#hilda meta

[the-hilda-librarians-wife]

I actually love the way Hilda The Series tackles hierarchies.

The school’s mayor is an airhead and the one that really keeps things on track at the school is the teacher.

Elves have a Prime Minister and a King, but the real progress is achieved by a common citizen who decided he wanted to help. Even then, he was almost out out of a job when his word was declared untrustworthy without a proper evaluation.

The nightmare spirits will throw the newest members in harms’ way to get a chance to escape.

The most powerful and competent witch is an elderly woman, and the one you’re supposed to root for and sympathize with the most is one that is pushed around by her superiors, and both of them are strongly disliked by the aforementioned witches in charge.

The head of the Safety Patrol is a twat, and his second in command is clearly shown to be smarter and braver. Only not as smart and brave as a third member of the patrol, who we only see badmouthing and downright sabotaging the institution he works for.

The entire main plot hinges on the fact that the people with the most power seized a land that wasn’t theirs with no regard as to what harm was being caused.

Power structures, the way we know them, aren’t supposed to keep you safe. They’re supposed to keep you in line. The people on top of them aren’t there because they’re inherently better, more competent, more worthy at all. You owe this world your rebellion in the same way you owe it your kindness. I love this show.

[slotumn]

On today's edition of slotumn whining about GD being treated as afterthought:

VW should've had more route-specific solo endings for the Golden Deer. Aside from Claude's endings everything else is copy-pasted from SS. Fucking sucks that GD don't get route-exclusive stuff here too!

For one I think Lorenz should've become prime minister by default. He already mentions that he is interested in governance of Fódlan as a whole instead of just Gloucester/Leicester. With Claude out of the picture, he's the best guy for the job in a multitude of ways, since he can advise Byleth on the ins and outs of politics and shield them from other nobles' bullshit.

Same for Marianne too, having her take key role in national governance and not just Edmund makes sense considering her house's position. Mention of Edmund financing continent-wide recovery would be a good way to reconcile her arc too.

The rest aren't as involved in politics so they wouldn't require as drastic of changes, but it would be nice to see their connections to Leicester's victory and ensuring changes in Fódlan emphasized more. Ex:

Lysithea remembered as a hero even if her house faded away

Hilda's artisan school gets gov't funding to establish campuses across the continent, maybe even establishes exchange programs with Almyra as well

Leonie's mercenary band is hired by governments of both Fódlan and Almyra, as a result their prestige becomes international

Ignatz's paintings specifically include landscapes from Almyra, are displayed in the royal palace/museum

Raphael's inn becomes famous for being a favorite to kings of both Fódlan and Almyra and they offer menus related to that

Tl;dr let the GD get that bag

[tygertyger413]

The Parallels Between Holst Goneril and Miklan Gautier

Holst and Miklan have a surprising amount of things in common: they're both from noble families that have traditionally protected Fodlan's borders from foreign invaders (House Goneril with Almyra and House Gautier with Sreng), they're both crestless (meaning they are unable to use their families' relics in defense of said borders), they both prove to be capable fighters and leaders despite lacking a Crest (Holst at Fodlan's Throat, Miklan with his bandit group in Houses/being given a generalship in Hopes), and they both have younger siblings who do have Crests (Hilda and Sylvain).

And yet their paths in life and attitudes towards their siblings couldn't be more different. Holst is the Hero of Leicester, the greatest general the Alliance has ever had, a man respected and beloved by just about everyone, and later becomes Duke Goneril after inheriting the title from his father. He also is a doting big brother to Hilda who adores her and is overprotective of her to an almost unsettling degree. Meanwhile Miklan canonically abused and tried to kill Sylvain multiple times before being disowned, and went on to become a leader of a group of bandits that terrorized Gautier, with his final fate either being transformed into a Demonic Beast after using the Lance of Ruin in Conand Tower and killed (Houses) or being conscripted into the Kingdom army and dying in defense of Arianrhod (Hopes).

Why?

If their beginning circumstances were so similar, then why did Holst's and Miklan's lives turn out so differently? Is the difference something inherent to their characters? Or is it something else?

Could the difference be in their family situations? We know from Hilda's supports with Byleth in Houses that their parents placed a lot of pressure on Holst to meet their high expectations, that it was stressful for him to live up to those expectations even though he could most of the time, and that on the rare instances he failed, he was devastated by people's disappointment. As for Miklan, we know that his birth mom died in a Sreng attack when he was young and his father became distant and emotionally closed-off following her death. Margrave Gautier later remarried (most likely out of the pressure/desire to have a Crested heir who could wield the Lance of Ruin), but Matthias's second wife did care about Miklan despite him not being her biological son, to the point of being hit hard by his death in Azure Gleam. It's never mentioned how Miklan felt towards his stepmother, though. Still, between the Gonerils' pressure and Matthias's "Wall of Ice" personality, it doesn't seem like either Holst or Miklan would be inclined to see their parents as a source of support.

Could the difference be in their societies? Compared to Fargheus, which puts more emphasis on martial prowess and duty (and thus values Heroes' Relics and consequently Crests for the ability to more effectively fight and defend one's people), Leicester is known for its merchants and its Roundtable politics, so Holst would've been able to leverage his family's money and connections (as well as his own charming personality) to convince people to give him a chance despite his lack of a Crest more effectively than Miklan could've in Fargheus. Additionally, Crests are not only valued for granting the ability to use a Hero's Relic, they are also seen as blessings from the Goddess, so the Holy Kingdom of Fargheus would see Crests as even more special for that reason, while the less devout Alliance wouldn't care as much about the religious significance of Crests.

