#brotp: you're my brother

[userlaylivia]

@emilyskinners

Top 20 McCall Pack Dynamics: (as voted by my followers)    ⇾ #1. Scott McCall and Stiles Stilinski

“Scott, just listen to me, okay? You’re not no one. Okay? You’re someone. You’re Scott, you’re my best friend. Okay? And I need you. Scott, you’re my brother. All right, so if you’re gonna do this, then I think you’re just gonna have to take me with you.”

[everestgale]

Skeptic for the ask thingy? :D

I'm getting through these so slowly 😭 Sorry for the wait! Time to ramble about everyone's favorite detective bird-

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

favorite thing about them

Weirdly, it's the contrast between how intelligent and logical Skeptic is as a character vs. how absurd and irrational the Construct is. The way Skeptic fights and seeks universal singular truth in a world that, by design, does not have any... which was so masterfully highlighted in the Cage and the new Den. I remember genuinely exclaiming "SKEPTIC NO, STOP-" when the tunnel began collapsing (though in fairness, Hero is the one who started it). And the way Skeptic blamed himself for not "thinking it through," because that's how he thinks the world around him should work:

"Why for the love of everything did I not think about the stability of the tunnels?! I'm supposed to be smarter than this! I'm supposed to have a plan for everything."

And the entire dialogue with Hero following that line, too-

...Long story short, there is something very tragic but incredibly appealing about putting a character, who is all about facts, logic, and deduction, into a world that shifts based on your perception where nothing is certain. Sorry Skeptic, love you Skeptic </3

[What's up with all these asks getting so long... more under the cut </3]

least favorite thing about them

Rewritten and deleted lines from the Prisoner. Hands down. It's one of the few things I dislike about the DLC, and I choose to not accept it as canon. I really, really miss that triumphant "I knew it!" followed by "She couldn't tip her hand to Him. He wouldn't have let us leave." It really highlighted Skeptic's intelligence, along with an innate desire to trust the Prisoner, to think of her as someone with a plan. She wouldn't just cut off her own head like that, and he knew it.

I understand that this was done to make the lead-up to the Cage easier / more natural... but I feel like there were other ways to do it! Hero is right there, and he just watched Prisoner cut her head off, he could be disturbed and panicking about the whole situation and really want to leave, which would feel quite natural too! And then perhaps Skeptic was sure that Prisoner had a plan, but after you choose to leave her behind... he isn't so sure anymore, which could lead to him slowly losing his mind and devolving during the Cage. That would've been perfect, at least in my opinion!

Honorable mention goes to the fact that, even after the Pristine Cut, he still feels a little underutilized to me. I talked about it in my Paranoid character ask, but Deconstructed Damsel -> HEA should've had Skeptic instead of Paranoid (T v T)

favorite line

"You have the attention span of a fly. How are we supposed to unravel the mysteries of this place if you're so easily distracted by empty promises?"

Honestly I feel you, Hero, I also have the attention span of a fly-

And of course, how can I not mention: "Yes, yes, don't believe a word she says. Just go in, take the knife, and do what you're supposed to. Wink."

brOTP

I already talked about how I really like the Grey Brothers (Skeptic + Smitten) dynamic in Smitten's post, it's very fun to imagine these two as very different people who have very little in common... but who still care about each other.

But I also want to mention Skeptic + Hunted. I liked the idea of them being comfortable in each other's spaces even before the extended Den. And with them working together so well in the Den post-Pristine Cut, I think they would have a pretty close friendship.

Everest trying really hard to explain a dynamic they like, without resorting to just "they cool. me like them"-

OTP

For the record, I HC my Skeptic as aroace (or demiromantic asexual, I haven't fully decided yet). That will not stop my QPR-Skeptunist from completely taking over my brain <3

There is something very appealing about their dynamic - Opportunist is trying to get on Skeptic's "good side" and is interested in how intelligent Skeptic is (and how he could utilize that intelligence for his schemes), while Skeptic is curious about Opportunist and that rat brain of his (/aff), trying to see what's beneath those layers and layers of masks that Oppy likes to wear. In a way, they are both almost trying to outsmart one another, but from a place of curiosity... which could lead them to slowly enjoy each other's company :]

Also, this ship is really funny, and it's hilarious to imagine all the stupid scenarios they find themselves in- OH, and I wrote this on them like a month ago:

"I do genuinely feel like they would, not always but often, enjoy each other's company and yap - we all know that Skeptic is listening to Oppy's endless rambles to understand that gremlin mind of his, but I feel like he would come to like Oppy's weird plans and logic as a sort of 'new perspective' - and Oppy really appreciates someone acknowledging 'his genius,' and maybe in turn, he would also listen to Skeptic's esoteric rambles on stenography (it feels like they would be interesting, and depending on the topic, Oppy could actually be genuinely interested in Skeptic's yap in like a "oh, this would be helpful for my next scheme" kind of way)"

...I like this ship way too much for how little they interact in the game (which is "not at all")

Honorable mention almost goes to ParaSkep, courtesy of @/wintergrofyuri and @/itsonlypolite. It's so close to clicking with me (it feels like a dynamic I would like, I want to like them)... but it's just barely not it, I don't know what exactly, but something is missing / just not quite clicking with me (T v T)

nOTP

Don't think I have any nOTPs for Skeptic! I haven't seen any ship with him that I disliked :]

random headcanon

I already mentioned like 3 headcanons in this post: the fact that my Skeptic is aroace (or demiromantic ace), the fact that my Skeptic knows shorthand (and writes exclusively in it), the fact that Skeptic is actually a yapper who likes to explain and go in-depth on the topics he finds interesting... /silly

Let's add another one! I like the idea of a linguistics nerd Skeptic, who is really into the etymology of words (I talked about it in this post where I talked about voice's hobbies!), sounds like the kind of thing Skeptic would be interested in.

Are any of these HCs based on anything from the game? Nope! These are all entirely based on ✨ vibes ✨.

unpopular opinion

To be honest, I don't know what counts as an "unpopular opinion" for Skeptic. I don't think I have any? At least none that I feel strongly about, most of my opinions about Skeptic are either directly based on the lines from the game OR are completely irrelevant silly HCs based on nothing but my own likes lol

song i associate with them

I very rarely listen to just instrumental music (outside of lo-fi and a couple specific artists)... but none of the songs I listen to really fit Skeptic. And so my first instinct is... the original Objection! theme from Phoenix Wright-

Also Open the Game by Jiro. Not the kind of music I usually listen to, but a friend suggested it to me as "music that fits Skeptic" a while ago, and I agree with my friend, I think it really suits him in terms of musical style :]

favorite picture of them

...I'm going to be honest, I'm currently debating if I should give Skeptic a major re-design (because something about his current design just irks me). But if I had to pick an image for Skeptic that I made, it would be this-

...I don't think I shared this before (I probably will in a doodle dump of "voices in dresses" sometime in the future), but this is Skeptic in Alice in Wonderland's dress. A few friends and I joked too much about how awful of a time Skeptic would have in Wonderland, and so this was born!

