#brotp: we like pain

[blasphemousclaw]

Idk if you plan on doing the "questions-about-character-x" list yet, but I'd love to hear your thoughts on Marika (maybe with a side of Radagon but mostly the golden strumpet).

• favorite thing about them

nothing hits me harder than characters who lash out because of the injustice or suffering they’ve endured… there’s something so cathartic about characters who make their pain and anger felt in the world in a tangible and consequential way. Marika is this character to me!! I think it’s so powerful to introduce her as an all-powerful goddess, keeping her at a distance as this enigmatic figure who shaped the world as it is today and then shattered it, and then to humanize her by showing us where she comes from and what she went through… she was never just a cold, distant, uncaring deity, but a person, with very human motivations and flaws. learning her backstory gives us so much context for why she did the things that she did and gives us the opportunity to feel close to her and empathize with her… I think she was always sympathetic in the base game, but she still felt so distant, so I really love how the dlc fleshed her out and made her character so accessible

• least favorite thing about them

this isn’t even about her, but about how the fanbase has responded to her writing in the dlc because like dear god

it almost makes me want to avoid content of her which sucks because I really like her LOL

• favorite line

“Hear me, Demigods. My children beloved. Make of thyselves that which ye desire. Be it a Lord. Be it a God. But should ye fail to become aught at all, ye will be forsaken. Amounting only to sacrifices...”

absolutely fascinating quote… we don’t really know the context, so there’s many different ways to interpret it… Marika urging her children to become a lord or a god is interesting, because when she deposed the Gloam-Eyed Queen and removed Destined Death from the Elden Ring, it seemed like she was fighting hard to stay in power and to become “Eternal,” but her children succeeding her would necessarily end her reign? This also almost seems like she’s encouraging conflict between her children… there can only be one god and one lord, after all. we don’t know when the quote was spoken, but it almost seems to reference Ranni’s sacrifice of Godwyn on her path to godhood on her own terms? is this a warning? is it a challenge? is it just the words of an extremely jaded and cynical goddess?

• brOTP, ОТР

ok I’m gonna do away with this format here because I just want to list some of her relationships that I really like without having to categorize them:

Marika and Messmer: the dynamic of Marika being a god-queen whose grace is blinding, and her son being born cursed with a serpent of the lightless abyss is so good… him taking up the crusade on her behalf, of his own volition, because he hates how he was born so deeply and will do anything to try to atone for something that isn’t even his fault, committing horrors in her name, is SOOOO

Marika and Radagon: I love pondering where one of them starts and the other begins, how they have opposite goals and worldviews but exist in the same being. really good

Marika and Rennala: I wouldn’t call it an otp but I like it as a ship. Marika being the one to steal away Rennala’s husband, but she actually IS her husband. unparalleled dynamic

• nОТР

there arent any Marika ships I’ve seen that I dislike

• random headcanon

I think she was horrified and disgusted by Morgott and Mohg AND she loved them still. omen babies would have their horns cut off, usually causing them to die, but omen babies born of royalty did not have their horns cut off, so they were allowed to live… I love the idea that Marika couldn’t bear to sentence her children to death, but she also couldn’t bear to look at them because of her past, so they were confined to the Shunning Grounds

• unpopular opinion

*cracks knuckles*

SO MANY people have the wrong idea about her. you’ve got people saying everything she did was justified, she didn’t go far enough, “total hornsent death” etc etc. and on the other hand you’ve got people saying the dlc writing is terrible because it’s excusing Marika for her crimes, it’s baiting you to feel bad for the hornsent and then pulling a plot twist that actually, they were evil and Marika was good the whole time!

both of these interpretations are flawed because the story is not arguing that the hornsent are fundamentally evil people, and it is not arguing that Marika is now blameless because of what she suffered. the story is rife with moments of sympathy for the hornsent’s suffering and examples of the crusade’s inexcusable cruelty, and so much of what’s in the base game showcases the cruelty that Marika’s Order has inflicted. just because the story is giving Marika a sympathetic reason for why she is the way she is does not mean that these facts cease to exist! sympathy for Marika, sympathy for the hornsent, and condemnation for the Golden Order’s and the crusade’s crimes can all exist in the story at the same time!!!!!

• song i associate with them

…how about this: if anyone has a song in mind, leave it in the replies or tags!

• favorite picture of them

Ranni holding her head u_u

[everestgale]

ev you will not believe who i'm about to toss your way it's an actual curveball you will not see it coming in a million years

for the ask game can i ask for,, bro ken.....

Pareidolla asking about Broken? I would've never seen this coming! /lh /j

[Send Me a Character and I'll List Ask Game]

favorite thing about them

Perhaps I'm a little boring, but my favorite thing about Broken is just how much he changes in Paranoid!Apotheosis route, and how both Hero and Paranoid are actually able to get through to him, to help him see beyond his "perfect goddess". I talked about it a lot in Paranoid's character ask (platonic ParaBroken gives me so much life-), so I'll leave it here for anyone who wanted to read it in more detail <3

It's just... very sweet and encouraging to see someone who hit practically rock bottom in the prior chapter, someone who was so blindsighted and so sure of their inferiority... being able to believe in themselves with the right support system. ARGH, new Apotheosis still lives rent-free in my head ( T v T )

least favorite thing about them

I can't think of anything I dislike about Broken now... but I will use this question to confess that I used to be Broken hater- (not actually a hater, but he was my least favorite, and I was very open about that-)

LOOK, I'M SORRY!!! I was a fool, and I realized that even before the Pristine Cut dropped. I was too annoyed by how much of a wet noodle he was during the Tower that I ignored pretty much everything else about him for my first two months in the fandom 😭 But I'm a changed person now, and I have been since maybe March or April of last year, Broken my beloved, I'm sorry...

favorite line

"But... I love her."

"But it's not enough to stop us, is it? We're going to make it to her."

These two lines from Apotheosis absolutely destroyed my heart (in a good way) and made me squeal when I played through it for the first time.

"I think we are happy, actually. We might not be part of her. But being around her is almost the same. Almost."

"I'm going to stick around as long as you need me to."

brOTP

Besides ParaBroken that I already rambled about in great detail in Paranoid's post... I think I wanna say StubbornBroken, there is something sibling-like in their relationship that speaks to me, like an "ugh, great, I have to deal with you" lighthearted attitude that applies both ways, if that makes sense. Or if anything I said makes sense, really.

Personally, I like to imagine that in the post-ending scenario, the two of them have a strong friendship, with Stubborn helping Broken to not be as mopey as often, and with Broken helping Stubborn to slow down and not get himself excessively injured (especially since in my version of post-ending scenario, voices can actually die)... I also just think it would be funny if Stubborn self-appointed himself Broken's personal trainer, and Broken was having none of that /lh

OTP

I'm not sure if I have a solid OTP for Broken; I have a few ships I kind of like, but nothing that I go crazy over like ParaHero or Skeptunist. I really like CageBroken, there are some lovely lines that Broken says during that route, he is so considerate and gentle towards her:

"The poor thing... she thinks it's easier to be detached. But buried pain is still pain, whether she knows it or not."

"She's sacrificed a lot to get here. More than we did, I think."

I also like the idea of SmittenBroken, with both of them recovering from their unhealthy devotions to their respective Princesses... But I haven't really explored that idea too much yet (SmittenBroken shippers didn't get to me yet, but they likely will succeed if they do /lh)

Honorable mention goes to CheatedBroken because of a specific, interdimensional version of it that I really, really like :]

nOTP

Don't think I have any! The closest would probably be TowerBroken, but it's such an interesting exploration of an imbalanced / abusive relationship, with room for reconciliation (especially with new Apotheosis), that I can't put it as a nOTP.

random headcanon

I headcanon that my Broken has a mild case of chronic fatigue syndrome. I keep imagining him as a low-energy person, who generally prefers calmer and less energy-intensive activities, and so making this partially be a result of a physical condition made sense to me.

Disclaimer: I'm no medical professional, and I don't have CFS myself (at least I don't think so). I try my best to do research to write it accurately and respectfully, but if I make any mistakes in my portrayal of CFS with this HC, my sincerest apologies! You are always welcome to correct me in DMs or send me an ask about it <3

unpopular opinion

I'm not sure how unpopular of an opinion it is, but I very much subscribe to the idea that post-ending Broken was greatly affected by Paranoid!Apotheosis, and I write pretty much every scenario (that's not in-game canon) from that perspective. Am I being reductive in his character? Maybe, I can't tell, and I hope I'm not, but I really, really, really like Broken's start of recovery in Apotheosis, and I can't help but want to push that line of thinking with his character ( T v T )

song i associate with them

I love Anti Beat by DECO*27 as a weird mix / duet between Tower and Broken... so not 100% Broken song, but I'll include it here anyway:

"What part of me do you like?

If you tell me, I'll do anything for you

If I’m told “I love all of you, every single part”,

I’ll just be filled with hate

I absolutely detest the “me” that you love

Listen to this selfishness of mine!"

