#i'd be so organized u wouldn't even recognize me

[slaviclore]

you know what i really want? folders in the likes, and you can drag and drop the like into the folder

[iturbide]

ok for the "Hubert's dad was snatched by TWSITD" theory (i first found this on a Reddit post by u/CyberActors15)

so basically the question is. why does Hubert's dad help with the Insurrection? House Vestra has been loyal to House Hresvelg for generations, and Hubert was raised to be loyal to Edelgard. i would presume the same applies for his father. if the former Marquis Vestra was so loyal to House Hresvelg, why would he participate in the Insurrection? that just seems... odd. had Hubert's dad taught his son to NOT follow House Vestra's tradition, that would've been a lot less suspicious, at least to me, ironically enough, because that would have reinforced an idea that Vestra Sr. genuinely had a problem with House Hresvelg.

it's been shown that characters who learn dark magic are connected to the Shitters (as i not so affectionately call TWSITD). without this theory, Hubert's connection to them seems almost... tangential compared to the other characters (Edelgard, Hapi, and Lys were all experimented on; meanwhile, Hubert only has connection to Edelgard, who has a connection to TWSITD). yes, it's possible Hubert only started learning dark magic after working with them, but considering how proficient he seems to be, i'm tempted to say he might have a bit more of a history with it than we know of.

the only thing that kind of throws a wrench in this is Hubert and Hanneman's support chain

You know as I was reading this I was trying to remember which support Hubert had that talked about his dad's potential motivations for joining the Insurrection and you're right it was Hanneman that's what I was thinking of

It's definitely an interesting theory with some fascinating potential! But I don't think I buy into it, myself, for a few reasons. First and foremost: we've never seen the Twisted place multiple agents in the same arena. Cornelia was the lone agent working in Faerghus; Solon, using the guise of Tomas, was the lone agent working under Rhea's nose in Garreg Mach prior to the course of events in the game; and although they placed Kronya in the monastery a bit early, having her 'rescued' with Flayn, she becomes the sole agent working there a month later after Solon departs following events at Remire (and notably, this is in the immediate lead-up to Edelgard's attack at the end of the year -- one month of overlap between agents is frankly shocking when things are moving this fast). If they already managed to take Hubert's father, why wouldn't he be the one to introduce Duke Aegir to the rest of the Twisted organization and hook him on the Crest of Flames experiment? Why did a second agent, taking the guise of Volkhard von Arundel, need to come in to make that play? Given how sparing they are with their personnel resources, it doesn't track for me: von Vestra would have been in a key position of trust at the Emperor's side, given the link between his family and the Hresvelgs, so if he had been a Twisted agent they arguably wouldn't have needed to replace Arundel.

I think, instead, they recognized that Volkhard was the better candidate to switch -- someone who Edelgard trusted, and who could therefore extract her from the Kingdom once the Insurrection ended. von Vestra, despite his position, didn't have that kind of access -- and while his son might, his loyalty was to Edelgard alone even at that age: they couldn't trust that he would actually bring her back to the Empire for use in the experiment, rather than just staying in the Kingdom with her once they'd been reunited.

Which actually does bring me back around to that support with Hanneman. Because it's not just that Support that makes me think von Vestra was never bodyswapped: it's also Hubert's Support chain with Edelgard. He mentions that when her uncle spirited her off to Faerghus, he was absolutely bereft:

The sensation of loss that overcame me on that day defies all description. It was as horrific as if I'd lost all my limbs. I left the city in a mad rush to rescue you. My father sent soldiers to capture me. I fought them off for three days, but they did finally manage it. Of course, I was only ten. I never would've reached Fhirdiad.

By his own admission, his father sent men out after him when he ran off to try and catch up with Edelgard and her uncle -- and he spent three days, at the age of ten, fighting them off in his attempt to reach her. If his dad had already been replaced at that point, he didn't need to put in that much effort to get Hubert back: Hubert's proven loyalty to Edelgard made him a liability, since he would almost certainly oppose their designs, and they couldn't bring him to their side without straight-up brainwashing him (which clearly had not happened); and if his dad hadn't been replaced yet but was later...again, why would they let Hubert go unchecked, knowing so intimately that he was very likely going to become a problem? Hubert's presence at Edelgard's side implies to me that the Twisted didn't know how big an issue he would be: they underestimated him to their own detriment because they weren't aware of how deep his loyalty ran, which essentially precludes the notion that they had an agent in his House, since otherwise they'd recognize him for the problem he was.

