#i mostly just did that because i don't want to make you feel like you have to but it'd definitely be welcomed and i'd love to get the-

[sorenphelps]

"Good morning, Sleeping Beauty!"

The Bodyguard AU is slowly coming to an end, but don't worry, there's still so much to come! Now we're picking up right after this ficlet written by @goldenlionprince. This is one of my favourite piece of artwork I did in a while, and I even tried to write again! It's about 1.1K words below! Also as usual, tagging @neverenoughmarauders, @lovelymasks & @diamondmeadow!

Waking up is usually a jarring experience for Sirius, mostly because he almost never lets himself sleep too deeply, unable to shake the strange urgency to always be alert. He’s always been restless, his mind awake and racing with thoughts that just won’t quiet down, haunting him with dreams. He could train his body to endure almost anything, a crazy sleep schedule (or lack thereof) at this point is business as usual. The ever lingering tiredness is a little price to be paid to avoid the nightmares. Sirius has never thought that he would ever reach the point where his whole being just shuts down from exhaustion, but apparently even his extreme resilience has its limits. Waking up this time feels like emerging from a soft, comforting fog. His body feels heavy, yet somewhat... relaxed? There's a sense of warmth and coziness around him. Maybe he is still dreaming? This must be the nicest dream he had in a long time, he doesn’t want to wake up from it. He opens his eyes anyways. It takes him a few seconds to register what he sees: A man with the wildest hair laying on top of him, the golden glow of sunlight dancing across his tanned skin. The sunlight seems to embrace him in an almost ethereal way, bringing a vibrant energy to his presence, as if he’s one with the warmth of the day. It is the most beautiful thing Sirius has ever seen. “Good morning, Sleeping Beauty!” he greets him gently. Sirius is sure he is definitely still dreaming. He feels fuzzy and confused, his brain taking too long to catch up with the situation. James snuggles closer. “Are you awake yet or you need a true love’s kiss for that?”

He drifted off to sleep again not even halfway in listening to James’ brief summary. The events of the previous few days really took a toll on him, trying to process what has happened and what he has done left him feeling physically and emotionally drained. James being there, with him, makes him both extremely happy and utterly nervous. He is relieved that James is alive, that he was not too late to rescue him, because James is his everything. He doesn’t even feel any remorse over the lives he took, he’d massacre many more again in a heartbeat if it can keep James safe, because that is all that matters. Maybe this overwhelming devotion is not healthy. Maybe he should feel at least a little bad about all the killings. Maybe that’s all he really is, a murderer, motivated by love, but still a murderer. Maybe the Grim is his true nature, that’s why he couldn’t shake it off however hard he tried.

He looks at the nightstand, the flash drive is still on it, untouched. James hasn’t checked it out yet, which makes Sirius tense and jittery like he’s sitting on a ticking bomb. If only it was a bomb instead, that he could handle. The uncertainty of James’ opinion about him, not so much. The last time he went berserk in front of his loved one ended his relationship. And Remus was trained to stomach the violence, and knew him for ages. What should he even expect from James? He helped him clean up, and he seemed all right, chatty and relaxed as usual when they woke up in the morning, and he is still in his apartment... What if he thinks he is held hostage? Or if he is scared of him? He knows he’s spiraling again and at the verge of another breakdown, but he is too mentally exhausted to stop the self-doubt and negative thoughts sneaking in his mind. He needs to do something, anything. His head might be numb now, but he can push his body to move past the fear.

He gets up and walks to his wardrobe to find clean clothes. He puts on underwear and one of his gun holsters with a spare gun. The thought of being armed somehow calms his nerves.

He finds James in the kitchen, squatting in front of the oven. He is wearing an old, faded purple coloured and quite worn-down T-shirt, the dinosaur printed on it barely visible anymore. It is one of Sirius’ most prized possessions, a rare memento from his past. The sight immediately starts to warm his heart.

“Hey, you up? I borrowed some of your clothes, I hope you don’t mind.” James says smiling, when he notices him. “Your food stock desperately needs an upgrade, there’s only canned and frozen food here, it is the saddest fridge and kitchen cabinet that I’ve ever seen! How can you live like this, like a barbarian?!”

“Maybe because I am one...” He can feel the bad thoughts creeping in again. “Aren’t you... afraid of me?”

“Should I? I mean the state of your fridge really is scary, and I am a little concerned about the diet you probably followed before me, but otherwise...”

“I’m serious, James, I need to know if... If you are still just shocked and coping with all the crazy shit by pretending they don’t exist or... I mean, you were kidnapped and forced to do and see some fucked up stuff, you actually shot someone, it’s traumatizing, and now you are at this unfamiliar place of practically a total stranger you witnessed brutally murdering two dozen people...”

“There’s certainly a lot to unpack, but I’m fine and you are not a stranger.”

“Well, technically I am still a serial killer and you don’t even know my real name... You haven’t checked the flash drive.”

“Because I don’t care. You came to save me, even after you were not obligated to do so, that’s more than enough for me. Whatever is on that flash drive and however hard you try to convince me that you are too dark or broken or unhinged, it can’t change how I feel about you. I love you, no matter what.” Sirius is speechless. James takes out a tray of dino nuggets from the oven. “Besides, I already figured out your initials, Sleeping Beauty. You’ve slept for almost a full day.”

“It’s actually Sirius. My real name, I mean, is Sirius Black.”

He looks at James, the problematic IT guy Remus had referred to him as a client not even a year ago, who has managed to completely turn his life upside down. He feels his heart-beat rising, stomach twisting, his senses heightened, his brain focused and dizzy at the same time. The feeling is similar to how he feels when he fights, fuelled by adrenaline, except it is better, warmer. “I love you too.”

[c-nstellati-ns]

SO YOU WANNA LEARN ABOUT APOLLO ... ?

↻ NOW PLAYING ... VS. DJ Subatomic Supernova — Funk Fiction

> author's note — this is purely me going on a tangent about these powers and what i think they entail for our lovely reader in my latest mini series with our beloved conquest !! i saw some folk confused about how everything worked regarding it and i felt really bad cuz i never really did explain it properly :'-) if you have any questions, please do let me know! all the art featured here was drawn by yours truly as well ( i would also like to say that the soundtrack for this entire thing is the song i linked above, everybody go play no straight roads !! it's PEAK !!!!!!! )

YOU CAN READ PART 1 HERE.

RAMBLINGS BELOW ... ⤸

so! as we first established in my fic, you were part of the original guardians of the globe until a falling out with the immortal resulted in you completely withdrawing yourself from the team for some time now.

you were on a well deserved paid time off as the GDA technically still had you employed for your abilities.

regarding your abilities... What exactly are they?

( imagine the colours as anything you like !! i just chose blue green and yellow bc they're pretty :-) ) born with the ability to alter very sound to your will, you're able to do anything you can put your mind to. the GDA recognised that having you as an ally would be more beneficial to them rather than having you as an enemy so they decided pretty early on in discovering your powers to recruit you.

your powers are a mystery to the GDA on how they work completely as they don't have a faintest clue as to where exactly they even come from. any heavy injuries you may have sustained in the past was rapidly healed up as if you were from a different planet entirely— these powers kept you alive whether you wanted it or not.

the GDA, in an attempt to aid (control) your powers more thoroughly, they created mechanical implants within you that allows you to make holographic projections of your music. this allows you to more efficiently use your powers, switching from an upbeat energising tune that empowers your teammates to a more gentle, sleep inducing lullaby that heals virtually any wound. you can play any genre of music and have it aid those who you want to help. hell, you can even dance to the tune you make to amplify it if you'd like!

the music, once heard by those you wish to help, brings in a feeling of elation and joy, as if they could take on the world. it's sort of like a rallying cry of sorts, inspiring the hero to keep on fighting while your music gives them a literal damage and healing boost. those who have been under the influence of this music have reported feeling extra rejuvenated and happy after a tough battle that requires you to be there. though, oddly, it seems that any alien species, especially viltrumites, are affected even more than human superheroes.

( a cute little mark for reference :-D )

anyone under your melody feels influenced to do as your music says, whether that be good or bad. for you, it is mostly instinctual but sometimes emotional outbursts can cause heroes and villains alike to suffer if you so deeply desired it.

the GDA reports that you are ( supposedly ) a more supportive/defensive hero, thus deploying you when there must be crowds to be protected from any imminent dangers.

( healing spell and impenetrable sound bubble )

because of your specific niche of power, you have become extremely popular amongst the masses, even after you retired. it's become the celebrity life almost, which is the reason why in the fic you have a place away from the city for privacy and safety reasons.

so retirement was bound to happen! the stress had been getting to you for some time now and it was starting to give you early grey hairs. you were an idol of sorts to these people and that lifestyle did not suit you. it was a matter of time and you would preferred it when it didn't involve you almost dying.

if you have any questions, feel free to ask! :-D

all works belong to c-nstellati-ns ⓒ 2025. do not steal, repost or feed into AI. ask before translating.

[quartztwst]

Questions for the MagiKey Users!

(Quartz and Yuu are examples!!)

(Please copy and paste the questions!!)

Section 1 - Your OC Answers!

1. How does it feel to be a MagiKey user?

Quartz: "God, it feels awful honestly but I ain't got much to do at home."

Yuu: "I really like helping people with our powers! I also get to meet so much people!"

2. How popular are you in MagiKey rankings?

Quartz: "I'm not that popular honestly and I'm glad."

Yuu: "A lot of people seem to know me but I'm not really a fan favorite when it comes to top 10."

3. Which MagiKey would you rather have than your own?

Quartz: "Uhh.. What's her name? Metamorphosis (@/lficanthaveloveiwantpower). Yeah. I think her power is neat and cool. It's probably more unique than what I have right now. I wanna make cool psychological illusions too."

Yuu: "I like Divinity's (@/nivvetsworld)! Their abilities look so powerful! Aahh! It's so cool! The weapon and everything!"

4. Why did you become a MagiKey user?

Quartz: "Yall act like I had a choice. That fucking bird that i hate."

Yuu: "Quartz was one and I was suddenly given a key years later haha! I just wanted to spice up my life a little!"

5. How long have you been in MagiKey

Quartz: "Three years. I'm pretty old but it's cool I guess."

Yuu: "Only a year! I'm still learning from Quartz and others. I wish to develop more of my abilities so I can help others!"

