#so it wouldn't even matter that they look kind of similar to reign

[thejakeformerlyknownasprince]

So I'm putting together an In Defence of Cassie PowerPoint for a PowerPoint night with friends. Do you have any arguments for or against her? I trust your opinion and am curious.

Let's see.

"She's too powerful, too unique, too far-seeing, and not good enough for Jake! What a Mary Sue!"

Counterpoint: May I introduce you to the reigning champion fan favorite, Sad White Boy Tobias?

Only nothlit ever to regain the ability to morph

Only known human-andalite hybrid ever to exist

Regarded as savior by entire hork-bajir species

Entire existence is a time paradox the war hinges upon

Pulls the canonically "most beautiful girl in our grade", who turns down 6 or 7 other offers in favor of Bird Boy

Correctly predicted planetary ecology 65 million years in advance

Believed to be immune to 2-hour limit

In conclusion: y'all wouldn't be crying "Mary Sue" if Cassie was a sad white boy, and I can prove it.

"She's too weak and hand-wringing, and she never helps the war effort!"

Counterpoint: First of all, the fact that the same people say this in the same breath as "she's too powerful" is... telling. Secondly:

She saved the entire team's lives in #24, in #29, in #44, and in MM1, among others.

Specifically calling out #44 — that ending shows she is willing and able to be ruthless when her friends are in need. She doesn't like slaughtering human-controllers, but if the alternative is everyone she loves dying, then she'll fucking well do it.

Much like Jake (see: Sad White Boy), she's more willing to risk herself than her friends, hence the end of MM1

Her medical knowledge saves Marco from rabies, Ax from brain!appendicitis, and Tobias from bird flu.

Her survivalist knowledge saves everyone in #25 (the Arctic), MM2 (Cretaceous Era), #11 (rainforest), and #14 (desert).

In conclusion: Cassie's only idealistic-looking by the standards of this extremely morally gray team.

"She's so unfair to Jake!"

Counterpoint: Jake? The Jake who refused to speak with her for weeks? Jake who proposes marriage while they're still broken up? Jake who announces he'll never trust Cassie again because she [checks notes] saved his brother's life? That Jake?

Also:

She gives him tons of emotional support in #16, #21, #47, and other times he's feeling low.

They have a healthy argument where they air differences and come to an understanding in #9.

Did I mention he doesn't just dump her but ghosts her in the middle of the war's endgame?

They're teenagers. Their relationship isn't perfect, but it is built on open communication and mutual respect which is more than Rachel and Tobias can say

She's fighting a war, and PTSD for that matter. No, she doesn't have infinite emotional bandwidth.

In conclusion: Their relationship is fine, their breakup is mutual, and her behavior only looks bad if, once again, you're holding Cassie to a different standard than you are Jake.

"She shouldn't have trusted Aftran!"

Counterpoint: friendly reminder that the alternative was killing a 6-year-old for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. If that's what you think Cassie should've done, that tells us more about you than about her.

"She spends too much time moralizing!"

Counterpoint: this is a book series about war, not a friggin' video game. If you want moral pornography, go play Call of Duty. If you want sci fi realism, then you're going to have to accept that a majority of humans prefer not to kill their fellow humans if at all possible.

"She's a ripoff of [insert character here]!"

Counterpoint: literally every single one of these says more about the commenter than about the source work. "Every dystopia is set in the U.S." is the kind of thing only people who only read books by American authors would think. "All epic fantasy is Eurocentric" => tell me you only read books by white people without telling me. I'm glad you think Cassie is too similar to Willow Rosenberg, but there are at least 6 other stories in the known world, and I hear some of them even feature sweet/dorky/caring characters who are secretly ultra-powerful.

In conclusion: You don't have to like Cassie as a (fictional) person, but 85% of criticisms directed at her are bad-faith attacks on one of the 1990s' only fat Black female gnc ultra-powerful superheroes.

[akutasoda]

Hello! Hope it's not much of a bother... But may I trouble you for headcanons with bsd men who meet their very short tiny s/o (barely 5 feet tall, around 153-155 cm or even less), sweet and adorable, only to discover months later that they actually have a terrifying reputation and basically are the boogeyman known for being capable of destroying entire organisations, no matter of their scale and power? 👉👈🥺 Gender neutral or fem reader, and you can pick whatever characters you'd like, I trust your choice! 🥰 Sorry if it's too long, first time sending a request like that! 😅 Thank you!!

monsters of the past

synopsis - sometimes how someone acts contradicts their past

includes - dazai, chuuya, nikolai, tecchou

warnings - gn!reader, fluff, maybe crack?, reader is apart of the group that each character is in apart from tecchou, wc - 830

osamu dazai ★↷

from anything dazai expected from you it was definitely not that. the first few months of your relationship had gone mostly smoothly and you both were quite content with everything.

but one day out of pure curiosity and luck, he stumbled across your file among the other members files. he knew it was probably wrong but he knew you well enough right? he probably could guess everything written on there.

but not that. it was a pleasant surprise to say the least, for him. turns out you had quite a hidden side to your normally sweet persona. as before joining the agency you had built a reputation upon being able to infiltrate and destroy organisations within a few or just a single night.

of course when you seeked to join the agency you were met with hesitantcy from the president, but after assuring your loyalty and change of heart you got in.

kind of reminded him of him and a certain slug... whatever. upon finding this information he couldn't help but be slightly smug about it. i mean who wouldn't be if they found out their sweet, kind partner had a previous 'reign of terror' - that sounded cooler to him.

and when he next saw you, you could tell he somehow found out. fron the way he acted around you to the subtle questions trying to pry information out of you. maybe you could give him the details.

chuuya nakahara ★↷

in similar fashion, chuuya had found out about your little secret through looking at your files. as when you originally joined the port mafia and put quite high in the ranks, he had suspicions about you. but when you became closer he didn't think too much of it anymore.

and when you started dating, he had felt like it was less of an evasion of privacy a couple of months in. and so with huge curiosty he looked through your file. he was surprised but again felt smug about it.

seems like just because you two were both short in height, didn't mean you two weren't any weaker than everyone else. perhaps stronger. as he two had destroyed an organisation overnight with a stupid mackerel.

that probably made sense about why someone as kind as you had been quite the member. he was slightly disappointed you didn't tell him outright about it but understood. i mean he didn't tell you about when he did it so you two were equal. but now he probably would have to tell you if you were interested.

probably didn't bring it up to you as that was in the past but he couldn't help but feel a sense of pride, knowing you had did that.

nikolai gogol ★↷

nikolai absolutely loved to find this out. he had first met you through your introduction into the doa. apparently you had some kind of potential, he wasn't really paying attention.

but what peeked his interest in you was how in this organisation, you were just sweet to everyone. he never saw you in action but surely you were good right?

and eventually when you two got together he still didn't think much of you being in the doa. until fyodor had show him something quite interesting. which made him absolutely ecstatic to find out more about you and whatever little secrets you hid behind that sweet facade.

and he asked you so many questions about it. he was so proud of you! not that he wasn't before but this was just one of the best twists about you. why wouldn't he be proud of his partner who destroyed organisations overnight or a few days. and the fact that they had given you such a cool nickname.

seems like you got a small fanclub as not only your boyfriend but an admirer of your dark secret.

tecchou suehiro ★↷

he had been sifting through old unsolved cases with teruko because she got bored and needed something to do when he came across something that peeked his interest, so he slipped it into his pocket.

you two had been dating for a couple of months now, despite leading very different lives - him a hunting dog, you a civilian - you two made it work. but on that case he noticed your name as a suspect which made him curious.

so he looked into it. it was an usual but simple case, someone had destroyed an organisation overnight, quite the powerful one at that. but he couldn't find anything about it. so when he went back to you he asked about it.

and when he found out....maybe justice can be overlooked this one time. but that truly did surprise him. i mean you. short, sweet and absolutely caring. huh. and you got away with it without anyone even solving your case.

eventually he just grew proud of it, didn't tell anyone but in this one case of him overlooking true justice for the person he loved, it gave him a weird sense of pride.

[lightandfellowship]

Since the underclassmen got to say what their reasons were for becoming Keyblade wielders, I decided to nail down my own headcanons about that for the upperclassmen (might change my mind about these at some point):

Vidar: I headcanon that he's a blueblood like Eraqus, someone who was picked to become Odin's heir fairly early on, so I imagine he wants to become a Keyblade Master in order to fulfill that role and not let anybody down. More personally, he wants to protect his home and friends, and embody all the qualities that make a good and fair leader, meaning his disasterous choices and failure to protect anybody in KHDR was quite the salt in the wound.

Hoder: It's exactly the same as Baldr's: "I want to protect what's important to me". Much like Baldr's it ends up being quite ironic and misleading because of how we associate this phrasing with Riku's motivations.

Helgi: He wants to prove his strength, and in Scala society, Keyblade Masters are the proven strongest. He also believes in "might makes right", and so thinks that proving his strength will give him the authority to make decisions on matters of justice and morality.

Sigrun: She and Helgi grew up together and have very similar personalities because of it, even if people wouldn't guess that about her at first. She generally agrees with Helgi's worldview and wants to help him enforce "truth" and "justice" by his side. But perhaps she disagrees with him on certain matters and wants to be there to help reign him back. She's the balancing "voice of reason"...or at least comparatively. (Their shared black-and-white thinking still gets them into trouble often.)

Heimdall: Nothing more than a genuine interest in the art of Keyblade creation and wielding. The most likely to stay in Scala as a teacher or blacksmith.

Vala: Quite similar to Urd, Vala has an insatiable hunger for knowledge and reading books about the outside worlds just isn't enough. In contrast to Urd though, she views the outside worlds in a more romantic and idealized way, imagining grand adventures and blossoming love and noble acts, kind of like Belle in Beauty and the Beast. She considers herself moreso a "Keyblade knight" rather than simply wielder. For the most part though she hides this side of herself and her motivaton under a more logical and scholarly exterior.

