#if u noticed the turrets that’s why :3

[seraphemmes]

it’s always good to be prepared

[starrysupercell]

Brawlers' Pets Headcanon Dump!! (Some are canon but I just go into detail)

I've left out most of the ones I've covered in depth already, which include the Townsfolk Trio (1, 2, 3, 4,), Buzz and Surge, (1, 2) The Coworkers (not mine originally, but I’m on board!!) and Mortis.

~

Shelly: Used to have a pet chicken when she was younger that she saved from being slaughtered. The bird followed her around everywhere and lived a full happy life. Lived to an old chicken age ❤

Currently, she has Kit, a lil tiny kitten. She spoils her greatly. Superb pet owner! She trusts only a few people to watch her cat, which includes Primo, Piper, Edgar and Lou. ...I can see Colt being mildly allergic to cats tbh, so he's off the table... (He will either still pet and fawn over Kit and deal with the slight repercussions, or he's one of those folks who refuse to admit that cats are cute in their own way. Can't decide yet!)

Also since Princess Shelly has that Frog gun, she'll probably get a pet frog soon too!

~☆~

Lou: One secret Sugar Glider named Cane that he lets roam around in the Snowtel against Mr. P's wishes. He's a good pet owner, but sometimes he loses track of the cutie because of the free range he allows her. Shenanigans arise when P feels something shifty is going on. Gale has his back if he's in the know, however. He will say "No, I haven't seen anything strange, Mr. P." to his boss' face while seeing the Sugar Glider descending to Lou from the second floor into his hands.

Once, Lou had to hide Cane inside his machinery for a couple of minutes while P was around. It felt 😵 absolutely awful. Ever since then, he's taken to being more mindful of her. It IS irresponsible to have Cane roaming around in a large place without supervision.

~☆~

Gale: Pet snake named Twister. He's a decent owner, and would be better if he weren't so overworked. He does make time for him as best as he can. Luckily, if push comes to shove, he's found that if he mentions his lament to see his pet snake around/to fellow pet snake owner Byron, there will either be a personal offer for extra caretaking or Mr. P will be sent a notice encouraging more leeway for his employee.

~☆~

Mike: a Canary named Canary. The funny/odd thing about Mike is that he CLAIMS to be a grumpy fellow, but there's no supporting evidence of that anywhere! Birds take time and patience to train (personal experience), and Canary is so attached to him, so why u lying, Mike??

Anyway, he does not let anyone handle Canary at all. I think I said before that he would trust Jacky with her, but I changed my mind. There's just no convincing him! He's also a top notch owner because birds don't like loud noises and that's why he keeps Canary under his hard hat.

~☆~

Belle: a horse named Elodie. The one we see in the GA animation! Elodie is dependable, fierce and used to the fast paced lifestyle Belle puts her through. Elodie gets regular coat brushes, healthy diet, exercise (+ extra when she's brought for a heist).

If anyone else tries to ride her, Elodie will simply not budge... Not unless Belle outright hands her reins to somebody else. A tough horse for a wild gal. (Oh, I've technically covered her, but it's okay.)

~☆~

Emz: Pet *inhales* OPOSSUM. You can't change my mind 💜💜 Her name is Molly. She found her when Uncle Frank made her take out the trash (because she will learn to do basic household chores) And she came across a lil baby possum trying to climb up a tree nearby. "EW." She said, but it was fuzzy and cute and the ears looked too big for its head.... anyway it took a while to be able to catch the skittish creature. She brought her inside and the rest is history. (She forgot to put the trash in the can. Frank was disappointed, but Ash was way way worse.)

~☆~

Jessie: Pam and (mostly) Nani said no to a real pet, but ever-crafty Jessie came up with Scrappy! The other Turrets in her Skins are all different robots too with different names and personalities, as I've covered before!

I also like to think that when she's older and lives with Penny (or a different partner/on her own, depending on your preference, but Watter Canon under this roof 😤), she gets a real dog. Border Collie, perhaps. And Penny would probably get a noisy Parrot. Of course, that's wayyy into the future... post Starr Park~

~☆~

Stu- Frilled-neck Lizard! Since Edgar has a Tarantula, someone needed a lizard. And like. This is just so fitting tbh. I can't explain it. He found the lizard as he was just rolling along one day and picked it up and took him home.

I don't know what's going through Stu's head but he probably named the boy something like Rocket Blast Extravaganza. He takes really great care of him and presses his face against the glass tank to stare at him adoringly. He looked up how to take care of reptiles properly. He Will get another one soon.

~☆~

As a recap for the Fantasy AU!

Wizard Byron’s Owl/Familiar is named Eglantine, and Barley’s Unicorn Steer is named Hana. (Y’all will look at them because I love their names, I put effort.)

~☆~

...Loan Shark Byron has one or two sharks bc he’s crazy.

[seerofmike]

Swimming in Ball Gowns

pairing: bubblysparks/wattson x rampart word count: 2,007 rating: t for some light violence tags: soulmate au, kind of rivals to friends to lovers summary: Hearing your soulmate say the words on your wrist was supposed to be a joyous, life-changing moment. For Natalie, it was the exact opposite.

so i combined day 2 and day 3 into one fic! the first chap establishes the soulmate au, second chap should be a beach day fic! hope u guys enjoy :3

read on ao3

OR

below

‘Fancy a swim?’ had been on her wrist for as long as she could remember. The phrase had always been odd to her; before, she hadn't known the meaning of ‘fancy’ in this context, so she had spent several years of her early childhood thinking that she would meet her soulmate while swimming in a ball gown.

It sounded messy and heavy and inconvenient, but whenever she had mouthed those words to herself that was what had come to mind. Eventually her Papa had corrected her and told her its true meaning, but honestly, Natalie Paquette would have much preferred it the way she'd imagined.

At least swimming in ball gowns had a certain silly charm to it—as opposed to being punted into the Geyser and being blown back forty feet into the Ring that she had designed.

Her squad was in the top three. Mirage was sending out decoy after decoy as Pathfinder grappled around, Bloodhound’s squad firing at him and wasting their precious ammo. Natalie had set up one of her pylons in the building alongside her, fences protecting them from outsiders, but she knew that she would have to rotate soon; the Ring would be closing in on her very position, forcing her to scuttle out of the building and past the Geyser.

“Mirage,” Natalie said, and he turned to look at her from where he was positioned in the doorway. “Please ask Pathfinder to set us up a zipline. I am going to try and—”

“I have been downed!” Came Pathfinder’s cheerful voice at that exact moment. “Oh no! We are being attacked by another squad! Goodbye, friends!”

And just like that, his banner popped up on their minimaps, urging them to pick it up.

“That stupid tin can,” Mirage sighed, and Natalie frowned at his rude words, but said nothing. “Okay, when the Ring starts movin’, I’ll send out a few ban—bomb—decoys and scatter ‘em so we can run, okay? Hopefully everyone starts shooting at them instead.”

It did not sound like a very good plan, but it was better than nothing. They honestly should have rotated a long time ago, but a certain competitor had set up a turret on the opposite side of the little valley, and made moving outside very risky. She swore that she could hear the other girl’s laughter and the sounds of her bullets hitting the floor all the way from here. Why did she have to be so loud?

Natalie tried her best to be polite to all of the competitors in the Apex Games, especially ones chosen by Mr. Blisk himself, but Ramya Parekh made it nearly impossible for Natalie to like her. She was loud, crass, and quite frankly, rude. She reminded her a bit of Octane, but at least Octane’s quips were much friendlier—’c’mon, amigo, we should go do that again!’

All Rampart knew how to do was talk big and be mean.

And why did everyone think that she was so funny? Was there a joke that she was missing out on? ‘If I ever let ya down, it’s probably because I grew tired of carrying you’ —she had said this to Mirage yesterday, and everyone had laughed! Mirage was a senior competitor of the Apex Games, and Rampart was not. Why did she think that she would have to carry him? What was wrong with teamwork?