Section 2 - You explain!

6. What is their motivation to keep being a magical user?

Quartz genuinely has no idea. She doesn’t have the energy to go through Crowley's bullshit but she also doesn't know if she's able to stop now. She's three years in already.

Yuu just thinks it's fun and exciting. In the foundation that they were raised in, not a lot of things were fun as this. They also really like to help people and seeing people being happy. They genuinely wish to see people live.

7. How are they usually in a battle?

Quartz doesn't really like attacking and likes to support other MagiKey users but if she has to fight by herself, she will. She's actually really quick on her feet and disappears too easily like a rabbit. Her goal is to catch you off guard so she can strike you down but she doesn't usually have well calculated strategies.

With her first ability, she uses the scarves as a tool to restrain her opponent right after she makes them confused by pulling them out of their mouth. She can use the scarves to potentially choke and tie things to the opponent.

Her second ability let's her to summon anything out of her hat. She can even summon people. YES. PEOPLE. If someone is in trouble in a different area, she can summon them out of her hat. They might get dizzy after. She also can summon explosions made out of confetti and basically anything except actual weapons like guns, bombs.

In her final ability, she can blind people with her other eye. She can only use this in the beginning of a fight so she can land the better attacks.

Yuu doesn't really do most of the fighting but they can swing the heavy basket at an opponent to do heavy damage. They're mostly there for support as well with their energy boosting strawberries. They actually have really bad stamina but with the everlasting supply of strawberries, their stamina is boosted a lot. They are the one who tries to pull the MagiKey users together to fight.

Their first ability is them swinging that heavy ass basket at an opponent. In their early fights, they used to be super stiff but now their moves are fluent with them easily throwing the basket at an opponent and being able bounce it back to their hands. No one is able to pick up the basket but Yuu because it feels super heavy to others.

The energy boosting strawberries are their second ability. These strawberries can boost mood and performance in battles. They never run out of strawberries and they can make it rain strawberries with a swing of their basket.

Their last ability is a giant scary Grim popping out of their basket. They don't actually have to place the basket on the ground. They can carry it and let Grim attack opponents or scare them. Grim is SUPER hungry so anything he sees that is not an ally is TUNA.

8. How are their daily lives?

Quartz and Yuu don't really do much but go to school in their foundation. After that, they head to MagiKey's secret training school.

9. What is their opinion on other MagiKey users in general?

Quartz thinks they're cool. Nothing much to say but she's always curious on why other people would even agree to being a Magical User considering how young and risky the job is. But she's a hypocrite since she is one of them.

Yuu finds them amazing and super cool. They love to see other user's fights and cheer them on.

Section 3 - Deeper Level (might get emo)

10. What are your OC's struggles as a MagiKey user?

Quartz always thinks of herself as one for not thinking a lot but the thing is that she does. She absolutely tries to stop these thoughts from roaming into deeper territories but how could she not?

In her three years of experience, she has encountered dead magical users and ones that died after corruption but she never tried to pay attention to it. She refused to because that is what is sacrificed when you do these duties: your life.

She always wondered why mostly children are chosen to defeat these so-called enemies in secret and how messed up it sounds but it's just a thought. It's just a thought.

When Yuu encountered their first intense battle which was with a corrupted magical user, their whole perspective changed. After defeating the corrupted user, the corpse of a young magical girl was left behind and it scarred Yuu completely.

It felt like a joke. It felt disgusting.

It felt like a dumb joke because what are you saying these monsters are just kids with problems? Couldn't we have found another way? If they knew that this would happen, wouldn't they recruit different people for this job? And what about their family? What will their family think seeing their child dead because of "unknown" reasons?

Yuu has tried to continue on after that but no matter what, the memory of the cold, limp body of that magical girl from that day keeps eating them alive.

11. What is their favorite color?

Quartz has no favorite color

Yuu likes yellow

[thebroccolination]

KRISTSINGTO GAVE A COMPREHENSIVE INTERVIEW ON THE EVOLUTION OF THE QL INDUSTRY, THEIR PARTNERSHIP, AND THEIR PROMISE TO FANS

EDITED 19/3/25: @ysphcpb helped me make sense of some of the wonky subtitles. I added two clarifications below using this same text and color to make them easier to find.

A few hours ago, FEED uploaded an interview in which KristSingto almost made me cry. The full interview is subbed in English and available here on YouTube. It's thirty minutes long, and KristSingto cover a broad range of topics that show how invaluable their seasoned perspectives on the industry are.

If you're new to KristSingto or curious what they've been up to since you last checked in on them, this could be either a very good introduction to them or a refresher. :)

Note: As far as I can tell, the subtitles are mostly fine, but judging by some of the phrasing, I think they might have been auto-translated or else completely done by AI. Like, the subs call KristSingto "Christmas" twice, which I think a human would have caught. (Quick: who gets the angel topper and who gets the star?) Also, there are several times when Krist or Singto is referring to himself in the third person (as you do in Thai), so the subtitles say "he" rather than "I" so you have to pay attention to the context of what they're talking about to avoid confusion. Another day, another reason to study Thai.

HIGHLIGHTS:

Singto said he's gotten in trouble for giving short answers, so he said his main concern is Krist's health. He's said the same thing in other interviews, so Krist already knew. <3 I think he means in general, since Krist has been physically sick more often in recent years, but mental health is also quite important to both of them.

EDIT - Singto: Actually, there's not much I need to tell him, but lately, (what I'd like to say) can be condensed into a short word. And I think he's aware of it. "Health", okay? Short but enough, to the point. And I'm sure he's aware of it.

Krist said he's had to take on more responsibility within his family as he's gotten older. He's been very open in the past about his family's early struggles with money following the market crash in the 90s and how he cleared his family's debts through his work after SOTUS. More recently, he lost his grandmother in 2023 just before his solo concerts in Bangkok and now more recently his grandfather just before "The Ex-Morning" begins airing. He's always been extremely devoted to his family.

Meanwhile, Singto is an only child who lost his mother to cancer in university, so he said his priority has become taking care of himself more. Over the past year he's been very forthcoming about his mental health issues in the past and how he addressed them to get to a much healthier and happier place today.

After everything Krist has been through over the past five years especially, hearing him say he's not sad or stressed just healed something in my heart. I'm really so very proud of him. <3

Singto said that because they've both grown up over the past few years, Krist feels more like an equal to him now. They're only a year apart, but I think since they met in school and Krist has always been a little more excitable and trusting, that gap probably felt wider to Singto. He said they're able to communicate better now and that even though their working dynamic was already smooth, even that has improved.

They also talked about changes in the industry from their joint debut in SOTUS in 2016! I've seen Singto speak in the past about how he wanted to see the "BL" or "Y" removed because he thought it was othering, and in this interview he said he's happy that BL isn't considered strange anymore. As the first in the line of fire, KristSingto went through some fairly harrowing things, and he said that he and Krist weren't sure how people would respond to SOTUS.

Krist talked about the international spread of Thai QL and especially the rise of GL! I don't think the subtitles did what he said justice, so I'll toss the ball to resident GL protector @hallowpen in case there's a better way to phrase what he said in English. I think he essentially said that in the era KristSingto released SOTUS in, Thailand was still in a transitional period where queer media was neither accepted or rejected, and he's happy to see it become a normalized part of society.

EDIT - Krist: Moreover, in this era, we now have sapphic shows too, as in girl-girl pairings, something like that. So it's like, it's great, that we no longer have any of these separate lines (@ysphcpb's translation note: in relation to what he said before this, I think he means lines that separate "BL/Y series" from other types of series, in terms of content and target audience). If the work is good and worth watching, we'll love and appreciate it.

They discussed the importance of partnerships, and Krist emphasized communication above all to avoid fighting. Singto said that in the past they didn't fight, but they did overlook issues by not talking more. He said they're making a more concerted effort to pay close attention to each other's moods and to raise concerns as they develop so they can clear things up immediately.

Krist said he's much more at ease with Singto back. He's spoken in-depth multiple times before this about what it was like for him when he was on his own for the two years Singto was gone, and it wasn't great for his mental health. From the moment Singto left (amicably) to pursue his own path, Krist missed him and was actively trying to persuade him to come back. While GMMTV had been placing Krist in heterosexual lakorn series for years after SOTUS ended, his heart never really seemed to be in it, and I think he always wanted to continue and stay in the BL world. He always wanted the stability of a partner he knew and trusted, and with Singto home (so to speak) he said it's easier for him to plan for the future, which is less frightening for him now. (In 2023 before Singto returned, I really hoped Krist would pair up with Gawin based on the loveliness of their friendship and chemistry onstage and in "Be My Favorite," but it became clear to me over time that even though Gawin is Krist's most beloved nong and a good friend to him, Krist most likely never would have rebranded himself in another khuujin out of respect to Singto and what they established and built together. For Krist, Singto is and always will be his only partner, I think.)

Singto reiterated how much more smoothly everything is running between him and Krist now that he's come back. (Personally, I think they both really matured and grew enormously as people during those two years on their own.) Essentially, they're both back in their safe zone now that they've reunited, and while they're at a place in their careers where they don't have to fight to be seen or heard, they don't want to rest on their laurels either.

This was by far the most emotional point for me, and it actually got me quite teary-eyed. Krist talked about their fanbase, Peraya, who got so invested in KristSingto based on one series and a sequel in their first two years in the industry together, and then nothing else for years afterward. I've been here for almost five years and like Krist said, all I've ever seen in real time are concert streams and sponsored events. I remember when I became a fan in 2020 the fandom was still super committed to creating SOTUS fanworks and edits even though it was four years old by then. KristSingto obviously knew their fans wanted more series from them, but even back in 2017 they said they had to do what GMMTV gave them, and unfortunately GMMTV didn't yet see BL as a cash cow. KristSingto had the success of normalizing BL, but their fandom has had to wait this long to be rewarded for it with another KristSingto series.

And Krist promised not to disappoint. Which, of course, I trust. <3

See the full interview below:

(I'm calling them the Christmas Couple from now on and no one can stop me.)

[msunitedstatesjames]

I'm sure I'm gonna be preaching to the choir on this one, Tumblr gamers being who they are, but I don't use any other social media where discourse is really a thing, so here we are. Mild Kingdom Come Deliverance II spoilers incoming.

