#it's not ridiculous it doesn't mean she doesn't have principles or a lot to her

[onsomeplanet]

another thing about taylor swift is she is absolutely terrified of the things she says and does being misconstrued and used as weapons. which has been done to her and using her voice so so many times. like all around. this is not a ridiculous fear for her to have. no matter how articulate she is that will happen. however, she has a massive platform unlike nearly anyone on the planet which is why that potential harm exists, and she needs to not be paralysed with fear of being capable of standing up for what she believes when the stakes are high. like being against trump was terrifying to her and did in fact cost her a lot but that's. one of the most mainstream things she could have done. she needs to not be so scared of what happens when she speaks up that she just. doesn't.

[saintsenara]

Not disputing you ofc but do you remember the exact line about ron looking like bill perchance? I would love it for referencing purposes

thank you very much for the ask, anon!

and i am afraid that you're getting a more long-winded answer than you may have been hoping for...

male weasleys are split down the middle into two camps, physically:

charlie, fred, and george are described as being short and stocky [although "short" is doing a lot of heavy lifting here, since they're all taller than harry: fred and george shrink when they take polyjuice potion to transform into him in deathly hallows].

the implication - i think - is that charlie and the twins look like molly, who is described several times as short and plump in build. ginny is also described numerous times in the books as short and is said in chapter thirty-three of order of the phoenix to resemble fred and george facially, which, since's she's described in deathly hallows as having her mother's brown eyes - which probably triggered some sort of freudian shudder in harry - means i think we can conclude that this half of the family all look their mam.

[and also that molly is a hottie herself. she often gets turned by the fandom into a fairly sexless being - even though she didn't have those seven children immaculately, did she? - with a strict, prudish vibe. and - to do some discourse for a moment - we all know that the fact that she's described as fat is the direct cause of this. but several men are canonically ready to risk it all for ginny - and it's time we all acknowledged this is because she inherited her bonafide baddie powers straight from molly.]

percy and ron - on the other hand - are, like arthur, described as being tall, thin, and gangly. bill is never explicitly said to be slender, but he is described in the fifth chapter of goblet of fire as "tall" immediately after harry has stated that charlie is short[ish] and broad - which allows us to reasonably infer that he's on the arthur-weasley-skinny-legend side of the family.

and we can also assume - since ron is never said to resemble molly, nor [to harry's great relief] ginny, facially - that his features - his long nose and blue eyes - come from his father, who is also the source of percy's short-sightedness.

and, while harry [the narrative perspective] never says that he thinks arthur is hot - because why would he? - nor percy and ron [although i think it's worth noting that he doesn't consider it ridiculous that both of them manage to pull - and it's never suggested that penelope clearwater and lavender brown aren't cuties] it's actually possible to justify the idea that they are canonically fit using more than pure hot air...

[harry does - obviously - think bill's a babe. he sees fleur checking him out and immediately thinks... same.]

because a very striking narrative choice that the series makes is the idea that all pureblood nuclear family units look identical to each other - which serves as a visual metaphor for the importance of blood-status and lineage within the wizarding world. this is why narcissa malfoy is as pale and blonde as lucius and draco [even though bellatrix and andromeda are dark haired] and why molly is a redhead even though red hair and freckles are stated in the text to be weasley - rather than prewett - traits. harry's resemblance to his pureblood father eases his passage through wizarding society. voldemort's lack of resemblance to his pureblood mother does the opposite.

the weasleys and the malfoys are narrative mirrors within the series - with the fact that ron and draco are both so near-identical to arthur and lucius as to be immediately identifiable as each man's son by anyone who meets them part of this mirroring. it makes sense, then, that since the non-ron weasley children don't have a specific malfoy mirror, the same general principle applies, and the three weasley brothers who are built like arthur also strongly resemble him facially - and that bill also has a long nose [and a long something else, i'll wager!] and a cracking pair of baby blues.

or that if bill is hot, arthur is hot - and therefore if arthur is hot, ron is hot.

[where bill outpaces his brothers, i fear, is that he clearly has rizz - whereas ron's seduction skills are famously weak before he gets his hands on a copy of twelve fail-safe ways to charm witches - i.e. when he cockblocks harry spectacularly by beefing with cho unprovoked about the quidditch team she supports, which always sends me - and percy is... percy.]

[if ron had simply played it cool he could have finessed going to the ball with fleur, and i'll die on that hill...]

[elasticitymudflap]

Te: PetriGrof, it seems to me that Betty by virtue of her passion and dedication to magic, she would absolutely be okay with the status quo PRIOR to finding the Crown. And if Simon was never cursed (ignoring the War for a tic), then Simon and Betty could have stayed forever more as, like a thing in motion that stays in motion. So I wanted to ask you, the Betty expert, do you think that Betty would have ever become unhappy in her life with Simon? Prior to the Crown?

*rubs my audhd little hands together evilly*

I think there would be a lot of instances where she would be frustrated and maybe clash with Simon over their very different approaches to work and life (Betty's impulsiveness vs Simon's caution), but ultimately I think the sum of things that bond them and compliment each other outweigh the issues that would come up. Obviously, I still maintain that therapy - both couples AND personal - would be a must for them. They both scream complicated upbringings and lasting personal/family trauma to me.

In a universe where the mushroom war never happened and the world progressed sort of Earth-like but with no crown interference, I could easily see Betty becoming increasingly stressed out and frustrated about their work not being taken seriously. Simon seems to take his work being ridiculed in stride, but I don't think Betty would be so forgiving. I think if someone threw a book at Simon's head, now that the two of them are together, he'd probably have to restrain her from hopping off the podium and bare-knuckle boxing with the audience.

I think she'd also be confused and frustrated even further that he doesn't get more angry about it. Simon's work fascinates and inspires her because of how radical and "out there" it is, she cited it often before she actually met him (as per the 'Jerry' storyboards), so why doesn't he feel compelled to defend his work as fiercely as she does? Why is he content to let people disrespect him, and by extension their shared beliefs?

And therein lies one of the problems: Simon is used to going at it solo, having his own work and beliefs ridiculed was the norm, it probably never even occurred to him that Betty would feel disrespected by extension. In fact, he would likely be so fixated on the angle of Betty being embarrassed to be with such a pariah in the academic community that he doesn't see what about the situation is actually bothering her. Simon's generally nonconfrontational nature in defending himself and his work would probably be a running argument with Betty (in an "I love and respect you so much, so why are you not loving and respecting yourself?" way).

Don't get me wrong though, he may not be a fighter when it comes to self defense, but I think people who would dare disparage Betty and her work in front of Simon would do so entirely at their peril.

But I digress, I think it's worth looking at that they both seem to have the same kind of self worth issues and self-sacrificing tendencies, although they're articulated differently. Simon is more 'resign yourself to fate and accept the horrors if it means you can help someone' while Betty is more 'throw yourself into danger to actively help someone while denying the personal consequences'.

I bring this up because, on the other side of things, I could see Betty's impulsiveness and recklessness on their expeditions coming to a boiling point. We see this hinted at in 'Jerry' quite a bit, but I think there would be situations where Betty literally puts herself in mortal danger (ala Casper and Nova) in order to recover an artifact against Simon's wishes.

I think back again to the Casper and Nova book, how Nova ran headfirst into danger and Casper as a character had no choice but to progress. To me, at least, the implication became that the only way to stop "the story" (or tragedy) from progressing any further would be to literally abandon the 'adventure' by physically refusing to go forward and putting down the book. I'd say the same principle applies here, to a certain degree: let's say that they ended up in a parallel situation (not crown related obviously), and Simon chose to abandon the expedition they were on by immediately saving Betty instead of going for the artifact they were searching for.

