#ferdinand is not amused

[anophiles]

hubert, no

[victusinveritas]

World War I was the fault of exactly two people: Charlemagne and Hiram Maxim. In this essay I will...

Eventually bullshit my way into an argument, but I could do it. I'm just not going to because I have things to do. Do check out The Sleepwalkers though, it's a good book. Ditto The Guns of August.

[tumblingelanor]

Britney Spears Baby One More Time acoustic cover by Franz Ferdinand @ PÉ PITE, LeDriveRTL2 (15/02/22)

-

Merry Britmas! :-D

And as I said in the comments of this video, if Franz go for a third Britney cover it should be “Break the Ice.”

Though as another commenter said, they should just do a full EP or something of Brit covers. I would be so down for that.

[4typercent]

Can you imagine the absolute CHAOS this hell site would be if one Ferdinand Kingsley was here?

🫠 Madness. 🫠

Tumblr is fun now without him, but it'd be insane if he was here!

[carlocarrasco]

POGO Ban would help expedite Philippines’ exit from global financial watchdog’s “gray list” related to money laundering

In relation to helping the Philippines recover from the many negative effects caused by Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs), the declared nationwide ban on POGOs will help expedite the nation’s exit from the “gray list” of a global financial watchdog that has been monitoring jurisdictions for money laundering risks, according to a BusinessWorld news report. To put things in perspective,��

[gobspeaks]

'stare at me as much as you want, provided I can stare back.'

*ferdinand and byleth staring at each other intensely in byleth's room*

[logansdoll]

ivy, l. howlett (2)

you try to get to know your mystery man a little better... but big brother is always watching.

CW: canon typical violence, gore, guns, mutation, profanity, innuendos, mature themes, mentions of sex, y/n is very poison ivy-esque, jean grey exists but is not present, etc.

"I think you'll be comfortable here," you assured, turning on the bedside light as you tossed a few spare blankets on the foot of Logan's bed.

"Where is your room?" he asked, innocently, his hands resting behind his back.

You raised a brow, but brushed off your slight surprise, turning on another lamp.

"Down the hall," you answered, honestly. "But I spend most of my time in the greenhouse."

He let out a soft chuckle, glancing at you out the corner of his eye as he opened the closet doors, inspecting it.

"Is that your gift? You got a green thumb?" he taunted, turning to face you.

"I'm a chlorokinetic," you corrected, unamused. "I can control plants."

"Really? What kinds of plants?" he gasped, falsely.

Instantly, the fern in the corner of the room extended and slammed the closet door shut, Logan watching with intrigue as it slowly receded back into the pot.

"I also have some communicative ability," you walked over to his bedside, sitting down on the edge and mindlessly adjusting the pillows. "It varies based on the species, but the professor is teaching me to develop it."

"I'm sure he is," he nodded, slowly stalking closer until he stood right before you, forcing you to look up at him.

God, your eyes...

The intensity of their warm brown sent a tender buzz through his chest.

"So say what that fern thinks about me."

"I'd rather not," you smirked, resting your hands on the bed as you leaned back. "He's not the nicest, and I'd hate for your feelings to be hurt."

"C'mon," he egged, his voice lowering to a deep whisper, sending shivers down your spine. "You afraid he might like me more than you?"

"I doubt it."

He raised a brow, silently asking again—and the look likely would've left you weak in the knees if you were standing.

With a playful sigh, you caved, turning to Ferdinand to hear what he had to say, letting out a quiet snicker at his colorful language before turning back to Logan.

"You look like dive-bar frequenting lumberjack, with a weird ass haircut and a shitty beard," you relayed, verbatim. "He's still going, of course, but I think you get the gist."

For the first time since you met him, Logan let out a genuine laugh, tickled by the gusto of the houseplant.

"That's—" "Ahem," a familiar voice cleared his throat, forcing you both to turn your attention to the door.

'Shit.'

"Scott," you greeted with a sigh, slowly standing up from the bed.

You didn't need telepathy to figure out he was a little more than pissed...

You'd gone against a direct order, and were caught in the act.

'Rookie mistake...'

 Turning back to the lumberjack, you glanced at him with a knowing look, giving him a soft pat on the shoulder, "Good night, Logan," you wished, stepping past him and exiting the room.

Though not without giving Scott a sharp, sideways glare.

But he paid it no mind, instead focusing his attention on the stranger in the room.

"You gonna tell me to stay away from your girl?" Logan cocked brow.

"My girl is away on business," Scott corrected, resting his arms behind his back.