(For me personally, Hubert's dark magic proficiency never seemed suspect: we know that he's Edelgard's right-hand man, and he's at this point intimately familiar with the Twisted. Unlike the other names on that list, Hubert is still the only one who hadn't been subjected to experimentation; on top of that, it's very doubtful that his dad would have been swapped out before the Insurrection had begun to foment, since a position in Adrestia wasn't advantageous to them until that point, meaning that he still had less time than Lysithea to develop the skill while being arguably more proficient with it than Edelgard, who chose a physical class over a magical one. Your list also omits Jeritza, who also learns a Dark Magic spell despite him not being experimented on directly. Personally I think that Hubert is just a proficient mage and threw himself into Dark Magic study once Edelgard made him aware of the Twisted: he's strategically-minded enough that he probably believed 'know thine enemy' applied to their magic as much as everything else.)

All this to say that I actually do think there's a valid reason for Marquis von Vestra joining the Insurrection after a thousand years of loyalty to the Imperial Lineage -- and that's him realizing what it's done to his son. Hubert admits to Edelgard that his very first memory of their time together was when she was injured, and his father scolded him for his negligence:

From the age of six, he'd been groomed to be Edelgard's protector, told to put his very life on the line for her sake, which is likely expected of the von Vestras...once they reach adulthood. Hubert's father was trying to impart a lesson early regarding what his role as Edelgard's servant was -- but then the Insurrection began, Arundel vanished with Edelgard, and his son rushed out of the city after her, heedless of his own life and fighting his father's men for three days because of the lesson his father imparted on him. However much Hubert loathes his father in the present, the feeling was not necessarily mutual -- and having come so close to losing his eldest child, only ten years old, to a bond of servitude...people change. Sometimes it takes an upheaval for people to question the way things have always been. But I tend to think that in that moment, seeing his son dragged back to Enbarr, probably still trying to fight despite barely sleeping or eating for three days in his desperation to reach Edelgard and fulfill his duty...he realized that the duty he'd given his son was a yoke upon his neck, crushing the person he might otherwise have been. And in that moment, he wondered if there might be a better existence for his son, for his other children -- not bound as servants to the Imperial lineage, erasing their lives and their children's lives so that the Emperor and his issue could fulfill their own...but able to become their own people, defined by their own interests.

Hubert: My earliest memory of you is of when you were injured. I recall being scolded most sternly by my father. "You are Lady Edelgard's servant!" he said. "You must protect her with your life!"

Edelgard: I had no idea. But House Vestra has served House Hresvelg for generations... Given that, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised.

Hubert: Indeed. After that, I made certain to accompany you wherever you went.

I tend to think that von Vestra betrayed his emperor for the chance giving his children a better life: one where they no longer had to define themselves solely by the Hresvelg they served. But in Hubert's case, it was too late -- he'd taken to heart the lesson that Edelgard's life outweighs his own four years prior at the tender age of six, and as such his father's betrayal of the Emperor's family became tantamount to a betrayal of his own.

[supersizemeplz]

Sudden Reunions

Erik Stevens x Black PlusSized Reader

Another #supersizedfic short. Dedicated to @wakanda-inspired because she's amazing. Based off of Musiq Soulchild's Girl Next Door. I hope you like it because I'm hoping it doesn't disappoint. Enjoy!

The hushed sounds of a truck greeted the neighborhood early morning. It's engine growled lowly as it made a stop at the big grey house next to the Erik's, backing into its driveway. The noise hadn't bothered him since he'd already been up doing his morning work out. After though, he'd watched the mystery neighbor open the back of their U-haul. His lips expertly sipped on his scolding coffee, shirtless with one hand tucked in the pocket of his dark sweats as he stood at the kitchen sink.

All he could make out was their shape, the pants they wore tight enough to be leggings and their hair was pulled in a puff under their baseball cap. So his new neighbor was a black woman, thank God. He licked his lips as he hummed in satisfaction before turning from the window.

Throwing a glance at the clock on the stove, a bright green seven thirty blinked at him. If he left out for a quick run now, he'd be back in before eight. He pulled on his dri-fit long sleeve, untucking his chain from between his shirt and chest. The gold piece of jewelry hit his chest softly. It took no time to slip on his shoes and grab his keys before he was out the door.