On other social media platforms, I continue to see people criticize the Henry/Hans romance option, primarily by saying that it is unrealistic and makes no sense. I wanted to address that because personally I felt it to be highly realistic. A couple of disclaimers here, I'm not an expert on the 1400s, nor am I gay or bisexual. But I do have a background in literary analysis, and examining characters and stories in video games isn't so different from doing it in books.

I've seen some people claim that Hans couldn't possibly canonically have feelings for Henry because Hans is based on a real person. I'll address this one first because it's such a patently ridiculous argument. My dudes, I hate to break it to you, but most of the specific details of in game Hans were designed for a video game. I think it's safe to say that every interaction and relationship and event he goes through in the games isn't necessarily a true reflection of the real-life Hans' lived experiences.

I guess, other than that, I really can't understand what people thought was unrealistic about their romance option. Yes, it would have been forbidden and considered one of the greatest moral trespasses of the time. Yes, the punishment for such an act would mostly have been extreme, possibly castration, possibly being burned at the stake. And yet, real people in Europe in the middle ages still had same sex relationships. We know they did because we have real historical information about people being punished for that very reason. On top of that, there have been a number of nobles who were strongly rumored to have same sex relationships, which isn't the same as proof I guess, but it's not exactly the sort of thing you would openly write about in letters to your pals, not when it was a risk to your life. And I hope we can all agree that people interested in same sex relationships always existed, even if they couldn’t be open about it and didn't have the words for it that we have now.

I guess some people are more likely to say that it didn't make sense based on the specific natures of the characters involved. And honestly, I also don't really buy that one. I'm really not sure which aspects of their characters make it impossible or unlikely for them to have romantic feelings for one another.

It's certainly canon that Hans at least is pretty unconcerned about Christian morality. He's out there committing pretty major sins on the regular and is entirely unrepetant. He gets drunk, has unmarried sex, has sex for fun rather than for reproduction, is lustful, is too proud, and even breaks purely human laws such as poaching (though maybe you don't count that one since he is a noble). He loves doing anything he considers fun or thrilling, anything that will relieve his boredom, and he rarely takes into consideration the risks or consequences of such actions. I have no problem at all believing he would be willing to risk having sex with a man under the right circumstances, if only because it would be different and exciting, and I can't imagine circumstances more conducive to this possibility than the circumstances in this game, but we'll get to that later.

As for Henry, unless you play him as a very specific, extremely moral type, I think he's not a whole lot more strictly moral than Hans. Henry can get up to pretty much all the same things as Hans, and unless you're really careful with your choices, he still gets up to things that you don't intend. I play pretty much "in universe moral" characters in RPGs, but even my Henry occasionally steals, loots, gets drunk, and has sex. Some of that was by choice, some was just the result of cutscenes that happened with certain quests. At his strictest, I would say Henry is still at least passively accepting of "immorality" purely based on his friendship with Hans, who drags Henry into his shenanigans more often than not. So I don't think it's impossible for him to have romantic or sexual interest in Hans either, at least based on morality.

I also don't think the nature of their friendship precludes the possibility of a romantic or sexual entaglement. Some people argue that they're just close male friends, and if that's how you play your Henry then that's true, but the nature of their friendship doesn't make it impossible for any other kind of feelings to exist between them in character arcs different from yours. I would say it's pretty generally accepted that by the end of the 2nd game, Henry and Hans certainly love each other in one meaning of the word at least. Obviously they have the love of two extremely close friends. They've been through hell together, and they've both directly risked their lives to save each other when they could easily have left the other to die. You don't often do that for people that you don't love. But loving each other as friends doesn't mean they can't love each other in a romantic way as well, or least have an attraction to each other. Lots of real life couples or sexual partners have started out as friends, and even those that didn't still often consider their partner to be their best friend. So I don't see friendship as something that excludes the possibility of love or sex. (Not to mention the multiple real life examples of soldiers who have fought together, grown close through thier struggles, and eventually ended up growing into some form of sexual or romantic relationship.)

I've listed some of the reasons I don't find their romance to be unrealistic, now let me tell you some of the reasons I do find it realistic and well done.

I've already mentioned that if the circumstances were right, I have no problem imagining Hans trying to hook up with a man. And the circumstances for their romance scene were almost ideal as a setup (which I imagine was the point). Obviously, this would be a hugely risky venture, even for someone like Hans who doesn't worry much about consequences and is generally protected from legal consequences due to his status. So if you were going to undertake a same sex relationship or liason of some kind, I would imagine you would want one of two situations to be true. Either you would want to keep things as anonymous as possible, so there's little chance of your secret getting out, or you would want to be with someone you trust implicitly. Henry and Hans would certainly fall in the latter category. Hans already knows Henry would be willing to die to protect him. Even if the worst happened and Henry was completely disgusted with Hans, he certainly wouldn't turn Hans over to the church to be burned at the stake. Hans might lose his best friend and protector, which would be terrible, but at least he wouldn't lose his life.

The direness of their situation also works in favor of their romance. It adds a lot of urgency to the whole situation. It gives it a "now or never" feeling, that might make people act on impulses they never would have before. There's a good chance in this scene that one or both of them might die very soon. If that's the case, the very serious possible consequences suddenly seem a lot less important. What does it matter that the church might burn you if you're already going to be dead before they have the chance? Even losing Henry as a friend, terrible though it would be for Hans, wouldn't matter much if they were both going to die anyway.

And I think the way they set up the whole scene and the character reactions really adds to the realism factor as well. Henry's initial impulse, to push Hans away, seems very real considering the society they live in. Even though the player as Henry chooses to kiss Hans, Henry still isn't able to bring himself to do it. All he can manage are some vaguely comforting words and a brief clasp of Hans' hand. Hans makes the first move, which realistically, as a noble and Henry's superior, I think he would have to in this time. Henry is ultimately in more danger than Hans here in terms of societal protections, though arguably Hans has a lot more to lose materially. And it makes sense for Henry to be programmed to feel a certain amount of alarm and disgust as a protective impulse to a man kissing him in this sort of society. Hans reacts so well, too. There's so many layers to the emotions on his face in this scene. You can watch him flicker quickly between surprise, regret, panic, self loathing, and resignation. Which seems pretty on point for someone who believes he just ruined his only real friendship and, despite trusting Henry, who might have just put himself in far reaching peril. But then Henry has a moment to reflect and witness Hans' distress, and he realizes what he wants and all the reasons they might as well give it a go, and he very reasonably locks the door and goes back to Hans.

And I think the realism to their romance comes all throughout the game, before, during, and after the romance scene. The few chances you have for Henry to flirt with Hans are all very tame, almost coded and carefully said so as to be easily explained away by any listener (or by Hans if he doesn't feel the same way) as words between two friends. Mostly, Henry emphasizes that he cares about Hans and wants to support him, all things that could easily be true between two good friends, especially when one's job is to protect the other. The absolute most hardcore flirting Henry does before the romance scene is to tell Hans that he really cares about him, and Hans will pretty calmly agree with the sentiment. Which, if you're trying to feel out if your friend also feels some kind of attraction to you, but that attraction could get you both killed, is about the best you can do. During the romance scene Hans has to go into an elaborate anecdote about famous knights who just really, really cared about each other. He mentions that there's some aspect of the the tale that he "doesn't have his own words for" (same sex love, anyone?), and he lets Henry point out the similarities between the story and their own relationship. He even goes so far as to imply that he would die if Henry died, without saying it in so many words, which if there's a clearer way to tell someone you love them in a way that you could somehow write off as nonromantic, I don't know it. And then, after hearing Henry tell him throughout the game about how deeply he cares for Hans and wants to spend more time together, Hans still waits until Henry grabs his hand and swears to return to him before he makes a move. Even after the romance, Henry and Hans are still extremely careful to mask their words for listening ears. Henry refers to Hans' "encouragement." Hans refers to "what happened," which could mean anything to an innocent listener, and "me and you." He also mentions that maybe they should find somewhere "more private" to stay, which would seem like a perfectly reasonable thing for a young nobleman to want. They're still, necessarily, being extremely cautious. Which makes it all very realistic to me.

I think some of the Henry/Hans complainers want to act like having a "gay romance" option in the game means the equivalent of what it would mean in modern day or in a fantasy game like BG3. Like they're just going to be walking around 1400s Europe holding hands and making out in public. And maybe that's why they call it unrealistic. But let's be real, whether you choose the romance or not, very little is going to change for Henry and Hans. Hans will still have to get married to a woman, and Henry will probably marry some day, too. There's a good chance they'll both keep sleeping around with whatever women they can in the meantime because at this point nothing would be more suspicious than to stop. At best, Henry will get to stay on in Hans' castle and be his occassional lover when he has to settle down to start a family. All that seems like a pretty realistic rendition of how a Middle Ages same sex relationship would have to look, so I have to wonder how all these people are finding this relationship to be so "unrealistic?"

[unsolicited-opinions]

Why does it feel like some people are trying to gaslight you into being a trump supporter all because you said "no matter the political party, the administration has a right to revoke the visas of individuals who espouse their support for designated terrorist groups"?

Probably because some people are, Anon.

There are some MAGA folks in my inbox who are furious with me for being a Jew and despising Trump:

This gentile Trump fan knows so little about Jews that he uses the phrase "final solution" in telling Jews how they should feel.

The same Ask contains this:

"You people."

He thinks that Trump caused Jews to "have [our] holy lands back."

So, yeah. You're right.

But there's a bigger issue here, and that's US political polarization and the rejection of nuance.

Right or left, social media is mostly filled with people arguing from ignorance and treating politics like a team sport where one cheers for one's team loyally.

Let's look at this particular example you mention. Neither the mainstream liberals nor the mainstream conservatives want to acknowledge that these things can be true at the same time:

1. Trump is pushing the US towards autocracy as best he can. He and his administration do not actually care about antisemitism and are using the issue as a political wedge and to punish people they don't like. He's using Mahmoud Khalil's case to expand presidential powers.

2. Any administration can legally ban foreigners based on their support of terrorism.

Example: In February of 2024, President Biden banned anyone who committed and promoted violence in the West Bank from having a US visa for any purpose. This was legal. This was ethical. I supported it, and so did most Americans who noticed it.

That both Dems and Republicans seem to take a side on the issue exclusively based on party and utterly without nuance illustrates something important I'd like to ramble about.