The newest Legend hadn’t even spoken one word directly to her, but Natalie already couldn’t help but think that they wouldn’t get along. She hated to admit it, but not even she could be friends with everyone.

“Round seven,” the announcer said, and Natalie’s eyes narrowed. “Beginning Ring countdown.”

Picking her pylon back up, she tucked her Hemlok close to herself and nodded at Mirage, who burst through the door of the building, cloaking himself and sending out decoys in every direction. It was a fascinating piece of technology that she would like to know more about, but they’d never quite had the time to discuss it.

Taking cover beside a decoy, she kept low as bullets exploded in front of her, someone firing at the cloaked Mirage—though invisible, his feet were clearly kicking up water. Natalie considered using the Geyser to send herself to their new location, but Bloodhound was sniping this match, and there was no doubt in her mind that while she flew up in a predictable arc, they would shoot at her.

Natalie figured that she could run around the Geyser and duck low next to the buildings opposite of them so that she could stay hidden. She zig-zagged around it, taking careful note of who all was shooting at them—Bloodhound's squad, all three of them positioned on high ground...Bangalore taking potshots at Mirage while the whoosh of Octane's jump-pads filled the air...

Someone was unaccounted for, and she only realized who when she rounded the Geyser and was met with the bright brown eyes of the last person she wanted to see right now.

“‘Ello, luv,” Rampart greeted, messy brown ponytail swaying in the wind. She was holding her huge minigun in hand—‘Sheila’, if Natalie was remembering correctly. “Fancy a swim?”

Natalie fumbled with her Hemlok, hands shaky for a multitude of reasons, but she was too slow in her response; Rampart reared back, a devilish smile on her face, before swinging her minigun forward with all her might and slamming it right into Natalie. 

She felt several of her ribs crack as she was shoved into the Geyser, gasping as she flipped around unceremoniously in its blast. She accidentally inhaled a mouthful of water, choking, before she was being rocketed somewhere, unable to see which direction she was going due to the pain in her chest and the dizziness of her head.

Eyes squeezed shut, Natalie felt as though her entire body were burning, stinging in pain as she landed hard on her shoulder. Realizing with terror that she had flown into the Ring, she peeled her eyes open, staring in dismay at the safe zone forty feet ahead of her. 

But her dismay at landing in her own creation was nothing compared to the shock and near-horror that had taken hold of her as she had heard those words.

Fancy a swim? Rampart had laughed, poking her tongue through the gap in her teeth, and she was quite sure that she had never felt such dismay before.

“Oh no,” Natalie mumbled in French, knowing she was one tick of damage away from dying. “Not her.”

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Dying in the Ring was humiliating to most, but it was ten times as embarrassing to Natalie, seeing as she was the one who had designed it.

After she had been treated by the doctors in the medbay, she wandered around the ship, wanting to be alone so that no one could see her shame. She found solace in one of the empty sitting rooms, and turned the TV on mute so that she could see how the Game ended.

Bloodhound's squad, consisting of Revenant and Gibraltar, was taken out when Bangalore's bombardment fell right in their path of rotation, and they'd been forced to either die in the Ring or run through it. They did not survive, and she watched Bangalore smirk, self-satisfied at the three new kills under her belt. 

Mirage was fumbling with Pathfinder’s banner on-screen, making a desperate attempt to resurrect him, and Natalie rooted for him silently. He had won solo before, and she knew that he was perfectly capable of winning by himself!

Her heart sank, though, as she watched Rampart approach, a jovial skip in her step that should be impossible due to the huge weight on her back. She set up her turret as Mirage cloaked himself, not noticing the enemy nearby, and Rampart winked directly at the camera before hopping onto Sheila and spraying the area around the respawn beacon.

We have our Apex Champions.

Shoulders slumping, Natalie sighed as she watched Rampart and Octane high-five, something akin to annoyance brewing inside of her, but she tried to calm herself down.

There was no reason to be angry, she thought. She had lost plenty of times before, and today was no different!

But it was.

The words on her wrist were tingling. It was very different.

Rampart's squad soon rose into the dropship, and Natalie waved at Octane in greeting. He waved back at her enthusiastically before making a beeline for Crypto’s room, which made her frown a little. She frowned even more when Rampart then approached her, blowing a large pink bubble before popping it.

Smack! Goodness, that noise aggravated her.

"No tough feelings, right, Watty?” Rampart asked, and though Octane and Mirage called her that nickname, hearing it from her made her bristle. “It was all a good show. Fun meetin’ ya this way! You’ll have to show me your tech sometime, got it?”

When Natalie didn’t respond, too taken-aback by the audacity of her, Rampart added,

“Electric bullets sound fun, don't they? No, not energy ammo—regular ammo, with electricity. Betcha could give me a few pointers over some drinks, eh?”

For some reason her face was flushing, and she realized that the reason why was annoyance. 

“I,” Natalie said shortly, fists clenched by her sides as she tried to keep her composure. “Would rather not. Have a good day, Miss Parekh.”

Turning her back on the girl and trying her best to not stomp away, she made her way back in the direction of her room, but stiffened in the hallway when Rampart called after her,

“Now, wait just a second! I think you’re my soulmate!”

“Ooooh,” Mirage said, having just emerged from the medbay with wide, eager eyes. “Do I hear gossip?”

“Now, let’s see, here,” Rampart said, and Natalie turned around slowly to see her peeling her glove off. “Have and a and good and day—all in caps, mind you—and miss and Parekh. This checks out.”

“Has nobody ever told you to have a good day before?” Mirage asked, bewildered.

“Not in that exact order. Miss...Paquette, was it?” Rampart chuckled to herself, smacking her gum once more, and ugh, that noise!! “Let me see your wrist!”

Natalie didn’t grace her with a response, instead choosing to run up the stairs without looking back, seeking out a more quiet place. A place far, far away from Ramya Parekh and her smacking gum and deafening minigun and crude laugh and...

Shutting herself inside a lone closet, Natalie sat on the floor and drew her knees up to her chest. She had always looked forward to meeting her soulmate; after all, her parents had been soulmates, and there was already a soulmate pair among the Legends in the form of Bangalore and Loba. It left her hopeful that maybe she too could one day meet her soulmate in the Games, but now, she wished she hadn't—or, at least, that it had been someone different.

Perhaps she should at least try to talk to her—Loba and Bangalore hadn't gotten along when they'd first met, after all! Maybe she just needed to give Rampart a chance and see what they had in common...but the last time this had happened, someone she considered a friend had betrayed her. She squeezed her eyes tight as she pictured Crypto's face, trying to fight the image back, but she couldn't.

She didn't want to allow herself to be so open to someone again after that had happened. She knew that their situations were different; even before that moment, Crypto had been 'suspicious', always keeping to himself and never talking to anybody, whereas Rampart was the opposite. But still, she hesitated to entertain the idea. She didn't want to be hurt again.

Rubbing her hands together, she tried to clear her mind and just enjoy the quiet of the closet she had taken refuge in it. She had the feeling that she would be needing a lot more quiet from now on.