As with the parallels Betty had to Fionna and Cake that Simon saw, I could see Betty getting furious at Simon for stopping her, and by extension letting the entire expedition go to waste in the process. I think that this would be the one and only time Simon would ever find it in himself to blow up at her, worse than the way he did in 'Cheers'.

I think the confrontation would see Betty having to reckon with her inability to accept that she is something worth fighting for, and that she is loved, and wanted, and more important to Simon than literally anything else, let alone their work; and Simon having to confront just how much Betty sacrifices to help him, how damaging it is even though it's shrouded in her perky quirks and smiling insistence, and how he's been unknowingly encouraging her to do so by not being cognizant of this pattern and making moves to stop it.

Or not. Point is, I think something would really have to blow up before they're both able to recognize they have some pretty serious problems and agree to explore some kind of help.

All this being said, the thing that 'Cheers' really demonstrated for me was that, although they may have been unaware of these unhealthy behaviours and the patterns they were making in their relationship, they were completely capable and willing to change. And that really is what I think is the most important, albeit tragic aspect of these two.

[chameleonspell]

HTDC commentary - 1: numb

[Looking back at HTDC after nearly ten years: comments on lore, character notes, influences, art, whatever. May contain spoilers for later chapters.]

chapter text: 1: numb

This chapter has had the most edits over time, as my writing skills increased, and I got ever more annoyed at the state of the opening, which ought not to be the worst writing in the fic, if I wanted anyone to stick around. It still needs work, but I was not made of infinite energy. I largely just tried to improve what was already there, rather than do what I really ought to have done, which is do some proper scene-setting. None of the early chapters have much in the way of description, especially of places. I was very much working on the principle that it was fanfic, and the whole point of fanfic was that I didn't need to do that. My assumed reader was intimately familiar with Seyda Neen, because my assumed reader was myself. I was absolutely writing only the bits I enjoyed writing, which was dialogue.

I'm still torn on the first paragraph, because in trying to make it more interesting, I mostly only succeeded in making it florid and purple. The reason I let it stand is because of a favourite excuse of mine for slightly ridiculous writing - it accurately reflects the mental state of the protagonist, i.e. tangled and confused. I will use this excuse again.

(See, maybe there's no description because Iriel's really out of it, and can't register anything! Bad writing is diegetic if the characters are having a bad time!)

Iriel was dragged

Not the exact wording of the original first-draft opening line, but I edited it in for symmetry, after I wrote the last words of the last chapter ("Iriel moved forwards").  Which was, according to an email I sent at the time, in June 2015, so less than three months after I wrote the first words? That seems crazy. I do remember writing a first draft of the ending chapter quite early on, but... that early? Gosh.

When I say I wrote the ending three months after the beginning, I mean that I ONLY wrote the ending. I then spent two more years, filling in the 198 chapters in between.

The contrasting significance of the beginning and ending lines was expanded from something Philip Pullman said about making sure the first and last words of His Dark Materials were both "Lyra", because it's her story, and she encompasses it.

the guard had seized the elf by his bony wrist

A running theme of Iriel's physical trauma triggers: grab him by the wrist and he's liable to shut down completely. A jail thing, of course - make sure the magic user can't cast spells.

His bare toes snagged between the planks of the jetty

Every time I read this, I flinch, and feel the exact sensation, because it is such a terrible, terrible sensation. I know I do worse things to Iriel later, but I might hate this one the most.

Oh gods. Come on, Ire.

Many people have told me they found they were pronouncing Iriel wrong, when they read him sound it phonetically in chapter 90: "Iriel. Eye-ree-el." I can see their point, but in that case, I want to know how they were pronouncing "Ire", the shortening he gives, right at the start! Which is an English word, pronounced like the Ire in Ireland, so I hoped that implied the pronunciation of Iriel

Regarding Iriel's name: I chose it because it was visually short, having a lot of long, thin letters in it, and I liked the symmetry of the capital I and the lower-case L at the end. The shortened version, Ire, is even more featherweight, barely more than a pronoun. This is a real boon for a protagonist name that's gonna turn up in almost every sentence - you can throw it in a lot, for clarity, and it doesn't look awkward. 

I think I found it in a name list on uesp.net, and I don't think it was specifically feminine-coded at the time? ESO was only just out, so I refuse to be blamed for things it added to canon, such as two female NPCs called Iriel. My personal headcanon is that it's a unisex Altmeri name and the first i is pronounced short when it's feminine, and long when it's masculine. In his not-strictly-canon tumblr bookclub with @quickchangeartist's OC Moraelyn, Iriel says of his name:

P.S. i rolled my eyes gently at your “dear little bird” bit, but did you actually know my name is avian-derived, or was that an adorable accident? an iriel is a very pretty but sadly extinct type of finch (I am less pretty, but also less dead, a condition with which i am (on good days) content.) My mother selected the name in order to make me more matrimoniably palatable to her bird-mad noble friend. So mercenary

Iriel’s eyes jittered from surface to surface. “I was in the hold! I didn’t see anything! I don’t know anything about boats! I mean, the sail’s clearly square-rigged, but a brig should have at least two masts, I really have no idea what you’d call it, I didn’t get a chance to examine, I… I was in the hold. I don’t know anything.

In draft one, all Ire said was that he didn't know anything about boats. Then I reread it later, when it had been established that Iriel's dad was a fisherman, Iriel knows how to sail a simple boat, has absorbed a fair amount of nautical terminology, and, in general, KNOWS ABOUT BOATS! Which, I have to warn you, from a writer's perspective, is a fucking terrible thing to have your character know about. The research is a nightmare. Never have a character know anything about boats!

Anyway, I decided it was much funnier if he reeled off a bunch of technical stuff about boats, while still claiming he didn't know anything about them, because... he's just that confused? His reflexive paranoid guilt makes him deny knowledge under questioning on general principle? He doesn't think of himself as someone who knows about boats, in comparison to his dad? Yes.

someone a head taller than he was

I forget at what point I established Iriel's precise height. He's 6'4", which is below average, for an Altmer, but tall for Morrowind, a shift of identity and perspective he never quite adjusts to.

“Oh. Well… my name is Iriel of Lillandril. Which is far too many Is and Ls in one name, and really, you’d think my parents would’ve known better. We Altmer use loconymics, as I’m sure you know, so–”

Again, I chose Lillandril more or less at random from the Summerset map, based on it having a lot of Is and Ls, which felt right, all tall and Altmery, and a little bit ridiculous. Say it three times fast and you're basically yodelling. Later, I established Lillandril as Fantasy Wales, accent-wise, which made it even better.

ESO might have since established something different with Altmer surnames, lore-wise, but I don't know or care. Loconymics (being named for the place you come from) seem the norm for Altmer in Morrowind, and I like that.

I made up "loconymic", though googling now, there are other uses. I probably should have used toponym, as loconym is a greek-latin mix, which is bad practice. But I wanted a word for "named after a place" where the meaning was easily inferrable, without knowing either Greek or Latin, and "locus" is more familiar from words like "location" than "topos" is. I was trying to keep my linguistic technobabble vaguely intelligible!

In the very first draft, Iriel claimed he was a foundling in this line mentioning his parents, which was my attempt to stick to the exact terms of the whole Morrowind "uncertain parentage" thing. But I very quickly retconned it, realising there was far more mileage in having Iriel know he was connected by blood to his parents, and all the Altmeri angst he has over that. Only the first of many, many in-game "facts" I decided to bend or outright contradict! But it took me a while to realise I was allowed to do that, now, that I didn't have to keep to canon, as long as everything hangs together. In this case, I justified it later, by saying that the Empire had recorded Iriel as having unknown parents, because that's what he told them when he was arrested, in a futile attempt to prevent his family finding out.

pale-gold Altmer face, amber eyes and soft brown hair.