[mordredpendragon]

Hands you an Agravaine (for the ask meme) :3

hi ram !!!! thank you for the ask! here's an agravaine for you <3

with a bonus laurel!

ask game under the cut

favorite thing about them

tbh i was pretty neutral on him until i started reading vulgate, he's so much more fleshed out and layered there (i started reading arthuriana with le morte d'arthur and he does fuck all there lol)

i think he's an incredibly compelling character, especially with his interpersonal relationships. there's just something about gawain having a younger brother named essentially not gawain and being a huge contrast to him, and i also really like his relationship with mordred in vulgate as an older brother who raised him. he's the kind of character who's wedged in between characters that are larger than him (i'm sorry agravaine but you're related to gawain, mordred, and arthur and being someone who's related to them is kinda your whole thing) and that in itself is interesting. especially considering that he dies during the fall of camelot, arthur mourns his death

vulgate, death of arthur

rereading this for this post put a tears in my eyes IT KILLS MEEEEEE. AGRAVAINE...... but yes tl;dr my favorite thing about him is being related to gawain/arthur/mordred and him dying. its sooo so so fun (not for them but its fun for ME)

least favorite thing about them

tbh, i find him to be severely underutilized (and if not, completely done dirty) i hate the characterization in which he's just mordred's lackey and there to pretty much die to lancelot and nothing else.

i think it would be way more impactful if he was fleshed out as a legit character. adds to the tragedy that he was somebody the audience actually cares for and not just some NPC lancelot murders lol.

also, really dislike how prose tristan stuff writes him (and the orkney brothers in general) where he's an irredeemable villain but i digress. it doesn't help that i don't care for the orkney/wales blood feud. it's never done in a way that resonates with me.

also the character assassination TH White has done to agravaine PISSES ME OFFFFFFFF ALL THE SHITTY AGRAVAINES IN MODERN ARTHURIANA IS HIS FAULT I SWEAR. aka making him morgause's killer throwing in some added incest in which he lusts for her. GROSS !!!! agravaine get behind me!!!!!

favorite line

tbh i could put anything that he says in mordred, a tragedy by henry newbolt but i really love this one in particular. talking about their brothers and that they're on mordred's side.... it brings a tear to my eye i love the orkneys so much. they're BROTHERS !!!!!!!!

brOTP

obviously him and his brothers! gawain and agravaine is great. so is mordred and agravaine. among his brothers those two i think he has the most interesting dynamic with. this post is already stupidly long and i could make an entire post in general about agravaine's relationship with his brothers, so i think i'll focus on agravaine and mordred.

for one, i love agravaine and mordred in BBC Legend of King Arthur 1979. the orkney brothers in general are great in it (minus gaheris bc he isn't there RIP) but i adore how it expounds on his dynamic with mordred AND his aunt morgan. mordred and morgan are both schemers with plots against arthur and guinevere, morgan wanting revenge on her father gorlois' death and mordred having (in later episodes) vying for the throne, agravaine on the other hand is a lot more sincere and earnest. he had no ulterior motives and his undoing was his honesty. he loved his uncle arthur, and he meant well when he wanted to report guinevere and lancelot's affair to him, because he saw it as a betrayal on arthur, not an opportunity (like morgan and mordred). those two had to "corrupt" him in some way, which what happens during the guinevere apple murder trial because mordred and morgan essentially make agravaine an unwilling accomplice. its soooo so fascinating i highly recommend that show.

second, i'd love to talk about agravaine and mordred in henry newbolt's play: mordred, a tragedy 1895. genuinely has got to be one of my if not THE favorite retelling i've ever read. if anyone reading this hasn't, i'd just urge you to read it bc it's just that good. mordred is the main character as the title says, and agravaine is one of the main secondary characters, he takes on an almost paternal/guiding figure to a young yet incredibly idealistic, passionate mordred and acts as his voice of reason.

JAW DROP..... LIKE THIS SCENE WAS CRAZY. the earlier conversation where it was just them is top notch, and this kind of dynamic between agravaine and mordred is something i'd love to see more often.

BIG fan of agravaine essentially being the logical/reasonable one between his brothers. i've compared him to dinadan because i think they're similar characters (except obviously agravaine isn't a jester/bard like he is) but they function similarly, in my opinion.

OTP

AGRAVAINE AND LAUREL 💖💖💖💖💖💖💖 i love them so so soso much it drives me insane. they're so perfect. i don't care that laurel is basically just a name in malory, i also love the HC that she's his lady love who (alongside a young mordred) takes care of him when he was suffering from a curse in vulgate.

admittedly i am biased to how i write them and how my peers write them (shoutout to @queer-ragnelle AGAIN lmao this is literally your fault)

nOTP

anything incestuous. looking at you TH White.

random headcanon

my favorite headcanon is that he's got some sort of facial scarring and he's blind in one eye. for me personally it's no reason just vibes, in my project he's got some kinda magic sigil under his eye (he can't see through it though obviously)

and like, obviously as a disability it affects how he fights. one of my favorite things about him in vulgate is comparing how he navigates battle and combat in comparison to his brother gawain, he's a lot more careful and discerning in his encounters rather than just going berserker mode. you can see this in agravaine vs druas the cruel, i think

vulgate lancelot part v

he knows his limits, lol

since i made him blind in one eye, he knows his blind spot and his weaknesses. (in my lore he's referred to as sir agravaine the one eyed swordsman for this reason) and he's a lot more calculating and cunning in his fighting style, more relying on wits + terrain (funny the guy with one eye is more observant than most people)

unpopular opinion

nothing i haven't said earlier. for whatever reason he has this reputation for being a crazy misogynist (likely thanks to Fate/grand order because of his infamous over meme'd to the oblivion line about hating women) and also again because of T.H White's depiction of him. and whatever the hell BBC Merlin did to him.

i just really hate that kind of depiction of him and honestly? there's worse characters. breuse sans pite's whole thing is being a rapist, and geraint/erec spends the entire time in his respective romances brutalizing his wife enid.

free my man agravaine he doesn't deserve this slander 😭or at the very least, i would like to have more nuanced portrayals of him for variety.

favorite picture of them

really love this image of him from the short story by P.G Wodehouse. really cute short story about agravaine!!

[wraith-caller]

rogier and d twins for ask thing :)

someone asking ME about the d twins and rogier?? as if haha like i talk about them sometimes or something?? ha hahahah

Rogier

favorite thing about them His emotional issues and how they result in this weird kind of duplicity. Yes he's a polite fella, but you're never going to get at much with him besides his academic interests.

least favorite thing about them That he can't die by my blade #sicko

favorite line gotta be the dreambrew line, specifically when offered to him post-blight. I feel like it encapsulates and summarizes him perfectly. Bitter and a bit proud, rejecting attempts at empathy and reading them as insulting instead, but then quickly realizing he's getting a little too 'real'. so he immediately covers it up and reverts back to being polite and gracious.

brOTP Him and Eleonora I think. Their stories just have too much in common for me to not want them to hang out and get shitfaced together.