[cruddyborderlandstheories]

alright well i work best under pressure so given that i now have an hour and 20 minutes before i start a voice call with someone i think it’s the perfect time to do that one video analysis so i can actually start finishing up that maya post... man i really should’ve pumped that shit out earlier, but i kept procrastinating until we got new info. then more new info. and i mean we DO have lots of new updated info, bc i have a whole thing in there about Punk girl i gotta edit out now lmao

anyway

Zane Flynt? this trailer killed me, it’s the only thing i’ve watched all day. like. on repeat.

ive said it before and ill say it again, 3 months ago i call zane attractive on reddit and get ridiculed but then we find out he’s an irish bastard and everyone jumps on the fuck train

anyway

elpis is looking good and not explody/teleporty, so that’s always a good sign

so the locale plus the twang immediately had me thinking of lynchwood but that’s not right

the bar itself looks a lot like that mine area we see, so i’d be willing to guess it’s nearby, you know, if it’s an area in the game at all lmao

like the windows are similar plus the wood

the bar itself is giving me some mixed signals here, but im gonna bet it was taken over by the CoV from the crimson raiders (recruitment banner, but then the CoV logo is on the wall/screen over there)

That, plus the rose on the counter next to Zane seems sus

another mine looking building in the back

also lmao

it’s time to enter the BONEEEE ZONNEEE

no more DAHL dumpsters? F

okay this area looks super familiar

that plus the varkids, this is 100% the same place as this

which is interesting

looks like Zane’s been hanging out on Pandora for a while... kinda upset we didn’t hear about his brothers at all in this trailer, but it was still fuckin hilarious and well worth the wait

those canisters? vats? look like the ones near the burger launcher vid hang on

also some in the back here

so yeah more than likely the same area

also

`lines up the perfect shot`

`completely missed both shots`

lovey, bravo, champagne, sloooow clap

anyway i’d wager this is an old dahl mining camp? probably mining for iridium

you can see the 

conveyor belt thingie here

and also all the minecarts and rails are very reminiscent of the caustic caverns

which probably would have dropped iridium into the vat below it, if said vat wasn’t tipped over onto its side

more shots of the building he’s in

closeup of the rails. which, weird as it sounds, is really great to see because sometimes in bl2 and even tps when you got super close up to a texture, it wouldn’t look too hot, even on the best settings. the textures in 3 are so CRISP i love them

varkid 🤮 i hate bugs. model looks fantastic tho! i just... hate bugs

see the camera is flipped upside down, so miles this cultist is not falling, he’s rising- he’s being lifted up

how nice

im getting percy jackson flashbacks here. this is 100% how clarisse shoved percy into the toilet, right?

with the way the cultist isn’t even trying to get out im afraid zane just shoved a corpse into the dook hut. i mean all the power to ya, man

he’s stuck

also

this building in the back is new

i won’t say it

you know what im thinking

i won’t say it

i promise

~smile~

there’s also what i think is a smiley face sticker on the wall to his right

water physics lookin fine 👌

also the way zane jumps back. bonelesspotter i know you read these, are you picking up what i’m putting down?

MAGIC CUP MAGIC CUP ALL HAIL

see the lack of drink is supposed to parallel hi s lack of companio- im sorry hahahaaha i can’t do this

rose. it’s a SIGN

there’s so much going on in the background here lemme just

im sitting here like >:( because i know i’ve seen that type of wall before and for the life of me can’t remember where

my brain is screaming sanctuary

the actual middle piece looks super familiar

is that what they attach the out of bounds turrets to? possibly.

this bit

also it looks like there’s a dam or something in the back back?

tbh im a lot more interested in the skyway all the way at the top, it reminds me a lot of bloodshot ramparts

cuz it also used to be a skyway

also zane is doing his pose for the main menu screen of the game

and i would say it’s possible this could’ve been the main menu, but the cliff is different, and there’s supposed to be a boxcar/shipping crate on the right (as when u go to options it moves over to it)

more vats! what is the deal with this mine? why is it featured so heavily in this video gearbox tell me your s e c r e t s

you’d think, with zane being the one who’s been around the proverbial block over his years, he’d be on multiple planets throughout his entire trailer. but like 80% of it is pandora. maybe the other VHs are getting featured on other planets? at least he has a reason to be on pandora outside of the main story (maybe looking for his brothers, maybe trying to piss on their graves, who knows)

i don’t know what he’s reaching for but uh

perhapeth the blades are activated by swinging his arm out? could be a hold over from when they were like... actual metal blades and needed to be knocked out into position

i love that he returns the wave after shoving this guy off the cliff

it’s not like he can see you man

go off i guess though

some bar on eden-6 (finally! a new planet!) also i like that the theme here is zane getting into fights in bars. good shit boys

get wrecked kid

i really like the design of this building. i love the windows. maybe part of jakobs manor? looks like maybe it’s a greenhouse or smth given it’s in this garden/courtyard area

which should look somewhat familiar

looks very similar to this area, but it doesn’t look like there’s a building on the left in this shot. maybe they added it in for the trailer 🤷‍♂️

the trees behind the big one (and next to the iron wrought fence) match up perfectly tho

i just really like this shot ngl

i love these fuckign expressions i cant

Friend

okay im sorry here’s a smiley boy

the facial animations are so fucking good this time around

that is all i am doing.

just appreciating the new animations.

SOMEONE HELP THIS TINY MAN HE’S TRAPPED IN A SQUARE

fuck dude we didn’t deserve this man

MAGIC CUP MAGIC CUP ALL HAIL

seriously tho, the glass is gone. idk where it went. im just gonna pretend he was practicing that one iconic Kingsman scene while talking to himself and providing us with flashbacks

manners.

maketh.

man.

also this is my new favorite reaction image

it’s ‘perfect in every way’

you want more booze?

what are your thoughts on the new guns?

where’d you hide the body?

(it’s in the dumpster)

also unlike the magic cup

the rose is still here

Cultist coming to see why the windows of their bar are glowing neon yellow and blue im sure

>shit

it’s cool to know the clone can actually emote

given in the So Happy Together it was basically an expressionless blue demon

still no cup. all hail

some more CoV graffiti!

boops

i am sad we didn’t get to see zoomer in this video at all

zoomer is cute

i like zoomer

anyway

that’s all for the trailer folks

i love the implication that he’s just sitting in this empty CoV bar, talking to himself, waiting for someone to notice and come confront him so he can kick their asses.

anyway this post 100% wasn’t an excuse to rewatch the entire trailer frame by frame or anything

maya post coming soon! wahoo

also i have 10 minutes left lmao nice

[snkpolls]

SnK S3E15 Poll Results (Manga Reader Version)

The poll closed with 321 responses. Thank you to everyone who participated!

Please note that these are the results of the manga reader poll. Anime only watchers are suggested not to read if you do not wish to be spoiled about certain events! Anime only viewers, click here to view your poll results!

RATE THE EPISODE 308 Responses

Overall the fandom enjoyed the episode, with the vast majority of votes being at either a 4 or 5.

Best ep of the season thus far, Bert's monologue/transformation was amazing. Some fantastic VA work by Tomohisa and Inoue as well. CG CT also looked far better than I thought he would. These next few episodes are going to kill me. I can't wait.

Fantastic episode. Bertholdt's monologue was the best part.

Great episode, very dramatic, awesome OST. I am not looking forward to the next few eps, except for Floch's villain origin story!

Can’t wait for the next episode, this one was so good!

Editing was a bit choppy, voice lines cut half a second too quick a few times.

First ep of S3P2 to get a 10/10 from me <3

The animation was pretty lacking in this episode. R&B’s running animation on the wall felt pretty lazy, there was that reused shot of the beast Titan’s throw from season 2, Bertholdt’s character design felt inconsistent as well as Zeke’s. They really need to get the old team back on the animation cause the current team clearly doesn’t know how to handle aot. It’s getting on my nerves.

The episode was absolutely awesome.

WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING WAS YOUR FAVORITE MOMENT? 308 Responses

The Bertl Bomb™ was the scene that respondents were most excited about. Following behind that was Mikasa’s brief skirmish with Bertolt, and closely behind that was Armin and Bertolt’s shouting match on the rooftops.

BERUTORUTO=GOD

I’m mikasasexual

As a huge Bertholdt fan, it was so great to see Bert as the centre of attention for once. It makes me really sad knowing what comes next.

Bert bomb made my bomb go off

I love Bertholdt's resolve. This scene made him one of my favorite characters.

Bertholdt vs. Mikasa was so fire 🔥

One of the best episodes without a doubt. Bertholdt's monologue before transforming was even more impactful than in the manga.

Explosion aftermath was disappointing. I expected a sea of fire. The one they gave us doesn't feel like something big just happened

That "Levi's 5 seconds of screen time" was good, too!