I had read something that advised writers to give hot, fiery angry characters warm colouration, and cold, reserved characters cool colouration, and I thought that was stupid. Iriel's not exactly cold (just numb), but Altmer in general are seen as cold, especially in contrast to fire-themed Dunmer, and... anyway, I wanted a warm-toned Altmer, because why not? Amber eyes is pretty, but not extravagantly so. I didn't want him to be exceptional, in any way - he's someone who can easily vanish from sight and memory, after all. So, he gets the most "boring" hair colour, mouse brown, which I have a soft spot for.

@Sinilakki sent me a picture very soon after I posted this chapter, and I was delighted, because clearly my limited physical description had worked - it was perfect. My first ever picture of Iriel, and it's still one of my absolute favourites.

“You are male, aren’t you? Hard to tell with you elves.” Ire racked his addled brain for the sort of lacerating response he would have given to that, in better days, but failed miserably.

The first thing to produce an actual spark of defiance in Iriel, even if he doesn't manage to act on it. Ire's experiences of Imperials having offensive ideas about elven gender will reoccur, once he's in a fit state to lecture about it.

Ire squeaked, and shifted as best he could, stumbling towards the door and struggling with the handle until it finally obeyed him.

All this is so early Pratchett, isn't it? Rincewind, but younger and gayer. Make a wet, nervous wizard and give him problems.

previous: 0: intro next: 2: labels

[myjustice]

spoilers for pt. 4 of lantern rite, thoughts mainly focused on furina.

at first i was concerned that her & hu tao meeting was going to be another little jab at furina's trauma concerning the floods & the people that were lost to the waters & other things ( because she genuinely carries a lot of guilt with her over it & the powerlessness she felt for the last 500 years & just making false promises that she herself as she was had the power to help them when that wasn't the truth ), so i'm really glad that it didn't end up being the case & it ended up being an entirely different thing.

by the sounds of it furina might be testing her wit on making a horror film which i would love to see personally. i hope this comes back full circle in a later patch - would love to see who she thinks would make perfect actors to star in her horror film, it'll probably be characters from liyue since liyue folklore seems to have been the source of inspiration for this film idea she's trying to iron out.

i'm glad that we caught the fontaine cast as they were leaving liyue because i really wanted the lantern rite to be more heavily focused on the liyue cast. i love the implication that the fontaine characters were there enjoying the lantern rite as well though!

i can't express just how happy i am that furina got to meet zhongli first out of the seven & that she got to spend time with him in the company of hu tao. she genuinely enjoyed their company & i adore & i'm so happy that she did because it emphasizes that her isolation isn't something she does with pleasure. furina doesn't like to be alone, she doesn't want to anymore. being on her own is just something she was forced to live with, self-isolation to cope with what may come her way & threaten her spirit. the fact that she can kick it off with others so well is wonderful & that she feels so at ease & comfortable to just be herself around them.

furina being able to tell there's more to zhongli than meets the eye by a mere conversation was awesome. the exhaustion i feel when people want to discredit her ability to critically think on her own or that she's too "childish" to connect two & two on her own is ridiculous. also this one shot of zhongli looking so happy to see her in person is very cute to me.

it gets glossed over that the seven see furina & her expelled divinity as one entity ( individual interpretations from the fandom/fanon aside ), so betwixt them they hold her at a very high esteem for being able to successfully deceive the heavenly principles which is an entity that they all fear ( for good reason ). they don't see furina &/or focalors, they just see furina who has simply destroyed her throne & is now like zhongli & venti are, they're just three retired tired & exhausted ex-archons. furina, however, does not fully have her memories intact, she only has vague recollections of her very old life. should that ever return to her in full swing or not is still very much in the air. it's neither a yes or a no.

anyway, i'm glad that it can't be argued that furina cares so much about neuvillette. he means a lot to her. & that she thinks of his wellbeing & is hopeful about him giving himself a chance in this world even with his lack of interest for it which she has known he has for the longest time. she knows him so well it's actually so lovely to see it play out how it does. she's using the traveler as her middle man, to pass on her message to him but i'm hopeful for the day where these two will get to talk to each other again & reconcile as she continues to find a healthy way to sort through her traumas & her woes to where it's not entirely consuming her anymore. having her see that she's deserving of love & is worthy of it & that it's genuine is the day i'm so excited to be able to see & witness for myself. for hundreds of years furina encouraged neuvillette to integrate himself more & more into the human world so that he for himself can see the beauty she saw in it even through the struggles & pains that come with it so i'm sure hearing the advice furina told the traveler to pass on to him was a song he was all too familiar with. him admitting & coming to terms with that is very important to that part of their relationship.

hearing clorinde regard furina as her friend no doubt meant the absolute world to furina & given how familiar furina is with clorinde it was important to me that she heard it from clorinde the most because furina knows clorinde wouldn't just say & toss the word friend around so lightly & so mindlessly. it really strengthened the foundation afterwards for furina to call them both her friends as well a few moments later because that was reassurance to furina. clorinde just saying this is what friends do for each other was letting her know that they really see her as their friend & that it's okay for furina to consider & see them as her friends as well because they already consider her as part of their group. it made me so happy. they all came separately but they all depart together.

in general i was pretty happy. it was so nice to see furina again. she means everything to me.

some tid bits that i found so funny were the implications that zhongli really did avoid neuvillette which the conflict in that is something i love because there really is a deep rooted conflict there by relation that needs to get addressed & ironed over & not fixed by the power of friendship.

hu tao saying that neuvillette was a friend of furina's that still had a lot of growing up to do because it's true, hu tao isn't wrong but it's just so funny that it came from hu tao, not because i believe her immature, but because her saying it out of anybody else is implying something.

& then the fact that furina vaguely recalls neuvillette's age as a result of hu tao saying that neuvillette has so much room to grow. i didn't know there was so much controversy around it because from the very beginning it was made clear that furina knew he was the sovereign. you may interpret the text as you want. both cn/jp say that he's at least a thousand years old while the english translation say he's several thousands which, both in essence, are not wrong. furina counting his previous dragon incarnations into his current one isn't anything new, at least to me.

regardless, i'm happy furina got to spend time with zhongli. they're good friends now.

[taffycandyqt]

Ex Purple Dragon with a thing for Casey PT.2

Masterlist

Request Rules

Pt 1.

You and Casey are thick as thieves. Though sometimes Casey is just thick. Everyone else can tell that you only left the dragons because you're udderly in love with him. He's the only one that doesn't seem to get it.

2003 Casey Jones x gn reader

Headcannons

Fluff, crack

Not proofread

After a while of hanging with the gang you realized that there was no way Casey would fall for you as you were.

But at the same time, Splinter's words about not losing yourself also played in your mind.

At this point it wasn't just a crush. You were actually in love with him.

And for the past little while you have been trying to drop hints but he never seemed to get it.

Or maybe it's that he chose not to.

But what did you expect?

Casey may be a bit off his rocker but he's still a good soul.

He had morals, principles, ideals.

You didn't really have any.

Maybe it was time you turned things around. Maybe you should go clean. Casey would definitely see you then!

So began your journey!

It's was difficult not drinking, or smoking ect...

Not just difficult, HORRIBLE.

The chills the, anxiety, the cravings. It sucked.

Not to mention that it made you waaaay more irritable.

How were you supposed to focus on being a "good person" when you wanted to literally kill everyone.

But through it all the turtles, Splinter, April, and most notable Casey supported you the whole time.

They helped distract you when you needed it and provided healthy alternatives like suckers instead of cigarettes. Stuff like that.

Like previously mentioned the other step in your transformation would be to practice some ethics.

To do that, you needed to actually understanding why they actually matter in the first place.

This led you to Donny's doorstep.

He gave you multiple books on the history, reasoning, meaning, and importance of morals and ethics. Along with multiple philosophical books departing the topics.

Safe to say you've been spending a lot of time in. You've been working on yourself so much you hadn't had the time to spend with Casey, April, or the turtles for a while.

