#laurence x rom

[vector--xd]

Rom, Laurence and micolash

Poor Laurence was nervous...he didn't show his bisexuality xd

[fareehaandspaniards]

1, 7 and 15 for Rom?

1. Why do you like or dislike this character?

Hmmm... I like that her role is being the shield that hides the red moon and Yahar'gul from player. Also the spider theme. Pretty much everything she has as a canon character xd We don't know if there was ever a certain Rom student of Byrgenwerth in the first place? (I remember you mentioned it some time ago :0 ) Who is that? But the eagerness to protect, connection to Willem, Kos and Ebraitas do give us certain vibe. Oh, I also like Micolash's great line about her. It can be interpreted in different ways - that he pities her, hates her, etc., but I think he's jealous xd Rom, small, weak and stupid in his vision, has achieved ascension, what he only dreamed of ( :P ).

7. What's something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you like?

I love the fandom for the sheer number of different Roms, each one carrying something different…. She has a strict image, or she's cute and fluffy, she's crying and tender, she can be whatever we want her to be. When the fandom sees her as a separate person and not just a component for the pairing - everything becomes better :'^)

15. What's your favorite ship for this character? (Doesn't matter if it's canon or not.)

Yurie x Rom! One more doomed pairing :^) Together they are a beautiful couple, and while during the Byrgenwerth years Rom needed Yurie's protection, as an adult Rom takes the lead ;^) The adult Rom in my vision is a gorgeous woman, because I love gorgeous women… Wide hips, big breasts, and red, lush hair flejflwenmflsdjfk… And a masculine Yurie who is crazy about her, literally worships her like an idol (I can join).

My fantasies are great of course, but in canon the pairing comes to a sad end, which is to be expected. However, I like to think that Rom is still sane and has a mind when we fight her. Just realizes the world differently. That means she knows who the player is, knows that Yurie is dead by the time of the battle, knows that along with the player, Damian has come for her death(or not death? can she even die like a human?). But she's above it all.

(this blue dress I imagine on her for the time when she was with Ebrietas and started to slowly ascend and change. Blue motives for the sea and sky, and also it looks more like nightdress, it's almost transparent. I don't know why I just like it. She becomes something more of a symbol then member of a Choir when spending all her time with Ebrietas, so she needs to look like a goddess or a prophet. Long transparent dress with lots of stars on it. Like Nyx, my beloved goddess of night)

Laurence x Rom is gold. I'm too confused about Laurence's love relationship, but they are perfect for each other, I've already spelled out how much xd Here :P

Caryll x Rom is lovely, but in my version they are only friends and nothing else, although they are gorgeous man and woman xd (not only my Caryll is ace, but also they are more brother and sister than lovers)

(Damian x Rom also good stuff)

[lazyroseart]

I fell down into the Rom x Laurence ship and I love it so have a simple painting of the two.

And a ref for you guys <3

[katyspersonal]

Please willem/rom-pill me, oh great teacher

Girl fdhfdhsds I don't know, I was not prepared to explain this XD

But I guess it started out mostly as a joke about 'Lol, Willem x Rom is just Gehrman x Maria but with different aesthetic'! An old weird teacher with his best (?) student! (for the people who are in my blog from other Soulsborne fandoms: Rom being a scholar at Willem's Byrgenwerth is actually never stated in canon, it is just a very popular interpretation that I decided to use too!)

I thiiiiink I decided Maria x Rom is better (and mental image of Gehrman and Willem seeing them kiss and doing that anime "turning bleach white from dying inside" thing is a peak comedy if you even care fgddfgfd)! At the same time, possibility of Ebrietas and Rom being in love I can't ignore, it is tooooo good. My more "genuine" interpretation is that Willem basically married them.. granted, fits thematically, bro is designed to look like a pope! But Choir and Ebrietas is kind of my cornerstone about thinking of connection Willem and Rom had!

^^^ I don't think "Laurence is Choir and Micolash is Mensis divide" is true at all; not only Laurence is the head of the whole Healing Church, so, any faction within it, but it also appears that Choir is the "rebellious" faction and not School of Mensis! The thing about Choir is that it takes inspiration from Willem, despite Laurence splitting ways with him! The Eye Rune that became the symbol of his research is voice of Ebrietas, Yurie returns to Byrgenwerth, their blindfolds are designed to honor his. And! Rom has been there before her "death", and astral projection taken into lake by him!

Since he is also the one to encourage us to hunt her, I think his motivation is to unveil and stop Mensis Ritual that he must be aware of in this state, and primarily, he put Rom in the lake to conceal Eldrich horrors from those who aren't ready for them!

But before Rom's ascension into a spider, I think she could also be Willem's eyes and ears within the walls of Choir! In Byrgenwerth's isolation, Willem lost quite a lot of resources for research, let alone how inconvenient it was to lose a chance to contact the Great Ones! I always saw Rom in Conductor of the Choir as sort of a double agent, but I bounce back and forth on for who: Micolash or Willem? This one explores the latter idea.