"Hmm. Well, then, I guess you've got nothing to worry about, do ya, Cyclops?" Logan smirked, strolling toward the man.

"Yeah, it must just burn you up that a boy like me saved your life, huh?"

Logan's amusement died fast, along with his playful expression.

But Scott pressed right on, pleased to see he struck a nerve, and hoping to strike another.

"She is entirely out of your league," he stated, seriously. "So do yourself a favor and don't even bother."

And with that he shut the door, leaving Logan to steam on the other side.

'Don't even bother, my ass...'

Scott might've been right about you being out of his league—you were a gorgeous, intelligent woman with a sense of humor, who probably wouldn't give him the time of day in any other instance—but Logan liked a challenge.

And he'd be damned if he let some pretty boy tell him who he could and couldn't pursue.

"You went against a direct order—" "We were just talking, Scott," you rolled your eyes, watering Monique, your huge Monstera Deliciosa.

She was nestled nicely in the corner—perfect for indirect natural light—blending seamlessly with the countless array of other plants.

In fact, your room looked more akin to a forest than anything, green seeming to sprout from every nook and cranny, even the canopy of your bed covered in ivy and varying species of flowers.

"It looked a little more than that from where I was standing."

"Even if we weren't, that's none of your business," you scoffed, moving on to the palms. "You're not my keeper."

"But I am your leader," he corrected, firmly. "When I tell you something, I expect you to listen. Logan is bad news, and I'm not gonna let you get roped up in his mess."

"He's a chronic amnesiac with an attitude problem," you turned to him, incredulously, crossing your arms over your chest. "I assure you, I can handle him."

"It's not a matter of handling. I don't want him trying anything with you."

You and Scott, along with Ororo and Jean, had known each other since you were kids under the professor's tutelage, and with you as the youngest of the group—though not much younger than them—Scott assumed the role of an older brother.

And throughout your childhood, especially in your teens, he chased away any boy that seemed to take even the slightest liking to you.

A habit he held on to well into your twenties, and a habit that you appreciated just about as much as you did back then.

Which was not at all.

"Scott, with all due respect, I am a grown woman. And this beat the boys away routine you got going on is getting seriously old," you warned, seriously.

"I don't want to see you get hurt," he pressed on, not letting up, "And trust me, I know guys like Logan, and they only bring pain and heartbreak."

"That is exactly what you said about that boy from Louisiana," you pointed an accusatory finger at him. "I think his name was Rodney or��Rudy or something..."

"'Cause he was exactly the same!" Scott scoffed, disbelieving of your inability to see the patterns. "I hate to break it to ya, (n/n), but you have terrible taste in men."

"Excuse me?!"

But before you could fire back with a retort, a roar suddenly echoed throughout the house, along with a scream of terror.

Instinctively, you reached out to all the plants in the house, finding its source almost instantly.

"Logan," you realized, eyes wide as you raced out of the room, Scott right behind you.

Running out into the hall, you looked both ways, freshly awakened kids sticking their heads out their rooms to see the commotion.

"Somebody help!" Logan shouted, voice laced with panic.

You didn't have time to worry about them.

Quickly, you sprinted down the hall, the two of you barging into his room, only to find Rogue standing there, touching his cheek and seemingly draining his life force.

It looked like he'd stabbed her with his claws, and she was taking his power to close the wound.

'Holy shit...'

Scott cut on the lights just as Ororo joined you, the girl finally letting Logan go, the poor man dropping to the ground like dead weight, seizing.

"It was an accident," Rogue turned to Ororo, guiltily, before running out the room.

You swiftly moved to Logan's side, dropping to your knees to help, "Scott, grab me a pillow," you ordered, leaving no room for argument.

He quickly moved to grab one, you using your powers to grow Ferdinand much larger and stronger, before wrapping his fronds around Logan's body to act as restraints.

'This should keep him front hurting himself.'

"Pillow," Scott nodded, handing it to you.

You took it gratefully, carefully lifting Logan's head and placing it down on top.

"He'll have to ride it out. But with his healing factor I'm not too worried," you assured, brushing a loose strand of hair out his face.

With that out the way, Ororo turned to the crowd of children gathered at the door, scolding.

"Off to bed. All of you. There's nothing to see here," she ushered them away, exiting the room.

Now just you and Scott, you let out a sigh, standing up and running a hand through your hair.

You could practically feel Scott's I told you so look burning through his glasses.

"Shut up."

"I told you... bad news."