Could the difference be in their education? We know Holst canonically attended the Officer's Academy, but we don't know if Miklan ever did; nothing says he didn't but Rodrigue probably would've at least mentioned it offhand if he did, given how much Rodrigue loves to bring up his old school days with Lambert. Of course, even if Miklan didn't attend Garreg Mach, it's not clear if it was due to a lack of interest on his part or his parents deciding it wasn't worth it for him. We do know that he still received an excellent education from his dad despite lacking a Crest, and he taught him everything he knows. Still, Holst attending the Officer's Academy while Miklan was homeschooled could've affected them in other ways, as Holst would have had the opportunity to form positive relationships with more people and expand his worldview, including the idea that Crests (or his lack thereof) didn't have to define him nor his ability to be successful.

Which leads into my next question: could the difference be Holst's friendship with Balthus? Seeing how much grief his best friend suffered from his stepmother due to having a rare Crest while her son didn't might've convinced Holst that having a Crest didn't make someone inherently better or luckier. Also, having someone who valued Holst as a person instead of for his Crest/crestless nature from a young age (Holst and Balthus have been friends since they were teens, if not earlier) would've helped Holst's self-worth. Meanwhile it's unclear if Miklan ever had any friends: Sylvain's friends all hate Miklan for obvious reasons, and Glenn (the only other person we know of who would've been close enough in age and location to possibly be friends with him) is just a huge unknown in general - though if Glenn was half the honorable knight he is described as by others, he would've hated Miklan too if he knew about Miklan's abuse of Sylvain. The closest thing Miklan would've had to friends at the time of Houses/Hopes is the group of bandits that he led, and even that was more likely a leader/subordinate relationship rather than true friendship.

Another thing to note: Holst's and Miklan's attitude towards Crests. Miklan hates the Crest system because it was the reason Sylvain was chosen as heir to House Gautier over him, and hates and abuses Sylvain for "taking what should've been his", telling Sylvain he "should've paid for that Crest," and ultimately stealing the Lance of Ruin in Houses (which could be interpreted as Miklan taking what he considers to be "his" inheritance, given that the name of the chapter where you fight him is called "The Gautier Inheritance"). Notably Miklan seems more mellow in Azure Gleam, where he's able to earn respect as a general despite his status as a disowned crestless noble and former criminal - which strongly suggests that most of his anger/hatred comes from envy for the power and prestige associated with having a Crest. Holst's feelings regarding the Crest system are never explicitly stated, but it is telling that the Book of Crestology is one of Holst's disliked gifts in Hopes. In Golden Wildfire, while Holst doesn't oppose the Church of Seiros as a whole, he also says "to accept the teachings of Seiros unquestioningly is to abandon reason itself", suggesting that Holst disagrees with the Church on at least some issues - as such, say, the importance of Crests. Yet unlike Miklan, Holst holds no resentment towards Hilda for being born with a Crest when he wasn't - if he does, he hides it very, very well. Which poses an interesting possibility: could Holst's protectiveness and excessive declarations of affection towards Hilda be compensation for any ill will he may have felt towards her in the past, even if he never acted on it? Or a reactionary psychological response to whenever he does feel resentful towards her? (I.E. countering any impulse to hate/hurt Hilda with the reminder that he DOES love his sister and wants to keep her safe.) Another possibility is that seeing Balthus getting along well with his crestless half-brother is what convinced Holst that Crests don't have to get in the way of him having a good relationship with Hilda.

I've written a lot on this topic already, but I just want to share some final thoughts: Azure Gleam shows that Miklan could have easily become a renowned general like Holst if given the investment and opportunity, especially the Reunion at the Fortress City chapter (where Gwendal calls him "Sir Miklan" after Miklan dies out of respect for Miklan's skilled defense of Arianrhod while it was under siege by the Empire). And if Miklan could've turned out like Holst, then Holst could've turned out like Miklan. And yet Holst was able to rise above his family's and society's expectations to become a great general, while Miklan was unable to move past his resentment and blamed others for circumstances of birth beyond anyone's control. What made the difference? We may never know for sure. Perhaps it was something inherent to who they are as people; perhaps it was one of the reasons listed above; perhaps it was multiple reasons or something else entirely. Comparing what little we know about these two still provides us with a fascinating character study, and I wish we knew more about them, their families, and their early years so that we could dive even deeper.

[aarondolo]

Follow yours dreams.

[halfdeadsacrifice]

the muse for actual writing prose? spotty. the muse for everything else? here. have a post about Vayu and Pet Names. he loves them. he loves giving them. most of the time they're fairly standard (honey, sweetheart, being classic faves). but some folks inspire more unique nicknames, or at least terms of affection Vayu prefers for one person.

For Eden: Mani. A Bengali term of endearment that means jewel. It's fairly common but Vayu uses it for Eden alone.

For Zazel: Mistress, but like sarcastically. As in "ughhhhh yes of course mistress." how long is it gonna stay sarcastic though (@miratenebrarum)

For Curumë: Scoundrel. But really Curu gets the entire genre of "affectionately insulting pet names" to himself. (@deaddoveadventures)

For Iago: Crowlet. Because Iago is like a goth baby bird. to him. (@accultant)

For Hilda: Priya, as in best, first, favourite. Vayu doesn't call Hilda nicknames much, she doesn't seem like the sort who'd like it, but I can hear him throwing this one out during a pep talk or something. For Ingvar: Dear friend gets across everything. (@riiese)

For Niraja: Niraja has a nickname Vayu gave her, Mija from Sanskrit bhumija, meaning "born from the Earth".

[reunionatdawn]

My Analysis of the Best Paired Endings in 3H (Part 3: Claude/Hilda)

Byleth: (His easy smile is striking… But that smile doesn't reach his eyes…)

Claude is a Leo, a fire sign ruled by the Sun. Leo traits include being confident, comfortable being the center of attention, drama-adoring, ambitious, loyal, fiercely protective of their nearest and dearest, generous, luxury-loving, sunny, and big-hearted. Like Edelgard, his goal was to usher in the dawn of a new age as supreme leader.