I don't think he was too concerned for the Healing Church members that left with Laurence but went "shit, Willem had a better point after all 🤔"; commendable reflection, but they way to ascension they searched was to forsaken humanity like sort of a filth and burden, when he simply wanted to improve onto it!

They were a lost case. What was not, is the information and materials they still had access too! I am not sure whether Rom communicated via "autistic on autistic communication" or directly, through the secret passage between Yharnam and Forbidden Woods (used by Fauxsefka and Yurie it seems), but in either case, I'd think she would sneak him enough things to get Byrgenwerth go somewhere as well! 80% of Byrgenwerth is now floating in the Nightmare, the scholars are Kin too now, Willem transcended humanity from the shell of his body somehow. (very OG Azur and Lusat tbh) I think Gardens of Eyes were one of the variants Research Hall patients could get if they clung to Amygdalae voices within the deep sea horrors rather than Stars or Kos, and Rom might have played the role into them following to the Byrgenwerth walls.

But, I also have these guilty thoughts that the proximity between them went beyond just this secrecy. They could have had more secrets than this! Teacher x student is hella imbalanced, and them having like 50 years age gap at least is weird even for the two adults ok fdhfdhss She might have been his favourite student, not only for potential and receiving absurd amount of cosmic horrors without going insane, but also for being "trustworthy" (read as, easy to control).

Rom is literally referred to as being intellectually handicapped (白痴) in Japanese, word 'vacuous' is too ambiguous :p So like, picture this super neurodivergent, almost child-like person, sharing absurd useful insights like radio receiver catching the right frequency but being literally too "dumb" to lose sanity over them, that idealises him and can keep secrets very well, including whatever he might ask of her.. or what they might do together after classes.

With my Rom, it is QUITE hard to make her uncomfortable with intimacy of all things; she is super friendly and simple unselectively, to the point she needs a friend by her side who could scan between right people and those who merely take advantage of her! She would not be uncomfortable with Willem, maybe just shy and blushy at worst, but easily bribed by the sense of being trusted and singled out from her peers as the "most promising". (well? was he WRONG about her tho?) And he would feel quite attracted by the obedience and trustworthiness. Compared with how normally his smartest students consistently rebel against him and do weird shit without him knowing? She is special and the only one who "gets it" and "respects" him! But.... let's be real, literally anyone who learned about this would kick Willem in his chair down the river for being the creepy old man taking advantage of a naive young lady that idealises him. 🤦‍♂️ So much talk about how flawed humans are, only to fall for one of THE most classic flaws of them all. 🤦‍♂️

I hope you see what I was trying to convey here! Rom is not miserable by any means, but they are NOT very balanced, are they? Heck, bro probably makes the concept of grooming an adult possible fsdffsd He is possessive, and wounded by all the good ones wanting to walk towards their doom instead of listening to him (was he wrong tho???) until Rom became close. He can't get ENOUGH of the feeling of demanding something and being obeyed, to the point his requests were not only research-related. Rom is way better at perceiving Great Ones than at seeing through manipulations, but also helpless in MANY aspects of daily life due to intellectual disabilities and thus needing someone more mature, more adapted and smart.

(In my main version of things, Yurie is not just her best friend, but also basically a service to help her with accommodations! She helped disabled people a lot before going to Byrgenwerth, she is used to it! I guess this """ship""" sails in the version where Yurie and Rom are not actually close for this or that reason)

[pyro-madder]

micorom headcanons post because i heard interest :}

be warned : it starts off silly then gets sad real fast

* Being the same age, they enroll the same year in Byrgenwerth and – alongside Caryll – become fast friends. It will be soon impossible to call them fully innocent due to being part of Byrgenwerth and its dubious study methods of Pthumerian and the Great Ones, but Micolash especially was far tamer than he is now, just… cryptic, and generally a freak /affectionate

Rom, though known for her cheerful temper, was also frequently described as being on her own plane of existence, and so… they hit it off pretty well, pretty quickly. It was frequent for anyone in Byrgenwerth to catch them in the middle of a conversation and immediately go --

They go 3 years, all the way to their Bachelor’s degree (or at least Micolash’s – I may give Rom a slower graduating, alleged intellectual shortcomings and all), and only start dating the following year or the one after that, after Laurence and Maria’s enrollments (with one or both, as respective dormmates to Mico and Rom, possibly giving them a small push). And they’re genuinely one of the most stable relationships in my narrative. weirdo4weirdo.

* I haven’t determined what drives them to follow Laurence – or more accurately, to distance themselves from Willem’s teachings – but they do. First together in the Research Hall, then splitting in complementary work as the respective heads of the Choir and the School of Mensis, stepping up in their research and experiments.

During this era, Rom falls pregnant.