And this for some reason, bugged Casey.

Which was stupid cuz you were trying to better yourself! Why would he be mad that your taking the time to do that?

He ended up ranting to April about this multiple times.

At first she thought he just missed his bestie.

But after him whining on her couch while eating her snacks she figured out what what happening.

He had feelings for you. And he REALLY misses you.

At a certain point she just got so done with his shenanigans she told him exactly what he sounded like.

He was in denial.

Like what you you mean I love them? That's ridiculous!

Eventually after stewing with these thoughts and missing you he came to terms with his feelings.

And he was nervous.

You'd been gone for so long, maybe you didn't want to see him. Or anyone for that matter.

So he went to the best person he knew for advice. April.

HER ADVICE SUCKED.

WDYM JUST CALL THEM AND ASK TO MEET UP???

Uhhhhhhggggggg.

But he does cuz what other option does he really have if your not actually there.

So he called you up. And that excited you!

You picked it up more than happy to talk to him.

But when he asked to meet up? Well, you weren't sure.

You weren't your best self yet... You still needed time!

But he was really insistent and who were you too say no?

So you met up with him. You talked about things that you missed when you were gone.

And you excitedly told him everything you've learned.

For once you felt like it was important to have some sort of moral ideal.

Not to mention the philosophy of morals book that Donny lent you kinda gave you an interest in philosophy!

Honestly, Casey was just happy to hear your voice again after so long. You've changed so much yet you were still just as passionate.

After a lot of walking and talking and catching up, you both were about to part ways.

Neither of you wanted to leave the other but you both felt like there was no other choice.

Well almost.

Just as the moment was almost over and left as a memory Casey confessed to you right there.

So fast and so confident you had to ask him to repeat himself just so you could be sure you heard him right.

You did.

All you could wonder though is how? Why? When?

You had only just started your transformation. There's no way he could feel so strongly about you now.

Casey, however, wasn't sure when he started feeling this way. Definitely before you started your whole "changing" thing.

This left you confused. He hated the purple dragons. And for good reason.

Casey didn't smoke, he was a far cry from an alcoholic, and he never approved of your more illegal ventures.

So how could he have fallen for you before now?

The answer to that question would be left a mystery.

After you two traded confessions it left you wondering if anything you did was worth it.

If this is what Splinter meant by, not losing yourself.

But you didn't feel any less like you. If anything you felt better.

You were happier, you had more energy, and you weren't as stressed all the time.

Maybe the reason you did it wasn't the right one, but if you could go back you wouldn't change a thing.

And besides, Casey loved you as you were before, and he loves you now. He's sure to love the person you become as you grow along side him.

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

Uggggg sorry if this one is absolute booty. I really wanted to finish this off but there was so much too it I feel but I REALLY didn't want to make a third part. Sorry if it's rushed or does make sense. I hope y'all like it regardless 🩷

[katnissdoesnotfollowback]

It's Reaping Day! May the odds be ever in your favor.

Do you think it’s significant that the Reaping is on USA's Independence Day?

Do you think Reaping of 74th Hunger Games is rigged? Yes/No? Why?

If the reaping could be rigged. Who do you think participate in this collaboration?

Thank you :)

@curiousnonny

Don't mind me. Just answering asks from months ago, @curiousnonny.

OF COURSE IT'S SIGNIFICANT. If we've learned anything about Suzanne Collins by reading and dissecting her books, it should be that she loves a good symbol. And whoop. There's a big freaking symbol. Other than the sheer irony of taking a day known as INDEPENDENCE day in the USA and turning it into a spectacle of oppression, there's the reason that Independence Day even exists when it does. It doesn't celebrate any significant battle or law. It commemorates the signing of... A protest document. A protest document that begins:

When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for the people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Law's of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness -- That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their powers from the consent of the governed -- That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

The Declaration of Independence goes on, but the basic gist of it is the idea that a government exists to ensure the rights of its people, not to abuse its power by denying them their rights, and it boldly claims that when all else fails, when the government refuses to listen and repeatedly ignores those rights or abuses its power, then the people living under that government had both the Right and the Responsibility to change things. So yes, it is very significant that Collins chose the date commemorating the signing of this document to be the single most significant date in the world of Panem. She's telling us, unequivocally, that the people of Panem have every right and responsibility to overthrow and rebel against their Capitol... now here's a ridiculously heartbreaking story to explain why it's still gonna suck and be difficult, and you may lose more than you think you can bear, but in the end, it will be worth it if you've made your world better.

Is the 74th Reaping rigged? No. Nope nope noooooope. I am firmly in the camp of people who refuse to believe that the Reaping of the 74th Hunger Games is rigged. At least not in District 12. I have no doubt that, like Katniss tells us in Catching Fire, there are Reapings that are rigged, especially to put the kids of Victors who may be causing problems, into the arena. That sounds like something Snow would do.

But see, 12 isn't really causing Snow and the Capitol a lot of trouble until Katniss volunteers. I mean sure, Katniss breaks the law by hunting all the time, but there's an entire black market in 12. She's not the only one hunting in the woods or going over the fence to get the resources just at the tree line. She's not visible outside of 12. I don't see Snow concerning himself with one pesky child until she actually starts causing trouble across Panem.

And in a lot of ways, Snow leaves 12 alone until after the Victory Tour. It isn't until Thread shows up to start cracking down, and Gale is whipped and Mrs. Everdeen says to Haymitch. "It's starting again then. Like before." Which suggests that for the six months between the Games and the Tour, it's been relatively business as usual in 12.

So no, I don't think 12's reaping is rigged for the 74th Games. Besides that, the real reason it doesn't sit well in my brain is because if it is rigged, that subverts the cruelty of the odds game that Collins has set up for her characters to play. Based on the odds, it SHOULDN'T be Prim and Peeta's names who are drawn. But the point is... even if your name is only in there once, or five times, compared to Katniss's 20 and Gale's 42, your name is still in there. The odds only make you THINK you have a chance at making it through. It's that tiny little bit of hope that the odds will be in your favor, so why risk the far more dangerous and likely to get you killed act of, oh I don't know, rebelling against and overthrowing your government.

The randomness of it makes it more meaningful to have Prim and Peeta's names drawn, so I choose to believe that Collins meant for that significance and meaning out of the randomness, to highlight just how unjust it really is, rather than some conspiracy plot against Katniss/Prim/the Everdeens, what have you.

[myfandomrambles]

Not to be an asshole but like just because David Tennant/Tenth Doctor had the best viewing numbers of NuWho doesn't actually mean he's sooo uber special better than the others.

Like every doctor before and after he actually matters. Some of those doctors are beloved by like a lot of people.

It somehow just feels icky to me to pick up with David Tennant and Davies and like what? Fuck 11, war, 12 and 13?

Chibnall was bad enough about kind of feeling like he was snubbing 11 & 12's eras.

Like obviously you had misogyny and racism problems under Moffat. And we must, must speak up about that and make sure the show does better. And no he didn't stick the landing every time, The Wedding of River Song sucks. But like there were a shit ton of people involved in those years who like fucking put their heart and soul into that.

Matt Smith & Peter Capaldi along with all the companion actors (plus Gomez) deserve some goddamn respect. I do have just some big emotional attachment to 11 & 12 yes. I also however do not think every story under them was bad. They had extremely good stories! Like season 10 might not be popular but fuck does it kick me in the feels.

But like it's not like all the Tennant hype only affects Moffat's writing if you happen to hate him. This does feel insulting to Ecelston as well. I know he hates the BBC so like I get he wouldn't come back to the main show (his audios rock btw).