Why isn't "Mikasa comforting and protecting Armin" an option for favorite moment in this episode? Because those were definitely my favorite moments in the episode

The partner gesture between Reiner and Bertl is the death of me

Am I the only one who get's goosebumps  in the scene before he transformed himself into the colossalus titan and said: 'I feel like, no matter how this all plays out, I can accept whatever happens. That's right, nobody's in the wrong. There's nothing we could do. Because this world....is just...that cruel.' This scene was impressive back in the manga and I'm proud how good Tomohisa Hashizume nailed it. He's an amazing voice actor, especially for Bertholdt.

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE APETITAN AND YOUSEEBIGGIRL REARRANGES? 296 Responses

Overall the fandom was excited about the new versions of familiar songs with 71% of respondents feeling that they were “totally epic!” 18% agree that the rearranges were good, but that they can’t surpass the original versions.

The soundtrack was lit.

Music was awesome!

Ngl I've watched the episode many times bc the OST during some scenes is just SO GOOD!!

WHO WON THE SHOUTING MATCH? 308 Responses

Over ¾ of the fandom agree that Bertolt dominated the shouting match on the rooftop.

I feel Armin won the "debate" because Bertolt, in his zeal to convince himself that he wanted to kill people he used to see as friends, wasn't making any sense

HOW DID YOU FEEL ABOUT BERTOLT’S DEVELOPMENT AT THIS POINT? 308 Responses

46% of respondents were happy to see how far Bertolt had come as a character at this point in the story, while 34% were just happy to get more dialogue and thoughts from him. A small percentage had been curious where his character would go from here.

Godtolt on the way

He ditched the alter ego built up out of guilt, and it's cool to see him truly one of the strongest characters fighting off Mikasa while in human form

I wish we had more Bertl development! He could’ve been really complex, but just isn’t due to a lack of screentime. Compared to someone like Reiner or Annie, this was his one moment of pure raw character development

He reveals his true warrior colors

I loved it, one of my favourite chapters because of his resolve and how he himself was surprised about it.

He's only moving forward as a character and does what needs to be done. Bertholdt, your doing amazing sweetie!

With all this development just to kill him off was heart breaking.

Honestly, I’m so proud of him. He was amazing and it’s so nice to see a confident Bert. I don’t think it’s a development worth praising in terms of moral standards but it suited and made sense for his character

I feel like this is where his character peaked. It was pretty flat before season 2

I just don’t like bertolt in generalI really like his development but it's a shame that he severely lacked screen time before this episode

I'm not really a fan of Bertolt so I'm neutral on this

I still hate his traitorous guts and can't wait for THAT scene to be animated

Fucking loved it. It's one of my favorite chapters (and now episodes) just because he's talking so much and he's badass af. My boy is finally shining!

HOW DID YOU FEEL ABOUT ARMIN BLUFFING ABOUT ANNIE A SECOND TIME? 306 Responses

Just over half of respondents feel that Armin should have tried a different tactic with Bertolt, while 46% felt that it was worth another shot to try and manipulate Bertolt’s feelings for Annie again.

Has Armin ever convinced anyone of anything they didn't already believe?

He was so used to Bertholdt’s behavior and there was nothing that would’ve made Armin think Bertholdt would have the reaction that he did

Lame. He didn't use much of intelligence here.

It's low, I'm happy it didn't work again

He learned some pretty vital things - how far the Warriors are willing to go, what their priorities are, what Bert's state of mind is, and where his loyalties truly lie. I don't imagine Armin went down that track solely because he thought it would have the exact same effect, but rather to 'check something' - exactly the same as Bertolt.

I think it not only was a good attempt to take (it worked before, why not try it again), but I also think it is incredibly important to show Armin's flaws. Yes, he's an amazing strategist. He's also still sixteen and not always entirely confident. Having Armin make mistakes like relying on old ploys that worked keeps his character more grounded and realistic

Smart people tend to use the same tactics over and over again as long as they're successful and for good reason. After all, why wouldn't you use the same tactic if you know it brings success? If it ain't broke, don't fix it. It's only when said strategy or tactic doesn't work where the individual would entertain the prospect of changing it or never using it again.

That’s Very Unfortunate!

WHAT DID YOU THINK ABOUT CGI COLOSSAL TITAN? 306 Responses

36% of respondents aren’t very impressed with the CGI colossal titan, while 29% actually found the effect to be pretty awesome! 13% feel it’s disturbing and a small 7% just find it cringeworthy.

Alright

CGI doesn't bother me. What bothers me is how animators overly rely on it. Several decades ago animators made great masterpieces without cgi, all by hand. I understand using it because it makes things easier, but exceeding quality should still be top priority. If you can't make it better with CGI, then go old school and do it right.

Decent but could be better

U can still notice it is CGI but I think their CGI has gotten better compared to some of their earlier uses of it

Doesn't fit with the art style, which is as bad as unfair splitting potatoes

Not too bad but could definitely have been better. Understandable since there has only been one full body shot of it before and that was a sharp backwards, down looking angle.

Don’t really care much for cgi complaints, animating that would be a lot of work, their efforts are better elsewhere

It was necessary and didn't look appallingly bad.

I don't get why people hate it so much? I think it's fine

I hated it in season 2 and I hate it more now

Bad

Don't like CGI anything in any anime so take from that what you will

Most angles he looks fine! The only part that he looked off was when we got the face shot of him panning out to the rest of his body

Thought it looked solid. There were some really great shots of him this ep imo. Hopefully the action bits will look as good, and they mix in some 2D shots as well.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE 104TH RIDING ON TITAN EREN? 306 Responses

Over half of the fandom agree that this detail is something that’s very adorable, while 22% feel it’s just pretty neat. A combined 21% of respondents either feel it’s not that big of a deal or simply don’t care about it.

>AMJCS who cares?

Good boy protecting his friends? Hell Yeah!

I want to ride pieck - Not an innuendo, i just want a go in one of her turrets

It's gay

Lads you would never get me off that thing, I'd be saddling him up to go grocery shopping

Save me a seat guys!!

HOW WELL DID THE EPISODE ADAPT THE CORRESPONDING CHAPTERS? 306 Responses

Manga readers are overall happy with the adaptation of chapters 77 and 78, with over 90% saying that it was close to being perfectly done.

DID MARCO’S DEATH AFFECT YOU AS MUCH AS IT DID IN THE MANGA? 305 Responses

41% of respondents felt more heartbroken to see Marco’s death play out in the anime, while 31% say they felt more sympathetic toward Marco. 14% weren’t affected when this scene played out in either story-telling medium.

About the same level, still utterly heartbreaking, though

DEATH TO THE TITAN TRIO!

Didn't feel as much. Not because it was a bad adaptation, but just because I've already read it and knew what went down.

I felt more sorry for RBA than Marco in this version

I still had lot of emotions with the adaptation, but there's no compare to experiencing it for the first time

I was absolutely sobbing when I read it in the manga. Anime-wise I was more prepared to handle the scene

Watching Marco die again reminds me of why, even in current manga, I still completely and utterly LOATHE/DESPISE/HATE RBA. No, I don't care about their "tragic backstory", they don't deserve empathy of any kind.

It had the same impact when I first watched the trailer for the Lost Girls OVA, which spoiled me his death

It was tough to watch, but it was necessary to deepen Reiner, Bertolt, Annie (and Marco)'s characters. It was very well done, dramatically

Oh fuck it was WAY WORSE animated. Actually hearing his cries and screams is something that can never be duplicated in written form

I did not anticipate being as affected as I was by the Marco flashback. That doesn’t give me hope for how I’m going to handle the rest of the RtS arc. The emotions of the characters are being portrayed very well this season.

NOW THAT WE’VE HAD A CHANCE TO LISTEN TO ZEKE HAVE MORE DIALOGUE, WHAT DO YOU THINK OF HIS VOICE? 305 Responses

The majority of the fandom believe that Zeke’s seiyuu is a good fit for his character, although over half of the fandom had expected his voice to sound a bit different. 10% feel it wasn’t the best choice, while a small sliver of respondents don’t care for the voice at all.

