#bavarian ramblings

[offiiciallybavaria]

Ohhh yes, I really like infodumping about Touhou. Get ready for a longass post.

Touhou Project is a series of Bullet Hell Games with some Fighting Games. There are 19 mainline Games (Though people don't care as much about the first five as the rest) and 13 Canon Spinoffs. There are several canon printworks, a bunch of CD's, and it's one of the most popular things in Japan. The whole thing takes place in the modern day in a place called Gensokyo, which is cut off from the Outside World to keep Youkai, certain gods, and whatnot thriving.

There are 4 "Era's" for the games; PC-98, Windows 1st Gen, Windows 2nd Gen, and Windows 3rd Gen.

PC-98 Era is where the first 5 games, Highly Responsive to Prayers to Mythic Square, fall into. This is regarded as a separate canon to the Windows Era. The only four who are both in the PC-98 and Windows Eras are Reimu, Marisa, Alice, and Yuuka, the rest in this era were left behind.

The Window's 1st Gen Era encompasses from Embodiment of Scarlet Devil (The most popular game) to Shoot the Bullet. Most of the very popular characters are from this Era, including Flandre, Mokou, Cirno, Sakuya, and Youmu.

The Windows 2nd Gen Era encompasses Mountain of Faith to Hopeless Masquerade. The majority of these incidents are caused by Kanako Yasaka in some way or form. Some of the popular characters include Satori, Koishi, Utsuho, Tenshi, and Kokoro.

The Windows 3rd Gen is by far the longest spanning one, encompassing from Double Dealing Character to the most recent game, Unfinished Dream of All Living Ghost. Some of the popular characters include Yuuma, Junko, Shion, Seija, and Okina.

There are 180+ unique characters in the franchise, though a chunk of them aren't seen in the games. Some characters make more appearances than others, and most of them have unique abilities.

My top 5 are Mokou, Utsuho/Rin (Tied because I just couldn't leave one without the other), Yukari, Junko, and Tenshi.

Mokou, also known in full as Fujiwara no Mokou, was an unwanted child, not allowed to go in public. Kaguya humiliated the Fujiwara Family entirely when the Father of Mokou wanted to have Kaguya's hand in marriage, to find the 5 Impossible Requests which Kaguya already had, and Mokou came to resent Kaguya after that embarrassment. Mokou eventually escaped and climbed mount Fuji, where she snuck behidnd a man named Iwakasa, who with soldiers had the Hourai Elixir, an Elixir of immortality. Iwakasa helped Mokou, and offered her to come along with him and his soldiers, and she did. When the soldiers tried to destroy the Hourai Elixir by lighting it ablaze atop mount Fuji, they were stopped, and overnight all the soldiers were killed, leaving only Mokou and Iwakasa. Mokou wanted the Elixir for herself, but she didn't want to kill Iwakasa for it, but eventually the desite for Immortality was too strong, so she killed Iwakasa and drank the elixir. Now having attained Immortality, she realized she couldn't be with normal humans any longer, and so she became a wanderer, eventually ending up in Gensokyo.

Utsuho Reiuji and Rin Kaenbyou, officially nicknamed Okuu and Orin respectively, are friends from before Hell and the Underground was split. Once that was done, The Palace of the Earth Spirits was built in what is now called Former Hell. Satori took in the Hell Ravens and Blaze Cats, Utsuho and Rin included. Rin's Job is to haul bodies away to the Hell of Blazing Fires, and Utsuho's Job is to maintain the heat of the Hell of Blazing Fires. Another important thing, Utsuho's pretty dumb. Before the events of Subterranean Animism, the 11th game in the series, Kanako Yasaka went to Utsuho in a dream, and told her to eat the Sun God, Yatagarasu. She did, gaining nuclear powers, but she misinterpreted Kanako's words as wanting to take over the Surface (Gensokyo). Rin saw this and instead of going to Satori, she drives up some of the vengeful spirits to hopefully bring some strong Youkai down, though Reimu and Marisa go instead and foil Utsuho's plan.

Junko isn't the true name, but it's the only one we know. She used to have a son who she deeply cared for, until Houyi technically killed her son. She retaliated by killing Houyi and purifying herself afterwards, now a being of pure fury. She then sets her sights on Chang'e, who is in prison in the Lunar Capital because of Drinking the Hourai Elixir, and devises a plant with Hecatia to get in there and kill her, which is technically impossible because Chang'e is now immortal. Junko and Hecatia try out the plan in Legacy of Lunatic Kingdom but Reimu, Marisa, Sanae, and Reisen eventually stop Junko and Hecatia from fully doing their plan.

Yukari is a mysterious one of a kind Youkai and one of the 3 known Youkai Sages of Gensokyo. Her backstory is murky. She's kinda lazy, but will not hesitate with some things, even if she's not fully awake.

Tenshi is a Delinquent Celestial who finds Heaven boring. She ascended to Heaven with others of the Hinanawi Clan and became Celestials that way. She caused the incident in Scarlet Weather Rhapsody just so she could fight. Eventually, sometime after Scarlet Weather Rhapsody, she was EXILED from Heaven, in which I assume it was for being such a delinquent, but that may be up for speculation.

I have a Spotify Playlist of Touhou Songs that I listen to frequently, if you want to listen (if you have a Spotify Account), you can find it here. If you need English names for the songs, just say the number, and I'll tell you the English Name, I know most of them.

If you have any other questions about Touhou, feel free to launch them my way, I will happily go out of my way to try and get answers.

my brothers share special interests and my favorite thing to do is walk in a room and be like "hey guys can you tell me about the mariana trench" and then sit there for an hour while they both infodump to me about the ocean it's extremely entertaining

[mercury-lynx]

I love the idea of falin and laios growing up eatting the most DIABOLICAL looking food (based off my own childhood)

Here's some of my absolute favorites :3

[thetwilightroadtonightfall]

expanding on my tags here a lil bit, I do think ml Scala is meant to take inspiration from multiple different european places but it really is very very italian to me. Like there’s the battle theme and architecture and potential symbolism yeah, but…hmm. Maybe I’m partly pulling from personal experience. I’ve visited Rome before so when I look at some of the shots in ml, mostly the nighttime ones, I just remember walking around the streets the first night I was there and how soft and warm the lighting was. It just feels the same to me somehow, which, if anything, is a testament to the amount of care and attention that was put into developing this version of Scala (from the devs themselves and in-universe ;) )

[jaina-lyn]

I have 2 days off and I'm thinking about sewing Shepard's casual pants to go with my N7 hoodie. Sewing pants is my nemesis tho. And I don't have fabric yet.