[embraceweird]

thinking about Neil Josten from your average exy fan's perspective is so wild

first Palmetto is so secretive about their new striker. everyone is throwing out crazy theories and there is a bunch of hype. but it's just some true freshman from middle of nowhere Arizona ??? what is Kevin Day thinking? maybe Day is having a mental breakdown after the incident last December

Neil plays his first game and he's fine. he's no king of exy but he held his own. probably will be an average striker

but then you see him on the Kathy Ferdinand show and he absolutely lays into Riko! THE Riko Moriyama, the #1 to Kevin's #2. opinions are probably divided some outraged some kid dare call out the king others are very amused by Neil's outburst. regardless you will be keeping your eye on Neil Josten

as the fall season goes on Neil gets good, really good. he may be the best freshman anyone has ever seen but he's also kept himself from mouthing off publicly so the Neil Josten rumor mill dies down a bit

BUT THEN SPRING COMES AND OMG IS THAT A 4 TAT ON HIS CHEEK???

Neil Josten has been marked perfect court!!! will he and Kevin transfer to Edgar Allan?? what was that fight with Riko about oh so long ago? also didn't his eyes used to be brown?

then Neil goes and mouths off AGAIN! calling out Riko AGAIN! the exy community is thrown into chaos

the spring season continues and apparently Neil Josten is in fact Nathaniel Wesninski?!!!!?! now the FBI is all over him, Neil's face and name are on every major news network because notorious crime boss, the butcher of Baltimore, is dead!

Neil's face looks like shit, he's out on injury again and his past is absolutely insane, even for Fox standards. but we have exy to play

foxes somehow made it to face the ravens in the finals. and Neil plays as a backliner!! Neil faces against Riko, the rivalry is tense!

the clock runs out, the foxes are up, Palmetto has usurped Edgar Allan! Neil is doubled over at Riko's feet and then Riko goes for the head! fortunately, Minyard steps in but Riko may never play again

this is the wildest season of exy probably ever and the little nobody from Arizona is in the middle of so much of it. regardless of how you feel about him every exy fan knows the name Neil Josten

[queenimmadolla]

I imagine eddie would have a little family time kid friendly valentines with the reader on one day and an adults only, ship the kids off somewhere valentines another day

What gifts or things do you think would happen on that day

Id imagine reader would wake up eddie by dressing the kids up as cherubs and attacking him with rubber sucker arrows to shoot at him

🦊

Family friendly Valentine’s Day is in the morning, After Hours (bow chicka bow wow) Valentine’s Day is from the evening and all through the night 😏 while the kids are sleeping over with grandpa Wayne and Maude.

I like the way you think and that’s very cute, reader buying the kids pairs of wings to wear and those annoying ass toy Cupid bow and arrows and then releases them into the bedroom to assault Eddie. It makes for a really good home movie and pictures for the family album.

Eddie OF COURSE was prepared and had to hide all of the gifts he got in the van because not a single person in the house, including reader, can be trusted not to go snooping. Eddie gets the girls and Wayne (his little Ferdinand 🥺) flowers, called into a floral shop weeks in advance to place the order and while reader absolutely loves her roses, seeing penny and wayne’s reaction to getting them is like the best thing in the world. They get all shy and happy about having received something so special, and their bouqets are significantly smaller than reader’s but it doesn’t matter; Wayne’s got his nose in his daisies, sniffing away for the rest of the day, and Penny lets reader help make hers into a flower crown, so she can wear it the entire day. They also gorge themselves on chocolate and candy, which reader isn’t happy about but Eddie couldn’t not buy some for them! Besides, the inevitable sugar high will be big Wayne’s problem.

Penny and Wayne will have made homemade Valentine’s cards that say something along the lines of “congraz” (Wayne, still says ‘happy birthday’ for most holiday greetings and gets confused with them all so it’s a congratulations from him this time). And Penny’s are just amusing (‘Happy Valentine’s Day, daddy! I gots no monies so this is what you get, i love you ps get me flowers and member i dont like white choclet’ and ‘Happy Valentine’s Day, mommy! You are my valentine now, not daddys but you can kiss daddy on the lips, but i saw hims eat some onions one time and they are stinky good luck”)

BUT, Eddie has plans for him and Reader, so the kids are pawned off to Wayne and Maude, reader is whisked away to a romantic dinner and then brought home for some very much needed alone time. They share a couple of joints on the porch, he gives her a foot massage because her feet ache a little from the heels she wore to dinner, they talk about their life; where they are in it, what they thought they’d be doing by then and how happy they are regardless, then they move things into the bedroom. Put those cuffs, Eddie now has to hide, to good use. Spend the rest of the night fucking like rabbits well into early morning, nearly depleting the box of condoms in the night stand. In between rounds, Eddie and reader finish off the leftovers from their dinner in bed when the munchies kick in, sharing a bottle of water, lounging around naked, talking about everything under the sun—weed induced peculiar thoughts, of course—and enjoying each other’s company. It’s reminiscent of the early days of their relationship, before the jobs, before the kids, before any of the responsibilities, when they were just teenagers.