OTP Rogier/his own demise (or maybe Rogier/Darian, who knows??)

nOTP I dunno if I have one. I don't like Rogier/Devin in romantic terms, but if its vicious hatefucking I'll take it.

random headcanon i'll die before i give up the HC that his family is utterly fucked up and the source of him developing his emotional detachment + his people pleasing ways + the cocktail of misery his set describes him having.

unpopular opinion he's absolutely manipulating the tarnished into helping him. it's often read as him being your genuine friend and growing to trust you, but i feel like everything we know about him would indicate otherwise. he's a good liar, holds others at arms' length, and never talks about himself, only his mission and research. his heaping praise on the PC is less about genuine feelings of kinship and more about him buttering us up to keep us helping him. this is not to say he secretly hates us or something. but he's also not the most emotionally healthy person, and i think it'd take a lot more digging before he'd ever make a deeper connection with someone, certainly more time than the tarnished spends with him. he's not just a 'you have to have this many xp points to unlock my tragic backstory' he's a 'you need those xp points to unlock anything from me that isnt a polite smile and a gracious compliment to keep everything running smoothly'.

song i associate with them

Tongues & Teeth by the Crane Wives Distrust by Aibhe Reddy Wolves of the Revolution by The Arcadian Wild Claude's Girl by Marika Hackman

favorite picture of them

im not here to deny any allegations made against me.

Darian

favorite thing about them That in a land full of liars, cheats, killers, and cutthroats, he's pretty honest and straightforward. When he asks something of us, he does it on our terms, and he doesn't press us.

least favorite thing about them his haters tbh I don't know. this isn't me denying his negative traits like his devotion to the GO blinding him, because I enjoy that about him. I like my favs character flaws, they'd be boring otherwise.

favorite line am i allowed to pick all of them?? his voice is hot. maybe this one where he says "You haven't gone to see Gurranq yet? No rush, you do as you please." It's nice being shown patience lol but also joke about Gurranq starving to death is so corny, and I love him for it.

brOTP Devin feels like the obvious choice, but I'd also like to suggest Juno Hoslow or Nepheli Loux. Juno and Darian feel like that, in spite of their vastly different backgrounds, they'd have something in common being the older brother. He and Nepheli, I've honestly got no canon reason for it other than I like them together. I think they have similar dispositions with their kind of serious and stoic natures, but also a desire for justice(though its debatable whether their senses of justice would mesh completely...depends on Nepheli's perspective on the dead).

OTP Darian/Rogier, no surprises, next

nOTP Hmm hard to say. I guess Darian/Fia is hard to picture, but it doesn't make me feel like I wouldn't read it lol

random headcanon I think that, even after being accepted by the Golden Order, he and Devin are still largely ostracized by other knights and hunters, and mostly still only have each other. He still deeply values the Order for taking them, because it's a far cry from having nothing at all, and now they at least have a purpose and a place.

unpopular opinion the fact that i like him at all is apparently an unpopular opinion lol But really I guess I just don't buy that he's a callous, heartless, empty-headed fascist. I was told the other day that the "whole point" of his character was his fanaticism, and I think this is a pretty big misreading of his story, because there is way more interesting stuff to be said about him and fia specifically than 'he's a fanatic'. That is a piece of who he is, but not the entire point.

song i associate with them Dorian by Agnes Obel Before I Sleep by Marika Hackman

favorite picture of them

probably this pic elden_things took of him.

Devin

favorite thing about them his absolutely unhinged and feral behavior that runs so counter to darian's calmer, stoic demeanor. it's another expression of dualities. they share the same soul, just across two bodies, so there is this weird thing where they are at once distinct entities, but also the same. and i think the contrast in their behavior serves to illustrate that.

least favorite thing about them that we get so very little about him, and nothing of him prior to darian's death. so it is hard to judge much of his character when all we know of him is in this freshly traumatized and disoriented state.

favorite line "Ah, hello. The rotten witch is dead." It just drives me bonkers how you can HEAR the crazed grin in his voice. Very well delivered line.

brOTP It's hard to see Devin befriending much of anyone but Darian, but again, this may be because of how we don't really know what he's like before Darian's death broke him.

OTP Not sure I have one for him.

nOTP Devin/Rogier or Fia/Devin. I think he'd blame the former for Darian's death. And the latter, well lol

random headcanon He resents himself and imagines he's a kind of burden on Darian. Being he is the 'younger', he may have an irrational notion that, had he not existed, and Darian had been born alone, there'd be no curse and Darian could've had a normal life.

unpopular opinion He's not a misogynist and I think it's absurd to make such a claim based off like one minute of character interaction, and fresh off the heels of his brother's murder, no less. I think people try to make it a moral imperative for you to dislike a character rather than it just being a personal preference. Just saying 'I don't like them bc they suck and I hate them' is less a powerful argument than 'he's clearly a misogynist so you should hate him or you're bad and excusing misogyny'. It's ridiculous.

song i associate with them The Friend by Meryem Aboulouafa

favorite picture of them

i liked this action shot i was able to get of him fighting one of the gargoyles.

[hptvnetworkfest]

Claiming and Prompt Ideas

Thinking about creating for the HPTV Network Fest and don't know what to write? You're in luck! The mods of the HPTV Fest have come up with some ideas for you. If something strikes your fancy, simply fill out the Claiming Form by 17 June! (Multiple people can write about the same reality TV show or trope! Each work will be unique!)

Pimp My Broomstick

Madam Malkin's Next Top Model

Made in Hogsmeade

Keeping Up With the (your favorite wizarding family here)

19 and Counting with (your favorite wizarding family here)

The Real Housewives of Diagon Alley (or Wizarding Britain!)

The Dragon Wranglers of Wales

Wand Wars (Robot Wars but for duelists)

House Elves' Kitchen (Kreacher is Gordon Ramsay)

Survivor: Forbidden Forest

The Potions Apprentice (Snape)

The Gringotts Apprentice (Griphook)

Who Wants to be a Galleonaire?

