#so he can care about murdered children and 'the commoners' while still being a loyal cop

[llycaons]

this cop has mud for brains. he knows the cop system is racist against him and corrupt and oppresses his people specifically but he's still SO proud to be a cop and angry that a militant indigenous resistant group killed a cop on a raid. like maybe they killed a cop because the cop system brutally oppresses them and holds their holy city for wealthy colonizers who brutalized then and pushed them off their land in the first place? is he a complete fucking idiot?

[dolliedarlin]

i m p l i c i t  ⏤katsuki b.

p a i r i n g : bakugou x f.reader 

s u m m a r y : ever since you were young, you were forced to meet with the person dubbed as your finance, Katsuki Bakugou, a Baron’s son who had quite the temper but peaks your interest in every way possible 

l e n g t h : 1.9k

g e n r e : olden days au ; fantasy au ; arranged marriage au ; Bakugou is a tsundere ; and we love him for it ; reader is an amazing bean that can keep up with him ; kirishima is your brother ; best brother ever ; rumours are toxic ; never base your opinions on someone solely on rumours ; you attract a stalker ; it’s not your fault ; he just as a twisted yandere mind ; Katsuki is your hero ; he makes your heart flutter ; and he makes your knees weak ; i really want someone to protect me and say what he said at the end of this 

w a r n i n g s : swearing from our lovable explosion murder king ; acts of stalker/yandere ; sword fighting

a / n : i didn’t plan on posting this but mother nature decided to pay me a visit today so i basically lazed around in my bed groaning in pain and half starving bc it was too painful to get out at times for food. instead i started writing this imagine again that i had began months ago. this is inspired by Ranma 1/2, which is an anime that i loved watching when i was much younger, it’s not well edited because i’m kinda dizzy rn but i hope you enjoy it! 

— first of all, before either you or Katsuki were born, the arrangement for your marriage to each other was already settled by your parents, hence why you were immediately introduced when you were children 

— neither of you knew what marriage or engagement meant but you both associated it with seeing each other

— it wasn’t something Katsuki liked but you didn’t quite mind it, he always gave you really interesting reactions that you quickly came to like

— as the two of you grew up together, you always tried your best to get close to him but Katsuki was adamant at pushing you away and keeping you at arms length at all times

— despite all that, you wanted to catch his attention, which meant that you took interest in all the things that he found interesting too. that included: sword fighting, horse riding, duelling ; spicy foods ; battle tactics ; magic etc 

— Katsuki always tried to ignore you but secretly appreciated how skilled you had become over the years. you were still nothing compared to him but you were able to battle against a majority of qualified knights and still be the last one standing

— he only scoffed at you because your talents were wasted; you’re too kindhearted to ever use your honed skills properly - it irritates him that other women push you to conform to etiquette, tea parties and high society when you were better than that

— you’re better than shallow conversations about the latest fashion, or the art of sipping tea, calligraphy and painting because he knows how much you train and how much effort you put into your education outside of such insignificant things

— Katsuki knows that you can handle yourself better than any other nobleman he knows of, he’s seen you help your father with his business and vigorously train with your dukedom’s knights

— what’s the point of all that effort if you weren’t going to show anything for it?

— because of that Katsuki always acted like he hated having you as his fiancée despite your optimism about him, as well as your patience and understanding of his unique way of expressing himself

— because the two of you are forced to spend a lot of time together by your parents, you’ve has been able to understand Katsuki and his mannerisms better than anyone else as your mother has always taught you to be openminded - she’s never been like the other noble ladies of society, hence why your father married her

— now, you were following in her footsteps. there’s been much gossip about your unladylike behaviour but you didn’t care, all you needed were your parents’ love and the love of Katsuki. he still needed some more time to come around but you’re positive you’ll get to him soon enough

— you’re positive there’s a different gleam in his eyes whenever he looks towards you now. it had always been one of hatred when you were much younger but his expressions frequently soften around you nowadays. 

— no matter how subtle it may be, you always notice

— many rumours circulated about you the first time you had shown your skills openly amongst the knighthood. it had first started with your knights who praised you highly but, as soon as those whisperings reached outside the dukedom, many noble ladies started to gossip about your misdemeanour. 

— surprisingly, those rumours were shut down in under a week and you didn’t know why; usually such good gossip material stayed for months and only faded with the years so it was peculiar to have it die down so quickly 

— what was suspicious was that, as soon as your rumours died down, stories about Katsuki surged forward.

— when you conversed with other people, they would say how horrible they feel for you having to marry such an aggressive and dislikable fiancee. they would then over-exaggerate all the belligerent and misunderstood characteristics of Bakugou, even making up disgusting rumours that painted him to be more villainous than he actually was.

— “how shameful,” you spat with disgust, glowering down at the noble ladies frozen in their seats, “how dare you openly gossip about my fiancee right in front of me, the nerve! you should know better than to act like such children. if you have nothing better to do then i suggest you leave the kirishima estate immediately and never expect to be invited back,” 

— they tried to beg you for forgiveness, seeing as your father held such power in high society, being one of the four noble dukes of the kingdom serving directly under the king as they all had noble blood. 

— nobody expected your father to marry you to a Baron’s son. Katsuki didn’t have a higher title than you but your fathers had gone to war together and remained loyal friends ever since, Baron Bakugou went on to acquire his title of Braon after his service in the war but many people still looked down on him from his commoner origins. to think that such educated ladies of high society would use that as leverage to gossip however they wished. 

— word of your actions on behalf of Bakugou spread quickly and the two of you became a couple that shouldn’t be trifled with.   

— after that day, you always defend Katsuki and never miss the opportunity to express how much you admire him and care for him even if he doesn’t tend to reciprocate it

— you do this when Katsuki’s friends make an appearance, they consisted of your brother, Eijiro, Denki of house Kaminari (son of Marquis Kaminari) and Hanta of house Sero (son of Marquis Sero). 

— they usually don’t visit the estate but this time they decided to utilise the knights training grounds for extra duelling practice and happened to catch you just as you were walking out, having finished your own training

— as soon as introductions and polite greetings were exchanged, came the jokes and jives.

— “I wouldn’t blame you if you eloped with someone else on your wedding day, Lady (Y/N), knowing this guy’s attitude,” Denki snickers as he points his thumb at your fiancé, who growled lowly in return.

— “i wouldn’t dare do something like that because, even if this is an arranged marriage, Katsuki will be the only man for me” Katsuki didn’t expect you to be so forward and couldn’t help the blush that coated his cheeks from your response 

— Denki whistled in a mix of astonishment and amusement, “Katsuki’s a lucky guy!” 

— “he looks really happy to hear you say that too, sis,” Eijiro teased as Hanta grinned from beside him. 

— “shut up! we came here to train so let's train already, you dumbasses!”

— the days go by and life is good; the quicker your wedding day approaches the kinder and gentler Katsuki treats you. it wasn’t until the kindness you practiced with everyone you met, no matter their status, became something more in the twisted mind of an unknown individual that you encountered within city streets, while out shopping

— one act of kindness made the stranger crave for your touch and sought you out in the most deviant method. he sent constant letters multiple times a day and even mailed one with his most intimate item of clothing, not only that but he always stood at the gates of your estate, waiting for it to be opened just to slip in and try to meet you again

— of course, he didn’t get far because of the security brought on by your dukedom’s talented knights stopped him at every devious attempt. each incident was reported directly to your brother, who was training to inherit the duchy as soon as your father retired

— Eijiro was having none of it and devised the best plan of action he could, knowing that his image as the heir of the dukedom needed to be thought of so that his people wouldn’t be against him when he took over his capable father’s place. he resisted the urge for an immediate confrontation to plan with you, about how you wanted to defuse the situation 

— however, as soon as word got to Bakugou, he ran over on foot to confront the man at your estate, just as Eijiro came down with a squadron of knights and you at his side

— lost in his own world, your stalker immediately reached out for you the instant he caught sight of your figure. on his face, he had a twisted smile and manic eyes, his breathing became heavy as if to savour the same air you breathed not too far away from him. it was frighting and chilling to see such an unhinged man. he was so deranged, he didn’t mind the swords and pointed glares directed at him by all that were present and Katsuki, who was fast approaching from behind

— “Get. Away. From. Her!” Katsuki shouted in anger as he drew his sword and slashed at the young man, making you jump back with a gasp.

— “Bakugou!” Kirishima warned as he pulled you into his chest for protection from the clashing of swords

— “Katsuki, be careful!” you cried. confronting someone with such an unstable mind could go horribly wrong and no matter how skilled your fiancee was, you couldn’t help but worry

— Even though this was the first time Katsuki ever showed his feelings for you in such a dramatic gesture, the worry you had for him consumed your joy as his opponent drew out his own sword and started lashing out with worse coordination than your junior knights. 

— what he lacked with technique, however, he made up for in agility as well as his own unpredictability. it made it hard for Katsuki to predict the path of his opponent’s sword so for a time, he was constantly dodging his blade. it didn’t take long, however, for the game of endurance and stamina to come into play and slow down his opponent enough for him to fight back with more accuracy.

— “you revolting rat!” Katsuki growled swinging his sword with might only to grind his teeth when his sword is narrowly dodged. not one to give up, however, he goes in once again and finally lands a hit that forces your stalker to crumble to his knees, “you try and pull that shit with (Y/N) again and I’ll be doing more than just beating you to the ground,” it was an obvious win for the blonde. 

— “And what would that be?” your stalker still had fight in him that came off as more irritating than anything else Bakugou had ever encountered in his life of servitude as a royal knight and baron’s son.

— just to prove his point, whatever it may be, Katsuki goes to stand beside you and pull you into his chest with his large hand at your waist   

— “landing your ugly, disgusting ass in a fucking coffin!” the venom in his voice was evident and it made you shudder, curling up into his chest for comfort, not knowing that the next words he’d shout would have your knees weaker than any training could ever do, “(Y/N) is MY Fiancee! you touch her and I’ll kill you!”

n a v i . | bnha mlist 

[longitudinalwaveme]

The CW Rogues: My Biggest Gripe With the 2014 Flash Show

In many ways, the CW Flash show is what got me into comics. While I had watched (and loved) Justice League and Justice League Unlimited and read loads of DC guidebooks as a kid, it wasn’t until I saw a clip from the 2014 CW Flash show that I really got invested in the DC Universe. While I had already started watching B:TAS (and loving it), Batman wasn’t what got me into comics. No, that was the Flash...or rather, it was Captain Cold. While watching a clip from the Justice League episode Flash and Substance on YouTube, I saw a link to a clip from “Family of Rogues” (from Season 2 of CW’s Flash). Intrigued by the premise, I found the show on Netflix, watched the entire episode, and was hooked. Not only was the Flash just as nice as he had been on Justice League, but two of his Rogues were siblings, and they actually cared about one another. I wanted to know more, so I looked Captain Cold and the Golden Glider up. My research into Cold and Glider led me to the other Rogues, and soon I became a Flash fan. I watched the show, I re-watched “Flash and Substance”, I read articles about the characters from the comics...and eventually, I started reading the comics themselves. I loved the characters and the lore, and I enjoyed the generally lighthearted tone of the books even into the modern era. Unfortunately, as I learned more about the comics, I grew less and less interested in the 2014 TV show. It made too many alterations to character I liked in the comics...and eventually, I basically stopped watching the show out of frustration. Ironically enough, by getting me into comics, the show alienated me from itself....and a big reason for that was the way it handled the Rogues. Here’s a rundown of the CW Rogues, and why I was frustrated with most of them. 

1. Captain Cold. I actually enjoy Captain Cold on the CW show; he’s recognizable as Len Snart and his sarcasm game is on point. (It doesn’t hurt that Wentworth Miller is really attractive, either). His relationships with Lisa, Mick, and Barry are fantastic, and it’s a relief to have him be treated as a competent threat. That being said...he’s a bit too suave for Captain Cold, isn’t he? Silver Age Cold thought he was suave, but he wasn’t; and modern Captain Cold is middle-aged, grouchy, and very rough around the edges. His smooth, suave nature reminds me more of classic Sam (the original Mirror Master) than Captain Cold. 

2. Heat Wave. Dominic Purcell did a great job with the role he was given, and physically he’s an excellent match for Mick. That being said, CW Mick is very different from the Mick in the classic comics, who was a bit dim-witted and rather gentle and sweet for a supervillain. CW Mick, by contrast, is, as I think @gorogues put it, “Hothead McAngryman”, which wouldn’t be so bad if it didn’t seem to have bled back into the comics themselves. Villains with fire powers being hotheads is a bit overdone, so I’m not thrilled to see comic Mick being put into that role. 

3. Golden Glider. Hands down, Lisa is my favorite of the CW Rogues. Despite the fact that her costume and power set are completely different than they were in the comics, they managed to get her personality down pretty well; making her just as dangerous and competent as the boys. Flirtatious, crafty, devious, and yet still at least somewhat sympathetic, the CW version of Lisa Snart takes home the gold for the best adaptation of a Rogue. If only they hadn’t completely forgotten that she existed. 

4. Pied Piper. Note that I have not seen his Season 6 appearance, so I’m just judging this based on his appearances in Seasons 1 and 2. Piper is disappointing; in his first appearance he wasn’t as fun as Silver/Bronze Age Piper or as sympathetic as modern Piper, and I’m not crazy about the idea of him being motivated primarily by revenge on Wells/Thawne, since that wasn’t his motivation in the comics at all. I also don’t remember him being able to puppet or hypnotize people with his music, which is too bad, since that’s his main schtick in the comics. What’s more, if you want to reform a character, don’t do it offscreen via reality warping and then forget about him for four seasons. It sounds like his Season 6 appearance was better, but I haven’t seen it so I can’t comment on it. Also, “the Pied Piper” is kind of a nonindicative name if he doesn’t play a pipe/flute. 

5. Trickster II (Axel Walker). Axel was actually decent in the CW show. I still like comic Axel better, but they got the gist of his character down and even made him a bit sympathetic. In fact, he’s probably in the top three best Rogue adaptations that the CW did. 

6. Trickster I (James Jesse). I love watching Mark Hamill play CW’s Trickster...but man, he is not playing Giovanni Giuseppi on the CW show. He’s playing the Joker with a different name. It’s especially weird since we know from JLU and that one short where Mark Hamill plays himself, the Joker, the Trickster, and Swamp Thing that Hamill can do a non-Joker Trickster and do it well, so my suspicion is that it was just because Trickster was also the Joker in the 1990s Flash show (where he was also played by Mark Hamill). Regardless, murdering random people and threatening to blow up small children during Christmas is not something the Trickster should be doing. 

Although this does prove Mark Hamill could do a live-action Joker. I’d pay money to see that. Mark Hamill is a great Joker. 

7. Weather Wizard. CW Weather Wizard isn’t egregiously bad. He’s not out-of-character like Trickster, and he’s not boring to watch, but at the same time it feels like there’s something missing. Maybe it’s because he doesn’t quote Twain. Maybe it’s because there’s not the sense that he was a loser before he got his powers. Maybe it’s because they changed his origin completely (and also made him older than Clyde for some reason). It could even be because he’s not wearing a green leotard with a huge collar, puffy sleeves, and ridiculous elf boots. Whatever it is, though, he’s just missing that spark that makes me like comic book Wizard so much. 

8. Mirror Master I (Sam Scudder). I don’t know how you make Sam Scudder more boring than New 52/Rebirth did, but somehow the CW version of the character pulled it off. Granted, Cold had already stolen some of Sam’s characterization, so that didn’t help, but they could’ve leaned into his skills as an inventor or his love of showmanship or something. Instead, we got a generic thug with what was basically Evan McCulloch’s power set. Boo! Boo I say! 

9. Top (Roscoe/Rosa Dillon). The Brave and the Bold Top is more interesting than the CW version, and he doesn’t even have spoken lines! That’s how boring this Top is. Also, the gender swap was pretty pointless. I wouldn’t have minded a female Top if she’d been intelligent and creepy and snobbish in the way that Roscoe is, but why even bother changing the gender if the character is going to have such a minor role? They also substantially depowered the CW Top, since Rosa can’t spin at super speed and isn’t telekinetic. A massive missed opportunity. 

10. Mirror Master II (Evan/Eva McCulloch). I can’t comment on how good of a character Eva is, since I haven’t watched any of the episodes with her in them, but I will say I am disappointed that the character does not seem to be Scottish, does not have Evan’s weird sense of humor, and lacks his tooth gap. 

11. Captain Boomerang (George “Digger” Harkness). Not only did he not actually appear on the Flash, but he was also boring and didn’t even seem to have an Australian accent. I was very disappointed with his role in the CW. 

And now for characters who aren’t Rogues: 

-CW Eobard is really good. I have no real complaints about him. 

-CW Grodd is also really good, though I do wish he was from Gorilla City as per the comics rather than a lab experiment. 

-CW Magenta got most of the important character beats down but felt a bit out of place with Barry as the Flash. 

-CW Shade was possibly even more boring than CW Sam, which is saying something. 

-CW Zoom didn’t really feel like Zoom at all. Not only was it weird to see him fighting Barry and not Wally, but he was just a generic serial killer and didn’t have Zolomon’s unique outlook on the world. The loss of his time manipulation powers was likewise disappointing.

-CW Jay is really good. I love him. 

-CW Jesse Quick has very little in common with her comic book counterpart; I like the comic version better but don’t actually mind the CW version all that much.

-CW Wally is decent enough, though I don’t see why they couldn’t have kept him as Iris’ nephew rather than making him her brother. Also, they didn’t use him nearly as much as they should have. 

-CW Barry I generally like a lot; Grant Gustin is a good fit for the character. That being said, I do wish they hadn’t given him the dead mom origin, which was a retcon I am not fond of. 

-CW Iris is quite good (in the first three seasons, at least); she’s intelligent, loyal to Barry, dedicated to her job, and quite independent. The fact that she and Barry were foster siblings in the CW universe is kind of weird, though, since it makes their romance kind of awkward. 

-Joe West is not Ira West (Iris’s father in the comics), but I actually don’t care. Joe West is made of awesome. (I like Ira too, but I like Joe enough that I don’t mind having him replace Ira.)

-The Fiddler on the CW had very little to do with the comic Fiddler. 

-I’ve never been particularly invested in the Thinker (comic or show), but I will say that the CW’s version of the character was very different from his comics counterpart. 

-CW Ragdoll was just as creepy and unsettling as comic book Ragdoll, though he had a very different backstory. 

-I never expected Baby Josh to make it into the CW, let alone as a gender-swapped teenager named Joss who wanted to kill Weather Wizard. It felt like they never knew where to go with her character, though, so it was a wasted opportunity. At least she didn’t die like poor Baby Josh, though. 

-Big Sir in the CW show is a MASSIVE improvement over the comic version. This is probably the only character I will say this about. Though I will say that I kind of wish he’d gotten his stupidly ugly comic book costume even though it would’ve made no sense. 

-Peek-a-Boo is a pretty solid adaptation of her comic book counterpart. 

-Rainbow Raider (Prism) is much better in the comics than on the CW show, where he only existed to be a boring plot device. 

-Linda Park dating Barry was weird, but they actually did a good job with her character before she vanished.

This is not intended as a criticism of anyone who likes the show or its characters; it’s just me musing about my personal problems with it. 

[carmichealroyals]

CHARACTER INSPIRATION // C H A L L E N G E

Rules: Write up a blurb or make a visual collage of the people or characters (from books, TV shows, movies, etc.) that inspired your OC, either visually, personality wise, or just a general vibe.

I was tagged by this by so many lovely pals -- @thelockwoodroyals, @wa-royal-tea AND @ourwillowcreekroyals !!! I only feel bad that it took me so long but I wanted it to be as perfect as it could be while taking time to fiddle with Photoshop more (thank you @royaldevilliers for answering my silly questions). Below the cut are the descriptions for the personality types and tropes for each of the main three kids of this next generation! 

Not sure who’s done this yet, so if you see this and you want to do it, this is me telling you to do it!

CHARLOTTE:

The Protagonist:  Protagonists are natural-born leaders, full of passion and charisma. Forming around two percent of the population, they are oftentimes our politicians, our coaches and our teachers, reaching out and inspiring others to achieve and to do good in the world. With a natural confidence that begets influence, Protagonists take a great deal of pride and joy in guiding others to work together to improve themselves and their community.

Spirited Young Lady:  She is the girl who bends the rules just a little. Oh, she can dance a country dance or pour tea with the best of them, but she may also be a good walker or horseback rider. She may be the most intelligent girl in the story, and she is almost certainly the wittiest and the most outspoken, sometimes earning her the title of spitfire. She may be talented in more practical ways, as well: if given the opportunity, she may turn out to be a wise investor, and she may harbor talent for music, writing, or art that goes beyond drawing room entertainment and might become a means of financial independence if necessary. In rare cases, she may even solve a murder. Though she occasionally runs into some trouble, especially if she fails to obey the powers that be, she usually comes through in the end.

