#it would piss regis off SO much

[ministarfruit]

local alley cat gets beaten up (colourised)

[chaoticatgwent]

I got really randomly pissed off thinking about Regis' outfit in Blood and Wine one random Tuesday and redesigned it. My design and notes about it (and an extra super secret totally real Regis outfit) below 💕

My design notes:

I tried to keep as much of the original outfit as possible, the goal wasn't to redraw it completely, tried to just tweak it and keep it on model

Parts I liked and kept: the patches! That was such a nice detail in the original, his shitty patchjobs:)) The bag looks nice too and the shoes were decent. Also little leggins, yes. I also liked the belt sleeve holders, very neat practical storytelling detail.

The Alt 1 fit is not very appealing visually coz it's too one tone and the black vest thing doesn't work as well with the dark undershirt, but I was stupid and drew all of it on one layer, so I couldn't remove it easily and got lazy :,) sorry, but there was an attempt to make it more dark coz he is described as wearing "simple dark robes". Everything having to be dark is already a proper knee kick but I tried to contrast it a bit.

Tried to make it look smudgy and well worn coz Regis is a mess

Original design notes:

I think this image speaks for itself tbh. Like are you shitting my dick where is the iconic cape he bundles himself up in. Where is the apron.

Half of this looks like he took it out of the dumpster and the other like he stole it off a nobleman's corpse. There are way too many little shits and bobbles that give off contradicting vibes.

THE GLOVES ARE A MONSTROSITY. Like the 2 reasons he would possibly be wearing them is 1) he's cold, thats why you wear gloves, which is bs, he doesn't feel cold. And they're fingerless. And 2) to hide the sharp nails they gave him. But once again, THEY'RE FINGERLESS. These gloves not only look horrible but serve no practical purpose except looking odd as fuck coz the dlc is set in Toussaint summer. Who is he gonna rescue with the gloves on?? 'Oh shit sorry let me just remove my dirtyass gloves real quick' ??

The storytelling is missing. Can you tell from this outfit that he's a barber-surgeon? A herbalist? An alchemist?? A vampire?? NO. Nothing. Not saying u should be able to tell he's a vamp but that would be atleast *some* storytelling. This outfit screams "I used to own a shisha bar in the snowy regions of Appalachia and fell on hard times." Pass.

Anyway my design is obv not the best and I did it in like an hour, and I don't want to diminish the hard work of the OG designer, but I wanted to make my own version that is more in sync with how I image Regis and what he would wear:)

Here's also the super secret very legit Alt 2 fit. Completely serious. I'm sorry but he's such a homo he had to be dressed appropriately.

[fir-fireweed]

So I finally finished my first try and wow. I had so much fun! My MC ended up being a water attuned, friendly and optimistic (or well trying against all odds) little guy, who likes to wear colorful short dresses with leggins and lots of belts. I named him Naeni for his cover name. (Naenia means "incantation, dirge" in Latin. This was the name of the Roman goddess of funerals. I like names that mean something! He can't openly grief, but every time the name is called it expresses some grief in a verbal way at least.) The image of Jonah falling asleep all exhausted with the fox curled up on their chest, the red fur blending into the red beard was one of the most adorable scenes ever and now I'm terrified what's going to happen to them. Thanks a lot. *sigh* As for the ROs, my heart maybe skipped a tiny bit when we met Vicente and he just.. signed his name. Like a secret. It felt as sweet as the candy leftover he took from us, too and omg. Then Corinne did a similar thing and I think I swooned a little when I read about her approving little smirk when we looked back at her. I might just like the characters who inflict violence on my behalf? Not sure. But I think I'm gonna try for Vic, just because dating a guy wearing hiked up dresses and leggins might piss off his dad enough to get a stroke? And because I get the feeling he might just need someone as sweet and emotionally attuned as my little guy there. Corinne might be for one of the other elements in the end. Maybe air, someone as serious as her might need someone a little lighter...maybe a strategist who likes chess for her. We'll see how it pans out! For now my water attuned lil guy adores his fox friend and likes to draw, because they like colors and textures and how it simulteanously records and elicits emotions.

I do like the other two ROs as well, but so far Calli feels a little too young for romance considerations. Bayram on the other hand felt a little too practiced at it, so it made me want to not respond to that ... out of spite I guess. I'm contrary like that for my roleplaying. I also didn't expect to like Eva this much, but she feels real. Despite her struggles and doubts, she comes through when it counts and she is so truly sweet at her core. Only one year older and trying so hard to be a good big sister, I sympathized with her quite a lot. She's imperfect, but she's earned that reader affection through persistent hard work in great pivotal scenes. I would laugh if it turns out she's been working with the rebels in secret as well without tellign her parents! It would somehow fit her character, no? Thank you for writing, persevering and sharing, I honestly am having so much fun suffering through your story!

Naeni sounds wonderful! I love his name, description, and the idea of him giving the Regis a stroke! 🤣

Your description of Eva is spot on and I’m so happy you think that of her! She can be selfish and rough around the edges, but she very much has a soft core and is struggling in her own way. I really wanted her to be a “real” character and I’m glad you like her!

Thank you for the ask!

[cl0udstrifefr]

FFXV Fic Recommendations

Hello! I thought I’d share some of my favorite fics from my most favorite game. Will update with more when I read more. Thank you!

Set Thy Hidden Stars On Fire by MYuzuki (16k words)

This time, when Prompto wakes up to start a new loop, it’s raining.

Normally, this wouldn’t be a cause for concern (or even a blip on his radar, really) but this time he wakes up outside for some reason, which means he’s in the rain.

And as his luck would have it, it’s something of a downpour.

-

If you love Prompto, you’ll love this fic. It’s relatively short, but managed to have me still think about it nearly a year after reading. MYuzuki is a great author!

Salvation by cassisluna (11k words)

Nyx Ulric lives and accompanies Lunafreya across Lucis to wake the six. Written for the 2021 FFXV Reverse Bang.

As she travels to wake Titan and Ramuh, Luna is grateful for the time given to her to see the land of Lucis with her own eyes and feet.

Nyx promised the King that he would see Princess Lunafreya to Altissia, and it seems easy enough—until he learns the Oracle's price for forging the covenants. After that, it's just a matter of... maybe going off-route for a while to let the princess sight-see for a bit.

-

I love anything that expands upon Lunafreya’s character or Kingsglaive. This fic did not disappoint with that at all.

Worth The Risk by Asidian (6k words)

It's captivating. Prompto's probably going to have thirty-eight photos of it for them to relive the experience, in vivid detail, later on.

But Prompto's not taking pictures anymore, Noct realizes. The camera's stopped.

And when Noctis looks over to see what the matter is, Prompto's just staring through the view-finder, head angled up. He's gone absolutely sheet-white – looks like he might pass out. He says, "Noct," very softly, like it's a plea.

Then the world explodes, and something slams into Noctis with the force of a subway train, and everything goes dark.

-

I adore Asidian’s writing, especially for Prompto. This, and any of their other fics you should absolutely check out!

Honor Bound by The_Asset6 (125k words)

It’s still hard for Ignis, Gladio, and Prompto to believe that Noctis has been gone for a year. However, when an old ally appears to tell them that what is gone might not be lost after all, that spark of hope they kept alive during their ten years apart is rekindled. Their only question: what will they have to sacrifice this time in order to bring their brother back alive?

-

This fic focuses more on the bros rather than Noctis himself, and it was really nice to see from their POV how far they’d go to get Noct back. A longer read but didn’t drag, great fic!