Dance Moms for Purebloods

Undercover Boss: Barty Crouch at Hogwarts

The Simple Life: The Black Sisters

Gilderoy Lockhart's Wizarding Eye (fashion goes from tragic to magic)

The Bachelor, Bachelorette, Golden Bachelor with your favorite character

Storage Wars: Knockturn Alley Edition

Say Yes to the Dress Robes

Dancing (Quidditch) With the Stars

Cash in the Attic (but Mundungus is stealing)

Long Island Medium hosted by Trelawney

Wizarding Britain's Supernanny Meets Draco Malfoy

Finding Bigfoot/Crumple-Horned Snorkacks by the Lovegoods

Love Behind Azkaban Bars/Love After Lockup at Azkaban

The Real World: Hogsmeade

Aurors (Cops but Aurors)

Big Brother

Death Eater Wives (Basketball Wives)

World's Deadliest Prisons hosted by Sirius Black

Geordie/Jersey Shore (choose your family)

Hippogriff Dynasty (Hagrid family)

The Dragon Whisperer with Charlie Weasley

90 Day Fiancé (your OTP)

Catfish (your BroTP)

The Great British Bake Off hosted by Dobby

Who Do You Think You Are? pureblood edition

Trauma: Life at the ER of St. Mungo's

Dumbledore's Drag Race

Wife Swap (Narcissa and Molly, Petunia and Lily, etc)

My Strange Addiction with your favorite character

Sister Wives but it's Aberforth and his goats

Wizarding TMZ hosted by Rita Skeeter

Crufts (international dog show) but for kneazles

I Want to Marry "Harry" Potter

Haunted House Hunters: Riddle Mansion, Gaunt Shack, Wool's Orphanage

Borgin and Burke's Pawnstars

Married at First Sight: Pureblood & Muggleborn

Extreme Makeover hosted by Walburga's portrait

[funishment-time]

can i get Kazuichi for the ask game?

kazoo itchy

Sexuality Headcanon: kazuichi is quite possibly the Franchise's Greatest Bisexual. he loves hot chicks, truly. he also doesn't realize that giving your bro a little Speedo is extremely homosexual. in a perfect world, he'd be about equal on men and women; for most of the franchise in general, even if he realized the extent of his Speedo Disease, he'd think he likes women more. think being the key word. and we all know how good our boy is at Thinking

Gender Headcanon: oh, this one is TOUGH. no matter what, i can tell you, he's not Cis in my mind. not whatsoever. he has too many "do you ever just think about being a Girl?" "fucking no. no one knows what you're talking about Soda" moments canonically. dude wants the maid outfit. dude wants a dress. whether or not that's All The Time is up to him, and would depend on the Timeline anyway.

however

almost paradoxically, i also dabble in the idea that he's a transguy. that's a Fun One too.

nonetheless, not a Cis Guy. at all

A ship I have with said character: i don't hate him with Gundham, Nekomaru, or Hajime. i have also jokingly shipped him with Akane for the ha ha funni after reading it as a throwaway line in a fic once. but mostly i don't ship him too hard with anyone as, to me, he has a lot of Soul-Searching to do before he settles down.

A BROTP I have with said character: i love that he becomes a big brother to Jataro in Summer Camp. i also love the idea of him, Chihiro, and Miu making the most dysfunctional Engineering Family(?) on earth. i could watch a whole Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! type anime with them. three types of autism uranium fusing together to create Nuclear Autism. Spikechun you can have that one

A NOTP I have with said character: not a fan of him with Sonia in any way, shape, or form even if he gets his act together. not even as part of a throuple or poly sitch. sorry Kazoo

A random headcanon: he loves playing with Legos and K'nex sets. also, less wholesome, a lot of DR1's executions are his work.

General Opinion over said character: 🔧/10 used to dislike him, now consider him one of my favorite failsons. Please Be Worse

[kcuf-ad]

If you're still doing the character thing.. how about Fuegoleon Vermilion 🥺

Was busy with helping my brother, so let's go!

Favourite Thing About Them

I love how he is basically the only normal one in his entire family (that we have seen). His sister is as wild as the animals around them and Leopold just loves to replicate that and wants everyone as his rival.

Least Favourite Thing About Them

That he doesn't utilize Salamander like how Yuno did with Bell or how Noelle did with Undine. I am not saying that he is weak, I am saying that I would have liked to see him at least pull off a Spirit Dive (Which I do plan on giving him.)

Favourite Line

"There is no shame in being weak, the real shame is staying weak."

BrOTP

Nozel x Fuegoleon. Grew with it lately, but I mainly see them as rivals

NOTP

Nothing really

OTP

I don't ship Fuegoleon with anyone. I see him growing old alone with his family and being the best uncle ever.

Random Headcanon

I totally see him as a chef and with how much he is a confirmed nerd, I see him bringing a different dish every single time the Captains have a meeting so that they could enjoy it after the meeting.

Song

... I only listen to a couple of songs and anime songs... Yeah

Favourite Picture

This is also my favourite Nozel image.

[nottoonedin]

hello !! it's that one till person with the till profile and the till username here to ask about your character opinions reblog for till. big shocker. (I hope you're doing well toon!!)

I am doing well! Hope you are too! <3

Favourite Thing:

I love everything about him, but if I were to pick one.. I love how expressive he is! Which is why it was so heartbreaking to see how dull and depressed he looked in Round 6 :')

Least Favourite Thing:

His oblivious-ness. I'm not even talking about not being able to see Ivan's feelings for him, I'm talking about him actively pining over Mizi, who clearly has eyes for Sua. He seems especially oblivious in Round 2. Like, bestie, can't you see she's MOURNING the death of her beloved who JUST died? She does NOT have any interest in seeing your little guitar-smashing love confession.

But then again, she's like, the light of his life and he sees her as his "saviour" in a way, so.. he could be purposefully oblivious?

Favourite Line:

"Come On!!" (Iconic✨)

BrOTP:

(Again, assuming this is platonic)- TILL AND HYUNA THEY ARE EVERYTHING TO ME!!!! I feel like they'd have a big sister/little brother sort of relationship (Hyuna seeing a little bit of Hyun-Woo in Till.. aughh)

OTP:

..Do I even need to say it?

...IvanTill.

NOTP:

Uhh, I haven't really seen any ships for Till outside of IvanTill or MiziTill? I basically don't like any ships outside of those two-

Random Headcanon:

As an artist, he suffers from severe same-face syndrome (they all look like Mizi).

Unpopular opinion:

I like Unknown (Till The End) better than Black Sorrow. Listen, I love Black Sorrow and the story behind it! But I enjoy how upbeat and fun Unknown is (plus Round 2 was my favourite MV for a while-). I think I actually disliked Black Sorrow the first time I listened to it?!? Or at least didn't adore it as much as I do now.

2 songs I associate with them:

"DogBird" by Madds Buckley

"Jealous" by Eyedress

Favourite Picture of them:

His sad, pathetic, wet cat disposition in this picture has captivated me

(I love everything about his design soso much <3)

[maranigai]

character ask: ornstein?

(also unrelated, i would like to hear if you have any thoughts about dragonslayer armour)

Honestly, my only thought about the Armour is that its original owner was that one dragonslayer from the Sacred Oath item description (you know, the guy who presumably served NK and Ornstein) and was probably executed by Gwyn after NK's betrayal, but I never had any deep headcanons about them.