"All that you’ve done for me, all that you’ve given me, it has turned me into such a mess"

favorite picture of them

I genuinely love and adore how my unbroken Broken during the Wild turned out. I also love sharing the fact that Broken is supposed to be a very soft, fluffy bird (in terms of his plumage / feathers) because he is based on a dove species... but as a result of the game events, he lost about half of his feathers. Poor Broken :[

[toadletthethird]

Can we have cage for that ask game? :3

Ohhh thanks for the question! but I might be the bad person to ask this, because I love to talk about her wayyy too much

Send me a character and I'll list:

1) favourite thing about them

I love her so much from narrative standpoint for things she can represent. Her chapter can be a great statement about trauma response that is often overlooked. Fight or flight are great, of course, but freeze just hits home.

In prisoner's chapter her one resort of hope was lost. She made a plead to be saved in the act of decapitation and was unheard. Such a wish broken. To put everything into something to not work out is so painful. Especially the second time. And new attempts would just remind about the helplessness - disappointment is not an easy wound to heal - so it's easier to embrace it. To find meaning in your pain. It is cruel and absurd and undeserved, but it is yours. You can find beauty in its horrors. And it makes it significant. It gives it at least some little sense it needs to not be so painfully pointless. To her, at least. It's her way to survive. (Oh how I love overrationalisation as a way to cope)

And I like how it's shown that it's hurtful not only to her but to people around too. She is not violent herself, but by not rejecting this harmful behaviour she lets the circle of violence to continue. And it what happens when you fall into a mindset like this. You get so focused on endurance that you fail to see the aftermath of your actions. It can manifest as neglect, direct danger or, most often, the suffering your close ones feel watching you. And there's no exit from the cycle but to acknowledge how harmful your coping is. It's not her fault, but it is so. (Interestingly, while the Allegory of the cage ending is exactly like that, No Exit is about bringing someone on the same level as you.... Becoming the same danger you were afraid of..... and to project that fearful worldview onto someone, subconsciously.....I think it can have interesting connotations to real life)

I believe her story can be beautiful allegory to withstanding any traumatic event that gives you no other choice than to accept it. You know: grief, chronic illness, abuse, depression, etc. You name it

Also, there is a reading of prisoner-cage as an allegory to self harming behaviour in my main account. I can't say if it's as good as I remember it to be (I physically can't take a second look at anything I do until a decade passes - yeah, it's a curse thing. never trust fairies), but it's still very dear to me.

2) the least favourite thing about them

I'm a simple girl...... The only complaint I have is deleted dialogue from prisoner........

3) Favourite line

Of course it's "Look at us go. Aren't we beautiful?"

But honourable mention is her head pun because.......I love puns. And "What? Like the answer's obvisous? Like it's staring me right in the face? Just like you?" because it was so funny to find

4)brotp

Cage and HEA would find a lot in common. I like to make all damsel and prisoner based vessels friends. And I love parallels

Also with thorn and PATD because of the "were in terrible situations and survived" similarity. I just like to imagine them all happy together, you know

5) OTP

I....I might like her with broken........I just really like broken in this chapter

6) notp

Nothing there

7) random headcanon

She and Prisoner give me insane Antiquity vibes for no particular reason. So I like to imagine Cage speaking ancient Greek (a lot of linker words make this language sound extremely cycle like. And sometimes prepositions start somewhere and stretch a looooong way only to remind of themselves again in the end of the sentence - very chain like) and Prisoner speaking Latin (very clear to use intellectual language). Just for fun.

8) unpopular opinion

My hierarchy for cage's endings is: No Exit, The Riddle of Steel, Allegory of the Cage

Yeah, I'm so shameful about that, but.... I love tragedies..... And I don't like when the solution to the puzzle is beyond the puzzle....... I'm so glad happy ending for her exists, but it's not for me

Oh and I like the possibility of free will ending. It's horrendous, no doubt, but I'm glad that there is such a choice available. After the horror of withdrawal we can experience the horror of freedom. Absurd of selfexpression. There is something about it

9) Song I associate with them

"I bet on losing dogs" by mitski simply because she is my baby :(

10) favourite image

Oh I love every shot from this chapter. But the dance sequence particularly

(Also there is a very particular shot when you strike her in the heart and her body, while still standing, holds the blade so firmly but I'm afraid it's too risky for tumblr and I'm not in a risky mood hahah)

That's all!

[neverpathia]

I know you love them but I still wanna hear more of your thoughts on them,so Paranoid for the send me a character ask,please!

I think I know who you are. The one with the Gengar profile picture, aren't you? But WAHOOOOO I was quite frankly waiting for this.

really love how Oppy calls him Jitters in your tongues and teeth fic like that's so cute?? love how you write him in general i'm gonna be ngl

Now, I was gonna doodle a little Para for this ask, but the art block hit and then I just kinda moped around for a little. So instead, I guess I'll just answer this straight away because god do I have stuff to say about this little guy.

favourite thing about them

Ummm. This is a tough one. His sass. His snark. His competence. His whispery little tone. His characterization. His insanity. The way he resonates with the construct as a whole. His iconic mantra. His laugh. Him. Okay, how the fuck am I supposed to choose—

Special mention goes to his laugh in Apotheosis, though, because that made me fall head over heels in love with this little guy.

But I do also love how much of a breath of fresh air he is. He's not just scared. Paranoia is an insane thing, and it's made very clear just how far he'd go to survive and exist in spite of it all. Or perhaps because of it.

I also REALLY love his capacity for spite and resentment as I've talked about in this post here lol. He's not just a cowering little thing; he's sniping the entire way through. But at the same time, he also has so much potential for hope and recovery. There's a lot you can do with someone so batshit insane, after all.

least favourite thing about them

Now I obviously don't really have any gripes about him as a character at all, but I am a little miffed about how he's in Happily Ever After. The chapter doesn't bring much to him, and he doesn't bring much to the chapter either.

They really should've put him in PatD instead, he would've been so hot in there and it'd have been pretty interesting to see it play out. We didn't really see enough of his bad side in the game, and although I do love how much he helps us as the Long Quiet, we do have to remember that he's as vengeful as he's desperate. I wish we'd seen that used against us.

favourite line

You're expecting me to choose????? Once more????? Are you fucking kidding me?????

But I'll just settle for his iconic heart-lungs-liver-nerves mantra, because who doesn't love it. It's the most Paranoid thing in the game. It's also really hot.

Honorary mention goes to "Oh, that's right! Yeah, no. Fuck this guy." Forgot how it actually went but god. Hilarious.

brOTP

I don't know if this is surprising, but ParaCheated, or High Stakes as I like to call it.

I like to think they're akin to a very exasperated doctor and a very irresponsible patient. Like a bodyguard desperately trying to rein in a reckless ward. Cheated throws stuff at the wall. Paranoid catches it, then chucks it back at Cheated's forehead while giving him the stink eye. They're best friends. They're both unhinged.

And they have the best complain fests ever. Both of them teaching each other new swears as they bond over conspiracy theories. On the other hand, when they get into debates, you bet there's dirty looks and savage comebacks thrown everywhere. Cheated, inexplicably, loses every time.

But they do end up caring about each other a lot. Paranoid's always there for Cheated's chronic pain. Cheated's always there for Paranoid's panic attacks and anxiety. They're not perfect, but they help each other the best they can. And if you ever hurt one, the other's always waiting with a nice little quarterstaff (Paranoid's) or bayonet (Cheated's) brandished for you.

OTP

ParaHero. Just, Paranoid and Hero.

On the surface, Hero's so dependable and so trustworthy, and yet he shoulders his own burdens. The guilt of never doing the right thing; the indecision that comes with being the voice of reason. Hesitation and apprehension.

And Paranoid would know. Hero would obviously comfort his anxieties away, but Paranoid's the only one who can truly get to Hero. The only one who knows how it feels to be teetering on such a fragile string, with each decision leading to a wrong outcome. And they're the only ones they can let each other be truly vulnerable with.

They argue a lot (lighthearted and cosy) and there's so much gay tension going on. A crap ton of bickering and sarcastic banter and will-they-won't-they. Paranoid is very prickly about it, but he hides his face and blushes into his hands. Hero rolls his eyes and smiles and retorts.

But at the same time they snuggle together and they're both trying their best. Hero gives Paranoid space when he needs it but I do see them being quite touchy, with Hero being a bit of a grounding presence for Para. Hero learns his habits and his tics and shines a little light through the cracks between all his barriers.

As for Paranoid, he's always there for Hero too. He actually lets him be himself. No expectations, just a nagging little presence to bandage his wounds and prepare his supplies for the next quest. Someone who's always there no matter what. Someone who genuinely cares for the scared little voice behind the armour. The warrior and the healer. Gay.

And in the end it's not something that needs to be said. They're close. They love and want each other. One learns to trust and one learns to exist. And they won't even think about letting go.

nOTP

Paranoid x Nightmare. I know there are ways that this could work, but personally, it gets a 'nah bro' from me.

I do like the idea of Paranoid and Clarity making amends and moving on, but I just don't see them romantically in any way. I do headcanon that Paranoid feels very guilty for what Nightmare/Clarity has become, especially when he thinks about it post-construct, but I really don't think he'd actively seek her out. He's very conflicted about her in my AU.

random headcanon

Total nerd. His range of knowledge is a little strange, and he has the answers for the most random questions out there. For trusty, dependable facts, you go to Skeptic. For random tidbits of information that you're probably never gonna need anytime in your life, you go to Paranoid.

On an unrelated note, medic Paranoid my beloved...except he's also overworked, stressed about it 24/7, and frustratedly scribbling down potential ailments in a tattered notebook as two thousand different medicines and concoctions boil beside his workbenches. He multitasks too much. Also worries a lot about fucking it up, not that he'd let anyone else close to the job either way.