Now this is the blurry part – how would they react to the prospect of parenthood. X) In such a busy and promising time for scientific breakthroughs, I don’t think Mico would be too happy with it… but also, it’s not like Rom fell pregnant by herself ! And one way I’d see it happen is if he was planning to involve the child in their research… on Rom’s side, it’ll depend entirely on me and the characterization I want for her. Definitely tamer than Mico but perhaps with her own Byrgenwerth streak of unethical science, ready to experiment on her own flesh (literally and/or metaphorically) ? I’ll figure it out at some point :v

* Either way, we are in Bloodborne, and Rom enters labor one-two month(s) earlier than expected, in the middle of her duties. It does not go well. After much pain and distress, her child is stillborn, and Rom herself likely only survives thanks to the fact that she was already within Church walls - ensuring fast care by many doctors and fast access to blood to sustain her body. Laurence was by her side the entire time - because it was premature, Micolash was just going about his day in Yahar’gul, and the time it takes for Laurence’s hastily scribbled letter to reach him and then make the trip up, he arrives after the storm.

Needless to say, Rom is shattered. The guilt that’s known to come with this kind of tragedy, and the trauma of forceful intervention on her body – she’s devastated, and Mico is wholly unequipped to deal with that. He also feels guilt because once again, she didn’t fall pregnant by herself. He hovers around her while she recovers but, well… they can barely look at each other. They never officialize it, hardly communicate, but it’s clear to everyone their relation died with their infant.

* And so they drown themselves in their research, and this is the start of their respective slip. Exponentially, they progress, get results, and immerse themselves more and more into their respective theories – theories that start deviating from Laurence’s (who is tearing his hair out at the loss of authority in addition to playing their divorce attorney). Micolash remains hidden away in Yahar’gul (chasing after Damian), while Rom can bear less and less being within Cathedral walls due to the memories of her miscarriage ; she shuts herself away with Ebrietas and/or returns to Byrgenwerth(? I don’t have the exact circumstances of her ascension yet). Anyway, this culminates in said ascension – again, wholly independant of Laurence’s will – soon followed by her physical death. Micolash slips further.

* Fastforward of many years to the Mensis Ritual – as the Nightmare opens and Micolash is sitting bound to his throne, skull splitting, brain frying - he gets a vision of Rom, human Rom, embracing him, bound again beyond death. Perhaps the cries of an infant, calling for a mother, beckoned her ?

And Rom’s spell hides away the Ritual, until the Hunter, assisted by Damian, releases their souls.

In the Nightmare of Mensis, a hunter brave enough may retrieve a crumpled letter tangled under layers of Apostles webs that, despite its apparent torn and burnt state, clearly projects the following words into one's mind :

Rom giving birth - UCW

~Lau

[primroseprime2019]

Happy STS! As the pre-Valentine's Day ask, what are your characters' plans for the holiday-- if any? Date night? House party? Pj's and ramen?

Happy STS! I've got a long list of OC couples but I'm putting in the ones I've focused on in Transcendants

• Cora x Keagen – A quiet night under the stars, maybe with a picnic and deep conversations.

• Gregory x Idris – Gregory plans something simple but heartfelt—Idris probably insists they don’t need to do much, but Gregory still finds a way to make it special.

• Byron x Agatha – A candlelit dinner with plenty of teasing and soft moments. Agatha acts unimpressed, but she secretly loves it.

• Levi x Ivan – Ivan isn’t big on the holiday, but Levi surprises him with a cozy, home-cooked meal. It’s simple, but the thought behind it makes Ivan smile.

• Harry x Jackson – Harry drags Jackson on an adrenaline-filled adventure, maybe skydiving or something equally chaotic. Jackson pretends to complain, but he loves every second.

• Atticus x Hezekiah – A warm evening in with books, music, and gentle affection. Atticus likes grand gestures, but Hezekiah just wants quiet time together.

• Verena x Charisse – A luxurious spa day, complete with massages and facials. They indulge in self-care while gossiping and flirting.

• Larry x Xavion – They bake sweets together, but it turns into a playful food fight.

• Camille x Nyra x Dena – A girls’ trip to a romantic getaway destination, where they spoil each other with love and laughter.

• Matthew x Wendy – A classic rom-com movie marathon with way too much popcorn.

• Demetrius x Emhyr – A surprise trip somewhere breathtaking—Emhyr loves planning grand romantic gestures, and Demetrius is just happy to be with him.

• Nancy x Robin – A day spent at an amusement park, full of thrilling rides and stuffed-animal prizes.

• Mason x Jane – A slow dance in the kitchen, followed by a homemade dinner.

• Lincoln x Marceline – Lincoln tries to impress Marceline with a formal dinner, but they both end up ditching it for takeout and video games.

• Sawyer x Ethan – A laid-back beach day, soaking up the sun and relaxing.

• Luz x Amity – Probably a magical-themed date with enchanted roses and floating lanterns.

• Hunter x Willow – A heartwarming picnic in a garden, surrounded by nature.

• Stella x Mordecai – A stargazing date on a rooftop with warm drinks and cozy blankets.

• Blaze x Lacey – A fast-paced, action-filled day—maybe racing hover bikes or sparring for fun.

• Cindy x Brayden x Eos – A fancy dinner followed by a night of dancing.

• Emile x Xandros – A boat ride under the moonlight, just the two of them.

• Laurence x Cody – A chaotic yet sweet date at a carnival.

• Miles x Gwen – A quiet coffee shop date where they exchange handwritten letters.

• Natasha x Renee – A bookstore crawl, picking out their favorite reads for each other.