Come morning light, you’ll have to go get your kids and slip back into the roles of mom and dad, which the two of you are more than happy to do, but it’s also nice to play a little pretend for the night.

Happy belated Valentine’s Day! 🩷

(P.s. part of the Pennyverse for any new readers ♡)

[aubalexandria]

"Lord Ferdinand was treating her with as much care and consideration as he would an especially valuable plant for brewing. He had an eye on her the entire time.”

Rozemyne slowly but surely changing Ferdinand is always amusing to read about from other characters pov

From Justus and Eckhart lamenting on how she has his full trust something that they fought years for, even after giving their names. That she was able to get him to eat proper meals and look after himself rather than rely on potions.

To Karstedt pointing out that he treats her with care and concern far more than is necessary for both a noble and the heartless lord of evil in p2.

Or Fran, when noting that although he too had changed after starting to serve Myne, so had Ferdinand. And the chapter seeing him care and look after Rozemyne for the 2 years, never leaving her side for too long, shows just how much she had changed him by that point.

The old Ferdinand wouldn't have cared, he would complain about weaknesses, cut people out who didn't serve a purpose, supplement sleep and food with potions. To see him like this would indeed be a shock to anyone who knew him enough.

[aireterra]

Lutz to Sylvester (the archduke —albeit undercover):

“In that case, Brother Sylvester, please ask the archduke to hire servants to clean the lower city. A lowly commoner like me could never be so brazen as to ask the archduke himself. But blue priests are nobles, right? I’m sure you can do it.”

Lutz to Wilfried (who couldn't read yet at that time):

“It may be rare for commoners to know how to read, but even they can learn when it’s necessary for work. It may be rude to present someone who can’t read with a book the first time you meet them, but as you’re a noble, I’m certain that we don’t need to worry about that.”

Lutz not knowing the circumstances, managed to say words so brazen or insulting but he's not wrong lmao. As spectators, Leon was shocked and terrified while Ferdinand seemed amused.

There's also that one time with Justus but Fritz had to step in and help him then so idk if that counts...

I don't know if he's just right or lucky but good for him. Poor archduke and son duo tho.

[glowingbadger]

Which of the Three Houses guys will watch their beloved go off on an enemy and have the reaction of "Well mark me down as scared AND horny", do you think?

Ahh, see my dear Friend Anon, this is a nuanced spectrum- but I'll do my best to break it down as I see it:

Scared and Horny:

Claude - has enough common sense to be scared, but definitely hot-blooded enough to be horny about it. A beautiful balance, frankly, though he may tease you about how wild you were.

Raphael - soooo close to qualifying for the "just horny" category, but he is a sweet boy and still wants to check to be sure you're alright (mentally, emotionally, physically) after the battle.

Ignatz - soooo close to qualifying for the "just scared" category lmao. However, as you all know, I see our boy Ignatz as very repressed and very kinky, and seeing you be so powerful and passionate definitely stirs some part of him.

Ferdinand - practically the poster-boy for "scared and horny" tbh; he feels sheepish about it, but he just can't help how your strength and force of will arouse him.

Seteth - also strangely close to the "just horny" category, not that he wants to admit it; seeing you like this really awakens something primal in him from far in his past. Still, his concern for you is ever-present and ultimately pushes aside how entrancing you look conquering your foes so thoroughly.

Sylvain - I almost don't know how to elaborate on this one because, I mean, of course, right? Of course Sylvain is worried, but also just burning inside watching you flushed in the face, damp with sweat, muscles tight, hair wild.......

Just Scared:

Lorenz - oscillating wildly between worried for you and worried for every person around you. Definitely impressed, don't get me wrong- he appreciates battle prowess. But if you're really going berserk, he's worried.

Dedue - while he's likely right there beside you in the fight, he worries about seeing you get particularly aggressive. He's seen what bloodlust has done to the other most valued person in his life, and never wants to see you go too far down that path.