That ramble is below the break, but It's longer than the line at the DMV and probably about as interesting. There's no shame in skipping it.

You're sure?

Okay, you were warned.

When Obama was elected in 2008 and the Democrats took a 70-seat lead in the House, the Republicans lost their @#&*ing minds. They were in the wilderness, out of power, and rejected by the US electorate. (And, as many have observed, there was a wildly racist backlash to the election of the first black President of the United States.)

The Republican plan to change this and get back into power was to make themselves the party of opposing anything Obama did.

They didn't just treat him like the president of the opposition party, they treated him like an assault on the American Way Of Life. This isn't an exaggeration.

If you weren't alive or politically aware at that time, here's some examples of Republicans rejecting their own policy ideas because Obama embraced them:

- The Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare")

The ACA’s individual mandate, which required individuals to obtain health insurance, was based on a policy developed by the conservative Heritage Foundation (yes, the authors of Project 2025) in the 1990s and was implemented in Massachusetts as Romneycare under Republican Governor Mitt Romney. It was a massive gift to the insurance companies.

Despite the plan’s conservative origins, Republicans labeled the ACA as “socialist” and spent years attempting to repeal or dismantle it. The individual mandate, once a free-market solution, became a target of intense criticism.

- Cap-and-Trade for carbon emissions

This was originally a Republican-supported, market-based solution to environmental regulation. It was championed by Republicans like John McCain and even used successfully in reducing acid rain under George H.W. Bush.

When Obama proposed a cap-and-trade system to address climate change, Republicans denounced it as a “job-killing” scheme and labeled it a “tax on energy.” The bill ultimately failed in the Senate due to Republican opposition.

(Guess which president got the Environmental Protection Agency into existence. Republican Richard Nixon. The environment wasn't always a partisan issue and Republicans used to care about the environment before the issue was polarized.)

- The DREAM Act

The concept of providing a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children had bipartisan support, with some Republican co-sponsors when first introduced in 2001.

By the time Obama advocated for the DREAM Act, Republicans opposed it, citing concerns about "amnesty," and blocked its passage through a Senate filibuster in 2010.

Then there were all the ridiculous personal attacks. This kind of nonsense, which hadn't been normal previously, became the daily norm:

The Republican philosophy became: If Obama and the Democrats are for it? We're against it!

I will abuse this moment to share the brilliant Groucho Marx singing "Whatever it is, I'm against it."

Anyway, this strategy worked for the Republicans and has been increasingly the norm for the Republican Party ever since.

That was bad enough, but a lot of left-leaning criticism of Obama focused on the idea that he was too centrist. That he kept trying to reach across the aisle to the Republicans, despite the way they slapped that hand every time he tried. They were pissed that Obama's administration bailed out the banks in 2009 (when they felt Democrats should be the party to break banks up and let them fail, Obama thought the economy wouldn't recover without a bailout and I think economically Obama was proven right, but politically, it hurt the Democrats). These left-leaning democrats thought it was time that the Democratic Party, originally a Labor party, had a leftist wing again.

(Sidebar: Yes, the internet has also contributed to polarization and the demise of nuance in a big way, but that's a topic for another time.)

I'm not suggesting that the polarization of the US electorate has been symmetrical. It hasn't. The rightward movement of the Republican Party has been much greater than the leftward movement of the Democrats - but we got reactionary far-left Democrats, too.

While the Republican Party is now run entirely by far right ideology (and that's a disaster), the Democrats helped make it happen with their own end of the Horseshoe.

The loudest democrats, the ones with good Q scores in the Democratic base are the likes of AOC/Ilhan Omar/Rashida Tlaib. They married the leftist wing of the Democrats to "global South" and Islamist causes (oversimplification, yes), which helped decrease support to Israel (which the Democrats used to support enthusiastically when it had a lefty government) and caused the Democratic party to completely ignore the rising antisemitism of the left, particularly on college campuses. How could it be wrong, they argued, to support protestors who are advocating for human rights?

This gave Republicans the opportunity to *own* those issues. Elise Stefanik didn't give a single shit about campus antisemitism, but the Republicans owned the issue in the minds of most Americans from this moment on:

Claudine Gay was very badly prepared for this hearing. She spoke like a lawyer, not like a human being. It was obvious Harvard hadn't done anything to protect the civil rights of Jews on campus in acoordance with federal law.

Americans (correctly) saw that liberal institutions, aligned with Democrats, hadn't done anything, nor had congressional Democrats who didn't want to alienate the "Pro-Palestinian" part of their base and didn't want the Republicans to have an excuse to go after colleges. This was a huge mistake. Biden should have had the Department of Education sue these institutions for their failure to protect civil rights. It is tragic that the Democrats did less than nothing, but that helped get us where we are.

So where did this get us?

Now, fighting antisemitism is a partisan issue which the GOP "supports" (for its own reasons, mostly a political wedge) and the Democrats oppose it as a symbol of Republican fascism.

This is why they lionize Mahmoud Khalil.

Now, being a liberal seems to mean believing that claims of antisemitism are wildly exaggerated and being dishonestly used to deflict criticism of Israel.

Now we have liberals saying "criticism of Israel isn't antisemitism" as if that hadn't always been the view of US Jews who love to criticize Israel.

Now we have liberals who are opposed to every sort of religious/ethnic persecution except one- because as David Baddiel said, Jews Don't Count.

Now, the support of the only liberal democracy the MENA region is a partisan issue which the Republican party "supports" (for its own reasons, mostly geopolitical advantage) and which the Democratic party base associates with Trump's autocracy and fascism.

There's seemingly no room for nuance on either side.

So if I express the belief that the law permits Trump to ban foreign nationals who promote violence, despite their support for Biden doing the same, liberals think I'm a fascist.

(Guess which President, by the way, was the biggest deporter of foreign nationals in modern history. Hint: it was Obama.)

If I support declining visas and/or residence to foreigners who promote terrorism (as Biden did in 2024, remember), Democrats see me as a fascist, aligned with Trump, and an enemy of civil liberties. The right sort of Jew, for Democrats, disowns Israel and opposes anything Trump does.

If I criticize Trump's efforts towards autocracy and fascism, I'm the wrong sort of Jew because I don't appreciate his strategic support of Israel or feigned caring about antisemtism. The right sort of Jew, for Republicans, is the Jew who still thinks of politics in the predictable framing of the "is-it-good-for-the-Jews" mindset and isn't concerned about the dismantling of the liberal democracy which made Jews (and everyone else) safer and more prosperous in the US than at any time in history.

If the Dems are for it, the GOP is against it.

If the GOP is for it, the Dems are against it.

These partisan policy positions are, for now, locked.

If you watch the news with this framing in mind, it may make more sense.

If you've actually reached the end of this ramble, I'm shocked and grateful. Have a cookie: 🍪

[flameraven]

Yes. I feel like this headcanon mostly serves to make Crowley Secret Angel Royalty as a way to have him be Extra Super Special and Powerful and/or give him an extra angsty backstory. And y'know. Have fun with that if you want but I do think it ignores that one of the core themes of the story is that a bunch of unimportant nobodies manage to save the world because they tried, even when it seemed pointless. And of course, another major theme is that you choose your OWN destiny. You don't have to be who you are supposed to be. So why would he have some important Destiny?

As far as canon goes, I do think the line in S2 "for one Prince of Heaven to Fall makes a good story, two makes it seem like an institutional problem" pretty strongly implies Lucifer is the only Archangel that Fell, since the implied second would be Gabriel. I really think that Raphael in GO is just Sir Not Appearing In This Story and there's no big mystery to him not being one of the featured Archangels. Also... Raphael's whole deal is healing. I never did understand why people picked Raphael as Crowley's angel identity when angel!Crowley's seems to be in an entirely different department (starmaking).

Crowley's Rank

This one's gonna be controversial, isn't it. Actually, let me pre-empt my rant with (another rant): It's not that I mind if Crowley was an Archangel or Dominion or whatever before he Fell. I don't think it makes that much difference. It could perhaps serve some narrative purpose but I don't really see it. To me, it makes no real sense for the story though and I do see people using this idea so Crowley can be smarter, more powerful, more insightful, more aware and just you know, full of wisdom and knowledge that Aziraphale should have sat down and learned from a long time ago. This is my main gripe with this HC.

So. Here we go: I am baffled by how people assume and often even claim it is as good as canon that Crowley:

was an Archangel

or even more high up (which I don't think is possible in GO Universe)

knew all Heaven's dirty secrets (and that's why he knows SO MUCH more about Heaven than poor innocent Aziraphale*)

created the Universe

*who a) should have listened to Crowley when Crowley tried to tell him about it or b) Crowley didn't tell him about it because he didn't want to hurt poor Aziraphale with the truth about Heaven

When what we see in canon is (IMO) the opposite of all of that? Also, did Aziraphale somehow forgot that Crowley was high up?

We meet this adorable angel in Before the Beginning. He was sent to start up a Nebula in a remote corner of the Universe and he needs a helping hand.

The angel who meets him finds him adorable and enquires whether he designed the pretty *waves hands around* colours and stuff. And Angel!Crowley admits that...well he did not design it as such but... he did have an input! Angel!Crowley does not introduce himself which is definitely a deliberate move, however, it seems like he's simply too distracted and excited by his project for such proper niceties so he does not notice when his new friend looks a little put out by that.

So. Did Aziraphale know who Crowley was?* I like both yes and no answers. I think a crush at first sight is adorable; after all, Aziraphale's careful demeanour seems to suggest he does not meet carefree happy angels often. But perhaps he did come across him before and was hoping to make his acquaintance properly sometime and look, what luck he was nearby just now...

*Did Aziraphale know who Crowley was in Eden? Absolutely. They recognised each other (and I wonder what happened in the interim we did not see) and Aziraphale carefully waits for the demon to offer his new name.

Did Crowley create the Universe?

No, he started up a nebula, and he's clearly very excited about his job.

Angel!Crowley has not heard of the Earth, the humans, or what the whole project/universe is for or how long it is planned to last.

That tells me, given that Earth and humans and the 6000 year Plan is literally the goal of it all; that he did not sit high up on the Universe planning committee and if anyone told him about it before, he did not pay attention. Which, honestly, is on brand for ADHD Crowley.