I can't unhear DIO. Thanks Zeke, thanks Koyasu.

Zeke's VA also voices a lovely, kind character in Violet Evergarden, so his lines are making me really, really uncomfortable

WHAT DID YOU THINK ABOUT PIECK’S TITAN VOICE? 307 Responses

30% of respondents are excited about Pieck’s titan voice, while 28% feel it’s not what they expected to hear. 18% find the voice “acceptable” while 17% want to wait and hear more before making a final verdict.

Pieck's voice was unexpected in that it was terrifying, much like Ymir's Titan voice

Holy shit. I'm gonna hear it in my nightmares

I rabu Piku.

REGARDING CURRENT MANGA EVENTS, DO YOU THINK REINER STILL WANTS TO STAY TRUE TO HIS PROMISE TO YMIR? 308 Responses

Nearly half of the fandom believe that Reiner would still like to honor his promise to Ymir, but feel that he will never actually get to pull through. 15% believe that he’s still determined to save Historia no matter what, and 18% believe that he’s actually stopped caring about his promise (or perhaps just Historia in general) altogether.

Good question. I really want to have a scene with him facing Historia, his reaction to her pregnancy should be interesting

He doesn't want to save HISTORIA because he doesn't know her. The one he wanted to save was KRISTA. But she is already "dead"

I think Reiner has done what he needed to

I'm not sure, I think his main concerns are the kids and stopping Eren

It has to be real low on his priority list right about now given the circumstances

Of course not, Reiner only cares about his own manpain

He still calls her Krista and she probably has already chosen a side most likely Yeagerist

ARMIN HAD WISHED FOR A CHANCE TO NEGOTIATE AT THIS POINT, SIMILAR TO CURRENT MANGA EVENTS. IS THIS PROOF THAT HE HASN’T BEEN CHANGED BY BERTOLT’S MEMORIES? 308 Responses

44% don’t want to say either way whether Armin’s pre-titan behavior is indicative of the influence that Bertolt may or may not have over the Armin we know in the current manga. 39% believe that this is proof Eren’s words to Armin were total B.S., and 12% think this isn’t really proof of anything.

Armin Has always been the diplomat, while Eren is a man of force. Mikasa is in between. It has always been that way.

Past and future are influenced the same when paths are concerned so there's no way to tell.

I don’t think it’s enough to prove or disprove but this is an interesting idea

I don't get this 'changed' shit. Of course having access to someone else's memories has its own influence on a person, but that's true of anyone on the planet who's read a memoir as well. Everything has its effect. The titan shifter thing is obviously a bit more invasive than that, but it doesn't mean he's now suddenly possessed by Beartoto's fucking undead spirit.

I'd like to think it is but with everything Isayama's been throwing at us from out of left field who knows

he's always wished for negotiation, but he seems to have changed in his methods for negotiation. armin used to be more abrupt and upfront, whereas now he seems more tentative

No, he wasn't chanced that much. He understands RBA better and has more sympathy for Annie (maybe even has a crush on her) but it has nothing to do with being a slave.

SIMILARLY, MIKASA POINTS OUT HOW BERTOLT FEELS LIKE A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PERSON. ARE THE MEMORIES OF HIS PREDECESSOR AFFECTING HIM IN THIS ARC? 306 Responses

Over half of the fandom feel that Bertolt’s current behavior at this point in the series is of his own will, and not influenced by any prior holders of the Colossal Titan. 38% think it’s possible he’s being influenced by memories of his predecessor(s) at this time, while a small percentage feel that he is definitely being influenced by someone else’s memories.

He was badass but I think he was affected by memories of the previous CT owner.

I think that Mikasa thinks he’s acting like a different person because he is. I think this is what Bertholdt is really like but with the 104th he was playing a role so he didn’t get too attached to them.

Still wondering if the "he seemed like a different person" comment was a note about development or supposed to foreshadow something about the Titans influencing their hosts.

I think it’s original Ymir controlling him through the paths

Probably. It seems like a bit of a drastic change to go from quiet, self-deprecating and remorseful to cold, outspoken, and trying to morally justify his actions. It's just too drastic a change.

Confidence boost is completely irrelevant to paths.

We don’t even know Bert’s previous predecessors!

Nope, that's have something to do with "character development", people change sometimes after time and grown more indepented and strong of their own shadow.

I always thought of it more as Bertie finally coming down on a side and the pair picking up on that. He was always so meek and indecisive, but now he's been forced to make a choice and to do it he has to shed his old skin and become more ruthless.

Not at all he ditched his guilt that made up the act they knew him for.

WHAT SCENE ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO IN THE PREVIEW? 307 Responses

The overwhelming majority of respondents are looking forward to the Survey Corps’ suicide charge against the Beast Titan and his flying boulders. Nearly 30% are looking forward to the moment that Levi gives Erwin his promise to kill the Beast Titan. A small percentage are most looking forward to Armin and Jean decide who’s going to lead the 104th to victory.

I am not ready for the next two episodes

I’m gonna get my ASS FUCKED SO HARD I DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO. THERES GONNA BE SHIT EVERYWHERE. ERWINS GONNA FUCKING DIE. LEVIS GONNA BE SAD.

fuck next week's shit is good, hype

ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS ON THE EPISODE?

The "predecessor's memory affecting current shifter" is, as far as I'm aware, just a theory that I don't buy into. I've only seen a person "changed" because of the Founding Titan's vow. Otherwise, the shifter's personality remains the same. Armin has always been an advocate for talking and negotiation. We see this in the Trost arc when the Garrison nearly kill Eren with that cannonball. So no, I don't think anyone's memories are "affecting" anyone, including current Eren.

Loved pretty much everything in this episode except for the CGI CT. Didn't expect to see uncensored Reiner, which was weird because Mikasa cutting off Bert's ear was more censored. And I'm a bit disappointed we didn't see more shots of Bert with his V fringe off his forehead. He looked so cool in the manga!

This episode gave me anxiety 'cause I know what we'll going to deal in the next three ones. The soundtrack gave intensity in every scene that its put on it, plus the fantastic job of the VA, perfect work. And just thinking about how the next episodes will be.... *goosebumps*

Wit studio handled the cgi very well imo. It's very difficult to animate this action heavy arca with rubble, smoke, odm scenes etc. and I think they are adapting the manga very well with the right pacing per episode which is also a challenge to fit within 20 minutes.

Bertolt is best boi and this episode was the best of all 3. He deserved to survive and mature up. Hashizume nailed him JUST RIGHT and his interactions with Reiner this episode were on point. The scene where he outsmarted Armin and countered Mikasa was worthy of applause.

i wish it wasn’t too rushed some moments aren’t as emotional as they should be

mikasa looked so good this episode and i'm so happy with how wit isn't screwing her over

After seeing this episode and Marco's death, it makes me sad that Reiner lost his pal Bertolt. They should be suffer bois together. Even still, some of the animation this episode was reallyy not great, so I rated the episode a 4.

Bertolt has proved on this episode that he's one of the best character of the series

I miss berthold so much and seeing him at his best was awesome but it’s really hard knowing what’s going to happen next

This is shaping up to be the best season of Attack On Titan. Cheers for more!

zeke’s beard is the tenth titan shifter

WHERE DO YOU PRIMARILY DISCUSS THE SERIES? 295 Responses

Thank you to everyone who participated! We’ll see you again in a few days! 

[myrtenraphster]

RWBY Volume 6 Episode 1

LOOK AT THAT BACKGROUND HOLY SHIT

MANTICORE GRIMM

Ah yes the classic “start in the middle, then explain how they got here” thing

“Thank me later!” I MISSED THEM BEING LIL SHITS AT EACH OTHER

SKATING WEISS

“Good to see you’re not rusty” Yang pls

“Why is it always something!?” It’s called protag power

DID WEISS JUST GET HER BUTT BURNED??