Vali: No one knows what his reason is, not even his closest friends, for he's very secretive about it for some reason. I don't know if I want it to be something serious or silly; maybe both. Like, "I have a distant, renowned Keyblade-wielding ancestor who was disappointed that none of their offspring became Keyblade wielders, and I feel obligated to bring back the tradition to make them happy in the afterlife...but also I saw a Keyblade wielder do a sick back-flip once and it made me want to look as cool as them."

[chronicallylatetotheparty]

Float Like A Butterfly... Ch.6 ...Sting Like A Bee

Summary: An unexpected ally appears before Marinette. The only problem is, he's stumbled onto something he shouldn't have. And she needs it back.

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

Marinette was having a terrible day.

First she shows up late with the principal accessory of the Gabriel line's Fashion Week showing. Fashion Week! Marinette was looking forward to it all month! 

Next Audrey Bourgeois, Style Queen herself, treats the hat Marinette worked so hard on like gum on the bottom of her shoe. Sure Adrien had been super encouraging but he hadn't seen the look of utter contempt on Audrey Bourgeois face. No one could look that disgusted all the time!

Speaking of Adrien, he didn't make getting over him any easier by being so kind.

And if that wasn't enough Marinette's brain insisted on using Chat Noir's Miraculous to fight the akumatized villain. Again! She didn't want to think about Chat Noir right now because... Because... Marinette blinked rapidly. Deep breath... Because thinking about Chat Noir was painful.

But that wasn't even the worst part.

"Don't worry, Tikki. We'll get the box right after the show," Marinette stage whispered so as to not alert her parents. Who walked not even a meter away.

Tikki let out a concerned whine. Oh, this was a bad idea. She could feel it. Marinette was right that they couldn't get away from her parents beforehand. But that only made Tikki even more anxious to get searching. And Marinette really didn't need something else to worry about on top of... everything else.

She hoped no one found it.

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

Chloe's day was ridiculous. Utterly, ridiculous!

She sat next to her mother as Adrien walked down the runway. Lingering dread squashed and thrown into the very back of her mental walk-in closet where she kept unimportant things. Like shoes she never wore anymore, problematic outfits and lingering guilt that totally wasn't her's. Adrien wasn't slowly disintegrating anymore so why dwell on the past?

Adrien's performance was flawless and Chloe was absolutely certain she appreciated his efforts more than anyone else... Even if Alya Cesaire was livestreaming.

The show went off without a hitch. Adrien seemed fine but then he was almost as good at pretending as she was. Chloe eyed him as Gabriel's lackey, um, assistant pulled him along. Not physically, of course. It was more of a metaphorical pulling.

Ugh, Gabriel Agreste started talking with Chloe's mother through his assistant's tablet. Like, yeah, apologizing to the Queen of Style was a no brainer. But he could have at least come in person! Not like Gabriel was doing anything important besides being the world's richest hermit.

... And Dupain-Cheng was there too. Of course she was. At least her mother would put Dupain-Cheng in her place. Chloe felt herself smirk at the thought.

Adrien raised an eyebrow. As though reading her mind.

Chloe pretended not to notice. No petty satisfactions here! No, sir! But it wasn't like the Queen of Style was going to say anything about Dupain-Cheng's hat except-

"It's the most exceptional thing I've ever seen!" Audrey Bourgeois announced.

Exact- Wait, what!?

"You're a visionary, Marinette! Glitter's had its day..."

Chloe's ears rang, drowning out her mother's voice. Exceptional? Her? Over a- a- a hat!? A vice squeezed Chloe's chest with cruel precision. When her own present was rejected without even unwrapping it!? Chloe's fists shook as she bit her tongue.

"Isn't that nice for your friend, Chloe dearest?" Andre Bourgeois asked.

"It's ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous!" Chloe whirled on her mother. "I've never been to New York with you and you're taking Marinette Dupain-Cheng!?" She spat.

"I'm afraid I have a last minute meeting to attend, my dear Audrey," Gabriel announced from the tablet. "Nathalie, bring Adrien home immediately."

Adrien's attention snapped from Chloe to Gabriel. "But, Father, I-"

"Do not embarrass me in front of the Bourgeois," Gabriel snapped, ending the call.

Jaw clenching shut, Adrien stared at nothing with stormy eyes as Nathalie led him away.

"I'm taking her because she's exceptional, Claudette. Uh- Chloe," Audrey stated matter-of-factly, the Agrestes already forgotten.

"I'm exceptional too!" Chloe shot back.

Audrey inspected her white gloves, bored of this exchange. "The only exceptional thing about you, my dear-" Audrey deigned to glance at her daughter. "-is your mother."

Chloe's blood boiled as she shook off Andre's hands on her shoulders, standing straighter. "I'll show you how exceptional I can be!" she promised.

Just as an akuma entered Chloe's present.

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

Alya was having an amazing day!

Her livestreams hadn't gotten this many new views since she almost got sacrificed by Pharaoh. The Ladyblog's activity was up. And Ladybug chose her as the Black Cat!

Sure it was weird that Ladybug didn't want to talk about it. But still! Black Cat! Alya tried to contain her grin as she thought about being Ladybug's partner for a day...

Her pace on the sidewalk slowed, enthusiasm dampening a little... Setting her face in determination Alya skipped into gear. All the more reason to piece together what happened! And she'd start with-

A burst of yellow light shot forth from the Grand Palais. Jolting Alya out of her thoughts as the newest akuma victim gave their villain speech from the roof.

"I am Queen Glitter! And from now on the only exceptional person in Paris will be me!"

Alya ran... straight for the villain who was obviously Chloe as she summoned a cloud of glitter and shapped it into a collection of accessories. The constructs restricting the movement of whoever they landed on. Scarves wrapping people's legs together or tying them to lampposts. Hats covering people's eyes as they tried to yank them off. There was even someone with his hands stuck in high heels. Queen Glitter made a giant floating scarf to stand on and took off in a random direction; leaving a trail of gaudy accessories in her wake.

Great. It was going to take forever to catch up to her now! Taking cover in an alleyway so Queen Glitter's sparkly formal wear wouldn't notice her, Alya scanned the street. Mentally kicking herself for not having recorded the villain speech for the Ladyblog.

"Looks like you're raring to go," Ladybug observed as she landed next to Alya. A familiar box in her hand.

"Ladybug! Didn't think I'd be helping out again so soon!" Alya held out her palm and Ladybug placed the Black Cat Miraculous in her hands again.

"Y'know the drill, right?" Ladybug's eyes wandered to the people in various states of running-for-their-lives.

"Give it back when we're done and don't take it personally," Alya paraphrased as Plagg emerged in a ball of light when she placed the ring on her finger.

"Ladyblog girl again?” Plagg gave her a once over. Ears flat against his head but swishing tail betraying his apprehension. "Well, at least Alya's not blue boy."

“He wasn’t that-“ Ladybug shook her head. “Y’know what, never mind.”

Glancing between them Alya filed that tidbit away for later. "C'mon, Plagg. We did great together!"

"You were okay," Plagg acknowledged. "Could've used more cat puns."

Alya chuckled. Of course he'd like those. With a -slightly forced- encouraging smile from Ladybug, Alya called out: “Plagg, transforme-moi!”

Green lightning traveled from Chat Noir��s ring across both arms and down her torso. A green sash wrapping around her waist and trailing into a tail. Running her clawed gloves through her hair as cat ears materialized. Said hair puffing up into an afro. Armor padding her shoulders and torso. Alya flexed her fingers to get used to the feeling. Chat Ombre's suit still felt strange on her skin compared to Rena Rouge.

Ladybug leapt onto the rooftops and Chat Ombre followed her lead. Racing towards the villain while avoiding her glitter. "So what's the plan?"

"Queen Glitter is basically a reskin of Style Queen," Ladybug thought aloud.

"But without that annoying habit of turning into a cloud!" Chat Ombre supplied.

Ladybug launched her yo-yo at a pedestrian and yanked him away from Queen Glitter's constructs as they passed by. "But she can spread her power over a wider area."

"Don't worry, Ladybug. We'll be- Look out!" Alya tackled Ladybug out of the way as a trio of glittery top hats zoomed past.

"Your reign is over Ladybug and wannabe Chat Noir!" Queen Glitter announced as she floated over them. Her appearance was similar to Style Queen except her crown was even bigger and gaudier. A foux glitter scarf around her shoulders. "I don't even care if you don't give me your Miraculous! I'll simply immobilize you and take them by force!"

They evaded a flurry of coats by jumping down to the street. "Really?" Chat Ombre called out. "That all you can throw at us? A tacky outfit?"

"Wouldn't be the first time!" Ladybug agreed.

"No one ever appreciates my gifts!" Queen Glitter stomped her foot. "Fine then. Why don't we try something more expensive!" Raising her hands she lifted two cars wrapped with giant bows into the air.

Alya's eyes widened. "Oh, shi-" Chat Ombre evaded Chloe's attacks as the villain played wack-a-chat. Glitter accessories flying in and attempting to restrict their movements as well.

Ladybug wrapped one of the vehicles with her yo-yo and spun it back at Queen Glitter.

The bright red sports car hurled towards her and- She stopped it with the palm of her hand. "You'll have to do better than that if- Where'd you go!?" Queen Glitter scanned the empty street, rising higher for a better vantage point.

Chat Ombre locked eyes with her for a second before a chimney obscured her line of sight. "Somehow I don't think that bought us much time." Alya voiced as a wave of clothing rose over the city.