There's a thing I'd like to go to on Sunday and I could just wear one of my Jaina Solo costumes, but casual Shep would be sick. I'll need an embroidery hoop. I've made an N7 crop top for summer that's missing either a patch or an embroidery.

Decisions, decisions.

[kxmpfflieger]

almost done with the fucking j11 lineup ive been working on (would've finished it sooner but procrastination) inly thing left to do is their service uniforms. emil is giving me a hell of a hard time rn.

[ynwa4eva]

Kane in that paulaner ad genuinely scared the shit out of me.....

[lys5ophobia]

going over to my grandparents for lunch and the vegan alternative is potatoes with BUTTER AND SAUSAGES

[shini--chan]

In your opinion, would germany and prussia be very different as yanderes? Because while i think both would be strict and maybe even cruel, i find that germany is more likely to be more naive? On that note... prussia character sheet? 🙏🙏

Oh yes. In any time periode, Germany is simply far more awkward and naive than Prussia. In the beginning he is a lanky, rebellious kid who has a close and complicated relationship with his older brother. He is alike him in all the ways Prussia loves and loathes. But there is also the Bavarian and Austrian influence that makes Gilbert want to put his head through a wall. He is far more lax and openminded and cheeky than Gilbert - spitting on Prussian censorship, fliriting with socialism and Feuerbachian ideology and playing football no matter how much Gilbert scolds him for engaging in "the english sickness". He'd engage in the worst attrocities because he'd be steeped in his own self-rightousness and then drowns in guilt when he is beaten back and his eyes are opened.

Ludwig came from student fraternities and the overthrow of an old order by youngsters that wanted more than the word offered them. Meanwhile Gilbert arose from a knightly order that was smashed because it became too powerful, that became a duchy and then a kingdom and then a military power to be reckoned with. It shows in both their characters and how they would be as yanderes.

Gilbert would be calmer, more patient and more controlling. He is more comfortable with a sword in hand and a field cot to sleep in and hates modern life. He is just bursting with energy nowadays that has become directionless because there are no more heroes and no more pioneers. He is an old general that can never rest, that is sharp and dangerous. Sharp and dangerous things are not suited for modern times and that is his problem.

Meanwhile Ludwig has more passion and is far more likely to crash and burn and then repent with interest. He is an idealist with no charisma, a romantic that dreams of knights and glory and would inpale himself on his enemy's sword if he were to land a hit. Yet he would never let go of his modern life because it is safe and clean and thinking about his own past scares him. Less resiliant, especially next to his elders, and still all the more blood thirsty.

Seems like I have been rambling. I'll have to do a relationship/character study of them on my non-yandere account.

In short:

Prussia: controlling, patient, and realistic. Restless with his excess energy and less likely to indulge in comforts with how he knows (he has experienced firsthand) how it corrupts the character. When bad times come, he'd roll his eyes and roll up his sleeves. Self-aware and prepared to be harsh if you call him out on it.

Germany: idealistic and passionate with no guile or innate charm or charisma. Doesn't think things completely through and still stubborn to boot. Moralising and very likely to fall to delusion. Would scapegoat and belittle and rationalise if you'd point out his misdemeanors.

Yandere Character Sheet I - 1p Prussia 

Trigger warnings: physical, emotional and verbal abuse, torture methods, mind break, murder, inprisonmemt, abuse of power and authority, non-con roleplay, live target practise and human experimentation

Attributes - What sort of Yandere is he/she?

Above all else, Gilbert would be hard. Despite all his years, he had never been good at comforting people, nor did he even deem it necessary most of the time. He tends to view other people as overly soft and chances are high that he would view you in the same light. To him, you would be iron that he would have to hammer so that it hardens, so don't expect him to go easy on you. In fact, he would see it as his job to toughen you up. To him, it wouldn't change if you love him or not, you would still be restricted to two meals a day, cold showers and waking up at the crack of dawn everyday. A day spent idly is a day wasted, in Gilbert Beilschmidt's mind. Also, he would be the sort of person that could take a lot of punishment, so don't expect to be able to beat him down or chastise him into submission. 

Your captor would also be of the energetic sort. Not in the sugar shock way that Alfred would be at times, rather in the restless manner that a tiger pacing its cage is. Constantly there would be work or a project or a strenuous hobby to engage in. Having to tag along with his activities would be a blessing and a curse packed in one. On one hand, it would mean that he would see you as competent enough to not accidentally ruin his work, on the other hand it would mean that he would hold even higher expectations of you. Besides that, he would expect you to work for him, willingly or unwillingly. Gilbert would be constantly searching for ways to bind you more strongly to him and make you spend more time with him. Seeing that his ideal lifestyle would result in only using his living quarters for resting, nourishment and washing, he would want to style your relationship with him so that you’re not some stay-at-home housewife. Oh no, he would very much want to drag you along for the ride. Should you need to be properly tamed, then he would spend more time at home with you. And become bored very fast. Mark my words when I say that a bored Gilbert Beilschmidt is the last thing you would want. 

Additionally, he would be persistent and unlikely to allow himself to be swayed by petty emotions. At first, this would be ironic considering that he would be yandere for you. Upon further inspection however, you might find out he “landed” himself in his obsession with you through a complex series of emotional acrobatics and mental gymnastics. Gilbert could be considered a genius at rationalising his emotional impulses and more unsavoury behaviour. To get back on track - he would be able to resist emotions that suddenly pop up, like boredom and anger and happiness. So don’t expect him to let you free just because of momentary boredom. Bigger emotions would first have to enter the rationalisation stage before he would act on them. And he wouldn’t tire of you easily, or be quick to be put off by any disgusting behaviour on your side. He would view you as work in progress and remind himself that growth isn’t always linear. There would be setbacks that he would have to work through with you and the like. Yet he would still be relentless, because never should you believe that you should be able to outlast or outwait him. 