“Thank me later!” I MISSED THIS

The colgate move wasn’t a battle move at all

Also confirmed Ruby can fly

Hey look Adam being an edgelord

Dat goat scream

Hey it’s the teaser

“Lost his life while trying to defend the school” U SERIOUS? HE WAS TO BLAME

The sisters being sisters, I love them

And Nora being well... Nora

Ren wanting to go to the beach is a mood

Weiss bby don’t u worry

IT’S DINGUS AND WINGUS

That lil smirk on Weiss as qrow tears these guys appart tho

Is Oscar becoming wiser a side effect of the ozpin brain tumor?

“AS USUAL” WEISS PLS

ILIA IN HER NEW OUTFIT SHE CUTEEEEE

HER LIL BOOTIES

oh dis gay

OH DIS GAY

Awww

Monkey boi is baaack

BLUE BOI IS BACK

Neptune... Neptune no

“WRONG TREE” IM GONNA

Monkey boi excited to go back home

Aaaaand he made things sad

That song tho

Sun is a good friend, I wanna be that kinda friend.

That’s the kiss everyone was making such noise about? That’s... Y’all extra dramatic af, and need to chill. Das a goodbye kiss.

NEPTUNE STOP SAYING STUFF LIKE THAT, THIS IS WHY THE FANDOM HATES YOU

LISTEN TO SUNNY BOI, IT WAS NEVER ABOUT THAT

IT’S THE SONG FROM VOL3

Neptune isn’t impressed by sun’s bravado after he ditched them

CYBERPUNK KATARA

BUNKBEEEEDS

DUDE THEY TOOK THE SAME SPOTS AS THEIR ROOM IN BEACON

THAT’S... SAD

Blake being broody... as usual

Blake no

Blake nO 

THAT’S THE WORST THING YOU CAN DO TO SOMEONE WHO HAS A PROTHESIS

yEAH WHAT YANG SAID

Lookit Ruby and Weiss being anime and cute

Qrow being a cool uncle

Aaaaand there it is

It’s Dingus and Wingus againnnn

SPHINX GRTIMM WHAT

Dude that mace is cool

DED

YEUP DED

Team JNPR joins the battle

dUDE THE TRAIN HAS ARMOR?? THAT’S COOL

Oh no the thing noticed the turrets

Woah, check out the moves on compost boi, he’s really learning.

Dingus is being... a dingus

gOD THE SOUND OF THE BONE BREAKING.... a+ on the sound but it was gross

TEAR HIM APPART QROW

Ruby using the Talk No Jutsu

JAUNEY BOI KNOWS HOW TO USE HIS SEMBLANCE NOW? NOICE

LET REN SAVE THE PEOPLE YES

OZPIN WHY DO I FEEL LIKE IT’S BAD NEWS WHY YOU WANT TO TAKE OVER OSCAR

I KNEW IT

OZ THAT’S LIKE... THE FIRST THING YOU SHOULD’VE SAID ABOUT THE THING

TEAR HIM APPART GIRLS

Ruby still using Talk No Jutsu

Oh no... OH NO THEY’RE GETTING SEPARATED ALREADY??

CYBERPUNK KATARA HAS DEM SHADY EYES

fUCK IT’S ADAM

Oh...Blake bby you need help

.Ooooh that song

HEY THEY HAVE THE OLD PICTURES ON THEIR SCROLLS

Compost boi knows how to fight grimm already?

dUDE THE ANIMATION

THE FIGHTING STYLES

THEY WENT BACK TO VOLS 1-3

WEISS SKATING IS LOVE

TEAM ATTACKSSSSSS

SHE GONNA SUMMON?

SHE CAN DO THAT????

Dude you can see EXACTLY how Ruby’s style is influenced by Qrow’s

This reminds me of the train fight from Vol2

CYBERPUNK KATARA I KNEW U WERE BEING SHADY

The OPENING

Crescent Rose Mechanism close up? Love it

A very Weiss centered first scene of the OP? LOVING IT MORE

Something tells me this is going to be a very Weiss centered volume aw yeah

THE MOON BEFORE BREAKING?

Oh

Jaune being a goof

THE WRs BEING CUTE. LOOK AT WEISS’ SMILE

Uh oh, that tension between the bees

THAT CLOSE UP ON GRANNY KATARA’S “EYE” AND THEN RUBY’S EYE. I FUCKING CALLED IT SHE’S GONNA BE A SILVER EYED WARRIOR

Oh no... I hope this doesn’t mean Qrow dies... pls... I love trashy drunkle

Hooded figure~

WAS THAT TORCHWICK’S HAT WHAT.... NEO IS THAT U???

Adam and the villains being meh

Salem being rawr

wAIT IS THAT.... GLYNDA??

OZPIN’S PAST LIVES MAYBE??

Ozpin looks noice in the new style tho

wOAH THER JAUNE

I think Ozpin’s shady business is catching up to him and Oscar has to pay for it... that’s... sad

HOODED FIGURE HAS A SWORD?? AND ROBO ARM?? IF IT IS NEO THEN... Damn she must’ve had a rough time landing in a grimm infested vale

THE TRANSITION BETWEEN EACH MEMBER OF TEAM RWBY, LOVE IT

A very WR centric OP... I love it but my lil monochrome heart cries

Monty... you’d be proud of this one man, they’re getting closer to reaching your own Montyness

THERE’S A CO-DIRECTOR NOW?

GRANNY KATARA’S NAME IS MARIA CALAVERA

FIRST MEXICAN THEMED RWBY CHARACTER Y’ALL

My final thoughts on the episode? God I haven’t been so excited about a volume in a while.

The animation is so much better, they went back to the kind of animation they had during volume 2 and 3 but it looks... a bit more fluid. I love it

They managed to make Jaune goofy again, and not hog screentime, which I really dig. The overall pacing is better. 

Also they managed to show growth on certain characters. Like Weiss realizing she shouldn’t depend on her summons and going back to her usual fight style, and also compost boi being able to fight off grimm without ozpin taking over.

Speaking of fighting styles THEY’RE USING THE STYLES FROM VOLUMES 1-3, Ruby cutting off everything and then double tapping the grimm, Weiss with her speedy movements and constant atacking mixed in with her glyphs, I hope we get to see the Haste glyph again. Blake with the hit and run she’s known for and Yang with her brute strenght being able to casually GRAB AND THROW A GIANT GRIMM LIKE TORCHWICK’S MECHSUIT?? I love

Also in the train scene seeing Qrow and Ruby fighting side by side you can see Ruby’s style based off his, he did teach her and I love that you can see it.

The return of the anime tropes Monty would use like Nora snapping from one place to another or Ruby and Weiss sliding from the side.

ALSO THAT NEO HINT IN THE OP, IM EXCITED TO SEE IF IT REALLY IS NEO.

I can say that im excited for this volume and I think I can expect it to be as good as it deserves to be... You’d be proud of this one Monty.

[lostinfic]

Mercier x Betty  British Raj AU

The word ‘dance’ comes to mind, their own choreography of gazes exchanged across the room, brushes of hands and half-spoken confessions. They orbit around each other, destined never to collide it seems; Mercier is upper class, Betty is a governess. And he’s spying on the family whose children she swore to protect. But in this foreign land of spices and silk, of golden gods and lush forests, where cultural norms clash and wane, even destinies must yield to desire.

Rating: Mature Word count: 3.2k Beta: @fadewithfury​ <3 You don’t need to have seen either show.

Tumblr | Ao3

2 | Observing

Betty sat on a Persian rug in a corner of the makeshift classroom and read to her pupils, Victoria and Winifred (Oliver’s older sisters). A story from a book of Indian tales was their reward after a long morning of grammar and embroidery.