Somnus Ultima by The_Asset6 (349k words)

King Regis and Queen Aulea’s desire for a child has finally been fulfilled, as well as their kingdom’s need for an heir to the throne. However, when a dark mage with a vendetta against Lucis blesses the young prince with a deadly curse, they realize that no sacrifice is too much when it comes to someone you love.

But too much, it turns out, is never enough.

-

A sleeping beauty AU! I won’t lie, this one is long, but it’s so worth it. I don’t typically like AU fics, preferring canon-compliant work, but I gave this one a chance and didn’t regret it. The author made great use of the characters and created a lengthy but not hard to read story that was very enjoyable.

Reliance, Resolve by Gnine (13k words)

"Where are you?"

Noct. Voice controlled, each word precise and even. In other words, pissed off to the point of seething. Prompto had obviously screwed up. Again. Seemed about all he was capable of doing lately when it came to Noct—and just about everything else.

-------

Prompto's self-reliant streak kicks into overdrive, sending his life into a tailspin.

-

A nice pre-game fic centered around Prompto, giving some insight to his and Noct’s relationship. Author tagged as pre-slash.

[raven-6-10]

As promised, tagging @hamelin-born and @ertrunkenerwassergeist

So, when thinking about writing Regis, especially during the last years of his reign I try to keep one thing in mind:

Regis is, at his core, somebody who has given up.

Yeah, I know, how could I say something so controversial.

Well, let's not keep you in the dark.

Prince Regis and his support circle

(Or rather, the lack of thereof.)

We know very, very little about Regis' childhood so I have to extrapolate based on what canon info we have about Noctis.

And none of this is promising. Because it looks like for most of his childhood, his friends consisted of Clarus and Weskham. There is the one mention of knowing Aulea back then, but not much detail of how they met or how their relationship looked like. While he presumably met other noble children, there would always be that undercurrent of politics to any interactions, which isn't exactly conductive to healthy relationships. Not with the chasm between their respective social ranks.

(It exists even in his interactions with his Retinue, too, for all that they manage to forget it most of the time)

Then comes the Road Trip, with Cor dragged along and Cid who joins to keep eye on those goddamn rich city kids. Honestly, that might be the happiest time in Regis' life. He has minimal responsibilities, he's not under constant scrutiny from everyone and he has people who genuinely like him for him around himself. Life looks good, even with the war on the horizon.

And then comes Accordo and Altissia, and the failed treaty negotiations.

And then Weskham leaves.

A lot of people headcanon that Wesk stayed in Accordo to funnel information to Insomnia and act as a Lucian representative to Accordo's government. Whether that's true or not, the fact is that he was unlikely to consistently keep in touch with Regis. Not with how closely all communication channels would be monitored as the war heated up. By necessity, their friendship becomes a distant one at best.

So that's one of Regis' people gone from his life. Cid is the second one to leave him, this time entirely of his own choice.

While there are no actual specifics, the timing makes it clear that Cid was not happy with Mors pulling back the Wall and the Royal Family's policy on the refugees thereafter. Which is a polite way of saying "they left people to fend for themselves". What we don't know is how Regis reacted to it. Did he think his father had to have good reasons? Did he disagreed with him but couldn't think of anything he could do to improve things? Did he agree with Mors wholeheartedly? Either way, Cid storms out of the Citadel and Insomnia, eventually settles down in Hammerhead and, as far as we know, does not see Regis ever again.

(And there is that one hint from Cor how Cid was still angry that Regis kept secrets and refused to confide in his friends. But that's for later.)

Post-coronation and his marriage

(Or, his social circle still isn't great)

So here they are in the year 729 of Modern Era, with one friend on the other side of the world and another currently very pissed off at them, when Mors dies and leaves Regis running Lucis.

Regis is all of 23.

I don't know about you but I wouldn't leave a 23-years-old charge of a local retail shop. Nevermind the entire fucking country. Unfortunately, Regis does not have the luxury of leaving the job to somebody else, so he puts on his big boy boots and the fancy crown, and gets to work.

And there's a lot of work.

We have next to nothing about Mors and his reign, but what we do have points to a person more interested in the results than the means used to achieve them, which is never good attitude in somebody who has absolute authority over other people. It's bound to piss off people in all social strata and create some short-term "solutions" in exchange for a lot of long-term problems. I suspect Regis spent a lot of his early years as a king placating nobles and unfucking his father's various messes with Clarus and Cor's help.

Not that Cor would have been much of a help, being freshly 18 himself - ageism is very firmly alive in politics, even fictional ones - and still a reckless little shit at his heart. For Regis, Cor is firmly a little brother figure - somebody to guide and teach and protect, and to entrust important missions to once he's a little older, but not somebody Regis can rely on to support him.

(Regis never loses this mindset. Not even after Cor has been his Marshall for years. In the end, Cor is never told about the real prophecy, is sent away before the Invasion begins.)

With Clarus busy with work and Cor not suitable, Regis would have to look to somebody else for emotional support. Enter Aulea. Around this time, their relationship shifts from friends to actual courtship and then to a marriage in 732 ME. Finally, Regis has someone who isn't his subordinate and doesn't need to be kept at arms length, who is actually his equal, who he can confide in and rely on, and be happy with. His best friend's also gotten married recently and had a little boy. Life is looking great!

And then Noctis is born and Aulea dies.

(There's a lot of IRL research about how men rely almost entirely on their wives for emotional support, and how badly they cope once it's gone.)

Noctis as the Chosen One

And then we come to this cluster fuck of a prophecy.

Because Regis learns his son is going to die.

Because there's nothing he can do to change it.

Because how do you defy a god?

(You don't. Not on your own)

But there's more!

Not only is his son going to die very painfully, first the world has to be plunged into complete darkness for who knows how long. Demons will run everywhere and people will struggle to survive. In the end, Eos will be devastated and Lucis is not guaranteed to survive.

That's bound to influence his decisions, and not always consciously.

Like, we know Noctis had an unprecedented amount of freedom for a Crown Prince, going to a normal high school, having commoner friend and living outside of the Citadel. Going by his complete unfamiliarity with life outside of Insomnia (he didn't know what a gil was) and not recognising Ardyn (a high ranking member of foreign court), I would say he also didn't receive much of a training that would be expected of a prince.

(It's not like he's going to rule anything, ever)

Then there's how that knowledge would affect Regis and his policies.

Oh, I don't think he actually realised that but. Why would he try to improve anything if it's all going to be destroyed anyway? Why bother to fix the system, it's not like it's broken, it works correctly?

(It's not working correctly. It's very much broken and rotting under his feet. He just can't see that from his place at the top.)

What does it have to do with Galahdians?

Freaking everything.

Starting with Mors' shitty refugee policies that likely never were repelled in full, through the fact that Regis likely had to make a lot of concessions to nobles to secure his reign, to his negligence of and ignorance about the issues arising among the lowest classes.

After all, corrupt officials will not suddenly decide to stop on their own. They can and will only get worse, because they feel more and more untouchable with every stolen yen and every bribe taken.

And resentment builds up.