Deadpan Snarker: A character prone to gnomic, sarcastic, sometimes bitter, occasionally whimsical asides.The Deadpan Snarker exists to deflate pomposity, point out the unlikelihood of certain plans, and deliver funny lines. Typically the most cynical supporting character. In most cases, it is implied that the snarker would make a good leader, strategist, or consultant given their ability to instantly see the flaws in a constructed plan. More often than not, their innate snarkiness is the only thing preventing the other characters from comprehending this for themselves.

Politically Active Princess:  The Politically Active Princess is a princess that takes active interest in and plays an active role in politics. Naive courtiers and commoners alike might view her only as a figurehead, but in truth, she discreetly uses her position and guile in order to achieve her ends. Skilled in diplomacy, she will usually attempt to solve conflicts via conversation or bargaining, rather than combat. Her defining trait is her involvement in politics or diplomatic matters, without letting herself serve only as a bargaining chip.

Inspired by: Mia Thermopolis (The Princess Diaries); Lorelai Gilmore (Gilmore Girls); Vex’ahlia (Critical Role); Jenny Lee (Call the Midwife)

PETER: 

The Architect:  It can be lonely at the top. As one of the rarest personality types – and one of the most capable – Architects (INTJs) know this all too well. Rational and quick-witted, Architects may struggle to find people who can keep up with their nonstop analysis of everything around them.

The Dog Bites Back:  Unlike the Bastard Understudy and The Starscream, this character attacks as a crime of opportunity. There is no danger that he will take over the villain's place in the grand scheme of things. There is, however, a possibility that he will menace the others as a True Final Boss. The backstabber often ends up dead, but this is usually not Redemption Equals Death because their motive is not noble. Innocent victims who turn on the villain typically do it only for revenge, while evil victims prove that they were fine with all of the Big Bad's crimes except the one committed against them.

Middle Child Syndrome: Everyone loves the oldest child because the parents can rely on them, they watch out for their siblings, and they're so confidently attractive. The Youngest Child Wins because they're the "baby". But what does that leave the one in the middle? That's essentially the definition of Middle Child Syndrome, in which a child automatically may become The Unfavorite or the rebellious Black Sheep, specifically because they are the easiest child to overlook. They're not old enough to be given the responsibilities and privileges of the oldest, and the youngest child took their spot as the spoiled and doted-on "baby" of the family. This tends to be more of an issue when there are three children rather than four or more. Oftentimes in media, the middle child ends up becoming more of the Deadpan Snarker or the quirky one for this reason.

The Un-Favorite: Where there's an Alpha wolf, there's got to be a Beta. When there is a first banana, there is a second banana. This is the person in the family who can't get a break. For example, this is the child who's the big let-down to their parents, the daughter that was supposed to be a son (or vice-versa), the child the parents had by accident when they'd already decided they didn't need another mouth to feed, the adoptive, foster, or stepchild that came before the parents had a biological child, the illegitimate child conceived by infidelity on the part of one of the parents (if not even worse). But all in all, this is basically the kid who is always getting the short-end of the stick. In some extreme cases, this may cause Rich Sibling, Poor Sibling, especially if one sibling is forced into service to the other. A regular line that may be entailed with this is a variant of, "Honestly, [name], why can't you be more like [favorite's name]?"

Inspired by: Edith Crawley (Downton Abbey); Fiyero (Wicked: The Musical); Logan Huntzberger (Gilmore Girls); Rafael Solano (Jane the Virgin)

PEGGY: 

The Mediator:  Idealistic and empathetic, Mediators long for deep, soulful relationships, and they feel called to help others. But because this personality type makes up such a small portion of the population, Mediators may sometimes feel lonely or invisible, adrift in a world that doesn’t seem to appreciate the traits that make them unique.

The Baby of the Bunch: Being the youngest of your group typically comes with some perks and challenges. On one side you're probably the cutest, have a pass to act immature, people like taking care of you, and you can embrace your fun side, knowing that the elders are there to handle the serious stuff. And if there's anything you're naïve about, you have plenty of others to give you the realest unfiltered advice without the generational gap and detachment that your parents or the Old Master have. On the other end, sometimes people don't take you seriously. There you're kinda stuck because no matter how old you get, you'll always be "the baby" in their eyes.

Indifferent Beauty: A character who is attractive, aware of their effect on other people, but doesn't care or at least doesn't value their physical attractiveness over their other traits. Often, this character is a consummate professional who is well aware of the fact that they could use their "assets" to get what they want by other means, but feels that it would be unprofessional or beneath their dignity, and is instead focused on proving that they can compete purely on skill, often to the exclusion of romantic opportunities. While such characters are not averse to dressing in sexy outfits, they don't plan on relying on or even exploiting their sex appeal - but the camera will often do that for them. Other characters' indifference is not due to regarding relying on appearance to be beneath their dignity, but rather that they consider it to be unimportant.

Spoiled Sweet:  The Spoiled Sweet character is a naive, spoiled, rich or comfortably upper-class or upper-middle-class girl, who has everything they could ever want, but instead of being mean, she is as nice as can be to everyone. While still spoiled, slightly naive, perhaps shallow, maybe even a bit selfish at times, when it comes right down to it, she is a loyal friend and doesn't use her money or popularity as an excuse to treat everyone like garbage — though the trope Rich in Dollars, Poor in Sense is in play, especially since a particularly common sticking point is that characters of this type often believe their friends and other loved ones deserve to live just as well as they do.

Inspired by: Rory Gilmore (Gilmore Girls); Beth March (Little Women); Pike Trickfoot (Critical Role); Peggy Schuyler (Hamilton: An American Musical)

[kats-kradle]

Hi hello yes I actually found your blog while I was looking for Ronon Dex whump, something there is not nearly enough of, and I just wanted to say that should you ever want to share your thoughts about him, whump-related or otherwise, I'm around to hear them,,, I care him very much (which is why I like to see him hurt... funny how that works).

OHOHOHOHOHO DID SOMEONE SAY THE MAGIC WORDS “RONON WHUMP”????? And yes there is not NEARLY enough Ronon whump!!! Buckle up I don’t think you know what you’ve unleashed by offering to let me talk about this XD i have 43 (i counted thats not an exaggeration) unfinished fics where i whump this man so i have A Lot of Thoughts on this so i’ll try to keep my headcanons and general thoughts from getting mixed up so here we go (also I haven’t actually seen past season 3ish but I know like everything)

Just general thoughts

I just love the team dynamic in general the actors had great chemistry with each other

They don’t whump Ronon enough and that is A Crime.    

But when they do whump him OH BOY ITS GOOD

Just off the top of my head I can think of     the episode where John and Elizabeth were possessed by those people who     wanted to kill each other and ronon got SHOT that was dope especially when     it showed the surgery but I was so mad there was no aftercare

Also just the fact that after Ronon was shot the guy possessing John said (about John) something like “if only you could hear him right now he is screaming so loud” or something to that effect and I’m not really a John whumper but oh boy the thought of John fighting as hard as he could to try and get control back because he wants to help Ronon rlly adds to the experience

After atlantis flies and John is going around checking the damage and he finds Ronon with the shard of glass in his shoulder juts the way he kneels down next to him is so soft and his voice goes soft too its great

I haven’t gotten there yet but ohoho the enzyme episode where Ronon gets drugged and then has to go through withdrawal ohooho I may have watched that scene a few hundred times

I just love also how fiercely loyal Ronon is and how much he trusts them

That ep where those villagers were going to give them to the wraith and Ronon literally would rather die than let his friends be taken to the wraith I love how John and Teyla go through like  45 heart attacks that’s one of the ones I haven’t gotten to yet but ive  seen gifs and oh boy oh boy does it look good

The way I generally describe Ronon is he’s     like a bug fluffy dog. Like he’s kind of silly sometimes and he’s very     loyal and will kill without hesitation if it means keeping his friends     safe

Also just that whole scene when Ronon arrives     when John is asking Elizabeth if he can stay is just like a kid asking his     mom if he can keep a dog he found

And Ronon has such a sweet smile also I love it when hes happy (but also I love it when hes in pain)

Stargate Atlantis was very well directed because for most definitions of “good acting” you can see “oh this character is sad. Now they are happy” which I do understand that many people prefer  this because they have difficulty interpreting facial expressions but I absolutely adore how subtly expressive the actors are because to me it’s fascinating to decode what the character is feeling. They act like real people and talk in the way real people would and it seems super natural and not scripted, and you can just tell in their interactions that the characters care for each other a lot and its beautiful

Now that I’ve said something vaguely scholarly-like its time to move on to the mess of headcanons

Headcanons

So when rewatching season 2 with my sister I realized the amazing potential for angst involving Kell (his old commander who he killed) so in my mind even though he’s very loyal to John at first it was more of a “you saved my life now I’ll watch your back because I owe you” and he had difficulty trusting any of them but especially John this changes over time ofc but he can’t help being wary of command 

I also hc that Kell  would punish the soldiers in his division for being “unfit” for battle so like if they broke a leg or something they would be punished  (this is mostly just for my guilty pleasure of ANGST) so that way they     would “be more aware” of their surroundings and whatnot 

Also disobey direct  orders was a big no no and you know how laid back John usually is with  orders so the first time Teyla disobeyed a direct order after Ronon joined the team John was grumbling about it in a way Teyla knew wasn’t serious but Ronon just kind of panicked and started lying his ass off and saying he threatened her into doing it and he should take the punishment which led to an awkward conversation (awkward for Ronon, it left his teammates ready for some murdering)

He hides injuries  because he was alone for so long and never had anyone to take care of him so he just forgets that he has to mention it and in his mind some injuries might not be that bad 

Beckett is constantly  chasing him around after missions desperately trying to get him to hold  still for long enough to do a check

Ronon hates pain medicine because it tends to dull his senses so in his mind all the more  reason to avoid Beckett

He is really good friends with Beckett but just not when he’s hurt

Usually he wanders into the medbay after bad nightmares if Beckett is on night shift and will just sit there

One time he hesitantly asked if Beckett could check to make sure that the tracker was actually gone for good

Ronon was expecting to get laughed at but Beckett took the request with the upmost seriousness and ran all the tests he could think of to calm Ronon’s fear

One time Ronon stumbled into the medbay and he obviously hadn’t slept in a while and was flinching at every noise so Beckett made up an excuse to “take some blood to test and see if it would be compatible with vaccines for the common sicknesses  humans get” and just like. Sedated him. Ronon felt betrayed at first but quickly realized that Beckett only did it because he cared about him and wasworried. He did try to get more sleep after that tho

Oh and you can bet Beckett goes off at him if he ever ends up in the medbay which he does to everyone but  especially Ronon because usually he’s either dragged there or he’ll come  in like “yeah so three days ago for the last mission I got hit in the side and now I’m coughing up blood so…” and then will just like pass out

While he was a runner he trained himself to be a light sleeper so adjusting to Atlantis was difficult because the ocean would wake him up every night at first

Also thunderstorms are The Worst to him because 1. It gives him PTSD for when he was a soldier and the wraith were attacking and 2. When he was a runner thunderstorms were almost a death sentence because the wraith could track him but he couldn’t hide he couldn’t hear and he couldn’t see so yeah thunderstorms are real bad for him

He has a constant fear of leading the Wraith to his new home and his new family oh also I decided that he doesn’t know if his mother died or not so every place they go he’s hopeful he’ll see her

This is a hc I had before I knew it was basically canon but he and the team hang out in the cafeteria a lot especially after nightmares they just all gravitate there

Also I haven’t gotten here yet so I’m just going off of what I know but he kind of tried to leave after Beckett died because he managed to find a way to blame himself also one of my hcs is that Beckett would tell him  about Scotland all the time and had decided that if they ever got the opportunity to go to Earth then Ronon was coming to Scotland with him sooo     ehehhe the angst of Ronon going to earth for Beckett’s funeral and going     to Scotland with Beckett but not in the way either of them wanted

On to softer hcs just cuz

He loves hugs. 7 years of being alone would  make anyone want a hug.

Children gravitate to him for some reason. Logically it doesn’t make sense because he’s so big and a bit intimidating but children just adore him

He carries extra snacks for Rodney

He can’t swim. Somehow he went his entire life without knowing how to swim which Rodney is astounded by and goes on about it for a minute or so

John took it upon himself to give him swimming lessons. John was a terrible teacher but Ronon managed to get the idea

He loves cocoa, specifically loaded with marshmallows. Teyla jokes he likes the marshmallows more than the cocoa

Wow this has gone on so much longer than I thought it would

So that’s it! you unleashed the beast. I now demand to hear your thoughts on ronon because boy oh boy hes a great whumpee and im not sure ive met many if anyone who likes to whumpe him so im super excited!!

[queenaryastark]

George RR Martin: dragons are weapons of mass destruction, they're symbols of destruction and not of rebuilding, it's why the targaryens lost their power because their rule was built on fear and when the dragons died it only took a small spark to cause a rebellion, daenerys should read fire and blood so she can learn how not to use dragons daenerys herself: dragons plant no trees, If they are monsters than so am I Yall: i cant read suddenly i dont know

LMAO! I can’t even call that paraphrasing since this jumble of out of context gibberish completely misinterprets GRRM’s words and intent. 

First off, no one said dragons weren’t weapons of mass destruction. Them being powerful weapons is pretty obvious. Them being weapons does not erase the violence and cruelty of characters who do not have them. The mass destruction the Starks and Lannisters have wrought against the Riverlands and Westerlands was done without the aid of dragons. So was the mass destruction the Greyjoys and Boltons wrought on the North. The Tyrells were able to commit mass murder by cutting off food supplies, which led to mass starvation, which was their specific intent. 

Dragons are dangerous. Obviously. So are people, as George R. R. Martin goes out of his way to tell us in every chapter of his work. The man literally depicts Robb, Stannis, Balon, and Joffrey as equally as violent toward the common people and the land of Westeros. He even gives Dany this metaphoric image of the four of them:

“In one room, a beautiful woman sprawled naked on the floor while four little men crawled over her. They had rattish pointed faces and tiny pink hands, like the servitor who had brought her the glass of shade. One was pumping between her thighs. Another savaged her breasts, worrying at the nipples with his wet red mouth, tearing and chewing.” -- A Clash Of Kings

And that is far from the only time he frames them in an equally negative light given their level of mass destruction.

when the dragons died it only took a small spark to cause a rebellion, daenerys should read fire and blood so she can learn how not to use dragons

You think Dany should read Fire and Blood? I agree. I hope she gets a copy once she arrives to save Westeros from the warlords, opportunistic politicians, and the Others. Though you should probably try to find someone who can read it to you and explain what all the big words mean. If you look in that book, you will see that the Targaryens became extremely popular and loved. They decreased the amount of war and destruction, they streamlined the laws, they established roads, and they removed a couple of the abuses that were the norm. They were far from perfect. But in that imperfection, Dany could learn from them too. 

As for a “small spark” causing a rebellion as soon as they didn’t have dragons... *sighs* If you don’t know about a topic, that’s fine. Not everyone can be an expert on every topic. But you Sansa stans (yes I know you’re a Sansa stan and you probably have that hideous image of ST with her trademark vacant expression and that ugly ferret crown as your icon) should actually fact check yourselves before trying and failing to present yourselves as an authority on anything. The last dragon died in 153 AC. The Targaryens were overthrown in 283 AC. Even before 153 AC, the dragons that lived either weren’t under their control, were pretty young, or were deformed. In other words, they continued to rule Westeros without dragons for a significant amount of time. In that time, not only did they rule, but they were able to bring Dorne into the realm peacefully. 

Even the wars they had were far fewer than the amount of constant wars that happened while the kingdoms were separate. The Blackfyre Rebellions were sparked by Westerosi racism and xenophobia against the Dornish, as well as the greed and opportunism from the Andal/First Men supporters of the Blackfyre claimant. Notice how in those rebellions the people of Westeros supported either the Targaryens or the Targaryen blooded Blackfyres? No matter which side the lords took, they were supporting a Targaryen because they support that family. Like in real life civil wars, they just supported different members of that same royal line. It wasn’t because they feared them. They wanted their rule. They just wanted the rule of a specific claimant over another based on their own values or what they thought they could gain from a change in Targaryen leadership.

Even with the Baratheon rebellions, they were still Targaryen blooded claimants. With Lyonel Baratheon, he felt his family was insulted when an engagement between the crown prince and his daughter was broken so the prince could marry a peasant. This might seem like a “small spark”, but this would have been considered hugely offensive by the classist nobility. Note how this rebellion was resolved incredibly easily to the point where I don’t even think it warrants being labeled an actual rebellion. It seems more like it was set up for the next Baratheon rebellion since it resulted in that House gaining even more Targaryen blood than it already had. That’s the thing, the nobility wanted their children to marry Targaryens. Doesn’t sound very fearful, does it?

Robert’s Rebellion wasn’t set off by a “small spark”. The kidnapping and rape of the Lord of Winterfell’s daughter and the betrothed of the Lord of Storm’s End is not insignificant. It also didn’t set off the rebellion. The murders of multiple lords and their heirs is also not a small thing. It didn’t set off the rebellion either. What set it off was the combination of those two events with the demand for the executions of the new Lord of Winterfell and the Lord of Storm’s End. Those events taken separately are not small sparks and they certainly aren’t small when put together. It took something HUGE to make a big part of the realm turn on the Targaryens. Even still, the rebels were in the minority since most of the other regions either stayed out of the conflict waiting to see how it played out or stayed loyal to the Targaryens. If Tywin had continued to stay out of the conflict, the Rebellion could have lasted indefinitely with either side winning since the Crown’s forces outnumbered them and occupied the Stormlands. 

You also seem to miss the fact that quite a few people in Westeros are still Targaryen Loyalists and want to restore them to the throne. You even miss the fact that Robert, Joffrey, and Tommen’s claim comes from their Targaryen blood. 

So no, the Targaryen rule was not based purely on fear. They clearly retained loyalty and love without the benefit of dragons as weapons.

daenerys herself: dragons plant no trees, If they are monsters than so am I

It’s funny how you can try to quote the book while having no understanding of the passage you’re quoting. Here’s the paragraph you’re referring to:

Mother of dragons, Daenerys thought.Mother of monsters. What have I unleashed upon the world? A queen I am, but my throne is made of burned bones, and it rests on quicksand. Without dragons, how could she hope to hold Meereen, much less win back Westeros?I am the blood of the dragon, she thought.If they are monsters, so am I. -- ADWD

This takes place in Dany’s second chapter of A Dance With Dragons after she has captured and chained two of her dragons and failed to capture the third. Why is she trying to chain them? Because Drogon killed one (1) child. That’s right. Not only is Dany compensating the people for the sheep her dragons were eating. She has no tolerance for them killing innocents. The quote above is not her glorying in the destructive power of the dragons. Nor is she going around without an ounce of guilt for terrorizing, maiming, and murdering innocents the way Robb, Balon, Stannis, Joffrey, Tyrion, Cersei, and every other leader in Westeros does. That is what this passage is PROVING. Seriously, using the “If they are monsters, so am I” quote is proving that Dany has guilt over the life her dragon has taken and that she has taken steps to prevent that from happening again. Compare that to Tyrion’s complete lack of care when it comes to the mass murder his family is causing:

"A lordling down from the Trident, says your father's men burned his keep, raped his wife, and killed all his peasants."

"I believe they call that war." -- Tyrion, ACOK

While Dany is trying to preserve lives, the mass murdering leaders of Westeros see murder and rape as the norm and completely acceptable. Even the noble Robb Stark tried to move the carnage that he and Tywin were inflicting on the Riverlands into the Westerlands and was upset that his plan to do so was partly thwarted by Edmure. His issue wasn’t with the common people suffering and dying. He just wanted the suffering and dying to happen to the common people of the Westerlands (the ones who hadn’t been forced into service as arrow fodder by the Lannisters yet) instead. Yet, you’re trying to use Dany’s guilt at one (1) child being killed by her dragon as proof of...something?

As for Dany not planting trees, yes, she fears that’s something Targaryens can’t do. But the text shows that her ancestors could and did. Dany is also planting trees in ADWD and was in the process of making Vaes Tolorro bloom in ACOK before she was invited to Qarth. The Golden Company (who wants to put her and Aegon on the Iron Throne as a pair) are even upset because they think she’s only interested in planting trees in Meereen.

When analyzing a literary work you have to understand that what the characters fear and the guilt they feel are not signs of their permanent situations. They’re signs of their internal obstacles that will be overcome in their arcs. Dany fears her dragons and fears herself and fears that she won’t be able to achieve peace and positive societal growth. Its good that she fears these things because this shows she acknowledges these issues so they can be overcome. The current Westeros leadership don’t see the issue in their mass murdering, which is an issue all on it’s own. 

Its alright if this series is above your comprehension level. There are books out there for you to read that are better suited for your capabilities, like Hop on Pop or Green Eggs and Ham. It’s probably best if you stick to those.