Gilbert is also the sort that plans ahead. He would have the road to his desired destination mapped out and would consistently follow it. Chasing after vague morals wouldn't be his style, and even with courting you, he would treat his conquest of you in a military manner. Should matters not proceed as he would've foreseen, then he would simply adjust his tactics. He would have contingencies in mind and the power to execute them. If you throw something in his way, then he would have the wits to improvise on the spot. Should he speak of “the foreseeable future”, keep in mind that he is at least speaking of the next five years. 

On top of all that, he would be strict and unyielding. A man that compromises on his morals is a man that has already surrendered to the devil, in his point of view. As such, he wouldn't allow for any exceptions to the rules. No amount of pleading or begging or puppy eyes would prevent you from being punished if you cross the line. Also, you wouldn't be excused from leading a similarly spartan lifestyle. Should you come from money, then he would label you as a brat in need of humbling and be even harsher towards you. Being sugar-addled and spoiled would just mean that you would be in need of a reckoning, in his eyes. Also, too much comfort would ruin a person’s character, according to him (cough* Austria, cough*), so to save you from hell, damnation and all that jazz, he would have to unpack the drill sergeant for you. Mind you, there would be little that would hold him back from bullying you. Despite how many poems he would dedicate to you, how many horses and ships he would name after you and all his declaration of love, it would be easy to think that he’d hate you, with how he would treat you. In many ways, you would be childlike to him, and just like a child, you would be so prone to negative behaviours on the basis of them being “pleasurable”. He would be the one to guide you back on the right track. 

Something you'd also have to account for would be his controlling tendencies. While he would be very aware that the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry, it wouldn't prevent him from trying to have as much control over any situation as possible. You would be no exception here. Not that he would become anxious if he wouldn't be in control - it is more about ideal and prefered states. If he can't have full power, then he would settle with having the initiative.

Cornering - How would they get you?

Maybe the two of you would come into contact via other people. That could be through work, or club activities or through a shared friend group. Either way, the two of you would be obligated to interact with each other, regardless of your feelings with him. The mandated interaction with one another would give him the perfect excuse to grow closer to you, to even be mean at times, without him having to worry about you disappearing into thin air. You could bet your life on that he would make some off-colour remarks and do one or the other peculiar deed just to see how far he could push you. 

Such a dynamic would also allow him to reveal some of his true colours without you immediately running away. Besides, he would have people around to calm you and vouch for him. After all, at the end of the day, he is a credible, reliable and effective member of the group. People would much prefer to turn a blind eye than to lose him. If he would've a higher role in this little social circle, then he would be sure to use it to his advantage. Perhaps he'd be your trainer in a martial art, and use sparring as an excuse to throw you around. If he'd be harsher than usual, then it'd be due to him using the opportunity to punish you. Or he could be your superior, he would heap work load after work load on you, having to do the best and the worst tasks your occupation lets you. 

Depending on the circumstances, he might rope you into a mentor/mentee relationship with him. It would give him an excuse to grow all the closer with you, without people raising eyebrows due to how he'd enthral you to him. Such a foundation would also make you less suspicious when he'd reel you in. By the time you'd realise the true nature of this relationship, you'd already be in too deep and he would've already slammed the door shut. 

Exploring other ways he could entrap you - a more apparent display of his intentions comes to mind. Perhaps you are a civilian in an area under martial law, and he a captain of a battalion. Or you are a subversive social element, and he the agent tasked with shadowing and subduing you. Of course, you could be a hostage, a political prisoner or a genius that is kept in a gilded cage and he your warden. While there might be the professional barrier, he wouldn't be forced to be cordial with you. He could drag you by the hair where he'd want you to be, he could beat you into submission without any higher ups questioning his actions. Love isn't permitted in this dynamic, yet what he'd feel for you isn't love, strictly speaking. It would be much more twisted, much more violent and in a situation where the scales are tilted in his favour from the get-go, it would be more socially acceptable than sweet romance. The irony wouldn't escape him, and he'd muse about it while the two of you would do your morning exercises.

Expectations - What do they expect of you?

Gilbert would be rather unconventional here, owing to the fact that he'd be an unconventional man himself. At the top of his list of expectations would be honesty. This is not to be mistaken for always telling the truth - a person can tell nothing but the truth and be utterly devious and cunning. What this Beilschmidt would demand, would be honesty - no white lies or fibs or things that are true from a certain point of view. Even saying things that are true but don't pertain to the situation/question would be enough to set him off. Additionally, he wouldn’t take it well at all if you’d lie through permanent omision. Sure, he could be considerate and understand that you might need time and the view of a third party before you confront him, though you’d have to confront him eventually. If you’d keep your silence, if you’d complain about him behind his back, yet only smile sweetly when you’re with him, then he’d go berserk. You’d be allowed to kiss your freedom goodbye and enjoy a few weeks in a cellar, an attic or a cupboard. All in all, he would prefer that you’d be frank with your distaste of him instead of pretending to be enamoured with him. A German saying comes to mind: Wer einmal lügt, dem glaubt man nicht, auch wenn er die Wahrheit spricht. (You don’t believe a person who lies even once, even when he speaks the truth.)

Have some self-respect. Generally, that should be a fundamental requirement when having to interact with one Gilbert Beilschmidt because if you can’t stand your ground then he would simply steamroll over you. He’s the sort of man that would trigger people for fun. When it comes to you, this would apply in interesting ways. Gilbert would be very willing to play the part of drill sergeant and etiquette teacher if you aren’t already there yet. Just remember that you would save yourself a lot of trouble if you keep a good posture at all times, rarely whine or get drunk. Watch out, he would be very unforgiving in his crusade to teach you to be a better person. 

Next to that, you should have some resilience. Gilbert would hate people that break easily. In total, he would also loath sheltered people and hedonists, people who would recklessly chase after pleasure and comfort would disgust him. His idea of a nice date would be a camping trip at subzero temperatures and a fun evening would include some sparring (or a game of Monopoly). Should you be weak, then he would build you up and then call you his masterpiece. You'd continuously be reminded that you owe him, and he would want his debt repaid with interest. 

That being said, he wouldn't mind it if you're a bit rough around the edges. Some of your less vibrant traits might even be what would endear you to him in the first place. You're allowed to be rude, jaded, aggressive and much more and he would still be obsessed with you. Word of warning though - you should be prepared for him to meet you blow by blow. Beilschmidt would be confrontational by nature and wouldn't take anything lying down if he can help it. 