A breeze, increasingly warm with each gust, fluttered the curtains and the hand-drawn maps tacked to the walls. Fine dust shimmered in the air and alighted on the table and bookcase. Betty wiped the page and continued reading: “The beautiful Kailash mountains were a breathtaking sight and it never failed to impress Parvathi. And after her marriage with Shiva, living with Shiva, his Ganas and his sages, Parvathi loved the place more. She smiled as she looked around the snow-clad mountains and knew that this would be the case, always.” Betty paused. “Victoria, how do you spell ‘mountains’?”

“M-o... u-n-t-a-i-n-s?”

“Very good. Do you want to read the next sentence?”

The nine-year-old took the book from her governess and read slowly, hesitating on the foreign names. “Jaya and Vijaya, the two guards of Goddess Parvathi were speaking with her. ‘How is Kailash?’ they asked her. Parvathi smiled unable to stop herself. Her smile saying a lot more than she ever could--”

“Pardon,” came a voice from the doorway.

Betty’s heart jumped at the sight of Mercier standing there. Since their first encounter last week, she’d convinced herself his handsomeness was but a trick of her mind, exaggerated by the fact he’d saved her-- it wasn’t.

“You smile like Pavarthi,” Victoria said.

“Why don’t you keep reading,” Betty said, standing up to meet Mercier. She dusted chalk off her black skirt, there was no mistaking her for a lady today.

“Colonel, what are you doing here?”

“I think I got lost on my way back to Lord Wigram’s study.”

“It’s on the first floor.” They were on the second.

“I know.”

Her smile vanished. If anyone caught him around here, she would be blamed. “You should not be here.” She stepped out of the classroom and explained to him how to reach the ground floor.

“I’m not sure I understand the way. Would you guide me there?” he asked.

She hesitated, glancing between him and the children several times, assessing the risks of being alone with him.

“I am sorry for bothering you, miss Salinger, I should not have asked.”

And that’s what settled the issue. “Wait. It is not a problem, sir. Girls, I will be back in a moment.”

She guided him towards the staff quarters, where they wouldn’t run into Lady Wigram. A somewhat inappropriate route perhaps, but so had their first meeting been.

Like most houses built by colonialist architects, the rooms were wide and high-ceilinged with jalousie windows above the doors for optimal air circulation— but so did voices travel. And their footsteps echoed between the walls of sparsely furnished rooms and corridors.

Once they’d rounded a corner, he said, “If I may say so, miss Salinger, I am glad to have run into you today.”

“You are?”

“Why else would I be wandering the second floor?”

“Oh.” She was so surprised, she forgot to mind the step at the end of the hall and tripped. Mercier caught her by the arms and steadied her.

“Easy there. Are you all right?”

“Yes. Yes, sorry, God, this is embarrassing. I walk by here twenty times a day, I swear.” She giggled from nerves.

Mercier’s hands remained on her, thumbs rubbing her arms. Their eyes met, and they smiled at each other.

A door banged shut, and Betty jumped away from him. They resumed walking.

“You read Indian folk tales to the girls?” he asked after a few steps. “It is not the usual curriculum, I presume.”

“His lordship allowed it,” she quickly corrected. “We study Grimm and Lafontaine, too, and English history.”

“I think it’s a good idea. Children should know more about the country they live in. And I could say the same of adults.”

Betty relaxed. “It has helped them get used to living here. To imagine the country is full of marvelous, magic creatures.”

“I don’t know about magic, but marvelous certainly.”

She looked out a tall window, at the city, stretching far beyond the undulating heat of the horizon, studded with the white turrets and gilded domes of mosques and palatial mansions, like something out of a fairytale.

She’d slowed down, and Mercier too, a few steps ahead, observing her. The way he seemed to analyse her, and others, both flattered and unsettled her. Most people cast judgements too quickly, but what did he hope to discover?

“What were you thinking about?” he asked.

She shrugged. “Nothing.”

“How have you been, since the accident?”

The mention of the incident at the river made her stomach sink. The Wigrams still didn’t know how close their son had come to losing his life, or else she would surely be on the street right now. Thankfully, they’d chalked up the severity of Oliver’s recollections to his young age and shock. Only Mercier and his sister knew the truth.

“I’m fine, sir. Thank you for asking.”

“I’m glad to hear it. And Oliver, how is he?”

“He’s fine too, sir.”

“Yes?… no fear?”

“No. All fine.” She smiled politely.

Was he genuinely concerned or reminding her of his power over her?

She was thankful, of course, more than words could express, that he had saved her life and Oliver’s. And he’d taken such good care of them afterwards. But now that he’d brought up the incident, she couldn’t shake the thought that it came at a cost. What would he ask for in return for his help and silence?

She increased the space between them, and hurried down a flight of stairs.

“Second door on your right,” she indicated, keeping her eyes straight ahead.

“I… okay. Thank you, miss Salinger.”

She waited until he’d entered Lord Wigram’s study, and tiptoed farther down the corridor to hide beside a potted palm and spy on him.

She could see him clearer now without her head spinning with anxiety like it had on their first meeting. She saw his good looks, yes, but also the markers of his social status: his bespoke suit of fine linen, so precisely sewn to his lean frame-- she thought of the tailor, running his tape across the width of his shoulders, down his steel rod of a spine, wrapping it around his chest. The ratios of him. Revealing the asymmetries. The flaws in his seemingly imperturbable self-possession. Even his hair, curling like sweet pea vines, was constrained neatly with pomade, a reminder of his military grade and all that came with it.

She wanted to mess his hair.

But this was the image he presented in public. Sitting on the verandah with him and Gabrielle, she’d felt like Fanny Price with the Crawford siblings. Both of them so beautiful and worldly, but with a hint of something dissipated. An impression they didn’t care about social conventions as much as others. Their banter, the brandy, the cigarettes, and their appraising gaze on her. She didn’t trust it. And she trusted even less what it aroused in her.

*

Two weeks later

“Please avoid going anywhere near the port,” Lady Wigram said as she watched Betty and the girls button their boots.

“Yes, your ladyship,” Betty replied, forcing a smile over her clenched teeth.

Lady Wigram never missed a chance to mention the incident at the river. What would it be if she knew the whole truth about it? It took all of Betty’s self-control not to remind her ladyship that it would not have happened had she not insisted Oliver left the house with Betty on her day off. But that would only bring up the fact that Oliver preferred the governess to Lady Wigram, his step-mother. That morning he had thrown a tantrum, refusing to stay home when Betty was leaving, and pushing off Lady Wigram’s attempt at comforting him.

Betty wasn’t even supposed to take care of Oliver, he had a nanny, Samaira. Betty had been employed to teach his older sisters. So, while their brother took his morning nap, the three young women left the house for an airing.

Betty took them to the Maidan, an open public space thrice the size of Hyde Park in London and thrice as crowded.

Lace parasols balanced on their shoulders, they threaded amongst the colourful mass of natives and foreigners. Married women in vibrant saris with bangles clinking on their wrists, red sindoor parted their hair and dotted their foreheads. A contrast to the white-decked widows accompanying them. Brown-skinned men, their legs sticking out of dhoti shorts, walked barefoot on the trampled lawn.

Victoria dropped a rupee in the begging bowl of an orange-wrapped Buddhist monk.

Plenty of Europeans miled the Maidan too, men in linen sack suits and straw boater hats, they walked to the Raj Bhavan or the Royal Turf Club. Soldiers, their khaki turbans or pith helmets visible above other heads. The smoke of their cheroot, a taste like old paper and rich earth burning, caught in Betty’s throat, and she coughed. They didn’t noticed or apologize, too busy staring at ladies parading-- the “fishing fleet” as they were known, unmarried British women sent by their parents to find husbands. Betty envied their pretty calico dresses, her only nice one hadn’t quite survived the dive into the river. Nothing but white waistshirts and plain skirts left for her.

Betty used to fear this teeming place, with its grain sellers hailing passersby, potbellied children running amok and numerous grunting beasts. This deluge of life, coming in waves of laughter and cries, disoriented her. In fact, her first two months in India, she hadn’t step foot outside their house’s garden walls. She’d gathered her courage for the sake of the children. Now, a year later, although she still preferred a quiet corner of the garden, she navigated the crowd with some confidence, and she longed to discover more of the city and of the country. Unfortunately, opportunities to make such discoveries were scarce for an unmarried, working woman.