[fae-fire]

Yehn’li Khete (LFRP)

basics ––––

REAL NAME: Yalvus Lux Ilvanus, Suffragium Tertius Architectus Magiteci ALIAS: Yehn’li Khete. Mostly goes by just Yehn. Yehn’li or Mr. Khete is also accessible. AGE: Early 30s, looks deceptively a bit younger RACE: Keeper Miqo’te GENDER: Male, He/Them SEXUALITY: Pansexual MARITAL STATUS: Single  SERVER: Balmung/Mateus

physical appearance ––––

HAIR: A light reddish-brown. Almost strawberry blond. His hair extends past their shoulders and some chunks are longer than others since he mostly just cuts it himself. EYES: His right eye is black with a permanently dilated pupil from an injury in an explosion. His left eye is a bright green-blue. HEIGHT: 5′6″ BUILD: Small frame, lanky with more of a lean cut to him. He isn’t weak though as he’s dedicated the last five years or so of his life to metal working and crafting, so he’s got quite a bit of lean muscle. More of a runner’s body than a warrior’s though. DISTINGUISHING MARKS: His left leg is a magitek prosthetic. He has a small scar on his cheek from the same accident. His foot tends to be dirty with soot or just...dirt from walking around barefoot. There is a Garlean brand-like tattoo on his back over his right shoulder blade. It appears to have been cut with a knife to try and remove most of it so there’s a lot of scar tissue there. COMMON ACCESSORIES: Goggles on his head. A few tools laid out in what could look like a surgeon’s pack...even though he’s an engineer. 

personal –––-

PROFESSION: Former scientist for Garlemald. From a conscript family, he took on a Garlean name as he gained more respect in the medical field. He worked mostly on neurological-based technology. He still has a list of every test subject and what he had done to them. Many of his experiments were just for fun. He is now...retired. Away from Garlemald as he was in it for himself, not the Empire as a whole and didn’t care for their plans in the long run. He now is a tinkerer of random things, takes on odd jobs, fixes magitek prosthetics, and is “totally clean” of the criminal life...sometimes.  HOBBIES: Crafting and gathering junk to sell. Explosives. LANGUAGES: Common. I am unaware if Garlemald has its own language but he’d know that if it does. Bits and pieces of Hingan from hiding out in Kugane. RESIDENCE: He has two shops--one in Limsa and one in Kugane. The Kugane  one is safer due to the rules around weapons so he’s most likely there. FEARS: Being sent back to Garlemald, the Empire killing him, the alliance arresting and/or killing him, nutkins

relationships –––-

SPOUSE: None. CHILDREN: None. PARENTS: Birth parents are (probably) alive, but not of consequence SIBLINGS: None. OTHERS: None.

traits –––-

extroverted / introverted / in between

disorganized / organized / in between

close minded /open-minded / in between

calm / anxious / in between

disagreeable / agreeable / in between

cautious / reckless / in between

patient / impatient / in between

outspoken / reserved / in between

leader / follower / in between

empathetic / unemphatic / in between

optimistic / pessimistic / in between

traditional / modern / in between

hard-working / lazy / in between

cultured / un-cultured / in between

loyal / disloyal / in between

faithful / unfaithful / in between

additional information –––-

SMOKING HABIT:

never / sometimes / frequently / to excess.

DRUGS:

never / sometimes / frequently / to excess.

ALCOHOL:

never / sometimes / frequently / to excess

RP HOOKS –––-

THE MOTHERLAND: Garleans and ex-pats may have heard of him. Whether you need an ally in an unfamiliar land (though one that may drive you a bit mad) or are chasing down a deserter, there’s plenty of routes to choose from.

WANTED: Got an itching for justice against a known criminal? Could be an open route there though I’d have to discuss for pre-established knowledge since god modding and all that cool stuff. But definitely bring it up if you’re interested in that. 

MAGITEK: In need of a magitek prosthetic tune up? Some illegal weaponry? He’s your guy. Though a lot of his product is unstable since a lot of is made from blackmarket parts and some of the Ceruleum is refined by himself...but that’s irrelevant! You’ll get a good bargain! 

I’M CLEAN NOW...UNLESS?: Yehn will swear up the ass that he’s not part of that criminal life anymore. Though who is he kidding? The man is addicted to chaos, murder and explosions and it’s not that difficult to get him to tip his hand. He still has his hands in a lot of pies and may prove to be a good criminal contact. Or enemy.

TO THE SKIES OF DRAVANIA: My main RP is focused around Sky Pirates and Yehn becoming an airship engineer. If you are also a sky pirate, that may be a useful avenue for adventure. Or at least fixing your engine... You may find him around Ishgard and Dravania as well.

Extended Background Details––––

I probably forgot something but Yehn is an ex-scientist based around studying the body and has a laundry list of lives he has taken. He left the empire to seek a life of his own since the Empire didn’t line up with what he wanted and he felt stifled by the professional environment he was in. It’s been around five years since he left and in that time he has gotten into some trouble here and there but keeps trying to quit his ways, though he really does love his work around the body and taking things apart. He focuses most of that energy into making random things to sell, and has used his knowledge around magitek and science to go more towards an engineering route and live the good-guy life, but self sabotage is a thing. He also kinda loves explosives and did blow his own leg off... Though he’ll lament about how he lost it in the war. The story changes every time. He’s pretty guarded about who and what he is and comes off as lazy and bemused.

In any case, this is a fairly dark character overall and this is kind of a warning to explain that. My OOC values and views don’t align with my character’s and he’s still very much a work in progress alongside my partner’s character. 

what I’m looking for ––––

Anything really, though this is more of a profile post than actually LOOKING for new RP since I am busy IRL. I’d like to delve in to some plot based rp a bit more, make some connections, friends, enemies, contacts. I’m open to head canons and plotting, but I am not open for RP at the moment unless you can handle slow discord replies because of working from home with the pandemic. But I try... I don’t really RP in game though. I stick to discord because I really don’t have the time to sit in game and RP anymore.

oocly, I am ––––

A nerd who Rps? Mostly darker RP that gets in on mature themes, etc.

I have a 9-5 job, pacific time (currently working from) and I run and exercise regularly and that takes priority for me. Replies from me won’t be instant.

I am a multi-paragraph RPer. I will usually match who I am RPing with, but I DO type a lot. You have been warned!! I don’t do one-line RP. If that is your style and you are annoyed by multiple paragraphs, I may not be the right partner for you.  

I do a lot of darker RP with a lot of questionable themes. I am not the person to go to for tavern RP and constant casual RP. While Yehn can be social, I’m not really looking for happy go lucky small talk, if that makes sense. It doesn’t really fit the character. 

My rules for RP are still being made, but you can call me Rae. Pronouns are He/They. 

you can contact me via ––

Tumblr DM. Discord upon request. Contacting me in game is not a good idea probably since I’m either afk or offline a lot.

@crystalxivrp @balmungrp @mooglemeet @ffxiv-crystal-rp​

[thelittlestcheshire]

Is that HAILEY CHESHIRE “CHES” ELSWOOD? Wow, they do look a lot like KATHERINE MCNAMARA. I hear SHE is an EIGHTEEN year old FRESHMEN who is studying ENGLISH at Luxor University. Word is they are an ARISTOCRAT student. You should watch out because they can be IMPULSIVE and STUBBORN, but on the bright side they can also be ENERGETIC and LOYAL. Ultimately, you’ll get to see it all for yourself.

the basics //

Full Name: Hailey Cheshire “Ches” Elswood

Preferred Name: Ches Elswood

Age: 18

Birthday: July 19th

Zodiac: Cancer

Gender & Pronouns: Woman (She/Hers)

Sexuality: Bisexual

Occupation: Youtuber (two channels, a theme park history channel that uploads once a month (documentary style) and a DIY channel she shares with a friend she posts on the 2nd and 4th Mondays of each month)

Relationship Status: In a Relationship with Elliot Mills

Place of Birth: Paris, France

Hometown: Manhattan, New York, New York

Country of Citizenship: United States and France [dual citizenship]

Languages Spoken: French (first), English, Latin, Portuguese, and she’s learning Norwegian (she doesn’t think it’s enough to count yet) and she just started Russian

deeper dive //

Hobbies and Talents:

 ♡ Piano

 ♡ Archery

 ♡ Acting

 ♡ Singing (Voice Claim: Katherine McNamara (updated - spring 2021))

 ♡ Reading

 ♡ Forgeries

 ♡ Lockpicking

 ♡ DIYS (especially involving resin)

 ♡ Writing (not creatively though, essays, Defunctworld scripts)

 ♡ Video Creation

Favorites:

♡ Color: Pink (the watermelon paint color)

♡ Food: Cheap Chinese Food

♡ Animal: Tigers

♡ Drink: Cherry Cola

♡ Flower: Lilies

♡ Book: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

♡ Holiday: Halloween (costumes) or Christmas (gift giving)

♡ Movie: The Shining

♡ Scent: Vanilla Bean

♡ Place: Her family's flat in Paris

♡ Quote:

“and though she be but little, she is fierce” - William Shakespeare

Bêtes Noires:

♡ Color: Dijon

♡ Food: Sushi (a lot of it has to do with that tuna allergy though)

♡ Animal: Domestic Cats, she can tolerate them but they’re one of the few animals she wouldn’t seek out.

♡ Drink: Coffee (it’s a key reason why she drinks it when she’s panicking, because who has time to panic when you’re too busy being offended by what you’re drinking? Not Ches.)

♡ Flower: Roses (she loathes them, dislike is an understatement)

♡ Book: The Hunchback of Notre Dame - Victor Hugo

♡ Holiday: Her birthday

♡ Movie: The Notebook

♡ Scent: Roses

♡ Place: Touristy Locations, she hates being around tourists ok

health //  

Conditions:

           ♡ Borderline Personality Disorder

           ♡ PTSD

Allergies: Severe Allergy to the Perciformes family of fish (tuna, mackrel, perch , and bass). Shellfish and salmoniformes (Salmon and Trout) are fine, but she won’t try any other kinds of fish just in case.

Sleeping Habits: Ches doesn’t sleep well at all, she has nightmares more often than not, and it’s rare for her to get more than a couple of hours of sleep.

Exercise Habits: While she occasionally skips leg day, Ches exercises daily because she needs to be in good shape for archery. Usually, she goes for boxing (with a dummy, not other people) but she likes hiking a lot as well.

Addictions: Alcohol, although Ches is currently in recovery

Drug Use: Occasional weed (edibles), but for the most part she avoids drugs

Alcohol Use: Ches used to drink multiple times of day daily, but now she doesn’t drink at all because she’s in recovery (attending NA and therapy) and has quit.

personality //  

MBTI: ENFP

Enneagram: 7w8 (The Enthusiast with The Challenger wing)

Alignment: Chaotic Neutral, occasionally bordering on Chaotic Good

Hogwarts House: Ravenclaw

Percy Jackson Parent: Aphrodite

Pokémon Type: Ghost

Pokémon Subtype: Electric

Winx: Light

appearance //

Height:  5′3 ½” (not at fc height)

Tattoos: One, Two, Three

Scars: None

Piercings: None

Hair:  Red (naturally). Ches dyes her hair from time to time so she has a current hair color thing in her sidebar (you may have to scroll).

Eyes: Green

Fashion:

♡ link to ches’s closet

♡ link to ches’s shoes

life at luxor //  

Major:

♡ English

Clubs and Activities:

♡ Archery Club

♡ Theater (Actress)

♡ Concert Band (Piano)

♡ National Honor Society

fun facts //  

♡ Ches is a former Carnifex student who came over to Luxor during the merge. You can see everything that she’s been up to during her time in the rp on her timeline page.

♡ Ches has a twin brother named Jonah who isn’t at Luxor.

♡ The Elswoods are rich. Top 25 Forbes list, 50+ Billion Networth levels of rich. In turn Ches really doesn’t think that much about money, and how much it actually means to other people.

♡ Valedictorian of Luxor Academy’s 2020 Class, she turned down Columbia’s English program to attend Luxor University.

♡ She doesn’t use her first name, ever. She doesn’t like it, and there’s a fairly high chance of her just not acknowledging you if you call her Hailey.

♡ She’s a bit of a closet nerd - if you look under her bed she has a chest of comic books, although she has NO idea how they got there if you ask her.  Do not question the R2-D2 shaped thing covered by a tarp in her closet. She also doesn’t know where that came from.

♡ Extremely restless, if you want her to sit still during a movie you better give her something to do simultaneously.

♡ Her purse is kinda like Mary Poppins bag, odds are she has what you’re looking for in it. She almost always has her multi-tool on her. She also tends to carry around a single shot nerf gun, don’t ask.

♡ She got her first tattoo while she was away from school, using a forged note of parental consent in New Jersey. (The not fragile one, the arrow was added later).

♡ She has way too many siblings, you can learn about them on her family page. (She has one more not listed, a still born half brother named Julien she learned about via her mother’s diaries. The rest of the children (excluding Emmett) are unaware.)

♡ Loves animals, a lot, sometimes to a reckless extent. She would try to feed piranhas, she does try to climb into enclosures with venomous snakes. She would steal a dog (as would her twin brother, so apparently they have more in common than they realize).

♡ If Ches makes a threat, take it with a grain of salt. Yes, she owns a blowtorch, no she won’t set you on fire even if she lights it in your direction. Your muse might not always know that - depending on how much time they’ve spent with her, but ooc just remember her bark is way worse than her bite.

♡ Ches has a Porsche that she got from her father for graduating at the top of her class. Although it’s currently not travelling with her because the cost of shipping a car is insane. Anytime she’s in Lake George though, this is her baby. (She also owns a Mercedes, which was her first car).

♡ I’m always willing to discuss my muses, so feel free to hit me up if you have any questions at any point.

a tl;dr history  //  

♡ Ches’s mother was murdered on her 8th birthday in front of her

♡ She was raised by her oldest brother, Logan, and is NOT close to her father really. She also helped raise her younger sisters and is very protective of them.

♡ The Elswood she is closest to is Emmett. He’s a big part of why she’s even here, as she’d followed him to Carnifex.

♡ Her first real love was James (an npc). They dated Freshman-Sophomore years. It wasn’t a healthy relationship, and it started Ches’s messy af relationship and fwbs pattern as she didn’t want to go through that again.

♡ Ches left Luxor in October of 2019 because her oldest brother (Logan), overdosed. He’s alive and doing well now, but she stayed in NYC until March 2020 in order to take care of things here.

♡ I strongly recommend skimming Ches’s timeline page before interacting with her. These are just the bare minimum basics, and there’s more things your muse may know on there.

wanted connections //  

♡ Exes (when Ches dates it’s not for long, but she’s definitely the type to be like “I’ll go out with you” if asked and then... dump you if she thinks she’s getting too attached. So her exes are either on good terms, neutral terms, or they probably dislike her a lot)

♡  Former friends with benefits (while Ches is no longer taking on new ones because of Elliot, I’m always willing to headcanon past things!)

♡  Friends (I am weak af for a good friendship plot, never be afraid to be like “hey can our muses be friends” the answer is legit always yes)

♡ Enemies (Ches can... be a lot so it’s not unlikely she’s pissed people off ok)

♡ NA Sponsor (I think it'd be beneficial for Ches to have a sponsor, someone she respects and trusts but not someone with a close emotional attachment. I'd prefer if the muse has been sober for two+ years, but we can probably find a middle ground.)

♡ Ex Friends (People used to be friends with but no longer is on good terms with, either as an aftermath of her addiction, the aftermath of her recovery when that starts, them just growing apart, etc etc)

[jasontoddiefor]

Title: Same Heart, Same Blood Summary: You do not have a name. You were supposed to be Lord Vader’s son, the copy of the child that had died on the desert planet, but the man that never was your father rejected you. You grow up hating him (you just want to belong).The Emperor made a clone of Luke Skywalker, who died as a mere five-year-old. The rest, as they say, was the Will of the Force. AN: Take this mess that has stolen my calm away these past days

[Read on AO3]

You do not have a name, not yet, but the old man with the golden eyes has promised that you will soon. He calls himself the Emperor, your Emperor as if it is a fundamental truth you better not question.

(It is one, you’re going to learn later, wheezing for breath as you kill the children you grew up with. It also a lie, you realize two decades in the future, crying in a princess’s embrace.)

But right now you don’t think to question it. Your thoughts and memories are much too confusing and your muscles still jerk from phantom pains. The environment, the wealth of the palace around you, confuses you and you aren’t sure how to handle it. You are dressed in fine black clothes by two servants and the fabric is much softer than the one you are used to wearing.

(These too are memories you don’t recall.)

“You are the son of my Lord Vader,” your Emperor tells you. “You will bring glory to the Empire.”

You nod because that is obviously what your Emperor expects. He smiles, strangely, kind and loathing at the same time, and orders you to walk with him.

You meet Lord Vader in the throne room. He is a monster dressed in blood and torment, but you think you might learn to adore your father. He is strong, that much you can tell already, but he is also in great pain. You think that if you might ease his suffering, you could be happy for the rest of your life.

“I have discovered a great plot,” the Emperor tells your father. “After you killed you dear wife, the Jedi took her body not just to bury it on Naboo, but to steal your child as well. He brought your son to Tatooine, to be raised as a farmer. I felt a great disturbance in the Force, my apprentice, and it was there that I found your child, a son. Unfortunately, it was too late already. Your son had been slain like your mother before him.”

Darkness pours from your Father, so thick and terrible, you feel like you’re choking, as if your breath was stolen away. But you stay silent because your Emperor told you so.

“Embrace the anger, Lord Vader. You may swallow that planet whole if it pleases you, but first I want to introduce you to someone.”

You are young still, so small and frail and caught off-guard, but even now you understand what the Emperor is asking. You step forward, hoping to make a good impression on your father.

“I have tried to remedy that cruelty,” the Emperor says. He puts a hand on your shoulder, keeping you close and away from your father. You’re not sure why he’s doing it. Aren’t you supposed to go to him?

“Child, introduce yourself,” the Emperor orders.

You frown as you aren’t sure what to say. You haven’t been given a name yet, but you want to make him proud. After all, you’ve been told your purpose and your role already. Son of Lord Vader, glory to the Empire.

“Hello, Father,” you say, trying to look as brave as possible. “I am here to please you.”

“A perfect clone of the boy,” the Emperor explains your existence. “A gift.”

(You don’t know what a clone is, not yet. Later, during your lessons, you will read about the Republic and the Clone Wars, understand that you are a pale copy made to be used as a common tool without any rights or a name. You will beat your opponents into the ground until you and they are bleeding. You’re snarling in anger and remembering that this, at least, is yours.)

Your father doesn’t answer at first, he just breathes as the hatred and pain continue to surround him.

“Is the clone to be a replacement for my son, then?” He finally asks.

“If you wish. The Force is strong in him,” the Emperor replies.

You get the impression that your father stares at you, mustering how you measure up to his expectations. You stand as straight as you can and smile a little shyly perhaps. You want him to love you, but you only need him to like you.

“Give him to the Inquisitors,” your father replies. “I have no use for him.”

You watch as your father leaves, standing still at the Emperors side. You don’t understand what happens until the Grand Inquisitor comes, pulls you harshly by your arm and drags you away to the training facility.

They call you boy and child and soldier and brother and you aren’t given a name. You don’t dare to ask for one, so sure that your father will still come.

The hope leaves you the first time they break your bones and you scream and beg, try to reach out to the darkness you experienced only once. He’s far away, that much you know.

He’s not coming to save you.

Glory to the Empire.

You’re nobody’s son.

X

Half the time the Force is screaming at you, the other half is spent being shouted at by the other Inquisitors. They teach you discipline, loyalty to the Empire and all the skills needed to ensure the Emperor will always sit on his throne. You’re not sure whether you’re actually loyal to the Empire. It’s all you have ever known and you suppose you should be thankful to it for creating you, but you aren’t.

You hate it, you resent your own existence to the core. You weren’t born, you were made to bleed and die for the Empire. And, being forced through its punishing training, you catch yourself thinking that death might be kinder. The numbers of the Inquisitors always stay roughly the same, but only because they steal children as quickly as they kill them.

You refuse to be murdered by them; you won’t give them the satisfaction. You will live and you will serve and you will bring glory to the Empire.

(You will fight and keep fighting until you’re standing in front of Lord Vader and force him to acknowledge you. You will be great and he will realize all he lost when he threw you away.)

The thoughts of running away or defecting to the rebels never cross your mind, but the idea of compassion does. It is forbidden to you, to all Inquisitors. You are taught how to forget it in the death matches they force you to compete in. The weakest get the chance to prove themselves one last time, while the oldest are made to kill the companions they share a room and a table with.

The lesson never sticks.

It is compassion that saves you again and again.

Your shields are made of durasteel. Nobody can get through them, no matter how hard your teachers try, but invading their minds is so much easier. You suggest they stop kicking you when you are already down and they do.

Your talents don’t go unnoticed, they never do in a place like this. You are taught infiltration, how to smile and make your blue eyes light up in childish wonder. When you are ten, you meet a girl two years younger than you with the same skill set.

Her hair is bright red and stands out as much as your own blonde crown. She doesn’t have a name either, at least not until the two of you are stuck in a dorm together. Nightmares are a frequent occurrence here and she screams.