• Pandra x Loba x Kairi – A wild adventure in a new city, trying everything exciting they can find.

• Blake x Walter – A lazy morning in bed, then exploring a new restaurant together.

• Jay x Sofia – A hike to a scenic spot, complete with an impromptu picnic.

• Quinn x Micah – A homemade arts-and-crafts date where they create gifts for each other.

• Valentina x Angelo – A candlelit rooftop dinner with soft music playing.

• Natalia x Aydan – A mix of romance and combat training, because why not?

• Iridescent x Sidney – A dreamy, fantasy-like date with magic lighting up the night.

• Harper x Begonia – A fun arcade date where they get competitive over games.

• Charlotte x Winter x Eleanor – A lavish, over-the-top romantic getaway.

• Tennille x Nelly – An intimate, heartfelt date at a jazz club.

• Marcellus x Enoch – A poetry reading, where they get lost in each other’s words.

• Aldrich x Phyllis – A charming, vintage-style date, complete with handwritten love notes.

• Edwin x Demeter – A long walk through an ancient garden, sharing stories and laughter.

• Clover x Flynn – A night at the theater watching a dramatic play.

• Ivory x Petra x Marcus – A road trip full of spontaneous stops and adventure.

• Evander x Calliope – A masquerade ball where they dance until sunrise.

• Violet x Xaden – A moonlit picnic with deep conversations and shared dreams.

• Blu x Venus – A creative, artsy date where they paint each other’s portraits.

• Obadiah x Estelle – A warm, rustic cabin getaway in the mountains.

• Noel x Pablo – A playful, energetic date at a roller-skating rink.

• Gideon x Jubilee – A surprise trip to a flower-filled valley.

• Shiloh x Silvanna – A sweet, romantic scavenger hunt leading to a surprise gift.

• Anastasia x Chance – A dramatic, passionate date that could be mistaken for a romance novel.

• Avalon x Cliff – A cozy, candlelit dinner with lots of laughter.

• Avaline x Rameses – A grand, extravagant celebration with music and dancing.

Each couple has their own style- some love big gestures, others prefer quiet moments, but they all make it a special day!

[synthwayve]

Who are your FIVE favorite Bloodborne characters and also why? (Yes sorry there are three more to choose from besides Micolash and Laurence 😞)

Thank you for the ask!! This really made me think tbh

1. Micolash (to nobody’s surprise)

He was actually not the first bloodborne boss fight I ever saw, but his fight captivated me nonetheless. His design is just so COOL. I can’t get over it. I always saw him as a gigantic meme but then I got into the lore more and realized wow, this character has a lot to him! Medical malpractice, insanity, possible regret, you name it! I always thought his contrast against what I’d heard of Laurence was interesting too, and now that I’m deep in the trenches it just gets better haha.

2. Rom (okay this might be a bit surprising)

As much as I draw other characters, Rom is super close to my heart. Im not the sharpest crayon in the box(and never have been) so her character is very endearing to me: I see her as having been the sort of person who yearns to be useful. To be good at something. Everyone could reassure her that “you don’t have to be smart or talented, you’re kind!” But when you’re surrounded by the extraordinary, the bar of “decent person” just doesn’t cut it. I think she ascended in an attempt to fix this, to be “special” like her peers, and not the sometimes-funny airheaded woman she thinks they take her to be. Also, her design is just very cool x,D

3. Laurence

His character has a lot of sides, which is ironic since he is a dlc boss and has maybe 4 lines of dialogue total lmao. I think that he had good intentions that rotted under the weight of his leadership, and he’s definitely super fun to work with on his own even outside of other character dynamics. If he’s manipulative and bordering on cruel, why is he like that? If he’s sweet but just misguided, why didn’t he give up on the blood before it blew up in his face? Should we feel bad for him? Should we feel angry? There’s a lot to think about- he’s a fun character to both design and interpret!

4. Caryll

I love Caryll’s entire concept, and the Caryll-rune system is particularly interesting to me. I like how many sides there can be to this character! I’ve always been one to heavily reference lore, but not tie myself down to it, so I just like their general vibe and the possibilities of their placement in the story. I’m sure if I stuck to the lore religiously I’d actually like them a bit less, since to me, the mystery around them is a big part of the character! I like to imagine their relations with the others too :)

5. Edgar

This was really hard to pick between him and Damian tbh, I put them at about the same level. Edgar is very flexible as a character but he has solid lore points that can’t be easily ignored, which I really appreciate! His possible dynamic with Micolash is always super interesting and I love the juxtaposition of a very accountant-coded character lugging around Ludwig’s Holy Blade with the full intention to punt you into the moon. As for Damian, I just have a particular soft spot for characters that are “right-hands” to a leader, left to mourn or act in their absence. The coolheaded assistant type has always been appealing to me, and I like that both of them have a very short presence in game but the fandom has widely made them bigger players!

Thanks again for the ask! It was a lot of fun to think about :) I love a lot of the BB characters honestly, narrowing down to top 5 made me *sweat* haha. If we had a top 6, Maria would be next!