Unlike Ornstein, heh, the man has been my favourite DS paper doll for ages, so...

favorite thing about them

His relationships with NK, but as far as I know, my perception of said relationships is... not exactly common in the fandom. You see, I hc that NK was everything to Ornstein before his betrayal. The master, the tutor, the god - an entire life in one person. And then he left without taking Ornstein with him, leaving him alone to deal with Gwyn's rage and the consequences of betrayal. This was what broke Ornstein as a person, entirely - and what he never forgave NK for. So yes, even after the betrayal, Ornstein still saw NK as his only true lord, the person he had sworn his soul and flesh to - but he hated him with passion, for the lies, for the abandonment, for that damned sacred oath and the impossibility of getting freedom from it. Ornstein had hated NK for so long and lost so much to this hatred that when he finally met NK, finally learned that he was genuinely sorry for leaving him... to Ornstein, it didn't matter anymore, because nothing really mattered. And even when NK freed him after all, it still didn't matter. To me, their story is one of caged loyalty, hollow love and betrayed trust without redemption; I admit this is a more tragic take on them, but I love it this way.

least favorite thing about them

Ornstein as a character consists mostly of my own headcanons, so obviously I like them all lol. But what I don't like is the lack of a normal one-on-one bossfight against him and no, Old Fanservisslayer from ds2 does not count. I mean, come on FromSoft, he's the bloody captain of the Gwyn's four knights, he could easily be on the same level of a fight as Gael or phase 3 Friede, and he's a recurring character in every game of the trilogy, you could easily fit him in as a proper boss somewhere in ds3! Pls sign my 8 year old petition to replace the Ancient Wyvern at the Archdragon Peak with Ornstein.

favorite line

The man doesn't have any lines in canon, so I'll reference my own fanfiction because I can.

Some oaths can only be broken by death, master. And I’ve been walking here for too long.

brOTP

Two of them, actually. The first one is Artorias, who once saw the broken ruin of a man consumed with paranoia and hatred and decided that screw it, this guy is friend shaped and needs an emotional support (cheers for him for at least partly restoring Ornstein's faith in people after NK's betrayal). The second one is Gwynevere, who was there when her brother first brought his new apprentice to Anor Londo, and remained by his side throughout the ages, untill the final days of the final apocalypse in Lothric kingdom. So yeah, Artorias was the one who helped Ornstein not to fall into the despair, at least for a while, but Gwynevere was the only one who actually knew him as a person.

OTP

Surprisingly, Ciaran, in some unhealthy "enemies with benefits" type of relationships. Ciaran doesn't trust him and thinks he's a traitor like his liege who somehow gained Gwyn's forgiveness only to betray him later, but this also means she doesn't care much about Ornstein as a man with actual emotions, and doesn't feel guilty for using his company to distract herself from her own tragic unrequited love for Artorias. Ornstein himself appreciates her brutally honest approach and, frankly, is lonely and broken enough to accept even this surrogate of intimacy. So yeah, if you think this pairing is some sort of fucked up angst, you're correct, it is.

nOTP

Gwyndolin. I hc their relationships to be cold. Very, very cold. For Ornstein, Gwyndolin is a boy who's trying to play for his master without having any actual right to it - and Ornstein is sick of having masters. For Gwyndolin, Ornstein is a dangerous beast on a very thin chain, basically uncontrollable and unpredictable. So when Ornstein left Anor Londo, it was a moment of relief for both of them.

random headcanon

Ornstein was a ringed knight before NK noticed him and took him on as an apprentice. For this reason, he was always out of place in both Anor Londo and human lands, even before NK's betrayal.

unpopular opinion

I believe, my hcs on his personality in general? My Ornstein is cold, paranoid and bitter man with no trust in people and very little personal devotion to the gods of Anor Londo. He's not a completely emotionless monster of course, but he's still far more morally dark than most other versions I've seen in the fandom.

song i associate with them

I failed to pick only one, mea culpa.

Лора Бочарова - О Магии и Предательстве (but I couldn't find this thing on youtube in remotely descent quality, so without the link, sorry)

Мельница - Рукописи

Мельница - Кащей

favorite picture of them

This art by azotho

[spicy-apple-pie]

Hello! I wonder if you're still answering the nine questions, if so I'd love to know about Jon Kent! <3

Sexuality headcanon- bi and cis with a strong preference for men

OTP- JonDami baby <333

BROTP- we need more conner and jon brother bonding in the fandom

NOTP- I'm sorry, I don't like Jay. idk man, I think I'm just ride or die for JonDami

First headcanon that pops into my head- He's really bad at learning languages. He tried to learn Kryptonian when he was younger. He tried picking it back up when he was older, but still couldn't wrap his head around it.

Favourite line from this character- "Damian, I'm never going to get married, but when I do, it's going to be to these noodles." It's just such a kid thing to say lol.

One way in which I relate to this character- I also really love noodles.

Thing that gives me second hand embarrassment about this character- The fact that he was aged up. like why????? What was the reason???? Because he spent a good portion of his life away from his mom and dad and friends when he was just a little boy.

cinnamon roll or problematic fave- cinnamon roll.

[average-mako-enjoyer]

Oh for the character ask game after reading your Kaidan post I neeeed to hear your Joker opinions 👀👀

Oh, I have some Joker opinions! Thank you for the ask! From the character ask game. And I can do another Kaidan post, tbh. I literally can't shut up about him.

Favorite thing about them He's an amazing character, and I love how consistently he's written.

Yes, he's a brat, yes, he has a massive, MASSIVE ego, yes, most of the jokes are terrible, yes, he doesn't know where to stop and how to shut up, but it fits, it all fits his background, and there's no way you can't warm to him after a while.

And fucking hell, him unshackling EDI was badass. Least favorite thing about them My god, Jeff, you're so immature. I know that piloting warships is your whole life, but my dude, you have to grow up a little. That line about the asari having more dancers than commandos was... bad.

Honestly, the last scene between him and Shepard aboard the Normandy in ME3 (where this gif is from) is so great, because it finally shows us Joker behind all that edgy humor deflection thing he always does.

Favorite line "Great. See, this is how it all starts. When we're all just organic batteries, guess who they'll blame? 'This is all Joker's fault. What a tool he was. I have to spend all day computing pi because he plugged in the Overlord.'" + "You stole the Normandy, got blown up by the Collectors, and took us on a suicide mission into the galactic core and I haven't mutinied once!"

brOTP I've said it before and I'll say it again. He and Kaidan are bros. In my head, Joker finds him very, very funny and they tease each other for sport and Kaidan is one of three people who can give him A Look and he will shut up.

Joker and Ashley also make sense to me. I think he likes her outspokenness and also likes her dry wit, but I don't think he has the same level of connection with Ash as he does with Kaidan.

Him and Shepard, too. I think they have a pretty unique bond, and it's very important to Joker, and that's why he's always trying to show off in front of Shepard.

I really, really don't like it when people turn friendships into pseudo-familial relationships. Normandy is not a family with daddy, mommy, kids, aunts and uncles and estranged relatives. But what Shepard has with Joker, I think, is the closest thing to an older sibling/younger brother relationship. That's not to say that Shepard thinks of Joker as their younger brother. Because, no, that's completely unprofessional and fucking toxic, but their dynamic is kind of like that.