Tying a bit into the aforementioned traits would be a longing for competence. Yes, Gilbert would have a competence kink. If you excel in something, especially something useful and relevant, then he would be down hard. It would also ensure that he'd be softer to you. This would be a side effect of him being proud of you, and it would also cause him to be more likely to be indulgent towards you. Use the opportunity to make matters easier for you, be careful though - he would loath being used. Of course, you could gain more by giving him something in return. Your undying love, perhaps?

Faded - Would they let go of you in any way?

If you’d break, then he would throw you away. What should he do with the shell of the person he “loved”, if not dispose of them? Maybe he would play in the shards of who you once were for a bit, yet that would eventually lose its lustre. Maybe he would try to build you up again, his very own personal project. If it wouldn’t work, then he would kick you out. 

Aside from that, he could be coerced into giving you up in some form of “terms of surrender”. While he can be vile, he would abide by his word. Of course, he wouldn’t be happy with this and do everything in his power to get you back without violating the treaty. Also, this wouldn't prevent him from keeping tabs on you or even stalking you. You'd be absent, yet his obsession would persist. 

On a lighter and slightly crackish note - if you expose him to enough surreal art and actually manage to get him to engage with it, then he might enter a catatonic state and you'd be able to escape. He'd let you be until he'd have everything figured out again. This would be especially ironic since messing with other people's perception of reality would be one of his favourite forms of torture. Here you'd have a guy that would still be stuck in the Classical era - things would have to make sense for him.

Punishment - How would they proceed if you do something they disapprove of?

Oh boy, buckle up for you'd be in for a rodeo. 

If you're being particularly disagreeable, then he would provoke you into fighting him and proceed to wipe the floor with you. He'd throw you against the wall if you wouldn't be quick on your feet. Fighting dirty wouldn't be off limits for him, especially if you'd be very naughty. Sand in your eyes, hits to the throat and groin and ears. If you'd be present enough to remind him of a knight's gentlemanly code, then he might turn the violence down a few notches. A big emphasis on might, though. If it ain't combat, then he just might lay you over his knee and spank you with the flat side of his longsword. 

Another favourite of his would be hanging you by your feet from the rafters or a tree. He would say that you'd need a new perspective of matters, and that you'd then surely see the errors of your ways and the truth to his words and actions. Fainting wouldn't shorten your punishment - he'd just take you down until you wake up again and then put you back up. If anybody would ask, he'd make jokes about hanging you up to dry. 

Speaking of tying you up - another form of chastisement that he would use would be immobilisation. It could be through ropes or chains, or even the good old pillory. Gilbert would keep you there far longer than necessary, just to teach you a lesson. At times he would have you immobilised for durations that would be detrimental to your health. While he would treat you afterwards, he would be very mean while tending to you. On particularly bad days, he'd even go as far as to strap you down to a table to the extent that you'd only be able to move your eyes. If there's a way to induce sleep paralysis in another human being, then Gilbert would find out and inflict it on you. 

He wouldn't be more adverse to showing his more creative side if you'd force his hand. You could be his puppy for the evening, complete with a lead and a muzzle. For the rest of the day he'd force you to go on all fours and you wouldn't be allowed to use your hands (or feet) to eat. Act up, and he will take you to the vet. Or he could be the doctor and you his patient. Vaccinations would have to be updated, your blood analysed and he would be touching you everywhere to make sure everything is working as it should. Humiliation and practicality would go hand-in-hand here; it would also be completely hilarious to him. 

Or he would play the part of teacher and make you write lines on a board. He'd watch you the whole time, and you wouldn't get a break until you'd be finished. For more minor misdemeanours he'd slap you or yell at you for a bit. If he'd be particularly petty, then he'd allow you to sleep on the floor.

Reaction - How would they react to you escaping?

First course of action would be to sit down and put his head in his hands. Don’t panic, because panic causes people to make mistakes. Pen and paper would be whipped out, be it with high quality paper in his office or with a notebook while standing in public transport. His first instinct would be to order his chaotic thoughts by putting them to paper. He would consider what you could have done, where you could have done and which third parties would be involved in this debacle. Depending on the situation, you could be a victim of his wrath or not. If this whole escape happened in the form of a kidnapping, then he would be more lenient with you. During your rescue, he would also be far more desperate, and he would use the whole fiasco as an excuse to be even more controlling of you. 

As for actual escapes - you would be hunted down. The aim of the game would be to capture,consolidate and return you home. The whole operation would be executed with military ruthlessness, and perhaps there would even be a few deaths. If there would be something that can push Gilbert’s buttons, it would be you rebelling against his ordained order. Depending on whether or not you were pretending to love him, your punishment for escaping would vary. Putting up an act would result in you being banished to solitary confinement for weeks, while a petty escape would just result in a few corporal punishments. 

More time between your escape and him finding you again wouldn’t mellow him out. Indeed, he would become more irate, and frantic. Perhaps he would even go as far as to brand you when he would capture you if you haven’t been by his side for a few years. One of few hopes you could have at softening the blow would be to amuse him during your capture, perhaps even make him laugh. 

Should you escape him before the “loving relationship” could be properly established, then he would be even more obsessed and insane. With you removing yourself from the picture, precious few of his desires would have been fulfilled and he would be all the more starved for you and your affection. A thirsty man in the desert chasing after fata morganas would have nothing on him. You would pay an even higher price for tempting him so cruelly and still refusing to sate him. 

Turnabout - Scenario: You have the upper hand? What would be different from their usual MO?

Surprisingly, not much. Having more power than him wouldn’t amount much. Sure, it might make obtaining you trickier, though what does power matter if it isn’t used, or the circumstances dictate that you can’t use it. Besides, the quickest way to turn the tables would be to kidnap you and lay you in chains. While a king that is imprisoned in a dungeon is still a king, he doesn’t have any of his kingly power in such a situation. The same would apply to you. 