He bears the Crest of Riegan, which is associated with The Moon arcana. The general meaning of The Moon is that everything is not as it seems. It is also the Major Arcana of intuition. It tells you that something about a situation or person in your life is not what it appears to be, and you need to trust what your instincts are telling you in order to see past this illusion.

Claude: When I first saw you wield the Sword of the Creator, I wanted to use your power to my advantage. I wanted to use you to make my dream of a new world come true. But before long, I realized what I really wanted was to see that new world…with you by my side. I still feel that way, you know. I always will. That's why I have to leave.

Claude was taking advantage of female Byleth's romantic interest in him to achieve his dream. He admitted as much himself in his S-Support. That explained why his Goddess Tower scene was all about his political ambitions and lacked any genuine romantic undertones. Supposedly he fell in love with her somewhere along the way. But something felt off to me. He couldn't even attend Byleth's coronation?

Byleth & Claude After ascending the throne as the first leader of the United Kingdom of Fódlan, Byleth sought to rebuild the war-torn towns and villages and to help guide the reformation of the Church of Seiros. After a few months of peace, remnants of the Imperial army joined with those who slither in the dark and marched upon the capital city of Derdriu. The new kingdom lacked the power to repel the invaders, but when defeat seemed imminent, a battle cry rang out from the east. Claude, the newly-crowned King of Almyra, led a mighty army that broke through the rebel forces with ease. This show of solidarity forever altered the course of history, heralding a new age of unity.

If he is paired with Petra, he postpones his return to Almyra for years due to his love. With Lysithea, his love for her compels him to give up the throne entirely. Even when he does return to Byleth like he promised, it's to defeat the remnants of the Imperial army and TWSITD. That earns him the title "King of Unification". But there's nothing in their paired ending to indicate a marital union.

Claude did care about Byleth as more than just a tool. But to me, it felt like the writers were trying to portray that he didn't love her romantically, albeit in a very subtle way. Which I actually found to be a very great idea. He definitely had a reason to marry Byleth for political purposes, considering his dream. And I liked that his reputation as a schemer finally amounted to something in the end after all. Besides, he had more chemistry with Hilda, anyway.

Hilda: It's just a legend, sure…but I prefer to be cautious about such things. One of the guys was pretty handsome, and he came from a good family… But that doesn't really tell you what a person's like on the inside. I want a life partner who's good-hearted and good-looking.

Claude is a very flirty person in general and has a lot of chemistry with most of the girls he can Support with. But he was particularly flirty with Hilda. Even their C-Support was surprisingly sexual. But their connection gradually developed into more than just physical attraction. The tagline for the game was, "Sweet memories twisted by time's cruel hand". Claude has many sweet memories of his childhood and Hilda is the only one who takes an interest in them.

Because of this, she was the only girl he offered to bring home. Claude is usually a very guarded young man who keeps his secrets close to his chest. He was afraid of his Almyran heritage being exposed because he's been the constant victim of racism. While Hilda made the occasional off-hand racist remark (moreso out of ignorance than malice), Claude still offered to introduce her to his family, showing his trust in her character and her ability to be judge people for who they are on the inside, not their heritage.

Holst: But what if the next king of Almyra turns out to be a kind and decent man? What if Hilda even likes him? Claude: Uh, if Hilda wants to marry that hypothetical heartthrob, I'm not gonna stop her. Look, what's all this really about? Holst: Apologies. My imagination ran free for a moment. If that is what Hilda wants, then I will not stand in her way either. Claude: Your imagination's definitely still running there. Holst: I'm just as worried about Hilda's future as I am about Leicester's—maybe even more so. Claude: I completely understand, so let me just say this… I believe that both Leicester's and Hilda's futures are as bright as they can be. All I ask is that you trust me.

Claude and Hilda don't need Byelth to choose the Golden Deer house to get married. Golden Wildfire proves that. Holst approves of their relationship. His A-Support with Claude even foreshadowed the Claude/Hilda paired ending. So, it definitely feels like it's the one Claude ship that's most rooted in "canon".

Hilda: I don't understand why anyone would want to risk their life for someone else. When you die, no matter how you died, it's over. To me, it's more important to enjoy life. We only live once, after all. It's a waste to spend all your time working and being responsible, right?

Hilda was the only character I did not recruit on my AM New Game+. If I had to guess, I'd say she was probably not even gonna be recruitable outside her home route, similar to Dedue and Hubert. I left her behind because I didn't want Claude to be alone. But also because she truly belonged on that bridge in Derdriu defending him. It's the ultimate fulfillment of her character arc, showing how she's changed from a spoiled and lazy girl into a mature woman who will try her best to not let down the people she cares about.

Hilda and Claude were the only lord and retainer I felt comfortable shipping because their differing social status had practically no effect on how they related to each other. Hilda could see through his fake smile because she was just as manipulative, constantly flirting to get people to do things for her. In CF, she died for Claude because she had fun with him and found him sexy, not because it was her duty as a Crest bearer. Claude expected her to run, but she stood her ground.

As a lord, Claude was in the middle. He was ambitious like Edelgard but not quite as ruthless. He shared Dimitri's distaste for war, but would compromise those ideals in pursuit of his goals. What I liked about Hilda as a retainer was that she supported him emotionally, but she also challenged him on his decisions when it was necessary. She questioned whether being king was really what he wanted when he was a natural free spirit at heart.

Claude: You and I may not hold any grudges, but if you look to our history, you'll see it was the Kingdom who tossed us to the wolves first. When our people were fighting for independence from the Empire, Faerghus attacked and conquered Leicester for themselves.

Claude certainly had good intentions, but in the end, he was perhaps a bit too motivated by self-interest. In VW, he realized that, which is why he stepped down in favor of Byleth. In GW, there is a chapter called "The End of the Alliance". Claude becomes king of the Federation and allies with Edelgard. He announces his intention to eliminate the church and invade the Kingdom using historical disputes as a justification, however questionable that may be.