[wraithofmorhogg]

while you pretty much already answered this when you said you were disappointed they completely cut shani from the show ( I agree she is one of my favorite of the more minor characters and one of the few female characters from the witcher that is not either royaly or a sorsercess) but who do you think is the most important book character that the show completely cut out?, they included some of the more unimportant mage characters in the ball and coup episodes and they are including characters like Nimue, Stribog and Assire next season, and they aren't done announcing the casting for season 4 yet so we will see if they include Angoulême earlier so she can have a big more time to be fleshed out than she does in the books

They already have Milva and Regis so I expect we'll see Angoulême. She has a great backstory, and I would love to see it in depths. (Even though Stygga Castle is really going to hurt) Just hoping they don't cut out Anna Henrietta or The Aen Elle. I think the reason they cut Shani as well as Geralt's dragon threesome/foursome? and Triss' romance out because they wanted to make his relationship with Yen more romantic. Which I get. Even though I loved Shani. (my forever girl) As for the cut out... Honestly if I had to pick, I would say Eskel. I know he was not cut out per say, but they killed him off and I thought that was a really bad choice. It didn't add anything to the show or to Geralt. It just pissed us off. I'm also curious what is going to happen since they killed Rience off early. Who is going to partner up with Leo Bonhart and Stefan Skellen? I will take a lot of flak for saying this, but despite all this I really enjoyed the show personally. I look at the show like a fun fanfiction instead of taking it as heresy. (I have been told 'drink piss wh0re' by 'fanboys' because I enjoyed the show. I get being passionate about a show, but trying to hurt real people over fiction... sad. Very sad) I feel bad for the actors that are just doing their jobs taking all that abuse.

[clericofshadows]

Oooh, I would be very curious about "zorya (after)" from the WIP meme <3

thanks for the ask!

admittedly I don't have too much written for this, but I'll chat about it for a bit.

so Zaeed's loyalty mission can go in two ways: save the workers, or go after Vido. The problem is that Regis would almost never put civilians in danger if he can keep from it, and going after one man doesn't cut it, even if it is for his lover. While I do use a mod that lets me do both if I do the mission fast enough, I don't really want to do that in my fic... so there's some conflict. Zaeed is mad because he feels Regis is a hypocrite for not letting him get his revenge when Regis is biding his time to get his to Liara, and Regis is mad because he knows Zaeed knows he wouldn't sacrifice his moral code like that (but he's still with Cerberus, does Zaeed have a point here?)

it's rough and Kaidan is caught in the middle with both sides talking to him and he thinks they are both going at it wrong and they just need to talk it out instead of talking to him about it, but there's a lot of hurt feelings and maybe some hate sex to make up sex involved.

I do have a little snippet I want to share.

"So, Massani is pissed at you for not letting him go after his target."

Regis glared at Jack who only shrugged in response.

"He's been going crazy with the bags in the gym. Think he's about to blow a fucking gasket. Why don't you offer yourself so you can just fuck and make up already?"

"It's more complicated than that."

"Why am I the goddamn reasonable one here? You two are bringing down the whole ship. Even the cheerleader has noticed it. I think Joker thought you were going to tear his head off for saying good morning to you."

"That's normal behavior between me and him."

"Stop deflecting and get your ass in there to spar. Maybe wear that cropped hoodie of yours. Get him a little distracted by some skin."

[spiced-koi-friend]

Gravedigger

Jurard decides to confront his mother about her actions, and everyone is a bit surprised at how serious he's taking it.

Jurard T. Rexford, Crimzon Ruze, Goldbullet, Axel Syrios, Regis Altare, Octavio, & Machina X Flayon

TW: screaming match, mentions of death Words: 1128 | Rating: M

Safe to say that Jurard did not take the news of his mother’s advances well. Thankfully not in the way that Ruze feared of having a full on breakdown, but rather rage filled if he were to describe it simply. His hands balled into fists and his eyes flashed gold, losing control over his reptilian features through his anger. Goldie had to hold him back from just storming out of the room and handling his mother himself, as many of them were not sure how well it’d look to the public if shortly after his father’s death, Jurard went and murdered his mother not all that long afterwards. 

“That fucking bitch! Who does she think she is, doing all of this! She probably was the one that killed my dad at this rate, not that I particularly blame her, he was a piece of shit. Don’t you also think it’s weird that she didn’t invite my siblings, or the fact that she isn’t acting like she’s grieving at all? It doesn’t feel right, none of it does.”

“Okay, hear me out, what if your dad isn’t actually dead and this is all a ploy to get you back here to kill you again?”

Everyone turns to Axel, who raises some questions that none of the boys had really given some proper thought to. Sure they all had the thought in passing, but the longer they spend here, the more it feels like a reality.

“So what do we do to prove it? Sneak into the mortuary and steal Jurard’s dad’s corpse? Stick it on a pike?”

“As much as I’d love to do that, I don’t think the kingdom would be super happy if I did that.”

“Or maybe they would be! You don’t know for sure.”

“I also didn’t know that my mother would stoop so low as to try and seduce my friends. You said that she had these string things, right Ruze?”

“Yeah, they were like Octavio’s, but bright red.”

Jurard looks to Octavio, who is looking closely at his own strings.

“Whatever magic your mother has engaged in, she is not meddling with normal strings like I am. She was literally tugging on your heart strings. When we make a connection with someone, there’s an otherworldly string that ties your hearts together to show the spiritual and emotional connection. It seems like your mother has done some sort of ritual to let her see these.”

“Is there a way for you to be able to see them too?”

“I can try, but I can’t make any promises unfortunately. Give me some time, candles, and some duct tape.”

Octavio gathers the supplies and disappears into his room, leaving the rest of the boys to deal with the other issues.

“And what if she tries again? She definitely seemed like she was going to.”

“Then we’ll protect you.”

“Fuck no! I ain’t no coward that needs protecting!”

“Ruze, this woman is dangerous, and we don’t know what she’s capable of. Last time you confronted her alone she tried tactics we hadn’t prepared for. I love you man, but flirting is not your forte.”

Ruze looks at Goldie, defeated in knowing that he’s right.

“Alright fine, but don’t get all fussy if I stab her.”

“If anything, just make it quick and we’ll see if we can toss her in dad’s coffin while we’re at it.”

Jurard looks like he’s struggling with all this information. He already knew the worst of what she was capable of doing to him, but there’s a certain anger that rises in him when his friends are brought into the crossfire. And no one messes with his friends while he is king.

“Stay together, and stay away from her. I will handle all interactions with her from now on. I don’t trust her near any of you. Somebody go stick with Octavio to make sure his ritual is not interrupted. Goldie, Altare, come with me. I have a meeting with my mother I need to attend to.”

Jurard storms off, looking royally pissed, so much so that his crown nearly falls off his head. Everyone else looks at him as he walks off, with Goldie and Altare walking closely behind as to not lose him in his determined strides down the halls. His heels click against the stone floors as he bursts into the throne room, glaring down anyone in his path.

“MOTHERRRR-!!”

Goldie and Altare were thankfully far enough away to cover their ears and still save some of their hearing from Jurard’s screech for his mother. You could hear a pin drop before the sound of clicking heels coming from an opposing hallway gets closer, and Lady Rexford enters the throne room. She looks shocked, if not a little scared. 

“Yes, Jurard…?”

“What in the fresh FUCK do you think you’re doing going after my men!? Summoning them to your chambers!? Trying to fuck your son’s friends so soon after your husband’s death isn’t too low for you!?”

The ex-queen freezes, but rage bubbles beneath as she realizes she’s been ratted out. 

“You know how lonely I can get, sweetie, and with your father being go-”

“First: don’t you fucking dare call me “sweetie”. Second: my general came back disgusted from what you did to him, using magic to get him to kneel to you? Really? Think it’s really appropriate to be power-tripping when I can have your head on a pike by morning!?”

The threat makes her clutch her chest, looking hurt and afraid. But Jurard doesn’t seem to care.