However, let’s assume that Gilbert can’t kidnap you for any reason, or that you legitimately have the circumstances firmly under your control. Being more powerful than him wouldn’t mean that he would be powerless. Perhaps he would enlist the help of another person - this would be one of the rare cases where he would be ready to share you for a while. Two can achieve more than one. Other than that, he would be no stranger to deception. Oh no, he wouldn’t lie, he would just play tricks and divert your attention and use subterfuge. Having power of your own wouldn’t mean that you would be immune to his, or have a countermeasure for every blow that he would deliver. 

Vengeance - What would they do in the face of competition?

Drench himself in their blood. Having been a templar and a knight and a pirate and so much more, Beilschmidt would be no stranger to killing. Any inhibitions that a person could have in regards to that would have long been dismantled. Asides, he would always feel most at ease with a gun or a sword in his hand, so he would delight in the opportunity to put his weapons to good use. On top of that - a lot of people just have big mouths and a lot of swagger. When faced with real competition those types would be quick to fold, and it would bring him great joy to be the one that would crush their spirits. Gilbert wouldn’t shy away from being messy about it - instead of law enforcement never finding the body, they would never stop finding the body. He can be petty like that. 

Next to that, he might even kidnap the one or the other obstacle and torture them. Or use them for live target practice. It could even be both on the same person - he would be horrible and bloodthirsty enough to do that. Of course, he could also use them for social experiments or practise brainwashing techniques on them. Here, he also would care much if the person is more powerful than him: Being a king or a priest or a president wouldn’t change that there would be red blood in their veins and that a knife could slit their throat just a well as by anybody else. Perhaps if the repercussions would be severe enough, then he wouldn’t, though there would be ways around that as well - the chaos of battle, challenges to a duel, or accidents. He would even be willing to side with his sworn enemies in order to get rid of such pests 

[fafayayarhen]

Any Austria headcanons?

shaking

vibrating

tumbling over

hi. yes. so. enjoy my ramblings of specific Austria | Roderich headcanons from me because my credentials include 5 - 6 years of RP experience writing, researching, writing, musing him

some canon points i took and expanded upon with prevalent historical elements that does fit what i see from the series, certain elaborations that comes from further delve into the unique entanglement of the Habsburg influence upon their claim to the imperial fief of the Holy Roman Empire, the Austrian Duchy

Austria being a far more rowdy, feral, unrestrained youth when the Austrian Duchy absolutely flourished during the Babenberg rule by the successive lead of dukes Leopold. (Yes, dukes. All of them were named Leopold and distinguished only by the numerical order.) During Leopold III, Leopold the Illustrious reign, he was a bit of a punk that not only successfully expanded the duchy with more towns and cities, he joined the third crusade and took command of the German battalion when the previous commander died (Duke Frederick of Swabia). This is the origins of the legend where Austria's flag was created, the signature triband of red, white, red. The Duke's bloodstained uniform when he removed his belt revealed the untouched hidden stripe of white and he went with that - given the track record of these dukes and their prosperous deeds in battle, Roderich would've been that young man who eagerly joined his dukes in each and every conflict, fighting alongside them, and that bit with the bloodstained uniform would've been applied to Roderich as well.

He was a country bumpkin because of this. Had been one since he first came to be, which honestly in my years of writing him is difficult to pinpoint exactly which year given the interesting track records that offers Roman roots (the Noricum province in the then Roman empire), or the first documented use of "Marcha Orientalis" meaning the eastern march, first established by the Bavarian following the battle of Lechfeld in 955 that drove out the rest of the Magyars and fortifying the eastern front once the stronghold is built and fortified. Often I go with this latter interpretation whilst also making good of applying the possible Roman lineage given Noricum was where the land of the east would be. He was just a little country boy Bavaria found after the battle and was like ay yO I GOT A KID.

Bavaria would've spoiled the kid. Cutie. Little march. Sure it's concerning he can already wield a sword but hey you gotta do what you can do to survive! Very apt in swordsmanship and I honestly see his preferred blade of choice is the curved style of a saber, that in turn encompasses his then more outlandish nature - because in sword fighting, saber attacks are far more aggressive despite the refined, graceful look to it. Bavaria would've taught Austria all there is when it comes to fighting when the little march was growing and maturing.

Austria physically matured fast. Which lends itself to the state of his mentality as an empire being pretty fucked because he didn't get to be a child for too long, given how quickly he rose and was refined into this eminent symbol, representative, personification of this imperial fief. During his time as margraviate, he would've already looked like a 10 - 11 y/o pretty soon, then when the later Babenberg generations manage to obtain the Privilegium Minus elevating their territory into a dukedom, he would've had the appearance of a 15 - 16 y/o boy. Because this was a crucial period entering the 1200s onwards, when the succession claim for the duchy became a widely contested issue after the Babenberg line went extinct.

The Bohemian kingdom snatched it pretty quickly with Austrian nobilities actually being in favour for them to rule the duchy, but there was an issue. As imperial fief, the dietary court ruled by the prince electors was the one who called the shots of who'll get to rule the fief next. King Ottokar disregarded this and claimed the duchy for himself and he would've spoiled the Austrian duchy rotten because guess what. Ottokar was incredibly wealthy. I find it absolutely hilarious it was thanks to this man Roderich became... the pampered gemstone he is. To really contextualize how rich Ottokar was, not only was his moniker the Golden King, his earnings was ten times more than the imperial revenue itself that they do not. Want. Ottokar. As emperor. Roderich didn't mind, the former country bumpkin went from a fighter to being throw into this new lavish life where he gets to be comfortable and in prettier clothes, and introduced to Bohemian culture, way of religion, made friends with Bohemia, of course he'd be placated the same way the Austrian nobilities welcomed Ottokar!

Only for his rival, king Rudolf of Habsburg with ambitions to become emperor absolutely get in his way. It was a mess and the then still immature, teenage duchy didn't quite understand the perilous struggle over something he thought was a simple territorial claim and would later learn of the significance when Ottokar was defeated, died in battle, and was finally claimed into Habsburg possession. But it's important to note that Rudolf didn't succeed as emperor. God bless. He was a menace and Roderich would've more than kicked and screamed and tried to bite Rudolf's ear off because guess what. Rudolf was less richer than Ottokar. At least five shillings in bad coin poorer that the country bumpkin having tasted wealth looked at the new ruling figure over his land with disdain because where was the splendour? Where is his comfort?