[fantomette22]

SHARE THE LIST i have one as well ! 👀🤝

So i was sure i made a list and post it but i can’t find it 💀 (maybe it’s lost in my draft or something)

So anyway here’s a quick one i remade following our discussion.

Have a summary of Laurence and Gehrman drunk ass exchange on which animals their friends remind them off!

Gehrman : wolfhound (obliviously. Did thought about it since years!)

Laurence : fallow dear / cervid in general

Maria: a wolf 🐺 of course. White one Or wolf dog (maybe a bit of feral cat and snowy owl too xD) (but man he literally gift her a wolf figure just a couple days ago)

Ludwig : a horse or mule of course

Caryll : a slug? No wait it’s like the augur you know! Hm idk like a fish of owl maybe. Something with big eyes looking weird like them you know ^^

Micolash : well either a very thin and weird looking black cat but the boys seetle on how he’s kind a a weird bird/ dog chimera probably x) (if you know you know!)

Damian : euh idk for him really i’m not sure what would fit best. 🤔 maybe a reptile idk

Rom : nice spider

Patches : evil spider

(Yes there’s 2 types of spiders I won't develop)

Dores : a snake maybe (but you know a real one not a bad one??? Patches would be more akin to the expression "being a snake")Or vulture?? Some kind of dog would fit too

Liam (gatekeeper) : a guard dog perhaps

Willem : euh idk an owl maybe? Like a great horned one? Or Something little idk. I think yet would hesitate a bit about bringing Willem in their crazy shit anyway.

Also have some pics i found a while ago i send to a few friends loosing it about it😂

Those last ones are so funny too

(Don’t have the time to draw them for now, maybe later but yeah just imagine them at a table laughing their ass off while being drunk. Also funny thing about that headcanon is that at the same time there’s no class at Byrgenwerth it’s the vacations. So they decides since a while to go to Yharnam. But Maria arrived at Byrgenwerth a few days before, she just had the worst moment of her life SO FAR and isn’t in great shape. She’s recovering and chilling with Rom probably. But she will joined the boys later to hang out in Yharnam!)

[mrslittletall]

Let's look if I have fun with my ships... For Dark Souls I have rarepair (Smoughstein), funny ship (Gweath), wholesome ship (Ciatorias), popular ship (NKstein) and OC x Canon (Stormstein). Also toxic ship 1 (Amanus) and toxic ship 2 (Aldrivahn). For Bloodborne I have popular ship (HolyVicar), FwB ship (MicoLaurence) and ship that makes Bloodborne antis mad (Gehrmaria). I also ship Rom and Micolash, but I don't know where this one stands. Oh and I cannot forget that I ship Laurence with my friend's OC Mecaela (belongs to @theblueeyedeagle ). For Elden Ring I have MohgMiq, toxic variant, MalMiq (wholesome but codependent), MohgVarre (one-sided obsession with yandere tendencies) and uh... Morgott x Tarnished, my own OC Blaze, but I haven't done too much with them yet. For Made in Abyss I ship GueBon (really weird ship which is kinda toxic and kinda not? I have to explain too much for it to make sense) and WazuBela (my old man Yaoi). For Hollow Knight I have Wyrmroot (practically the canon ship) and Pale Nightmare (as exes) and Pale Watcher (polyamorous kinda). Why is PK in all of these?! The other characters I barely find interesting to ship. Okay, I have Ogrim x Isma in my fic, I suppose. Oh, and Hollow x Grimm is such a NOTP for me, I cannot stand it, sorry. For FF14 I have WoLGraha, which probably is THE most popular and most canon ship, but it is STILL an OC x canon ship ^^ Yeah, I think I have fun with shipping.

[galaxirin]

Hi ! Sorry for the late ask x) but i was wondering what is your own view on the bloodborne timeline? If you have one. How many years passed for the characters and between huge lore event? I’m curious to know how you see it! >:3

Omg. Finally. I can finally ramble.

To add some context first to things, Laurence and Gehrman are approximately the same age. At least 2-3 months apart with Gehrman being the older one. Micolash, Ludwig, Maria, and Rom are all within the same age and are a year younger than Laurence.

I will try and base everything through Laurence’s lifetime to make things a bit easier

2000-1000 years ago: Pthumerians lose connection to the Great Ones and subsequently get overrun by beasts. Yharnam and Mergo happen here.

Age 18: Laurence enters Byrgenwerth, meets Gehrman as he is his roommate. The next year meeting everyone else. He and Micolash soon become academic rivals.

Age 20: Laurence (accompanied by Gehrman, Ludwig, Maria, and Micolash) discover the holy medium (the Old Blood) and bring it back to Master Willem, who starts obsessing over it and wants to seek ascension.

Age 21: After multiple arguments and discussions with Willem, he decides to leave months before graduation. Ludwig does not follow him but Gehrman and co do.

Age 22: Laurence starts experimenting on the blood using animals with varying degrees of success. He is still cautious and fears the Old Blood so he does not start human trials. He does start clinics near Oedon chapel (to hide up Gehrman, Maria, and other scholars accessing the dungeons below) which makes him start becoming a local figure amongst the impoverished and the sick.