Ladybug spotted a strip of blue between the rooftops. Thinking quickly, Marinette grabbed Alya's hand and turned them towards the Seine. Diving into its waters with a torrent of glitter in their wake.

Queen Glitter's constructs crashed into the river and washed away with the current.

Chat Ombre made for the surface once it was clear but Ladybug pulled her back. Chat's staff in her hand and yo-yo on her face. Pointing towards the magic tool Ladybug offered it to Alya.

Nodding, Alya quickly pressed it to her lips and took a deep breath, sweet oxygen filling her lungs. Giving Ladybug a thumbs up once she didn't feel like her chest was on fire.

Grabbing her hand Ladybug led Alya further upstream until they found a boat.

Gasping the (relatively) fresh air Alya examined Chat's staff. "I didn't know it could do that."

"Yeah, the Miraculous are full of surprises. And we'll need one of our own to beat Queen Glitter. Lucky Charm!"

A spotted snorkel fell into Ladybug's hands.

"Don't we already have one of those?" Chat Ombre asked.

Ladybug's brow furrowed as she stared at it. "Yeah... Wait, Queen Glitter's powers don't work underwater!"

"So, all we need to do is get her there!" 

Ladybug glanced at a pair of recycling bins. "And I know just how to sneak up on her."

Chat Ombre grinned. She liked this plan.

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

Chat Ombre hated this plan!

It had all gone smoothly. The glitter constructs ignoring the recycling bins they used as disguises. Snake style. Chloe was dumbfounded when she saw them. Enough to let them take the elevator up to the Grand Paris' rooftop where Queen Glitter set up her makeshift throne. Giving them the opportunity to tackle her towards the Seine.

Unfortunately, Queen Glitter could make constructs of any size. Like, for example, a wide brimmed hat big enough to stretch from either bank of the Seine.

"You were going to make me wear this?" Queen Glitter held up the Lucky Charm- "No thanks!" -and struck it across her knee.

Alya winced as the villain broke Ladybug's insta-win button in half. "Please, tell me you have a plan?" Chat Ombre glanced at the spotted hero currently wrapped up in an extra long scarf just like she was. The floating constructs squeezing just a little bit more as Ladybug struggled against them. Alya tried bending her wrist to Cataclysm her restraints but her right hand was held away from the rest of her body.

"No planning! Not that it'll do you any good. I've already won! Me! Queen Glitter! MWAHAHAHAH- Do you mind? I'm trying to savour the moment!" Chloe snapped as Papillon's emblem glowed over her face.

Alya's head turned from an increasingly frantic Ladybug to the annoyed villain.

"Of course I'm going to take their Miraculous! Why wouldn't I take their Miraculous?"

"An excellent question, your Highness!"

Three pairs of eyes snapped towards the source of the unexpected voice.

"... Who the heck are you supposed to be?" Queen Glitter demanded.

"Aristos! At your service!" He bowed with a flourish, giving Alya a good look at the bee shaped comb at the base of his ponytail. Blond hair highlighted with black stripes. Goggles obscuring his face, making his green eyes hard to read despite the grin on his lips. Suit mostly yellow with black, V-shaped stripes on his torso, forearms and lower legs. Three hexagons on his chest giving the impression of honeycombs.

"No no no no no no." Ladybug stared at Aristos, not realizing that she was speaking aloud.

...Well, that can't be good, Alya thought.

"Ha! Did you really think more insects would help, Ladybug?" The villain mocked. Her constructs closing in on the interloper.

Aristos' smile took on a darker edge. "I'm not with her, your Majesty. I'm here to pledge myself to the most exceptional Queen I've ever seen! Really, where does Papillon get off talking to such a glittery figure as your Highness like that?"

Alya blinked. Really? Even Chloe wouldn't fall for-

Raising her hand the villain halted her constructs' advance. "Hmm, well at least you know how to treat royalty." Queen Glitter offered her bejeweled fingers. "I guess you can be my underling."

Ah. Right. Never underestimate the power of Chloe's ego.

The Bee, Alya was ninety-nine percent sure he was the Bee, took Chloe's offered hand and leaned down. Lips hovering over the back of her hand. "Oh! That reminds me your Highness, I have a gift for you."

Queen Glitter's eyes shone. "A present? For me? It better be the latest- Ow! I'm getting to that!" She snapped at Papillon, looking away from the Bee to glare at the absent supervillain.

Aristos removed the striped top Alya recognized as his Miraculous tool from around his waist.

"You didn't beat them! I did!"

Casually, carefully, Aristos placed his top on Queen Glitter's hand. Point against her glittering skin.

"You couldn't do it yourself so you sent me!"

"Venom," the Bee breathed.

"What was-"

Queen Glitter froze as Aristos' top glowed; his power paralyzing her. The constructs bursting into clouds of glitter. Chat Ombre landed in a crouch as her restraints vanished.

"It worked." Aristos sounded as surprised as Alya felt. "It worked! Yes! Nailed it!" He pumped his fist as relief overflowed and- Was he crying?. "Independent hero debut successful!"

"What?" Ladybug was staring at the Bee apprehensively and that didn't help Alya's nerves.

Aristos' mood instantly became more subdued. Blinking rapidly to get the water out of his eyes. "Oh, right. You're still here."

Chat Ombre tried not to take that personally. He did just save them, after all.

Ladybug stepped forward. Voice even, diplomatic. Never mind that she seemed this close to freaking out. "Listen, Aristos was it? I don't know how you found that Miraculous but you have to give it back."

His face was disturbingly neutral. "...Don't I get a 'thank you' for saving the day?"

The tension in Ladybug's shoulders wouldn't budge. "Thank you, but I really need that Miraculous back." She held out her hand.

Aristos stared at Ladybug's hand like it was something alien. Cracks appearing in his facade. "Yeah, pass."  Walking backwards, away from Ladybug and Chat Ombre, he kept them in his field of vision.

"Wh- The- Y-you can't just decide that!" Ladybug sputtered, stepping forward.

"Just did! How do I even know this Miraculous is even yours?" Aristos asked, increasing the distance between them.

Alya got the distinct impression that he was bullshitting them.

"I'm the one who lost it!"

Alya's eyes widened. "You lost a Miraculous?"

"Not helping, Chat!"

Aristos' features twitched, eyes narrowing. "Sure you say it's yours but how do I know that?"

Chat Ombre bristled at the implication. "Ladybug is the Hero of Paris!"

Aristos gave her a once-over, his expression inscrutable, but said nothing.

Wow. Rude.

"That Miraculous belongs to the G- to me."

"That's interesting because I say it belongs to me." Aristos laid a hand on his chest. "Looks like it's your word against mine. Guess which one I'm choosing?"

Ladybug's yo-yo was suddenly spinning in her hand. "I swear, I'm not gonna lose another-"

An insistent beeping from Ladybug's earrings interrupted her.

"Welp! Love to stay and dance but it looks like you two need to buzz off before your precious identities are exposed to little old me."

Why did he sound bitter? Everything about him made Alya's head spin with questions. Not least of which being how the heck someone holding the Bee Miraculous showed up in the first place.

Taking his top, Aristos hopped onto the edge of the Grand Paris' roof. "Might want to deal with her before that happens."

Alya looked to where he was pointing to see Queen Glitter still paralyzed. When she glanced back at the Bee he was gone.

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

Adrien's day sucked.

Paris Fashion Week was always a chore but this year was even worse. Despite having friends around he felt lonelier than ever. Getting to talk to Marinette only helped so much. Adrien was still expected to plaster on a smile and represent 'the brand'.

And that was before he got turned into a freaking statue!

At least it's better than mind control.

Shut up!

He did not want to see Ladybug or her new partner up close and personal! Thank you, very much! But like always what Adrien wanted didn't matter.

Imagine his surprise when a Miraculous practically falls into his lap. A familiar glow blooming in his chest against all reason as Adrien opens the box.

"Hello, my King," the unknown, bee-like kwami greets formally.

There's a turning in his stomach that Adrien tries his best to calm it. "H-hi! I'm Adrien. What's your name?"

"I am Pollen," she bowed. "Kwami of Subjection. An honor to meet you. It has been a long time since I've had a king."

"Just Adrien is fine." Taking the Miraculous, a comb of all things, out of it's box Adrien stares at it. It's disguise all black and only vaguely shaped like a bee compared to the details he glimpsed before Pollen came out.

"Of course, my King."

Adrien sighed. Pollen was nothing like Plagg. Then again, Adrien wasn't sure the world could survive two of him. The lazy little jerk was enough to drive any Guardian mad all by himself... God, he missed Plagg.

"Um, anyway, how does your power work?"

Pollen clapped her small appendages together. "It's very straightforward, my King. You simply call out 'Venom' and your top will activate. Then strike your opponent with the point and they'll be paralyzed for however long you desire." She whooshed toward him for emphasis.

"Paralyze..." That was certainly more straightforward than using Cataclysm.

'Cause you sucked at that, didn't you?

Shut up. This was... What was he doing? When Adrien held the Bee in his hands he felt... Alive. Like a promise that things could be better this time around.

Adrien jumped as insistent knocking on his changing room door startled him out of his thoughts.

"M. Agreste? Mme. Sancoeur says we're back on in five."

"Be right out!" Brushing the Miraculous with his thumb to make sure it was really there Adrien placed it in his pocket. Hesitating for a moment he offered his jacket to Pollen.

Nodding, she zoomed into Plagg's old hiding place.

Taking a deep breath, Adrien opened the door. "Let's get this over with."

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

Adrien ran off as soon as Papillon's mark appeared on Chloe's face. Catching Marinette doing the same from the corner of his eye. Glass raining down as Queen Glitter broke through the Grand Palais' roof.

Pollen zipping out as he tied his hair into a makeshift ponytail. Holding it in place with the Bee Miraculous.