Also, he's grown to despise his little heart-lungs-liver-nerves chant. He still uses it when overly anxious, but it's become a symbol of what he is and what he doesn't want to be anymore.

unpopular opinion

In a post-construct AU he'd probably be doing kinda shit in the long run, assuming the other voices don't intervene enough. Oh, at first he's very helpful indeed, and then he descends into his own paranoia.

He's not just another rational fellow here to help you survive. He can genuinely get pretty insane. And his fears are quite justified in the base game because it's Slay the Princess, but take him out of a high-stakes situation and I don't think he's going to fare well.

song I associate with them

Panic Room by AuRa is kind of a given lol.

For how blorbo he is, you'd be surprised how little songs I actually think about in relation to him, but there are a few lines from Cotard's Solution that do remind me of him too. If it's a little bit off later on.

favourite image

uhhhh.

from the canon. he's a disembodied voice so

Oh but if we're talking about my favourite image in fanon I would probably settle for him.

[DIES]

PARANOIDDDD COME ON NOW, NIGHTMARE AIN'T TREATING YOU RIGHT, YOU COULD GIVE ME A CHANCE

[miyuka1709]

hey hey hey for the send you a character ask: hero?

HEROOOOOOAOAOAFHJD

Yes thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you yes thank you!

~ Favorite thing about them

For starters, I LOVE HERO so much because he's been with us (TLQ) since the very beginning and even showed up at the end of Shifting Mound "fight".

And of course because he really cares about our well being. He hates dying and clearly very against hurting ourself and usually caring about the Princess' well being a lot too. He's a very... vulnerable? character, he's really sweet. I think the only times he's given up on us would be in the Tower (pledge), and in the Fury when he dies...

Also I like his voice.

~ Least favorite thing about them

It's not the thing I dislike of him, more like - I dislike the things that happen to him. The bad things. My heart HURTS when I hear he's in pain (but I am an angst/whump enjoyer so..)

And I know he's safe, I know he's willing, I know he's probably going to be okay and find the others, but leaving him in the cabin (in Leave with Princess Ending) makes me feel a little hollow.

~ Favorite line

"There's no turning back now, I'm with you till the end." (Chapter I)

"But I'm nervous" (Razor)

"I would like to look at a bird" (Razor)

"Whatever you were doing just now - please start doing it again." (Nightmare)

"__ Sounds pretty consequence free to me." (Any Chapter II)

"Okay, I'll trust you." (Mirror)

"Oh no, oh no, no - what did we do? Can we put it back? Please tell me we can put it back." (Prisoner)

"We just keep changing into horrible things we can't control. Make it stop, please make it stop." (Fury)

"That laugh! I think I'm in love!" (Chapter I)

"You were bored, I was just unhappy." (Drowned Grey)

"And I'm still here too!" (Burned Grey)

"Was it not romantic when I suggested it?" (Damsel)

"But I don't want to do a side-" (Spectre III)

Okay I admit it, I really like his voice. I like all the voices. This game has REALLY good voice acting.

~ BrOTP / OTP

Hero and Paranoid or maybe Contrarian - Hero seems like the type to try to get along with everyone. I loved the part where Hero had to run the autonomic nervous system, very silly, and I think Hero would have quite a lot of respect for Para for being able to do that. As for Connie, well they have some fun banter, and Connie stays with Hero in the cabin

Spectre/Spectre III x Hero as a rarepair? I just really like how Spectre calls him "the nice one".

I wanted to say that HEA would be a sweet one, but then again Hero was the one who suggested to just stay there and it made both of them kinda suffer... The same goes for Nightmare and Cage.

Are they brOTP or OTP? Maybe both, I don't know. I just think they'd enjoy each other's company very much.

~ NOTP

Most of the "mean" or "dangerous" Princesses probably scare him or make him feel uncomfortable. I don't have any strong feelings on this though.

Toxic ships are sometimes fun to explore?

~ Random headcanon

My friend says Hero can't spell restaurant.

If he ever finds the other voices after Leave with Princess ending, I think he'd try to lead the group after deducting that the others are way too traumatized or violent. Skeptic or Hunted might be second in command?

Not a headcanon but Hero reminds me of Noelle Holiday from Deltarune. They're insecure or a little hesitant about their own decisions and relatively nonconfrontational. They're kind to the ones closest to them, and generally want the best for everyone.

~ Unpopular opinion

He's not an uwu innocent delicate fragile boy.. I mean sure I act like it, but he does have his own wrongdoings/mistakes/things that would be better if he didn't ask us to do, like leave the Princess locked in (leads to Nightmare), leave immediately after Prisoner beheaded herself (leads to Cage), stay with Damsel (leads to HEA).

Although I think you can rationalize them? Most of his own decisions in Chapter IIs are fear-driven, but he's actually one of the more stable characters.

He's pretty insecure. He almost always waits for TLQ's decision before backing it up/defending us.

~ Song I associate with them

I don't listen to a lot of songs.. mostly OSTs or old Gacha animation memes.. seriously.

Girl Nextdoor or Lost Girl from Deltarune. Yeah.

He always tries to be peaceful and he's always been there for us. I think the softness of Lost Girl would suit him, I dunno.

~ Favorite picture of them

The only canon images we have are these, Hero does look very cute. He looks timid and hesitant, especially compared to Cold and Opportunist.

And here's some of my favorite fanarts of him.

- Forgive me for I am admittedly kinda shallow. I do love him, I really do.

[maranigai]

Do you still accept characters for that ask meme? I saw you only answered an ask about Messmer so far! How about Morgott for that ask meme? (not sure if asking DS characters counts since like 80% of info about them has to be manually hallucinated by the fan themselves, but I can if that's okay with you!)

Yep, I'm still doing character ask meme, Messmer simply was the only ask for me by now lol Also DS characters are fine too, of course they would be like 95% headcanon based, but that's why we love DS, isn't it?

But anyway, Morgott. My absolutely favourite of favourites of all ER characters...

favorite thing about them

First of all, Morgott is such a beautifully contradictory character. He's a demigod shardbearer and a cursed being, a proud monarch and a monster in his own eyes, a defender of all that is holy and a warlock shrouded in illusions. And all these things are actually logical and completely understandable given his story. Because, above everything else, Morgott is a broken creature, not as a result of his own deeds or guilts, but because of the things beyond his control, some ancient sins and crimes he's not aware of, some old vengeance that existed even before he was born. And this break, this pain, is a spiral, you know? Morgott hates his nature because he was convinced he's a monster, he supports the system that oppresses him because he believes that he's oppressed rightfully and this system is the best remaining option for the world as a whole, even if he and people like him have to suffer for it, and in doing so he causes even more harm, more oppression and misery for himself and everyone around. I love how he's a loyal, determined, faithful person, and this is exactly what makes him a villain in the story. He's an extremely tragic character, but completely consistent in his tragedy, his brokenness, and I have a deep weakness for broken things.

least favorite thing about them

I don't think there's anything I don't like about him as a character, I mean, he's certainly not flawless, but his flaws are what make him so interesting in the first place. So I say that my least favourite thing is his bossfight. Don't get me wrong, Morgott is one of my favourite FromSoft bosses in general, but I have a feeling that they made his moveset (super-complex and interesting) first, then remembered he's a mandatory mid-game boss and panicked to balance him to this level by drastically reducing his damage and hp.

favorite line

May the curse seep to thy very soul.

I just love his spiteful tone in this one, sorry.

brOTP

I could write Mohg or Godwyn here and it would be legit, but allow me to be more exotic this time and mention Malenia. They have many things in common, if you think about it: two cursed, yet somewhat noble beings, bitterly determined and endlessly loyal to their masters of choice. I can absolutely see how they can respect and understand each other, even if not sharing each other's cause. I also love the idea of a young, sick, not-yet-swordmaster Malenia and her Cool Big Brother Morgott, the only person around who takes her seriously.

OTP

Banished knight Oleg. Literally the mix of my favourite tropes of "liege and their a bit too loyal knight" and "my majestic, scheming wife and me, committing whatever crimes she wants me to commit today". Also Oleg dies before Morgott, so my inner angst enjoyer appreciates this as well.

nOTP

Mohg! I just can't see them as a pairing, their sibling relationships is everything to me. I'm also not a fan of Tarnished/Morgott, mainly because most of such arts/fics imply some level of self-indulgence and this just doesn't work for me (though I've seen several very cool works with this pairing too).

random headcanon

Three for the price of one: Morgott's hobby is creating clockwork automatons (a more detailed post about this hc); his favourite half-sibling is Malenia and this is mutual; he also shares Mohg's sense of fashion, but refuses to admit it.

unpopular opinion

While most people hc Morgott to be the elder twin, in my hcs he's the younger one (and the youngest of Godfrey's sons). Ironically enough, this isn't an important headcanon for Morgott himself, but it's an essential part of my perception of Godwyn and (especially) Mohg.

song i associate with them

Мельница - Что ты знаешь

My personal theme song for Morgott as the Veiled Monarch.

favorite picture of them

There're so many cool arts of Morgott that it's really hard to choose the most favourite one lol

So for now I pick this one by Cruentum_Noctis

[harrowharkwife]

for the character meme: dulcie or cam or pal or a character of ur choosing!!! hehe

!!!!! ty lem!! im gonna do my girl dulcie...

favorite thing about them: honestly just the way she's written- it never fails to make me emotional that she *is* explicitly written as being brave and strong, but tamsyn neatly sidesteps the "inspiration porn" ableist stereotype of writing a character as being brave/strong *because* they are sick. dulcie isn't brave or strong because of her illness. her strength and bravery are explicitly positioned, IMO, as being in response to surviving *ableism* and other people's condescension towards her and mistreatment of her, rather than surviving her illness itself, if that makes sense. her health is just a fact of her life, it's not moralized. which i really, really appreciate. it's a small shift, but it's very meaningful to me.