Claude: If you're going to lead Fódlan, then the Alliance lords will follow you. Back in the day, the Alliance split off from the Kingdom. I'm just putting us back together again.

In AM, there is a cutscene called "The End of the Alliance". Claude puts aside all historical animosity and willingly unifies with the Kingdom. Why the change of heart? He admitted he wouldn't do anything unless he had something to gain, but Byleth and Dimitri selflessly came to his rescue. And because of that, he gives his Hero's Relic to Dimitri, something he did not to for Edelgard. Symbolically this gesture is so important because he always thought he needed the power of the relics to realize his dream. But he doesn't.

Claude & Hilda Trusting the affairs to his comrades with whom he had fought, Claude departed for his homeland. While in Fódlan he was no more than a noble, upon returning to his homeland of Almyra, he was a prince of the realm. Having grown strong and mature, he gained recognition among the royal family and eventually wielded influence in national politics. Several years later, the king of Almyra retired, and Claude succeeded to the throne. Simultaneously, a queen was introduced – none other than Hilda. Leveraging her brother's support, she unexpectedly demonstrated diplomatic prowess, contributing to the establishment of diplomatic relations between Almyra and Fódlan. Furthermore, with two consecutive queens from Fódlan, the values of Almyra began to evolve.

In AM, Claude's fate doesn't change much compared to VW. He still goes back to Almyra, presumably with Hilda if she wasn't recruited. So, I don't even think their VW paired ending would be any different in the AM timeline. And their marital union is what will help Claude achieve his dream. He didn't need Byleth, the Hero's Relics, or to become supreme leader. Marrying Hilda opens Fódlan's Locket. This is the only ending where Hilda gets involved in politics instead of making accessories, but it is better for her character development, and I think she'd be happier that way in the end.

[habalirojo]

Crossover

[darkhorse-javert]

A Code... of Loyalty

Something about Hilda Peirce (and Foyle). She has an extremely strong Loyalty ethic towards her people (whoever they may be). It comes up, quietly, every time she's around. It's why Elise, and everything it involves, destroys her. Because what Woodhead did broke all bonds of loyalty to the Agents out there in France

And I think it's why she trusts and likes Foyle- because he has the same code. And she knows it. 'It was only when we looked into her background' -pssh, they used Sam as bait, because Hilda at least knew Foyle would come to help his own.

And then there's this little exchange at the end of Eternity Ring, as she's nudging Foyle to joining. She's already agreed to see off the FBI, called him 'someone she can trust' and agreed to help the Polish pilot (rewarding loyalty there too...)

She isn't even surprised when he says it (I'd need a driver) even though she knows he can drive perfectly well. Again it's Foyle's Loyalty showing through.

Something she knows and respects above all else.

I think this also explains the 'I didn't see you' conversation with Sam and the files in another episode. True Loyalty for the win, rules can be bent.

[lavenderarie]

The temptation to make a huge meta post about Caspar is insane… like I was trying to write a fanfic from his pov and I felt like I was making him too analytical (cause I’m too analytical and I project onto characters I write) so I did a little character study… and then did further character studies… and I was like… wait… why is Caspar so fucking interesting????  Like I already liked him…he’s half of my favorite ship for a reason…but like…holy shit…the development put into his character is insane…. 

Like how he’s not that close to his family but feels personal guilt over his father’s actions… or how incredibly observant he is…or how he cannot pick up on people’s emotions at all…but he’ll notice subtle changes in behavior…which makes his intuition sharp as hell…or how he acts impulsively based on what he believes to be right in the moment without considering consequences…but will reflect on consequences after the fact and take other’s advice into account when he recognizes he needs to change something…

Or how I am super certain he’s not into girls just from the lack of awareness of multiple girl’s romantic feelings towards him…and the fact that the two biggest female charmers (Hilda and Dorothea) don’t even try to charm him because they know it won’t work… or how two separate guys will travel with him to the ends of the earth post-game…

Like I’ve seen so many people call Caspar stupid…like SO many…I even thought of him as “simple”…but like…being impulsive and having straightforward values…isn’t stupidity????  They’re character traits???  I am the dumb one for thinking less of him!!!  Caspar is a fascinating character!!!  What the heck!!!

[the-hilda-librarians-wife]

Going buckwild at the way Hilda The Series portrays adulthood and loneliness. Kaisa has no one to go to to ask for help getting the due book back, even though all it would take was someone she could minimally ask to knock on an elderly lady’s door and ask for a favour; she’s in the library after hours, is shown to have no allies aside from the woman who raised her and who she lost contact with. Johanna is only ever seen working or caring for Hilda, and her lack of a life aside from those two activities is pointed out by her own daughter when she thinks that this is going so far as to affect their relationship. The bell keeper lives alone in a small cabin on the edge of town, barely within city limits and away from everyone, a house barely even inhabitable and clearly only a place to sleep and eat. He works a solitary job and he’s the only one in the town still working it, meaning he’s probably overworked and forced to pull inhumanly long shifts. Victoria hyperfocused so hard on her projects that whatever friends she had before - and she must have had some from college time at least - lost contact with her, and she never made any other connections in Trolberg, anything that would tie her to the city and it’s inhabitants and make it so it wasn’t worth it to live by herself at the top of a hill. Even when that was over, she still chose to isolate herself somewhere abandoned and keep what was essentially another machine she’d built as her source of company, something she could understand and control instead of an unpredictable human being. Gerda works a job she likes but is shown to be disregarded by the person she works the most around, her abilities and intellect thrown aside for the good of someone she has to bear because of a hierarchy she was forced to accept in order to keep working. She’s appreciated by the town, but other than the main characters, we don’t see anyone paying her any mind when they don’t need something from her.