“Go near my men again, or try that bullshit again, and I will make sure your execution is a grander event than my coronation. You have my fucking word.”

Jurard spins on his heel, still seething as he beckons Goldie and Altare to follow, who were more just standing there to be emotional support, and potentially stop Jurard from physically lunging at his parent. The two exchange a glance, both impressed that he could get that aggressive and also a little scared, admittedly. Both make a mental note to never truly piss him off. They get back to the room where the rest of the boys were meeting, and they all notice Jurard’s new composure.

“Y’know, with how loud you were, I was honestly expecting you to come back with a bit more blood on you.”

Flayon is laying on the bed, kicking his feet, looking a tad disappointed at the lack of gore. 

“For now, that’s for the best. Although Jurard certainly did promise loads if she tries that again.”

“I will execute her personally if she tries that shit again. I swear on my father’s grave that I will bury her there, so help me gods.”

“...noted.”

[tavolgisvist]

What'd I say

Q: Let's go back for a minute and talk about all the early influences on the Beatles. What would you say had the greatest effect on the group? Was it Liverpool? The Cavern? Hamburg? Did Hamburg really improve the playing?" JOHN: "Oh, amazingly. Because before that we'd only been playing bits and pieces, but in Hamburg we had to play for hours and hours on end. Every song lasted 20 minutes and had 20 solos in it. We'd be playing eight or ten hours a night. And that's what improved the playing. Also, the Germans like heavy rock, so you have to keep rocking all the time, and that's how we got stomping. That's how it developed. That made the sound. Because we developed a sound by playing hours and hours and hours together." Q: "You all must have found yourself playing in some unbelievably bad conditions." JOHN: "Yeah, but it was still rather thrilling when you went onstage. A little frightening because it wasn't a dancehall, and all these people were sitting down, expecting something. And then they would tell us to 'mak show' (make a show). After the first night they said, 'You were terrible. You have to make a show -- Mak show!' So I put my guitar down and I did Gene Vincent all night. You know -- banging and lying on the floor and throwing the mike about and pretending I had a bad leg. They're all doing it now -- lying on the floor and banging the guitar and kicking things and just doing all that jazz. "Then they moved us to another club, which was larger and where they danced. Paul would be doing 'What'd I say' for an hour and a half. And these gangsters would come in -- the local mafia. They'd send a crate of champagne onstage... this imitation German champagne, and we had to drink it or they'd kill us. They'd say, 'Drink it and then do What'd I Say.' We'd have to do this other show, whatever time of night. If they came in at five in the morning and we'd been playing for seven hours, they'd give us a crate of champagne and we were supposed to carry on. We'd get pills off the waiters then, to keep awake. That's how all that started. "I used to be so pissed I'd be lying on the florr behind the piano, drunk, while the rest of the group was playing. I'd just be onstage fast asleep. Some of the shows, I went on just in me underpants. I'd go on in underpants with a toilet seat 'round me neck, and all sorts of gear on. Out of me fucking mind!"

(John Lennon, September 5th, 1971, St. Regis Hotel in New York City, interview with Peter McCabe and Robert Schonfeld)

Q: When Ringo joined the band, that must have interrupted your emerging career on drums. A: Yeah, I was completely redundant. We loved Ringo so much. He was our favorite drummer in Liverpool, and when he joined the band, it was an explosion: Every song sounded new and fresh. He could pass what we felt was the true test for drummers, which was to be able to play “What’d I Say” — the cymbal work and the toms.

(Paul McCartney, interview with Robert L. Doerschuk for Drum!Magazine, 2005)

Also

[whaleaddict13]

Bored and did a tier list of the legendary groups

Explanation for every one under the cut because I can’t be normal

Top Tier:

Treasures of Ruin: my favorite thing to come out of Scarlet and Violet. The designs? Awesome. The lore? Even more awesome. Their abilities? Cool. Their music? So so good. If not for my bias towards the weather trio these would be solidly my #1, but they’re just fluidly #1

Weather Trio: I think they are the epitome of a legendary group. While their design is simple, it clearly conveys what they represent. The lore between Groudon and Kyogre is great but I think we all know which one excels in that category. Music as always is a banger and their signature moves and abilities are cool too. ORAS’ addition of the primals and megas made them that much better

Creation Trio (+Arceus): though I never played the sinnoh games, I think they’re really cool especially in terms of design and lore (hard not to be cool with everything Legends Arceus did too). Their music is cool, their signature moves are cool, and Arceus’ ability is cool. The trio kinda got the short end of the stick with abilities (pressure being the like. Default ability for legendaries) but they’re still cool to me

Aura Trio: never played XY or the ultra games but they are visually and lore-y really cool. Life and Death and then the Ecosystem where they interact. Poor zygarde got the short end of the stick in terms of. Well. Everything. But the Ultra Games picked up the slack enough for me. Music’s cool too, xerneas and yveltal’s moves and abilities are cool, but zygarde’s are cooler. Like the music too.

Light Trio: these are really cool to me. Especially necrozma. They really took the sun and moon title of the games and went. What if literally. The designs and lore are cool (especially Necrozma), and the fusion mechanic was a nice addition. Ultra necrozma is really funny. The music is really good too.

Dogs & Eternatus: I just think they’re neat. Really like their design and the tie in to the dynamax mechanic, but I wish we got more out of Eternatus. Lore is classic fairy tale heroes vs dragon which is always fun to see. Come on though. Pressure as an ability again?

Really cool

Mew and Mewtwo: I like the duality kinda thing of the genetic ancestor and the genetic descendant. Design is good, but not my favorite, and they’re really held together by the movies.

Galar Birds: THIS is a good redesign. Cool moves too. Not much to say about them, they kinda just show up, but they look super cool so they make it up here.

Eon Duo: they’re this high up because I’m biased. Getting a legendary in the middle of the story that can mega evolve? Cool. The eon flute? One of the coolest things GF ever did.

Regis: at first they were cool. Then gigas came along. Still cool. Then swsh gave us 2 new ones. Super cool. The fact you can have a full party of regis is so funny to me. Plus, giving more thought into the whole typing system. I like them because I only ever got them in swsh so I didn’t have to learn braille. That would have pissed me off

Calyrex + Horses: much as I despise them in vgc, the crown tundra story and design are really cool, so they get to stay up here. They’re kinda cool too. I guess.

Island Guardians/Tapus: good way to introduce terrain as a mechanic, also they look really cool and are lore cool too. I just don’t see them on the same level as those in the above tier.

Definitely have their place

Ho-Oh/Lugia: Ho Oh was my first legendary pokemon card, and it’s really cool. Never played the johto games, but Lugia drags it down to me. So much potential, but does not get there. Psychic Flying? Guardian of the seas? Interesting choice. Ho-Oh has a great theme but Lugia’s is kinda just okay to me

Forces of Nature: I actually think they’re quite cool. Even enamorus. The therian and incarnate thing is pretty cool, I also transform into something else in a mirror. Lando T is also funny and has a slot on my VGC team. Not because of intimidate, but it certainly helps and is my only counter to the bane of my existence (Urshifu)

Tao Trio: I never played BW. Or B2W2. I have no emotional connection to these guys, so they are just White Fire Dragon and Black Lightning Dragon to me, and I don’t really like their design. Kyurem holds them up a lot higher for me, as the fusion mechanic is really cool here. The music also kinda just feels like Legendary Pokemon music until the sound effects, and they never felt connected to the mons for me

Cresselia/Darkrai: I think they look cool, but that’s pretty much my only opinion on the matter. Design alone and dream theme gets them up this high, but honestly, seeing either of them in the daytime weirds me out

Koraidon/Miraidon. Really. Ko-Ride-On and Mi-Ride-On? For the pokemon you ride on? It’s fine though, their design is cool and even though they’re way overpowered they’re really nifty in the story. Sandwich smiley face

Great

Lake trio: only this high because of their music. One of my favorite themes in the series. Design wise, they needed to be similar, but they’re kinda just okay. Story and red chain gathering session from PLA make me like them enough

Paradox Swords of Justice: an improvement on the original designs, so I like them more. But a lack of paradox keldeo is truly unfortunate

Paradogs: also an improvement on the originals that make me like them more

Good

Kanto legendary birds: they’re. Kinda just fire ice and electric birds. Not much interesting about them for them to be higher, especially when you compare them to their Crown Tundra redesigns. Like the Spanish counting thing though.