How come Aziraphale knows that certain suggestions and ideas would be unwelcome, should the two of them be overheard?

We don't know. But clearly whatever circles Aziraphale moves in, have alerted him to the fact that suggesting to improve things, would be a bad idea. And he did pay attention to the whole - we are creating a vast Universe to host a tiny planet for a human project that will last 6000 years and then be destroyed.

He also breaks the news about the Plan to Crowley who is clearly heartbroken about it. Much like the angels designing dinosaurs must have been I expect, working on them just so their bones could be buried in the Earth for a joke.

Next up for the argument for powerful Crowley:

Our lovely husbands aim for a tiny miracle to hide the runaway Archangel and its power creates mayhem in Heaven (and I assume in Hell too).

So why did this happen? I've heard of three possible explanations:

The husbands made it powerful, because they are (or their love is) powerful together, they just did not realise it. And that's my favourite one.

Gabriel inadvertently helped cos he's the Supreme Archangel (unlikely since he can't deal with his angel self while he's a 'Jim' for the rest of the season).

Crowley is so powerful he did it himself. Even though he insisted on making it very small, (I guess he just could not help himself).

Now, when he quips, how do you know I didn't do it - to the suggestion only a powerful Archangel could do it... it's just that. A joke. And a way to confuse.

After all, the Archangels laugh at the mere suggestion Az could do it too, but then HE CLAIMS HE DID and they believe him. Kind of.

So I don't think miracles are as clear cut as all that.

And anyway, it's impossible Hell would have forgotten if Crowley has been an Archangel in Heaven and second of all, it was funny, and a typical Crowley retort. Obviously Hell suspected Gabriel did it (and so did Heaven).

Crowley himself seems to think it's THEIR COMBINED fault. (If that is not foreshadowing, especially the way he throws it out there....)

Crowley can stop time.

And that's pretty cool. Very impressive. I wonder who else can do that. But does he have this power/knowledge because of his past high rank or because he worked at building the Universe? (And clearly loved his job?)

And now for the main course:

And:

"They never change their passwords."

Ok so I mean... you don't exactly have to be Sherlock Holmes to deduce triumphantly that Crowley was one of those.

Which, given Good Omens is anything but obvious and predictable, is exactly what Crowley is not (yes, that's my HC, obviously).

How did he get to know the passwords then? Oh so many delicious possibilities. And so much more interesting (I think) than - he was so high up he knows everything.

Did he get them cos he wanted to check something? Did he get them for Lucifer and/or 'the guys'? Did he get them for Aziraphale? Did he get them from Aziraphale? Did he find out by mistake cos the 'high ups' did not pay attention to a lowly angel around important documents? Did he simply believe he can open the files?

And one more little thing:

Apparently, God on angel time was very limited if they are both in awe of Job being able to speak to God.

I mean we have no idea if Metatron ever actually speaks to Her, or the Archangels, but this seems to imply these two were not especially important.

And. I like that.

I want them to be two middling nobodies who overthrow the system because they came to love one another. It's such a running theme in Terry Pratchett books too. It's not the ministers and generals who overthrow governments, is it. It's someone in the crowd asking questions, and another someone wanting a proper kiss and deciding they'd wage a war for it. That's how revolutions start.

If I sound in any way disparaging towards Crowley, please note - I am not. But I am disparaging to fanon Crowley who I believe Crowley would despise.

[vodika-vibes]

You Don't Want Me

Summary: In a world where the majority of people are split into Alphas or Omegas, you’re one of the small portion of the population who isn’t either. You’ve long since come to terms with the fact that you’re never going to have a romantic partner, and you’re, mostly, fine with it. You just wish that your neighbor would stop flirting with you.

Pairing: TBB Crosshair x F! Reader

Word Count: 1384

Warnings: A/B/O but it's not smut, I'm just playing around in the setting. Technically the reader could be read as GN but I put them in a sundress.

A/N: So I had an idea, and this was born. I hope people like it, lol

Click HERE to be added to my taglist

“Well now, don’t you look pretty today,”

You roll your eyes as the familiar voice of your neighbor reaches your ears. “Thanks, I guess.”

Crosshair grins at you, rolling his toothpick from one side of his mouth to the other, “You’re welcome,” You ignore the way his eyes flicker down your body with practiced ease, “You got a hot date today or something?”

“All this because I’m wearing a sundress? No, Crosshair. I don’t date, you know that.” You straighten from where you had been messing with one of your planters, “Not that it is any of your business if I go on a date or not.”

His grin widens, “I’m just looking out for you. People are scum, you know?”

“Yeah, yeah.” You squint at him, “Is there a reason you’re hanging out in my backyard?”

He shrugs, “We have a shared backyard, neighbor. You don’t like it, put up some fences.”

You huff out an exasperated laugh, and shake your head, “You know, someday you’re going to find an omega who’s going to be really annoyed with how obsessed you are with me.”

He pauses, his long fingers absently tapping his thigh, and then he smirks, “Nah.”

“Nah? The fuck you mean ‘nah’?”

Crosshair, like all of his brothers, is an alpha. Alphas partner up with omegas. Its what they do. Something about pheromones and hormones and biology. You’re not really sure.

You never had to learn because you don’t have any of those characteristics.

Scientists, and doctors, call people like you Mu. Halfway between an Alpha and an Omega. In the end, all it means is that you’re a freak.

But you’re fine with it. You have to be. What other choice do you have?

“Having an omega is way too much work, have you heard how Tech’s girl whines for him? Like, all of the time. I’m surprised Hunter hasn’t killed her. Even I find her voice grating.”

“I don’t think you’re supposed to talk about your sister-in-law like that?”

“Meh. She already hates me, it’s not like she can hate me more.” He crosses your backyard to peer over your shoulder at your garden, “Your herbs look like they’re coming in nice.”

You’re slightly surprised by the topic change, but you go along with it happily, “Yeah! I was worried because the sage did so poorly last year, but I must have gotten the soil PH right this year.”

You turn to look up at Crosshair, and your smile falters when you see the look on his face. It’s a soft look, with a small affectionate smile that smooths out the harsh lines of his face into something gentler.

It’s a look Crosshair directs towards you regularly, and it’s a look that never fails to make you blush. And today is no exception, as you hurriedly spin away from him to check your other planter before he notices the effect he has on you.

And, as ever, he releases a quiet chuckle that gives you goosebumps.

“What else do you have growing?” Crosshair asks, his breath warm against your ear. He’s close enough that you can feel him pressed against your back.

It really isn’t fair that he keeps doing this to you. He’s an alpha and he knows you’re not an omega. He’s just being cruel for the hell of it, you suppose.

“Um…” You step away from him slightly, grateful and disappointed when he doesn’t follow you, “Tomatoes, broccoli, and a couple of other herbs. I have hot peppers growing in the other planter over there.”

“I’ll have to remember to mention that to Wrecker when it comes time for the harvest,” Crosshair mutters, “He’s always complaining about how expensive peppers are.”

“Well, I’m happy to share. I always have too many anyway.”

You glance away from him and lean over to check on one of your tomato plants, only to squeak and jump when you feel his finger drag up your spine from the small of your back.

You spin around to stare at him, your eyes wide. His fingers, which had been resting comfortably on the back of your neck, now sit right over the pulse point on your throat, and he looks at you like the cat that caught the canary.

“Um...what…?” You try to take a step back but you’re so close to your planter that you don’t have anywhere to go, and when you try you almost lose your balance, so Crosshair has to hurriedly wrap his free hand around your waist to keep you steady.

“Why do you keep running from me? Am I that intimidating to you?”

“No, that’s not—,” You trail off, you can feel your heart racing from nerves, and you know he can feel it too.

“Then what’s the problem?” He carefully maneuvers you and walks you back until your back bumps against the cool material of your home, “I’m not blind or stupid, I can see how you look at me.”

“That’s—“

“—and I can feel how your heart is racing now that I’m touching you. You’re clearly attracted to me, and yet, every time, you run away. Why?”

“I’m not an omega.” You blurt, “I...You—“

He scoffs, “I told you. I have no interest in having an omega.”

“Sure, you say that now, but—“

His eyes narrow at you, “But what? You think I’m the kind of man who would let my hormones control me?”

You don’t have an answer to that, because the truth is, in your experience, all alphas are. Example 1? Your former boyfriend who cheated on you as soon as he ran into an omega in heat.

You don’t have to answer, your silence is answer enough, and he scoffs again. “You do. What kind of shitty alphas have you been around, pretty?”

“That’s not...he couldn’t help his nature…” You trail off, not sure why you’re defending your ex.

“No. He’s just a shitty guy who used his hormones as an excuse to be a dick to you.” Crosshair leans in to press his face into your hair, “Fuck, you smell so good. Like sunshine and the beach—“

“...I’m sorry?”

“That was a compliment, pretty. You smell so much better.”

You feel like there’s a part of this conversation that you missed, but you don’t want to ask him for clarification, not when he’s pressed against you like this. Not when you can feel his lips on the shell of your ear.

But, you do make one, final, attempt to dissuade him from this. “Cross...I’m pretty sure that you don’t want me—“

You’re not able to finish your sentence as he pulls away and pins you in place with a severe look, “You don’t get to decide what, or who, I want.”

You shoot him a doubtful look.

“Fine, let me speak plainly then. I want you. Only you. Since the day we met.” His words make heat rush to your face, and you want to avert your gaze, but he won’t let you look away, “I have no interest in the drama that comes with partnering with an omega. And, to be completely frank, the scent of omega pheromones gives me a migraine.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah, oh.” He bumps his forehead against yours, “So, give me a chance?”

You stare at him, your heart in your throat.

This has the potential to go so wrong. And you know, in the same way you know the sun will rise in the morning, that if it does, you’re going to be the one hurt. Again.

But you want to trust Crosshair.

And you’re so tired of being alone all the time.

So, even though fear and uncertainty have you in a vice grip, you don’t stop yourself from reaching up and wrapping your arms around his neck. And your actions are rewarded with a look of pleasure.

“So?” Crosshair asks.

“If you break my heart,” You warn him, “I’ll find some way to make your life miserable.”

“Noted.” He bumps his nose against yours, “I’m going to kiss you now.”

“Yes, please.”