Meanwhile no kid has ever been alone in Trolberg. The mean kids are a group, the good kids are a group, even the gloomy teenage girls are a group. One of nightmare inducing entities, but a group nonetheless. All children in that world seem to operate on a ‘no man left behind’ code, looking out for each other even if they aren’t exactly fans of one another, helping even grown ups without asking why and working together. And this logic seems to extend to the adults who work around children too; especially the Raven Leader, who we see that through the children works as a vital part of the community and a way through which it comes together.

This isn’t very articulate but do you see the point? Do you see how clever that is? That a show about growing up has these themes? You can be magical, kind, strong, intelligent, competent, but none of that will make you truly happy if you don’t keep the most important thing from childhood? If you don’t keep your friendships, your bonds, something to tie you down to your reality and your community? The adults in the show all made their choices, and it’s okay to want to be alone, we all need it and some more than others (this is coming from someone who needs it a lot), but isolating yourself completely is the one thing that will make growing pains truly painful. I’m just so emotional over it. It’s so subtle and so clever considering the whole Mountain King plot that Hilda is willing to change species because she feels detached from her main relationships and surroundings. I love this show so much.

[slotumn]

A lot of people remember Golden Deer and their route for "defeating racism," and I think a lot of people think other minority characters in Fódlan should join them to further this goal.

What people completely forget though, is that a lot of those perceptions are from the perspective of the audience who finished the game and know about the characters' secrets and personal views (and the evolution thereof)

But from the perspective of other characters in-universe, I actually think it's very possible that Golden Deer comes across as the xenophobic house, especially pre-timeskip. After all, others in the universe don't know that Claude is half Almyran, so from their perspective, that actually makes Golden Deer the only house without any non-Fódlani students.

Not only that, they have two nobles from border territories that are explicitly said to fight the foreigners. Goneril is obvious, and flavor text on Edmund's battalions state that they were trained to repel foreign threats (and they're archers on top of that). Hilda, as many would predict, do hold casual prejudices on Almyrans because of this, and while Marianne never really weighs in on the issue herself, I think it's fairly reasonable that others in-universe would assume "border territory = not great sentiments on foreigners" (even if Edmund probably trades with Almyra, but then again you can trade with places you distrust and hate lol).

As for Lorenz, while he's not from a border territory, he is interested in furthering his house's standing, and talking about strengthening the border security would be a good way to do that; not to mention it's shown in canon that he respects/wants to gain points from Holst. He's also one of the Deer who would loudly give his takes and opinions about issues like this, so other students will hear him talk about how to better fend Leicester from the invaders or whatever, and they'd probably think once again that Leicesterians are fucking xenophobic. (Regardless of Lorenz's actual personal tendencies, which I don't see as being that prejudiced, but personal tendencies =/= political rhetoric and policy lines)

So yeah, you have kids from three of the prominent Leicester houses being either 1. actually personally prejudiced/racist 2. easily presumed to be racist or complacent in racism by others (like it's unfair to Marianne but that's probably what the default perception would be) 3. someone who'd loudly support/suggest border policies that at best could be easily construed as xenophobic due to pre-existing prejudices of the audience, or at worst is explicitly xenophobic.

And most importantly, Claude. The thing about Claude is that while his goal is in fact Ending Racism, pre-timeskip he never actually outright states that he is against all the xenophobia in Leicester and will to pursue policies to curb it. Yeah he implies things, and he says stuff like "never underestimate an outsider," so some might guess he has a less hardline stance on things overall compared to others of Leicester nobility, and they'd be right.

But it's all ambiguous enough that he always has plausible deniability; the stuff about "outsiders" could very well apply to, say, class instead of ethnicity. He never explicitly states anything that would make other people realize his real opinion is "actually I want to make peace with Almyra so people stop screaming slurs at each other at the border before dying." Look at his B support with Lorenz where they talk about border security; he never says anything that implies he'd rather not fight Almyra in the first place.

And as far as personal relationships go, Claude is on decent terms with a Goneril, is at least neutral on an Edmund, and okay he doesn't get along with the Gloucester but that has more to do with Leicester's internal power struggle than foreign policy.

Now, it makes sense why Claude does all this pre-TS: his standing as next leader isn't the most solid and some are suspicious of him, so he needs to stay on good terms with the people he can. But from the perspective of in-universe third parties who don't know the intricacies of Leicester politics, Claude's secrets, or the Deer's future development where they kill the CEO of Racism, I think it's totally plausible that the Golden Deer come across as pretty fucking racist.

I don't think any of this detracts from the themes of VW or the development of Golden Deer; in fact I think this strengthens it even more, because you get to see the development they go through— including on Claude's part, where he'd far more vocal and explicit about his real goals post-TS.

But I don't think it makes much sense in-universe for all the non-Fódlani characters (Petra, Dedue, Cyril, Shamir, etc) to drift towards the Golden Deer on the basis of the faction as a whole being "more accepting or understanding/less xenophobic," especially pre-timeskip. As a matter of fact, for someone like Cyril I think it's very possible that Golden Deer would be the house he's the least comfortable around. There are other reasons why these characters might like or want to join the Deer, but I very strongly doubt "lack of xenophobia" would be one.

So yeah, audience perception =/= in-universe perception and Golden Deer =/= anti-racist house to others in-universe, especially pre-timeskip.

[favoritenintendocharacterbracket]

Favorite Nintendo Character Tournament 2 Submissions are Open

They'll be open until June 30th at 10 pm PST!

The winner will face our current champion, Kirby!

I'm bringing back everyone from the first tournament, as well as characters I regret nobody nominated last time. But I'm open for more, I'm crazy!