ALSO deeply special to me: her intentional and careful commitment to boundaries re: The Palamedes Of It All. a refreshing change of pace, as far as these books go vgjtjxdjt

least favorite thing about them: i mean. houser. :/

favorite line: three way tie between "truly, wonderful news for my haters," "i am sick of roses and horny for revenge," and "oops, there i go again, never doing what i'm told"

brOTP: gideon!!!!! i think it's a crying shame they've never met. i think they'd get along tremendously. the whole cytherea gideon thing was Horrid and Awful in so many ways, but it always Extra stings (in an adding-insult-to-injury sort of way) when i think about what it would have been like if gideon had REALLY met dulcinea, and not cyth. dulcie would've been a great friend for her, i think. they'd have been so good at making each other laugh

OTP: honestly these days it's cam? @ palamedes ily but get outta here gayboy it's yuri time now. plus i just love chewing on the concept of cam + comphet, and cam + subconscious internalized misogyny, and cam + gender, and cam + her relationships and interactions with other women. i think there's lots to explore there. camdulcie has a certain "when i was eight i didn't realize i had a crush on the new girl in my grade so i just wrote her a note that said 'get out of my school'" energy about it, To Me

nOTP: idk if i really have one for her, specifically? idk. ianthe or something, fuck it.

random headcanon: stoner. on all levels except physical she is taking fuckall huge bong rips. on the physical level though her lungs suck so i think she'd be a tincture girlie. she's got chronic pain she deserves it. am i projecting? you tell me

unpopular opinion: idk if this is an unpopular opinion exactly, but i always see people referring to thee rejected proposal as being something born primarily out of love/out of romantic intent? and i don't know if that's necessarily how i see it. it was CERTAINLY, and obviously, a factor. but at least from my interpretation of pal's monologue to cytherea at the end there, i get the sense that he had already accepted her boundaries in that regard, because he says he "understood that he was a child." and we also get camilla saying that his motivations in proposing were primarily a means-to-an-end way of getting her off the seventh and letting her die with dignity. iirc her exact words were like "so she could spend what time she had left with people who cared about her." like, don't get me wrong, i think pal is lying to himself if he says that being in love with dulcie wasn't PART of the motivation there. but i find it a lot more interesting in a worldbuilding and social commentary way to interpret the circumstances there as him offering, essentially, to be a hospice doctor at age 19, and marriage being the 'easiest' way to get her off the seventh/planet medical malpractice. there's an imperial misogyny ownership-through-marriage throughline there that's nauseating, as well as the implications re: disability and agency and autonomy, and i think that's all very interesting to explore. i think this view is supported in part by the paldulcie interaction in TUG, where she alludes to the idea that she was cognizant about the impact that bearing witness to death and loss up-close and personal like that changes a person, and that she didn't want to do that to pal and cam, especially given their age. i think it informa dulcie's character and grants her additional narrative agency to look at things from that angle, of her "no" being in reference to *both* the age gap AND her intentional choice to continue suffering on the seventh, rather than put two kids through being hospice caregivers and/or widowers at nineteen– no matter how many times and how sincerely they kept offering, no matter that she would've absolutely had a more peaceful and comfortable end-of-life HAD she accepted his proposal and gone to the sixth to die. i think it says a lot about her as a person, that choice. there's a quiet and meaningful responsibility to her as a person that i find fascinating. and her character is just sooooo firmly rooted in and informed by disability politics, on every level, and i feel like people don't engage with that aspect of her characterization enough!

song i associate with them: ooooh SO many, i have a whole playlist. but i think the biggest ones are

-the drama by kesha ("friday night, get too high, keep checking my pulse, am i dead yet?" / "in the next life i wanna come back, as a housecat as a housecat! i'd sleep and play in the sun, i'd be a fuckin' cute son of a gun!")

-avant gardener by courtney barnett (the whole song really, but especially the lines "the paramedic thinks i'm clever cause i play guitar, i think she's clever cause she stops people dyin'," and "i take a hit off an asthma puffer, i do it wrong, i was never good at smokin' bongs." i just think she'd love this song.)

-honorable mentions include stoned at the nail salon by lorde, life according to raechel by madison cunningham, rose-colored boy by paramore (@ palamedes, lmfao), picture me better by weyes blood, extraordinary machine by fiona apple, rubberband girl by kate bush, last words of a shooting star by mitski.

favorite picture of them: oh man well it obviously has to be my icon... art made for me by the lovely @franzias-cave !!!! based on the concept of "the woman is dying, please do her the decency of allowing her to look the part in fanart." my girl... she's a malign fairy, she's a hot-eyed wraith <3

ty lem this was so fun! i love my gworl :')

[homkamiro]

I LOVE THE TF2 MLP AU SM. it gives me sm nostalgia to when i was a kid and i and everyone in the fandom made pony aus of franchises we liked- im so happy cringe is dead and tradition is alive 🥹

ALSO THE INFECTION AU POST. GOOD SHIT;!;!!!!!!!!!! gore and body horror are inseparable from (hopefully only the mature part of) the mlp fandom and i felt so giddy jumping for joy kicking my feet up seeing that it had a resurgence!! Your post of this au with your tf2 ponies was my introduction to it!!! Nature is healinggggg

That post is BOMB. WE GOT: 1) HEAVYMEDIC ANGST. 2) PYRO & ENGIE ANGST. 3) BOOTS & BOMBS ANGST. 4) DADSPY ANGST. 5) SNIPER ANGST. ITS GIVING💅🏽💅🏽💅🏽 and the way the disease spreads differently for all of them is so creative!!!!!! Engie wants to sever the infected body part but cant cus its on his back and he needs medics help for that (and med is way too far gone to do any operation), and scout doesn't want his wings severed even tho that would save him cus he still wants to fly!!!!!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

also soldier misinterpreting the request is so good. And pyro wanting to help but not being allowed to cus they'd try to burn engie. Demo drinking himself to death cus he cant handle seeing his friend in the state that he's in. Sniper disappearing cus he wants to be with his parents during this horrible time even tho they have a strained relationship. Spy wanting his son to live through this so much that he's planning to sever his wings himself. And heavyyyyyy. Heavy breaking his heart everyday still taking care of medic knowing he's going to have to kill the love of his life soon. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Anyways sorry for fuckin. Screaming in your asks and basically just repeating what you wrote sgjdjd. I just really love this au (and especially that comic with scout, medic and engie!!!) and the infection au post made me so nostalgic to the early days of the mlp fandom that the adhd went mental and i had to shout about it lol- feel free to not respond to this! Youre awesome! Keep doing you!!!!!!

(also youre really good at drawing gore????? Hello teach me pls)

WHAT A BIG FEEDBACK OHMYGODヽ⁠(⁠(⁠◎⁠д⁠◎⁠)⁠)⁠ゝ

Anyway I'm really super puper glad you liked my au!! I was a little hesitant to post it, since AU in AU sounds weird but I'm glad I thought otherwise - cringe culture should be dead!! Mix your hyperfixations it's good for your health!!!

AND AHHHHGGGGGH You noticed so many details thankyouuu🥺💗💗💗The best thing about this AU is that every ship and brotp can work so well in this story. Engie first helping Medic but then ending up being also infected??? Spy checking up on Engie and making him eat since he's too stressed to take a break??? Demo, Heavy and Pyro comforting each other after loosing their friends??? Spy and Scout both raging on Sniper for leaving like a coward??? Or maybe Heavy, as an earth pony, comforts Scout after he just got his wings amputated??? So many possibilities!!

Don't worry, I love when people are noticing all the details and just get,, really invested into my stuff, it really brings me joy and you made my day so much better!!🥺🥺I feel honestly a little insecure, since my pony designs and thoughts may not be the best, but I'm glad that so many people still like my mlp×tf2 stuff!! It's really endearing to know that finally something I like making is also likable to you!