And then his lips are against yours and it’s not perfect. It’s a little awkward and a little clumsy, and your teeth knock together. But you wouldn’t change it for anything in the galaxy.

@heidnspeak

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[suburbonlegends]

Wanna hear some deranged ramblings about lighting and possible character arc reflections in them?

so every time I watch "Free Fall" and this shot comes up, I find myself fascinated by the lighting decision, and like yes the primary intentional point of it is to convey that they're meeting under this cover of darkness so stay hidden from view, but if we want to get fun and overly analytical about it 👀

Firstly let's get one thing clear: I'm gonna talk about "darkness" and "light" as characterizations, and by this I'm not talking about "evil" and "good." I don't think Peter is bad or evil in any way, and I don't think Neal is pure and good lmao. This is mostly a perspective of the moral gray area around legalities and the pursuit of justice the show later takes on

Anyway, let's start with the obvious: Peter's in the dark because he's only just now learning all the information that Neal is telling him about Fowler, he was metaphorically in the dark and Neal (the light) is now filling him in

But here's where I'll take a leap: This represents the beginning of turning to "the dark" to get things done aka doing things in ways that break rules and conventions that he typically would be really strict of for the sake of the better good. He knows, now, that Neal is innocent, but the "right way" to do things isn't working for this case. He has to help Neal to serve justice, and to help Neal he has to do things like Conceal a Criminal, and Aid and Abet. Peter shortly before this shot lets Neal escape and purposefully sends Fowler on a wild goose chase, telling him exactly the wrong information that we know Peter doesn't believe in from the Pilot:

Now, to me, this is the first time Peter starts actively breaking rules/laws/morals for the sake of both the greater good/justice and just, plainly, for Neal. You could argue that he does this in "The Portrait" but I feel like that exists more in a grey area because of the facts that he doesn't know Neal stole it and that Neal comes to him with a plan of how to use the painting in a way that works within Peter's guidelines. Peter isn't actively breaking any of these himself, he's just kind of ignoring the fact that Neal did something and letting it play out in his favor. In "Free Fall" though is when Peter starts becoming an active participator in these choices. Peter let Neal run, and now he's coated in darkness.

Neal's perspective is a little more vague and less about direct choice happening in this episode, more so just his general character arc. It’s the light of “good” shining on him, guiding him. He’s spent so many years up to this point truly believing that his core is rotted out, that his blood is the blood of a criminal. But here there’s the small light of “good” is placed over him and him alone. In an episode where he’s being framed as the criminal, where everyone, even Peter, didn’t believe in him, Neal’s inner “good” light is still shinning.

On top of that, Peter’s shadow is literally apart of Neal’s light. There’s two ways to view this: 1) Peter is the one guiding Neal’s light, casting that light of “good” over him. 2) It’s Peter’s “dark side” meeting Neal’s “good side.” It’s a metaphysical representation of the gray area between “good” and “bad” that the two are going to create. I flip back and forth between which of these interpretations I think are “more important,” but in this moment I think the representation of Peter and Neal’s gray zone, of them meeting in the middle between light and dark so that they can, overall, do good and put away the bad guys is the winner.

Anyway the lighting in this scene and the possible metaphors make me feral and I hope I infected others 😂

[badgalsasuke]

Hi, I really wanted to know your opinion on this post:

but very specifically to this paragraph:

Hi!

It seems to me both authors of each post have different interpretations on Naruto's double suicide promise, I mean since I'm just seeing an excerpt of the first post, I can't tell that well what are they trying to say. But I from what I'm seeing, I agree with the first post. Naruto is indeed saying if Sasuke really wants to destroy Konoha and kill Naruto to finally be alone like he says he will, then Naruto is talking about a clash. Naruto told Itachi and Sasuke that if the latter wanted to destroy Konoha he would have to intervene to stop him but wouldn't kill him because he believed he could save Sasuke but he's also telling Sasuke "either I save you or we both die" because he's not letting him succumb to darkness and be all by himself living a lonely existence but at the same time Naruto has never had the intention of killing Sasuke and living to tell it, because he doesn't consider Sasuke an enemy but his closest bond.

As for the second post, I'm bored by the same anti-naruto arguments Sasuke stans regurgitate "Naruto is being abusive and forcing himself onto Sasuke"

This is such a superficial shallow reading of the text and the worst part is that this type of Sasuke stans feel so smart saying this stupid bullshit.

I'm not going to delve to deep in how Kishimoto is taking inspiration from Chikamatsu Monzaemon and overall Japanese literature of the 18th century for the double suicide stuff, I've already written about it and linked other very good posts [LINK]

But anyway

Naruto is not trying to erase Sasuke's identity, that user is reaching so fucking hard or they are stupid as fuck. Naruto knows they've both been ostracized, oppressed and traumatized by the ninja world due to their status as jinchuuriki and Uchiha, he's telling Sasuke about a dream he has where they could live in a world where they can be happy not having been through the events that hurt them so much. I think Kishimoto's writing is very clear on that.

I love how they don't say what's the solution to Sasuke's problem at all. But anyway, even Naruto is not proposing dying as a solution to Sasuke's problems, he literally approached him first with understanding and empathy for what Sasuke's been through then when Sasuke asked him why he cares so much for him Naruto says "because we're friends" and says he will stop Sasuke from destroying Konoha and they will fight *like Sasuke wants* but he's not going to kill him not let himself be killed, because like I said, Naruto's idea is reconciliation and as last resource both of them dying, not that they will both simply die.

This annoying mf is pissing me off, like just making shit up. Naruto is not centering himself in Sasuke's life, when he said the "meeting in the afterlife" he's talking about how in this world they crossed paths through suffering *for being Jinchuuriki and Uchiha* and that's why they're both struggling in the situation they are (mostly Sasuke). Naruto is saying that in the afterlife where they'll meet, because they are not Jinchuuriki and Uchiha, their meeting will be different, they won't have to separate like they did at VoTE1, Sasuke won't feel the need to cut off those who care about him, it'd be a healthier life, and I think this is also pretty fucking clear in the text.

It's just baffling to me how Sasuke stans see Sasuke go through the worst mental breakdown of his life, abandoned by everyone who once knew him and then see Naruto, the only person that has unconditional love for him, that hasn't lost hope on him, that is the only person that has offered him words of compassion by telling him "Sasuke, I get it" after everyone else said there was no salvation for him, but also tell him "I'm not killing you because you're the most important person in my life and I'm not letting you killing me because I'm not letting you live alone so you can be in the misery you think you ought to" and they still see him as an evil manipulator. Naruto is not trying to brainwash Sasuke, he's answering the fucking question Sasuke asked.

Like maybe if those dumb mf dropped the internet communist revolutionary act for two seconds, they would understand Sasuke is being very self-destructive and suicidal here and Naruto is the only one offering him understanding but also being very firm he's not going to let Sasuke hurt himself more, which is how you're supposed to be when someone is struggling mentally and emotionally.

As Kishimoto said, losing your friend is akin to losing your own identity. By killing Naruto, Sasuke is hurting himself and Naruto is the only one who sees right through that and says "Nope, I'm not allowing that to happen"

[idaisyy]

Tag , you’re in - a cmpunk x oc enimies to lovers

-Chapter 45

The silence was unbearable.

Daisy slid into the driver's seat without a word, adjusting her mirrors and gripping the steering wheel like it was the only thing keeping her together. Punk sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair before getting into the passenger seat.

He shut the door, glancing at her. "I can drive," he offered.

Nothing.

"Daisy." His voice was softer this time, almost pleading. "Come on, you've been wrestling all night. You gotta be tired. Just let me drive—"

Still nothing. She started the car, eyes fixed on the road ahead, her expression unreadable.

Punk let out a frustrated breath and leaned back against the seat, drumming his fingers on his thigh. "So that's how it's gonna be, huh? You just gonna pretend I don't exist?"

Daisy remained silent, shifting the car into gear and pulling out of the parking lot.

Punk let his head fall back against the seat, staring at the ceiling. "Jesus, you're stubborn."

No response.

The minutes passed in silence, the only sound the hum of the engine and the occasional movement from Punk shifting in his seat. He exhaled sharply, glancing over at her. "You won't even let me drive?"

Still nothing.

"Because it's my birthday, right?" he muttered, more to himself than her. "Even though I was a complete dick, you're still making sure I don't have to drive."

Daisy's hands tightened slightly on the wheel, but she didn't say a word.

Punk closed his eyes and sighed, feeling that awful, gnawing guilt settle deeper in his chest. He had messed up. Bad. And now, he had to sit in this car for hours, trapped in the silence, with nothing to do but face the fact that he had hurt her worse than he realized.

Punk sat in the passenger seat, the unopened gift bag at his feet catching his attention. He hesitated for a moment before reaching down and grabbing it.

With a quiet sigh, he pulled out the first item—a vintage wrestling magazine, one of his favorites from when he was a kid. He stared at it for a long moment, flipping through the pages. His chest tightened.

"Where the hell did you even find this?" he muttered, mostly to himself.

Daisy didn't answer. She just kept her eyes on the road, her expression unreadable.

Punk swallowed hard and reached for the next gift. A black hoodie with a design he'd once pointed out months ago, thinking she wasn't even listening., she had and remembered

The next was a shirt with an old wrestling promotion he loved when he was a kid

And at the bottom of the bag, a handwritten note in Daisy's slightly messy but familiar handwriting.

He hesitated before unfolding it.

"Happy Birthday, Punk. Even when you piss me off, I still wanted today to feel special for you. You deserve that, even if you don't think you do."

Punk's grip tightened on the paper. His throat felt tight.

He turned to her, still holding the note. "Daisy—"

Nothing.

She just kept driving, her posture stiff, refusing to acknowledge him.

Punk exhaled sharply and ran a hand down his face, guilt settling deep in his gut. She had done all of this—gone out of her way to make him feel special—even after he had said some of the worst things to her.

And now she wouldn't even look at him.

For once, he didn't blame her.

Punk let out an exaggerated sigh, slouching further in his seat as he glanced at Daisy, who remained stubbornly focused on the road. He could see her jaw set tight, her hands gripping the steering wheel just a little too hard.

"You know," he started, his voice casual but laced with underlying frustration, "I only turn 26 once."

Silence.

Punk rolled his eyes. "I mean, I don't ask for much. A little 'Happy Birthday, Punk' doesn't seem like it would kill you."