This whole thing also feels sketch because you're sticking him in between your first female doctor and your first main doctor to be played by a person of colour. Like do you just not trust that Ncuti Gatwa will be good enough to make people watch? Do you not trust your own writers (even your own writing) to be compelling unless you bring David Tennant back and give him a whole other marketing number (and the numbers, while sort of ridiculous at this if you look through canon, do have meaning to the fans)? Not to mention a new costume (No I don't mean he has to wear the exact same clothes if they don't fit but you can sew a copy of the same design again) and a whole big announcement about him getting a new Sonic. The costumes and sonics are HUGE signs for fans. Like people collect the fucking sonics you have the old ones referenced in the show, it's a whole part of 12's identity crises with the shades and the new sonic after re-accepting the doctor after losing Clara. The TARDIS can make these for The Doctor or The Doctor makes their own. It's a whole thing!

Also, do they have to also fuck with Donna's ending? Really? I get some people do the whole "Donna deserved better" shtick but her ending is heartbreaking, well-written, well-acted and done just so well. Sad can be okay! I'm with Ashildir on this one, It was sad and beautiful. (Yes she's not referring to Donna but the principle stands)

Also like, The Doctor fucks people's lives up. Donna wasn't the first up Companions to have shit destroyed by The Doctor!

In the words of Martha Jones:

You need to be careful, because you know the Doctor's wonderful and he's brilliant, but he's like fire. Stand too close and people get burned (TV: Sonatarn Strategem)

Like Journeys End aired in 2008! Could we just let the story stand on it's merits?

I realise the culture of like the media in the 2010s & 2020s is just fuck with shit that should have been left alone. I mean I guess if we're doing a distribution w/ Disney we might as well follow their storytelling formula.

I mean remember the whole Time Lord victouris project? Like I'm obsessed w/ Doctor Who and have been into the EU for a long time I didn't even try and keep up with it. It was like the high republic franchise in Star Wars so hard to keep up w/ the story when you have to get so many disparate pieces of media. And again it's all Ten focused.

Honestly, I have always loved Ten. minus all this fuckery he is fantastic. And i will go to the bat i don't think he's a fuck boy. but I also like am perpetually gonna be annoyed at him.

Being a money maker does not actually define the quality of the story in every case.

[undyingembers]

High school AUs! All you want to write!

Ask me about my AU's

*Cracks knuckles* All right!

Like I said, Katala and the Kingmaker characters are students and Len and the Wrath of the Righteous characters are the staff at an American high school.

My OC Katala is the captain of the basketball team. She's super strong and super hot. She used to date Nyrissa, the head cheerleader, before she learned that Nyrissa was routinely bullying the other students at the school, Linzi in particular. They had a pretty bad breakup, and Nyrissa makes life hell for anyone else who tries to date Katala. Katala is kind of a clown, though, always getting in trouble for starting food fights, engaging in ridiculous and questionable challenges, and one time she even got caught trying to sneak a puppy into the school.

Tristian is a new student at the school. He's completely dorky, and kind of a mathlete. Lots of guys want to date Katala, but she's got her sights set on this nerdy loser. She's constantly making moves on him, which all go way over his head. Tristian also has a past with Nyrissa. She bullied him relentlessly when they went to summer camp as children, and, unlike him, Nyrissa is keenly aware of Katala's interest in him, and she is furious.

Linzi is a theater kid. She's super talented, but always gets passed over for more popular and conventionally attractive students for the lead role.

Regongar and Octavia are total delinquents. They are constantly finding themselves in detention for smoking pot behind the school dumpsters. Octavia somehow has a 4.0 GPA.

Jubilost is the most obnoxious straight-A student ever and is in about fifty different clubs. He's a complete know-it-all and argues constantly with the teachers over his answers.

Jaethal is the goth kid (duh). Doesn't have any friends, and she likes it that way.

Ekundayo is the nature guy. Bikes to school, recycles all the time, good kid. Goes hiking on weekends.

There may or may not be a plot where Katala tries to get elected for class president. Irovetti, Vordakai, and the Stag Lord are also vying for position, idk.

As for the staff, Galfrey is the principal of the school with Irabeth as vice principle and Anevia as the guidance councilor.

Len is an English/Lit teacher at the school. S/he loves literature, but his/her students find his/her classes to be very, very boring. S/he assigns long essays and is very fastidious about grammar. S/he always knows when something is going on and gives out the second-highest number of detentions in the school. Always complains when someone drinks all the coffee in the teacher's lounge

Daeran is the French teacher. He is super gorgeous. Half his students have a crush on him. Very lax. Always turns a blind eye when students are smoking pot behind the dumpster. He's constantly flirting with Len, who tries so hard (and fails) to keep things professional between them.

Woljif is the math teacher. Knows his shit, but otherwise doesn't give a fuck. Probably sells weed to the kids behind the dumpster. Broke the smoke alarm in the teacher's lounge so he could smoke and gets accused of drinking all the coffee.

Regil is the history teacher. A complete hardass and merciless both in the classroom and in the hallways. Students absolutely dread him. They freeze whenever they hear his voice. He is infamous for the mountains of homework he gives the students and for not budging an inch. He gives out the highest number of detentions.

Nenio is the chemistry teacher. The students don't think that any of the experiments they have her do are board-compliant. Constantly forgets safety measures. Starts at least one fire or chemical spill per semester. Despite all that, her tests are super hard, and any student that doesn't get an A+ is not worth her attention.

Seelah is the PE teacher. She means the best for the students, truly. She knows the presidential fitness tests are bs, but what can she do?

Greybor is the school librarian. The students think he has a criminal past. Very stringy about being silent in the library. Drinks all the coffee in the teacher's lounge.

Sosiel is the art teacher. He's very patient and kind and is always willing to listen when students have a problem.

Arueshalae is the music teacher. Quirky. Always has butterfly stickers. Supervises the school GSA.

Camellia is the lunch lady. The food is gross, but she sometimes has this weird smile when she's not looking at the students with disgust. One day she's just going to disappear and the kids will see her on the news.

Ember is the cleaning lady. She's just too dang cheerful and the students think she sleeps at the school. Gets into trouble constantly for letting the birds in.

There's also a plot here where Len and Galfrey used to date, but they also had a pretty terrible breakup. As a result, Galfrey is harder on Len than on the other staff. Len thinks it's because she's angry, but she just doesn't want to be seen giving him preferential treatment. Len and Daeran are dating but keeping it a secret because he's also Galfrey's cousin and that might cause extra drama.

[faderifted]

"Where are we going? How should I know? Do I look like the leader of this merry band of misfits?"

NAME: Garrett Hawke AFFILIATION: Ferelden / none SPECIES: human CLASS: mage

GENERAL TAG | HEADCANONS

DECISIONS (default verse - this means this is what I default to unless we plot something specific that requires adaptation of my canon events!)

Fleeing from Lothering

Protecting his family has always been a top priority for Hawke. He doesn't always seem like that's the thing he cares about the most (especially to his family, ironically), but it is. It was hard to leave Lothering, the only home he ever really knew, but getting his siblings and mother to safety was more important than anything else. Meeting Aveline and Wesley was a welcome coincidence, despite the tension between Hawke, an apostate, and Wesley, a templar. They never got to resolve their issues, however, as Wesley was injured by the Darkspawn. Knowing that they had no other choice, HAWKE MERCY-KILLED WESLEY so Aveline didn't have to do it. (To this day he has the feeling she somehow blames him, even though she knows there was no other way.)