Johto Dogs: much like the birds, they’re kinda just there. They get a little boost from the burning tower story, and their designs are a little better, but they aren’t as special to me as the other ones.

Swords of Justice: again, never played the unova games. They’re just like. Alongside the lake trio, they’re the first ones that usually appear on the mirage islands, and they’re kinda all just okay designs to me. Keldeo is cool though, so they don’t get their own meh tier.

Loyal Three: um. Of all the legendaries, this group is the one I’m most unsure of GF’s intentions. Did we need some poison type representation? Yes. Was this the move? I don’t think so.

[primamchorus]

skg.010 :: Promise

Tandem has always been aware that he is drastically different from his twin sister Primam. These differences that show up in his rebellious nature and lack of care for whether or not he gets punished unfortunately seem to backfire when it comes to his sister, who gets punished in turn for his own acts of rebellion and individuality. Even with as much as he cares about his sister, many of his impulsive decisions are just that: made on impulse. Does that mean the promise he makes is empty?

Word Count :: 2,106

The emotions and wants of those sworn in service to the Crown were often things that could simply be set aside for the greater task at hand: fulfilling one’s role to the Crown. Tandem recalled standing there, jaw set and hands clenched as his and his twin sister, Primam’s, parents forced them into the service as Kingsglaive. As their parents so put it, it was their place as the descendants of what were originally foreign tradesmen who were brought to status by a previous King of Lucis. What was salt in the wounds to both he and Primam was the fact that King Regis obliged this request.

Tandem and Primam were home now, and tension was thick in the air. Where Primam had stormed off to her room in silent fury, no doubt holding back her tears the entire time, Tandem was sitting at the dining room table, glaring daggers into his mother’s back. His fingers tapped on the table’s surface both irritable and impatient -- he was waiting for her to say anything. After all, it was her idea, it seemed.

“So you’re simply fine with just casting us into the same ranks as the Glaive?” Tandem finally spoke up, venom dripping from his words. He had several grievances, but he figured he would start at the tip of the iceberg. “Our family has been in service to the Crown for over twenty generations -- twenty-seven, if yours and father’s damn boasting is anything to go off of. Yet you would cast us -- your own children, and the future King’s Arms to-to…”

Tandem clenched his hand into a fist, hitting it against the table in his frustration that gave a stutter to his words. Though he wanted to start from the top, emotions finally got the better of him.

“You would make us Glaives and remove our role from the Prince!? Worst yet, you gave Primam the false hope that she had some future with that university she got accepted into!? For what, some kind of messed up sense of honour or pride!? Is that it!?” Tandem spat, his royal accent coming into full force. “If it was just me, I wouldn’t be as pissed, but the fact that Primam has done everything -- everything -- you have ever asked of her--! Are we never good enough to at least have something for what we’ve done in accordance to yours and father’s demands!?”

“King Regis has given his approval to Atticus’ and my request, not that you nor Primam need to be reminded of this fact, Tandem,” came the calm and rather stern tone from the current Arm of the King: Gratia Chorus. Her snow white hair had been a constant in the family since several generations ago. Isolated leucism that showed up in their hair had been passed down to all Arms of the King, separating them easily from the other nobles and common folk.

“Oh sure, because father was certainly a part of the decision making. We all know that as current Arm, you’re the one pulling the strings here,” Tandem snapped back. “I can get you punishing me -- hell, we all know I wasn’t on my best behaviour when you made Prim and I attend the Royal City Academy. But Prim? Really? All she’s ever done is work herself and push herself to meet your -- your -- approval. Not father’s. So don’t try deluding us into thinking he had anything to do with it.”

All that Tandem saw was his mother’s shoulders rise and fall before an afterimage of her was left behind. The next thing he knew, Gratia had appeared before him, her hand striking him fast and hard across the cheek. It was enough to knock him from the chair he was sitting in and disrupt the overall placement of the dining table and other unoccupied seats. He lifted a hand to his reddening cheek, his gaze hardening even further as he glowered up at his mum.

“You speak as if you have earned the right to be an Arm of the King. No, don’t get up--” Gratia scowled down at Tandem as he worked on getting himself picked up, her arms going behind her back as she assumed a more attentive posture. “That either of you chose to rebel…. We did everything in our power to make sure that you were acting as Arms-in-training for years, and the two of you squandered it. You especially. You may still be Arms of the King by birth, but you will be as Glaives as the two of you deserve.”

“‘Deserve’...” Tandem scoffed, dropping his hand from his face as he pushed himself back up into a standing position. He held a defiant look on his face as he now gazed down upon his mother. She was shorter than him and Primam, if only by a few inches. “Prim doesn’t deserve your scorn nor your absurd punishments, and you damn well know it. I’m at least aware enough to know that I’m far worse than she’ll ever be.”

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

A chauffeur had been assigned to see both Tandem and his sister to the citadel in which the Kingsglaive were trained under the watchful eye of Titus Drautos. However, the car ride had been silent -- both Arms having been weighed down with a form of disappointment. Tandem’s was simply more palpable as he kept his arms folded over his chest, and his knee bounced in agitation -- sometimes even shaking the vehicle when it was not in motion. Meanwhile, Primam had kept quiet, her form was kept small and hunched to the side of the back of the car as she gazed out the window with a distant expression.

When the car had finally lurched to a stop, Tandem was the first one out. He popped the trunk of the car. He pulled out his and his sister’s belongings, slinging his backpack over his shoulder while carrying Prim’s with a sense of reined in frustration so that he did not accidentally damage it -- or rather what could have potentially been within. Walking over to Primam’s side of the car, he started to reach for the handle before the door swung open and his sister finally removed herself from the vehicle.

“Thank you, Leander…” Primam said meekly. It had been the only thing Tandem heard her say that day, and it was thanking the chauffeur that was assigned to bring them to this damned citadel. The younger twin could only silently scoff to himself before he turned his attention toward the double doors that indicated the entrance.

Both Tandem and Primam fell back to silence after the car had left. No words were spoken -- only silent agreements were made as the two of them walked toward the doors and entered into the citadel. Not that either of them were expecting it, though there was certainly no fanfare. There was not even someone there to really greet them, either. Not so much as someone sitting at a reception desk or anything like that. As if anyone who entered was simply expected to know where to go.

Idling at the entrance for a while, Tandem scanned the area before he approached a map that was on one side of the wall. Tracing his free hand’s finger across the map, he pursed his lips and whistled briefly to catch his sister’s attention. Once she had come over, he tapped on the map and traced a trail from where they were to where the citadel’s barracks were.