Nothing. Not even a glance in his direction.

He huffed, leaning his head back. "You went through all that trouble decorating the locker room, getting me gifts, and now you won't even say it? That's actually insane."

Daisy's expression didn't change.

He knew he was going to have to make her laugh to break her and make her speak to him

Punk exhaled, tilting his head toward her. "Daze... come on. I know I was a dick, okay? I know I hurt you, and I'm sorry. But do you really hate me so much right now that you won't even say it?"

She finally glanced at him, just for a second, before looking back at the road.

"Wow," he muttered, shaking his head. "You're really gonna do me like this on my birthday? What if I just drop dead right now? What if this is my last birthday ever?"

Daisy's lip twitched like she wanted to smile, but she quickly pressed them together.

Punk narrowed his eyes. "I saw that. I saw that little almost-smile."

She gave him nothing.

Punk groaned dramatically, dragging his hands down his face. "Fine. Be stubborn. But just know, I'm gonna be the most annoying person on the planet until you say it."

Daisy rolled her eyes, still refusing to respond.

Punk grinned, leaning back with his arms crossed. "Oh yeah, you're in for a long ride, sweetheart."

Punk immediately recognized the name flashing on Daisy's phone screen, and his stomach twisted. He knew this wasn't going to be good.

Daisy hesitated before answering, her voice already tinged with exhaustion. "Hey, Mom."

Punk stayed silent, watching her closely as he shifted slightly in his seat.

"I saw you on TV tonight," her mother started, skipping right past any kind of greeting. "I was wondering... are you dating that Punk guy?"

Daisy closed her eyes briefly, gripping the wheel tighter. "Mom, I really don't want to do this right now. I've had a bad day—"

"I didn't ask about your day, Daisy. I asked if you were dating him."

Punk clenched his jaw, already feeling the heat of anger rising in his chest. He knew Daisy's mother never cared about how she felt—never asked, never listened.

Daisy let out a slow breath. "No, I'm not dating him."

"Well, good. I'd hate for you to embarrass yourself more than you already do."

Punk felt his whole body tense. He turned his head sharply, watching Daisy as her face fell.

"You looked ridiculous out there tonight, by the way," her mother continued. "Flailing around, letting that other girl get the best of you. You always make everything so much harder than it needs to be. No wonder you—"

Daisy abruptly hung up.

The silence in the car was suffocating.

Punk stared at her, his hands balled into fists on his lap. Daisy kept her eyes forward, her lips pressed together, her breathing uneven.

After a few seconds, she let out a shaky breath. "Can we just... not talk about it?"

Punk exhaled through his nose, still fuming. But he nodded.

"Yeah, Daze," he said quietly. "We don't have to talk about it."

But he was sure as hell thinking about it. And if he ever met her mother, he wasn't sure he'd be able to stop himself from saying something.

Punk sat there, staring out the windshield as Daisy kept her eyes fixed on the road. The weight of everything hung heavy between them, but now, after hearing her mom tear her down like that, he couldn't take the silence anymore.

He sighed, rubbing his hands over his face before turning to look at her. "Daze... can you please just talk to me?"

She didn't answer.

Punk exhaled sharply, drumming his fingers against his thigh, trying to find the right words. He sucked at this—apologizing, admitting when he was wrong—but if there was ever a time to try, it was now.

"Look, I'm—fuck," he muttered, shaking his head. He forced himself to just say it. "I'm sorry, alright? For everything. For what I said to you earlier, for how I acted, for being a complete asshole today. I—" He huffed out a breath. "I didn't mean it, any of it."

Daisy stayed quiet, but her fingers twitched on the steering wheel.

Punk ran a hand through his hair, his frustration now directed at himself. "I was just pissed off, and I took it out on you, which was fucked up. And then I saw you with Drew, and I lost my damn mind because—" He stopped himself, biting his tongue before he said too much.

Daisy let out a small scoff, shaking her head. "Because what, Punk?"

He swallowed, gripping his knee. "Because I hated it," he admitted. "Because the thought of you with someone else—especially him—makes me fucking crazy. But that's not an excuse for how I treated you."

Daisy's jaw clenched, her face still set in that heartbreakingly distant expression. "You said some really awful shit to me today."

Punk nodded, guilt pressing down on him. "I know. And I hate myself for it." He turned his body slightly toward her. "I just... I don't want you to hate me. Please, Daze. Just—stop ignoring me."

Daisy was quiet for a long moment, eyes focused on the road, but Punk saw her bottom lip tremble slightly. He wanted to reach for her, to touch her, but he didn't know if she'd let him.

Finally, she let out a slow breath. "I don't hate you, Punk," she admitted, her voice softer now. "But you really hurt me."

Punk felt something twist in his chest. "I know." His voice was rough, honest. "And I'll make it up to you. I swear."

Daisy glanced at him, her walls still up, but something in her softened just a little.

Punk took that as a start.

Daisy gripped the steering wheel, staring straight ahead. "I don't forgive you," she finally said, her voice even but laced with hurt. "Not yet. Because honestly, Punk... it feels like you broke my heart today."

Punk swallowed hard, his stomach sinking. He deserved that. Every bit of it.

She let out a slow breath, fingers tightening on the wheel. "But... I do want to know if your birthday was good. If I made it special for you."

Punk exhaled, his body slumping slightly against the seat. His usual bravado, his sarcasm—none of it was there. Just him. Raw. Honest. "Yeah," he admitted quietly. "You did."

Daisy still wouldn't look at him, but he kept going, his voice softer than she'd ever heard it. "I hate my birthday." He let out a dry, humorless laugh. "Always have. My parents never gave a shit about it. Never did anything for it. No parties, no cake, nothing. Just another day."

Daisy's grip loosened, and she finally turned her head slightly toward him.

Punk looked down at his hands. "I guess at some point, I just stopped caring. Stopped expecting anything. Figured if I ignored it, it wouldn't suck as much." He swallowed, his throat tight. "But then... you did all that for me today." He glanced at her, his voice barely above a whisper. "No one's ever done that for me before, Daisy."

Daisy's expression softened, her lips pressing together. She wanted to stay mad, wanted to keep her walls up, but hearing that—knowing that she had done something for him no one else had ever done—made her heart ache for him.

She didn't say anything, just turned her eyes back to the road. But Punk could see it—the way her shoulders relaxed just a little, the way the tension between them shifted. It wasn't forgiveness, not yet. But it was something.

And for now, he'd take it.

[archduchessgortash]

Many thoughts... mostly that I agree with you, with one small caveat. It's not just Karlach. It's Karlach and Wyll, though not to the same extent.

Some brain vomit theories and a random counterpoint are also included.

[Wow, this turned out long.]

I've run through this scene many, many times, and it's very interesting how Gortash rapidly switches gears from open and welcoming to aloof and mocking when Karlach is present. In his previous cinematic scene with Orin at the start of Act 3, he's pleased to learn that Durge is still alive. When he commandeers a Steel Watcher only moments before the group attends the coronation, he sounds thrilled that Durge is home.

[I say moments because video-game characters share a box with Schrodinger's cat.]

Gortash is most likely completely unaware of Karlach's presence in the group until Durge walks in with her. My thoughts are that he realizes - given Karlach's instant anger - that she has most likely told them about what he did to her, but lacking his 'I didn't hurt you I helped you' spin on it. Even if Karlach hasn't convinced Durge to hate Gortash, he would reasonably infer that they're already biased against him.

It's also worth noting that there are only very minor dialogue differences if Durge told Karlach to 'lead the charge' when she wanted to straight up attack Gortash, if Durge reasoned with her via persuasion or intimidation, or if a dialogue option enabled by Wyll's presence is chosen to de-escalate her instead.

Gortash uses manipulation as a means to get what he wants, but I also think he uses it as a defense mechanism when being vulnerable is unsafe for him emotionally. If you don't bring Karlach for the coronation, but add her to the party and talk to Gortash again right after the scene, all that comes out is cruelty and dismissiveness toward Karlach. There's no backhanded talk at Durge.

[Probably Gortash's thoughts here: if Karlach isn't important enough to be indispensable to their group, I don't need to drive a wedge between them, I'll just devalue my old bodyguard and let her dig her own grave with her predictably irrational rage.] He's such a prick...

I think that Gortash believed, after inviting Durge to his coronation, that he was reuniting with an ally, someone who made him feel comfortable.

That's what the Durge-face looks like to me.

Not manipulation.

Connection, and... vulnerability.

Showing weakness isn't something I think Gortash does unless he feels safe. While tacitly admitting to requiring help against Orin and making it clear that Durge/Tav are also serving themself by killing her, he offers an alliance... but only when he's surrounded by huge automatons that will defend him if the party attacks.

However, the Steel Watch can't protect him from from his emotions.

[Not even that ridiculously cunty coat of his can keep that dopey look off his face unless Karlach does something it is supposed to prevent: scares him. Fear breaks though, not for his actual safety, but at the prospect of losing his partner... again. At the very moment that they returned to him.]

Another interesting point is that Gortash doesn't feel the need to have Karlach dragged off to prison if Durge is there. It's impossible to trigger her arrest on a Durge run without using Disguise Self, in which case, Gortash acknowledges Durge as themself at first but later on in the scene, he uses many of the Tav lines instead of the Durge ones. Without using a slight exploit for which only partial programming was ever completed - if Durge is present - Gortash doesn't see his enraged former bodyguard who wanted to kill him on sight as enough of a threat to his safety to lock her up. Even if she's charging in to attack him that very moment.

Gortash canonically feels safer with Durge than with any other origin.

I keep using this word, but... interesting.

If Durge destroys the Steel Watch, the insight checks in later dialogue with Gortash indicate that a back-and-forth including demands and empty threats was common between them.

In the coronation, Gortash says, 'Let's make our pact anew.' Orin tells us later that Gortash made her swear oaths because he didn't trust her (with good reason), suggesting that Durge and Gortash never had a sworn pact not to harm each other before now. Something else interesting about this moment is that it is around this point in the coronation, a little over six minutes in, when Gortash's expression returns to the more neutral one, even if Durge is alone or without companions who take offense at him.