Kirkwall

Hawke spent his first year in Kirkwall WORKING FOR ATHENDRIL. During that time and in the years that followed he took a lot of questionable jobs, but always held on to a few principles. Being an apostate himself, he HELPED MAGES when he could, supporting their freedom unless the Circle truly seemed like a favorable choice for them. Blood mages, however, he showed no mercy. He DID NOT KNOWINGLY ENDANGER THE LIVES OF INNOCENT PEOPLE even if that sometimes meant losing the money or making enemies. He always tried to SUPPORT HIS FRIENDS in their endeavours, only interferring when it felt absolutely necessary. Hawke LEFT CARVER IN KIRKWALL when he went to the Deep Roads, only to lose him to the Templar Order. He STOPPED VARRIC FROM KILLING BARTRAND and keeping the idol. He INDULGED ISABELA with all her ridiculous leads and helped her recover the relic, only to be betrayed by her in the end. When she returned, however, he REFUSED TO HAND HER OVER TO THE ARISHOK His friendship with MERRILL took a turn for the worse when he REFUSED TO HELP HER WITH THE ELUVIAN.

Fenris (my default romance, unless we're actively writing a ship together!)

Besides Varric, Fenris was perhaps the person Hawke grew closest to during his time in Kirkwall. Moved by the elf's story, he did everything in his power to help Fenris HUNT DOWN HIS FORMER MASTER and kill him and his minions. Hawke voiced concerns when Fenris threatened to kill his sister, but ultimately let it happen. ROMANCE OPTION: Hawke stayed true to Fenris after they spent a night together, finding that he simply was not interested in anyone else. Years passed and while Hawke was starting to believe they would never be more than they were then his feelings did not waver. In the end FENRIS CHOSE TO PROTECT THE MAGES with him and followed him out of Kirkwall when Sebastian's threat made him flee. To this day he remains the most important person in Hawke's life, the one he would die or kill for, come what may.

Anders

Being a mage himself Hawke had an open ear for Anders' laments and despite his friends' concerns he often helped the healer in his endeavours. He could see Anders' struggle over the years, his convictions growing into obsession, but there was little he could do to stop it. His friendship with Anders is one that was always very dear to him. ROMANCE OPTION: Meeting Anders was a bit like love at first sight. Hawke was infatuated, but didn't truly fall in love with all his heart until they'd known each other for a few years. Even as he saw the change in Anders his feelings remained the same, and he trusted him with all he had. HIS BETRAYAL HURT more than he could say, but Hawke sooner would have died himself than take his life for it (or let Sebastian do so). He WILLINGLY RISKED WAR WITH STARKHAVEN to protect Anders, and damn the consequences. After defeating Meredith Hawke left Kirkwall to bring Anders somewhere safe and out of Sebastian's reach.

The Arishok

While being aware of the threat the Qunari posed in Kirkwall, Hawke found respect and appreciation for their leader and his way of dealing with the issues at hand. In turn Hawke gained the Arishok's respect over the years, but that alone wasn't enough to prevent the tragedy from happening. After refusing to hand over Isabela, Hawke ACCEPTED THE ARISHOK'S CHALLENGE for single combat and defeated him.

TBC.

Verses / AUs

Here will be a list of relevant canon divergent verses or AUs.

Dynamics & Ships Overview

Once developed here will be a list of dynamics that are important to my portrayal of Garrett, including familial, platonic and romantic relationships but also potential enemies or rivals.

[amplexadversary]

More Utena, ep 33, 30-32, 34, 35

WELL THAT'S AN EPISODE YOU HAVE TO WATCH TWICE

Clever to make the bulk of it a clip show then.

----

30-32 were also a lot. I'm not sure I have much commentary because what happens in those kind of speaks for itself.

I mean, there were a lot of "holy fucks" uttered, the monkey-catching robot from the shadow chorus reappeared, and more saucers dropped, but none of that was really what sticks in the mind!

-----------

Obviously the show has been building Akio as a fucking problem, that's no question and very much a captain obvious take. But that sure did come to a head over these episodes.

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

I guess one question I have is about the apple and a seemingly out-of-it Kanae. I suppose Akio would be doing shady shit to her too in addition to Anthy. And Utena. And potentially Wakaba. And whatever was going on with Tokiko. And with Kanae's mom.

Honestly the thing with Tokiko was probably the least inherently fucked-up of all of those because all but two of them are fucking high schoolers, and I think fucking your fiancee's very married mom is a bit more messed-up than making out with someone who is merely in a relationship.

Also I think we can conclude where Touga learned that fucking tactic from, yecch.

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

Oh hey, it's the shadow chorus, in the flesh. Ofc they're the drama club.

So this play. It's meant to cast suspicion onto Anthy? But she's clearly the victim here. Or maybe it's demonstrating what everyone else thinks of Anthy. It's pretty common for the majority to blame the victim of something for instigating it, even when it's a completely ridiculous claim.

And now Akio's taking steps to isolate his victims. Casting doubt on Utena's relationship with Anthy, and on her principles.

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

So Anthy has to suffer for telling someone (apparently the prince's name is Dios) to take care of himself? To not work himself to death doing... whatever it was he was doing? For telling the people who were asking for more than he could give to fuck off?

She gets to be treated like an object for that? Beaten by various people for that? She gets to be raped for that??? Fuck all of these fucking people.

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

All those swords that flashback!Anthy got impaled by, but it's Dios's sword that comes out of her chest.

Also, "the prince she loves is no longer the prince she knew" does that mean that Akio is Dios? Apparently he did something to make that sword stop appearing so I'm more sad than surprised.

Did. Did Anthy do something to stop her brother from being raped as a child? Is he perpetuating the cycle of abuse?

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

The fact that the "something eternal" that each of the duelists was shown was something horrifying explains some of their behavior. Miki in particular, and Saionji (though that doesn't change the fact that he himself deliberately hurt Anthy. Shitweasel.)

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

Okay, so the earrings are one last attempt to push Utena away from being a "prince" by pushing her towards being a "woman." Also, confirmation through the Greek Chorus that Touga has genuinely caught feelings, this time, though perhaps more for an imagined Utena than the real one.

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

It is bedtime for me so I'll watch the remaining episodes in the morning I think.

[somethingusefulfromflorida]

"Check in's at 4PM, but check out's at 10AM? That's not even 24 hours, that's bullshit! I paid for 24 hours, so I'm not leaving until 24 hours have passed."

Listen, buddy, try to work with me here. Think about it for two seconds; if you booked a motel room for 24 hours, when do the maids clean it? Lemme rephrase that in a way you'll understand; if the guy who booked your room yesterday had it for 24 hours, when did the maids come in clean it for you? Do you think you're sleeping on dirty sheets? No. You know the maids took time to clean it, disinfect everything, replace the sheets, replace the towels, replace the toilet paper, the whole shebang. How big is your room? How long do you think it'll take to clean it for the next customer? And how many rooms do you think our maids have to clean in a day? No motel, no hotel, no resort on EARTH will give you a full 24 hours, and that is in no way, shape or form unreasonable.

You booked the room from 4 to 10. We explained this to you twice (once over the phone and once in person), and you agreed to our terms and conditions when we ran your card, terms that are plastered all over the office walls and on a plaque at eye level in your room on your door, so no, you didn't pay for 24 hours. One second past 10:00, and that's trespassing. My boss is very lenient and will give you until 11 if you absolutely need it because she's nice and understands that some people are slow getting up in the morning, that's fair, but if you're an asshole about it she can legally enforce the 10 o'clock limit. I refuse to call the cops on anyone on principle, all cops are bastards, but my boss can do whatever the hell she wants because it's her motel, her rules. I would greatly prefer it if the cops didn't get involved, and I think you would too, so let's settle this like adults so nobody gets their rights violated. Just because you're an asshole doesn't mean you deserve to get fucked over by pigs. Nobody does. I'm on your side here, my dude. Meet me in the middle. You're not the only person on vacation. Lots of people are here for Labor Day besides you. You're not getting ripped off, and you're not getting cheated out of precious Margaritaville time. If you want to take your business elsewhere, feel free, but don't act shocked when they tell you the same exact thing.

24 hours. That's ridiculous.