“Not sure if we should wait around for someone, look for someone… but it might be a good idea to make our way toward the barracks where someone who can tell us anything might be…” Tandem mentioned. He only caught Primam offering a shallow nod in response from his peripheral vision. Frowning to himself, he started to lead the way, the only indication of his sister following him being her footsteps behind him.

Of course, the silence agitated Tandem further, but he bit his tongue. After all, his sister was not to blame. Speaking up on it with his frustrations being ever apparent was probably going to make things worse. He could already imagine what Primam would have said, and her submissive nature to what their mother demanded of them would probably only piss him off further.

“Chorus…es…!” came a voice that was somewhat familiar to the twins. They stopped in their tracks and looked toward one of the halls they were passing where the voice came from. They saw a woman around their age donning a sleek black uniform, a myriad of buttons lining the front and the Kingsglaive insignia emblazoned on steel on either shoulder. The woman herself was someone also of status, and was more or less a childhood friend: Mollis Somnium.

“Mollie…” Tandem was surprised to see her, as was Prim, it seemed. “You’ve been made a Glaive?”

“That’d be a negative,” Mollis replied, giving the two a look of bemusement.

Giving her another cursory look, Tandem noticed the gun at her thigh. However, she held herself with an air of purpose as she went on to say, “I was ordered by Clarus Amicitia to show you around the citadel and get you two acquainted with the layout.”

“... You’ve been here often, then?” Primam softly spoke up.

“Eh?” Mollis looked and sounded taken aback by the question. “Hm… I guess since your time at the Royal City Academy, you wouldn’t have been told much about the happenings of the other Crownsguard and noble families.”

“Royal City Academy doesn’t have anything to do with that. Our parents are just terrible at telling us anything until the last minute,” Tandem replied, his brow furrowing as his frustration was ever evident in his tone.

“Regardless…” Mollis slowly continued, not intending to sound dismissive. “I, as House Somnium, future Eyes of the King, have been assigned as a marksmanship trainer to the younger Glaive and Crownsguard that are here. I work under Clarus’ orders. I assume that the two of you are assigned in a likewise fashion as future Arms?”

As Mollis looked between the two, expecting an affirmative response, both Tandem and Primam’s expressions told her that her assumption was wrong. She was about to press further before she was silenced by one of the twins speaking up.

“Our parents��have requested the King make us Glaives in service to the city and its people…” Primam finally said, her voice a little more steeled, though still shaky given all that she had to sacrifice not of her own free will.

“... Wh-what?” Mollis seemed shocked by this piece of news as well. “How…are you supposed to act as Arms of the King -- the Crown needs everything they have, especially with Niflheim and not knowing what’s going to happen next…!”

“We know,” Tandem curtly said. He sighed long and hard through his nostrils. “But this is where we’re at. Unless we plan on running away, this is what we have to do. The Prince be damned, I suppose.”

Silence fell over the three of them after Tandem spoke. Tapping his foot with further agitation, he shook his head and let out a noisy, disgruntled sigh. Reeling back in his emotions, Tandem motioned outward toward more of the citadel. Doing his best not to speak snappishly, he said, “well, you’re assigned to us to show us around, right? Might be best to get everything going so we don’t make anyone mad at our tardiness.”

“Right…right!” Mollis replied, consideration evident on her face. She spoke nothing more on the twins’ situation, instead leading them forward and through the building.

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

At the end of the day, the barracks had been separated, making Tandem and Primam go their separate ways after establishing themselves and making sure they went over everything with Mollis. Before they had gone to their respective dorms, Tandem had stopped and called out to Primam.

“Hey, Macaroon,” Tandem started, going to call Primam by one of many different nicknames he had for her that followed a sweets-formula. It was more to ease the tension and maybe even fool himself into thinking there could be a sense of normalcy in the situation they were placed in. Once she looked at him, he forced himself to attempt a reassuring smile.

“We got this, you know…” Tandem went on to say. “We will not be condemned to die protecting the Wall. We’ll protect it, and we’ll make sure everyone stays safe…and if we can’t protect it, I promise we’ll stay alive long so I can make up for all the shit you had to deal with because of me and my shitty decisions.”

[corcnaiism]

knowing  his  dad,  noctis  was  aware  they  could  be  there  for  a  long  time  until  possibly  the  show  is   officially   over,   which   sucked.   it   wasn’t   as   though   he   didn’t   like   spending   time   with   his   old   man   or   liked   looking   at   art   in   general,   but   these   snobby   art   shows   pissed   him off   —   just   a   bunch   of   rich   folk   talking   nonsense   &   trying   to   make   it   sound   all   philosophical   &   shit.   he   can   appreciate   art   just   as   much   as   the   next   guy & compliment  to  his  heart’s  desire,  but  some  of  the  stuff  he’d  hear   coming   from   between   those   “rich   people   laughs”   was   unbearable   　　(   “this   reminds   me   of   the   struggle   of   the   everyday,   the   way   the   strokes   represent   hardships   &   triumphs,”   &   it   would   be   towards   a   fucking   stick   figure   on   a   blank   canvas   ).   　　sure,   everyone   had   their   own   interpretations,   but   he   could   tell   the   majority   of   them   coming   out   of   people’s   mouths   were   just   to   sound   smart.   

he   was   glad   his   dad   was   as   much   of   a   social   recluse   as   him   or   otherwise   this   trip   would’ve   gone   way   worse.

scrolling   through   social   media,   he   would   come   across   art   that   he   liked   &   reposted   them   to   his   account.   however,   in   the   midst   of   it   all,   a   collision   happened   which   stirred   up   his   already   bothered   attitude,   snarling   lightly   towards   the   individual   that   had   bumped   into   him.   he   reminded   himself   not   to   lash   out   as   he   was   in   a   professional   environment   &   wouldn’t   want   to   embarrass   his   dad   in   front   of   everyone,   so   noctis   held   his   tongue   but   not   the   glare   he   shot   towards   the   other.

　　❛   sure.   ❜

he   inched   closer   to   his   dad   who   hadn’t   noticed   the   interaction   &   went   back   to   his   phone,   back   fully   towards   the   person   who   had   bumped   into   him.   he   regained   his   cool   just   as   quickly   as   it   came   &   brushed   the   small   incident   to   the   back   of   his   head.   &   luckily   for   him,   regis   decided   it   was   time   to   move   onto   another   piece   of   art,   assisting   with   putting   more   distance   between   them   &   the   guy.

problem   solved.

the art show, so far, has been incredibly boring. the other artists are at least passionate about what they do and don't just seem to be in it for the money (like some annoying bastards are) and the venue does have free drinks--sako's snagged some lemon-lime soda for the time being, as okubo would give him that disappointed look he always does when sako starts up again.

there's a nice variety at the show, from sculptures to installations (the neon light ones being one of his favorite) to paintings in all sorts of different styles. most are acrylic, but all of sako's are done in watercolor, and take up a decent amount of space up on the wall. working with smaller canvases isn't really his style. art, for him, is a safe way to get one's emotions out, and it's harder for him to do on a canvas he can't swing a brush like a sword at. most of his paintings mix surrealism with almost mundane scenes, such as one of the ones at the ones at the show highlighting a parent and a child playing together--but, the parent's head appears to be made of charred paper and wood, and the child is made up of butterflies of different colors.

he paints a lot of butterflies. they're in every single one of his paintings, after all.

sako leans against a wall near one of his pieces (which contains some...grotesque imagery, let's leave it at that), taking a sip of his soda and pulling out his phone to check it. the show's about halfway through, and now would be a good point to slip off for a bit, but if he does it'll look bad and what if someone did want to buy one of his paintings? so, for now, he'll stay here beside the painting depicting more blood and guts that a mundane scene should, and wait to see if anyone wanted to talk to him.

on a good show, he'll end up selling about half the paintings. on a bad one, just one or two. this show is shaping up to be an average one, as he's sold three of his smaller paintings so far and there seems to be an older gentleman admiring one of his that's mainly just butterflies. it's a nice piece, but not wholly fitting into sako's surrealist style.

meanwhile, okubo's flitting around the show like a curious butterfly (the metaphor made even more so by his flowing clothing), admiring the various pieces. it's common that people mix okubo and sako up, as they look almost the same save for the fact okubo has bangs straight across his forehead and doesn't smell like a brewery half the time.

as okubo takes a step back from a sculpture, he just so happens to accidentally bump into someone looking at their phone. he quickly turns, pale lavender eyes wide in surprise, before he tucks his arms against his sides and gives the other a little nod of apology.