I may get booed for this but I honestly envisioned he didn't need eyewear until after the dissolution of the empire. Listen to me, he was in good health and perfect physical condition as a rapidly growing fief, he was a good boy who ate his meals, went hunting, practiced his swordsmanship, kept fit, that any and all semblance of incapacitation wouldn't be until after the end that signifies the loss of status and power. The worsening vision thus making him require the glasses on a daily, the frailer physicality simply because in the present day he is not needed to fight, to fend, to exhaust himself tirelessly to grow as a power he no longer was, hence his more laidback habits, hobbies, and being winded easily. And there's nothing wrong with that, you know? He said he wanted to live a good, modest life from here on out and he got that. He's had his run.

Back to more history stuff, remember the bit about his country bumpkin identity? The Spanish Court Ceremonials beat every ounce of it from him. Because one, it was infamously a strict set of conduct by the Spanish constituents in court. And secondly, following the creation of the Spanish Habsburg branch when the succession of marriages into the Spanish monarchy obtaining the crowns of Castile and Aragorn through Maximilian's descendants, Philips and Charles, the Austrians eagerly adopted the customs of their Spanish in laws to foster a harmonious relationship between each other, and in turn Roderich learned the etiquette to a T that perfectly shaped him into the elegant, composed, refined imperium representative he was, finally the revered gemstone befitting the surname he wears; Edelstein. In part, acclimatizing to the Spanish identity was an attempt to better cement his and his first husband, Spain, matrimonial arrangement.

This is completely self indulgent on my part because I love the domino effect and exploring Austria's | Roderich's dynamic with the significant rulers of the dynasty. Maximilian would've been behind the machinations of Roderich's eventual marriage to Antonio. This reflects how his will to bring Spanish inheritance into Habsburg's possessions was achieved when Philip married Joana of Castile, and their heir, Charles, the next Holy Roman Emperor; legitimized the claim over much of the New Worlds and the Holy Roman Empire ... massive wealth and treasure reserves. I imagined the conversation between Maximilian quizzing Roderich on how to better secure their chances of success, thus in turn being one of the rulers that taught the Austrian better when it comes to these political schemes which becomes his weapon later on, telling Roderich to get married. Roderich would have stared and responded, "What?"

Speaking of marriages and the Habsburg being notorious for abusing the ever living daylights out of this strategy? "O'happy Austria, you marry," that saying? The full quote is, "Bella gerant alii, tu felix Austria nube. Nam quae Mars aliis, dat tibi ragna Venus." Let others wage war, but thou, O'happy Austria, marry. For those kingdoms which Mars gives to others, Venus gives to thee. Coined by Matthias Corvinus, the then Hungarian king in the 1400s. And when did Maximilian reigned? 1459 - 1519. The king of the Romans, the most celebrated warlord with a pension for fishing (I kid you not) masterminded some couple of marriages including his own to Mary of Burgundy which brought the possessions of the Low Countries soon into his and the empire's ownership, would have been the instrumental force imparting the wisdom of marriage being the solution to every problem unto Roderich. Young, impressionable Roderich thought, you know what? He's right. Poor Austria didn't think he'd be delivered on the altar is all.

Austria is a polyglot. One, not only are languages and the arts were some of the core subjects for the monarchs, two, Roderich would have more than enough time on his hands to literally retain the fluency of multiple languages. Guess what, another historical tidbit and whom the princess would be inspired by; Emperor Charles. The man could speak an array from French, Dutch, Spanish, even Basque, and Portuguese, and having this disposition to outperform himself each time because Roderich was entangled with that drive to succeed through any and every means, this skill is not only handy but gives him a reason to flex that he can speak Latin still even if rusty from the un-use, Castilian Spanish, Italian, Hungarian, Czech, Dutch, Portuguese, French, the High German in use today, and bit of Polish. Something about it gives him an advantage that if he can find anything, everything to impose himself above a person, Roderich would absolutely refine it.

He is fond of horses. He is absolutely fond of, and would own one of the original dynasty of the Lipizzaner breed. Let him have his immortal pet. Please. Horseback riding is another favourite activity of his in the past, he'd practice it still in present but not at the same capacity and intensity he once did. So a little about the Lipizanner and why they're special - a product of the Habsburgs. They wanted an agile. faster horse and the cross breeding with Spanish breeds resulted in the end product called a Lipizzan, and where it was first conceived was in a stud farm at Lipica (present day Slovenia) established by a Habsburg monarch. I forgot the dude's name but he would've been thrilled unveiling this creation to Roderich, and was gifted one. And if you're wondering, that's right, these same horses are the specially preserved breed in use for dressage at the Spanish Riding School in Vienna. Yet another pride and labour of love of the Habsburgs. And in turn, Roderich.

Austria | Roderich strikes me as the type who'd own two large dog breeds. A German shepherd and Dobermann. Something about this pretty looking man and the scariest dogs guarding him gives such immaculate vibes, and frankly the dogs are required to stave off unwanted attention and bite anyone untowards.

Multiple residences owned throughout the nine federal states of Austria. One, for ease of travelling for work purposes so he'd have a cozy place to stay in and two, it's such a thing that since the end of his major power days, becoming closer to and working alongside his people contributes to his growth and goal of living an honest life for himself that he gets to be an authentic person doing what he believes is the best for his people. As opposed to during his time as an empire, he was too high up and never saw for himself the subjects he ruled when he was the emblem of hegemony.

TBC. Because it's midnight and I am passing out. But. Just.

Yeah

[offiiciallybavaria]

Guten Tag, hello all, Bavaria over here.

This is a side blog run by @raish-ryeson-robinson-i

I am not a Minor, but creeps need to gtfo.

Local pretzel dealer.

Tags:

#bavarian ramblings - Just my ramblings and whatnot.

#bavarian originals - Original posts made my me

#offiically bavarian reblogs - Reblogs made by me

Other shit:

There'll be some other Scheisse here sometime.

[betterhomesandhozie]

we’re here 😎

I know strikes are supposed to be annoying and disruptive and baby it is. it’s working

[leonsliga]

The chain on the Lederhose is called a „charivari“ which is quite traditional. I am too lazy to explain it here so just google it.