About gore -- I have no idea😭I love gore but it's a pain to draw properly and scary, you'd need practice and references (I mostly use art references since yknow,,,real photos can make me sick)

[spidermanifested]

@canirim clapping my hands okay Mei Paninya Scar. Lets Go

MEI

sexuality headcanon: Baby Bi. i think that she does not yet know that girls are also a viable romantic option but if she realized she would be over the moon about it. transfem al is a fun concept and i think if that happened she would go all in on the new fantasy of BEING SWEPT OFF HER FEET BY A BEAUTIFUL LADY KNIGHT

gender headcanon: once again i dont have anything too spectacular. shes gods specialest princess and shes never going to die

a ship i have with said character: her and al are pretty cute i guess although im not hyper invested in them

a brotp i have with said character: her and scar are literally everything. she shoupd have been allowed to kill people for disrespecting him on screen

a notp i have with said character: have not seen any mei ships aside from al/mei honestly? Which i mean is. for the best given this fandoms track record

a random headcanon: i envision that part of the reason shes so comfortable adopting random middle aged men is that she was largely raised by her mothers extended family after said mother died in childbirth. her clan is very tight-knit anyway and she's never had a reason Not to trust the adults around her, they all treat her like their own daughter which both gives her a very optimistic view of people in general and also leaves her feeling that deep sense of obligation to return the favor somehow. she knows all their lives are resting on her shoulders and THEY know its fucked up to be relying on a child for something like that but also they dont have much of an alternative. theyre all just trying to do the best they can. I Thinnk About This A Lot

general opinion over said character: mei chang i would kill the sun for you

PANINYA

sexuality headcanon: Romantically Inexperienced Awkward Teenage Lesbian

gender headcanon: i think when she grows up she should get butcher. not the profession. theres too many of thosr in fma already

a ship i have with said character: winry/paninya is really cute....... and honestly i liked their interactions in 03 better than the manga or brotherhood, they should get to be partners in crime and do stupid shit together. wish we got to see more of them hanging out in rush valley

a brotp i have with said character: i like that her and garfiel are buddies

a notp i have with said character: ???

a random headcanon: i fully believe the only reason she had the guns put in her legs was because she thougjt it would be cool. she convinced dominic on grounds of self defense but she absolutely was just thinking wouldnt it be sick if my knees had guns in them

General Opinion over said character: she has such a fun personality and design and i wish, so hard her storyline was different. its agonizing to watch her episode seeing her go yeah so i lost my whole family and home and also my legs in an incredibly traumatizing childhood accident and then an adult man kidnapped me off the street and forced me to undergo painful invasive surgical procedures against my will. But like i can walk again so it was pretty great of him actually and i can only hope to repay his generosity someday. Girl you do not need a random stranger chastising you for stealing from rich tourists. you need therapy to come to terms with the fact that uour right to bodily autonomy was infringed upon,

SCAR

sexuality headcanon: could be gay could be bi i dont really have him pinned down as anything but "very repressed". i dont think hes ever been in a relationship, hes always seemed to have way bigger priorities, but with him i dont feel like that translates to "UNINTERESTED in relationships" because of how much of his character revolves around denying himself comfort and identity. i think if somebody kissed him he would cry

gender headcanon: i dont think hed describe himself as anything besides a man if you asked him, but i also think his experience of gender is also one of those things that got a little foggy and disconnected along with the other identity related baggage. Gender: A Necessary Violence and the Only Means to Achieve It. whatever pride flag goes with that one

a ship i have with said character: still championing my scar/greed agenda

a brotp i have with said character: aside from him and mei, his relationship with his brother is very interesting to me and i like to stir around all the complicated feelings he has to have about that guy in the soup of my mind

a notp i have with said character: ive seen him get shipped with olivier sometimes. Dont really like that one i must say

a random headcanon: when he was a teenager he used to privately write poetry and then got really embarrassed about its perceived amateurish shortcomings and stopped forever

general opinion over said character: the single most interesting and layered character in the whole series honestly and once again i wish we didnt take That Direction with him towards the end. all his thoughts and feelings are so tangled up, i love the way he cant seem to help but attract community and compassion despite how hard he tries to shake it off, whatever he thinks of himself hes still at his core an incredibly kind person clinging to a reason to survive. Save me mr xbox logo

[crazykuroneko]

IWTV S2E5 Musings

Long ass note under the cut, but tl;dr Louis & Old Daniel is my new brotp. Armand can't take it away from me. And Armand has a PhD in gaslighting

• The impersonal statements Daniel pointing out. The implanted phrases Armand supposedly gave to Louis. Somehow my mind recalls the "vampire bond" explanation. The way Louis said it in S1 is like he's reading from a book.

• Current Louis knows Santiago's plotting

• Of course Armand is a lame crypto man 😭

• "His methodology is never violent" Oh, Louis

• "Armand preserves my happiness, even when I don't or can't" 🚨

• Louis still likes his coffin lined with a green silk 😭

• Young Daniel acts like a loser. I'm so sorry, I'm trying to take him seriously but he's funny lol

• "You're lonely. You're thrill seeking" Oh he reads him so bad. Why Louis stay with Armand tho?

• Louis and Young Daniel are just saying exactlyyyyy to one another lol

• Louis was agitated when Young Daniel pointed out the use of past tense on Claudia

• Louis is already in suicidal mind set even before Armand comes

• Interesting. The way Louis is reading his thoughts here. As in literal reading. He can't be in Daniel's mind (e.g. seeing what Daniel is seeing), his ability is limited to what Daniel's thinking. And Daniel is not thinking to himself, he just opens the Talamasca recordings right away. Thus Louis can only feel Hesitation from his mind, bu he doesn't know exactly what for

• "You don't have enough to fear from Paris?" On revealing their nature. I knew Louis had the man in the park an Roget. But why does this sound something bigger happened in Paris with the humans?

• "Is it the gremlin or good nurse tonight?" Well, he decided to be both tonight 💀

• "Throw pillow" "Use Claudia just to circle back to Lestat" So rich of him to shade Louis for his guilt over Claudia when he's the one who killed her.

• "It's all coming back" "Paris.." Louis forgets most of Paris?

• "She's calling me" I wonder if Louis is remembering Claudia calling him during her last moments

• No, I don't think Armand expected or waited for Louis to come into the sun like that. But he's definitely MAD because of that

• Armand is on mission to figure out what makes Young Daniel and Lestat interesting to Louis. Because Louis said he's dull

• "An instinct to self-efface" yes, both Daniel and Louis have that

• Armand kept Louis writhing in pain w/o blood for 4 days???

• Not @ Dubai Louis still giving excuses for Armand to Daniel 😭

• Armand calling Lestat. Lestat doesn't know where Louis is. Armand refuses to tell where they are.

• "You try! You were there!" Newfound friends found bickering lol

• "If you want insanity back, if you want to escape this prison of emphaty" Armand really says "Yes, I'm caging you, but you think this is bad? Well, you had it worse with him you wanna go back there??"

• Armand's tone during the coffin scene is very soft, but he's actually making himself clear he's mad MAD. Mad that Louis is trying to goad Lestat back to him again through the interview. Seeing how Louis always fast to reassure Armand with "all I said is trash" about Lestat, this is definitely an old problem to them. It makes me curious what made Louis stay with Armand post-Paris. What happened in Paris exactly? Lestat definitely knows Louis is alive and with Armand, unlike in the books. What has made him stay away? Did Louis pull a Nicki on him in Paris? Edit: wait, what if Armand reaches out to Lestat here is the equivalent of him going to NOLA in TVL and goes "news flash, Louis is actually alive. we were/are together"? Daniel doesn't hear Armand's first sentence to Lestat. and by that time, Louis does know lestat is alive but still numb 🤔 Armand mentions if Louis wants Lestat to chase him again, that's definitely about Lestat coming to Paris after the patricide.

• "All you had to do was ask" he says to the burnt Louis who is in need of his blood. A war flashback to "The silence is cruel. But you're never cruel" but in worse condition.

• Armand, making it clear he is extremely mad at Louis for trying to reach Lestat, that Louis is ungrateful cos he's been treating him better than Lestat, then dangling this channel of communication to Lestat in front of him, making Louis feels bad and coercing him to reassure him again. Armand has a PhD in gaslighting.

• The words from Armand afterwards. Louis certainly knows his answer but well, you can't answer that if you don't want Armand blowing up again.

• Armand only answers Louis back with Maitre once Louis assures him that he will stay with him.

• "I'm a bright young reporter with a point of view" Young Daniel is full of life and optimistic. Stubborn, refusing Armand's words, but they work. Then Louis came, saying it back to him, give him more words to re-find that motivation to live. Give him words to live on.

• Ngl I almost teared up to this scene with Louis and Old Daniel. They're precious as friends.

• To alter and surpress Daniel's memory, Daniel is already under a stage where he's very easy to be influenced and they give more drugs again.

• Old Daniel beeds to stay alive. I want Louis has one (1) friend that call out his and his boyfriend(s)' bullshits 😭

[katyspersonal]

Queelign for the ask meme pls lmao

That terrible, terrible man....

(Asks from this ( x ) meme)

Favorite thing about them:

The way he is basically suppressed, or lost, little version of Messmer! It is not just that he modelled his weapon after his spear and aspires to be like him, but also the way he speaks of Marika and feels about her! He is very infatuated, loyal and oddly.... naive, considering the context! I absolutely feel like he reflects that more hopeful, more puppy-eyed child Messmer doesn't get to be. Untouched by curse or hatred of abandoned child. I love when character serves like a window into someone else too!

Ignoring this narrative nonsense that I am probably just hallucinating, I just love how sensitive he is. Seeing how he sounds passionate or pathetic or both, I expected him to be a young man, but he is listed as 'mature'! So he is like, around 40! I love me a male who doesn't lose his sensitivity with age... to better or worse. In a better turn of events, he'd be a great poet, I can tell this. :pensive:

Least favorite thing about them:

This is a pain to explain but whereas I love how religious-fanatical he is, I ALSO hate it? He captivated me from the first invasion (as much as I didn't want to admit it), but also I read Crusade Insignia description and was like "ohhhhhh FUCK I reeeeally hate this guy already!!!" hfhghh I suppose, it is fair to be conflicted? He falls for the type of the characters you love in fiction but would dread to meet in real life!!