Age 24: Willem and Laurence reconnect contact only to discuss the appearance of Kos in the Fishing Hamlet. Laurence starts talking to Ludwig, who is back in his family’s estate, to join him in the future expedition.

Age 26: the massacre of the Fishing Hamlet. Gehrman loses his leg after protecting Laurence from a villager. He has no choice but to use the Old Blood on him and subsequently sees it’s restorative powers. This furthers Laurence’s goals of bringing ascension to the people of Yharnam through science and medicine. The curse of Kos is created but no one knows. A Cainhurst royal sneaks the medium to Cainhurst castle to be given to Queen Annaliese.

Age 30: Healing Church starts its Golden years. The choir is created and begin to have audience with Ebrietas for a better supply of knowledge and blood. Gehrman continues training a small group of hunters that include Maria and Ludwig. Maria however is starting to feel the guilt of her actions in the Fishing Hamlet. School of Mensis is created at this time too. They start kidnapping people soon after.

Age 31: Maria leaves the hunters and becomes a caretaker for those in the research hall. She meets Adeline here. Rom is secretly turned into a Kin as she stayed in Byrgenwerth as a professor. No one knew until it was too late.

Age 40: Ashen blood appears and the beasts start becoming more prevalent. Laurence orders Gehrman to secretly recruit more hunters in an attempt to keep things in secret. In an attempt to find a cure, Laurence and Ludwig go down the Chalice Dungeons but all they find is the Holy Moonlight Sword

Age 42: Maria dies. Ludwig blames Gehrman for her death and subsequently cuts off all contact with him. Gehrman secretly creates the Doll. Yharnam now knows publicly about the beasts. Ludwig creates the Church Hunters in response and creates his own weapons. The Executioners led by Logarius are given enough funding by the Church to start their plans of a crusade to Ludwig’s secret dismay. He sends his family away from Yharnam as a precaution.

Age 44: Cainhurst Massacre occurs. Logarius makes himself a martyr to hide the secret that Annaliese is immortal. Laurence and Ludwig begin to have arguments but both subsequently choose to ignore it now that Logarius is gone for good.

Age 48: Old Yharnam burns by Laurence’s orders. Powder Kegs leave the hunters entirely to create their own faction. Any hunter who participated in the burning develop a chronic cough due to smoke inhalation and turn to the Old Blood for relief, quickening their transformations into beasts.

Age 56: Hunts are a daily occurrence. Laurence, Gehrman, and Micolash decide to summon Flora to find a way to stop the scourge. They get the Hunter’s Dream in exchange of Gehrman to be held as the host. Laurence promises Gehrman that he will come back for him once he finds a way to cure the scourge. Micolash’s sanity begins to crumble soon after due to having direct audience with a fully ascended Great One and plans the Mensis ritual.

Age 58: Mensis ritual occurs. The blood moon is covered up by Rom but it’s effects are still evident. Ludwig and his hunters struggle to keep up with the beasts and Laurence starts to use the Old Blood more than usual.

Age 60: Laurence transforms into a flaming cleric beast. Ludwig is forced to kill him and subsequently loses his right eye from the flames. Ludwig becomes temporary Leader/Vicar for a few months while Amelia is prepared for her role. During these months his mental state becomes more and more erratic (to the point of hallucinating Laurence and co). The HMS makes him more paranoid due to its whispers about the Hunt. Ludwig is killed off by his hunters around 6 months after Laurence’s death. Half transformed into his horse. Amelia is now Vicar.

20-30 years later. An outsider enters Yharnam looking for blood ministration.

[katyspersonal]

Ah, shoot, I did not mean to say that Mergo is Paleblood! I meant to say that Mergo was the reason 'Paleblood Sky' has been active all this time ever since Mensis Ritual!

It doesn't seem like Rom has been hindering/stopping Mensis Ritual in any capacity - only concealing it! (+ Interesingly, Willem urges us, a hunter, to get in the Lake, most likely knowing we will hunt her, so I think Rom's concealment existed before School of Mensis did their thing) Since at enough Insight, we can hear Mergo cry even before killing Rom. What seems to be happening is - Bloodmoon is a strong trigger of beasthood and hunt cycle, and it subtly influences people even through Rom's concealment. Like kind of a sound you can't hear but the waves still cause effect on you biologically 🤔

But I agree that largest part of it is Moon Presence. But also, Kin in general, it seems? Marine Kin (like Brainsuckers) and celestial Kin (like Living Failures, Celestial Emissaries, Ebrietas, Fluorescent Flowers etc) bleed "blood" that appears to be blood devoid of red cells! So, metaphorically and literally, their blood becomes "pale" in worship and evolution under Great Ones. Willem and Doll bleed colorless blood too, but their is not so grey; rather very white and "shiny". Interestingly, Amygdalas and Flora bleed normal red, and Rom bleeds red from her body but grey from her head. But only in the lake! In the dungeons version, her head bleeds red too. (more pictures in this ( x ) post).