You’re tired, you want to sleep, you slip into her dreams.

(There is a woman standing in the desert, screaming at you. She’s crying and you think you are as well. The girl is hiding in a basement and watches her mother die shouting her daughter’s name. The scene is familiar. You don’t know that the first part of the dreamscape isn’t Mara’s but yours until it’s nearly too late.)

You call her Mara when you’re alone and she hurls whatever nickname she can think of at you. You still don’t have a name, only a rank.

It’s Third Brother right now.

(By the end of the year it will be Second Brother and when you’re fourteen, you will be the First Brother. They will begin to whisper about Siths and Apprentices you will stare at your face in the mirror every morning, wondering why your eyes are still blue.)

Mara likes to stick to words associated with the sky.

“It’s because you always volunteer for missions, just to pilot, Skyspawn,” Mara says with an eye roll.

You enjoy flying. It makes you feel like you are free, even when you’re stuck in a durasteel container. If you had been given a choice as a child, you’d be a pilot instead of an Emperor’s Hand.

The title is given to you on your creation day. The Emperor smiles, tells you he is proud of you. You’re thankful for your shields because you honestly couldn't care less about what he thinks.

(It’s not him you want to impress.)

All you know is that your training is finally complete and that your life might not be your own, but even just the taste of more room to be whoever you want to be leaves you dreaming. Then, after half a year of doing missions handed to you by the Emperor himself, he gives you your first long-term assignment.

He puts you on the crew of Lord Vader’s flagship.

You are to assist Lord Vader in all matters. You are given an appropriate uniform and a new name for all the other personnel to use when addressing you.

Commander Forbes.

Forn Besh.

First Brother.

Even Mara’s worst nicknames, and she has come up with some truly awful ones, aren’t as uncreative as this. You miss her like one would miss their right hand, but Mara is still training and you are not.

(Vader never calls you anything but Inquisitor.)

X

You think you might hate Vader, but you know he doesn't hate you, not really. He hates the idea of you, all that you represent. You are the son he never got to meet or raise, the Emperor’s total control over him, all his flaws.

Vader only really lashes out at you once. He chokes you with the Force, squeezes until you can see the stars surrounding you, and then he drops you.

(You don’t know that for all that you are Anakin Skywalker’s copy, you resemble Padmé Amidala even more. It is only this that saves you.)

For one terrible moment you wish he would have gone through with it. He could have snapped your neck so very easily.

(You know because that’s how you killed the First Brother.)

Vader introduces you as the Emperor’s asset. For all that you’re supposed to be undercover, Vader’s troops obviously know that it means you’re a spy. You are surprised at first because you didn’t expect them to be this loyal to Vader. The Stormtroopers treat you like an outsider because they are Vader’s men. The other military officers just treat you strangely because you’re incredibly short for your age.

You should report this to the Emperor.

You don’t.

The Stormtroopers start inviting you to the mess hall. It is only then that you see why they might be so loyal to Vader, hundreds of identical faces talking to each other at the same time.

Nobody told you that most of Vader’s fleet consists of Clone Troopers, but you suppose that it does explain why their missions have a much higher success rate. They have been made for war, just like you, and don’t know how to be anything but a smarter blaster.

(You’re not sure you know either.)

CC-2224 is your favorite. You’re not supposed to have favorites, but you’re not supposed to be compassionate either and that has only aided you so far. The other clones seem to pick up on your new acquaintance with him and now draw you in too. You gather that CC-2224 used to be a Commander, a position now reserved for fourteen-year-old Emperor’s Hands, and some of the other Troopers still defer to that.

Vader puts CC-2224 in charge often enough despite it all, so you begin to report to him too, report to him first. You gain the clones’ favor and you fight at the front with them.

At Vader’s behest, you raze through battlefields with twin red ‘sabers in your hands. You cut through droids and rebels and smugglers, execute on his orders.

You give him everything you have.

(He doesn’t return in kind.)

The clones start to slip up around you. They call you Commander usually, but when it’s just you and them between blaster fire, a verd'ika slips out often enough.

They do not actually mean you, you realize quickly. Most men of Vader’s Fist wear a little extra color between their regular uniforms. They’re not supposed to do so, but you catch flashes of blue and orange. The battalions of the Republic are not as dead as they should be.

You ought to tell the Emperor.

(But that would mean betraying Vader and losing this little space you carved out for yourself. You’ve collected trinkets of the worlds you visited and you get to keep them. The clones give you sweets and CC-2224 mutters about reverse grips when he sees you hold your ‘sabers for the first time.)

You don’t.

(You quietly look up the old Republic battalions. 501st blue and 212th orange. General Kenobi and Skywalker, blue lightsabers. Commander Tano with twins. You wonder if it’s her CC-2224 is thinking of when he sees you.)

You’re just like the clones, you think. A vod to a dead child. But you don’t dare to actually voice your thoughts. You think CC-2224 might know anyway.

(This is why Vader hates you. The clones, for all that they are supposed to be identical, have slightly different skills and tastes. You’re not a perfect copy. You never were.)

But you‘re still the Emperor‘s Hand. You‘re called back to Coruscant regularly to report and train with the other Inquisitors. You‘ve only become stronger since you left, even if you haven’t become much taller. You see Mara only for moments during the daytime, but she doesn’t fail to tease you about your height when you‘re stuck in your room, turning your sheets red because of badly treated injuries.

“You’re getting popular here,” Mara tells you. “They call you Vader’s attack dog.”

Vader’s replacement, is what she actually means. It makes a terrible amount of sense. Your presence throws Vader off, the Emperor thinks you’re only his own and you were made for this.

The Force is strong in you.

Vader has ambitions, mourns a child and a wife and perhaps - this thought occurs to you for the first time then - he blames the Emperor. If he is so strong, was stronger than Vader, he should have been able to stop it all from happening.

But he hadn’t.

You exist and you’re not a gift, you’re a punishment and you will be the instrument of the Emperor’s downfall.

(You’re tired. You don’t want to be anyone’s anything. You just want to belong somewhere and be left in peace.)

You crawl out of your bed, allow yourself to wince because of your bruised ribs and make yourself comfortable in Mara’s bunk.

“Aren’t we too old for this?” She asks, but makes space for you anyway.

It’s an old song and dance, except you’re not ten-and-eight, you’re seventeen-and-fifteen nowadays. You’re exhausted from all your nightmares. You have become used to them, but they’re still painful.

(You dream about the battlefields, the smell of burned flesh. Children half your age you can’t afford to care for and sentients twice your age who do. You’re not a torturer, you’re a soldier, but it doesn’t make a difference when you are ordered to slaughter them like cattle.)

“No,” you tell her. The clones still share bunks after particularly gruesome campaigns and they are much older than the two of you.

Mara’s breath evens out before yours. You want to take her with you on board of the Devastator. She’s one of the most skilled Inquisitors, your teamwork is great and Vader hasn’t tried to outright kill you in three years. Mara would be safe and away from the Imperial Center.

Vader might always send you into the worst parts of the battles, but you return victorious.

(It’s spite, you tell yourself, but that’s a lie. You still only want to make him proud, have him acknowledge you. Just once you want him to look at you like he did before.)

You will just have to keep fighting.

X

The clones don’t celebrate birthdays, they don’t have any, and the Inquisitors never do either. You know you were created on Empire Day, so sometimes it feels like you’re celebrating having made it through another year. This campaign though leaves much to be desired. Vader is always called back to Coruscant for Empire Day, but this year his troops have been left behind, turning another rebel cell to dust. You’re dirty and haven’t eaten in a week and want to go back to the ship.

“I hate marching through caves,” CT-4545 complains. “It’s dark and wet and urgh.”

“We’re halfway through already,” CC-2224 says. He’s walking right behind you and from experience you know he will tackle you to the ground first, should any complications arise.

(It’s comforting in a way you can’t quite understand.)

“At least we’ve got somebody to light up our way, don’t we?”

The clone means you and you can’t help smiling. You’re glad you’re walking in front of the, so that they can’t see it. All of you engineered war machines have a role to play still after all.

“You sense any danger, nau'ul?” CT-4545 asks.

Candlelight.

CC-2224 had come up with the moniker after seeing you train in the dark, only the red of your ‘sabers illuminating the training hall. A week later, every Clone Trooper had been using it in the appropriate moments.

The mission absolutely sucks, but you’re in good company at least. Using your lightsabers as flashlights is ridiculous, but you don’t mind at all.

“No danger,” you reply and hope the campaign will be over soon, but you already know it's useless.

The battles get worse. There are civilians here and you are told to ignore them and keep fighting. You’re not allowed to hesitate, but there’s a little girl with red hair and you look away, just for a second.

(It’s enough.)

You get thrown to the ground, your head smacks against the dry earth and dust gets into your eyes. Somebody is lying on top of you and you push them off.

Their armor is white because everyone’s is, but you’ve always been able to tell them apart in the Force.

“CC-2224!”

He took the shot meant for you, and this one wasn’t just a blaster shot. The people of this planet use sharper weapons, reply on bleeding you dry in the most violent ways because they can’t afford blasters.

He’s bleeding.

You take off his helmet and try to get him out of his armor. He needs to get medical treatment, but you’re on the frontlines and there are no medics here.

(They don’t get wasted on troopers and you’re expected to be able to protect yourself. CC-2224 has taken to checking up on you after fights because you spent the first nine years you can remember hiding away all weaknesses to survive.)

“Kriff,” you hiss.

CC-2224 is getting paler by the second, but his face isn’t crunched in pain. He doesn’t look like he’s feeling anything at all.

“You safe, verd'ika?” CC-2224 slurs.

Somebody is shouting for a medic. It might be you.

“No, no, no,” you stutter. You press your hands on CC-2224’s wound, but the blood just keeps welling up. “You can’t die here!”

“It’s my time,” CC-2224 rattles. He pulls at his hands, taking off an orange bracelet. “Keep it, nau'ul. Tell him- tell him I’m sorry.”

You get flashes of a man you know is Kenobi, then various vode, none of whom you recognize. Clones have funeral rites, you know this much, but they rarely get to practice them. The Empire doesn’t care about its dead, but you do and you can’t do it.

“Don’t- don’t leave me here, please,” you beg. “Please, Cody, please, you have to make it. You can’t leave me here, I don’t have anyone else. Cody- Cody, please, I don’t know how to-“

Cody doesn’t answer so you scream in his stead.

The next hours are a blur. You know you win the battle because you return to the Devastator covered in red. You’re not sure how many people you’ve killed. You stopped counting years before you were sent to spy on Vader. There’s an orange bracelet wrapped around your wrist, untouched by the bloodshed.

Vader spares you a second glance.

(It is more than he ever did before.)

X

The next months don’t get better. The rebels become more desperate and daring, and yet the Emperor calls you back to Coruscant. He tears through your mind and you let him see everything but the memories tainted in orange and blue. Whatever he finds, he’s content.

“You have done well, Inquisitor,” the Emperor says. “Your talent may excel Lord Vader’s yet.”

“Thank you, my Emperor,” you reply, carefully keeping the pain out of your voice.

You keep your hands behind your back, you tug at the orange band, just to reassure yourself that it’s still there.

The Emperor is driven by ambition, but not the kind that forces you to throw yourself at enemies again and again, hoping it’ll make him look at you.

He wants total control, you’d be content with your own autonomy.

“Return to Lord Vader’s side,” the Emperor orders. “He shall instruct you.”

You have been learning from Vader since you can remember. The Inquisitors’ training is based on Vader’s ruthlessness and you’ve had the chance to observe him on the battlefield. You’re already copying a lot of his fighting style because, buried beneath brute strength, Vader is a rather cunning fighter. He wastes no energy and uses his opponents’ attacks against them.

You’re under no illusion that Vader hasn’t picked up on the fact that you’re learning from him. Being stuck in the worst areas of the battles often also means being near Vader, it gives you a chance to observe him closely.

If Vader were to instruct you directly, you’re not sure you’d actually keep learning from him. He might actually kill you and call it an accident.

“Thank you, my Emperor.”

You wait for him to release you, but instead he just observes you.

“You may call me Master, my young apprentice. Lord Vader is hunting down rebels near Scarif, I suggest you haste.”

“Yes, my Master,” you reply and choke down the bile.

Your leave the Emperor’s hall as fast as you can, you don’t stop to see if Mara’s at the base and you run.

(You do not want to surpass Vader. The higher you reach, the more terrible the fall. The Emperor’s anger is barely endurable when you’re otherwise having a good day. You don’t want to be his, you never did.)

The hanger is pretty empty and nobody looks at you twice as you leave in your ship. You’ve been modifying it over the years as a side-project to keep busy when you’re not fighting or staying at Vader’s side. The ship is fast, but it’s not fast enough to catch up. Your comms pick up chatter and-

The Death Star is gone.

Hesitantly, you reach out to the darkness that never left you and retreat again when you find it unchanged.

Lord Vader is still alive then.

You should ask Command for coordinates, follow through with the Emperor’s assignment, but-

You were supposed to have been on the Death Star already. You’re supposed to be dead.

Your shields have always been excellent.

You run.

(Away or towards freedom, you’re not quite sure. You’ve never experienced either and if not for the echoes of Jedha, Scarif and Alderaan, you might even laugh as freely as you did when Cody picked you up because you were too short to reach the control panels of your ship.)

X

Your ship is not Imperial, you don’t have to ditch it. Besides, you doubt the Emperor would search for you on his own homeworld. Naboo is a beautiful planet, rich in colors and nature. You’ve spent most of your life in underground training complexes, on battlefields or on ships. Never before have you had the time to just look around and see the world for what it is.

(Of course that’s not actually what you do. You check how often the security guards pass, see the pickpockets run over the market place, the arms deal going down in a cantina. You’ve been trained to check for danger first, so that’s what you do.)

You keep nothing but your ship, the mementos on it and your lightsabers. You get rid of your boots, which never were all that comfortable in the first place, and every piece of clothing you own. You never want to wear the color black again.

Instead, you buy sturdy beige boots and pants of a dark brown color. You put on a white shirt whose hems are a bright orange color and wear a brown belt with some extra pouches. The vest you throw over it all is gray, has a lot of pockets and orange buttons.

It all matches the bracelet circling your wrist.

You look like a spacer and not at all like an Inquisitor. You’ve been taught how to disguise yourself for undercover work, but this doesn’t feel like a disguise, more like a homecoming.

Your Coruscant accent has to go as well and you pick up something that sounds vaguely Outer Rim, but feels familiar on your tongue.

“Name?” One of the many underpaid workers at the spaceport asks.

You could just slip into their mind and avoid leaving any trace at all, but you’re so caught up in your emotional high, you don’t even think of it.

“Nau’ul,” you reply because it's the first name that comes to your mind. You want to smack yourself a second later because dropping Mando’a with an Outer Rim accent on a Core World is a stupid mistake.

The worker doesn’t even care. “Last name or first name?”

“First name,” you say and then, because you’re committed and might as well go through with it you add, “My last name is Kad.”

You start hopping from planet to planet. You begin stocking up on blasters because your lightsabers are a dead giveaway who you are. Not once have you caught even a glimpse of any Inquisitor the Emperor might have sent after you, so you just keep moving. You dream of the desert and the sky and Cody’s last words.

(You owe it to him.)

Truth is, you have no idea what to do with your newfound freedom. You don’t want to spend the next decades of your life in hiding, hoping Vader kills the Emperor and can overlook your existence.

And then the wanted posters come out.

Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jedi, rebel, dead or alive.

Leia Organa, Jedi, rebel, dead or alive.

The bounties on their heads are unbelievably high, but what shocks you more is that Kenobi doesn’t look at all like the man Cody remembered. You knew he wasn’t dead, the Inquisitors have a more or less accurate list of all Jedi that should still be around somewhere, but you didn’t expect him to have aged so much.

Organa’s training must have happened in secret or started only recently. He catches a few holos of her with a blue lightsaber and she is good, but her movements don’t speak for a particularly long and in-depth tutorship yet.

They might profit from some support and you’re not too far from Nar Shaddaa. The crime-ridden planet has been calm still by its standards, the Empire hadn’t interfered much there and Grakkus’ obsession with Jedi artifacts was well known.

You will buy yourself your way into the Rebellion, to Kenobi and Organa.

X

Breaking into Grakkus’ vaults is ridiculously easy. You’re not sure what to reach for because there’s so much, but you figure the holocrons are a good start. You stuff your backpack full with them and are glad you brought a second. Grakkus has a whole line of lightsabers, hidden away behind glass panels. Deactivating the security is a child’s play for somebody raised to tear down every defense.

You’re out again and have left Nar Shaddaa before Grakkus even notices that he’s been stolen from. You travel from planet to planet, trying to find hints of the Rebellion. The work makes you a little uncomfortable, it is so very similar to what you used to do for the Empire, you expect every planetary drop to end with your blood red lightsabers cutting someone in half.

You haven’t taken them out of your backpack since you put them there, hiding them away from the world and, perhaps, yourself as well. The last weeks you’ve spent listening to the Holocrons, watch the Jedi Masters of old explain their philosophies.

You don’t understand them.

(They were made for Jedi, raised safely amongst their kin. You are not a Jedi, not yet.)

But the lightsabers are a whole other matter. You do not mean to touch them, to take them apart, but their crystals hum beneath your fingertips in a way yours never did. You pick up the lightsaber pieces as the Force sings around you.

When you are finished, you are looking at a new blade, a staff this time. You chose twin sabers when you were young because it allows you greater offensive capabilities, even if it’s more difficult. You’re hesitant to ignite the staff when you realize what you’ve done. This is not a choice, your teachers staring down at you as you pick up your defeated opponent’s blade to throw yourself in the ring again.

You forged this lightsaber.

(The crystals aren’t red, and yet you fear.)

The color of sunrise and sunset greets you.

For one impossible moment you feel unstoppable, like you never had any limits in the first place. Then you take a step back and an old scar that never healed properly complains, reminding you sharply of the day you got it.

Exhausted, you turn off the ‘saber and drop into the pilot chair. You have a group of rebels to find and you don’t intend to give up now.

You put all your tracking skills to use, follow the rumors and the bloodshed, the angry civilians and the slaughter. Lady luck is on your side because eight months after the Death Star, you do find a rebel cell.

Unfortunately, you show up lightsaber swinging, decapitating the bounty hunter who was trying to take them in. You can’t pretend to be a simple spacer now and, even though your blade isn’t red anymore, they recognize your face.

(They don’t say it out loud, but your age shocks them. You’ve been Vader’s tool for six years now and, without the uniform and proper posturing, you actually look like twenty.)

They’re unsure what to do with you and all your attempts at reassuring them that you’ve defected from the Empire are met with a snarl.

Of course they don’t believe you. You killed their families on Vader’s orders. They throw you in a makeshift cell and handcuff you. Their security is so lax that breaking out of it wouldn’t even take much effort, but you’re fairly sure that course of action wouldn’t end with you having gained their favor. So, instead you hand them one holocron and activate it. They understand about as much as you do of the Jedi philosophies but it’s enough to convince them to call Kenobi and Organa at least.

Organa looks at you with barely disguised anger. She snarls Inquisitor and you think you might gag. Her inflection reminds you of Vader in ways you can’t quite comprehend, so you decide you’d rather focus on Kenobi.

You think of rough hands and ships models and banish the thoughts as soon as they arise.

He stares at you with dead eyes, as if he might be seeing a ghost. It makes you frown and he flinches. Before you can do more harm and ask, you recall the list you’ve been forced to memorize since you could read.

(Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda, Jocasta Nu, …)

You’ve never seen Vader’s face, but you were made in the image of his child. For the first time in your life, you wonder whether you look like him. Vader’s anger at Kenobi was well known, it wouldn’t surprise you if Kenobi actually knew what Vader looked like beneath his mask.

(If you were more than one person’s mirror image.)

“We caught him,” the rebels tell the two Jedi and you can’t stop yourself from snorting.

“You didn’t catch me, I’m here out of my own free will.”

One of the rebels, a male Twi’lek, hisses. Not every Twi’lek is from Ryloth, but you think this one might have been once upon a time.

“You can’t do kriff-”

You interrupt him by dropping out of your handcuffs and bending the metal bars of your cell so you could slip out easily, if you wish. Organa reaches for her ‘saber immediately, but you remain seated.

“Master Kenobi,” you address the Jedi instead. “I come in peace. I’ve brought a bag full of holocrons and lightsabers for you and your Padawan. I wish to…”

(You do not want to join the rebellion. Your life has been dictated by other people’s causes. The Republic was weak because it allowed the Empire to rise and the Empire is cruel and doesn’t honor its dead. You’re here because of a dead man who cared for you when nobody else did.)

“I don’t want to be the Empire’s anymore,” you finish your sentence. “I am a person.”

(And you have a name that’s almost yours.)

“What is your name?” Kenobi asks.

“I was the First Brother.”

Confusion and disappointment alike flicker across Kenobi’s face, but he doesn’t elaborate why. He and Organa ask for directions to your ship and in a show of trust, you give it to them. They return a day later, Kenobi somehow appearing to have aged another decade over night while Organa obviously still doesn’t trust you. You think about Cody’s last words, but you can’t bring yourself to say them out loud.