Specifically, the change happens just after this line: 'I want to lead this city to glory, not scorch its earth.' He's even grinning with soft eyes when he talks about Orin only caring for blood, even if Durge chooses the dialogue option: 'I'm a changed person, I'm not siding with you ever again.' This option doesn't lock Durge out of agreeing to his alliance. It only provokes Gortash to advise them to side with Bhaal, grinning as he compliments them further: 'You have effortless talents, killing instinctually like you breathe blood.'

We know from Gortash's journals that he doesn't give a damn about the city, much less the condition of the earth beneath it. This is the point when he starts lying - right when his Durge-face evaporates.

I've seen some takes that name the change in Gortash's expression as evidence that he's gaslighting Durge, and he's getting pissed off because it won't work now that Karlach is there to offer an alternative perspective on him. It's not unfounded, but I respectfully disagree. While this moment could be narcissistic behavior and is certainly worth exploring, I don't personally think that's what's happening. I tend to think that Durge and Gortash's previous relationship wasn't founded on his manipulation of them, but rather, it developed in spite of it.

[It's a bit like my own affection for Astarion... and one of my cats. I know exactly what he's doing, and none of it is actually working. I like him because he's a goof with a soft underbelly that he only shows to people he can trust. Ofc I had to get bit a few times first...]

I like to think that Durgetash (platonic or romantic) was the only real thing that Gortash ever had.

That's why he can't control his face when he looks at them - unless someone else gets in the way.

And that's why the softness disappears the moment he starts to lie.

The 'Orin told me she'd made a fool of you' line comes off less as an insult to Durge and more as a way to redirect the anger they might have on Karlach's behalf away from him and toward Orin. It's also immediately after the point, much earlier in than in scenes without Karlach present, when Gortash starts lying: 'Oh, I'd forgotten - your memories are quite lost, aren't they?' He didn't forget. He's creating emotional distance. The very next line, complete with his best sinister face, is designed specifically to push Karlach and Durge apart: 'To think, you and Karlach traveled together all this time, and she hadn't the faintest you were one of my nearest and dearest.'

It's certainly possible that Gortash's softer expression is just a put-on, but... why? He knows already that Durge has lost their memory, so why greet them differently than he would a Tav that might have made all the same major decisions, and is (most likely) openly opposing the Absolute?

If Gortash offered to tell Durge more about their past in exchange for siding with him, or even implied it, I might agree that he's using his past knowledge of Durge to exert an advantage, but there's simply no evidence that he's actually doing that. Even the narrator notes that Ketheric is deliberately withholding information from Durge, but not Gortash. He lays it all out the moment he sets eyes on Durge again, no matter who comes with them. He's a bit more guarded if Wyll is there, a touch more defensive if Karlach is present, but he does tell them mostly true things that they might not have found out otherwise, with no pricetag attached.

We could read a lot of careful plotting into his reaction to Durge (entirely unsupported by what we find and see in-game). We could theorize that the Prayer for Forgiveness - in which Durge admits to admiring Gortash and to plotting to betray their allies themself - is found on Balthazar's workbench in the mind flayer colony because Gortash had it with him, and he left it there for them to find. However, I sincerely doubt that - given Gortash doesn't know that Durge is alive until after they have already killed Ketheric. The general is also in full retreat, packing up the colony to flee for his life/attack Baldur's Gate once the secret of his immortality is revealed (or dead, you monsters).

Ignoring long rests because they live in a pocket dimension outside the main storyline, there just isn't enough time for Gortash to be playing off the Prayer for Forgiveness. Him knowing Durge is alive at any point before the start of Act 3 is unsupported by in-game evidence, so even though I use that headcanon in one of my fics, I don't see it as a factor in his behavior during the game.

My personal take on how Gortash reacts to both Durge and Karlach? He can't help it. He is severely emotionally damaged, and he shows no signs of ever having looked inward and tried to sort that shit out. One moment, he seems calm and confident, in-charge and certain of his victory, and the next he's throwing a tantrum, desperate to convince Durge to control Karlach.

At the coronation, instead of only his friend or possible former lover heading up a gaggle of irrelevant tag-alongs, Karlach shows up, too: someone who outright hates him and is loudly vocal about it. Gortash rightly fears that Karlach has poisoned the well, and his guard goes back up. He starts looking at Durge like he looks at everyone else: like Lanceboard pieces.

[The small caveat: Gortash has puppy eyes for Durge even when they aren't alone, as long as Karlach and Wyll are not present for the coronation scene, i.e. left downstairs or at camp, etc. While both Karlach and Wyll change his facial expressions, the dialogue itself changes more with Karlach than it does with Wyll.]

I've noticed something. In my last few Durge playthroughs, I approached Gortash either alone or with companions, but not with Karlach. This time, I've approached him with Karlach. I once saw a video comparison of Gortash's facial expressions meeting Durge with and without companions, but it turns out it's just Karlach who causes this change.

Karlach:

Companions but not Karlach:

I'm not sure what to make of this. Maybe it's because he knows she hates him, and, if you're her friend now, she's probably convinced you to hate him too, so he's more closed off. Or he feels like he can't show weakness in front of Karlach, and too much fondness could be considered a weakness. But he seems even more closed off with Karlach around when talking to Durge than with Tav. Anyone else have thoughts?

Idk, but did they really code different facial expressions into this man for numerous possibilities based on not only Tav vs Durge but also who else is present with Durge? And they didn't expect people to become invested and ship this?? You're telling me they didn't know exactly what they were doing???

[somnimagus]

did some vesperia chibis, i always forget how happy i get drawing these guys. i love them dearly

[id in alt text]

[vaguely-concerned]

walking through lucanis' mind prison. the tam lin of it all

[amalgamationillustration]

Sorry, this is gonna be long because this has reminded me of everything insane I've seen in the ghost fandom a few years ago.

I think I may have actually also seen those specific comments or something to that effect, someone was HC'd Copia as trans and that in itself isn't an issue at all, but they were being incredibly shitty to anyone who had any other headcanon, including the people who just went with the... Actual lore? They were making posts like "If you think he's anything other than trans you're a terf" like diva we have actual terfs to worry about this is small potatoes. There's real, justified fights to pick and THIS is the hill you want to die on?

All the examples I mentioned were just the ghost fandom alone 🤦 but those were mostly on twitter and I don't go there now so I've not seen it as bad anywhere else since.

I know people also went immediately mental over the Swiss stuff and obviously I typically wanna side with and believe victims on this stuff but the photo the person posted saying "this was the photo we took right before he touched me inappropriately" someone else then replied to saying "uh, this is a photo of me??" And then nothing has happened since it seems and yet people I followed immediately started calling each other offenders if they still followed him on social media or still liked the character of swiss and I'm like can we exercise 2 seconds of critical thinking when new information comes to light please?

I saw a lot of "if you still follow x then you're also scum because they said this thing when they were 9" which drove me nuts. I've seen people saying they were disappointed that Mad didn't come out and renounce Sophie after she made the world's vaguest attempts at saying she felt weird and awkward being Jewish due to everything happening in Palestine (I THINK she was trying to say it feels bad that people assume she's anti Palestine because she's proudly Jewish but I don't know for sure because she admittedly said nothing in particular for like 20 minutes without ever really making a point? Which was absolutely not the move but not an indicator that she's pro genocide on its own). But it was so interesting to me that not only was Sophie getting cancelled but now Mad was also cancelled for working with her when... The whole band works with her??? Similarly people were cancelling Per for dating a maga woman. Similarly I think Laura used AI for her album art and obviously, Everybody Hated That. Which, fair but again they were all expecting the other band members to cancel her and refuse to work with her.

It's funny because the other band members are expected to publicly renounce each other when they have to keep touring together??? Also they almost never expect Tobias Forge to 'Address' whatever shit it is they're mad about. They're always like "oh he just doesn't know about it cause hes not online" but doesn't entertain the idea that a)the others also don't know and b) they can't just oust them because they were non committal on something or because of who they date.

People also really loved to go in on Ash/Fauxbias because she had some loose connection to the record label, I think she had friends there and ran some unofficial - but with the labels approval - events, so she was friends with anyone in the fandom who friended her and because she's an adult with family and kids stuff she doesn't spend every waking second looking up others entire post history to decide if twitter was going to cancel them.

So she got shit because she's a photographer and did some photos for this woman who was dating Per at the time, turns out she was pretty maga leaning but Ash didn't know that as they'd only hung out a few times at gigs and doing those photos so then she had to make a public statement against her. Then people were annoyed that she was friendly and in some photos with that Leviathan Forge dude (who tbh does seem a little insane but I also can't verify anything that anyone has said about him because there's never any reciepts) and she again had to unfollow him and apologise for ever being friendly to him.

People also went in on her for trying to do makeup to look like other people, including but not limited to, Jeffery Darmer, which I will agree, was not the move but honestly it was more cringe than anything, and I guarantee that had it occured 10 years ago, no one would have cared. I literally saw posts from people saying that they were going to punch her if they saw her at the next gig, during this time she also had two family members dying of cancer that she was actively caring for every day. The worst part is that these people think they're the good guys. You don't have to even like her but to encourage people to assault her because she did some cringe makeup cosplay test and vaguely associates with people she meets at gigs like any other not chronically online person is insane. Shortly after she stopped engaging with Ghost publicly at all and I don't blame her. She wasn't perfect by any stretch and I always felt a little odd with being unable to tell exactly how connected to the band she really was and how much she wanted to imply that she was, but that doesn't mean it's not completely fucking insane that people were making physical threats against her.

People will take anything you say to twist it into you being a bigot of some kind. Like the time someone had a screaming meltdown calling me racist because I said brownie hummus shouldn’t exist. Or the whole group that says I’m somehow both transphobic and transmed because I don’t like it when people insist a character is canonically a different gender than presented.

But the most insulting one was from a supposed friend. I was still coping with my diabetes diagnosis and rambling about things. In an attempt to put a positive spin on things I mentioned that the medication and everything would help me lose weight. He derailed everything and accused me of “internalized fatphobia”.

So if anyone makes a serious claim about another person without proof, keep these sorts of things in mind. People can and will take the tiniest things out of context and try to make them into something huge. To a reasonable person a transphobe is someone who hates trans people. To the unreasonable the statement “if you change a character’s gender, that’s an AU” is enough to make a full blown callout post accusing someone of transphobia.

Don’t blindly believe claims that can’t even point you to a single post of the alleged behavior within the last year.

[kakusu-shipping]

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