Below the break is everyone currently submitted, as well as the shout outs for promotion:

Characters involved:

Acerola (Pokemon)

Acht Mizuta Splatoon

Admiral Bobbery Paper Mario

Agent 8 (Splatoon)

Akari Pokémon

Alear (Fire Emblem)

Alex (Dragalia Lost)

Alm Fire Emblem

Andy (Advance Wars)

Apollo Animal crossing

Arven (Pokemon)

Ashley (Warioware)

Ashley Mizuki Robins (Another Code)

Ayumi (Famicom Detective Club)

Bandana Waddle Dee (Kirby)

Big Man (Splatoon)

Bobby Paper mario

Bowser (Mario)

Bulbasaur Family (Pokemon)

Callie (Splatoon)

Captain Falcon (F-Zero)

Captain Rainbow (Captain Rainbow)

Celica Fire Emblem

Charmander Family (Pokemon)

Chelle (Dragalia Lost)

Cherry Animal crossing

Chrom (Fire Emblem)

Claude (Fire Emblem)

Cleo (Dragalia Lost)

Commander Tarter (Splatoon)

Craggalanche Kid Icarus

Cranky Kong (Donkey Kong)

Cynthia (Pokemon)

Daisy (Mario)

Dark Pit Kid Icarus

Daruk (Legend of Zelda)

Dedede (Kirby)

Diddy Kong (Donkey Kong Country)

Dimentio Paper Mario

Dimitri (Fire Emblem)

Dixie Kong (Donkey Kong)

DJ Octavio (Splatoon)

Donkey Kong (Donkey Kong Country)

Duck Hunt Dog (Duck Hunt)

Edelgard (Fire Emblem)

Eevee and the Eevolutions (Pokémon)

Egil Xenoblade Chronicles

Eirika Fire Emblem

Elisane (Dragalia Lost)

Ephraim Fire Emblem

Euden (Dragalia Lost)

Fighting Polygon Team (Super Smash Bros)

Fox (Star Fox)

Frye (Splatoon)

Ganon/Ganondorf (Legend of Zelda)

Geno (Super Mario RPG)

Greninja (Pokemon)

Grovyle the Thief (Pokemon Mystery Dungeon)

Hades (Kid Icarus)

Hilda (Pokémon)

Ice Climbers (Ice Climber)

Ike (Fire Emblem)

Inkling (Splatoon)

Isabelle (Animal Crossing)

Issac (Golden Sun)

Jimmy T (Warioware)

K.K. Slider (Animal Crossing)

Karate Joe (Rhythm Heaven)

Kumatora (Mother)

Kyle Hyde (Hotel Dusk)

Lakitu (Mario)

Laxi (Dragalia Lost)

Laxitu (Mario)

Leif Fire Emblem

Lillie (Pokemon)

Link (Legend of Zelda) Twilight princess

Link Legend of Zelda Wind Waker

Lip Panel de Pon

Little Mac (Punch-Out)

Lola Pop ARMS

Lora (Xenoblade)

Louie Pikmin

Luca (Dragalia Lost)

Lucario (Pokemon)

Lucas (Mother)

Lucina (Fire Emblem)

Luigi (Mario)

Lyn (Fire Emblem)

Lysithea (Fire Emblem)

Mac (Animal Crossing)

Mallow (Super Mario RPG)

Mallow Pokemon

Marie (Splatoon)

Marina (Splatoon)

Mario (Mario)

Marth (Fire Emblem)

Mascula (Dragalia Lost)

Matt (Wii Sports)

Matthew (Xenoblade)

Melia (Xenoblade)

Meta Knight (Kirby)

Midgardsomer (Dragalia Lost)

Midna (Legend of Zelda)

Mii (Mii)

Min Min (ARMS)

Mineru (Legend of Zelda)

Mio (Xenoblade)

Mipha (Legend of Zelda)

Mona (Warioware)

Morgan Fire Emblem (Awakening)

Mr Grizz (Splatoon)

Mr. Game & Watch (Game & Watch)

Mym (Dragalia Lost)

Mythra (Xenoblade)

N (Pokemon)

Nedrick Dragalia Lost

Nemona (Pokemon)

Ness (Mother)

Nia (Xenoblade)

Ninten (Mother)

Ninten (Earthbound)

Noah (Xenoblade)

Notte (Dragalia Lost)

Oatchi (Pikmin)

Ogerpon (Pokemon)

Olimar (Pikmin)

Peach (Mario)

Pearl Houzuki (Splatoon)

Penn The legendary of Zelda tears of the kingdom

Penny (Pokemon)

Penny Crygor WarioWare

Pikachu (Pokemon)

Pikmin (Pikmin)

Pit (Kid Icarus)

Porky Mother

Purrah (Legend of Zelda)

Pyra (Xenoblade)

Queen Sonia (Legend of Zelda)

Ranzel (Dragalia Lost)

Rauru (Legend of Zelda)

Ravali (Legend of Zelda)

Red (Pokemon)

Reveli (Legend of Zelda)

Rex (Xenoblade)

Riju (Legend of Zelda)

ROB (Stack Up and Gyromite)

Robin (Fire Emblem)

Rosalina (Mario)

Roy (Fire Emblem)

sablé prince (The Frog For Whom the Bell Tolls)

Sami (Advance Wars)

Samus Aran (Metroid)

Seliph Fire Emblem

Shiver (Splatoon)

Shulk (Xenoblade)

Shy Guy (Mario)

Sidon (Legend of Zelda)

Sigurd Fire Emblem

Soren Fire Emblem

Squirtle Family (Pokemon)

Star Man Pro Wrestling

Starfy (The Legendary Starfy)

Stitches (Animal Crossing)

Takamaru (The Mysterious Murasame Castle)

Taranza (Kirby)

Teba (Legend of Zelda)

tetra (Legend of Zelda)

the president of hocotate freight (Pikmin)

Tia Animal crossing

Timerra Fire Emblem

Toadette Super Mario

Toadsworth Mario

Tom Nook (Animal Crossing)

Tulin (Legend of Zelda)