Basically I think that Paleblood Sky is cosmos and its effects in general, so Mergo being the reason for Bloodmoon hanging low would mean Mergo summoning Paleblood with their cries! So, pulling the Bloodmoon down, into mortal world, rather than being it. It seems that Flora / Moon Presence has not... really been a problem after Laurence summoned her? She took Gehrman, but implication was that what summoned her to begin with was a cord we find in the Workshop (so, an Great One infant)! My luckiest guess is bait-and-switch. And since then, every full moon night, there would be a Dreaming Hunter to help. But from Nightmare of Mensis, it seems that Wet Nurse would be the Great One that came for the call, and took Mergo; Micolash and his victims with her too it seems, because that's what crows do in this lore. And when Bloodmoon is revealed, Oedon becomes active, making Arianna (and very likely Fauxsefka too) pregnant.

So it is more like uhhh... Paleblood Sky IS Moon Presence, but also not...? There is this Bloodmoon thing as an occurrence, when the two realms interact and Great Ones will be more active, as well as beast transformations getting dialed up to 11, or people just go insane. And there is Moon Presence that occupies this thing + can be replaced (that our Hunter does in one of the endings). But Flora resides in the Dream with Gehrman, Doll, Messengers and whoever is the Hunter of the night; meanwhile, everything in the game hints towards the fact that the reason Bloodmoon hovers over Yharnam and has been hovering for a long while is Mensis Ritual, not Laurence's... 🤔 "The Mensis ritual must be stopped, lest we all become beasts". Source of why everyone is still becoming beasts, no matter how many you kill or contain is Mergo's crying (which is Mensis Ritual)!

Basically, there is nothing to 100% confirm or 100% deny. According to Miyazaki, Paleblood can be "many things", and I think it put it the best in a way

funniest thing in bloodborne is still that if your insight is low enough micolash can't use his mirror teleportation trick. most other insight related stuff is still there if the hunter can't see it like the amygdala can still fucking GET you no matter how much the hunter doesn't believe they exist but the hunter CAN develop a "magic isn't real idiot" forcefield powerful enough to just disable micolash's funhouse mirrors

[vector--xd]

"Why aren't you her? You have her face, her smile... even with your short hair you remind me so much of her. But you're not her. You never will be. Why did she have to leave? It wasn't her time! I didn't It was! How come the world keeps spinning like nothing while she... while she's no longer here? Tell me, why did it have to be like this? Why did she leave me alone with this void that I can't fill, no matter how much? try it?"

It hurts me that I compare Evelyn to Rom... she became her purple flower 😭😭😭 but at the same time I like Rom and Laurence's ship hehehehehehe

[fareehaandspaniards]

I tried to collect the most popular ships with Micolash :'D

So there are from up to down, from left to right - Laurence, Ludwig, Maria, Rom, Edgar, Damian and Hunter (in my case he is male)

I have a lot of work to do but that drawing somehow happened xd

[katyspersonal]

I focused on Rom and Caryll specifically for this one, as they have the biggest potential for the Micolash-level roles in the Choir! I have a post that collects the points about how it is possible that Healing Church maybe was not instantly isolated from Byrgenwerth ( x ), and under this idea Willem somewhat works too, albeit a bit more like 'eminence grise' than a present 'leader'. In short, Byrgenwerth was responsible for Fishing Hamlet massacre that became a fundament of the Church to seek eyes, Byrgenwerth is quite aware of Laurence's endeavours down to association with the Moon Presence, Willem coincidentally looks like a pope himself and Laurence is a vicar who are the guys that replace the MAIN guy, the Eye rune which is a voice of Ebrietas also served as a symbol of his pursuit for the eyes, Forbidden Woods have secret cave through which people like Fauxsefka could still access Byrgenwerth, Choir which formed from Research Hall honors Willem with their blindfolds and there are evidences of some Choir people (like Rom or Yurie the Last Scholar) "coming back" in Byrgenwerth!

Altar of Grief is very likely Rom herself despite legs not matching, as Rom in the Lake and Dungeons coincidentally has holes at the level where big legs on the altar form are! Besides, Ebrietas' lyrics seem to refer to Mensis Ritual as she is weeping for her:

( x )

We just don't know whether Insight given her to Kos was too much and she could not linger in human plane any longer, or she willingly abandoned it seeing (the future?) what would come from School of Mensis and hid the ritual in advance... But at the same time, especially since nothing in lore says she was one of the scholars, even, she could still just be a more "successful" patient they took from Research Hall, or even one of the children that took the "wrong" path into the Sea instead of peering into Stars (Adeline approves fjhdfhfds). Or maybe one of the members that turned special, or a secret agent from Willem, or even from Micolash since concealing the ritual helps not just the humans below but himself too, or or or-

With Caryll, it is a bit simpler: whereas Willem had a hunch of her, Ebrietas in person was finally found after Research Hall ran its course and the doctors figured, probably by patients like Living Failures, to seek for the Stars and not the Sea. This was how the Choir was formed around her, but who is a better person to be head of the Choir than THE one famous for being able to understand language of the Great Ones? Caryll could easily bridge the gap! And no matter the timeline convolutions, could've simply left Byrgenwerth with Laurence from the start but actually remembering to fear the blood all along!