Ashe - it's not as though he can't stomach violence, he just feels that there's a certain responsibility and necessity for rules of engagement when it comes to combat, hence his proclivity for chivalry. Seeing you completely lose yourself worries him, and he'll want to be with you and hold you and make sure you're okay as soon as he can.

Just Horny:

Hubert - I feel like this is more or less self explanatory lmao. Though he does still hope you'll be rational and not do anything unnecessarily risky while eviscerating your foes.

Caspar - again, an obvious choice. Honestly, I think Caspar wants to fuck after just about every battle you two come back from, provided neither of you is hurt too badly.

Jeritza - this is the most obvious one so far lol. Though, when he's more 'himself,' he does silently worry about you sharing in his bloodshed and provoking the Death Knight part of him.

Felix - honestly, it's probably even fiercer than Hubert or Caspar; the lust he feels for you in the heat of battle is both primal and nearly spiritual. This is about his whole life philosophy, after all. After a particularly tough and gruesome fight, he wants nothing more than to absolutely ravage you (and might need to be talked down if he has wounds to attend to first)

Outliers:

Linhardt - ideally, he is not present, as the sight of you "going off" on an enemy is likely to involve waaaaay more blood than he's comfy with. He'll definitely tend to you afterward, and wryly scold you for going overboard (secretly, he was super worried when he heard from your comrades of how ferocious you were out there)

Dimitri - he's in different categories depending on where he's at in his arc tbh. Feral Dimitri is obviously just horny about you diving into the bloodshed with him, while "redeemed" Dimitri has some measure of restraint about it

Yuri - it's more like "amused/impressed and horny," tbh. Though he never looses his head about it- he's still keeping a close eye on you to make sure nothing goes awry. But he won't deny that he enjoys watching, nonetheless.

[right-there-ride-on]

Does Johnny actually hate Diego? (Sources Cited)

The answer might surprise you!

Let’s take a look at the evidence:

Diego and Johnny's first interaction during the first stage

They don't appear to know each other well, with Johnny referring to him as "this brit jockey, Diego Brando". Interestingly, Johnny compliments Diego's skill as a jockey.

Chapter 10: The Final Straight - 2000 Meters Left

And Diego indirectly compliments Johnny as well!

Chapter 11: The Final Stretch - 1000 Meters Left

2) Scary Monsters Arc

Johnny and Gyro come upon an injured Diego. Johnny, more than anything, is in disbelief. Given that this arc directly follows Wired, he's likely wondering if Diego was attacked as well. He doesn't seem particularly happy that Diego could be dropping out, the action lines indicating the thought has him vaguely concerned.

Johnny then attempts to get Gyro leave Diego be. Rather than any hatred, it seems he's mostly just suspicious about the circumstances of Diego's injury, given what rumors he's heard about him and, as mentioned above, he's distrustful of most anyone except Gyro due to the recent attack.

Furthermore, Johnny is the only one to notice something strange is happening to Diego. It's his reaction to the injury we see. Gyro, apparently, is oblivious to this (despite being closer), and thinks Diego's frustration is amusing. Johnny remains mostly confused.

A short while later, Diego miraculously catches up with them, and seems completely healed from the injury. Furthermore, he's acting extremely strange, leading to Johnny being even more suspicious and telling him to go away. On Diego's end, he actually compliments Johnny, as he did during the first stage. Johnny, however, continues to notice oddities about Diego's appearance and maintains his distance.

Johnny continues to be hyper-aware of Diego, vehemently protesting needing to sleep in the same spot. Gyro, by contrast, is much more relaxed, despite also seeing Diego act strangely earlier. Now Johnny insults Diego, though again, these seem to be just rumors he's heard and his own anxiety over being attacked. Rather than a personal hatred for Diego, this reads more like Johnny trying to convince Gyro to somehow move them farther from Diego out of worry / suspicion that he'll pull something.

Gyro leaves to gather firewood, leaving Johnny alone. Johnny makes coffee, and we get the rather infamous scene of Diego eating rocks. When Diego realizes Johnny is watching him and catches the scent of coffee, he has the audacity to ask for cup. Johnny questions him about his wound and Diego brushes it off. Johnny is not impressed, but, for whatever, reason, gives Diego a cup of coffee. Was he just trying to get him to leave? Was it a peace offering? Both? Anyway, he didn't toss it in his face or shoot him on sight. Despite all of the signs saying Diego is dangerous and Johnny is right to be suspicious, Johnny does not attack.