[isaacathom]

to that end

so ive basically been thinking, for a bit, about what Florian wants. because for Naielle, what she wants is painfully obvious - reunion with her fiancee. She wants to do good, and she wants to go home. For zimri its a little vaguer, but they want to own a bookshop (again), and they want to know why everything has happened to them (the what is important, but mostly the why).

Florian? he's got his objective, like the Quest and Shit. hes not really in this for personal reasons, he was hired. for a job. and now the principle sees him keep going forward, because his integrity means something to him. but, yknow. the quest is gonna get them killed, dude. everything they learn about what awaits them is 'oh, we're fucked, we are going to die'. to keep going, does that seem like a man with a goal in life?

and thats the bit. florians a short term guy. this quest is the most long term he's had to think in a while, and even then its just 'okay first we go here, we Learn Stuff Somehow, then we head here and try not to die' incredible. thats your plan? thats your master plan? fucking incredible. if they succeed, if they survive and loot the treasury, then what? he wont think that far ahead, or he'll think on an extremely small scale. go to a nice inn, get real nice food. drink himself stupid for a bit. and then ? ??

he doesnt even really have a hobby :( he defines HIMSELF entirely by his ability to fight, his combat prowess, because of the circumstances of his life. and even as he grows over the course of the campaign, has become a responsible guy who clearly gives a shit, who clearly IS more than a man with a sword, he would not define himself that way. what does he do in his spare time? he does chores. he sharpens his sword. he fetches water from the well. he buys groceries. what is 'relaxing' really. its all productivity, its all to serve an end.

If he couldn't fight, who would he be? and i explored that a bit in a post where i wrote about various AU Florian's based on what combination of three events had occurred to him (a false criminal accusation as a young boy, his fathers debt, and his enlistment in the temerian army). and there i said that, if his fighting ability was off the table, he would likely be a servant, doing odd jobs. but those aus were florians who either never had his fighting prowess or lost is a lot younger. canonical Florian de Kasimir is 34.

so thats a question i find hard to answer. hes not quite good enough with his hands at this stage to be like, a craftsman or handyman. he doesnt really enjoy reading. he enjoys art, but not creating it (certainly he's not tried in years). music? hunting? and thats basically it, yknow. like, he'd probably be a decent hunter of deer and stuff. but that would, to a point, necessitate settling down. and where? with whom?

florian cannot answer those questions, and wouldn't think to ask. and im asking, and we've got nothing. i can picture lives that florian would enjoy or be suited to, but he wouldn't try for them. (to be fair, a few of them involve him becoming a father, and while i KNOW he'd be a good dad, he sure the fuck doesn't think so, so, You Know).

a long running phrase ive had for him, with regards to his life, is "just because i expect to lose it, doesn't mean i'm going to throw it away". and while thats true, and he believes that sincerely, to an extent he's lying. he throws it away by not imagining something else for himself. its ridiculous shit. im mad that i cant imagine him with hobbies. my fucking guy needs to learn to play a flute or some shit. i want him to be able to find a peaceful life somewhere. or something, because he wont tell me what he actually wants. absolute shit.

truly the biggest swerve would be if he comes to the conclusion that what he wants is to live, because man. yikes. like good for you but yikes that you had to come to this, like you werent already there?? yeesh.

there was then gonna be a big ramble about which of my three main ocs is tender but like, its naielle > florian > zimri, which is entirely because naielle Is Nice, Has Friends, Has a Fucking Fiancee, and is a healer. tenderness is infinitely available. its not her primary thing, but shes fully there. if she ever has to pop revivify on someone, that shits going to be so soft and gentle. she's healed people very softly. she's just. naielles good. there's a limit to the exact vibe im thinking of but thats what backstory content is for, baby

instead of being ~productive~ and doing my hw ive just been sitting here thinking about my ocs :)

[wild-houseplant]

🍷 🍆 🍎 🍉 for Rhodri!!!

/I want all the lore ngl >:)

O___O I tried to be succinct with this, lovely friendo, but I wrote a bloody essay!! I hope you like long lore :'D You spoil me with these asks but!! Sorry they're a smidge late (and verrrrrrrrry waffle-y!) :D :D Thank you and hope you're having a great day today!!

🍷: What's one of your OC's pet peeves concerning food?

Tapping into The Autisme here and I'm keeping half an ear out for any groans of agreement from fellow NDs: Rhodri doesn't care for unexpected change when it comes to food. I wouldn't exactly call her a fussy eater (went the Wish Fulfilment path and gave her a varied palate),

BUT!

The meals have to be what they were scheduled to be, especially if she's hungry or was looking forward to it. Especially breakfast and lunch, which tend to be the basic supplies that you can get anywhere in Ferelden. Scheduled change is great and Rhod looks forward to it a lot, because she does love variety, but a heads-up is needed. If she doesn't get it, then at a minimum, she'll skip the meal or struggle through it, or it'll be the tipping point for a meltdown and she'll have to go and sleep it off. Unscheduled, abrupt change is the devil and she won't be convinced otherwise.

Except for surprise peanuts. There's always room for surprise peanuts.

🍆: Does your OC have any favourite form of affection, physical or otherwise?

Ohmmm is this for giving or receiving? Guess I'll do both?! :D :D Just to be safe, of course!

For giving, I'd say her favourite is whichever gets the message across the best. At the end of the day, what counts is that they know she cares. And, on a more selfish note, she really feeds off the recipient's reaction, and won't get any satisfaction out of doing something that doesn't mean much to them.

That said, her first thought is usually to do something to make their life better/easier (because it's practical and will help, even if it doesn't feel like it).

As for receiving, Rhodri's a snuggle bug. Big snug energy. Down To Snug. Arms and/or legs around her and she's putty in your hands. She also gets... incredibly stimmy? Kissing, kneading, and rubbing skin are all bliss on a stick for her, so the snug-ee letting her go to town and squish them to bits is Happiness. It's going well if she makes contented rumbles from time to time; very well if she starts mumbling embarrassing heartfelt shit, and if she falls asleep in the process, that's a perfect score.

🍎: Do they share any features or traits with any family members?

Hah, ok, I originally had a ridiculously long essay that basically detailed the cultivation of traits Rhodri got from her relatives. It tended to segue and snare a whole lot of information from familial headcanons and childrearing principles and good GOD it was off-topic too often. I’ll make that a post on its own and if you’re happy to be notified when it’s up, I’ll tag ya :D For now, though, perhaps I’ll just keep it on topic and expound on it in the other post.

Physically and emotionally, Rhodri is much more like her father, Aurelio. Physical traits shared with Aurelio: Sharp, angular face; pointed grecian nose; very prominent cupid’s bow in the upper lip; very arched eyebrows; eye colour. Wide grin with large teeth and prominent canines. Lean, muscular build. Tl;dr: resting bitch face, buff. Psychological traits shared with Aurelio: devoted; authoritative; self-denying; gregarious; polite; generous; physically affectionate; crushing fear of abusing power and/or hurting others; laughs shamelessly at own jokes; embarrassingly heartfelt; loves children.

That’s not to say her mother, Revka, didn’t get a look-in, but Rhodri spent much more formative time with Aurelio.

Physical traits shared with Revka: disproportionately long limbs, fingers, and toes (doesn’t have Marfan syndrome though!); complexion; hair colour and texture. Psychological traits shared with Revka: droll, deadpan sense of humour; carefree to the point of flippancy at times; outspoken; patient; loves predictability; ‘You can’t scare me! I have kids (Revka)/ I’m a teacher (Rhodri), and I’ve seen it all!’; practical to the point of clinical-ness at times.

Traits she gets from both of ‘em: Loves the beach; intensely protective; loves to read; their curiosity is oppressive; proud; gets obsessively interested with things; strong dislike of lies; makes peanuts disappear in record time.

🍉: Does your OC have a particular piece of jewellery that they always wear or refuse to part with?