"Quickly, my King! Say 'Pollen, transforme-moi'!"

Adrien stared at her. He could hear screaming as people ran.

"My King!"

His oldest friend just got akumatized for the second time.

"My King!"

All he had to do was speak!

"Adrien!"

His knees shook as his back hit the wall behind him for support. "But... I wasn't chosen."

Pollen floated higher as her eyes widened in surprise. "Weren't you given my Miraculous?"

Adrien shook his head. "I f-found it... After giving up the Black Cat."

This time Pollen dipped as she nearly fell out of the air. "Chat Noir."

Adrien shook his head even more emphatically. Hands going up to cover his face. "N-no! Not him! Can't be him!" he choked.

Pollen laid her hand on his and Adrien tensed at the touch. "My King."

Something in her voice made Adrien look at her.

"You wish to help, do you not?"

"... Yes."

Pollen's eyes softened. "Then help."

Adrien stared at her. So sure that she'd want nothing to do with him once she knew what a failure he was... But that wasn't the case.

Rising shakily to his feet Adrien gave Pollen a grateful smile. "Pollen, transforme-moi'."

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

Aristos panted as he glanced up from the alleyway. Spotting no pursuers. "Pollen, detransforme-moi."

Landing on Adrien's outstretched palms, Pollen beamed tiredly at him. "Excellent work, my King."

Adrien smiled back. "Oh! What do you eat? Plagg loves Camembert but..."

"That would be fine. However, I prefer something sweeter."

"Yeah..." A weight settled on his chest. "Let's see what we can find..."

Pollen frowned. "Is something wrong, my King?"

Adrien avoided her gaze. What was he supposed to say? That disobeying Ladybug felt wrong? That he almost let his guilt and resentment make him say cruel things to his replacement? That his heart wouldn't stop pounding? "It's just... Do you want to go back?"

Pollen blinked.

"You're supposed to listen to the Guardian, right?" Adrien bit his lip as his heart tried jumping up his throat. "It's not fair of me to keep you if you want to go back."

Pollen sat up on his palms. "I have been in the Miracle Box for a long time, my King. I can think of worse things than spending what time I have outside it with you."

Adrien's eyes burned as he wiped away tears. "Thanks, Pollen."

Ladybugs swirled in the sky as they repaired the city.

"Of course, my King," Pollen smiled.

"Call me Adrien."

"Yes, my King."

Adrien sighed. A smile coming to his lips. Looks like Aristos was sticking around for a while.

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

Retroactively giving Black Cat Alya an afro.

[maxwell-grant]

If you wanted to make a "punchier" origin for the Shadow, wouldn't it make more sense to emphasize his roots as a war veteran? Assuming the stories are still in the 30's, he's fought in WW1, he's seen the atrocities committed 'cause of a single assassination, so he builds his organization of agents to stop similar events from happening.

It does, yes. It tends to get brought up by modern creators that want to avoid the movie backstory, but still want to add some more personal dramatic background to a Shadow story. But modern audiences seem to want something punchier than "went to war, picked up a lot of skills, decided to fight crime with them", which is the cliffnotes version of the typical American pulp hero origin.

I use "punchy" in the sense of it being something instantly dramatic and easily understood at first glance in order to get the character's motivation, like dead parents for superheroes or John Wick's dead dog, something that immediately creates a "relatable" sales pitch.

Backstory-wise, The Shadow is more like Wolverine in the sense that their backstories are more of a sandbox writers can play around to add to the character rather than a rigid guideline of what defines their motivation, but even then, Wolverine has Weapon X. You can know nothing else about Wolverine's origin other than he was tortured and treated like an animal by mad scientists and you'd still get the basic gist of his motivation now, where as The Shadow's motivation (and inner thoughts in general) have been much more out of focus.

Not entirely hidden, mind you, but it's easy for a lot of fans, even those who've read the pulp stories, to try and fill in the gaps because they expect some grand mystery of a motivation, and not just that he does what he does because he can and because he cares about helping people, and it's maybe the least complicated thing about his entire character (not that it's without reasons or motivations proper), because it's the only thing that tangibly anchors The Shadow as a character to...anything, really.

If you want an appropriately "punchy" origin story in The Shadow, you'll find instead something like a young man tossing himself off a bridge out of sheer desperation after losing all control of his life, before being whisked away at the last minute by a stranger who looks like "Death itself" and steps in to take the reigns by stating "Your life is no longer your own. It now belongs to me". And I suspect half the reason why that line's become so famous, and so misinterpreted, is because it's a raw ass line of dialogue out of context, especially if you hear about The Shadow with the impression he's a superhero and, well, superheroes don't say that kind of thing.

Like I said before, I "get" why the movie backstory existed (especially considering it's for a movie and movies do kinda mandate short-term backstories), and the idea of him having a horrible background he's atoning for stuck. I disagree with it, but there's a logic to it. I find it a logic that's changed the character for the worse, and was also deeply misguided to begin with. It's a logic that's suitable for a character who needs to be a superhero, but as I've said before, The Shadow should not be approached as a superhero, or as something other than what he already is or was.

Let's assume for a second that he really does need a darker and more dramatic backstory with a more solid "hook" as to why he's doing this whole thing. Let's assume that he needs to have a better "reason" for doing good and fighting evil than just being able to do it and knowing it throughly and wanting to protect people. And let's assume that

"Born in the Lost Generation, went to serve in the Army very young, worked as a spy for the British before and during the war and was stationed in Tsarist Russia for a couple of years, and then fought in World War 1 while conducting rescue missions from POW camps. Then spent the years following it traveling all over the world restlessly looking for purpose, only to one day decide to completely bury his identity to fight crime, also there's something deeply horrifying with his face that could be either a war injury or something else. We know a lot of odd facts about his other travels and also know at some point he's lost lives under his protection and this is something he brings up right in his first appearence, but we know literally nothing whatsoever about the 20 years of his life before the Army"

still needs a little extra material to it.

If you really want to take The Shadow and give him a "dark past", why not work within the material already existing? He was both a spy for the British Service (and possibly others), as well as a soldier in The Great War who was reputedly really great at winning battles, and neither of these are jobs that look even nearly as glamorous to us now as they might have been intended to be when this backstory was created.

At separate points in his life, as a spy he worked as a tool of governments and secret services as a spy (and spies make a living out of being those, as well as professional bastards), and regardless of what he may have done as a spy, as a soldier and aviator, he had to have killed a lot of German men whose only crime may have been merely that they were of enlistment age when the war happened. And then at some point he started performing rescue missions single-handedly, not to kill people, but to guide men towards their safety, and then after a couple of years of wandering and traveling, he decided very firmly that Kent Allard and all of his history needed to crash into South America and stay dead until called upon.

Maybe as a matter of eficiency first and foremost, of course, but nothing is ever just one thing when it comes to The Shadow. You don't just survive a life-changing war and immediately decide to walk into another one of your volition 100% purely for pragmatic reasons.

Frankly, giving him a past as a bloodthirsty warlord in Tibet is not just dumb as hell, it's also overkill, because if you want to dig into The Shadow's past to find things for him to regret or feel emotional conflict towards, I don't think there's any shortage of that in what the pulp canon already provides us, nor is there a shortage of places where you can insert those because, again, the dude's backstory is a sandbox. 20 years of this character's life are a complete blank.

I think, if you do need to add a hook to it for your adaptation, it's largely a matter of picking which part in particular you want to play around with and emphasize out of the many, many possibilities you get to work with in playing around with his backstory.

Although, frankly, I could stand to read a lot less modern Shadow stories that are all about what kind of past he had, because they tend to miss the point rather crucially in making him all about the past instead of the creature of the now he was designed to be and thrived as.

Maybe he does need to bury his past again.

[midnight-in-town]

Hi so I came across your Femto punishing both Guts and Casca meta and even tho I kinda like it I found myself at odds with a part of it.

I think punishing Casca and feeling mad she picked Guts over him and considered leaving him wasn't really a consideration at all. In the thoughts he has after the weird trippy hallucination thing they put him through during the eclipse his only thoughts are about Guts. How he was the only one who made Griffith forget his dream. And when he forgot this torture happened and his body was broken.

Guts was the one he risked life for by going to save him from Zod. Guts was the one who managed to get close to him despite his attempts to keep his distance from his men. Griffith was at that point after all only human. Humans need close relationships which he was denying himself and that led to his overattachment to the one he had which caused him to end up in the situation he got tortured in. He had to blow off steam he was so upset by Guts leaving and the concept alone made his fight with Guts more erratic.

But Casca leaving isn't reflected on at all during the Eclipse. Griffith said once that a true equal was what he considered a friend and while he was talking to a royal at the time that might still be true. Griffith who was human, and despite being in denial about it, craved friendship.

An equal who didn't leave him might be something he wanted. But Femto who has thrown away his humanity doesn't want a friend he doesn't want a equal. A power play is required to prove that Guts is beneath him. He needs to disempower Guts to feel empowered. To feel that Guts isn't a equal that Guts is beneath him.

The scene where he pushes down Casca is a parallel because it is also about power but in a different way. The sequence of events is Griffith asks Guts to put on his armor he wants to be able to put it on fight again. Guts obliges excited to see Griffith recover.

Elsewhere Casca is told he will never recover enough to hold a sword again. A demon attacks them rips off Griffiths armor and mocks him and his group over how he's already broken. Afterwards Griffith hears his group come apart as they come to terms about his condition. Casca berates Guts for expecting that recovery when it not possible which Griffith also hears.

Griffith then pushes Casca down I think because Casca used to be someone he was stronger than her. It's just a desperation to show he has even a bit of the strength he used to possess.