Twink (Paper Mario)

Urbossa (Legend of Zelda)

Vaati (Legend of Zelda)

Villager (Legend of Zelda)

Vivian (Paper Mario)

Waluigi (Mario Sports)

Wario (Warioware and Warioland)

Water wraith Pikmin

Yoshi (Yoshi's Island)

Yubono (Legend of Zelda)

Zelda (Legend of Zelda) Breath of the Wild

Zelda (Legend of Zelda) Skyward Sword

Zena (Dragalia Lost)

Zenethia (Dragalia Lost)

Shout Outs:

@favoritecapcomcharacterbracket @favoritesegacharacterbracket

@best-atla-character-showdown @best-ducktales-episode @pkmn-go-to-the-polls @fairytale-poll @runefactory-marriage-tournament @bokumono-bachelorette-bracket @1997thebracket @storyofseasonscharacterbracket @weeb-polls-with-pip @xenoblade-chronicles-brackets @enemies-to-allies-tournament @dwampyverse-tournaments @transformedgirlspringbracket @hauntthenarrative @detective-deathmatch @pokepollsters @i-cant-find-my-name-bracket @nintendo-rpg-characters-2023 @yen-sids-tournament @autisticgirliesbracket @pokemoncharacterbrackets @ashs-best-pokemon @super-smash-bracket @worstpokeparentshowdown @best-kirby-character-tournament @goodcartoondadshowdown @ultimatepokemontournament @fair-ut-character-battle @bestbnhacharacter @foundfamilyarena @beefy-babe-showdown

@clash-of-the-wizards @mermaidbracket @mad-scientist-showdown

[aarondolo]

However, for 1 year I stopped working in 2D and 3D In a world where the characters live with humans but Is back for 1 year.

Aperennce: @cwalke00

[rotomblr-island]

Vitality Ranking: Check out who's got the best balance of mind, body, and spirit.

Here's today's Vitality Ranking!

KC

Mai

Lace

Kittsu

Shallahi

Mart

LR

Intern

Sephy

Aster

Skitty

Darrin

Lily

Shilo

Elle

Yin

Kohaku

Cider

Wyverlyn

Poppy

Aero

Lime

Paris

Toby

Red

Hilda

Milas

Frosty

Sprite

Lumi

Cass

Dave

Anthea

Wallace

N

Boo

Miku

Blake

Cynthia

Pol

Trai

Jaime

Ren

CD

Sylvan

Neri

Honey

Zita

Rodney

Vanilla

Clive

Rogue

Blue

Nemona

Stars

Squid

Maple

Amy

Cooper

Gen

Luci

Pandoria

Connie

Chrys

Galatea

Axel

Meta

Petrichor

Kopi

Bugsy

Maya

Steven

Tommy

Cora

Dig

Tropius

Roark

Hesper

Peridot

Win

Cerise

Cerese

Dray

Reuniclus

Marshall

Jesse

[pinkandbluebracket]

Introducing... The Pink and Blue Bracket!

Round One will be broken up into four parts for organization purposes. The following rounds will be split between Side A and Side B (with the exception of the finals/semifinals which will be released all at once)

As of April 29th the bracket has concluded.

The full list of competitors (and sources) can be found below the cut:

🌸Side A

-Amy and Sonic (Sonic) -Megurine Luka and Hatsune Miku (Vocaloid) -Kirby and Meta Knight (Kirby) -Princess Peach and Rosalina (Mario) -Mabel and Dipper Pines (Gravity Falls) -Susie and Lancer (Deltarune) -Jessie and James (Pokémon) -Howl Pendragon and Sophie Hatter (Howl's Moving Castle) -Hilda Valentine Goneril and Marianne Von Edmund (Fire Emblem Three Houses) -Madoka Kaname and Sayaka Miki (Puella Magi Madoka Magica) -Cure Black and Cure White (Futari Wa Precure) -Mew Ichigo and Blue Knight (Tokyo Mew Mew) -Perfuma and Mermista (She-Ra and the Princesses of Power) -Nazuna Hiwatashi and Michiru Kagemori (Brand New Animal) -Charlotte and Tiana (The Princess and the Frog) -Rapunzel and Cassandra (Tangled Series) -Sakura Haruno and Sasuke Uchiha (Naruto) -Saiki Kusuo and Kaidou Shun (The Disastrous Life of Saiki K) -Amitie and Sig (Puyo Puyo Fever) -Hinata and Yuta Aoi (Ensemble Stars) -Momoi Airi and Hinomori Shizuku (Project SEKAI) -Ram and Rem (Re:Zero) -Trans Flag (Pride Flags/Real Life) -Sylveon (Pokémon) -Unikitty and Puppycorn (Unikitty!) -Yin and Yang (Yin Yang Yo) -Murray and Sly Cooper (Sly Cooper) -Piglet and Eeyore (Winnie the Pooh) -Blossom and Bubbles (The Powerpuff Girls) -Webby Vanderquack and Dewey Duck (Ducktales 2017) -Magenta and Blue (Blue's Clues) -Angel and Stitch (Lilo and Stitch)