OTP Joker/EDI He wants to fuck that car so fucking bad...

Their romance is perfect, I love it for so many reasons.

nOTP Shoker. Shepard/Joker. This thing.

I have nothing against people who ship it, you guys are great, but to me, to my Shep, and to my understanding of Joker's character, this romantic relationship feels completely unrealistic and it kind of cheapens the unique bond between them. Not every strange and close relationship should be romantic or familial. There's a lot more to this life than that.

Random headcanon He has his own collection of model ships, and he was the one who suggested that Shepard start assembling them. He can sometimes get so deep into calculations that he forgets to eat or drink, and the only people who can pull him out of it are EDI, Shepard, Chackwas, or Kaidan.

Unpopular opinion He has an incredibly fragile ego and should be mocked for it.

Song i associate with them I Will Never Be the Same - Lost Gravity Favorite picture of them @makanidotdot draws him and EDI perfectly.

[waterfire1848]

Hello! Not sure if you're still doing AU 5 headchanon asks but...

Au, on the day of Zuko's agni kai, rushes to his defense before Ozai's hand touches his skin burning herself instead. But this is Azula, somehow she manages to trick everyone in the room by saying, "She, as the second born daughter, gladly takes the punishment for the first born son in order to protect his honor" or some nonsense like that appealing to all the old misogynistic geezers and gets away with it. (Ozai can't exactly challenge both his children to an agni kai on the same day. And Azula is already burned)

Meanwhile, Zuko is confused and thinks this is all some sort of sick joke orchestrated by Azula, and Ozai now knows he doesn't have complete control over his daughter. Fast forward a bit, Azula gets her signature blue flames, and Ozai starts to feel threatened about his position. He killed his father for the throne, so what's stopping her? She had already acted against him once before. So he pulls out this idea that her blue flames are a sign that she isnt well and therefore must be sent away in order to be cared for.

Where you ask? The institute where they send all the unmanageable young ladies of the firenation *looks at the asylum in the comics*

I'm not sure if i want Mai and Ty Lee to be sent in alongside her, with their parents wanting to cut off ties with their daughters who befriended the princess who caught the fire lords ire. Or if they are outside the institute but working on a way to bust Azula out.

Either way, this is my crack au idea i randomly thought up at 3am in the morning. There are no end-game ships, everyone is brotp. Thank you for listening to me ramble.

Hello, anon!! I am! (Just FWI - My inbox is turned off for the time being so I can answer some questions but it will be turned back on very soon!)

Azula does care about Zuko. She really does. Okay, maybe they don't have the best relationship in the world, but he's still her brother and Azula doesn't want Zuko to get burned and banished. (It also has nothing to do with the fact that she's terrified to be alone with Ozai. Not at all). When she sees Ozai on the stage with Zuko and sees Zuko refuse to fight, she knows this isn't going to end well and she can't stand to see him get burned. Azula runs from her uncle and Zhao and onto the stage. When she pushes Zuko, she's burned on the side of her face (not in the same was Zuko was through. This burn mostly affects her ear, hair and the side of her face just barely missing her eye). (Zuko: AZULA! Azula: AHHH!! Zuko: Azula, hang on. The physician is coming. It'll be okay. Azula: I...I can...I... Zuko: Azula! Azula! Ozai: Get away from her Prince Zuko! Zuko: NO! Stay away from her! Ozai: *Turns to the audience* When the Princess wakes up we will find out what possessed her to interrupt a sacred fight!). Azula is taken away to the healer, leaving her brother, father and uncle utterly confused.

Azula wakes up a few weeks later and is immediately confronted by Ozai. He rants that she was an idiot for going on the stage and that he was going to make her crown princess once Zuko was gone. All Azula says is that she is the second born daughter and was happy to take Zuko's place in the Agni Kai to protect his honor. Ozai is angry at her but there's nothing much he can do since Azula did nothing wrong. He doesn't want to banish his prodigy and he can't fight Zuko anymore, so he's kind of at a loss of what to do. The matter is settled a while later and Zuko confronts Azula about why she did it. (Azula: No thank you for saving you. Zuko: I didn't need you help. Azula: Yeah. You looked like you were doing great up there. Face it, Zuzu. You needed my help. Zuko: No. I didn't! Azula: Yes, you did! I saved you! Why are you yelling at me!? Zuko: Because you didn't do it for me! You did it for you! You just wanted to show everyone what a great bender you are! Azula: I saved you! Zuko: You just wanted to show off! I'm glad you got burned! Maybe now everyone will see that the great prodigy isn't indestructible!)

Azula and Zuko's relationship starts to get worse and worse as time goes on. Zuko thinks that Azula did what she did for her own glory and because she couldn't stand not having the spotlight on her while Azula is angry that Zuko isn't thankful that she saved him. Years pass and the family continues to be cold to one another. Finally, at fourteen, Azula creates blue fire for the first time. While she is beyond excited, Ozai is anything but. He killed his own father for the crown and he knows that Azula jumped in front of his fire for her brother. So what if Zuko wants him dead? Would Azula help? What if Azula wanted him dead? There's no guarantee she would win but she certainly would put up a fight. Ozai continues to grow more and more uneasy (especially when Azula starts to learn lightning bending) until he finds a solution: a decently close institution for misbehaving daughters. The institution promises to turn all misbehaving daughters into good members of society or keep them there until they learn to be quiet. Azula is sent there only four months after turning 14 year old. (She pretends not to notice Zuko pack her mochi in her suitcase).

The institution is awful. They treat Azula like trash and like she’s not even a human being. For the first month she’s not allowed any outside contact, not allowed to bend and forced to attend classes where, if she does something wrong, she’s put in a straightjacket in her room. Mai, Ty Lee and Zuko are the first ones to visit her the second they’re allowed to and Azula does not look good. Her hair is dying, her skin is pale, she’s in pain from the straitjacket and she’s a lot thinner than she was before. (Ty Lee: Zula! Staff: Back away from the patient. Mai: Patient? Staff: All our patients are classified as such because there is something wrong with them and we are helping them to become better. Princess Azula has been doing much better this last week. She went four days without needing to be placed in solitary or getting the dragon’s poison. Ty Lee: Dragon’s poison? Azula: It’s a drug they give you. Takes away your bending. Ty Lee: You took away her bending?! Staff: Only for a short time. It’s a necessary part of the process. Zuko:….Azula, when was the last time you ate? Azula: *Shrugs* Staff: She’s joking. She at lunch today. A nice meal of fish and rice. Zuko: Zula? Azula: Yeah. Yeah. I ate lunch.). When they leave, Mai, Ty Lee and Zuko know that they have to get her out of there. The girls confront Zuko about him wanting to get involved, saying he’s never shown much care towards Azula before. (Zuko: She doesn’t deserve that. I might be mad but she’s still my little sister and she doesn’t deserve to waste away here.)