He manages to stay in the position she doesn't try to push him off he doesn't try to do anything and just puts his effort in maintaining position. Flopping on her and groping would probably be less physical effort but I don't think that what he trying to do . His mouth is open like he's trying to say something but no words come out. She hugs him pulling him close and as he's no longer holding up his own body weight his trembling stops.

I think its supposed to contrast with Femto later and his mentality in this moment vs that one.

The first scene with Casca is desperation to show he has even a bit of the strength he used to possess. That it'd not over for him.

The second one where he attacks Casca in front of Guts is to show no one is equal to him everyone is beneath him. Guts is beneath him. In this world where Griffith reigns Guts has no power to stop anything to do anything and he wants to mock and hurt Guts. That it's his time to rule.

When Griffith is rescued his immediate reaction is to lash out attack Guts. He is mad at Guts for leaving because in his mind Guts leaving led to this. But it only led to this because Griffith cared enough about him that he would be upset at not having Guts around. Its because they were friends. So when he sees Guts crying over him that anger dissappears and he puts his hands on Guts hand in a almost comforting gesture. He can't go as far with his anger or hatred because he loves and cares too.

Which is why that first scene with Casca is only her being pinned. He wouldn't go that far because even if he doesn't see her as a equal he still gives a shit. Its why he attempts to move to her when she attacked by demons after they escape with him. Maybe he wouldn't even consider doing something like what Femto does to her.

But that caring and giving a shit is the humanity he gives up. Femto still has emotions he had feelings Griffith used to have. If he didn't making Guts feel disempowered wouldn't matter. The idea of Guts as a equal in anyway wouldn't occur. Femto is just that anger and rage he felt when he tried to strangle Guts without the caring he felt when he put his hand on Guts hand.

Casca only mattered when Griffith cared about people who he thought he was stronger than. When he sacrificed that Casca ceased to matter. She was never a target of his anger or frustration. But Guts continued to matter. Because Guts was a target of that. He wants the target of his frustration to suffer, and he knows this will make him suffer.

Just my opinion thought I'd share. Still love your meta tho!

Well, damn, that’s a long ask. xDD Next time, just reblog and add your thoughts, I also answer that way, hahaha!

Also, not sure which post of mine you’re referring to, by the way. I’m thinking this one, but I honestly can’t be sure because I also reblogged posts on the subject?

Anyway, if I sum up your take: Griffith was out to punish Guts only and not Casca, because Guts >>> Casca in terms of significance as far as Griffith is concerned? 

Thank you for your input :) but see, I disagree, because this is exactly why I once said that...

I don’t understand why some fans somehow reduce Berserk’s plot to being about Guts vs Griffith, Casca often becoming some random secondary character. For me, no matter how you look at the series ever since the Golden Age, it just ain’t the case. :))

However, all I ever wrote was that Griffith punished both of them; I never implied that their “betrayal” amounted to the same significance for Griffith, because it’s indeed not the case.

After all, as you said, we know Guts always had a bigger impact on Griffith since the day they met...

...but, while we will never know for sure, I for one am quite convinced that if Casca (who was Griffith’s right-hand woman) was the one who had left in the same fashion as Guts, it would have triggered Griffith in a similar way. 

Because Griffith is a man of influence: he knows that and how to use such charisma on others. That’s why he totally means the words he said to Charlotte about what kind of people he would see as a friend. So he uses people’s feelings for him in a way that would serve the path to achieving his dreams. Casca herself said that, as a leader after he was gone, all she did was "try to protect the dream of someone who might not even be alive”. 

The Band of the Falcon lived and worked to help Griffith achieve his dream, because they saw him as special, since they had no achievable big dream of their own (kinda why Griffith said they’re not “friends”). 

So yeah sure, Guts’ actions would always leave a bigger impact on Griffith, as you showed he said it himself, but Casca falling in love with Guts and envisioning a future far away from Griffith’s schemes still clearly stung. 

After all, everyone in the group knew of Casca’s unrequited feelings for Griffith, meaning that Griffith obviously knew too and, instead of telling her it would never happen, he entertained the possibility so that Casca would entirely devote herself to him.

Take Judeau, as a counterexample: he too had some feelings for Casca, but he urged Guts several times to take her with him and away from the group, because he couldn’t stand her unhappiness. Griffith said nothing about her feelings, because he knew that’s how Casca would do everything for his sake. 

Still, Casca was not any random member of his Band so, when she emancipated from Griffith by falling in love with Guts, in my opinion it’s why...

...she also was on the receiving end of his jealousy. 

It’s distasteful but, otherwise, why did Femto rape Casca instead of killing her? Again, we will never know, but if Guts had left Griffith behind for a future with any other random girl, I think Femto would have just killed her in front of Guts. Raping Casca, when she used to long for Griffith’s affection, was revenge against both of them for choosing each other instead of him and his dream. 

You can see it in the way he stared at both of them so many times, coming to the realization that he was not at the center of their little trio anymore. So yeah, Guts > Casca in terms of significance since day 1 as far as Griffith is concerned, I never discussed that, but Casca was not such a random member of Griffith’s band either that her actions of emancipation would not taste bitter to him. That’s my opinion. :)

Additional points: I never said he was trying to grope her in that scene when he fell on top of her as she was changing his bandages, just that “he was trying to gauge or reenact Casca’s old devotion to him by showing some affection”.

And finally, Femto who was entirely reborn as a Godhand has no emotion left about Guts or Casca, he said it himself. Thinking he’s only anger and revenge would be confusing Femto with the Skull Knight or Guts as the Black Swordsman.

Friendly reminder that Femto is not human anymore so, while Griffith thrived on thinking that he didn’t bother with overwhelming bonds to anyone and that only his dream ever mattered, it is actually the case for Femto. 

I hope I answered your points. Thanks for reading and have a nice day Anon! :))

[cursivebloodlines]

“I would never disguise shit-talk as feedback. If I had shitty opinions about people I just tell them point blank, no need to pretend it’s something it’s not,” Lydia said as if it were the most obvious thing, shrugging nonchalantly. Always just coming out with it. “Not harsh, just honest,” she corrected. Wasn't honesty the best policy? The question about puppies earned a laugh from her. Amazing how Aaron could make her laugh without even trying. “As if you even have to ask! I can confirm I don’t kick puppies. It would be a dealbreaker for me, too. Anyway, if my constructive criticism or feedback is so harsh maybe people should do better in the first place so I don’t have to tell them what they’re doing wrong. Problem solved.” As simple as that. If someone asked her to give her honest opinion on something, she was never the type to sugarcoat it. In all fairness, she did try to give positive and negative feedback. However, people tended to focus on the negative — which was never even phrased badly, just in a ‘what can be done better’ kind of way. If that’s not what they’re looking for then they should know better than to ask her for feedback. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes — it wasn’t that hard to comprehend. She really enjoyed the way they were able to bounce off of each other effortlessly. No awkwardness, no constantly needing to explain yourself due to being taken the wrong way. They shared a similar sense of humour and Lydia loved how Aaron played along with whatever she threw at him. Hypothetical situations, extra credit in the Class of Lydia, not having a choice, the lot. And she was certain he wasn’t doing it for her benefit, but because he wanted to. Despite the playing around, at the same time, he sees genuine which only made her like him more. Never would she have anticipated deciding she liked someone so fast, let alone on the first date. Lydia needed to remind herself to hold fire, it was early days. Don’t get too ahead too fast — it was how she ended up in her previous predicament. But then there was a part of her who was already in way over her head. The part of her unleashed, unable to be restrained no matter how much she tried to reign it in. “Unofficial class? Are you implying my class is fake?” She asked with mock surprise, tilting her head slightly at him. Even added a quiet gasp for dramatic effect. She couldn't resist the messing about, something which surprised her about herself. How easy it all was. Her elbows perched atop the table, resting clasping her hands together and placing her chin against her hands. The playful gleam in her eyes remained and she couldn't help the laugh that slipped at his reaction to her words, the way he surrendered to her so easily. Interesting..."Oh, please, we both know I'm not worried." Mostly, she omitted that part. It was still early days...Very early days. So much could go wrong - she was not completely convinced it wouldn't yet. But she had to take it a bit at a time; these were uncharted waters she was wading through. Deep enough she could not see the bottom, terrified of losing her footing, of going under. Of repeating the same mistakes as she did before. It was the first date, it was only meant to be a dip of the toes, not half deep under. Funnily enough, she didn't care. If she thought too much about it then she would be doomed, wouldn't she? Judging by the way this date went... the signs were hinting in the right direction of a second date. And who knows..? Maybe more than that. If Aaron hadn't grown fed up with her by then, that is. Eyes widening when he repeated the word bad, a brief flicker of panic crossed her features. "What? N-No, not bad. I said not necessarily bad," she rushed to correct herself, to reiterate what she had said only moments before. Did she make any sense? Probably not - she knew when she said the word it wasn't the right one, but none others crossed her mind at the time."You're full of surprises. And believe it or not, I actually like your weird comments. Now I kinda just want to wait and see how funky you can get."

Wait - Did he just call her 'boss?' Fascinating. What was even more fascinating was the way it...gave her an odd sense of satisfaction. Did she like it? Maybe a little... Alright, maybe even more so than she let on. Should she comment on it? Ask about it? Or would that make it more obvious? No - not. For now, she would let it slide and try to ignore the warm feeling it gave her. Especially with that smirk on his face. "A feeling," she repeated, humming thoughtfully. "Do you have Spidey senses or something? Perhaps we should change your name to Psychic Sally? Bet you didn't see that one coming..." An affirmed nod in response when he announced needing to gather his cleaning supplies. "Make sure you have plenty. you might need to rally the troops," Lydia jested, eliciting another quiet laugh. Everything he said amused her. The way he spoke of his mom was sweet, though. Even endearing..."Your mom sounds like a very smart lady, we need more like her around." It made her think of her own mother. They had to learn so they could all help out doing the things she couldn't do after her accident, up until the end. But even if that hadn't been the case, she was sure she'd have made them learn, so they could be self-sufficient. How she missed her. "And, if a steamer is what you want, I am not going to stop you. I am not too fussed about your methods as long as it helps get the job done." No problem. Amazing how two words that didn't mean the same yet somehow felt like a promise. "Good luck and best wishes."