Also, why does he assume Diego wants to travel with him? Or that Diego would even ask him to travel together? Inch resting.

(this also reads a bit like little red riding hood, lol)

After a few pages of shenanigans, Diego snatches the cup from Johnny (though not without showing off first). Johnny calls him a slur, then wonders whether Diego even knows what he's doing. Despite Diego's overall strange behavior and Johnny's own reservations about him possibly being a 'terrorist', he still doesn't shoot.

Chapter 28: Scary Monsters (Part 1)

So, again, no real hatred for the guy. Then, once Ferdinand is taken care of and Diego grabs the eyes, Johnny says this:

Chapter 31: Scary Monsters (Part 4)

Now that Diego knows about the corpse - something coveted by everyone that Johnny too wants desperately - Johnny feels threatened. After being attacked, Johnny seems to believe the rumors he's heard about Diego have been confirmed, kicking off a more personal dislike for him.

3) Third Stage Goal

And here we see that... Johnny is mostly right. Diego is a very dangerous competitor, and he is using his new abilities to their full effect. Johnny warns Gyro not to underestimate him, again showing a certain respect for his skills despite his dislike for him.

Gyro chooses to plunge into the lake and Diego follows right behind him. Johnny, reluctantly, also follows, trying to convince Gyro to return. He tells Gyro plainly that he will lose, because Gyro doesn't want to win for himself badly enough.

Chapter 32: Third Stage Goal: Canon City

This is interesting to me. Johnny calls Diego a thief, and yet in his next sentence he doesn't actually condemn him for it. All he's telling Gyro is that Gyro, personally, needs to want to win. He needs to 'hunger' for it, like Diego does (paralleled in how Johnny 'hungers' for the corpse!). Despite everything, it's obvious that Johnny, if nothing else, respects Diego's skills and drive.

Diego then cheats at the end of the stage to try and beat Gyro, proving Johnny is right to say he's the type of the person to do anything to win (and thus proving his suspicions of Diego right, to a degree at least).

4) Catch the Rainbow Arc

This race follows up on a lot of the things brought up during the third stage, but now Gyro's got a new philosophy. While Diego is surprised by this change in attitude, he's not going to sit back and let Gyro win. Once again, Johnny's suspicions are proven correct when Diego cheats to try and win against Gyro. He attacks because he knows exactly what kind of person Diego is, and that Diego is, in all likelihood, somehow already attacking Gyro.

Chapter 39: Catch the Rainbow (Part 2)

Not much else to add, except that every time Johnny has suspected something is wrong / Diego is cheating... he's been right (lol).

5) A Silent Way

We get a lot more backstory for Johnny and a little more for Diego. This marks the first time Diego works in a team throughout the part, and it's also the first time we learn how easily he throws away his allies. But that happens later. What's important is this:

We suddenly learn that Diego has always been a presence in Johnny's life, albeit apparently indirectly. Given how they interact in the first stage, we can assume they likely ran only a few races against each other (also, given the Joestar family moved away from Britain sometime between Nicholas' death (when Johnny was around 7-9) and Johnny winning the Kentucky Derby at 16, any races between Johnny and Diego would have taken place before Johnny was 16, meaning it's been over four years since they've seen each other and Johnny's dad is still bringing this shit up.) Furthermore, Diego is pointed out twice during the flashback to Nicholas' death. It's possible Johnny associates him with the incident.

And then:

Chapter 42: A Silent Way (Part 3)

What we learn from this is that it's entirely possible Johnny holds some sort of latent resentment toward Diego - even if Diego never did anything to him personally, Johnny may have been inclined to believe the rumors about him simply because of Diego's association with his father (and all the trauma that surrounds that relationship).

The judgements Johnny has been making about Diego throughout the part are usually proven right, even if it's not to the extent of poisoning the horse's water. And yet, despite all this, it still doesn't seem as though Johnny actually hates Diego himself. Mostly, he's just relayed what he's heard about Diego to Gyro (the rumors), been (rightfully) suspicious of him, and has accurately judged Diego's character as someone who'd do anything to get what he wants - and who therefore presents a very active threat to Johnny and Gyro's hunt for the corpse. Moreover, he's also expressed a respect and appreciation for Diego's skills and drive. Johnny never personally insults him or attacks without cause, which, to me, doesn't really convey an intense personal hatred. We'll round back to Diego being involved in this attack in a moment.

6) Let's Talk D4C Arc

Johnny and Gyro resolve to hunt down Diego and steal the left corpse eye from him.