Two, in fact! I’ll start this with my headcanon, which is that among the Tevinter Altus, the Magisterial line (i.e. former, present, and heir Magisters in a family) handles decisions for their house. That can be anything from large purchases to marriage proposals– so a very oppressive existence if you don’t have a nice Magister running the show in your own house.

It’s set in stone to the point that someone approaching any other family member on such matters is considered an attempt to sabotage the house and is handled quite violently. To avoid fuck-ups, the Magisterial line demarcates themselves with snake designs of some kind (harkens back to the mythology of snakes symbolising guardianship and protection).

How the snakes are displayed is up to the wearer; some go for earrings, others wear snake designs on their clothes. Every Magister/heir has their own snake amulet, though, which they use as their own personal seal/signature on official documents. Super tightly regulated and given as soon as the person is designated an heir, which can happen at any age. They can design it themselves but it’s often considered an act of affection for the appointer to design it for them, so there can be a lot of hurt if someone wants to change a gifted design later.

Rhodri’s had a snake amulet since she was almost two, and a wraparound snake cuff earring she got at about 4-5.

The eyes of the earring snake are encrusted with grey sapphires to match the colour of Rhodri’s own eyes. The metal is black rhodium (Rhodri’s mother insisted that the similarity in names was too good to ignore and Aurelio is inclined to let his wife have her way). No real story to it; the parents both thought a cuff earring was cool, and Rhodri was willing to keep it on all the time.

The amulet is made of a hardy, heat-resistant gold alloy. It depicts– in relief– a snake lying in a circle around two sleeping infants. The infants are resting their heads on the snake’s body (a health and safety violation for so many reasons, but we will accept for the purposes of fantasy that this is both endearing and a Wise Idea). The design came to Aurelio after watching the 1 ½ year-old Rhodri spend the months after her twin siblings’ birth insistently glued to their side, often spending hours a day lying behind them and stroking their hair. This period convinced him she had the devotion he believed necessary to run a household fairly, and he appointed her as his heir shortly before her second birthday as a result. I dunno, the guy was probably soaking in baby fever hormones at that point; usually they wait a good few years longer than that.

HHHHHHH thanks again for the ask, this really got my brain going (and it's STILL going) and you may be entitled to financial compensation if you read all this :'D

[ac-liveblogs]

1. It's sad to me how the experimental gameplay design of kokomi does more for her characterisation than the actual story. True, her scaling sucks, meaning she's the worst 5 star in the entire game, but I always read her kit as ludonarrative resonance. As a strategist, she doesn't rely on luck (can't crit). She focuses on healing (sustain and supply), but also tries to do damage so that she can slowly but surely progress. Basically, next time MHY throws two 200% hp Maguus at us, Kokomi may

2. Either that, or they got way too ambitious with the story, and it didn't vibe with what they could work out in the gameplay, so they had to cut out a tonne of stuff and throw it in at the end. I'd almost suggest they were working backwards from the trailer, thinking about hype moments first and connecting them second!

It reminds me of some of FGO's early lore-related superniche gimmick characters that were uh. Borderline unusable for the most part. (Sanson. Boudica. Siegfried.)

She isn't that bad on her own though. Kokomi is a perfectly fine healer, and she's basically a character you'd put in a stall team that you want to keep alive as long as possible so you can take your time safely chipping away at a boss's health, but Genshin's meta rejects that sort of slow gameplay on principle.

Spiral wants you to clear the floor as fast as possible and most challenge quests are timed too, so optimal team comps are built around Big Numbers, Fast. The "take your time!" approach is already dead in the water. Kokomi is fine for standard gameplay. Healers don't need to do a lot of damage; they're healers, that's not their job! But Genshin players prioritise consistent damage output and energy recharge so much that anything that isn't that reads as useless.

It reminds me of when there was all that whining about Zhongli not being good because his numbers weren't big enough, never mind that he was the single best defensive tank in the game, very useful for consistent crowd control and his shield was ridiculously useful - his numbers Weren't Big Enough, he Took Too Long and the main boss killing strategy was already Mona/Bennett/Sucrose + [insert DPS here] to kill a boss in less than 10 seconds. I never thought he needed a buff! He was already great at the job he was designed for - keeping me alive! A defensive tank doesn't need Big Numbers!

Genshin's already shot its own meta in the foot. If gameplay keeps up the way its going, every character is either going to need to be Big Numbers or facilitating Big Numbers or otherwise be considered Bad, so a lot of characters are going to get really samey really fast.

The other issue is... the healers we already have are good. Barbara is free and she can fully heal your party with a semi-decent build pretty regularly. MHY can't really... make healers much better than they already are...

(also inazuma is mihoyo becoming icarus; we can only dread what sumeru will bring.)

[crystalelemental]

Is hala a good sync pair?

Best generally available Ice-striker. Worse than Winter Leon, but better than Summer Steven. Not that this stops me from running Summer Steven over him. I think I used Hala once to see what he did and decided I kinda liked Summer Steven better. Let it never be said I don't play favorites. But yes, Hala has a lot of strong points, and is pretty fantastic overall.

General Overview To my knowledge, Hala is the first unit that got a trainer move that just capped his relevant offensive stat. Attack +6 and a buff to accuracy is really good for a guy with a slightly inaccurate main move and ridiculous attack. Ice Hammer deals crazy damage, but it also lowers his speed, and while that's generally bad, he has a passive that increases damage based on lowered speed. Granted, 5% per debuff, but it's something. He's also got a very, very good heal in First Aid 6, which helps him shrug off a potential sync move he has to take. Best of all, he's got Super Preparation on his trainer move, meaning at EX, he can self buff with trainer move and two Dire Hit, then nuke the entire enemy team for massive damage between that and Haymaker. As a striker, his EX is absolutely tremendous.

The fatal flaw of Hala is just being kinda really awkward. The speed debuffs, alongside really low starting speed and a 4-gauge move, isn't doing him a ton of favors overall. He's slow to act, and generally has a bad time. But more than that? Without EX, it's...hard to find a reason to use him over Ghetsis, who is both an outrageous sync nuker before EX, fantastic debuffer, and generally faster choice. Ghetsis may not have the same auto-setup, but for single-target nuking it's hard to say Ghetsis isn't just better, even with the AoE on Glaciate, which frankly may just clear the sides faster so you don't have to worry about them as much.

Team 1: Hala, Dawn/Elio, Bugsy&Scyther Because Hala doesn't necessarily need help with setup, your supporters can offer alternative buffs. Namely, defensive buffs, accelerated move gauge to avoid speed buffs, and Leer support. Dawn is probably the best physical support, thanks to a full heal and the ability to siphon attack from the foe each hit they land, while Elio is probably the best premium specially defensive buffer in the general pool.

Team 2: Hala, Hop, Bugsy&Scyther A bit more F2P centric, but the same principles apply. Scyther giving Leer and move gauge acceleration is the best combination of things Hala can ask for. Hop is good because Potion support, defensive support, and being able to help Hala cap his stats as needed.

Team 3: Hala, Candice/Winter Nessa, Hop/Hilbert/Sonia Hala actually has a Hail-focused set. I don't think it's necessarily worth the energy, but the focus is it gets sped up move gauge acceleration. Candice is also notably fantastic with him, as she's an obscene sync nuker, while Hala provides great move damage. Hop remains the best to avoid Hala getting speed buffs, and thank god Candice got to max her own speed. If running Winter Nessa...honestly just eat the loss of speed and run Hilbert or Sonia.

Final Thoughts Hala's good, but I don't know if he has many interesting sets outside of this. Like sure, you can run Hilbert or Sonia or any other offensive buffer so he doesn't need to emphasize that, but I feel like his big claim to fame is being a huge EX nuker with Haymaker and supereffective-up next. You just really want to reduce the defense of the foe so he hits as hard as possible, and get some sustain going, either through defensive buffs or straight-up heals.