Silly things that were costing him now. Sparked a little hint of curiosity in Lydia as she wrestled between the decision of questioning him about it or leaving it, in case she wasn't fond of the answer. It had been a niggling question in the back of her mind...the way he spoke of his ex-wife. She was the one who wanted the divorce...It made her wonder what would happen if she came back on the scene for whatever reason. If she changed her mind, what would Aaron do? Maybe she really was thinking too much into it. Something that shouldn't bother her, especially on the first date. It did make her wonder though. Gave her uncertainty. There was a lot of history there. It was possible. Her life had become the equivalent of a soap opera before, her first rodeo, and she wasn't sure if she had the capacity to go an extra season of chaos again. Something made her want to take the chance anyway. For a moment, she hesitated but then decided out with it. It's not like she ever had a filter before, maybe she just wanted to find out what she was in for. It was normal, right? "Such as what?" Lydia asked softly. If Aaron evaded the question or refused to answer, she would let it go for now. Though that would also bring up more questions...She would cross that bridge when she came to it. If she came to it. One look at him, the words he said, and the look on his face told her his mind was wandering. Made her feel a little apprehensive for a moment, but she let it slide after convincing herself she was thinking too much about it again. Ah. Those four little words. I told you so. Lydia scoffed at that, rolling her eyes. "Oh, believe me, I know that all too well. Well, when my family found out...and friends, too actually. By then, it was too late though because I had already been married. I thought I knew best." It was after her siblings found out she was married, that her brother was unfortunate enough to have...too many run-ins with her ex-husband. When the drama boiled to a screeching point and they ended up nearly killing each other. It may have been more than once actually, so she heard. Don't make me say 'I told you so'. She remembered the words quite clearly. If only she listened. But no, she thought she knew better than everyone because she was the one who married the jackass. The way Aaron's gaze fixated on her as she spoke of her disastrous marriage unnerved her slightly. Never had someone let her just...talk. Just let it all out without any interruption. Normally it was 500 questions, a deviation of conversation halfway between before setting off again. But with him? He just let her talk until she was finished. The reaction on his face was a picture, and it did make her smile. The way his mouth hung open, left agape as she clarified all the details. It was that bad then, huh? Typically people hid their shock from her, or tried to - she normally could see right through it - though she didn't know why. Maybe they didn't want to offend her or resisted the urge to call her an idiot for putting up with a piece of shit like him for so long. There was no mask with him, and it made her like him even more. maybe it was easier for them because of their mutual experiences with screwed-up marriages."Just a little," she laughed weakly at his observations. "You're not correcting all the wrong dots at all. Always thought it was me. that I was...I don't know, too clingy or pushy or something. I don't know. I know I'm not perfect, I know - hard to believe isn't it? - but for a long time I thought it was me. And then I thought, maybe I can help him see sense. I know, a cliche - one of those 'I can fix him' girls. Pathetic? Yep." By the end, she certainly felt pathetic. "Hate the bastard. If I ever see him again...which I hope I don't. I'd totally kill him." Just went to show how much he still angered her to this day, all the hell...No wonder Lydia had a nightmare temper at times. He always did bring out the worst in her.

Obviously, it was a joke. The death threat. She even had a smile on her face as she said the words. Not that she really wanted to - too messy, and the thought of having to even see that man again would be enough to put her off. It was funny enough to think of. Could probably get away with it, being a forensic pathologist, she mused to herself. No love left there. Everything he said was true. It felt...nice. To be understood. To not have festering eyes on you, looking at you as though you were a maniac for putting up with so much crap. Like the words she reiterated not all that long before, people do stupid things when they're in love. As smart as Lydia was, she was also prone to that too. She was no different. "Why do you think lawyers aren't smart?" Lydia asked, "My exception notwithstanding, that is." Nodding at the greener pastures comment, she gave him a curious look at his next question. "Of course it does - I thought that much was obvious. Why? Half tempted to throw some bullshit at me?" she teased, the usual jokey tone in her voice as usual. It all depended, she supposed, on what he actually meant by bullshit, his version or sort. Different kinds to different people. She wondered what his was.

There it was again! That word. Boss. That was definitely going to stick, wasn't it? A little grin played on her lips. Already referring to her with a...nickname. Could she call it that? Unknown, yet. She would have to think of one for him, too, so they were even. Plenty of opportunities..."Meticulous notes? Can't wait to see them." For some reason, she became acutely aware of how she hadn't pulled her hand away from him yet. She didn't want to, but she also didn't want to be the weirdo who lingered for too long so she did reluctantly pull back, albeit unsure where exactly she wanted to put her hands now. Especially since she had to remind herself it was the first date. Why was she thinking so much? Whatever happened to going with the flow? His "innocent" smile earned another smile from her. Aaron really did have the loveliest smile...innocent, or not. Whatever variation. It was something she liked to see a lot of, and hoped she would in the foreseeable future, too. "You're right. It is the safe thing to do..However, you don't strike me as someone who settles with safe..." she pointed out, chuckling softly, "For someone who only ever takes risks," Lydia added, referring to something he said not long back. Risks are all I take. "Dated?" she repeated, brushing some hair out of her face as she thought about it, wrinkling her nose slightly. "Not really. Can probably count them on one hand. Have never really been too bothered about it. And after being around someone for so long, it was nice to be...I dunno, on my own for a while. Not being in the mood to date for obvious reasons." She shrugged. "A few, maybe. Nothing really stuck. Hence why I say it's...been a while. How about you?"

Her question had him further considering his answer, building on what he was already thinking to himself anyway. It was an odd effect, the way she easily drew the truth out of him. One look and he was undone. "Well, no. Most of the time, yes - feedback never hurts. Some people run with it though, the opportunity to give feedback turns into telling them every shitty thought you've ever had of them. So, 50/50 I'd say." He raised an eyebrow at the comment, completely interrupting his train of thought. "Your comments are that harsh huh? I should brace myself then, but you don't kick puppies..right? Unfortunately, that's kind of a deal breaker for me." Her teasing smile was adorable. Was the thought of extra credit amusing her? What a nerd. "Hey, I'll take anything to help me pass your unofficial class." Words he never thought he'd hear himself say. But, the way her smile only grew wider, it amused him (maybe even scared him). The way she could get him to do anything with a simple smile. Uh oh, he had said something wrong already, hadn't he? Oh wait, nope. Lydia couldn't remain serious long enough to make him believe. It was true. He didn't have another choice. Well, he could go. Call it a night, and go their separate ways, but Aaron was too far in. So, her way was right. His arms went up, surrendering immediately. He was in for a trip, he could already tell. "Well, alright. No choice it is, I'll find some way to make it work though. Don't worry about it." Aaron was determined to try, to give himself a shot. Part of him worried that both him and Lydia had too much in their respective lives, skeletons in your closet and all that. Things that may come back to haunt them, and make this more complicated. Failed marriages connected them, it wasn't a stretch to think things may come along. Perhaps, he was getting ahead of himself. Aaron just couldn't shake the feeling away, that Lydia was more than one date. The conversation going on for hours, the laughter and smiles, even the oversharing he had started - it all had to mean something. "Bad?" His nose scrunched up, was it bad? Oh, this was embarrassing. "Not used to it, yeah I guess I stand out that way." he half-teased. "Glad to hear you're adaptable, I fear my list of weird comments can only grow. You let me know if it gets too..funky."

Aaron shook his head at her remark, and there it was. The famed extra credit assignment, a lot of work laid ahead. He rested his chin on his palm, a smirk adorning his lips. "Just had a feeling. On it boss," he said, with a playful military salute. "I'll have to gather my cleaning supplies." Another laugh earned, he should start collecting these like badges. Tally how many times he's made her laugh. "Oh yikes...no, my mom would kill me if I didn't at least learn. She's very insistent on us being independent and what not. I prefer a steamer though, those handheld ones are super useful." And since when was he a walking advertisement for steamers? Snap out of it. "I will take care of those wrinkles, no problem." The word promise wasn't in there, and still - the words felt heavy. He worried a bit, worried he would fail miserably. It had happened once before.