You stay silent.

They take you to the rebel base.

X

The Rebel High Command takes offense at being called rebels. It is Imperial propaganda as it undermines their intention to bring peace to the galaxy and rebuilt the Republic. They are an Alliance of Independent Systems with elected leaders.

You think it’s bantha crap, but you roll with it.

They question you about your decision to switch sides, about the way their military is organized, any codes you might know that are still usable, the Inquisitors and Vader.

And they ask about you.

You refuse to tell them your name, which is just random bits of Mando’a, stacked together in a rather uncreative manner and you can’t tell them where you’re from. You don’t remember, but you assume it was some cloning facility, but you don’t tell them about that either. They realize rather quickly that as far as personal life or details go, you actually don’t have much to share because there is nothing.

So they ask about missions instead. Giving mission reports is easy. You regurgitate your significant operations like important assassinations, Jedi hunts, battles won and battles lost and it reminds you all very much of the reports you had to do back in the Inquisitor Headquarters.

“Without the beatings,” you add, attempting to joke. “We’d always get those, but if you did well, you got bacta after.”

Nobody laughs.

It’s a work in progress.

They assign you Kenobi and Organa as guards, who keep your lightsaber. You’re not allowed to go anywhere without them. It’s a step up from being thrown into a cell you have to pretend is actually secure. You tell Organa that you could take her on the first day, honesty seems like a good approach, and she punches you in the face.

(You could have avoided that, but the Jedi talked about releasing their feelings into the Force. Letting her punch you seems like an appropriate way of dealing with that.)

The rebels continue to be wary of you, so you try not to cause any troubles. On some days, even if you wanted to, you wouldn’t have the energy for it. Your nightmares, constant childhood companions, are back at full force. You can’t shake them off, no matter how many droids and ships you repair and update. Sometimes, you see Vader choking you, more often than that you’re killing Stormtroopers. The worst nights are those in which you dream of blood red sand.

You try not to let them get to you, but they get so bad even your Jedi companions notice. Your presence essentially keeps them tied down to the base. You’ve offered to accompany them on missions so the two of them can go, but that suggestion was denied. Organa goes off with that Corellian smuggler with the tempting bounty on his head, Kenobi stays behind with you.

You keep training, of course. You might not have a ‘saber, but you can still go through the katas. Inquisitors were trained to take down Jedi fast and without any mercy. You’re used to forms Kenobi refers to as Makashi and Djem So with some bastardized Shien. Somehow, telling him that you’ve learned the later by watching Vader doesn’t go so well. Vader never really deflected blaster fire with his saber, except as a warm up, he just stops them mid air and passes through. It requires a greater control of the Force apparently, but you’ve never really had a problem with that. The greater trouble is adjusting for the fact that you’re down one ‘saber. You still do the katas like you’re doing them with your twin reds instead of your staff.

At least this way you can pass the time while waiting for the other shoe to drop. Most rebels on the base know you already and no matter how secure they are, they ought to have a leak sooner or later. You’re still running from the Empire, even if you’re stuck at one place. It can’t be long before your past catches up to you.

And when it does, you’re not prepared.

Another rebel cell drops off and it’s only chance that you actually get to see them. You’re in the hanger, repairing ships while Organa’s astromech bothers you, until he doesn’t.

He begins beeping in excitement and rushes off. Kenobi is still busy talking to a Commander, but you’re under no illusion that he doesn't know where you’re heading.

“Artoo!” You shout and catch up to the droid when he’s made it to the new ship. A group of people are getting out of it and Artoo drives circles around one of them.

He has no scar, but a beard instead, his eyes aren’t as empty, but they’re the same color and you know him.

“Rex.” The name falls from your lips before you can stop yourself. Being with the rebels has really shot your control to hell. You used to be able to get through torture disguised as training without screaming, now you can’t even keep your mouth shut.

The clone’s eyes snap to you and narrow. “Who are you?”

“Captain,” Kenobi acknowledges next to you. “It’s good to have you back. This is-”

“Nau’ul Kad,” you say. Next to you, Kenobi tenses. You had thought about telling him so often, but you never found the right moment, but Rex is here and he look just like-

“CC-2224 named me,” you explain and you wouldn’t need to be Force-sensitive to tell they’re shocked. “He caught be training with the ‘sabers in the dark so often and I didn’t- They didn’t give me a real name because for us only ranks mattered.”

You should stop. You’re better than this.

(You can’t, you won’t, you fail.)

There are still people running around, shouting and cursing but you can’t hear any of it.

“He- Cody figured I’m just like you. I was supposed to be Vader’s. I was made for him but he didn’t want me and Cody knew and he did.”

You tug at the orange bracelet, pull it off your arm and try to give it to Rex because that’s what Cody wanted, right? To rest amongst his brothers.

“He died for me. He looked after me for five years and he died because I was too reckless, because I still want Vader to look at me and see more than his dead child.”

They continue to look at you and you don’t know how you’re supposed to make up for Cody’s death. It should be him standing here.

“I- he said to tell you he’s sorry.”

X

They question you again, this time you tell the full truth. You admit that fifteen, almost sixteen, years ago the Emperor brought you to Vader and told you that he is your father.

Except he wasn’t because you are an imperfect clone and he had no use for you.

You talk about how your assignment to Vader’s ship was meant as a punishment for the Sith Lord, that a lot of the troopers from the 501st are clones still, hiding their colors and that they are more loyal to Vader than the Emperor.

They ask you about yourself again.

You tell them that orange is your favorite color, that the troopers bought small trinkets for you and sometimes even managed to talk about their jetii without freezing up. You begin to list the names of the clones who made sure you got your wounds looked at and the dozens of more you can remember.

“They taught me Mando’a,” you end your statement. “And when nobody else could hear it, they called me verd'ika.”

The looks you get after your confession are different. Not worse, not better, just different. Rex has to leave again and no matter how much you want you, you can’t go with him. He seems to have picked up on your mood though because he hands you his comm number and makes you promise to call.

Halfway through the next month, your appearance has apparently become so pitiful that Organa picks up on it and drags you to the training halls. She musters you for a moment, then she throws you your lightsaber.

“Don’t make me regret this,” she tells you and you grin.

“Wouldn’t think of it, Organa.”

She parries your strike with her blue lightsaber. It is not the same she was using before your arrival, but it looks similar. You’d bet that she used parts of her old one to make this one.

“Leia,” she says suddenly. “If we’re sparring, you might as well call me Leia.”

Between missions and reviewing intel, your sparring sessions turn into lessons with Kenobi guiding you. Leia picks up lightsaber combat at a frightening speed. You think for a split second that she would have made a frightening Inquisitor and are thankful she never was. In the beginning, you still have to hand in your lightsaber every time you’re done and then, one day, they forget to collect it.

(Or perhaps they don’t forget, but they’ve learned to trust you.)

Your dreams get worse still. They’re all similar nowadays. You’re staring at your own dead body, a woman screaming, a dead man, Stormtroopers, the Emperor’s laughter.

(Your own blue eyes, innocent still and full of love, saying something you can’t quite hear.)

You know they’re not visions because visions leave you exhausted in a different way. You mention them to Leia only once and for the next week, Kenobi stares at you like he’s trying to figure you out. You want to be mad at Leia for telling him, but you can’t because she was right to do so, especially because your night terrors start interfering with your daily life.

“I nearly took off your head!” Leia shouts.

You smile apologetically. “But you didn’t.”

“It was much too close still,” Kenobi speaks up. “You are tired.”

It’s not a question and you’re glad he’s not giving you the opportunity to argue. You’re not sure how understandable your defense would have been.

“I am dreaming,” you reply.

“Of what?”

Of memories you shouldn’t have. You notice only belated that you must have said it out loud, because Leia looks at you in worry, while Kenobi’s body language speaks of resignation.

“What do you see in your dreams?”

You shouldn’t answer.

You do.

“I’m in a desert. A woman is calling me, then she’s screaming.” Red lightsabers are flashing and you try to reach her, but they keep pulling you back. “I want to help her, but the Emperor keeps pulling at my mind-”

Recognition flashes in Kenobi’s eyes and you rise up to your full height. You’re shorter than him, but you know from experience that you’re no less intimidating.

“You know what’s wrong with me,” you accuse him. “Tell me and fix it!”

X

(Here’s the ugly truth you’re told:)

Kenobi lost his entire life in just one day, but the thought of ending his life to join them never crossed his mind because he had a child to protect. A son, a boy, he brought to his family on his father’s home world. The child grew up happy and loved, but the one moment Kenobi did look away, the Empire found him and took him.

He spent nine years mourning the child he failed to protect, then you showed up at Vader’s side.

(Here’s the ugly truth you remember:)

There was a blonde boy sitting next to you, your exact mirror image. People came and went, took him and then you to test your abilities and skills and a thousand different things you do not want to recall because they left you in tatters. The Emperor wanted a means to control Vader, so here the two of you were.

You were all each other had, so you shared dreams and memories, strength and pain, hope and stories. One of you was older, but by the end of the first month, it didn’t matter because you were of the same blood.

Your bond wasn’t made out of orange cords, but it served the same purpose. There is a reason highly Force-sensitive people shouldn’t be cloned and, above that, should never form a bond with their mirror image.

You remember dying. You remember mourning your brother.

(You blocked it all out to protect yourself.)

X

“But- but I’m the clone!” You shout, but your defense sounds weak even to your own ears. “I’m the clone of Vader’s dead child and he never wanted me.”

You do not want any of the memories to be real, but you remember bright blue eyes and think the reason you never wanted to be a Sith, is the brother made from your own flesh whom you curled up to at night.

“You’re nobody’s dead child or clone,” Kenobi, Old Ben,  says softly. “You can’t fake Force signatures and I know yours, Luke.”

You flinch when you hear him say that name. You used to share it, whisper it so silently, you think you never actually said it out loud.

You have a name, you always had, and the Emperor stole it from you.

X

There are constants to every universe. The Sith will always return. Alderaan will always be the witness of terrible slaughter.

Darth Vader will always fight his child on Bespin.

The parameters of all these events are what vary from universe to universe. In this one, Vader is the one attacking while you are trying to stay defensive. You ought to kill him, it would bring the Rebellion one step closer to the Emperor, but you’ve seen what fighting for a cause instead of yourself does to people.

(You’re fairly sure Vader hasn’t fought for himself in years.)

Vader corners you. For all that you have grown stronger, he has thirty years of experience compared to your mere fifteen. This is never a fight you can win, in any universe.

But you aren’t trying to win. You just need him to lose.

“You are beaten. It is useless to resist,” Vader rasps as his lightsaber bears down on yours.

(You know you can’t keep this up much longer.)

“The Emperor never told you what happened to your son,” you say.

Mentioning the dead child, the vod you lost, shocks Vader long enough for you to jump away and put some distance between the two of you.

“He died, you filthy copy!” Vader shouts.

You want to laugh or cry perhaps because for the first time in all these years, Vader acknowledges you.

“Yes.” You shake your head. “But I am your son.”

“No! That’s impossible! How dare you lie to me-”

“Search your feelings, Father, you know it to be true. My name is Luke Skywalker and the Emperor lied to you.”

Your confession doesn’t stop Vader from lashing out. You still lose your hand and Han is still captured and you still fall and it is still Leia who guides Lando back to you.

But other things change.

You’re on Tatooine, standing at the graves of people you hardly recalled, the family who died for your survival when he approaches you. He’s still wearing his black suit, but he doesn’t feel like he’s going to slowly take your other limbs apart.

“Who is the boy I buried on Naboo?”

You are genetically identical, there is no way to say who was the clone and who the boy stolen from the desert. It should not matter, it does not matter, because his death was a tragedy regardless.

“My brother. Your son.”

(You.)

“Then the Emperor will pay.”

(He does.)

[butchgwenwhyvar]

The Star Wars Prequels are a Greek Tragedy

Ok folks, buckle in because this classics nerd has made some Connections™

One of the main themes in the prequels (and by extension, the clone wars) is the inevitability of it all – I know it’s because it’s a prequel and as such, we know their fate, but that’s why it works.

(For the purpose of this meta post, please assume that when I say ‘the prequels’ and proceed to talk about Ahsoka or Rex, I mean ‘the prequels and the clone wars’ – it’s all part of the same story)

 (Important fact that relates to this meta post but doesn’t have much bearing on the actual argument #1: Anakin’s name comes from the Greek Goddess of inevitability, Ananke.)

 But the main argument is this: the prequels follow the format and pattern of a Greek tragedy. A Greek tragedy always has the audience take part in the form of the ‘chorus’ on stage – the chorus keep the story going and tell the audience what’s up, but they also provide an insight into the characters and question the characters on behalf of the audience (most tragedies are set in populated cities and palaces but a theatre troupe was traditionally around 5 people, so they had to get creative with extras and stuff). In the prequels and the clone wars, the role of the chorus is directly on the audience because we know what’s going to happen. We know about order 66 thanks to the start of season 6 and the end of season 7. We know that the sweet nine year old we meet in the phantom menace will become Vader. We know that Padme will die and that the Republic will fall and Palpatine will take power.

 To us, the chorus, it’s inevitable. But we also know the future of the characters, so there’s a thread of dramatic irony woven in (dramatic irony is a central part of the format of a Greek tragedy) because we know about the original trilogy and the fact that Luke will save Vader and the Empire gets royally fucked up by the rebels.

In Greek tragedy, the dramatic irony is a little less on the nose though. In Oedipus the King (Oedipus Rex in Latin), the chorus and the audience know what’s going to happen from the start. By the time Sophocles had written down the play it had already been performed at least once at the Dionysia, an Athenian play festival where everyone got very drunk and people ran play contests – Sophocles was a common contributor to the contests, and it was recorded that he never got below second place. So as this play is being performed in the late third century BCE, it’s been around for around 100 years. The audience knows what’s up – they know that Jocasta is actually Oedipus’ mother, they know that Oedipus is actually the one that killed Laius and is bringing down the gods’ displeasure on Thebes. So when Oedipus and Creon are talking to Tiresias and saying ‘well, someone has to be cursed because that’s the only way we’ve pissed the gods off enough,’ the audience (and to an extent Tiresias, because he was a prophet) get a sense of dramatic irony. It’s similar to the scene in Attack of the Clones when Dooku’s talking about the sith in the senate – we as the chorus and the audience go ‘It’s Palpatine!’ because we’ve seen the originals and we know about the fall of the republic.

The sense of dramatic irony really helps to build the inevitability of it all because as the chorus, we know the future of these characters.

 Another thing that characterises the prequels as a specifically Greek tragedy is the use of fatal flaws and how they relate to the character’s virtues. Anakin’s main character traits are his general mistrust of authority, his sense of personal loyalty and his need to help others – he’s proven that he’d burn the galaxy down for his family and the people he loves, and there’s quite a few poignant scenes in the clone wars EU novels where he’s mourning the clones and generally caring a lot about them (if you want specific novels, Karen Miller’s ‘Clone Wars: Gambit – Stealth’ is excellent and is the source of that excellent ‘blind me and I’ll tell you who laughed’ quote, and Karen Traviss’ novelisation of the clone wars movie has lots of scenes with Anakin being a good bro to Rex and caring about the 501st). Padme’s main trait is her belief in human decency (we’re using human in this case because I’m relating it back to humans) – she cares deeply about seeing the good in people, up to her dying moments. Obi-Wan’s main trait is his dedication to the Order and their rules.

However, if you turn these traits on their heads, you get their fatal flaws and their ultimate downfall. Vader’s issues with authority and his need to save those he cares about lands him in the suit and as the Emperor’s attack dog. Padme can’t see the problems in the republic and all the things going wrong with Anakin until it’s too late because she’s so focussed on seeing the good in what’s left. Obi-Wan fails as Anakin’s mentor because he was too focused on the way things should have been (let the record show I am not shitting on Obi-Wan, this is just my thoughts about the narrative and this part of the Skywalker debacle).

In Oedipus Rex and Antigone (written before Oedipus, set after Oedipus – it’s about his daughter), the same thing happens. Oedipus’ loyalty to Thebes and his unwavering sense of duty makes him an excellent king – he listens to his people and takes their complaints into account. Creon’s ability to stick to the rules and provide a safe kingdom makes him the perfect second choice as king (this will make more sense when I talk about Antigone because Creon is a main character in this play as well – his character arc spans the two plays). Jocasta is kind and sees the best in everyone (I’m sensing a theme). But if you turn that on its head, all the ugly details come out. Oedipus has inadvertently committed one of the worst sins that the gods can think of a punishment for, and he’s promised the people of Thebes that whoever has cursed the land will be banished for life. When he finds out that his wife is also his mother and he murdered his birth father years ago, he blinds himself in shame but asks to stay in Thebes. This is where Creon’s flaw starts to appear – Oedipus asks to stay and Creon casts him out. Oedipus keeps his loyalty to the Thebans by maiming himself and marking himself as the cursed person, but he doesn’t think his actions through. If he’s banished, his four children will also be banished with him and will suffer for the rest of their lives. Staying is the only option. But Creon is too obsessed with placating the Thebans and the gods, so Oedipus and his children are cast out because of Creon’s determination to stick to the rules. Jocasta’s need to see the best in everyone leads to her denying that her husband is also her son, even once she’s put the pieces together – there’s a scene where she’s talking to her main and her maid asks and she refuses to acknowledge it. This leads to her killing herself in shame once the news has gotten out. It’s inevitable. The audience know and love this play. They know what’s coming.

And then Antigone happens. Antigone is Oedipus’ eldest daughter. Her siblings are Ismene, the youngest, Eteocles, and Polynices. Eteocles and Polynices have declared war on each other (Eteocles is fighting for Thebes, where Creon is the king now) and have killed each other. Eteocles is to be buried with full honours, while Polynices’ body is to be left in the dust (the Greeks believed that being buried in the dirt was the only way to get into the afterlife). So Antigone tries to bury Polynices over the course of the story – her main character trait is her loyalty and her persistence. Creon is still too wedded to the rules, but now he’s also stuck on his own idea of power – the king’s word above all else, even the gods.

The play ends with Antigone’s suicide after being banished  to a sealed cave for the rest of her life (she keeps covering Polynices’ body in dirt until Creon gets sick of it and sends her to the cave). Her loyalty and her tenacity have become her downfall and led to her death (for those interested, Antigone’s death led to Creon burying Polynices properly). Creon’s virtues of being a rule-following king lead to him essentially going mad with power, which leads to his son killing himself after he hears of Antigone’s sentence, his wife killing herself after she hears of Haemon’s death, and Creon’s apparent suicide (he gets an open ending but it’s widely accepted that he dies as well).

 Relating this back to Star Wars and the point I made earlier: the prequels are pretty much the only Star Wars media where the character’s virtues become their flaws. It’s very hubristic and I love it. Ahsoka’s virtue is in her persistence and her drive to survive while trying to do what’s right – turn it on its head and she’s unleashing Maul on a bunch of 66’d clones to escape. On first watch, Rex’s virtue seems to be his loyalty to the Republic, but that’s brought into contention in season 1. His actual virtue is his loyalty to his brothers but that’s turned on its head in episodes 11 and 12 when he’s forced to shoot and stun them and know that they’re going to die and there’s nothing he can do to save them, which almost leads to him giving up entirely in episode 12.

 And that leads me back to my main point. George Lucas wrote the prequels and most of the clone wars like the archetype of the Greek tragedy on purpose, to show the inevitability of the story.

The main parts of a Greek tragedy are as follows: Hubris (personal pride leading to a downfall)

The Chorus and the use of dramatic irony

Virtues as fatal flaws

Catharsis

 The main parts of the prequels are as follows:

Hubris (the Jedi and the Republic’s pride lead to their downfall, Anakin and Obi-Wan’s pride leads to Mustafar)

The Audience and the use of dramatic irony

Virtues as fatal flaws

Catharsis

Hope

 Back to inevitability: the use of virtues as flaws leads to the inevitability of the tragedy of Anakin Skywalker. He can’t not be loyal and caring to the point of obsession, jealousy, and overprotectiveness. Padme can’t not deeply believe in the power of human kindness and their ability to believe in a better system. Obi-Wan can’t not be wedded to the rules far too much. To take all of this away from their characters is to leave them as completely different people. An Anakin that doesn’t care as much is an Anakin that’s closer to the ‘perfect Jedi,’ a Padme that doesn’t believe in a better system is a Padme that lets even more atrocities fly under the radar in the senate. An Obi-Wan that’s not wedded to the Code and the Order and the Rules is an Obi-Wan seen in the early Jedi Apprentice books – a Jedi always on the brink of snapping, falling, or expulsion from the Order. So you see these character traits and you see what’s coming and it’s inevitable because these virtues and therefore flaws are what makes the character them, which progresses the story.