The morning chill was still in the air as he jogged down his driveway, stopping at the mailbox for a quick stretch. As always. His long arms stretched to touch his toes before his head snapped towards a loud thud. Your curse caught his ears as he made his way over. Perfect time to welcome her to the neighborhood.

He rounded the truck, seeing your frame squatted down as you picked up the books that scattered the small space around you. "Hey, you need some help?" His voice caught your attention, making you stand. Placing the books in your hand in the box, you chuckled at your clumsiness.

"No, thank you. I'm fine, I think.." You shook your head before you dropped the second stack of books you held. So clumsy. Erik.chuckled as you groaned. "Okay, maybe a little.." Finally, you'd turned to face him fully. He had came closer, squatting to pick up the books you'd dropped. Something about him seemed familiar.

You watched as he stood straight once again, holding the box as of it weighed nothing. His bulky arms fit snug in his athletic wear, organized bumps formed under the snug fabric. It made you.curious. His hands were well taken care of, nails tended to and a faint scar rested on his wrist.

A scar on his wrist.

You mentally beamed at that. It reminded you of your childhood friend, in fact. A incident that happened and gave you a matching scar on you forearm. If you were being honest, his guy almost sounded like him. You looked up from the scar to his face, taking time to burn his facial features in your mind. Your eyes widened as you pieced it together.

"So you're a big reader too, huh?" He smiled and his dimples deepened. Those dimples. That smile. You grinned when he finally met your gaze. It was him.

"Erik Stevens?" You chuckled in disbelief, eyes lighting up at the sight of him. He looked like a whole new person and you didn't mind. "I never thought I'd see you again." You glanced at his dreads, realizing he'd grown his hair out. Getting used to them wouldn't be hard since they suited him.

His smile widened as he realized who you were. He mumbled your name as he sat the box down again. "C'mere baby girl. I didn't even recognize you. I've missed your ass.." The confession warmed your heart. He'd meant it though. Many nights when he was at sea, he'd dreamt of you. You were basically his second half, and he'd had to leave you so suddenly. But he didn't like admitting the soft spot you owned in his heart, something with his pride.

You melted into his hug, allowing him to rock the both of you. "You finally grew into your head." And the moment was gone, typical Erik. That earned him a playful slap to the chest as you nudged him away. He flashed a goofy smile.

You laughed, rolling your eyes. "You play all day. Ain't nobody say anything about you growing into your lips, Stevens." Your arms crossed your chest, covering the breast you lacked in your childhood. "You done messed around and grown into a man. Muscles all big and shit.." He smirked as he drank in you, taking advantage of the close up. You weren't that obnoxious little girl he'd grown up with anymore.

He shrugged softly, winking. "My muscles ain't the only thing that done got bigger.." You gasped at his joke, scoffing when he wiggled those thick eyebrows of his. He burst into laughter. Those shoulders still bounced, just like back in the day. His animated ass. Turning away from him with an eyeroll, you grabbed a smaller box and walked away from him. Hips switching. "And I see you still love rolling those eyes.."

"Boy, bring that box in. Goofy ass.." You heard him pick up the box and his steps followed you. You walked into the house, humming to the music that flowed from your Bluetooth speaker. Bending forward, you sat the box of photos on the floor. "You never were good at sneaking up on me.."

He stopped his attempted sneaky soft steps, surprised that you knew he was there. He'd thought he'd mastered stealth in the Navy. You smirked as you stood, turning to face him. "I grew up with your sneaky ass, Erik. You don't think I can sense you coming.." He watched you shift your weight to your right hip. "Even though you went M.I.A. on me to become a military man.."

He rubbed the back of his neck as he avoided your eyes. "Well, that's a long story princess.." Licking his lips, he reached out to take one of your hands. Changing the conversation with ease. "I'd rather talk about you. And how you managed to get finer. Mm mm mm.." You bit your lip to falter your smile as he spun you.

He looked down to glance at your backside. It poked out. And for the first time ever, he'd actually seen you as more than his childhood best friend. The girl he'd taught how to play ball and defend herself.

He chuckled as your smile broke through. Those full lips reminded him of his first kiss. Mostly because he'd shared it with you, in your grandmother's backyard all those years ago. Just to for the hell of it, at the time neither of you really had thought of it.

But now as he thought if it? He yearned a second opportunity.