Lydia leaned in and her eyes never left his. She was listening to him. It was a nice feeling, having someone who was actually paying attention to you. Actually listening, instead of just waiting for you to stop talking so they could say the next thing. It was nice to have that attention again, without the eyes full of pity staring back at him. Oh poor Aaron, they left him you know? Or, it's terrible, divorced already. I heard his wife ran off with someone else. It was all he had been hearing lately, at the family gatherings or around friends. Things with his ex-wife, they were done. For a long time, Aaron let his melancholy drive him. Love was a complicated feeling. He felt deep regret that it didn't work, wishful thoughts of what he could've done better or changed about their relationship. But love, it had faded. Like an old paper cut. You could never see it, but it stung here and there. Vanessa was that paper cut. Just an old reminder of what had caused him so much pain. "Silly things that are costing me now though. It's crazy." A weaker chuckle left his lips, if only Vanessa shared the same idea that Lydia did. "Right? I mean, I thought we were still doing fun things, or maybe not." Once again, he was losing himself in his thoughts and what-ifs. Analyzing a situation that had no change. Until he heard her voice, she continued talking and it snapped him out of his spiral. "No no, you're not crossing a line at all. I appreciate the honesty, it's nice to hear after only hearing I told you so. Apparently most of my friends and family shared an opinion about her. I guess you're right though, that she just needed to get out." Now it was his turn to learn, Aaron just hoped he didn't inadvertently pressured her to overshare like he had. His gaze remained on her, head only tilting slightly - all his attention was on her. Nothing could distract him. Wow, this guy was a piece of work. He was shocked. Floored. And Aaron could only hope that his expressions were not giving him away. But wow. Who even was this guy? If Aaron thought Vanessa left him with baggage, Lydia's ex had left the whole suitcase set. His lawyer? His mouth felt dry as Lydia continued talking, wait was his mouth open? The shock was evident apparently. "Wow...that's, a shit ton." Frankly, no other way to put it. Holy shit. "Props to you, honestly. He really put you through a lot, he sounds like a nasty piece of work. Lucky you got out when you did and, I may be connecting all the wrong dots, but it sounds like he may have been on some destructive journey. I am glad you're here..now, that he didn't take you down with him. He may have taken the lawyer, but not you. Eh," he shrugged as her next comment. "I mean, I never thought lawyers were all that smart. Seems you just proved my point, I mean..a kid. Woah." A low whistle left his lips, the thought of a child stuck with a dad like that...poor kid. Aaron could only nod when she smiled once more, oversharing was over huh. He didn't mind at all, these conversations weren't really meant for a coffee shop in his opinion. More like a bar, with some drinks in hand. "Greener pasture indeed, and does the greener pasture include lower tolerance for bullshit or?" He'd assume yes, which meant he had to thread carefully, but who knows - maybe she was like him, still deciding if his experience completely changed his outlook on relationships.

He felt content here, felt at peace while they sat here. It was a new feeling for him, one that had been dormant for some time. Her hand din't move away, and Aaron was in no rush to change that. He remained still, trying to not startle her out of moving back. "You got it boss, I'll take meticulous notes." He felt a warmth in his chest, the odd butterfly waking up in his stomach only to zoom around. As if to alert every other butterfly, hey wake up! he's feeling something again! "Not doubting, just double checking before I jump in. Isn't that the safe thing to do?" He gave his best innocent smile, the kind that would sometimes get him out of trouble. "I don't know specifically, just wondering you know. If I'm the first to receive a warning about moving forward." Her question prompted one of his own though. "Have you dated a lot though, after your ex-husband?

[harry-sussex]

You're lovely, and I enjoy seeing your blog on my dashboard. I'm sorry this has been such a difficult thing to process. It's always really difficult to rework an image of someone you once thought you knew. However I'd like to just put it out there - sometimes (I think the large majority of the time) news is presented in the most sensationalist way, such that nowadays I make a point of de-sensationalizing any news I read in my head. In the case of the whole Harry's memoir thing- I can sympathize with Harry as a person possibly just wanting to take back some control of the narrative for himself. Not just in the most recent events with family (that I tend to think are less horrifying than the fandom/Twitter sussex squad discusses it anyway), but in all aspects of his life. I do not at all think he's going to put his family on blast. I can easily imagine Meghan reigning that dialogue in; she has the tendency to think before she speaks that he seems to lack. And he loves his family. Similar to The Interview promos, I imagine the publishing house knew to increase the interest by implying it to be a tell all memoir. I think he's just done a lot of growing up that he didn't know he had to do over a short period of time, esp re: implicit bias/racism in the setting of media's blatant attack on someone he loves, and is disappointed by the institution's and his family's response to it. I think he's emerged a more introspective and aware human, albeit a disillusioned one. Yes it breaks my heart to think that Meghan won't get a break from the tabloids any time soon. If I were him I'd counsel him to write it & sit on it for a few yrs. But I don't want to give the media the power to destroy Meghan in my mind, and I pray she & Harry won't either. I think she'll be okay. She's a strong one, and I think he's able to draw that same link for himself and be thoughtful about what he does. No one likes being misunderstood/misinterpreted, and I wouldn't be surprised if Harry's especially triggered by that given his history with the press. Maybe this idea emerged from therapy, idk. I can empathize with that, even if I wouldn't do it myself. I hope and pray Meghan gets the support she needs from him and her loved ones in the meantime. I'm honestly not going to read it. I think the less attention I give the BRF the better off they are, unless they're doing something immoral/illegal (see: Woking pizza alibi). And I think at the end of the day, people will unfairly judge other people, especially public figures that have tragic pasts and are publically fighting with the media. A lot of it is going to be noise and I'm not going to give my energy into figuring it out. I like to think I've got a good sense of who they are as people - flawed but ultimately well meaning and earnest. I'm a huge admirer of Meghan and think Harry got really lucky with this one and I'm proud of him for choosing her in more ways than one. I believe Harry and Meghan are lovely people, and I 100% believe their interview. I believe that there are people in the palace with a lot of unchecked power who deliberately uncovered her and Archie from BRF protection for reasons of believed superiority over Meg & Arch. And they're figuring out how to deal with that as a couple and a family. And it's none of my business past that imo. I pray for them and hope it'll eventually end in peace for them all. Just wanted to add another perspective, and hopefully some levity. xx M

Hi, dear. First thing’s first, I really appreciate that this is off anon lol. I love it when people own their opinions, and it says a lot that you did. So thank you for that.

Second of all, I really appreciate the nuance and perspective that is in this message. I agree that the news is sensationalist, and my initial reaction was based off of that. I did watch the promotional clips of the interview and I believe it did sour my expectations going into it when I watched it nearly a week after it aired. I did my best to stay away from Tumblr because I didn’t want that to hinder my view, but it was impossible to separate the promotions that presented the information one way from what it actually was, and thank you for bringing that up with respect to the memoir because I hadn’t considered it. I will say that my knee jerk reaction is pretty on par with the way I still feel about it 24 hours later, especially since I got the news directly, not from Tumblr or Twitter or anywhere else, but you’re right that it could have soured my view from the very start.

I appreciate that he wants to take back some of the narrative but I think that ship has sailed, tbh. He did that with the interview and now I just think it feels like information overload. At some point, people are going to get tired of hearing the wealthy, privileged, powerful Prince complain about his life while more than 4 million people have died due to a global pandemic in less than 2 years. Not to say that he doesn’t struggle - in the words of Roxane Gay, there is no oppression Olympics (and that can be extended to struggle Olympics) - but people view it that way and will get tired of it, if they haven’t already.

I also agree that Harry’s past with the press has tarnished the way he has handled the media and the public post-exit, when he’s finally in a position to strike back without being somewhat obliged to them as part of the circumstances of his birth. I understand and sympathize with him but I just don’t think the public does, and the public matters much, much more than the perspective of one single American fan, to whom he’s never been obliged, and I simply do not think the public will afford him that same understanding, sympathy, and leniency. The public and the media are critical to his humanitarian work - his mother never realized that towards the end of her life, and I truly don’t think she would have been the martyr/saint she is perceived to be now if she had lived, because she did not know how to meet the media in the middle and eventually that started to piss people off. He’s starting to piss people off now and if it doesn’t bother him personally (which it definitely does), I don’t want it to affect his causes. The Invictus Games, Sentebale, Walking with the Wounded, WellChild, Mayhew, Smartworks, Archewell, etc. deserve better than to suffer the wrath of the media and an apathetic public because their patrons simply will not shut up lol.

I guess my point is that they will be unfairly judged (regardless, but especially due to the way they’re handling things), and I think it would suit them better in the long run if they adopted a different strategy. I really sympathize with the fact that he feels frustrated with the narrative that has been manufactured but I really, really think the narrative will only get worse and worse as he continues to go on and on about how badly his life sucks, basically. Again, I don’t deny that he struggles - we all do, some more than others, especially when there are mental health issues - but the public, to me, simply does not care. My own therapist has told me to simply stop caring about the things that I discuss with him. Not to say that they’re not relevant, important, or worthy of discussion - they absolutely are - but his point is that you cannot change people and you are wasting your energy and struggling yourself because you want to change them so, so, so badly that you’re neglecting your own self care in the process. I hate that I do it to myself and I also hate that he appears to be doing it to himself. I’m sure a lot of this conversation has been brought up in his own therapy, and I’m no professional, but I’m doing my best to heed the advice of my own therapist - which is the opposite of what Harry is doing - and it’s done wonders for me, when I actually can do it.

If there’s anything I know from this whole thing, it’s that Harry is absolutely punching above his weight, love him as I may, and that he adores, adores, adores his wife. He has chosen her from the very second she came into his life and I couldn’t want anything more for him or from her. I’m not going to lie, I would have been in this thing for any wife that Harry chose, because I was here long before Meghan specifically came into his life. However, I am glad every day that he chose her, that he loves her, that he wants to protect her, that she loves him back, that he lives the life with her that he’s wanted as long as I (and I’m sure he) can remember. I love her because he loves her, and I would have no matter what, because at the end of the day, it’s his happiness and comfort that matters to me, that has mattered to me since I discovered him and how wonderful he can be more than 7 years ago. What more could I ask of Meghan? What more, as his fan to the end (annoy me as he may), could I want for him? Who could say anything about her in that regard? If there’s anything that has come of this mess, to me, it’s that Harry loves, loves, loves his wife. I will always be happy for him and I will always be proud of him for choosing her, even if I don’t always agree with the way he goes about it.

I’m looking forward to peace, too. I cannot wait for things to just die out, for them to work things out as a couple and as a family, and for everyone to move on. The family will still do their thing and the Sussexes can do theirs, but I cannot deal with this back and forth, tit for tat, petty nonsense anymore. They’re wonderful and flawed, like the rest of them (except Andrew), and I just hope that they can all come to some kind of agreement or terms that lets this die down. It’s exhausting for everyone - themselves included. If I’m this tired, I can only imagine how tired they all are.