But... Yeah, in the end, ever since @jarognieva pointed it out that we can't even be sure about Micolash's role in Mensis it's been a super interesting idea. That maybe School of Mensis itself functioned more on its own and Micolash was "chosen" as the most mad madman x) So, why could not Choir function in a similar way too? So Laurence would babysit BOTH of the factions full time, OR leave them to manage themselves at most only checking in for progress reports (would well explain the huge rift between his blood-drunk ass and both subordinate factions being focused on Eyes instead, too).

[fareehaandspaniards]

Thanks for the tag, Katy <3

This one is Laurence x Rom, no idea when I will finish it, but it is slowly progressing...

Tagging @karnaca78, @mochimochi10281, @gigasquidsblood, @brainhyperfixed, or anyone who wants to share!

Millicent sketch. Will do her in color and on better paper, but she will stay rather sketchy.

WIP-not-Wednesday- got tagged by @sheirukitriesfandom and some other people, a while ago (back then I was still struggling with a block having nothing to share)

Tagging @evilwriter37 @katyspersonal @dirty-bosmer @catcas22 @bimbomcgee and whoever else wants to share any WIPs (be it tests or art or whatever)

[pyro-madder]

So for the ask game, what about Gehrman and Laurence? :D

*already frothing at the mouth* sure thing ! :) gonna try to group them both at once

favorite thing about them :

- G : probably his fight. It looks like a movie ! The beautiful scenery, the mentor and student clashing their weapons in the same fighting style, and of course the MUSIC ! (if i lack sleep and focus too much on the way the voices go down on "misereTE" i WILL cry)

- L : also his fight ! Despite the difficulty it's one of my favorites. Beautiful music as well. I also adore the calm of his english dub, it's one of the few I really prefer over the french one !

least favorite thing about them :

- G : how little we get to actually speak to him. I understand it's on purpose (we're just another hunter, why would he try to bond with us if it's gonna end the same as with the dozens that came before us ?) but it still frustrates me ! X)

- L : hard to say. sometimes i fear i don't see him as terrible as he may have been, but "may" is the key word here - he's nuanced, how much good and bad there was is up to each's interpretation and I consider this question to be canon-only

favorite line :

- G : "The night, and the dream, were long..."

- L : "EEEAAAAAARRRRRRGGHHH !!!" (+ "Fear the Old Blood" because his voice combined with Willem's sounds beautiful + "Indeed, Gehrman - it won't be long" because ouch.)

brOTP : I accidentally created a Gehrman/Damian friendship by upgrading the latter as school staff rather than senior student. Think about it : Byrgenwerth's groundskeeper and archivist, each finding themselves babysitting looking after their half of the squad (Laurence + Maria // Micolash + Rom, with Caryll somewhere in the middle), and then meeting again in the Dream ! (dissolving emoji) Gehrman parrying Damian's questions about the Doll ! (emoji dissolves harder) and now they're both sad old men who forgot each other yippie

There's also Oto whom Gehrman knew prior to the Workshop's creation and offered a position in ! And then Izzy :) your friendly neighbourhood craftsmen. And Ludwig probably !

For Laurence, it's Micolash. Two sides of a coin through and through ! Whether they're working together, making out or strangling each other, there's no filter between them, from their meeting to their separation. World's worst dormmates ! <3

OTP : eachother + Maria for Gehrman and Ludwig for Laurence.

gehrence + ludrence* are a hard tie, following a similar dynamic due to the common denominator, but with their distinct flavor since they happen at two distinct points of the timeline. gehrmaria's a bit behind for now but as I've said earlier I'm hoping to bring it to the same level 😁 They're all so beautifully tragic, with a lot of tenderness but also a streak of unhealthy dependance, doomed through and through. basically i wasn't kidding when calling them the World's Worst Polycule(tm)

*i know the fandom has other shipnames but i don't want to use them for several petty reasons, sorry if anyone out there needs to add my names to their blacklist.

nOTP : for both, none that I know of.

random headcanon : let's talk families ! Wolves have been hunted to extinction in Yharnam's region by the time the story begins in Byrgenwerth, and the person who shot the last one is a relative of Gehrman (his dad probably). On Laurence's side, only his mother is "known" (air quotes because he's extremely discreet about her, like everything in his past). Even in their homeland, she stood out, nicknamed La zorra/The vixen, and that reputation extended to Laurence who looks a lot like her. Her death (unsure circumstances yet) was the final thing that drove him to leave his homeland after getting his licence.

unpopular opinion : for Gehrman it's obvious, for Laurence i have no idea. X) i'm a hermit so if discourse doesn't appear directly on my dash i'll have no clue about how is it over there...

song i associate with them :

Gehrman : Old and Wise by Alan Parsons' Project

Laurence : Found God in a Tomato by Psychedelic Prn Crumpets

favorite picture of them : too much choice ! their boss cutscene, lots of beautiful fanart (@/redzombie's portrait of laurence, @/pupspuppet's gehrmans, @/subzeroparade's gehrences, Raquel Cornejo's illustrated lore...) i'm also fond of the pattern in my own art where laurence does his thing and gehrman looks either confused or tired sdfghjklm