Chapter 64: Chocolate Disco (Part 1)

Johnny, as always, is very practical in his assessment. He has time and again accurately judged Diego's character to be dangerous and ambitious, and also recognizes that, when push comes to shove, Gyro tends to waver. As this arc follows Civil War, we as readers know the depth of Johnny's resolve. Yet, this still isn't motivated by a personal hatred of Diego - rather, it's just more corpse business, and recognizing the lengths Johnny himself (and Diego, as they are of a similar nature!) will go to obtain them. I do think Gyro's hesitation to kill being a repeated idea is fascinating, especially given his past as an executioner, but that's for another time.

Diego makes his introduction for the arc here:

Chapter 66: D4C (Part 1)

For whatever reason, he doesn't want Johnny dead. Is he hoping to ally with him? Maybe, but how useful is a Johnny 'on the verge of death'? For what purpose? He didn't seem to have a problem with killing Johnny earlier during 'Catch the Rainbow' (through, quite frankly, it wasn't clear if he was going to kill him there either, given he kept hesitating to follow through on his promise to 'tear you apart if you come within two meters of me', long enough for Gyro to get a shot in) (Chapter 39: Catch the Rainbow (Part 2))

Either way, we see that Diego now believes that Johnny is better left alive.

So, regardless of the later retconning of 'allowing multiple dimensions to exist simultaneously' for D4C's ability, through some series of contrivances, this then occurs (or well, technically occurs before the above conversation):

Chapter 68: D4C (Part 3)

(notice how since Catch the Rainbow we are now on a first name basis, for both parties. Inch resting.)

Soon followed by a recap of everyone's POVs, ending in:

Chapter 69: D4C (Part 4)

I find Diego's reaction to shooting Johnny very telling of his relationship with him. He honestly seemed to be in more disbelief than Wekapipo. Is it shock when he was so sure he was on the right trail? Surprise at who his bullets ended up shooting? (... regret? he did say he wanted Johnny alive).

This is why interpretation is fun!

And here's the kicker: Johnny still shows up and rescues him. In two different universes, two different versions of Johnny were found by Diego's raptors, and Johnny actually pulled up!

So, despite Diego being a very active threat, Diego having attacked them with Sandman / Soundman, Gyro and Johnny agreeing to beat him up just a few chapters earlier, Johnny calmly stating he's willing to kill Diego should Diego force his hand, Johnny still, literally half-dead, followed Diego's raptors because he realized Diego was asking for help. Additionally, Diego was banking on Johnny’s arrival! He fully trusted that Johnny would understand why he sent the raptors, and also trusted Johnny would come to help him (a very very interesting parallel to the Magenta Magenta situation a few chapter earlier). This, if nothing else, shows Diego’s confidence in Johnny’s abilities and a belief that Johnny is someone who can be relied upon. Coming from Diego? Yeah, I find that super interesting.

Johnny later recounts to Gyro that he did see Diego as one of the people shooting him. Yet he still, in two separate universes, came to help. Did he see Diego's reaction and understand the shooting was Valentine's doing? Did he think Valentine was the bigger threat and so decided to put aside grudges and work with Diego (despite knowing what tends to happen to Diego’s allies)? Or, despite his earlier words, does he actually just not want to see Diego unnecessarily dead and instead of rounding back with Gyro decided to try and help him? We don’t know.

We can extrapolate that Johnny probably assumed, if Diego was asking for help, it meant Diego was close to Valentine. Yet base!Johnny, even while Valentine was in the parallel universe and Johnny was actively bleeding out (and really in no condition to actually fight him if not immediately necessary) still stayed to see what would happen to Diego.

After Diego has crossed back into the base world, we see that both alt!Johnny and base!Johnny witness Diego sacrifice Wekapipo to escape.

Diego seems to express some regret for what he did to Wekapipo. Or rather:

Felt some sort of way that Johnny saw him do it.

Chapter 70: D4C (Part 5)

7) Diego's Death

I won't cover High Voltage arc here, since that's a different Diego, though it is worth exploring The World!Diego's similarities and differences to base!Diego at a later point.

Anyway, Johnny and Gyro follow Diego and now Hot Pants to chase down Valentine and Lucy. After a valiant effort, Diego is killed (Hot Pants soon follows).

Chapter 76: D4C (Part 9)

Again, not really any indication of hatred here. It's a statement of fact. No gloating, no cheering. Johnny at first seems rather affected, but quickly gets himself under control. After that it's all business and trying to save Lucy, then, of course, High Voltage.