But it clearly shows how well he has adopted to the Bavarian culture (he visits the Oktoberfest every year with his friends in addition to the team visit and has always a good time)

That’s ok 💜 thank you so much for the explanation and for clarifying the terminology for us! “Charivari” is such a beautiful word for it :)

From my research (and if I got anything wrong, feel free to correct me! I’m here to learn as much as I am to ramble 🫶), the charivari originated as a talisman that men would wear to ensure a successful hunt that year. Back in the day, hunting was generally an activity reserved for the upper class, so the charivari also conveyed the wealth of its wearer. These beautiful chains could be adorned with anything from money to precious stones to animal paws. At the time, it was believed that by decorating the charivari with all sorts of hunting trophies (animal paws, teeth, etc.), the animal’s strength and skill were transferred to the person that wore them.

Apparently, charivari were once so exclusive that the only way to obtain them was to receive them as a family heirloom! These days, you can buy them, and they tend to be an accessory for men’s Lederhosen or for a woman’s Dirndl (though the variation of charivari women wear are generally referred to as Erbsketten from what I could find), carrying with them a deep cultural significance. The older the charivari, the richer the history, and therefore, the more valuable it is. But whether your charivari is a family heirloom with a storied history or a store-bought beauty, it’s important to always make sure there’s an uneven number of charms on it, as even numbers are a symbol of bad luck.

It’s so neat to see Leon wearing one, and it’s even cooler that he’s really taken to Bavarian culture 😁 I love that he doesn’t see the Oktoberfest as just a team formality and that he also goes on his own time with his friends. That’s how you know he really enjoys it. Thanks so much for sharing that detail with us! And once again, please don’t hesitate to let me know if I missed anything or got anything wrong in my research! I’ll gladly correct it <3

[kestintravel]

After getting out of work today, I decided on a mini-trip just to clear my head and de-stress a bit after a rough week. Nothing fancy, just went down to my local Goodwill to browse before going home.

Made it okay, hid my valuables (what little I have), and moseyed on to the store. Not a lot there, some VCRs and DVD players, nothing too exciting. I did find a largish, soft-sided Samsonite suitcase - around 1990’s vintage, I’d guess. If anyone knows from the picture, let me know~

Anyway, I got it because I’m going on a quick trip this weekend to Leavenworth, Washington. For those who don’t know, it’s a quaint little tourist town done up like a Bavarian village. I’ve been meaning to go visit there for some time (has it been ten years here already? Geez.) and this year my family invited me to go with them.

Since I had to borrow my sister’s luggage for my last trip and my suitcase is in storage, I figured it was time to get my own. Packing for several days, you find out real quick that clothes take up a bit more space than you think they do!

Anyway, I’m rolling this thing out to my car and a guy rolls up in a nice SUV, stopping me. He calls me over and starts his story, about how he has no money but they need gas.

I notice his - presumably - wife sitting beside him. And his - allegedlies - children in the backseat.

Then he pulls these knobbly gold rings off his fingers and offers them to me. “This should be enough,” he says.

I couldn’t look at his face. I said “No, thank you” as my blood began to boil and I walked away.

“Thank you sir!” He called after me as he pulled away, hopefully not to try that on someone else.

It’s the second time something like this has happened to me, but I thought it wouldn’t happen here.

I would gladly help someone in need. I filled up someone’s tank who seemed to be going through a very rough point in their life, and it was a nearly $70 fill-up. But they were clearly suffering, their car was held together with chicken wire, they looked like they hadn’t had a bath in months, and all their worldly possessions filled their backseat.

This person though, had a nice car, neat clothes, clean children, AND a pile of gold on his fingers?

No.

I didn’t believe it the first time it happened to me and I didn’t believe it the second time. I won’t believe it the third time or the fourth time.

I want to believe that there are good people out there, who have just fallen on hard times and the only thing they can offer is the few niceties they have left. I don’t like the idea of people so desperate that they will give whatever they have to someone so that they can make it just another day, but if I run into people like that I will help if I can.

But this…this is something else. To prey upon people, to take their sense of helping those less fortunate than them and weaponizing it, along with playing on their perceived sense of greed to get someone to do whatever they want you to do for them - it makes me sick.

And it makes me really sad. I want to help people. Helping others is how we help all of us achieve great things. But things like this happen, I feel my sense of helpfulness for those in need like it’s getting chipped away. Piece by piece.

I don’t understand why people do these sort of things to another human being. But I want to believe that there are good people in the world, and I know there are. It’s just hard to see them sometimes.

Anyway, I’ve rambled on enough. I have to get this thing cleaned up and ready for my trip.

Be good to each other. We’re all in this together~

[minti-tales]

9. How do they feel about Zenos?

19. What do they think of the Heavens Ward?

Boy, talk about a double whammy. I want to post that gif of John Mulaney saying "We don't have time to unpack this!," but guess what? This is an ask me. I must make time to unpack this. These. Let's a-gooooo

---

I should start by saying that these answers are likely to be me bleeding into Minti. I tend to leave fragments of myself in the characters that I write, some bigger than others. Some fragments turn into a troublesome, but lovable bunny who tries *very very hard* not be defined, who drinks my glamour potions, and spends all of my gil.

Ahem.

Zenos was never a character I liked. I think they're a well written villain and foil for the Warrior of Light, but I never said "Hey, it's Zenos!" with a smile on my face.

He reminds me too much of relationships I've had in the past, where I was, at different times, the rebound, the whipping post, the obsession, and the tryst. (I recently learned that the person who was obsessed with me in high school was stealing my parents' information to open credit card accounts, twenty years later. *Twenty. Years. Later.* If this is you, and you're reading this, grow the hell up. I moved on, so can you.) I realize as I'm writing this that the ask is in danger of turning into *Tales of Hoffman*, the German opera where a drunk poet sings about their ruined relationships in a Bavarian tavern, so let's steer this towards Minti again. I also realize not everyone is going to get this reference; I was a wannabe theater kid with a cousin who did opera and church friends who sang in the local opera theater company.

The point I'm failing to make is that Zenos is obsessed with Minti, the Warrior of Light. Zenos would, and tries, to burn the world down so that Minti's focus is entirely on him. It doesn't matter that he defeats her more than once in the MSQ; it doesn't matter that he turns into a frickin' primal, Shinryu. At the end, it's down to who Zenos decides are the superior predators: himself and Minti. The rest of the world doesn't, shouldn't, exist.