"i apologize, i wasn't looking where i was going." compared to sako's, okubo's voice takes on a softer lilt, but if he harshened his voice the two would be nearly uncanny. "are you alright?"

[sparklecryptid]

All the Bastards verse where Bahamut specifies to Regis that it's his youngest child who is the Chosen King.

Regis did not know he had any other children. He does not like that Bahamut just up and left without answering any of his questions. What the hell, Bahamut.

Now he's trying to remember the names of all his exes, while Cor runs background checks and Clarus is gearing up for a Lecture of a lifetime. (It's, a very long, non-exhaustive list. He's not sure he remembers them all.)(He doesn't)

Alternatively, Bahamut goes with his canonical "the Chosen King is already born" and Regis assumes it's Noctis, because it's not like he has any other children. (Hahahaha)

Fast forward about 10 years, one of the Bastards gets a visit from a Messenger, who drops the Prophecy on their head.

Whoever the unlucky bastard (pun!) is, they are Not Happy. After all, this farce requires the death of all their siblings - the Chosen King is the Last of their Line; can't be one if there is kin running around - and the death of the primary paternal figure in their lives. Maybe even the only one. And sure, Uncle Ardyn is crazier than sack of rabid cats but he's Family.

Meaning, Bahamut is about to have A Very Bad Day.

“Hm,” Ardor says and wonders if it’ll be hard to get Messenger blood off of his front porch.

“Hm,” Ardor says again and decides that he doesn’t really care either way. Before the Messenger has a chance to blink there are six swords sticking out of it’s back.

One of Ardor’s neighbours scream. He ignores it.

The Messenger explodes into a shower of light and Ardor frowns at the lack of a bloodstain on his porch. He was hoping they’d bled a little bit.

His neighbour screams again.

Ardor yanks his cellphone out of his Armiger and does the only rational thing.

He calls Ace. Ace will call Ardyn while Ardor calls Thanatos and Jules and the rest of them to inform them of what is going on.

Ardor entertains the possibility of fighting Bahamut himself and almost discards the idea. He needs at least some tricks from Ace and Thanatos if he’s going to go and smack an Astral around.

Ardor finishes his phone calls just as the Crownsguard show up.

Cor steps out of the black car that just pulled into Ardor’s driveway. He looks pissed.

Ardor wonders when Ace or Persephone will get here.

“You’re the one who stabbed a Messenger six times I take it.” Cor’s voice is dry as he takes in Ardor who looks like he’s just dragged himself out of bed with his messy brown hair and rumpled clothes.

“I didn’t,” Ardor says.

“We have a witness. We have several witnesses that report you using magic.”

“I didn’t stab a Messenger six times,” Ardor clarifies, “I stabbed them once with six different blades.”

Cor looks like he wants Ardor to shut up.

Ardor does not shut up.

“If you want to know if I’m related to your king, the answer is yes,” Ardor says, “I’m busy, so if he wants to meet it will have to be later with the rest of my siblings.”

Cor’s eyebrows raise.

“You have siblings?”

“Yes,” Ardor says and Ace and Persephone appear out of a warp with legal documents and precious magical artifacts piled high in their hands.

Ace takes a look at Cor and Ardor knows he’s considering if murder would make this entire thing easier. Ardor is wondering the same thing.

Persephone coughs lightly and diverts attention to herself.

She smiles.

“I believe,” she says, “That my brothers and I have much to discuss, if you need us we’ll be inside.”

Persephone speaks like she doesn’t have magical contraband in her hands and Ardor loves that about her.

“You all need to come with us,” Cor says and Ardor gets the pleasure of watching Ace’s eyes flash dangerously. Ardor feels the same way, feral and caged and like he doesn’t have enough time to plan what he’s going to do about this.

(He knows that Ace expects to die. He knows this. He knows that Ace has given up any hope of his own survival. As long as his revenge is had and the prophecy broken Ace doesn’t care if he lives.

Tough shit for him, Ardor plans on dragging Ace out of the afterlife kicking and screaming if his asshole brother dies.)

“You can come back later,” Ardor says, “My siblings and I have a prophecy to break and I’m probably going to have kick the shit out of a god.”

“What?” Cor says.

Ace and Persephone give Ardor a disapproving look.

“Like we’d let you go alone,” Ace says.

“Someone has to keep you intact,” Persephone adds, “Ramuh knows you lot are reckless enough.”

[savage-rhi]

Ignis/gladio with “Did something happen to you that I don’t know about?”

Coming right up!

Ignis made a face while adjusting his glasses. He tried to avert his gaze from Gladio, but couldn't help but steal a glance. Bruises littered Gladio's face like pieces of an intricate puzzle, and Ignis could feel his mind combing over the possible "what if's" that contributed to such a sorry state. He wanted to ask what happened, but of course, Ignis reminded himself that Gladio and he were still very much in an altercation. Though, he felt tempted to quell his own stubbornness for the sake of his compassionate principals.

After the meeting between the guard and glaive was finished, Ignis approached Gladio. The two walked in silence, until Ignis cleared his throat. Gladio raised a brow, giving Ignis a look before the latter decided to make an inquiry.

"Did something happen to you that I don't know about?"

"Well aren't you nosy," Gladio quipped with a huff. "And last I checked, I was still getting the silent treatment."

"I'm being sincere!" Ignis sighed. "I'd like to put our spat behind us if only for a time."

"Well, you can piss right off." Gladio said as a matter of fact. "It's nothing to concern yourself with."

"Well," Ignis mocked. "It certainly will concern the prince, that his future shield has been compromised due to some external circumstance. I'm sure Noct and the king himself would like to know what went down."

"Why you--" Gladio made a fist and glared at Ignis. He knew he couldn't keep quiet forever about what happened, but he didn't think Ignis would stoop so low as to blackmail. Then again, Gladio knew he shouldn't have thought any less. When Ignis was mad, he didn't yell, scream, or physically attack. No, the man used his brains to get back at his opponent and Gladio knew he was no match in this regard.

"Geez," Gladio rubbed the back of his head, fiddling with his locks before he sighed in defeat. He stopped Ignis from continuing further down the hall, and gestured with his head for them to step to the side.

"This stays between us," Gladio gestured between himself and Ignis. He watched Ignis give an affirmative nod, then gathered his thoughts before speaking up.

"There's this other guy on the guard, Suthers---he's trying to take my place as Noct's shield," Gladio glared thinking about the man. "We got into a spat, some words were spoken, and we fought. It's been going on for weeks now."