You placed a hand against his chest, allowing him to rest his hands on your waist. "How about this.." The nails of your freed hand caressed the nape of his neck. He hummed softly, melting into your touch. A flicker of gold flashed in his eye, but it was gone so fast you'd thought you imagined it. "After we get the last few boxes in. I'll order a pizza, find us some seats, and we can catch up then. Just like summers back then.. I might even let you spend the night.." You teased.

He bit his bottom lip, "Its a date, ma.."

_______________________

Taglist: @sisterwifeudaku @kumkaniudaku @elaindeereads @wawakanda-btch @theunsweetenedtruth @hold-me-like-a-heart-beat @unholyxcumbucket @purple-apricots @marvelpotterlove @madamslayyy @onyxvixen-writer @chaneajoyyy @disneysdarlingdiva @justanotherloveaffair @cmonkillmonger @slimmiyagi @princesskillmonger @theblulife @airis-paris14 @fonville-designs @liviy00 @cosmicmelaninflower @whoramilaje @yaachtynoboat711

Part Two

[omegangrins]

[Kingsmen 3: The Golden Service] Harry Hart turns "villain"

TL;DR: The Lepidopterist is the *perfect* name for a "colorfull" megalomaniac who's trying to save the world via villainy.

I've allways had a nagging feeling that Colin Firth's Harry Hart is destined to become a villain. Like Valentine and Poppy, our Hart will break.

Why do I think this? Let's start simple:

1) "I always felt that the old Bond films were only as good as the villain. As a child, I rather fancied a future as a colorful megalomaniac."

Now you could take it as face value veiled metaphor in their cat and mouse game. A game recognize game moment. Though when you look at it from a character angle, it is rather apparent that Galahad is not lying here. Look at the giddy nature in which they both talk about the subject. Almost lost in a moment of childhood nostalgia. Neither man is lying. So if Valentine tried to save the world like his younger self wanted, then it stands to reason that Harry has that childhood dream himself.

Harry even has a flair for the dramatic already. "Manners maketh man" is all about him causing a dignified scene to teach a lesson to all watching. In the Freebird church scene, you can see it BEFORE he starts fighting because of Valentine's machine.

Feels like a simple "I'm going to the bathroom" or "I'm hot and need to breath outside for moment" would have sufficed and gotten him out of there without hassle from the crazy Baptist and he KNEW that but didn't care. Arthur implies this subversiveness in their conversations about choosing candidates. Then there's the *way* in which he kills everyone there. Not just defense or trying to kill quickly but lots of slow, painful, and fucked up deaths. The killing is Valentine but the style is ALL Harry. It's part of the reasons he's disgusted. Not the enjoyment, but the ease with which he turned so gleefully. That slow motion fade in smile in the middle is proof of this. Harry *wanted* to punish those people the same way Valentine did. That's proven by what he says at the start. (Don't blame him either, just character commenting. Fuck those people.) Part of me thinks the Freebird is playing in *HIS* head. He's a bird freed by blood.

2) The Lepidopterist

I know the clip is from Venture Bros but it's meant to show how two "good guys" became bad. Kinda the perfect coincidence. But I digress... it was a shameless plug to #SavetheVentureBros. 😎😙😍

The hobbyist collecting of insects, fauna/flora, and what-have-yous has looooong been a trope of "colorful megalomaniacs".

Then there's the added bonus that The Lepidopterist sounds like the *perfect* name for a Bond villain.

Butterflies even symbolize death and rebirth and the violence inherent in transforming something for the better.

Is Harry's butterflies a set-up foreshadowing to his coming transformation from "hero" to "villain"?

"I doubt whether I'd work for anyone who drowns their employees. I want to go home. I want my butterfly collection. I want to see Mother."

3) As we know, all the best villains are ones we sympathize with and understand WHY they do what they do. Valentine was trying to solve over-population and save what he could of the species so it wouldn't happen again. Poppy wanted drugs to be legal, partially for vanity reasons but mainly for anger at global government hypocrisies (the same governments which had their heads blown up for trying to kill humanity for their own gain). Wouldn't it fit perfectly for Harry Hart to have seen the horrors inflicted by the world governments and the corruption of not only Statesmen, but his beloved Kingsmen themselves, and say "No more." What's he gonna feel when he finds out Arthur sold the Kingsmen's soul and got him killed? How long has the "shoot the dog" exercise been in practice? Why is trying to drown someone thought of as a reasonable way to help them? Does the rot go to the core? All things any reasonable person would ask after being shot for an organization that was just blown up by a drug dealer.