In the shade of a neem tree, a servant spread out a blanket on the ground for them to sit. The girls took out their sketch pads. From their spot, the busy park offered a wide variety of subjects.

Winifred preferred to draw animals and focused on an emaciated pi-dog lounging by the tank. At six years old, her depiction was rather cartoonish so Betty helped her finesse the animal’s shape, pointing out the shadows of its ribs. But Winifred was always more interested in drawing things from her imagination than reality, and Betty gave up and let her enjoy it.

Victoria, on the other hand, attempted to capture the movements of stick dancers. She had an eye for it that would suit pastels more than pencil. Their next lesson perhaps.

After a moment, Betty opened her own pad to draw the long stems of white blossoms drooping from the branches above them. Clusters of tiny five-petaled flowers, as white and translucent as moonstone. A warm breeze stirred a lilac-y fragrance from them. She thought of England in the spring.

They drew without a word. The clank of the dancers’ wooden sticks and the occasional monkey screech pierced the hum of multilingual chatter around them.

“There is Colonel Mercier again,” Victoria said.

Again. He had become a regular guest of the Wigrams. Every visit, he tried to catch her gaze or to “accidentally” meet her in the corridor. At first, she had chalked it up to her imagination, but the children noticed it too. It only strengthened her first impression that he didn’t care for social conventions and wanted something from her.

“Miss Salinger, how nice to see you.”

And there it was, on his polite smile, the shadow of a bawdy smirk.

Betty offered a thin-lipped smile, keeping her hands clasped behind her back, away from his lips.

“And you, Colonel.”

“How are you?”

“Fine. We came to the park for a drawing lesson.”

He glanced at the girls and the servant. “And their parents?”

“At home, sir.”

“May I beg the favour of a word with you?”

Etiquette dictated she should agree, and so they took a few steps away.

Betty decided to cut to the chase. Her mouth was dry and her voice uncertain when she asked: “What do you want from me?”

“Pardon?”

“I would rather you reveal the truth about the accident to his lordship than have to… to do something in exchange for your silence.”

Mercier’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “You think I want to blackmail you? I… apologize if I gave you that impression, but you are mistaken about my character.”

He laughed, and she huffed.

“Well, what else can it be?”

“I like you, miss Salinger. I find myself… curious about you.”

That possibility hadn’t even occurred to her. Her brow knitted in confusion. “But… I’m just a governess.”

“So?”

“Well, I have no illusions as to the kind of men who flirt with girls like me. Now if you would excuse me, I need to get back to the children.”

“Woman.”

“What?”

“A woman like you. You are not a girl.”

The leer she expected didn’t come, he kept his eyes on her face, an open, steady gaze that made her knees wobble.

“Good day, sir.”

She’d barely taken two steps away, that clouds ripped open above her. She hid under the nearest tree, but so did Mercier. She waved and smiled to Winifred and Victoria to reassure them.

Fat drops landed like cannonballs on the dry ground, splashing soil and digging thousands of tiny craters until it looked like a sponge. The smell of wet grass rose in the air. The tree branches’ width barely shielded them both, and allowed them only an inch of space to stand apart. The hair on her arm stood on end as if to bridge the gap between Mercier’s body and hers. She stared at the fabric of his suit, and wondered how it would feel against her cheek. She’d been good for over four years, didn’t she deserve a hug? She wanted him but didn’t trust him. And in her position, she couldn’t afford a mistake.

“You are wrong about me, miss,” he said above the drum of drops on leaves.

“Your behaviour indicates otherwise.”

His sigh brushed against the crown of her hair. Not an exasperated sigh, no, but doleful. Was she too hard on him? Could he really like her? She chanced a glance up at him, and he caught her.

“You have been deceived before,” he observed.

She turned her head away and, after a moment of hesitation, dashed under the rain to join her pupils.

Mercier stayed on her mind all day. She wavered between pride at putting him in his place, and doubt about his true intentions.

“I like you, miss Salinger. I find myself… curious about you.”

Could it really be as simple as that? An innocent interest. Or an unvirtuous one? There was only one way to find out.

*

Mercier saw Betty two more times in the following week, in the street and at the theater. Never alone. Both times he nodded politely and kept his distance, hoping to prove his honest intentions.

The Wigrams had invited him and his sister to a luncheon. He’d slipped out of the dining room knowing his sister would provide an excuse should his absence be noticed.

“Did you find her?” Gabrielle asked in French when he came back.

“It’s not what you think. I wanted to go into Wigram’s study but the door is locked.”

Gabrielle gave him her trademark “I’m not buying it” look.

“And if I happened to see miss Salinger on the way, well…”

She smiled victoriously, but Mercier sighed.

“If only I had a chance to talk to her. To explain. To prove her wrong.”

“Is this really about her or your hurt ego?”

He swirled the brandy in his glass, mulling her question over. “What do you think?”

“I think, I have never seen you pursue a woman with such determination.”

“I am not putting that much effort. Am I?”

“Still more than usual. Do not deny you are coming here often.”

“There is the business with Wigram too.”

“I know, but I’m glad you found someone worth pursuing.”

“It is not my ego… not entirely. The fact that she would confront me like that, I think it has made me like her more.”

“You are a masochist, brother.”

Gabrielle joined the other ladies, and Mercier stepped out, into the back yard. The English had imported their gardening style, so wild compared to the geometry and asymmetry of French gardens. Borders overflowed and vines climbed ambitiously. With the worse of the monsoon over, plants now bloomed like lazy fireworks, an abundance of frangipanis, jasmine and dahlias. A feast for the senses he indulged in for mere minutes before his sister’s words drew his attention away.

“Someone worth pursuing.”

In Calcutta, flirting and dalliances were prime forms of entertainment. But Mercier had no interest in that sort of intrigue. He had quite enough in his work. He liked women who were forthright about their desires. They sought attention or satisfaction. Sometimes revenge on an unfaithful husband. For they were always married or widows, women who could afford an affair and its consequences should there be any. It had not been the case so far. They didn’t expect more beyond an afternoon or a handful of nights. Dead ends. Yet, once or twice, when the affair had come to its inevitable end, a sort of melancholy had overcome him. Perhaps he needed more.

He couldn’t blame his regular presence here only on the importance of his mission, when seeking Betty jeopardized that very mission.

Giggles alerted him to the children’s presence. He followed the sound and found Betty chasing the kids around a magnolia tree. She laughed and smiled openly, and he envied the children with whom she was so carefree. So far, he’d caught only glimpses of her true character, and he wished they could jump over the social conventions that made her hide it, and go straight to being familiar. He wanted to know her and be known by her.

Betty caught him staring and shut down like an oyster. She stopped running, looked down, buttoned up her collar. But then, a shy glance, a quirk at the corner of her mouth. He stood immobile, waited patiently for more. A flutter of her eyelashes. He followed her lead, his own smile growing as hers did. She looked into his eyes, and it zinged through him, like an arrow from the blue-skinned god Rama.

She licked and bit her bottom lip. I’m in. He smirked, it escaped him this flirty smile, the kind he gave certain women who made their desire known. It made her laugh, she threw her head back, displayed her throat. She shook her head and took off to catch a child.

Mercier returned to the gentlemen in the drawing room with a spring in his steps.

“Have you made any progress this afternoon?” Gabrielle enquired on their way back home, hours later.

“On one front. Captain Moore was only too happy to gossip about Lord Wigram’s trouble in Bombay. Rodier will be pleased with my report.”

“Good. And the other front?”

Mercier shrugged with a frown and dipped into his jacket pocket for his cigarette case. Betty had smiled back, it was progress he supposed, but not enough. He flipped opened the golden case, a note was laid on top of the cigarettes: “I’m curious about you too”.

He grinned. “There’s hope for the other front.”

Chapter 3: Meeting