Favorite line:

"Queen Marika, behold! I have excised another. Another cancer to thy joy." This kind of made me uneasy XD How he is this pathetic and this scary at the same time?

brOTP:

I feel like he and Moonrithyll would be friends! ….that are constantly bickering with each other. XD Whereas he is very fixated on Messmer and aspires to be like him, with Moonrithyll it is similar with Rellana! Rellana believes that sky and fire should be together, after all, and Moonrithyll respects trolls as descendants of Fire Giants more than she does as just loyal friends to Carians.

But whereas things between Messmer and Rellana are very good and settled, Moonrithyll constantly lets the attitude of "pledging to the Erdtree was a cringe phase for us, at least thanks to Messmer we are soooo back baby 😎" slide. Before Queelign. *million skull emojis* But despite them often fighting, they are not enemies. In fact, maybe frienemies? They have long conversations (mostly about their leages lol) that they enjoy a lot, and they have fun... until one of them says something they really should agree to disagree on already. -_- Queelign doesn't because he is too petty to not remind everyone how he is the only one to "really" respect Marika, Moonrithyll doesn't because she is honest to a fault!

OTP:

I actually really like to think about him and Messmer? Help me??

^^^ Messmer and Rellana are canonically a thing, apparently, so it is somewhere in AU drawer... but still!! There are just... a lot of things between them.

^^^ Queelign is the only Fire Knight that seems to have been "spared" by Messmer's curse; he doesn't have red hair and trademark red cape! And I like to think this is deliberate. That Messmer cherishes his "innocence", seeing him as little naive version of self. He could not take that away from Queelign, nor ruin the hair color so golden, nor he wants Queelign's heart to break upon learning that true nature of Messmer's Flame comes from something existing as anathema to the Erdtree.. He never got to be a person so blinded with faith in Marika's love, but he can allow Queelign to be this...

At the same time, Messmer pities him sometimes. He sometimes feel bitter and hurt when Queelign goes on the rant about Marika's "boundless love" and "sure return someday" and wants to snap at Queelign. He has dark enjoyment pushing Queelign to think of dread of Marika's hatred and neglect and watch him break down and cry, as Messmer is almost dead inside nor he physically can have tears. He wants him to cry for them both. He also wants to comfort him. He is uncomfortable with Queelign wanting to be just like him. He also finds solace in it because Queelign gets to be a version that isn't cursed. He cherishes his naivete. He also sometimes wants to obstruct this little sunshine and curse him too but restrains himself. There are many conflicting feelings.

And yeah, it looks a bit one-sided, right? :p Messmer has such an internal conflict over Queelign, whereas the other just admires him and thinks being like him is epitome of a proper Marika's follower. But all Fire Knights know Messmer very well, and he is not an exception. Queelign is very insistent on Marika's holiness and perfection with anyone else, but when Messmer allows his suppressed hatred and knowing Marika will never embrace them again slide? Queelign argues for his sake and not hers. He genuinely hates to see him despair. The contrast between Queelign being very sensitive and Messmer becoming oddly cold for a fire wielder is also fun x)

They have a lot of tension between them most of the time, but deep down they both know. Messmer is not stingy with affectionate words for people he trusts and values, and Queelign is no more afraid to disagree with him than one would with a very moody friend. He can tell that he has special rights even compared with other Fire Knights despite not being given direct "communion" with his flame, and when Messmer tells him it is because he cherishes him the way he is, Queelign believes that.

nOTP:

Either I live under a rock or fandom is yet to invent ships for Queelign to BEGIN with. xD I legit don't know which ship for him would be bad? I'll know it when I see it, I suppose...?

Random headcanon:

He constantly fucks up cooking. Like, there is no way he doesn't ruin his meals. When it is not misinterpreting recipe or adding too much due to simple clumsiness, it is that he got distracted or lost in thoughts about Marika's grace. 🙄 Every time he is determined that he WILL focus and do it right, and every time he fails. When things are inedible, like, it is charcoal or looks dangerous, he resorts to making puppy eyes to other Fire Knight so they share their food with them gghkugg They are used to it! Hilde even used to cook a bit more dinner than she needed, fully expecting him to drop by!

Unpopular opinion:

Look, I do like jokes about his haircut, I am not humorless! AND I love this cursed image from Reddit proving "that he only looks bad because of his haircut":

( x ) gfhghgb but- I disagree with allowing it to brush an interesting character aside!! Jokes are fun, but making whole character a joke isn't 😔💔 He deserves his place amongst other "fanatics who simpmaxx" like Lautrec, Alfred and Leda, and should have many bitches same as THEM!!

Song I associate with them:

Ironically, not the depth of introspection I see him reaching any time soon.

Favorite picture of them:

I can't really find Queelign fanart, let alone chosing a favourite tbh.. Myself, I have like, four WIPs featuring him, but you know me, I finish like two drawings per year at BEST. Scarlet Rot Depression eaten away my artist poweeerrrr...

Thank you for asking!! Lmao I can't shut up about this man

[eidolonshiva]

For the character thingy! Do your favorite hashira.

I have a three-way tie, so I think I'll go with Kyojuro for this one!

Favorite thing about them:

Kyojuro is the kind of person who puts the needs and comfort of others above his own. Even as he lay dying, he never lets his pain show. Instead, he maintains a calm demeanor and offers words of encouragement to Tanjiro.

Another thing I love is how much he cares for his younger brother. When he speaks to Senjuro, he always kneels down to be eye level with him and gently squeezes his hand to comfort him. It's a small gesture, but it shows the kind of person he is.

Least favorite thing about them:

Although I cannot overstate how much I love the fact that they made him hearing impaired, as someone who gets anxious about loud noises his voice can be stressful at times.

Favorite line:

It's pretty standard at this point, but "Set your heart ablaze."

brOTP:

As much as I love that Kyojuro and Tengen are besties, I would like to see his relationship with Obanai explored more. We know that Shinjuro brought Obanai back to the Rengoku estate after rescuing him and I would like to think that he became an honorary member of the family. I think Kyojuro's outgoing personality helped Obanai to open up a bit. I would have loved to see some montages of the two of them growing up as adopted brothers.

OTP:

I think we can all agree that Akaza was down bad for our favorite fireboy. The bedroom eyes, licking his arm, using his first name? Akaza, you dirty dog.

Other than that, I like when people pair Kyojuro with an oc.

nOTP:

I don't understand the people who ship Kyojuro with Mitsuri. It just seems forced to me. Men and women can have a close friendship without it having romantic undertones. Also, since Kyojuro was friends with both Mitsuri and Obanai, I like to imagine that he played matchmaker.

Random headcanon:

Due to his father's alcoholism, I think Kyojuro would abstain from drinking outside of the occasional ceremonial sake.

Unpopular opinion:

A lot of Kyojuro's personality is a facade. He puts on a wide smile and takes on the role of the hero that he's supposed to be, the hero he promised his mother he would be. The only time we see this fake smile fall is when Enmu puts him under the sleep spell. Even in what is supposed to be the happiest dream he can imagine, his father still isn't proud of him.

Song I associate with them:

"Arsonist's Lullaby" from Hozier is perfect for him.

When I was a child, I'd sit for hours Staring into open flame Something in it had a power Could barely tear my eyes away

All you have is your fire And the place you need to reach Don't you ever tame your demons But always keep 'em on a leash

Favorite picture of them:

The one of him with his crow is so pretty.

Bonus side tangent: My cat, Freddie Mercury, hates his fictional man with a passion. Whenever Kyojuro is on screen, he will run from the room. He will fluff-up and flee whenever he sees any figures of him (and since this is my girlfriend's favorite character, we have a lot.)

We have a glass curio cabinet where most of our figures reside. The bottom shelf is where our kimetsu mini figurarts live, and we have nearly the whole set. Well, Freddie Mercury found the Kyojuro figure, lined himself up to make sure he was aiming right for it, and pressed his anus right against the glass.

[zedleaked]

AXIS MODEL 014 for the character ask thingy

favourite thing about them

I LOVE GRUMPY ROBOTS.. he is so silly and angry and funny the fucking thing... I love when robots are in love and kind of questionable...

least favourite thing about them

I dunno if it was just me that struggled with his chase sequence but that was a huge pain in the ass oufghgf

favourite line

"THE SHIMMER. THE COMPLEXION. THE C U R V E S."

and honorable mention: "7 MINUTES IN HEAVEN..."

brOTP

Methinks Dalv and Axis could get along as a treat :3 they can bond over the fact that they're loners,, maybe Dalv feels sorry that Axis was forced to kill the integrity human [especially since Dalv was there was Kanako was attacked]... methinks if they ever met he would invite Axis to his new home in Snowdin [maybe Axis helps him out with renovating his house,,,] and Dalv just listens to Axis talk about his spouse and how his life is going... my guy needs other people to talk to and I feel the silly vampire would be willing to listen to his woes

OTP

Axis and his spouse [Daisy] I suppose,, bro is enamored with that little thang,, he is going to do peculiar things with them

Also Axis and Trashy is really funny to me,, he loves anything that resembles garbage

nOTP

Eh I'm open to whatever as long as its not Clover [in romantic context]

His mechanical heart is reserved for his spouse,, maybe Guardener too if he really feels like it

random headcanon

When Axis said 'ROBOTS CANNOT CRY, I HAVE TRIED' I think the time he tried to cry was when he killed the integrity human [since he's shown to show remorse for killing them in the genocide route] Like he tried so hard to mourn but he just couldn't... the poor thing...

unpopular opinion

I dunno if he's been alive long enough for there to be any unpopular opinions but erm,, I wish we got to interact with him more after he calmed down,, like all we got was when you backtrack to see him on a date with his spouse but I need more..... I guess I gotta get writing

song I associate with them

Brass Goggles by Steam Powered Giraffe... me when the robots question why they have emotions......

favourite picture of them

this is a gif but I still find it really funny

[buriedknight]

sister Frida

Thank you for asking!