 The use of dramatic irony also highlights the inevitability within the stories of the prequels and the tragedies. The audience of the films and the chorus/audience of the plays know what the characters don’t. They know that Oedipus is Jocasta’s son. They know that Antigone and the rest of Creon’s family will kill themselves. We know Anakin will fall. We know Padme will die. We know about the fall of the Republic and the rise of the Empire. But they don’t and that’s why the dramatic irony works so well. We’re on the edge of our seats, waiting for the moment when it all clicks – when someone listens to Fives about the chips and takes action – when Anakin gets help – where Padme survives – where Obi-Wan puts aside the Order and tries to help Anakin and reassures him. But it never happens, and we know that.

Every time we watch the prequels or the clone wars, we think ‘maybe this time it will turn out alright’ but it’s inevitable that it won’t because it’s written like a Greek tragedy and those always end in the darkest possible way.

 There’s another common thread between the prequels and Greek tragedy as well – catharsis. It’s the breaking point and the aftermath, where consequences are dealt out. The catharsis in Oedipus is obvious – it’s when Oedipus blinds himself and is banished. The catharsis in Antigone is subtler but infinitely more painful. Creon is punished for disobeying the gods and as his punishment, Antigone (his son’s fiancée), Haemon (his son), and his wife are all dead, all by their own hand. This brings him shame and it’s widely accepted that he goes off and kills himself, which is even more of a punishment (suicide was not welcomed in the Greek afterlife – they’d often go to the Fields of Punishment or the Fields of Asphodel). The catharsis in the prequels is glaringly obvious in comparison. Anakin faces massive consequences for his actions, which stay with him for the next 25 or so years. He can’t go back to the way everything was, because he’s burnt it all down around him. He’s punished psychologically and physically until his death, as punishment for his mistakes and his actions. The audience feels catharsis here as well, as Anakin doesn’t get away with his actions. His end is especially cathartic, not just because he got his comeuppance, but because he dies to undo a little bit of the horrors he’s committed.

 So the prequels and a Greek tragedy always end in tears, and the quote at the start of the Revenge of the Sith novelisation (thank you Matthew Stover) sums this up perfectly. ‘This story happened a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. It is already over. Nothing can be done to change it. The inevitability of all of these stories I’ve talked about is woven into it’s very fabric, and nothing can be done to change it.

 However, there is one way in which the prequels are different to a typical tragedy – the prequels end with a shred of hope. Tragedies have to finish with the catharsis and complete and utter bleakness and the destruction of a heap of lives – Creon’s family dies, Oedipus loses his wife and his sight, Anakin and Palpatine destroy the Jedi – it’s one of the hallmarks that makes it a tragedy and not just ‘some play by Sophocles.’ The prequels finish with Bail and Breha and Leia in the palace on Alderaan. They finish with Luke with Beru and Owen on Tatooine, where Shmi and Anakin were from. They finish with hope, which is a complete turnaround from the tragedies that the story is written to fit in with.

[ruffiorocks]

Sansa Stark is misunderstood

Since its come back round to the time GOT last season was on I'm seeing a lot of renewed posts and a lot of revived hate for Sansa Stark. But it's not even justifiable hate!

I just saw a Facebook post where some bloke who fyi stated he "believed in female equality" stated that everything that happened to Sansa (abuse wise) was entirely her own fault and he bet she wished she knew how to fight like Arya while she was with Ramsey! Holy shit!! I can't believe i actually read that and when the bloke was called out for victim shaming he scoffed and insisted he believed in female equality!

People hate on Sansa because she isn't Jon, or Arya or Robb. But here's the thing, Sansa is everything she was supposed to be! She was everything she was raised to be, it's actually Arya who is the odd one for the world this story is set in.

I'm re-reading the first book and it's explained in Arya's first POV chapter what Sansa is like and how Arya is expected to be the same. Arya's first chapter is her thinking about how she is the odd one out. How much of a Lady Sansa is, how the sisters are treated by their mother and Septa Mordane. Even Jon, who gifts her needle, speaks to her about how she should be doing her needle work, and how girls get coats of arms but not swords.

Sansa at the start is exactly what she should be and exactly how she was raised to be. She's still an 11 year old child at the start of the books, and in the show she's about 13. A little Lady who still believes in songs and noble, handsome princes and happy endings. Why is that? Because that is how she was raised. Arya rejects all this as she is the odd one out, but it's not lack of trying on her parents and her Septas part. Eddard is a bit more sympathetic to his children, he knows Bran shouldn't be climbing but knows he can't stop him, so just tells him to not let his mother see. He knows Arya should be acting like a lady , it's the whole reasons he takes her to Kings Landing, he even tells her she will be a Lady and have sons etc and Arya tells him that's not her. After discovering her with needle Ned gives in and gets her a sword master. He doesn't change anything with Sansa, because she is exactly what she is supposed to be, he seems a bit clueless with her because he buys her a doll.

Now, Sansa acts like she is in a song when she is with Joffrey because no one has bothered to tell her that life isn't like a song, she is still a child but being put in adult situations.."Winter is Coming" failed on Sansa, because she wasn't taught that life isn't a song like she should have been. She doesn't understand why her father wants to send her home and destroy her fairy tale with her Prince, so this 11 year old (don't remember her doing it in the show) runs to Cersei who panders to her and complains.

Sansa doesn't get away from the Red Keep because she is watched constantly, she is the Prince's betrothed. Arya only escapes with the help or Syrio, left alone Arya would have been f**ked as well. This doesn't make Arya better than Sansa.

Sansa does everything she can to she Ned's life, she is a child being manipulated by Cersei.

Later Sansa is abused both physically and verbally and humilated for all of the court to see. She's beaten by grown men taking orders from a little psychopath. She can't stand up to them even if she tried. Give her a sword and train her to use it she would still have been f**ked. Put a trained Arya in her place and Arya would be f**ked to, she may kill a few knights but she would still end up being killed.

People forget how Sansa survived! Partly because she knew she had to play a dutiful part and she did. You think Margery was good at controlling Joffrey? Sansa had her own way as well.

People often forget how Sansa saved Ser Dontos life by manipulating Joffrey into making him his fool.

Everyone forgets how she stood up to Joffrey when he said he would give her Robbs head and she said Robb may give her his! No fear of Joffrey at all!

The very same scene she goes to push the little prat off the ledge and is only stopped by Clegane.

Swap her with Arya and Arya would be dead or locked up by then. Joffrey already hated her because of Nymeria. Joff wasn't betrothed to her, Arya may have stood up to him and gone wild as Arya is known to do but she would soon be killed.

Sansa knew that being compliant with the odd defiance here and there was the way to survive. She learned that quickly! A lesson Arya would never have learned if she had remained in the Red Keep.

People cheer Arya for killing people and how she wanted to kill Joffrey, whilst forgetting that Sansa very nearly did!

Sansa also warned Margery and Olenna about what Joffrey was like. Risking a lot if that got out!

She was the one to calm the women during the Battle of the Black Water Bay while Cersei got drunk, all the time knowing exactly why Ser Illyane Payne was there with them.

Sansa was forcibly married to Tyrion, he treated her well whilst the whole time being told by his father to get her pregnant by any means necessary. At least she found common ground with Tyrion, making the most of her situation. Arya would have rebelled and probably killed or locked up eventually for being defiant.

Sansa was nearly raped in the streets of Kings Landing, she was essentially ordered to be raped by Tyrion on Tywins orders. She was stripped in front of the court by Ser Merys whilst being threatened by Joffrey and his cross bow. She was later taken to the Eryie by known creepy pervert Little Finger, used again as a marriage pawn for Robin Arryn, kissed by creepy Little Finger, attacked and nearly thrown through the moon door by her aunt Lysa. She lied to protect Little Finger because she was starting to learn to play the game.

She was betrayed by Little Finger and married to the insane Ramsey. Constantly brutely raped by him and locked up. But she survived! She even had the guts to stand up to him as well, making it clear he was bastard and no royal decree from another bastard was going to change that.

She manages to escape with Theon and make her way to Castle Black to Jon.

Throughout all this time and abuse Sansa has not cracked. She is not the naive little girl she was raised and expected to be. She has learned what the world is really like, something the Starks should have taught her from day one. The books and the show make a point of have the men say that the boys will soon be men and need to learn what the world is like but the girls? Nope!

Sansa has survived all her abuse, and she has watched and learned how to play the game. She convinces Jon to take back Winterfell, she brings the Knights of the Vale, remember Jon didn't even want to listen to her input. He didn't want to listen to what she of Ramsey. It may be seen as harsh but Sansa knew that Rickon was dead the moment he was in Ramseys clutches, Jon was very noble wanting to save him but there was no chance.

Sansa shows how much she has learned and who she has been made into, the person she has been hiding just waiting to come out when she sets Ramseys dogs on him and enjoys watching his demise. Sansa is often condemned for this while Arya is praised for being a little psycho that loves to kill and does often.

Sansa sits by and says nothing when her birthright is ripped from her and Jon is declared King in the North, whilst she is left with Lady of Winterfell. She supports him, and she speaks her mind which is her right and he chastises her for questioning him in front of the Lords, her place is to discuss it in private. Even though she knows a lot more than he does when it came to the Northern Lords, or Cersei.

Sansa worries about the things others don't. She spent her time worrying about feeding her people, making sure their armour was warm enough, running Winterfell. This may seem boring to the viewers in comparison to Arya swapping faces and murdering all the Freys but this is why Sansa does! This is what makes Sansa strong!

Sansa understands politics, something that Jon, Arya and even Daenerys don't understand. Sansa knows how the North works, she knows how Cersei operates. She knows what the people of the North need, how the Northern Lords think. She sees the danger that Dany presents. She knows that will need her help but she doesn't trust her and doesn't want the Northern independence surrendered, something Jon did without consulting his people at all.

Sansa appropriately worries about feeding the amount of Dothraki and unsullied Dany brings with her. Boring to the viewers? Yes but a legit concern. She also worries about the Dragons and Dany petulantly tells Sansa dragons eat whatever they want. She couldn't have just answered the question properly? Maybe reassured Sansa they won't eat the Northerners, or their supplies?

Sansa is the only one after the battle for Winterfell that believes the soldiers need a break! Something they actually could have had, Cersei and the South could have waited a few days. They no longer than the dead to worry about, but Dany is impatient, caring only for what he believes is hers and not for the people. Jon even shuts Sansa down, suddenly he's stopped caring for the Northerners as well and wants to follow Dany like a loyal little dog.

Oh poor poor little Dany, no one loves her in the North. Maybe that's because the North don't trust foreign invaders. May be because she came to Winterfell after their king they had JUST elected gave it up to a foreign conqueror. Maybe because she came with three large Dragons and seemed to enjoy the fear they inspired. (Seriously go back and watch her arrive at Winterfell). Dany was so used to being worshipped like a Goddess, but that's not how things are done in the North. The Lords of Winterfell mingle with their men, celebrate together and don't worship their leaders like Gods. You can see her annoyance after the Battle for Winterfell. Oh no she lost people? Well suck it up buttercup so did everyone else. She didn't have anyone to celebrate with? Well maybe that's because Dany never made any friends! She had people that served her, even Jorah was a servant, Grey Worm, Missandi all servants not her friends. You can tell the difference with deference to her, the Northerners don't act like that, Jon and Sansa drink with the men like they are one of them. While Dany sits waiting to be pandered to.

Anyway, even Arya sees the issues with Dany! Sansa unites her family and out wits Little Finger of all people! She was once again biding her time waiting to strike. She knows how the game in played.

People praise Jon, Dany and Arya for fighting in the battle of Winterfell? Jon was a trained warrior, Arya was a trained assassin, Dany is pretty useless if she's Dragon less, e picked up a sword to fight with Jorah but didn't actually do much. Sansa is NOT a warrior, she did the best thing she could have done for everyone and stayed out of the way. She actually did have a knife and was ready to fight with Tyrion but it didn't come to that.

Sansa is one of the characters that changed the most, spoilt little girl wanting her fairy tale, to abused girl learning to survive, to abused woman still surving, to the Lady of Winterfell who understood politics and the game, to the Queen in the North who gained Northern independence.

But to blame her for all the bad stuff that happened to her? Blaming her for being raped because she couldn't hold a sword? People like that make me sick!

Sansa may not have been the most exciting character, but she learned how to play the game, she learned from her experiences, she cared about her people, she underwrite politics and saw the issues with Dany long before Jon did.

[lucy-sky]

Headcanon meme - Ezra (Prospect, 2018)

Um… This has been in my drafts for like... a week already. Ages ago I reblogged this Headcanon meme but I got zero asks. So, being in the mood for headcanons and slightly obsessed with Prospect I just started randomly writing them about Ezra. Somehow I ended up writing the whole meme. Not sure if anyone would be interested to read these, but since I finally got to clean up my drafts, here we go. 

No warnings, gif by me (credit if use please)

☾ - sleep headcanon

With his tough life Ezra doesn’t often have a luxury to sleep in a comfortable bed, but he’s got this superpower to sleep anywhere, anytime, in any position. He doesn’t have problems with getting up early, but he’s still usually a bit grumpy in the mornings.

★ - sad headcanon

Ezra does not often allow sad and depressive thoughts to consume him. In fact, his incredible optimism and confidence that it’ll work out somehow and everything will be okay in the end, even if you have to go through a lot of crap before it happens, always helped him to survive even the most dangerous situations. But of course he’s only human, and he can be gloomy too. He has regrets as well, but he refuses to focus on sad stuff, because he knows very well - in the world he lives, there’s no time for whining. Once you give up - you’re dead. 

☆ - happy headcanon

When Ezra is happy, he smiles a lot. Yes, he is mostly talkative, but sometimes he’s just quiet and has this soft and content smile on his face with a lot of warmth behind it. These are rare occasions, that’s why they’re always so precious.

☠ - angry/violent headcanon

He’s not naturally violent. If there’s a possibility to settle the matter peacefully, he’d rather try it. But if someone threatens him or his loved ones - he will fight back without hesitation.

Ezra is never violent just for the sake of violence, he doesn’t find joy in it. Unfortunately sometimes he has no choice.

Ezra is capable for murder. He happened to kill, but he’s not proud of that. It’s more like a burden he has to live with, but he accepted it, because… That’s just life. Basically his life motto is what’s done is done, so what’s the point in torturing yourself about something that cannot be changed.

Generally Ezra is very reasonable, but when he’s angry he may become poisonous and say things that can hurt, or be brutally honest and tell someone the truth they don’t really want to hear. 

✿ - Sex headcanon

I mean… this guy is full of big dick energy, so yeah… Sex with him is mostly rough and passionate. Sloppy kisses, kneading and biting, sex against the wall - all this is about him. On the other hand, he can be gentle too. You’d be surprised how tender he actually can be in contrast with his tough guy appearance and demeanor. He’s not selfish in bed, and if he’s got real feelings for someone, he becomes pretty soft and caring, making sure you’re comfortable and feel good. He doesn’t often have much time to enjoy the intimacy without hurry, but when he does, he uses this time to the fullest. 

Ezra is quite experienced - he’s an attractive man and has a charm, so it’s not that hard for him to get a girl into bed. For sure he had just casual sex not once and not even twice… Mostly when he was a bit younger though. But when it comes to love and affection - it’s way more complicated. That’s why he really appreciates it. So even if your encounter was rough, you can always count on a soft kiss or cuddle afterwards. There are times when all he wants is just to hold you and feel your warmth.

■ -  Bedroom/house/living quarters headcanon

He’s mostly on the road and seldom has an opportunity to settle for a while. Once he does, his living quarters are quite messy. He usually doesn’t bother himself with folding his clothes or making the bed. Thankfully he doesn’t have many belongings, they all fit into his backpack so he has no problems finding what he needs. 

♡ - romantic headcanon

In the world where Ezra lives, not many people have the luxury of being romantic. Even a simple trust is a gift which is not that easy to gain. Ezra appreciates this gift though, he’s been lonely for quite a while, even without completely realizing it, even among people. So, even more than being with his love interest physically, he cherishes emotional closeness. 

Yes, there’s no time and place for romance in this world, but Ezra always finds ways to show his affection, either it’s holding hands, soft looks and touches during the rare moments of intimacy, or being protective of his loved one.

♥ - family headcanon

Ezra’s life is a constant fight and one adventure after another. Deep inside this tough guy really needs to care for someone, but he never seriously thought about settling down and starting a family of his own.

☮ - friendship headcanon

To be honest, real friendship is not a very common thing in Ezra’s surroundings. It’s not always safe to trust people here. There are some people Ezra can work/deal with, but as for the REAL friends - he doesn’t have many. And maybe that’s why he cherishes them. As well as with his love interest, with his friends Ezra is loyal and protective.

♦ - quirks/hobbies headcanon

Secretly, Ezra really likes to read. He’d certainly do that more often if he had time.

Sometimes when he teams up with a few people for work, he doesn’t mind playing cards with them. He’s really good at bluffing.

☯ - likes/dislikes headcanon

Ezra likes smart people. Physical beauty is attractive for sure, but this kind of attraction doesn’t last that long. Yep, brains and wit are really important for this man. If you’re arguing with him, he may look not very pleased, but secretly he loves that too. If the partner agrees with his every word it, he can get bored pretty soon.

Ezra likes to talk, especially after he’s been alone for quite a while. It can even be a bit annoying at times.

Ezra likes it when you run your fingers through his hair. This soft intimate gesture makes him melt.

Ezra is mostly a man of his word, so he dislikes it when people fail to keep their promises.

▼ - childhood headcanon

For some reason Ezra doesn’t remember his childhood very well. His parents were far from being wealthy, and they were mostly occupied with how to earn money to pay the debts rather than paying attention to him. He lost them in his teens when they went for another risky job. He used to hang out with some shady guys and even was involved into some stuff. He learnt lots of survival lessons at quite a young age, but he doesn’t complain. In the end it only made him stronger.

∇ - old age/aging headcanon

Oh that’s funny. For some reason I seldom think about my favorite characters getting old. But I think Ezra could be a really funny grandpa. I think he’s got these protective instincts that would make him a good dad, so I think it’s possible for him to have children in the future, and then grandchildren. And I’m pretty sure they would adore listening to the stories about the adventures of his past :)

♒ - cooking/food headcanon

Ezra is absolutely not picky about what he eats. Food is just fuel for him. So, snacks, protein/chocolate bars and so on. If he lived in our realities, he’d be a fast food kind of person for sure. I’m also not sure if there’s coffee in Ezra’s world, but if there was - he’d totally drink a lot of it.

☼ - appearance headcanon

He doesn’t care much about appearance, mostly because he just has no time for it. But if he fell for you and wants to make good impression, he could trim his beard or even shave though :)

Ezra is not sure where he got this blond streak of his hair; he thinks it’s either some kind of a natural mutation, or something happened to him when he was a kid. Anyway, he has it from quite an early age.  

ൠ - random headcanon

When he was young, about 18 years old, Ezra got into jail for some… Not very legal business he was doing with a bunch of “friends”. He was the youngest and the less experienced among them, so they managed to get away with it, and he didn’t. In jail, there was one older man, and Ezra really admired his way of speaking. When some bold dudes tried to bully him, he could say something so fancy in reply sometimes that they just stared at him in confusion, trying to figure out if he offended them or not. Ezra found it hilarious. From this man he learnt that words can also be a weapon or just a really helpful tool to achieve what you want.

This was my headcanon about where Ezra got his unusual manner of speech :)

◉ - Any other question of your choosing

Ezra has a habit to give nickmames to people he hangs out with. He can often call you “sweetheart”, “little bird”, “darlin’” or something like that. He does this somehow so naturally that even if you’re not a fan of pet names it sounds cute. 

***

Thanks for reading! 

I might write one more fic about this character but only after I’m done with 2 Rockwell characters fics I’m currently working on :’)

[b-witchered]

Eeeeeeeeeee! I love tgia SO MUCH❤️ Any chance of more Renfri and Renfri&Yennefer? 🥺 The parallels on chapter 11 were f***ing amazing. (Thank you for writing the alive!Renfri we all deserved)

Renfri and Yennefer definitely get more scenes together! However, I do fear I’m setting up some of my readers for failure oops. Renfri/Yennefer as a couple isn’t going to happen within the scope of tgia for a few reasons

PUTTING THIS UNDER THE CUT, plus a little tgia snippet from the next chapter, because i have never been accused of being concise in my life

Honestly? They might have slept together at some point when Geralt and Yennefer were on the outs. They’re both very attractive individuals, danger and almost dying clearly gets Yennefer fired up, and Renfri has been known to make questionable sexual choices when it comes to Very Dangerous Individuals. So their relationship probably does include some flirting, some pushing of boundaries, some erotic subtext where Renfri has at least once put her sword under Yennefer’s chin and tilted it up

But when it comes to an actual relationship, Renfri at least is smart enough to put her foot down. They’re fine as rivals-friends-frenemies, but Renfri has some serious trust issues. Especially with mages. Especially with brotherhood mages. Yennefer knows Stregobor. She might not like him, but they belong to the same order. 