Ignis's brows raised. His mouth parted while he remained quiet for a time before he had an epiphany. "That certainly explains his absences of late."

"Yeah, I knocked his ass good." Gladio murmured, mostly to himself. He looked away, seeing the disappointed look Ignis had. "I don't need your pity nor do I need you to judge me for beating him down."

"I'm doing no such thing," Ignis protested. "This does have me worried though, for you. No one can take your place as shield. The king made it clear you were to succeed."

"I know," Gladio furrowed his brows. "But Iggy, the politics of the king and the guard are two separate animals. Regis may have given me his blessing, but I gotta prove I earned it to my comrades."

"This isn't healthy, for either you or Suthers." Ignis remarked sadly. "Surely there's a way we can broach this to the higher powers? I know some folk on the council, should you not wish to approach Noct or the king on this to preserve your dignity."

"You offering to help me out?" Gladio quirked a brow and smirked.

"I could be," Ignis shrugged. "That is, if you're willing to let go of our unfortunate transgressions."

Gladio growled and gave it some thought. Nonetheless, he knew Ignis's heart was in the right place. Always was. The man was as selfless as they'd come in this world. He'd be an idiot not to take the offer, much less forgive his friend.

"Right, I can do that." Gladio nodded. He raised a hand before Ignis could speak. "Let's both promise to never let some chick at court come between us again though, deal?"

Ignis looked at Gladio's outstretched hand and smiled big. He took it into his own and gave a strong shake. Relief washed over Ignis while bitterness left. From this point forward, Ignis promised himself he wouldn't let something so trivial cause a rift between himself and Gladio.

"Deal."

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[glaivenoct]

would dragon au be nyxnoct?

if so how do you think introducing nyx to nocts dragon would go? or would noct help the kingsglaive as a dragon rider?

[Previous Dragon AU ask]

ngl any AU I ever indulge in Ever is automatically destined to be NyxNoct lmao. My NyxNoct goggles have been on since 2017 and they're defos not coming off now.

Hmm honestly the thought of Noct helping as a dragon rider is so fun and epic to think about. I think it'd be super helpful in those instances where the glaives get overwhelmed by some sort of wild Nif weapon - like Diamond Weapon. Where the glaives had to retreat in that instance, having Noct's dragon to counter it would be such an advantage for them.

I think that would also bring up some decent conflict between Noct and Regis, because say it's something that's brought up by Drautos and Noct wants to do it. Regis would be against it. It's too dangerous. It doesn't matter how much they've trained or how familiar Noct's become with some of the glaives and their tactics as a result. Regis won't allow it, and Noct's pissed about it. But maybe there's an instance where Noct doesn't listen anyway, ends up diving into the heat of a battle with his dragon and ends up saving a lot of lives. Nyx being one of them.

Ok ok I'm kinda getting ahead of myself on this, I nearly skipped the whole introduction part there lmao. But I mean... I feel like this lame? But I want it to be through training, because I've always held on to the idea that glaives helped a lot with Noct's magic training. And I kinda want Noct's dragon to pick up on Nyx's flirting. And the glances/shared looks between them. And, tbh, I want Noct's dragon and Nyx to kinda have this funny love-hate relationship. If that means sometimes Nyx gets thwacked on the back of the head or tripped by a tail so he looks A Little Less Cool in front of Noct, so be it.

Dragon is v protective of his Prince ok? What did you expect? Jk jk sorta, it's not really That Deep. I do like to think once the dragon pal gets the idea that Noct likes Nyx back, it'll ease up. But for now it's funny to think about the dragon messing with Nyx. Crowe thinks it's hilarious, and FYI Noct's dragon adores Crowe. Crowe is the dragon's Fire Pal In Crime.

((Another cute little thing to imagine: say Noct wants to admit to Nyx that he likes him and wants to grab dinner or something. He's ranting to his dragon about the whole dilemma/crisis. Now he's the one that's getting thwacked on the back of the head with a tail because Get It Together Kid. Noct's also gonna get pushed forward into Nyx by his dragon's tail and he's Not gonna appreciate it. Meanwhile the dragon will think it's amusing.))

Sigh. It feels like I'm going off on tangents here, but Hear Me Out - I know it's kinda been established having dragons is this Caelum Thing. But there's part of me that wants to mix Galahd into that. Somewhere way in the past history of dragons there's a connection with dragons and Galahd. Maybe back then, when dragons were an abundant thing, they originally came from Galahd. I don't know, my brain isn't quite clear enough to come up with something more coherent or concise. But I like the idea of there being some sort of Galahd connection with Dragons in general.

Gosshh this got so rambly and long, I'm sorry lol. BUT circling back to the dragonrider thing. That would so be what they call Noct, too. The Dragon Rider. That's so cool to me. And I really, really love the thought of the glaives being forced into retreat out in the field. Nyx, being the big dumb Hero that he is, puts himself in a position where he saves someone but Will Not Make It himself. I want there to be that moment where there's some big, humongous mechanical daemon coming straight for him; He closes his eyes and just waits for it because he knows This Is It, This is How He Dies. Just make it quick. And then right at the last second, in the nick of time, there's that fierce and mighty dragon ROAR. There's the wave of FIRE barreling right into the mechanical daemon and throwing it off course.

Granted, Nyx is so damn flabbergasted and just "What the hell do you think you're doing!" Noct's not supposed to be here and if the King finds out it's going to be someone's head.

But Noct doesn't have time for that because "Get the others and get out of here, we've got you covered!"

"Noct -"

"Just TRUST ME! Get out of here!"

And then Noct and his dragon kick ass. The End.

Jk not the end, there would be so much fallout from that stunt probably, but I think I've over rambled on this one ^^; TLDR: Mix NyxNoct into the dragon AU? IT'S A BIG FAT YES FOR ME. If you've made it to the end here I thank you for your time and attention <3

[anonymousblueberry]

Hoooooo boy.

Right...

5 fandoms, 5 ships, in no order!

Star Wars - Luke/Wedge

The Witcher - Geralt/Regis (honourable mentions for any combo of Geralt/Eskel/Lambert and Ciri/Cerys)

Hornblower - Hornblower/Bush

MCU - Steve/Tony/Bucky (but honestly I have so many ships from when I was in this fandom, it's just kind of a smoosh) (and yeah, I'm using that gif... gimme the pain)

Supernatural - Dean/Castiel

Honourable mentions to Gale/Halsin/Astarion and Shadowheart/Karlach who haven't yet eaten quite as much of my life as the rest of these, Essek/Caleb who I couldn't find any GIFs for, and Kylux, whose fandom pissed me off that badly.

I'm not going to tag, because @trickythedino and @lohrendrell have tagged the people I would have done, but if you want to do this, feel free!

Five Fandoms, Five Ships

Tagged by @asexual-fandom-queen <333333

Get to know the blogger, via five different ships from five different fandoms!

1, Sterek - Stiles Stilinski x Derek Hale, Teen Wolf.

2, Obikin - Obi-Wan Kenobi x Anakin Skywalker, Star Wars.

3, Hangster - Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x Jake "Hangman" Seresin, Top gun: Maverick.

4, SethKate - Seth Gecko x Kate Fuller, From Dusk till Dawn: The Series.

5, Stevetony, Steve Rogers x Tony Stark, Marvel.

Tagging (for those who wish to do this!): @cowboysandpilots @violetfairydust @crownofstardustandbone @omg-just-peachy @partialtotheperiwinkleblue @holycafe @bluewonderer @trickythedino @ofstarlightandbows @endwersed and whoever else would like to do this!