Well, you've read this far. So, does Johnny hate Diego?

I actually don't think so!

I think he's deeply wary of Diego's character, and rightfully suspicious of his ambition, and willing to kill Diego to avoid being killed first, but I don't think Johnny has deep-seated hatred for him as a person. On a similar note, I don't believe Diego disliked Johnny at all. To me, it seems that the corpse frequently drove them into conflict, and Johnny had several good reasons for not liking Diego all that much, but never when I reading did I believe Johnny truly, deeply hated him (or vice versa).

They have a lot of neat parallels with Jonathan and Dio, the most significant of which I would point to being the respect they have for one another's drive and abilities despite the race and the corpse frequently pitting them against each other. Yet unlike Dio and even Jonathan, I don't think there was ever a period where they had animosity for one another that went beyond plain competition (for both the corpse and the race itself). Throughout the events of Phantom Blood and continuing into the rest of the original universe, Dio was the world's #1 hater of the Joestar family and it took a very long time for him to develop a genuine respect for Jonathan. And while Jonathan found it in himself to forgive Dio in the end, he states several times how much he hates Dio for constantly ruining his life (killing his dog, kissing his girlfriend, killing his dad, etc). Johnny and Diego were antagonistic at most, and I think if the narrative had gone differently might have made very interesting allies.

Nonetheless, their relationship is very complex and fun to dive into. Thanks for reading!

[carlocarrasco]

Cash incentives for 32nd SEA Games and 12th ASEAN Para Games medalists to be awarded on July 20

Members of the Philippine Team who won medals in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) and the 12 ASEAN Para Games (APG) will be awarded with the promised cash incentives by the national government on July 20, 2023, at Malacañang Palace, according to a Philippine News Agency (PNA) news article. The cash incentives will be released in accordance to Republic Act Number 10699 and President…

[stergeon]

ACT 1: BREAKFAST.

As you make your way through the PALACE to the DINING HALL for BREAKFAST, you, HUBERT VON VESTRA, and your SORT-OF-BOYFRIEND, FERDINAND VON AEGIR, are both fully clothed and presentable. This is not unusual, but worth celebrating nonetheless. You would really prefer to WARP down to the DINING HALL. You would WARP everywhere if you could. WARPING is fast and WARPING is fun and WARPING is an excellent tool of SUBTERFUGE, as well as for surprising people, which is one of your favorite hobbies. But alas. FERDINAND gets warpsick, so you are stuck using your stupid, antiquated legs instead of your wonderful, wonderful MAGIC. It is not so bad, you suppose, as it affords you more time to hear FERDINAND prattle on about whatever it is he's talking about. HORSES, probably, or TEA. He so loves to go on about such things, and although his tastes are insipid and his interests inane, he does have a very nice voice.

At one point, FERDINAND finally stops talking about HORSES and informs you of the various tasks ahead of him in his own perfectly normal day:

(See the more legible version in your JOURNAL.)

He comments how amusing it is that you have the same number of tasks on your TO-DO LISTS for once. Unfortunately, despite your lighter-than-usual load, your schedule conflicts mean he will not be able to spend much of the day with you. You concentrate on humming very scornfully and deflecting very hard so that you do not look disappointed. Still, you will see him again during the PUBLIC AUDIENCE at 12 o'clock and, should you choose to take LUNCH after it, can share your midday meal with him as well. You will need to be mindful of your other TASKS to accomplish this, but you believe it will be feasible.

It has occurred to you that you have not said anything constructive for too long a period of time (beyond, of course, the odd "hm," well-placed "oh my," and the oft-appreciated lie, "that's rather interesting"). If you do not engage soon, you will lose the conversation, and you simply cannot abide such a thing.

#017 | << | <-|| | <- | -> | JOURNAL | HOW TO PLAY | ALL POSTS

[maebird-melody]

I swear, the pre-pub better give us a Ferdinand POV epilogue or side story where we see his take on the conversation with the royals and Dunkelfelger. I am dying to know how he perceived Eglantine’s comment about Rozemyne’s feelings for him. And Rozemyne’s insistence that they clear up the misunderstanding. Because I still heavily headcanon them both as aroace (and Rozemyne especially after this scene), but you know what? The thought of Ferdinand developing a deep attachment to Rozemyne that might look like romantic love at first glance would be deeply amusing (and kind of heartwarming) to me. Also, the brotherly ribbing from Sylvester is peak sibling behavior.