And then there’s the big thing between them: Yennefer wants kids. She wants, desperately, to be a mother. This is tied into her whole desperation for unconditional love thing she has going on. Renfri? Does not want kids. Absolutely against them. If she somehow gave birth tomorrow, that kid would be either adopted out or in Jaskier’s care quicker than you could say “curse of the black sun”. It’s not even that Renfri doesn’t like kids. She’d be a great weird-aunt-who-gives-an-8-year-old-a-real-sword-as-a-present. But Renfri does not want to be responsible for a child’s life and health and safety.

There are other little things. I love comparing and contrasting Renfri and Yennefer in tgia honestly because it’s so much fun? Yennefer was born a peasant and clings desperately to the power and prestige her magic affords her. Renfri was born a princess and cast it aside with pride so that she could be as unladylike as she pleased. Both of them knowing that power means sacrifice. It’s a gilded cage to be sure, but it’s still a cage. Yennefer was willing to make the sacrifices and change herself to gain power while Renfri ran. Granted, Renfri ran for many reasons but let’s be real, tgia!Renfri wouldn’t have stuck around to be married off and shuffled away to a quiet corner of the kingdom, out of sight out of mind. 

Renfri was a princess, but her father was a King with male heirs. No matter what parallels I draw, her situation was vastly different from Princess Pavetta, sole heir of Queen Calanthe. And even then, even then with circumstances giving her great importance and a parent in power who should have been sympathetic to her plight, Pavetta was still a pawn on a board who was expected to marry a man she did not love for a political match and then become a background trophy. But even so, Pavetta would always have been Queen and the keeper of her bloodline, and so retained at least some power. Until she produced an heir of course, after which she would have become... less important to keep alive.

Renfri on the other hand? After Jaskier’s birth, she’s a spare. Jaskier is the male heir, and so he got to leapfrog over Renfri in the inheritance. Renfri is officially a bargaining chip, one that doesn’t even have to be compromised with because she is not going to be running the country. As best she could maybe hope to strike a political match with a prince and become a queen of somewhere not her homeland, with little power and easily replaceable. But Stregobor claimed Renfri had internal mutations, ones that might make her sterile, and so as a bride she would be... undesirable to say the least, except perhaps as a bride to a widower who already had heirs to follow him and needed no more. Perhaps to a second son who needed a bride but whose family tree needed no new branches. Which means she would likely be married off to a man, possibly very much her senior, probably not a King but perhaps a Lord (or lord’s son) currently in the king’s favor. This choice would have been made for her, and she would have been expected to accept her new position with grace.

Yennefer’s father sold her away as well. Yennefer’s father struck a financial deal. Renfri’s father’s deal would have been political in nature, likely. Yennefer was bargained away to the brotherhood, Renfri would have been bargained away to a man. 

(me, loudly: what about the implications of a mage organization comprised of all genders being called the brotherhood.)

Renfri and Yennefer each have. A lot of issues. A lot of these issues would make then incompatible for a longterm relationship. Renfri needs someone she can feel safe with, and that someone is never going to be a brotherhood mage, even if it could even be a mage at all. Yennefer needs someone who loves her unconditionally, who places her first, always. She needs to be someone’s first priority. That doesn’t necessarily have to be a romantic relationship mind you, but either way that person can’t be Renfri. For Renfri, her first priority is Jaskier. Always. Just like Jaskier’s first priority will always be Renfri. 

(He loves Geralt, he does, but if Geralt was his first priority then he would have told him about his sister long ago. Geralt is important to him, and he would move heaven and earth for the Witcher, but his sister is the only family he dares to claim and he defeated death itself in her name.)

Yennefer and Renfri both have serious control issues as well. Yennefer has literally mind controlled Geralt before, has manipulated him, and keeps him on his toes. She has this need to be in control, and for the most part Geralt is fine with following where she leads, and that makes her feel safe with Geralt. Up to and until she finds out that Geralt’s wish might be the reason why she loves him, and then all of a sudden it isn’t her in control, it’s some untamable uncontrollable magic, and she absolutely flips her lid. She’s furious! She feels betrayed! All this time she thought she was in control, but then she finds out that Geralt tied their fates together or whatever. 

(Thankfully, this isn’t an issue in tgia, but Yennefer also doesn’t exactly love Geralt in tgia so much as she loves being loved. Their major conflict in tgia is probably going to be about children, honestly, because Geralt sure as fuck doesn’t want any.) 

Renfri? Also would very much need to be in control of a relation. Maybe especially the sexual aspects of it considering her trauma involving that. She’s pretty, and that hasn’t done her any favors. She bristles under restrictions and has broken the door of every cage people have tried to shove her into, including death though she had a little bit of help from Jaskier breaking out of that one. She’s protective, and secretive, and has trust issues a mile wide. She never even tells people her name. Every piece of personal information is carefully controlled. And who can blame her for her trust issues a mile wide? She was assaulted when she was fifteen. At least one man she willingly lay with literally murdered her the morning after (thanks Geralt). Renfri has issues with intimacy.

So yes, while I love throwing them in scenes together and I love their snarky terrible friendship where Yennefer proposes they do something terribly dangerous and Renfri is like “...i mean i GUESS i’ll go.” unless she has a prior commitment OR it conflicts with her primary motivation of protecting Jaskier (getting too close to Geralt threatens this purpose), they won’t be getting together in the scope of the fic

which i hope people won’t be too disappointed by oof

sorry for writing you a whole essay about Renfri and Yennefer when you probably did not want it lmao, as you can see this has been pressing on my mind and tumbled about more than a little bit. 

(honestly though if Pavetta hadn’t been married to Duny and hopelessly in love with him, I might have shipped her and Renfri tbh. They had plenty in common, Pavetta had magic and would have been powerful enough to defend herself but wasn’t a brotherhood mage, they got along well and had inside jokes, the only thing standing in the way of that ship (besides Duny and. you know. the whole death thing) is that Renfri wouldn’t be too keen on becoming a queen/having to deal with shithead nobles again and the whole issue of Stregobor. But Renfri is a princess of a royal bloodline, was raised to be royalty with knowledge of court customs, and is a trained and blooded warrior. Let’s be real, Calanthe would have loved Renfri as a daughter-in-law. Renfri is exactly the ruthless sort of heir Calanthe would adore. There would be the issue of an heir of course, but as long as Pavetta was the one pregnant it wouldn’t be a big deal because Pav’s the one with the important bloodline to carry on.)

ANYWAY you have been very patient with me so here is a tiny Yennefer and Renfri snippet from the next chapter - 

As soon as they’re alone, Renfri turns to Yennefer. “I’m going to kill you for this. One day. Sleep with one eye open, Witch.”

“Come now,” Yennefer teases, “It can’t have been that bad.”

“I genuinely can’t tell if he’s criminally stupid or just ignoring the obvious.” Renfri hisses, “I’m carrying a sword. What kind of handmaiden beheads a bandit?”

“A very loyal one.” Yennefer offers, but she’s trying way too hard to keep a straight face and Renfri can see the smile she’s doing her damnest to contain. 

“You’re lucky I didn’t kill him in his sleep the fourth time he started extolling your virtues for taking an ‘unpolished peasant’ under your wing.” 

That makes Yennefer break face and give a most unladylike snort that she covers with one dainty hand. “You know,” She says, laughter still in her voice, “I wouldn’t need him if you just agreed to go with me.”

“If this is you trying to annoy me into going on an adventure with you, the answer is no.” Renfri immediately states. “Need I mention the last time you talked me into going monster hunting for you? There was a fucking manticore nest, Yennefer.”

“You enjoyed yourself, admit it.” Yennefer smiles with a flip of her hair.

Renfri presses her hand together and then presses them to her lips like she’s about to start praying for Yennefer to get some sense in her empty, empty head. “You are literally insane. You know that right? Stark raving mad.”

[captain-black-water]

I’chi “Black Water” Tia

The Basics ––– –

Age: Thirty-seven

Race: Seeker of the Sun Miqo’te/Highlander Hyur

Gender: Male

Sexuality: Gay

Marital Status: Single

Server: Mateus - Crystal

Physical Appearance ––– –

Hair: Thick black hair with a constant shine. He doesn’t care for it as often as he should, usually letting it get slick with grease and sea salt until someone negs him enough to do something about it. When down his hair reaches down to about his midsection but, more often than not, he will usually put his hair up in some thickly bound braids that he then bundles in a knot.

Eyes: A keen feline yellow, with the trademark Seeker pupils. However, his right eye is marred by a cloudy texture. A birth defect that labels him as blind at a glance. Though his left eye is without this distinctive feature, it’s certainly no more capable of focusing on any one detail.

Height: 6′3″

Build: Broad chested, with well-defined muscle. I’chi keeps himself well in shape, focusing mostly on his naturally strong Miqo’te legs and his chest.

Distinguishing Marks: One of the first things anyone might notice about I’chi are the tattoos that decorate his face. They resemble the stripes of a tiger, turning his already intimidating features all the more grim and fearsome. But those aren’t his only tattoos. On his back, I’chi sports the image of a white tiger immerging from the depths of a black sea, surrounded by brilliantly marbled koi and vibrant orange petals. The colors are vivid and distinct with strong black lines, perhaps so that I’chi himself might be able to see them in a mirror’s reflection.

Common Accessories: I’chi finds himself in many different outfits but one accessory that he maintains throughout all of them is the gold earring near the tip of his right ear. It is sometimes, but not always, accompanied by some other rings that don’t shine quite as brightly.

Personal ––– –

Profession: Self-employed. I’chi runs the show that provides the downtrodden and poor with what they need to survive and get back on their feet, employing the street rats of Eorzea’s major cities to keep their eyes and ears open. He learns and deals with secrets, often using what intelligence he gathers to blackmail and bring down corrupt nobles and politicians in Ul’dah. Meanwhile, in Limsa Lominsa, he anonymously provides the Maelstrom with tips and information on criminals within their jurisdiction. Any gil I’chi earns through his efforts - often taken from those who stole it to begin with - is redistributed to those in need. None of these dealings, however, are public knowledge and he does not speak of these dealings openly.

Hobbies: In his free time, I’chi occupies his time by drinking or getting himself into someone else’s bed. Often both at once. There’s no better way for him to forget about the past than to be too busy finding pleasure in the present. 

Residence: Owns a home in Shirogane known as “Tiger Lily Cottage” where he often frequents and stays during his visits to the Far East. He as well owns a rundown and abandoned mansion somewhere within Thanalan, given the deed to the place after the owner passed away. He’s done little to nothing with the places, aside from paying it the occasional visit.

Birthplace: Details of where I’chi was born are unknown to him, but his best guess is wherever the I tribe of Miqo’te make their home. He never bothered to learn where that may be.

Patron Deity: Llymlaen.

Fears: True vulnerability. Getting too close to someone. His past. Being submerged underwater. Losing what very little sight he still has. 

Relationships ––– -

Spouse: Negative

Children: N/A

Parents: Miqo’te Mother, Deceased. Highlander Hyur Father, MIA.

Siblings: Yes, though he doesn’t know of where they are or if they’re still alive. None share his mixed heritage.

Other Relatives: Yes but, similar to the above, he doesn’t know them. Nor does he wish to.

Pets: Some fish back home in Shirogane.

Traits ––– -

Extroverted / In Between / Introverted

Disorganized / In Between / Organized

Close Minded / In Between / Open Minded

Calm / In Between / Anxious

Disagreeable / In Between / Agreeable

Cautious / In Between / Reckless

Patient / In Between / Impatient

Outspoken / In Between / Reserved

Leader / In Between / Follower

Empathetic / In Between / Apathetic

Optimistic / In Between / Pessimistic

Traditional / In Between / Modern

Hard-working / In Between / Lazy

Cultured / In Between / Uncultured

Loyal / In Between / Disloyal

Faithful / In Between / Unfaithful

Additional information ––– –

Themes and more: For the comfort and well being of all involved, it is very important that I make clear some potentially triggering subjects. I’chi’s past deals with themes of sexual violence, other non-violent sexual situations, parental death, murder, and strong language. Additionally, I’chi himself deals with depression and copes poorly through alcoholism and non-violent sexual acts. All that being said, I roleplay I’chi lightheartedly and save the darker themes for when I am sure that those participating in the roleplay are comfortable exploring those heavier themes. Just as people in the real world are flawed and multidimensional, so too is I’chi (or at least that’s how I hope to depict him), which means there are some things to his character that are rightfully considered to be bad. I will not fault anyone for only wishing to see the lighthearted side of I’chi’s character.

What I’m Looking For: I’m hoping to broaden my horizons as a roleplayer by roleplaying with many different people and experiencing new and interesting situations! I am always open to making friends and discussing potential plot ideas. I appreciate many different themes, but I would lying if I said I didn’t have a preference. While I can enjoy comedic and lighthearted stories, I find I am only ever truly invested in those with emotional weight, nuance, and depth. I prefer dark and/or romantic themes, but not so much in that I crave constant edge and agony or only erotic entanglements. Balance, y’know? Most of all, I have a story for I’chi that I wish to see unfold, and I want to welcome others to join me in telling that story - and yours too!

RP Hooks ––– –

Black Water: I’chi was raised amongst the Bloodtides crew under the careful watch of their captain, a man who held the title of “Black Water”. Under Black Water’s command, I’chi and the rest of the Bloodtides laid siege to many innocents, earning their name by turning the tide’s red with blood. Around the time I’chi entered his adulthood he began to plot to overthrow the reigning Black Water and usurper his title, successfully convincing enough of the crew to join him in his bloody revolution. His actions left the Bloodtides fewer in numbers, yet I’chi’s reign as the new Black Water led the crew to riches untold. However, as fate would have it, I’chi’s time as captain was cut short as he was done in by the same fate as the Black Water before him. Although he survived being tossed overboard with weights strapped to his arms and legs, his reputation did not. I’chi was declared dead and, though he later showed his face again to the Maelstrom that sought his head, the people were content to let that be the end of his story. Perhaps your character was affected by the Bloodtides at some point in their life, either before, during, or after I’chi’s reign as Black Water. Perhaps your character was one of the Bloodtides on his crew. Or perhaps you simply knew the legends as they were so often told around Limsa’s docks. Either way, there are plenty of different avenues to explore with this legacy!

White Tiger: One might think that I’chi being as large and distinctive as he is might be why the eyes of Kugane’s citizens can’t seem to look away, but the name they whisper under their breath tells a different story. The tale of the ‘White Tiger of Kugane’ they mutter to those not in the know. A tale regaling the exploits of one beastly figure, more animal than man, whose loyalties they cannot disconcern. They speak of how he once worked as the muscle for a gang of criminals who terrorized Kugane’s merchants, taking a cut from their profits in exchange for the kindness of leaving them and their wares be. But suddenly, one day, the White Tiger turned his blade on the very master that held their leash. He severed their head from their shoulders on the city streets, turning his white coat red and stirring panic and awe in the people. As the authorities gave chase, he led them back to where the criminals made their home, vanishing from sight and leaving the others to take the fall. His actions freed the people from a threat they could not oppose on their own, and for that they are grateful. But were his actions truly selfless? Your character may have had a run-in with I’chi during this time in his life, or maybe they were witness to his infamous deed. Perhaps they only know the legend. I am open to discussing any connections, just let me know!

Contact Information/About the player ––– –

Hello, and thank you for reading this far! My name is Blake, and you can usually find/contact me here or on I’chi Tia on Mateus. Btw I 100% stole this format from my friend Speedie, who you can find here. I keep a bit of an odd, migrating schedule, but I am always happy to make room for some RP whenever we can make it work! 

[celestines]

                have   you   seen   JUNG   SOMI   around   campus   ?   i   hear   they’re   a   SECOND   YEAR   ,   SUMMER   witch   with   a   specialty   in   FORTUNE   TELLING   .   i almost   never   see   them   without   their   FENNEC   FOX   .   if   they   ever   want   to   be   a   FORTUNE   TELLER   someday   they   should   ease   up   on   being   OVERSENSITIVE   &   POSSESSIVE   .   at   least   you   can   say   they’re   ANIMATED   &   LOYAL   ,   too   .

              hello  angels    !    im   xan   and   im   late   as   usual   but   that’s   just   the   way   it   is   …   😔   im   22   ,   from   the   est   timezone   &   i   go   by   she   /   her   pronouns   !   i   truly   …   never   know   what   im   doing   with   intros   they   just   turn   out   super   long   &   messy   so   aha   …  are   u   ready   for   this   ?   here   is   intro   number   one   out   of   two   baby   !   😋

━  ˙ ˖  ☆     QUICK  STATS  !

full  name  :   jung   somi   .

nickname(s)  :   mimi   .    

zodiac  :   leo   sun   ,   sagittarius   moon   (  click   !  )

sexuality  :   bisexual   .

alignment   :   chaotic   good   .

pinterest   :   (   tba !   )  

━  ˙ ˖  ☆     BACKSTORY  !  

she   was   an   accidental   pregnancy   ,    born   shortly   after   the   marriage   of    her    parents   ,   but    they    were   far   from   mad   about   it   .   her   father   was   a   well   regarded   summer   warlock   ,   a   famous   entertainer   known   for   his   long   and   successful   career    in   the   spotlight   with   his   sister   ,   a    man   who’d   been   the   object   of   many   summer    witches’   affections   .   it   was   a   shock   to   everyone   when   he    retired    from   show   business   to   settle   down   with   his   old   academy   sweetheart   ,   a    soft   spoken    spring   witch   with   a   passion   for   healing   .   

somi’s   father   was   delighted   that   their   first   born   was   a   summer   witch   ,   but   her   mother   intended   to   raise   all   their   children   with   a   blend   of   beliefs   from   both   the   spring   and   summer   covens   ,   and   that’s   exactly   what   they   did   .   since   her   father   had   been   a   famous   entertainer   ,   his   social   circle   extended   far   beyond   just   the   summer   coven   .   although   it   was   obvious   he   had   pride   as   most   summer   witches   and   warlocks   do   ,   he   was   never   the   type   to   discriminate   even   against   those   from   the   winter   covens   ,   a   habit   he   learned   from   his   wife   .     

somi   was   their   only   child   for   the   first   half   of   her   life   (   as   her   parents   were   relatively   young   when   they’d   had   her   )   .   because   of   this   she   was   spoiled   by   the   excited   new   parents   ,   attention   and   support   never   lacking   at   home   .   she   was   raised   to   believe   she   could   do   whatever   she   put   her   mind   to   ,   no   matter   how   big   those   dreams   were   . 

  however   ,    once   she   entered   her   teenage   years   and   her   baby   fat   was   gone   ,    and   she   could   no   longer   rely   on   being   “   that   cute   and   friendly   girl   ”   to   get   her   where   she   wanted   to   go    ,    things   got   a    little   harder   .   she   had   no   problem   with   confidence   ,    but   motivation   was   not   one   of    her   strong   suits   ,    unintentionally   growing   up   with   the   mentality   that   things   would   just   magically   fall   into   place   if    she   wanted   them   hard   enough   .

this   was   also   around   the   time   her   parents   had   their   second   baby   ,   a   boy   born   in   the   spring   .   naturally   he   became   the   object   of   her   parent’s   attention   which   only   made   somi   feel   more   lost   ,    like   maybe   she   wasn’t   as   special   or   important   as   her   parents   had   made   her   feel   .   but   when   her   parents   had   another   child   a   little   over   a   year   later   ,   another  summer   witch   ,   somi   realized    it   was   pretty   dumb   to   be   jealous   of    babies   ,   and   that   it   would   be    better   if   she   focused   her   time   on   becoming   the   type   of   older   sister   her   siblings   could   eventually   look   up   to   !

once   she   started   at   arcane   somi   vowed   she’d   take   her   studies   more   seriously   and   not   get   too   distracted   by   her   social   life   .   while   her   talent   for   fortune   telling   had   manifested   pretty   early   on   in   her   life   ,    and   while   she   was   good   at   it   ,   she   would   be   lying   if   she   said   she   was   interested   in   studying   it   in   a   scholarly   way   .   (   she   has   way   more   fun   sneaking   off   the   island   with   her   best   friend   and   fortune   telling   for   humans   for   some   quick   cash   )   .   still   ,   she’s   trying   her   best   to   keep   her   grades   up   ,    all   the   while   making   sure   she   doesn’t   miss   out   on   a   single   party   ...   and   boy   are   there   lots   of   parties   ...                 

