icons that how COULD I leave off with the number of videos I've been watching lately.

Charlie George. Gotta be real, I've only really started to dip into the 70s, but I watched an interview with him in this "501 goals" video and now I desperately want to go on the Arsenal stadium tour with him. Hit me up after I pay the extra twenty five bucks for that this spring.

Patrick Vieira. Just watch this video and get back to me. Amy Lawrence described the way he tackled in an episode of Handbrake off a few months ago and it's just stuck in my mind - not the specific words, but the beauty of how he does it. Also well. Beefing with Roy Keane...bullying Gary Neville...what's not to love? Great documentary with him and Keane as well.

Paul Merson. This post is getting way too long but I read his book which was extremely interesting (and sad. and rarely flattering). Love this video of some of his highlights as well....you can imagine how I reacted when the Stone Roses kicked in

Tony Adams...I can't keep going can I?

On the list to get the full obsession treatment:

Robert Pires. Should I read his book? Has anyone got any insight here?

Sol Campbell. I caught a bit of his BT Sport documentary and now I want to see the whole thing.

Lauren.

Viv Anderson.

Liam Brady and Frank Stapleton.

Well, you get the idea at this point. This is the deepest obsession I've been in...for a while. I just did the 1978-79 Arsenal FC Season wikipedia page...so. Yeah. It's a work in progress.

[unsettlingcreature]

5, 7, 9, 13, 25 for the oc ask for Perseus 🫡 💖

5) how far is your oc willing to go yo get what they want?

So Perseus tends to make impulsive decisions that have large consequences. Typically his first reaction is self-sacrifice (like his life or his soul That One Time) but it's always something that only he's giving up. While he would rather find options other than violence, killing or the sacrifice of someone other than himself, that's probably where he draws the line - at least in pursuit of a bigger cause or to help someone else. For his own ambitions, he won't go very far at all partially because he is a very unambitious character overall.

7) what's one way your oc has changed since you first came up with them?

Honestly so much addjdhsksjddd. When I first made him, he was actually pretty bare bones because I was nervous about the (new) group I'd be playing with and wasn't sure how much backstory to give. A lot of the stuff that's now core to his character were things that were discovered through playing him.

If I had to pick one thing, it'd probably be his love life/sex life LMAO. Originally, I had him envisioned as a disaster bisexual and yeah, he definitely was in the end LMAO but I kind of viewed him as the kind of person to just end up stalling when it came to romance or sex. He was definitely awkward when flirted with and he was going to just pine uselessly when he realised Oh No I Have Feelings For An Idiot. And yet? The PPZG threesome happened so easily?? Good for him. Was a ménage-à-trois a sexual awakening for Persy? Yeagh. Good for him.

9) do you have a specific lyric or quote which you associate with your oc?

Lyrics are hard because I have a full playlist of songs that I think are Perseus coded and ordered according to his character arc/the campaign plot. Am I allowed to use a quote from my own writing?? Because I'm gonna. Also it's kind of long 😳

Once, he would have questioned where he fit in and what his value was. The templars would have made him a bishop. Caedis, a pawn. But Perseus knew who he was now, with his family - because that's what the Last Flame were - fighting alongside him. He was a Rook, one of the strongest pieces on the board and he’d stand between them and Unity for as long as he could.

13) if you met your oc, would the two of you get along?

I like to think so! Perseus is definitely one of my least abrasive characters despite his low Charisma and I think we could at least be on friendly terms if not become actual friends.

25) what is your favourite thing about your oc?

I think maybe his growth or just how through him, I've made some wonderful friends and created wonderful things with them. With Perseus, I got to meet all the players in the Last Flame and I think it helped me become good friends with Jojo (who played Aegis, Persy's brother, and is overall a really cool dude) and Rachel (who played Yesriel, aka the third honorary Rook sibling, and is really fun to play with at Empire) in particular. All of the players were awesome for that game tbh! Last Flame i miss u. Reunion tour when.

Not just that, but he really became a creative outlet for me - I drew and wrote so many things that I'm really proud of. I'll always throw Rook, Bishop, Pawn at people wanting to understand more about Perseus as a character because I think it's really well written (to toot my own horn) but having that fic be referenced in-game before the final fight was... it legit brought my to tears, I love my DM/brother so much sometimes.

It didn't even end once the campaign came to a close. Me and Lotus endlessly spawned AUs for that campaign, including the Velseus AU which we both loved so much (and that one day will definitely become more than scattered notes). There was the Modern/High School/Coffee Shop AU that became such a big point of collaboration between everyone and that is now the setting for my current big fic I'm working on!

I just ooouuurrgghhhhhhhhhh I love Perseus so much. He might be my roman empire.