The plan is a simple one: bust Azula out and go on the run. Well, maybe on the run is a stretch. The plan is to get Azula somewhere far away where Ozai can’t find them while trying to reason with him to let Azula leave the institution. Once they come to an agreement, everyone goes home. The break out itself is not terribly difficult. Zuko gets a one on one meeting with Azula, which he ordered since he’s the crown prince, and told Azula they were getting her out. (Azula: Why? You hate me. Remember? I stole your moment. Zuko:… Azula: Don’t pity me, Zuzu. I’m doing fine. Zuko: You’re not fine! If you stay here too long you…you need to come home. Azula: Home to a brother that hates me and a father that sent me here to die? No, thanks. I'll remain here. Zuko: I...Azula, please. I don't want you to die here. We can talk more when you're free from this place. Azula: Will you apologize? Zuko: What? Azula: Will you apologize? I got burned helping you! Zuko: Azula- Father threw me in here because I helped you! Zuko: Azula. And you don't even care! Zuko: I DO CARE! Staff: What's going on in there!?). Zuko, Mai and Ty Lee return that night and, working with some staff that Zuko paid off, get Azula out of the institution. They then flee to the Fire Nation countryside and Zuko sends a messenger hawk to Ozai. Time passes, but eventually the four learn that Ozai has no intention of allowing Azula back and has even made orders to some of the generals that Zuko is now a traitor. Terrified to return to their families, the four kids run off to the Earth Kingdom.

[princesssarisa]

Character ask: Miriam and Jochebed

Okay. I hope I don't get too many more Bible character asks, because I'm honestly not religious , but here goes. I'll cover both mother and daughter together, because one of my favorite pictures of them is a painting of them both.

Favorite thing about them:

Jochebed: Her love, bravery, and cleverness in protecting her son Moses, by technically following the law ("Every Hebrew boy must be thrown into the Nile") but putting him in a water-tight basket and having her daughter watch over him until he's safely found.

Miriam: Her status as a revered female prophet, who protected her brother Moses as a child, who led the Israelites in music and dance at the Red Sea, and who earned the respect and loyalty of her people. I especially like the emphasis that modern Judaism places on her holiness and position of power.

Least favorite thing about them:

Jochebed: That she had to give up her son to save his life, the poor woman, though at least she was able to be his wet nurse.

Miriam: Her possible racism in criticizing Moses "because of his Cushite wife." Although people have tried to find a more sympathetic explanation for that passage: for example, one legend has it that Miriam and Aaron were defending Zipporah, because Moses had separated from her to live a more holy life of celibacy, not objecting to Moses having married her. At any rate, at least she's punished and humbled when God strikes her with a temporary skin disease.

Three things I have in common with them:

*I'm part Jewish.

*I have dark hair, as they must have in that time and place.

*Like Miriam with her tambourine, I believe in the spiritual power of music.

Three things I don't have in common with them:

*I've never been a slave.

*I'm not devoutly religious.

*I've never lived in Egypt.

Favorite line: From The Prince of Egypt:

Jochebed

"Hush now, my baby

Be still, love, don't cry.

Sleep as you're rocked by the stream.

Sleep and remember

My last lullaby,

So I'll be with you when you dream.

River, o river,

Flow gently for me

Such precious cargo you bear

Do you know somewhere

He can be free?

River, deliver him there"

Miriam

Singing as a child:

"Brother, you're safe now,

And safe may you stay,

For I have a prayer just for you

Grow, baby brother,

Come back someday,

Come and deliver us too"

Encouraging Moses as an adult:

"Moses, hear what I say. I have been a slave all my life. And God has never answered my prayers until now. God saved you from the river, He saved you in all your wanderings, and even now, He saves you from the wrath of Pharaoh. God will not abandon you. So don't you abandon us."

brOTP: Each other, Moses and Aaron.

OTP: For Jochebed, her husband Amram. For Miriam, her own husband, whoever he was, if she did marry (traditions vary).

nOTP: Moses or Aaron.

Random headcanon: For Jochebed, she was born very late in her father Levi's life, so even though her husband Amram was her nephew, she was younger than he was. (I hope nothing in the text contradicts this.) Of course, the very fact that Levi, son of Jacob, was her father is hard to believe, because it would have made her an impossibly elderly mother when Moses was born, even older than Sarah was at Isaac's miraculous birth. But we probably shouldn't worry about whether the timeline is realistic or not – it's innately convoluted and full of contradictions, probably because it consists of multiple sources strung together over centuries.

For Miriam, I like the Jewish legend that a well or a spring followed her throughout the desert, providing water for the Israelites, and that it dried up when she died, which explains why in the Book of Numbers there's suddenly no water after her death.

Unpopular opinion: I don't think I have one.

Song I associate with them:

For Jochebed:

"Deliver Us" from The Prince of Egypt

For Miriam:

"Miriam's Song" by Debbie Friedman

"When You Believe" from The Prince of Egypt

Favorite picture of them:

This painting of mother and daughter together with baby Moses.

Of Jochebed:

These stills from The Prince of Egypt. (The first two also featuring little Miriam, little Aaron, and baby Moses.)

Of Miriam:

This modern painting, because unlike most paintings of Miriam at the Exodus with her tambourine, it shows her correct age. Most classic paintings of the scene make the mistake of portraying her as a young woman, but she was Moses's older sister, which means she would have been in her eighties! Please, artists, let elderly women play music and dance!

From The Prince of Egypt, as a child and as an adult. (Even though the movie does make adult Miriam younger at the Exodus than she would have been, that's okay, because it makes Moses younger too.)

[zak-dar]

Nicholas, where are you looking? You're a priest!

Milly, where are you looking? He's a priest!

I've never mentioned it here, but Trigun is one of my most favorite anime. I don't like westerns, I don't like fiction, but somehow, it was Trigun who captured my heart and never let go again. Although Cowboy Bebop is recognized as a world classic having roughly similar genres and setting at its core, I still think Trigun is better than it. I tenderly love all the characters, and even if I hate someone as individuals (Legato and Knives), I still love them as interesting characters.

However, I can't say the same about pairings. I would never have thought that I would like the canonical couple in the anime more than the wonderful fanon with Vash and Nicholas. As I got older, I realized something: there are some works in which the relationship between two men (because I'm mainly BL fan) should remain friendly, because something romantic between them will make them not the characters I like. Brotp is also a great kind of relationship, and sometimes I just accept the fact that there are absolutely heterosexual characters. So when I see the interactions of Nicholas and Vash in the original anime, I understand that they are comrades, brothers in arms, but I don't see at least an ounce of romance, although I can perfectly understand why people ship them.

(update: I'm sorry, I was too lazy to write in English by myself, so I used translator and it made many mistakes in names, so I fixed it only few weeks latter)

[shrinkthisviolet]

Or possibly ❛ you’re important to me, you little shit. ❜ for Cisco and Morgan or Jesse?