Zenos scares her; he scares her every time he shows up. This is not a "I can fix him" situation, this is "I'm with someone who can kill me, but chooses not to. I want to leave." Being left alone with him at the end of the universe is the worst possible scenario.

Later on, when we meet Zero and go through post-6.0 content, it was hard for me and for her to distinguish Zero from Zenos. In Minti's mind, they were the same person, just with a different body and name. Who knew when Zenos was going to emerge from Zero like a skinwalker and go "Did you miss me, Warrior of Light?" Which is why that kiss meme went in the direction it did - fear that Zero wasn't Zero.

"One Walks in Shadow, One Walks in Light" was an attempt for me to distinguish Zero from Zenos before the end of 6.5. I - me - needed to have a good story for them, and 6.5 provided that. Dare I even say that they're *friends*. Can you believe that? Friends. Good friends! Not friends with benefits, but good, "I got your back, you got mine" friends.

So, after all that rambling, Minti is glad Zenos is dead, may he decay at the far end of the fudging universe and not come back.

---

OH BOY OBERTO, let's talk about the Heavens' Ward. Those people. The people who killed Lady Sabbatine. Those people.

When I talk about Minti being a Ward of House Treleaux, I mean it in the way that the Warrior of Light is a Ward of House Fortemps in the MSQ. They're part of the house, but not by blood. They're under the house's protection.

House Treleaux was never in good graces with the Church, pre-Heavensward. As I've written elsewhere, they got accused to practicing witchcraft and consorting with dark powers to become knights of the Greene (Dark Knights). That reputation didn't get helped after the Calamity, when Lady Sabbatine Treleaux took control of the house, aided by her friend and contemporary gal being pal? Angélique. Sabbatine also considered the Ward to be more interested in controlling the good people of Ishgard than giving them Halone's grace.

All it took was rumors of a long-eared witch's spawn being sighted around the Jeweled Crozier for Ser Charibert to have reason to make a "house call". You can read how that went in my first DWC entry for this year, "Envoy."

She despised them when she was young, she despises them now. It was a pleasure to defeat the Knights of the Round in combat.

I hope this helps.

[quotesfrommyreading]

Beyond the roots of Hans’ radicalization, one of the longstanding mysteries surrounding the White Rose was the origin of its name. Though scholars can’t say for certain, many have good reason to believe a banned novel called The White Rose, first published in Germany in 1929, found its way into Hans’ hands. Its left-wing author, who wrote under the pseudonym B. Traven, was most likely an actor and communist revolutionary who used the stage name Ret Marut. He fled from Germany to Mexico following the collapse of the short-lived Bavarian Soviet Republic in 1919.

The reclusive Traven, who had a dozen passports with different aliases, never revealed himself to the public. He wrote at least eight novels in exile before the Nazi takeover in 1933, though only one was a resounding success: The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, which inspired the classic 1948 film by John Huston, with Humphrey Bogart as its star. Once the Nazis came to power, Traven’s radical writings were deemed so inimical that his entire oeuvre was tossed onto bonfires. Still, his novels were widely read by members of youth groups like the d.j.1.11. The White Rose may also have been known to Schmorell, Hans’ closest collaborator and a co-founder of the resistance group.

In Traven’s novel, the White Rose is the name of an idealized hacienda, or large estate, where mixed-race mestizo peasants live in harmony until a ruthlessly exploitative American oil executive arrives on the scene. The businessman orders the murder of the village’s illiterate leader, then presents the dead man’s signature on a bill of sale for the oil-rich lands. The local governor tells the villagers he will try to win back their freedom, even though he knows his efforts against the imperialist juggernaut will fail.

This story would have resonated powerfully for Hans and Schmorell as the idea of creating a group to resist the Nazis coalesced in their minds. (Hans was by no means a communist, but Schmorell was decidedly socialist in inclination.) Its rejection of racial prejudice, as well as its denouement, shared a kinship with the spirit and message of the German White Rose. As the governor tells the displaced citizens toward the end of the book:

I promise you I’ll do everything in my power to discover the truth. And I promise you that when I’ve found the truth, the White Rose won’t have been plucked for nothing. If, perhaps, it can never bloom again in all its beauty, it shall certainly not fade away, never. It shall bear fruit that will ripen. And that shall be the beginning of the liberation of the country and its citizens.

When asked about the origins of the “White Rose” name during his Gestapo interrogation on February 20, 1943, Hans offered a rambling response, adding, almost offhandedly, “It is possible that I chose the name on an emotional basis because at the time, I was under the influence of Brentano’s Spanish ballad ‘Die Rosa Blanca.’” This explanation has been widely accepted in Germany. But there are no Spanish romantic ballads by Clemens Brentano of that name.

There was, however, a decidedly romantic poem titled “La Rosa Blanca,” and it was the epigraph to the 1929 and 1931 German editions of Traven’s The White Rose, a leftist, utopian novel about deceit, exploitation and oppression:

Along the edge of the barranca, Bathed daily by the Golden Sun, Caressed by Lady Moon at night, Faithfully blooms the White Rose.

Every day at dawn, The birds sing thy praise; How thou’st bloomed since God created thee, Forever flourish, White Rose.

And though one day I too must wither, White Rose, may’st thou bloom on, And my last life’s breath Will be my farewell kiss to thee.

If, as now seems likely, Traven’s novel was a primary inspiration for the group’s name, why did Hans give the Gestapo such a vacuous explanation? Perhaps he didn’t want the secret police to know he’d been influenced by a communist author. But another intriguing explanation comes to mind. Hans may well have been trying to divert the Gestapo’s attention away from Josef Söhngen, a 47-year-old gay bookseller who secretly nurtured the White Rose by providing a meeting place, a cellar in which to hide the group’s duplicating machine when needed and an endless supply of banned books from his secret cache.

Though other members of the White Rose frequented Söhngen’s bookstore, it was only Hans who became close friends with him. Hans often would turn up outside the door to Söhngen’s apartment late at night, seeking solace through the kind of intensely intimate conversation he almost certainly could not share with others.

  —  Hans and Sophie Scholl Were Once Hitler Youth Leaders. Why Did They Decide to Stand Up to the Nazis?

[ynwa4eva]

HELP I JUST SAW THAT VIDEO OF THE SCOTTISH TEAM IN BAVARIA