Favorite thing

Friede is a tall nun with scythes

Friede is one of my comfort characters! And by that, in her case, I mean that I really love drawing her because it comforts me. I was going to give you a longer lore-wise answer because I enjoy her story a lot, but if I'm being honest, as an artist I just love working with Friede, and that's my favourite thing about her.

Least favorite thing

I like pretty much everything about Friede but I don't entirely get her deals with Ariandel. It is intriguing but still too vague for me, I'd like their relationships to be defined a bit more clearly.

Favorite line

Tis only the flame, quivering at misguided Ash. Please, avert thine eyes. I will snuff out these ashes for good.

brOTP

Of course Friede's weird relationships with her sisters, especially with Yuria since we don't know much about Liliane. I believe they used to be the most important people to each other, and built their church not only based on their faith and old traditions, but also on their sistership, on combination of their strenghts. They relied on each other a lot and worked together in a really effective way. So the day Friede saw another aim was very bitter. From their dialogues I got the impression that it is still painful for Yuria, since she uses unusually personal and emotional vocabulary (she literally called Friede "poor wench"). As for Friede, I think she still respects her sisters' work and aim, but sees herself somewhere else.

OTP

I'm pretty basic but sir Vilhelm. BUT almost one-sided and doomed. I think he knows that and pretty much accepts. Friede has certain feelings for her knight but her aim has always been more important to her so she never answers to his longing.

nOTP

I don't have any? In general I just don't follow headcanons in which romantic/erotic love means a lot to her. But beside that I don't care about most of the ships 🤷

Random headcanon

I headcanon Yuria to be a master swordswoman, Liliane the scholar (Hildegarde von Bingen of Londor if you would), and Friede — the leader. Her was the first idea to gather the Church of Londor, and that's why her leaving was so painful. It was only natural for her to take the mantle of the Lady of the painting.

Also i'm putting all my comfort characters somewhere on the aroace spectrum and she is there too!

Unpopular opinion

Same with Ludwig, I haven't interacted with Dark Souls discourse for a while so I don't know what's the popular opinion of her now. From what I've seen I don't like her tsundere-ish reading, I think she is just very determined and tired.

Song i associate with them

Die Verbannten Kinder Evas — Dusk And Void Became Alive (vibes of her in the Painted World)

Favorite art

I think I've lost my fav art so here's another cool art of Friede

[jajatoc]

Ooh for the OC ask thing, how about Radahn or Clara?

Oh mygod I'm so glad you asked. I Will reflect on them both if you'll have me!!! Both very misunderstood and gorgeous characters of their own right.... putting them side by side makes me smile

Clara (the Changeling)

favorite thing about them - Clara as a concept is perhaps my favourite thing to ever come out of Pathologic (and in a piece of art so impossibly rich of different themes it is really saying something!!!!)- I love her presentation, a little girl who crawls out of the very earth from a foggy graveyard, teeth and nails and earth like any other little girl. She knows her name but not what her purpose is. She wills an evil twin sister into being (kind of) because she is so scared of disappointing her potential adoptive dad. Her adoptive mother wishes she was her so bad. She is constantly being used by everyone even if no one can trust her. She cannot prove herself to be true and sicere to the people that won't trust her because she really is supernatural, there really is something else going on with her, and she has to face the same dismissals that any little girl has to face nonetheless. She risks her life every day to meet and stop her sister in the heart of the plague. She has to baby two grown adults just so that they don't kill each other and maybe be the least bit helpful (they aren't). Her worst fear is disbelief in her. All of her followers had a death wish even before they had met her. Her only weapon are her hands or the shittiest derringer in the universe. She has both the most limited and the largest vision of the world between the three protagonist. She gets premonitions and says things that the player would never know so much so that playing as her is an alienating experience. She weaves the threads of the town on the tips of her fingers. Her stasis is both risky and sickly and so, so hopeful and sincere. I would offer her my own blood for her ritual if she asked.

Aside from this rant, I really enjoy her character design, especially in pathologic 2 (it's one of the best designs in the remake I think): the baldness of a saint and a sickness, the naive mismatched and ripped clothes she was born in, the bones weaved in her scarf, her bare hands (the only ones like this between the protagonists in classic, I must underline).

least favorite thing about them - I dislike nothing about her! I sincerely wish her route wasn't so overlooked because it shows the bound's varying faces so well. Her flaws are those of a very religious little girl... the trust she has to have in herself is both traitorous and holy. The Humbles are definitely my favourite characters, and their bond with Clara baffles me and deeply interests me: for some of them it's an unexpected choice that grows to feel inevitable as their story progresses. Their suffering becomes defining acceptance.. surely not healthy, but undeniably an end. They are all such great characters it's actually physically painful when I think about it!!!

favorite line - AAAAGH. IT'S A TEXT BASED GAME. HOW CAN I CHOOSE. Aside from the obvious "If we ourselves are to suffer deception our hands are no longer tied.." etc etc.. I really enjoy a small line her sister speaks when greeting her: "You're so sweet; such eyes... They're not like mine at all." They make me sick. What if your sister was a sickness and you could not save her and she was also you. What then.

brOTP/OTP/nOTP- I really enjoy the relationship of both awe and fear between Grace and Clara (and the Albino). I don't know if I see it as something romantic, or if I see Clara interested romantically in anyone at all besides. I don't know how to feel about Commander Block's writing. I don't think it was ever meant to be seen as romantic (gross?), but I can't deny that in meeting the Changeling Block experiences some kind of spiritual rapture. It's hard to hope that his religious devotion could develop into fatherly attachment as he intends in making Clara some kind of secret army weapon. But nonetheless. I would hope for Clara to one day be able to distance herself from the events that transpired in the town... even though her and it are so intertwined that it could perhaps be more harmful to her. Unlike the previous sand pest epidemic-impersonation (Sabha Usptae<3) Clara has greater prospects! Strangely, she has much less ties with the kin, and being a mistress seems more fitting to her.

random headcanon- I love how the fandom often portrays the two sisters as having one the classic hd design and the other the patho 2 design. So beautiful and true. Who is who? More of this please.

unpopular opinion- HUH I have no idea. Perhaps I would love to see more art of her being truly unsettling (as she is and deserves) more than just the silly magical girl. I myself haven't contributed that much to that so I can't judge anyone (also artists can do whatever they want<3 who even am I).. but I really love to see it!! I recognize of course that just a single faceted interpretation of her is wrong, and I love when people play with her characterization.. (she is indeed a little girl with fears fit to her age risking her life every day, facing accusations and direct harm based on superstitions... but she is also the town's anger manifested, a witty Cheshire-cat ish character, an interlocutor of the player, a hero playing against herself, a cryptid, a magical girl.... she can be whatever she wants<3)

song i associate with them - ERM. I haven't made a character playlist in years. But she can get Same Man I Was Before by Oingo Boingo she deserves it. Also Disappearing from the Patho 2 ost always reminds me of her somehow :)

favorite picture of them - I MAY HAVE TWO. I really love early concepts of Clara for classic even if I'm not really rocking with the absurd miniskirt. But art made by meethos is always so cool (hope IPL still has them on board for Patho 3). The second one was made by hayheadd on here if I'm not mistaken. Quintessential Clara

General Radahn (what a followup!)

{I've only very recently gotten into Elden ring, and it really blew me away. The artistry behind its every aspect, its art direction, its very refined combat programming, its soundscape, and most of all its writing.. It's undeniably charming even from the perspective of someone very unfamiliar with soulslikes (like me.. I only had a vague knowledge of Bloodborne before) or even games of that scale in general! I am usually skeptical of seeking extreme realism in modern games but man, I'm willing to make an exception if it's used so incredibly. Having said that... there is not a single main character I dislike. I hadn't had this much fun with a fucked up family of this size in a while!}

favorite thing about them- For me It's hard to map a character out when there is so little ever mentioned about them like in Radahn's case. Nonetheless, I think it was exactly his lack of a proper voice to strike me dead. Paradoxically, his story is about the loss of identity and agency (among other things.. like stagnation, stasis). He is a man presented as someone so powerful that he has lost any semblance of identity- every action he ever did has been sung about so much so that he has become more a title than a person. He has become his actions. What lies beyond all of this? Some things we can surely discern from his relationships and item descriptions. His relationships with his Carian siblings, for whom he seemed to bear mutual respect (thinking about the gorgeous painting of a mature Radahn in Volcano Manor..... and the halting of the stars, who remains ever the mystery); with his horse, which, while endearing, seems to further underline his themes of stasis and preservation (how different these siblings are! Stagnation, Treason, Abandonment.... the moon siblings.......); with his soldiers and men, who greatly regarded him; with Miquella...