Went for Cisco & Jesse for this one, an underrated brotp! Some exploration of post-Zoom trauma for Jesse:

To say Jesse was struggling after Zoom would be an understatement.

She could barely sleep, and since Dad insisted on only one cup of coffee for her a day, she was also exhausted. But if she closed her eyes for even a moment—

"Your father has abandoned you..."

"You're lying!"

—she jolted upright, heart hammering with visions of that demonic black mask and terrifying blue lightning.

Barry's was gold. But sometimes, if even he moved too fast—

"Stop, stop!"

"Jesse? I'm...I'm sorry, I—"

"Just stay there! Stay there and don't...and don't move!"

"Okay. Okay, I'm right here. Not moving an inch, okay?"

It was pathetic. She was 17, nearly an adult—she should be better than this.

Surprisingly, though, it was Cisco who caught on first. Cisco who moved to Jesse's side when she started panicking, Cisco who warned Barry not to use his speed around Jesse...Cisco who made her a blanket fort when they both couldn't sleep.

(It was only those nights when she slept peacefully, curled up next to him in the fort.)

She'd never had a brother, but she could almost imagine this was what it felt like, even if she didn't know Cisco well enough to say for sure.

Except...it didn't make sense. It didn't...these people barely knew her. Surely they were just...just being nice to stay on Dad's good side, right? Or they wanted something from her. Yeah, that had to be it.

What it was, though, she couldn't fathom—Cisco only spoke to give her comfort, or to tease her about something unrelated, and he never asked anything of her. And even Dad seemed surprised at how well they were getting along.

But Jesse didn't like owing people. So one day, she finally asked, "Okay, what do you want?"

Cisco looked over at her, startled. "I mean...I'd like to fluff this pillow, but—"

"You know what I mean. What do you want from me?"

Cisco frowned. "A...good night's sleep would be ni—"

"Cisco!"

"Jesse!"

"Ugh!" She threw her hands up in the air. "I don't get you! Why are you being so...so nice to me, so accommodating? You don't even know me, not really!"

"Do I have to know someone to care about them?" Cisco retorted.

"Why do you care about me?"

"Because you're important to me, you little shit!" Cisco sighed, running a hand through his hair. "To all of us, really. I'm just...the best person to understand what you went through."

She scoffed. "Oh, were you kidnapped by an evil speedster for months too?"

"No. I was just killed by one."

She froze, her heart skipping a beat. "I...what?"

"Barry saved me." He smiled sadly. "He always does that. But...because of my powers...I remember it, clear as day. My trusted mentor, calling me his son...and then tearing a hand through my heart."

"Cisco...I'm so—"

"Don't apologize. You asked."

"If I'd known—"

"You didn't."

"But if I had—"

"You didn't, Jess. Let it go." He sighed. "If you get lost in the if-onlys, you'll never get out. Trust me. I only barely manage it most days."

They sat in silence for a few moments, pillow forgotten...and lost for anything else to do, Jesse slowly reached over and hugged him.

Cisco hugged back, with a fierceness rivaled only by Dad's hugs, and it wasn't long before both of them were crying—full on sobbing—all while clinging to each other for dear life.

Jesse didn't have a brother. But she'd guess this was what it felt like...and she couldn't imagine a better feeling.

prompt list!

[primeministerofantarctica]

A3! reading club: act one (chapter 1-6)

(cw: talking about parental neglect and abuse, orientalism, one mention of suicide)

Hey, ten out of twelve isn't bad, all things considered! This very well could have gone down in October. Also, since it's February (March if you wanna be generous), does that mean everyone in Harugumi's slightly younger than their Year One ages now? Ack, timelines are confusing.

Izumi casually talking about how Yukio neglected her and following it up with "well, it was probably because he loved this theater so much!" is. Oh, girl. No wonder she snapped when Sakyo suggested he'd abandoned Mankai, because if he hadn't loved it, then why did she have to go through with that?

I'm not versed enough in Japanese particles but I recognize "daijoubu" and Tsuzuru watching this trainwreck unfold and saying something along the lines of "are you guys, like, okay?" is extremely funny.

Then we get to Sakuya and Masumi's family situations, which. From a meta perspective, it makes sense to want to give your minor protagonists the freedom that having parents limits. That's why the trope of "young protagonist in kid's spec fic media is conveniently an orphan" is so common. (was? I think it's becoming less common now.) The problem lies in the lack of willingness to follow through with the emotional conflict it creates, or resolve said conflict in a satisfying manner. Sure, I'm assuming they weren't starved or physically abused, but being treated like a burden when you're a child is still fucking traumatizing! Basically I think Izumi Sakuya and Masumi should start a union. And I'm glad later chapters go the reasonably more toned-down route of "my parents have a reasonable amount of trust in me to make these kinds of decisions".

Also, can we talk about Sakuya and Masumi, because they're one of my favorite brotps here. The way Sakuya appoints himself as Masumi's surrogate big brother? He's so eager to potentially share a room with him ;-;. (personally I hc that Ms. Sakuma was expecting another child before the accident or whatever killed them, so Sakuya's been a big brother without a younger sibling all this time </3)

Wow, that doesn't sound like a metaphor for anything! You're right, Izumi, why would you go the easy route of taking something prepackaged and guaranteed when a bunch of wildly different spices can create a delicious meal if you know how to utilize them right?

Am I grasping at straws here. Probably.

The little ka-ching sound effect is adorable.

Tsuzuru, I'd think "antagonist" should be near the top of the list...also, there's plenty of plays that have been pulled off with two or three actors. Just put on "night, Mother" or something. (Joking. Don't look up night, Mother if you're sensitive to themes of suicide.)

"Tsuzuru, you picked this troupe because it had a dorm, right? ...Then maybe our best bet is to focus on more people in your shoes."

"People in my shoes? In other words...."

"The homeless?"

I CAN'T ASJHGSKSDSK

he's literally doing the 😔 face i'm on the floor.

HE'S HERE! Funny how Izumi's right about Citron not being a regular tourist right off the bat. He may not be from another troupe, but he's definitely "in character" right now.

Also, oof. Citron's my second fave in Harugumi after Sakuya, but it's glaringly obvious how much of his character is rooted in orientalism. Sure, maybe it's an act, but why is he talking about how "shameful" showing skin is when his top is (conveniently for us) THAT low-cut.

On another note, I know people have pointed out his distaste for pig's feet as evidence for headcanoning him as Muslim, but I haven't seen anyone point out how he calls Veludo Way a "mecca" of theatre. Like yeah, mecca can just mean hub, but...why didn't they just say hub? Words Have Connotations. I'm not saying this coding is good or bad, it's just a neutral observation.

AND HERE'S THIS BASTARD (affectionate)

Oh, Kasumi! (insert pointing reaction pic bc I've run out of photo space.) It's Kasumi, guys! :D