💙Side B -Roxy Lalonde and Jane Crocker (Homestuck) -Max Caulfield and Chloe Price (Life is Strange) -Vi and Jinx (Arcane) -Allura and Lance (Voltron) -Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash (My Little Pony) -Princess Bubblegum and Finn the Human (Adventure Time) -Chrissy and Francine (Animal Crossing) -Satsuki Momoi and Daiki Aomine (Kuroko no Basket) -Asmodeus Alice and Iruma Suzuki (Welcome to Demon School Iruma-kun!) -Cure Blossom and Cure Marine (Heartcatch Precure) -Yae Miko and Kamisato Ayato (Genshin Impact) -Yuki Rurikawa and Muku Sakisaka (A3!) -Rozaliya and Liliya Olenyeva (Honkai Impact 3rd) -Natsu Dragneel and Gray Fullbuster (Fairy Tail) -Martha Dunnstock and Veronica Sawyer (Heathers) -Sasha Waybright and Anne Boonchuy (Amphibia) -Lewis Pepper and Vivi Yukino(Mystery Skulls) -Queen of Hatred and Knight of Despair (Lobotomy Corporation) -Heartful Punch and Undine Wells (Sleepless Domain) -Pretzel and Gillion Tidestrider (Just Roll With It) -Pink and Blue Diamond (Steven Universe) -Stephanie and Sportacus (LazyTown) -Yona and Hak (Yona of the Dawn) -Ami Onuki and Yumi Yoshimura (Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi) -Anais and Gumball Watterson (The Amazing World of Gumball) -Annalise and Erika (Barbie: Princess and the Pauper) -Flora and Bloom (Winx Club) -Lala and Kiki (Sanrio) -Five Pebbles and Looks to the Moon (Rain World) -Bot and Goo (Inanimate Insanity) -Pink and Dark Blue (Animator vs Animation) -Pink and Blue Crewmate (Among Us)

[blueiight]

kircheis spaceboys

thinking about siegfried kircheis is so uniquely painful bc if we're meant to think of lotgh as a meta narrative within a narrative then kircheis is a character who's legacy was enshrined in his death, his absence and the questions of how much better would it be if he was here (to the point that it became a joke in of itself). it rly makes me wonder what kind of character, what kind of young commoner boy would give up his whole life in every sense of the word for the sake of a minor noble's ambitions. he came from a stable home, was his parents’ only child. so its truly love for reinhard & annerose that drives him, which is the most altruistic motive of all the space generals & gunners we meet here. annerose and kircheis by virtue of being reinhard’s most cherished people occupy this saint-like quality in the narrative, but we learn annerose is a bit tortured. in talking to hilda we learn annerose blames herself for kircheis’s death, bc shes the one who told kircheis to be a good friend to reinhard, and annerose herself cant stand to even meet reinhard for 3 seasons /8 books over this. ‘now you have nothing else left to lose,’ annerose told reinhard at that juncture. which is remarkably cruel for reinhard in that shes saying kircheis is all u cared for, but also cruel for annerose bc shes essentially killing herself off metaphorically with kircheis. reinhard rationalizes annerose’s unusually cold words in these moments as her being a grieving lover. and its hard to say if she could do anything with her own love & how much of her love in the first place is rooted in annerose looking up to the only guy who didnt treat her like a concubine or a mommy. im reminded of book8 commenting on reinhard’s fraught relationship w annerose here. ‘In losing that which should not have been lost, Reinhard had allowed past to be severed from present; the brilliance of that long-ago spring light… were now far beyond.’ which is something reinhard also says in the ova.. in reinhard’s mind, he has to place annerose as dead in the past with kircheis to bear living. he has to place annerose with the ghost of kircheis, bc confronting how he lost his two most beloved people at such a critical success in his rise to power is too painful. bc we lose out on kircheis’s voice so early, his ghost quite literally haunts the narrative bc of his significance to one of the protagonist’s reinhard. reinhard’s other half literally is what everyone, including kircheis’s killer ansbach, calls kircheis. reinhard’s entire emotional stability was quite literally built on kircheis. but u have to wonder how things wouldve went if kircheis remained alive any longer than what he did considering that this is where he was at.👇🏾

kircheis is a commoner here, whos entire rise to power was so intimately tied to his proximity to reinhard & annerose. so him asking this is not only a matter of his doubts on reinhard’s specific actions here but also implicitly meant to think on how hes dedicated more than half of his life to reinhard’s cause under the belief that reinhard was doing the right thing. a quest to overthrow a 500+ year old dynasty, to liberate ur cherished sister/friend who was sold in sexual slavery to the king, that r just causes. kircheis needs to believe reinhard is of the right character to be the steward & master of space. someone can readily rationalize their involvement in the war apparatus as fighting the ‘other’ side of the war, can readily rationalize their rise to power as a means to these righteous ends. but reinhard’s cruel acts in s1 like starving out the civillians of the fpa, cosigning the attack on westerland as political pretext , the lives of millions he couldve saved but chose to let braunschweig kill to use as proof of the boyar nobility’s evil , cannot be so easily excused , and reinhard’s hunger for power is now hardly related to liberating annerose or annerose at all bc he dont even have to do anything to free her. annerose is liberated by friedrich’s death. the ova puts the choice of ignoring braunschweig’s attack westerland on oberstein lying to reinhard about when the attack would take place. which is, weak! it makes reinhard look incompetent for keeping such a seditious subordinate, and morally whitewashes reinhard in this incident. oddly enough (or thankfully?) the ova treats it as if the book’s line of events occurred in that scene from then on, with kircheis unafraid to question reinhard for his complicity in this act & cutting no corners in their final confrontation. reinhard responds so cruelly bc he has no rebuttal to kircheis, he even says ‘kircheis will just have to understand the need for spilling blood’, and delegates him to being the ‘same as the rest’.. but the central questions kircheis raised here would not have the easy answers kircheis needed to stay as reinhard’s heart, as his other half. bc barring sending the fortress where kircheis died into the shadow realm , reinhard still wouldve done all the things he did in later seasons. and kircheis who has his own moral compass would have to diverge with reinhard inevitably. forever reminded of tanaka saying that this split was inevitable.. sad as it sounds, it was best for kircheis to die at this juncture. he is the legend inside a fictional legend, the balm to all of reinhard’s troubles forever n ever, the other half of reinhard’s heart thats left forever empty, with battle + blood used to fill reinhard’s lonely little soul. and kircheis even on the verge of death knew reinhard would destroy himself without him which is why he reminds him go take the universe. live for something without me. bc i couldnt bear to live to see what u would become.