━  ˙ ˖  ☆     PERSONALITY  +  TIDBITS  !

she’s   a   leo   and   it   shows   JWDBJWDBJWDW    full   of   energy   and   confidence   at   almost   all   times   so   it’s   pretty   easy   to   tell   when   she’s   upset   because   she’ll   finally   be   quiet   .   a   big   social   butterfly   with   no   real   opinions   about   house   rivalries    ,   BUT    she’s   super   proud   to   be   a   summer   witch   so   if   you   try   to   put   her   down   because   of    it   that’s   when   she’d   be   upset   /:

she   might   be   the   oldest   sibling   in   her   family   but   that   definitely   doesn’t   show   .   has   big   i’m   baby   energy   and   is   quite   literally   the   embodiment   of   this   emoji   🥺   at   all   times   but   especially   when   she’s   trying   to   get   out   of   trouble   .

blindingly   loyal   to   her   friends   and   the   people   she   loves   to   the   point   where   if   they   murdered   someone   she   would   wholeheartedly   believe   they   were   right   in   doing   so   .   friendships   are   very   important   to   her   and   so   is   getting   back   the   energy   she   gives   out   .   she’s   the   type   to   drop   anything   to   help   a   friend   in   need   !

struggles   a   lot   with   acting   out   when   she   feels   neglected   or   like   someone   doesn’t   care   about   her   as   much   as   she   thought   .   usually   it’s   short   lived   dramatic   bursts   of   anger   ,   and   she   might   give   you   the   silent   treatment   for   an   hour   or   two   before   finally   confessing   how   she’s   feeling   (   and   yes   ,   asking   you   for   reassurance   )   .

she   can   also   be   a   little   possessive   at   times   both   platonically   and   romatically   .    absolutely   loves   the   thought   of   being   everyone’s   favorite   person   but   she’s   also   aware   it’s   highly   unrealistic   </3   still   ,   that   won’t   stop   her   from   being   a   little   dramatic   about   it   ...   as   a   treat   .

she   has   a   huge   heart    😌    and   it   would   be   easy   to   just   cast   her   off   as   a   softie   because   in   lots   of   ways   she   is   one   .   eliciting   real   anger   from   somi   is   pretty   rare   ,   but   hurting   someone   she   cares   about   is   the   quickest   way   to   get   you   there   .   she’s   100%   the   type   to   not   like   someone   because   one   of   her   friends   has   a   problem   with   them   which   can   sometimes   be   hard   considering   she’s   also   the   type   to   try   and   be   everyone’s   friend   ...   it’s   complicated   😭   

she   hates   bullies   😡   will   threaten   to   fight   them   despite   having   no   combat   skills   .        

her   love   life   is   also   complicated   ...   she   gets   crushes   super   easily   and   her   infatuations   are   always   super   consuming   ,    like   she   swears   she’s   gonna   marry   the   person  consuming   ,   but   her   attention   is   always   broken   by   someone  else   so   they   never   last   .   she   wants   to   find   her   true   love   at   the   academy   the   way   her   parents   found   each   other   🥺   she’s   a   romantic   and   proud   <3     

gets   grumpy   when   she’s   hungry

her   familiar   is   a   fennec   fox   named   pancake   and   they’re   the   best   of   friends   except   when   somi   is   acting   up   JDBWJDBWJDW 

 she’s   in   the   art   club   !   originally   joined    because   she   thought   she   could   be   a   muse   and   sit   in   the   middle   of   a   circle   and   have   everyone   paint   her   ...   but   she   stayed   because   she   really   does   love   art   !

so   lazy   and   she   says   she’s   trying   but   she’s   probably   rotated   through   at   least   3   different   tutors   because   they   couldn’t   stand   it    /:   she   just   thinks   the   classroom   isn’t   the   right   place   for   her   and   that’s   ok

will   tell   you   your   fortune   even   if   you   didn’t   ask   ...   it’s   her   party   trick   she’s   still   going   strong   

nothing   good   happens   when   she   drinks   .   is   a   lightweight   AND   a   chaotic   drunk   but   it’s   pretty   fun   to   watch   

has   a   lot   of   respect   for   anyone   older   than   her   in   grades   above   her   UNLESS   they   use   their   seniority   to   be   assholes   ,    then   she’ll   no   longer   look   up   to   them   </3      

━  ˙ ˖  ☆     WANTED  CONNECTIONS  !  (  all  open  to  all  genders  )

tutors   !   past   failed   ones   who   tried   to   help   her   out   &   maybe   a   current   one   whose   patience   she’s   testing   SJDBJWDBJWW

someone   she   defended   once   and   ever   since   then   she   keeps   asking   them   if    there’s   someone   they   need   her   to   fight   even   though   they   literally   did   not   ask   and   they   both   know   somi   would   lose   

unlikely   friendships   !    maybe   your   muse   usually   steers   clear   of   summer   witches   ,    or    maybe   your   muse    and   somi   just   have   opposite   personalities   ,    either   way   they   became   friends   despite   their   differences   

maybe   an   ex   or   two   .   their   relationship   would   have   been   short   lived   despite   how   into   it   somi   seemed   .   maybe   they’re   still   kinda   resentful   about   it   ,   or   maybe   they   feel   as   if   they   dodged   a   bullet   .   or   maybe   an  ex   that   dumped   somi   before   she   could   dump   them   and   she   hasn’t  been   able   to   let   it   go  

current   infatuations   !   her   list   of   crushes   is   ridiculously   long   ,    but   there   would   be   a   handful   of   people   who   have   surpassed   crush   status   and   she’s   full   on   head   over   heels   for    .   i   feel   like   this   would   work   really   well   with   3rd   or   4th   year   witches   since  somi   already   tends   to   idolize   them   ,   but   it   definitely   isn’t  exclusive   to   older   witches   !   maybe   they   have   no   idea   how   she   feels   (   although   she   makes   it   obvious   )   ,   maybe  they   pretend   not   to   notice   to   tease   her   ,   maybe   they   try   and   use   her   feelings   to   their   advantage   ,   or   maybe   they   just   think   it’s   cute  the   possibilities   are   endless   hehe

second   years   she   can   bond   with   🥺   maybe   a   first   year   she’s   taken   under   her   wing   despite   only   being   grade   above   them   and   acts   like   she’s   showing   them   the   ropes   SJDBWJDBWJDW   but   they’re   realizing   her   best   places   to   nap   and   not   get   caught   tour   won’t   really   help   them   ...

people   who   only   really   know   her   from   parties   !   maybe   they   don’t   really   hang   out   outside   of    parties   so   it’s   kind   of   awkward   when   they   bump   into   each   other   ,    but   as   soon   as   they’re   in   a   setting   with   alcohol   it’s   all   good   again

sibling   like   friendships   !   i   would   definitely   love   some   older   sibling  figures   in   her   life   since   she’s   never   had   one   🥺

people   who    were   big   fans   of    her   dad   JWDBWJBDWJ   since   he   was   well   known   i   think   it   would   be   funny   to   have   people   know   her   because   of   him   and   even   more   funny   to   have   them   be   fans   because   somi   would   pretend   to   be   grossed   out   if   they   ever   tried   to   tell   her   how   awesome   they   think   he   is   </3 

enemies   (:<   she   tries   not   to   have   any   ,   but   she’s   bound   to   butt   heads   with   people   .   she   can   definitely   be   a   lot   ...   maybe   it’s   a   personality   thing   ,   or   a   we   have   different   values   thing   ,   or   maybe   there   was   an   unfortunate   incident   where   your   muse   stole   somi’s   favorite  pen   then   lied   about   it   to   her   face   and   to   this   day   they   are   her   sworn   nemesis   because   of   it   ...

a   sub   point   to   the   enemies   ...   JDWJDBWJD   i   think   it   would   be   so   funny   to   have   someone   she   started   out   as   enemies   with   but   who   she’s   starting   to   realize   she   might  actually   have   a   lot   in   common   with   and   actually   get  along   with   but   they   both   try   to   deny   it   because   they’re   so   used   to   hating   each   other   although   it’s   clearly   not   the   case   anymore       

i   wont   lie   to   u   this  got   longer   than   i   thought   it   would   😭😭😭   im   sosososo  sorry   for   the   length   …   also   i   feel   like   my   charas   always   change   a  lil   once   i   actually   start   plotting   &   writing   so   sorry   again   if   u   see   me   finally   writing   as   somi   on   the   dash   and   ur   like   literally   who   is   that   …  JSDBWJBDWBDJ   PLEASE  come  message  me  on  discord  to  plot   !   if   u   prefer   im’s   that’s   perfectly   ok   too   im   just   warning   u   now   it’s   gonna   be   a    much   slower   process   so   if   u   want   speedier   replies   …  u   can   message   me   @ glo lovecore ʕ´• ᴥ•̥`ʔ#8172   maybe  …   give   this   a   like   if   u   wanna   …   plot   hehehe   thank   u   for   reading   all   this   im   sorry   again   ur   so   brave   for   making   it   x   

[marshmallow-phd]

Secret in His Eyes

Spinoff of Sins of the Father

Genre: Mafia Au

Pairing: Luhan x Reader

Summary: A vacation exploring China’s famous city was supposed to be relaxing. When you witness a horrifying murder, you instead find yourself in police custody, unable to run. Trying to stay alive, you meet Luhan, and you believe you can trust him. You never imagined that he might be the one you should be running from.

Part: Prologue I 1 I 2 I 3 I 4 I 5 I 6 I 7 I 8 I 9 I 10 I 11 I 12 I Final

**

This city was beautiful. The touristy parts, anyway. You were sure that – like every other city in the world – Beijing had its ugly scars, too. But you stayed in the areas that all the brochures and websites bragged about, saving you from having to see those not-so-shiny places.

You’d been saving up for this trip for the past year and a half. All your life you wanted to experience just one place new. Then you’d be perfectly content going back to your ordinary life with your office job. Or maybe this trip would just make you eager for the next one. It was kind of a toss up at this point in your youth. But you wouldn’t worry about whether or not you could be content with your boring routine until you were back home. For now, you’d continue exploring, taking in the beautiful, ancient architecture that was so unique to the region, visiting the art and history museums to learn more about what you were seeing, and trying all the street food you could get your hands on. Your main focus was to take in all that you could and not forget a single moment.

When you’d first arrived in Beijing, a nauseated feeling had bubbled up in your stomach. You were in foreign territory, completely on your own, with very little knowledge on how to navigate this roaring city. The feeling refused to die down as you checked into your hotel and searched the maps you’d been given by the front desk worker for something to eat. Even with as exhausted as you were from traveling, sleep didn’t come easy. By some miracle, however, you woke up the next morning much more at ease with your surroundings. Still nervous about getting lost or accidentally offending someone, but it wasn’t as threatening a feeling as it had been before. Going throughout your day, you nearly forgot all about your worries, too absorbed in your findings to pay attention to it.

By day three, you were practically a local. It was so magical, each new finding, that you couldn’t believe this was truly your reality, like soon you’d wake up to find it was all a dream.

“Oh, back again?”

You blushed as you bobbed your head in greeting. There was one vendor in the market place near your hotel that you kept coming back to. A mother and daughter team sold the most delicious baozi you’d ever tasted. Granted, your experience was limited to a few blocks, but it was a common street food and none compared to this dynamic duo’s. While the mother didn’t speak English, you were able to communicate with the daughter well enough.

“It’s my favorite treat,” you admitted shyly. The daughter waived you closer before pulling out two steaming, fresh buns, wrapping them carefully before holding them out to you. When you started to pull out your wallet, she shook her head. “No. These are just for you. Since you like them so much.”

You pursed your lips. “That doesn’t feel right.”

“You’ve been a loyal customer,” she laughed. “It’s the least we could do! However,” she rounded the cart, coming up close to you as she lowered her voice, “tonight is the Shangyuan Festival. My mother will be staying in, but if you would like to join me to make her happy that I won’t be alone, we’ll consider that payment.”

It still didn’t seem fair, but you laughed anyway. “Yes, of course!” You’d noticed the streets being decorated with paper lanterns since your arrival – some were the traditional round red ones you were used to, but others were shaped like flowers and animals, beautifully crafted and painted, making you stare in awe. “It’d be nice to have someone show me the festival.”

“Good! It’s settled then. We will close before the sun sets, so meet me here then. We’ll walk my mother home and then I will show you the festival!”

You nodded eagerly. Before parting so you could hurry to your other planned activities for the afternoon, you finally learned the daughter’s name: Shishi. It was cute and not something you’d really heard before.

The afternoon hours seemed to fly by and before you knew it, the sun was beginning to disappear from the sky. As quickly as you could, you ran back to the stall, careful not to ram anyone down in the process. Shishi was still waiting for you patiently, her mother shaking her head at you in a scolding manner.

“I’m so sorry,” you huffed, half doubled over from your exhausting sprint.

“It’s okay,” Shishi laughed at you. “Let’s get Mother home and then we’ll attend the festival.”

You nodded and stepped back for her to lead the way. Their home wasn’t too far from the stall and once Shishi saw her mother inside, the two of you took off towards another district in the city where a big crowd had gathered near the Chaobai River.

Lanterns of all shapes and sizes hung from nearly ever ledge. Children ran around the streets while carrying sticks that held small paper fish on the ends of strings, making it looking like schools of fish were swimming through the air. Different sweet scents drifted up to your nose, making your mouth water.

Perhaps seeing that ravenous look in your eye, Shishi pulled you over to one of the vendors, getting each of you one of those sugar coated sweets made by the true experts of the trade. The artists didn’t have fancy, expensive culinary schooling; they simply had tradition and a love for the for food.

You continued to walk along the street in order to take in all the sights happening around you. This was the reason you’d come to the beautiful city of Beijing. The joy and laughter around you was infectious and you felt as if you were on the receiving end of a precious gift. All the pictures and blogs in the world couldn’t truly capture the feeling, the essence of the festival and the deep rooted traditions happening before your very eyes. No matter what happened to you on this trip, you knew tonight would be something that you would never forget.

**

Luhan leaned back in his chair and waited rather impatiently for the underling to arrive. It was ten minutes past the time he was told to be here and Luhan was losing his patience.

For the past month, he’d had a man inside the main police department of Beijing and he needed his updates. Lately, the cops had been one step ahead of him while conducting his deals, putting several of his suppliers behind bars and ruining his business. His own customers were getting antsy, hence why he needed the information to squash the rat.

Leaning up against the wall to his right, Kris chewed on a toothpick between his teeth. “I thought he was supposed to be here by now.”

“Unfortunately, Xiaofei isn’t known for his punctuality,” Luhan huffed. He picked up the glass ball he kept on his desk and inspected it, although there was nothing wrong with the small paperweight. In the low lighting of his office, he could only make out a faint shadow on the smooth glass rather than his reflection. The small globe was almost completely see-through except for the etched continents covering the surface. While he couldn’t quite say that he held the world in his hands, the little globe gave him a sense of accomplishment, even when things went a little askew.

“I still think we should have sent someone else,” Tao whined from the couch. He was staring up at the ceiling, hands folded behind his head for a pillow as he reclined on his back. His suit jacket was draped across the back of the couch to save it from wrinkling.

Luhan rolled his eyes. He was tired of having this conversation over and over again. “Xiaofei already had connections within the office, I’ve told you that. Plus, he’d be able to blend better than most.”

There weren’t many people in the world Luhan could trust, the top two being in this room. Everyone who worked for him was under constant surveillance and he occasionally had to clean out the filth with little crumbs of fake information. It was how he survived all these years. The Chinese underworld was ruthless. He hardly had a moment where he wasn’t watching his back.

Just then, the door to the office creaked open. Tao sat up, eyeing the crack that wasn’t quite big enough to let a human through while Luhan placed the globe back down on the desk with a heavy thump. The vaguest outline of a shadow, visible against the white door frame, flinched at the sound. Luhan could practically smell the stench of fear radiating off of the underling from his seat.

Picking up his feet and placing them back down on the floor, Luhan growled, “Just come in before I lose my patience and shoot you through the door.”

That little threat did the trick. Xiaofei scurried inside the office, closing the door behind him with a sound that was halfway between a click and a slam. His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down as if he was trying to keep the contents of his stomach from spilling out onto the rug. The police uniform Xiaofei had been given was wrinkled and half untucked. Were his men really such slobs?

Clearing his throat, Xiaofei straightened up and then bowed at a ninety-degree angle. He was putting on a brave front, they all knew. And Luhan would let him play his little act.

“Sir, I have not been able to find the leak within the department as of yet.” The voice that left Xiaofei’s mouth didn’t match the round, burly face he was born with. It was of a higher pitch, not fit for his age. The face that Luhan imaged the voice belonging to was one of a rat, pointed and sharp, all the features focused in on the center. It was a face that fit Xiaofei’s character much more closely.

“Did you even really try?” Tao spat. His dark eyes were narrowed at the underling. He was not one to take kindly to a lack of results.

“Y-yes, sir,” Xiaofei bowed quickly to the silver-haired boss. “The department is very tight-lipped. They don’t take too kindly to new faces. It’ll take me another few months to get them to trust me.”

“We don’t have another few months,” Kris snarled, flicking the toothpick at the trembling man. The little piece of wood stuck to Xiaofei’s shoulder, but he made no attempt to brush it away, accepting the small but humiliating action.

Luhan let out a long sigh in order to make his displeasure known in a much more subtle manner. “Xiaofei.” The man flinched at the sound of his name even though Luhan didn’t raise his voice above a causal level. “Before I sent you in there, you swore to me that you had connections inside. Now, that wasn’t a lie, was it?”

“No, sir, I swear!” Xiaofei staggered on his feet as he tried to plead for his life. As soon as Luhan stood, the coward fell to his knees in a showy sign of respect. “My connections are good. It’ll just take a little more time. Please. I will find the leak. I swear it.”

Grabbing a fistful of his shirt, Luhan bent down and stared Xiaofei down. “You have one month left. I suggest you bring me back something viable at the end of that time frame. If you don’t, then you’ll be replaced.” Letting him go with a forceful shove, Luhan headed for the door. He only paused long enough to give one last warning. “I like to think of this organization as a well-oiled, well-maintenanced machine. The only way to keep it working is to upgrade the parts that have become useless. And there’s only one thing to do with useless parts, isn’t there?”

Though Xiaofei didn’t look back at Luhan, the shiver that ran down his spine and shook his shoulders was visible enough proof that the message had been received. With confident steps, Luhan glided down the hall of the mansion he called home. Soon, he would find out who was undermining his operations and he would make sure they regretted ever going up against The Deer before he ended their life for good.

**

Your feet were aching and throbbing, but you still weren’t ready to go home for the night. Stuffed full of delicious street food made only during this special time, you continued to follow Shishi through the crowds, stopping every once in a while to watch a choreographed dance by a group of performers ora magic show put on by a man you suspected might be tricking the audience in more ways than one.

The stars above were beginning to come alive for the night, adding to the mystical atmosphere. Only the strongest were able to be made out against the fading backdrop thanks to the stronger lights of the city. It made you a little sad, not being able to see a sky full of twinkling stars, but you pushed that emotion away, preferring to focus on the happier commotion around you.

However, when you brought your eyes back to the festival, Shishi was gone. You whirled around several times, but you couldn’t find her. Over and over, you called out, but no reply was ever sent back your way. Frantically, you shoved through the crowd. Had something happened to her? Or had you simply been separated? It was your own fault for dawdling and not paying attention. Panic was starting to set in. Until you saw a familiar bun of black hair resting on top of a head that was about Shishi’s height.

You followed the bun through the crowd until the owner disappeared into an alleyway. She took a few more twists and turns before you finally caught up to her, grabbing her shoulder in relief.

“Shishi!”

When she turned around, however, you were frustrated to find that it wasn’t your friend, but a stranger you’d never seen before. She threw you a snarled look even as you bowed out an apology over and over again. Soon you were alone again and utterly lost. The only light to see by came from the more occupied main streets, but you weren’t sure which one you should head towards to try and find your way back. Every direction looked the same. You cursed yourself for not paying more attention the further you got from the main street.  

Crash!

You jumped back against the brick wall, collapsing down to hide in the shadow of a dumpster when you saw a man fall to the cracking asphalt, his head bouncing off the ground as he landed hard on his back. Even in the dim light, you could make out a stream of blood running down from his nose and over his lips before dripping off his chin. When another man stepped into your line of vision, you shrank farther back, practically melding with the grime-covered trash bin.

The man who was still standing pulled out a gun and pointed it down at the one on the ground. As if knowing that his end was near, the first man simply groaned and turned his face upwards towards the sky. The man with the gun chuckled and began speaking in Mandarin. You couldn’t understand a majority of the words leaving his mouth, but one word did stick out to you: Lu. He repeated it a few times, mixed around in sentences that you couldn’t make out.

Then he shot the man on the ground, the bullet slicing through his forehead.

You couldn’t stop the gasp that your shock and horror forced out. Immediately, you slapped a hand over your mouth, praying that he hadn’t heard you. Seeing that there was just enough space between the wall and the dumpster, you scrambled to better hide yourself, hoping that you weren’t simply jumping into the barrel for an easier target.

Footsteps slowly headed in your direction, crackling the loose pebbles under his shoes with each step. You squeezed your eyes shut and sent up a silent prayer to anyone who might be listening. And apparently, someone was.

Sirens blared from a street close by. You barely caught the man disappearing around the corner when you risked opening your eyes. Slowly, you crawled out from behind the dumpster. Your hand landed warm and sticky, making you jump back with a scream when you realized it was blood pooling out from the dead man’s head.

Two new voices shouted and you threw your hands up to show you were unarmed. A bright light made you squint and you couldn’t tell who was approaching you, but you hoped it was the police. The light finally lowered. You let out a sigh of relief. The two officers lowered their guns and exchanged dumbfounded looks.

You had no idea what kind of mess you’d stumbled into.