I should probably talk about my favourite thing about him though now! It probably is. His presentation in the base game. The early Caelid area is a mess, very loud and aggressive, so the walk to Redmane Castle on its relatively detatched peninsula really impressed me with its stillness. The silent tragedy of battles fought in days past, only remembered by carcasses and weapons strewn around. The battered bridge, the relatively anonymous castle itself.. it greets you with a tension that could be cut with a knife. I cannot describe how much the atmosphere does the right job here. From the deafening silence a low choir emerges, a song of Honour and mourning that whispers the tale of all the warriors who gave their life to Radahn and of whom only remain the weapons, hung everywhere in Redmane. A song that doesn't carry resentment, only the weight of the innumerable deaths who still failed to end one's stasis. The respect it carries really struck me. Redmane feels like entering a mausoleum more than any other place in the Lands Between. Of course Jerren's voice and the cutscene it triggers are also insane... but it's the ost that does it for me.

Aside from the Song of Honour, which I fully count as a Radahn theme, his other two osts are so cool (i cannot describe. How much i love The Promised Consort. God)... and I would really love to get into them further!! But I'll!!!!! Restrain myself!!!!!!!! Even if I'll have to mention.. the gorgeous reversed horns? Strings? That can be heard setting the pace for the Starscourge Radahn ost. They are perfect in every way.. they remind me both of his gravitational magic and of the marching of soldiers. Also, if I'm not mistaken, similar seemingly reversed notes can be heard in Rennala's theme.. (if I haven't imagined them. Which is totally plausible. Tehees)

least favorite thing about them- How little we actually know about him! Radahn is a demigod who's actions seemingly impact the world on a much smaller scale than some of his siblings..

favorite line- I wish. I wish we could hear his voice in any way. God.

brOTP/OTP/nOTP- Well!! I have a lot of feelings towards the Carian siblings and their parents. For some reason I've convinced myself of Radahn being the youngest of the siblings, the one who might have known Radagon much more in passing than the other two, perhaps explaining his deep longing and high regard for the traditions of the Golden Order. His father despised his own red hair, while Radahn sported it with pride, knowing it had before belonged to a champion. Imagining him growing a mentality so different from his defiant siblings makes me wonder about his relationships with them. Rykard seemed to hold him dear, keeping a portrait of him in his manor even after the shattering (the only other portaits hung being of him and his dear consort). Ranni's wishes to free the stars from his grasp, while surely mostly focused on allowing her fate to unfold... perhaps held the hope of finally letting her brother escape his suffering. Aaubgh.

The whole Promised Consort mess and tragedy has been living in my mind for a while, and I really don't know what to make of it. I've seen people discuss how even if Radahn had agreed to the vow, he would have not agreed to the means through which Miquella went to achieve his presence in the shadow realm. As I personally see it It's all surely... very convoluted to be a willing vow on both sides, and the one thing that most strikes me as odd is the confrontation in Caelid between Malenia and Radahn during the shattering. For her to have to remind him about his vow... something must have happened to make him stray from it. And I don't think it was just the shattering itself. Why did Miquella wait so long to make Radahn his Consort (aside from his attempted regeneration free of curse/discarding of the self) so much so he had to reincarnate him as the version of him he believed most fitting, younger, free of rot (a sickness which Miquella himself caused by proxy!), not to mention through a body that didn't even belong to Radahn in the first place in a reversed Ranni/Godwyn ordeal? Waiting for Luminary Mohg's death only in soul and of Radahn's death only in body to this time insert his soul into Mohgwyn's body (the Mohg situation is also an entirely different can of worms I won't open rn)??? It's so complicated, and if this situation isn't somehow motivated by... also the process of getting into the shadow realm (????) which I imagine would be very troublesome... I don't know. I can't deny that all of the Radahn defenders screaming that the vow couldn't ever have been mutual bother me a bit... (it's not even just about his "undying loyalty to the golden order" which is.. debatable) and I see how Miquella is complex to blame at all since he was and remained cursed with perpetual nascency (aka: he's a child). His fall from grace is beautifully described in the dlc... the discarding of all that made him close to human and loved in the Lands Between, his compassionate good nature undeniable (in his care for Malenia and Godwyn and for all the peoples oppressed by the Golden Order) before the drastic measures he undertook to reach his goals. It's a touchy subject for the community and I too don't feel too comfortable discussing it, since I understand Miquella's writing yet can't help but wonder about Radahn, voiceless, refusing to die for the longest time with the excuse of honorable death. Was it also to prevent his inevitable passing to the shadowlands? Why not let himself die sooner if he had agreed to his consort's wishes? I can't help but wonder, and I'm sure many things slipped from my mind.

The whole Lord Consort thing is even more interesting when put into context along with Marika's consorts. Loyal hounds (or lions), hands through which Marika enacted her power across the lands. Imagining her relationships with Godfrey and her Other self... I wonder how Miquella interpreted it. The way he understood his age of Compassion needed the hand of a Lord to impose it, on top of his charm. I wonder of the image of him Miquella wants to preserve, and of the use he sees fit for Radahn.

All of that said.. I really like the relationship he had with Jerren in the base game before the rot nuke... loyalty that persists beyond death, disfigurement, war...

random headcanon- I have two! The first is from an unused item description for the Longtail cat talisman.. the one who reduces fall damage. It once mentioned the name of the cat it depicted as Lacrima, and her owner as Radahn himself. I love this information so much. I don't know why, maybe I didn't see him as a cat person, or as much of a person at all before I knew this, and it opened my eyes on the potential of his character, on a Radahn free of war or rot or schemes, just the flawed person he could have been underneath. I'm really fond of him now. The second is very silly! I wonder how Radahn felt about Ranni getting to have a Shadow like Blaidd when he admired Godfrey and Serosh so much. I wonder if he has ever been a little jealous!!!

unpopular opinion- I don't know what the popular opinions are! He's surely a very.. seemingly unapproachable character at first. Or at least it was how I felt about him for a while. It's fun to imagine him outside of the situation he's found himself in, as it is with most of the ER demigods, before the shattering, in moments of peace (without a helmet!).

song i associate with them- He's.. The Man Who Sold The World (the Midge Ure version).

favorite picture of them- Of course, I'm very fond of Radahn's portrait in Volcano Manor. It's so respectful, both in its positioning and framing. The second picture is by vnllbn on twt..

There are lots of things which I'm sure I forgot to mention... forgive me for any inaccuracies and for the ungodly amount of time it took for me to answer and thank you so much for your kind ask!!!

[bytedykes]

Hewwo! Yue Qingyuan seems to be a special guy to you, so him for the ask game ✌️

Sexuality Headcanon: gay but i think he's too depressed to date. he has emotional erectile dysfunction

Gender Headcanon: cis man 😔 ive thought about transfem yqy before too but i dont really see him going anywhere with it. he doesnt have time for self exploration he has a sect to run and also all this unspeakable misery

A ship I have with said character: hehe... mqf/yqy... i like them... its really niche but @pathos-logical and i initially thought of it as a joke but it's so serious now. doctor sexy x worst patient EVERRR !! i dont have anything concrete to say about this ship they just eat my brain

A BROTP I have with said character: i actually really like his canon relationship with sqq, even though we only ever really see how sqq thinks of him. yqy reminds sqq of his own older brother which i think is really sweet and also sad :( i also think yqy would like sqq as his own person, if it ever came out that sqq isnt sj. i mean he already likes him but like independently of shen jiu i do think they could have a good relationship

A NOTP I have with said character: QI/JIU. i don't ship them. words cannot communicate how much i don't ship them. i knowww that they're in a danmei fitting all the bl tropes but like i don't want it and i don't see it and i just do not ship it. i find them much much more compelling as a platonic relationship. fandom has also highkey ruined any warm feelings i might have had toward romantic yqy/sj because of the way people popularly portray them - i think the way a lot of people write qi/jiu is very sj-centric and often not very in line with what i think is accurate yqy characterization (also i don't like sj for similar fandom mischaracterization reasons but w/e). but that's just my opinion !

A random headcanon: i think he would be sooo good with babies i think it would be awesome to put a baby in that man's arms and have him hold it for a while. also a mandated beach vacation wouldn't fix him but it would greatly benefit him. also i think he has chronic pain from xs + the qi deviation and his spirit veins are all fucked up and who does he talk about this with? no one <3 <3 <3 #1 sufferer in silence

General Opinion over said character: i fucking love this mankjghilsadhkads IM SUCH A SUCKER for fucked up tragic characters who are stuck in a pit of eternal misery ok i eat that shit uppp. i really like how yqy's narrative is that ultimately he did his best and tried so hard and failed anyway and then could never bring himself to defend himself despite it not being his fault and that's the tragedy. he blames himself so so bad and he will never say anything because he doesnt feel he deserves to!!! the decades long miscommunication with the person who matters most to him is also soooo. ugh. he makes me crazyyy!!! i really like how he's a very flawed, complex person, who is kind and caring but also the #1 enabler on this goddamn mountain. his indirect treatment of lbh is really interesting to me too. i love yqy he sucks so bad <333

ty for the ask!!! you're right he IS a special guy to me and i love him soo much <3