"When I was shot, can you guess what the last thing was that flashed through my mind? It was absolutely nothing. I had no ties. No bittersweet memories. I was leaving nothing behind. Never experienced companionship, never been in love. And in that moment, all I felt was loneliness and regret."

Who's to say what he would do or the methods he would take, but villains are merely people casting shadows in the way of the light.

4) I put this last because it's more pun than the others and because I only realized it while writing their names out loud. Valentine. Poppy. Hart. A valentine is love, poppies symbolize death, and a heart combines both (a Hart is also the name for an adult male deer over the age of five but I'm not British enough to understand what the fuck that has to do with anything.) There's also Richmond Valentine/Rich Man Love (Rich dude saving the world). Poppy Adams/ Poppy of the Earth (Death of the World). And finally Harry Hart/Harry Heart. An attacking heart. Yeah, that's the old definition of "harry". To harass. (Or Power Ruler of the Five Year Old Male Deer. This isn't an exact science 🙃 ). Honestly, as I write these out, the puns become the hardest piece of proof for me. Brits love a good wordplay foreshadowing.

"... this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning."

AND what else do they have in common? They're all things associated with the color red. And what's red?

BLOOD.

Sorry, couldn't resist the touch of drama. 🤣

P.S. I know it's not really related but I also subscribe to the Poppy is a former Statesmen theory as well.

Making this an even more thematic connection. Good guys gone villain because of shitty situations.

Edits

5) HE'S WEARING AN EYEPATCH!!! How autistic am I that I missed that in my explanation. Eyepatches just seem that normal to me but they're like the ultimate villain accessory. Unless you're a pirate.

6) /u/Bespoke3 pointed out how the one thing keeping this from happening is Eggsy and Harry's relationship, and I contended that it was true. While making an interesting movie, you need a sufficient reason for those two to be on opposite ends of each other. And in rambling through comments, I found it. This is why you write shit outloud:

It's Princess Tilde!

The first movie showed that world leaders would gladly sell their souls to save themselves, Princess Tilde being one of the few exceptions. The second showed that even after those figureheads exploded (see what I did there 🤣), there was still terrible people left in charge making even worse decisions.

What if Harry's plan is to attack all of the "leaders" of the world as a way to show people they have the power to govern themselves. This would put Princess Tilde, and moreso her family, directly in the line of fire and force Eggsy's hand to intervene and choose.

Save the girl or save the world.

7) As /u/baddestmofointhe209 pointed out, Harry *was* shot in the head. That kind of thing does tend to mess with people after the fact. Maybe turning villain isn't such a stretch. Not evil, but morally grey.

7) As /u/baddestmofointhe209 pointed out, Harry *was* shot in the head. That kind of thing does tend to mess with people after the fact. Maybe turning villain isn't such a stretch. Not evil, but morally grey.

8) My wife was telling me about how Colin Firth has allways wanted to play the villain too.

"Whenever you take on playing a villain, he has to cease to be a villain to you. If you judge this man by his time, he's doing very little wrong."

“I’d never rule out a part in Doctor Who or Torchwood – especially Doctor Who, I’d also love to play a villain like Moriarty in Sherlock Holmes."

9) Thanks to some pushback from /u/The-Reddit-Giraffe, I decided to Google Kingsmen 3 rumors and stumbled on this little nugget about it, and specifically the Harry/Eggsy relationship:

"I'm really not allowed to say anything, but there is a script. It's a really neat idea."

Outside of it telling the finale of Eggsy and Harry Hart's story, we don't know all that much about the plot for the third movie.

"People will either freak out in a good way, or freak out in a bad way, but they will freak out," Vaughn teased. "We're literally finishing the script off as I speak – but they go on a journey that, if anyone sees it coming, then I'll give up."

To which I would like to thank YOU. This is why I love being shown how I could be wrong. I can't help but feel like this is EXACTLY what they're talking about. You don't have a script finished that fast if you didn't already know where you were going with the first two.

It HAS to end like this. Now I can't see any other way. Maybe The Rock is the Big Bad they have to team up to stop at the end but I will say with 99% confidence that Harry Hart will turn rogue for the first 2/3 of the movie.

10) This wouldn't be the first time I was right about something like this either.