Thanks for stopping by, and sorry for the essay (essays, these past 24 hours lol). I really appreciate your kindness in this message, your presence in my notifications (I do see them!), your nuanced perspective and like I said before, I really, really appreciate that you own it!

[rixxy8173571m3w1p3]

The Truths Found On Petram Viridios IV (1/?)

What started out as an idea for a short one shot grew into a multichap that I'm almost done editing. I think 🤔 it'll be either 4 or 5 chapters long depending on how long each chapter will be after I'm done editing. Anyway, I hope you guys will enjoy.

In this fic you learn how easily things can change, but how it effects you isn't always a bad thing.

________________

Chapter 1: The Phenomenon

There was little difference to what was happening around you at the moment. There were no little green men, or yellow submarines, neither were there tangelos, or bags of golden rings, but there was a blue-haired man with plenty of dreams. Still, life was swell; summer was around the corner, and you were reading in the garage just to be near Zeta-7; he was working on his latest piece of tech, and you were distracted by his charming quirks and ticks. If you hadn't known any better, you'd say it was business as usual. Yet, it was because you had been acquainted with Rick that the previous blindspots of your world were made known to you; conscious of the rare events which were going to take place in another quadrant of space.

A phenomenon was going to occur; one which would not happen again for another 1000 years; the blooming of the Milleannos flower. Legends say that those who touch its pollen might live forever, and those who smell its perfume might be cured of all that ails them, but those claims were supposedly unsubstantiated. There was to be a gala to celebrate the occasion; all in attendance were respectable, distinguished guests and because of Rick, you were also invited, but there were rules; strict guidelines which were to be obeyed unless you wished to throw away your life. And although you weren't happy about them, you were willing to abide by them for Rick's sake. However, there were a few things you didn't understand. "Rick, why won't we be allowed to dance together?"

His hands paused their activity, and his body sagged a little; dreading the reminder not because he's informed you already, but because it pained him to remind himself that he couldn't spend a once in a lifetime occasion with you. "B-because according to the laws of Petram Viridios IV, you are assigned a um - a party companion which is determined according to the alignment of your spine, carbon dioxide levels, as well as daily water intake. And due to the variety of guests, everyone must stand at least six feet apart to avoid air poisoning. However, if given an a-air helmet in order to assist with breathing, then I believe that the last rule isn't as severe. It's - there is a-a lot to remember."

Currently, he was piecing together the circuits and connecting the wires which would power his reflective shield. It was going to be worn under his dress shirt and would be undetectable under their scanners; as a precaution of course. "Ricky, you know I barely drink water." You weren't a fan of water, but you enjoyed flavored beverages and if you did drink water, it was always carbonated first. "I mean, I can get past the distance thing, but what am I supposed to do if I'm assigned to someone I don't like, and have to spend hours being bored and jealous that you're next to gorgeous, realistic fembots from Westworld?"

Unlike you, Zeta-7 drank so much water, you wondered how he wasn't rushing to the bathroom every five minutes. The only other people who drank that much water were beauty gurus who wanted to keep their skin in tip-top shape; you could really try harder if you wanted to. Good naturedly, he answered. "Gosh, y-you don't have to worry about that. I know a fembot when I-I see one."

You raised a brow at this, but seeing as he meant it literally, you listened on. "No s-siree, I won't be assigned a party companion because I'm going t-t-to be assisting the king in protecting their sacred relic."

How Rick became designated to assist with such a task was beyond you, but there seemed to be a glimmer of slight pride in the fact that he'd be so lucky and privileged as to be near the legendary flower, as well as to the beings who revered it. He was determined to find out the truth behind its properties, and if his hypothesis proved true, then he had a plan. You enjoyed when he was diverted with schemes; not the kind which was evil in nature, but the ones which could end happily or inconclusively. Anyway, you two were discussing how to go about it all.

The discussion had gaps of pause where he'd need to concentrate on bits of wiring that needed to be soldered or bent. Without distraction, you were more aware that it was humid, especially with the garage door being fully open for proper ventilation; bits of your hair stuck to your face and to the back of your neck despite how you'd try to tie it. As annoying as it was, it did have its draw; every so often, you'd catch Rick staring and you'd feel a thrill for it could be a year or ten years, but his shy tendencies would never stop being endearing; why he felt the need to reign himself when you were cool with him checking you out was something you hoped he'd someday become more comfortable with, but for now you'd simply giggle and wink at him to let him know you knew. He did his best to focus on the task at hand, but it wasn't going as well as he had hoped for it happened more than once that you'd have to hand him a tool he was blindly reaching out for. "You wouldn't happen to know who my party companion is," you inquired, as you were tying your hair up for the umpteenth time. "do you? And if you do, can't you change them?"

Giving you that look which always preceded his speeches of why he couldn't do that random illegal thing, he explained with kindly patience. "I could change th-the records, and assign you to someone I know, but that wouldn't be legal."

"I know."

"However," he brightened as he paused his work to face you fully. "I do have a copy of the guest list. Give me a-a moment to pull it up on my computer. Hmm," he wondered more to himself then out loud. "that's odd."

"What is it?"

Drumming his fingertips on his workbench, he double-checked his calculations, then went over and wrote it all out on a chalkboard to be sure. Tapping the freshly used chalk tip to his chin in thought, leaving a little powder on his face, he nodded when it seemed satisfactory. "According to um - to my calculations, it's possible that it's either the Salamandrian chemist, V'gha Khadaka or the Chordatan Knight, Noathamas."

"Is there a correlation between the two?"

"Other than their similar water intake levels, they both enjoy their privacy. However, I'm a-a little stumped as to how it might be possible to be assigned to them both. None of your occupations are similar, neither is there a species similarity, but I'm sure I'll figure it out before the event."

Great, just great. That sort of information wasn't all that helpful, but you pressed a kiss to his cheek to ease the worry which he had been hiding. You wondered if it was too late to back out, but for the most part you were determined to be there for him, even if it meant odd company. "Alright. Um… is there something I should keep in mind before I go dress shopping?"

A quick glance at your current outfit made him smile. You were wearing an old band tee and jeans with so many patches, that they were more patch then jean. "I-I don't think so. Almost anything is fine. Though, y-you might want to avoid plant-based materials in favor of synthetics just in case."

"Okay, I think I can do that, but don't be surprised if I look like I just walked out of a 1980s prom. I'll have you know that being slightly flammable is a dream of mine."

He chuckled at that and patted your shoulder. "Hohoho, I'm sure it'll be fine. You - you always look pretty in whatever you wear."

"If you mean that I'll be so fine, that I'll light up the room with my razzle-dazzle, then you better watch out. You never know who'll be charmed without my knowing."

Now, there had been little to no weight to your phrasing just now, but he felt differently. Giving your shoulders a squeeze, there was a distant, far off look in his eyes that you could only recall from specific occasions. It was a mix of longing, sadness, and regret, but you couldn't pin it on what exactly. It was as though he were trying to convey by sight that there was something he ought to do, that he ought to say, but as quickly as it had appeared, it left and was replaced by acceptance. He pulled away and returned to his previous task while you used a spare computer to begin the search for the perfect dress. He said it'll be fine, and you certainly hoped so.

____________

Adjustments in gravity made you feel as though you could jump in and out of craters as though you were wearing moon shoes; that is until you stepped onto a ship or station, then you felt as though you had fifty pounds tied to each foot. You were grateful for the terrain stabilizers that Rick placed in your flats a few adventures ago, otherwise, you would've already been worn out.

You two arrived a few minutes apart by way of the designated ship which held a variety of guests. To explain, the ship itself was a marvel and a work of beauty as far as intergalactic travel was concerned; its mechanical parts were held together by a compound whose main ingredient was a type of scarlet amber. Piece by piece, it had been crafted by a mixture of living matter and tech so advanced, that it'd have taken 300 years of Earth-based studies to understand a fraction of how one of its panels could work; probably sooner for someone like Rick.

Your eyes trailed the conduits as you were led through hallways that seemed to spiral and spill into larger hallways with varying temperatures and design and you wondered how it was those conduits crossed over and branched off like veins, but you had no time to find out and didn't feel privileged enough to ask as you were led into a cabin. Multiple voices hushed, but resumed to their usual loudness once you had settled into what appeared to be a loveseat with the coloring and texture of a pumpkin; it was your assigned seating, but it was not as soft as you would have liked.

It wouldn't be till later that you'd find out that Rick had traveled in a cabin on level 4 while you had been on level 2. In your cabin was a being composed of pure energy, with a name not spelled in letters but in frequencies, who was one of the musicians. A few feet away, was V'gha Khaḍaka; he was tall, sure-looking, had smooth, striped skin which glistened, and a tail strong enough to break someone's spine in a blink; the good thing was that he hadn't been trained in combat, but was simply a scientist who enjoyed the pursuit of knowledge. And a few feet away from the Salamandrian chemist was the knight Noathamas; he stood at half your height, but his chest was puffed out in such a way that made him appear larger, while his round amber eyes and curly whiskers gave him a soft, cuddly appearance; you had been warned by Rick that his appearance did not reveal much about his character and to watch out for him.

It was uncommon but not unheard of to be assigned multiple party companies as you had been; you were matched up to both V'gha and Noathamas due to your odd chemical makeup. Who would've thought that drinking a La Croix before leaving home would confuse their scanners? Goodness, you were grateful that it was a quick trip, and when it was time to depart the ship, you were escorted by two guards before you were given a helmet; it was nearly invisible except for its indicator light which was shaped like a flower, and it blended in with your dress; a colorful sequin cocktail dress you found on eBay. Not far from you were both your companions, who gave off the impression that they were your entourage rather than dates for the night. You saw Rick from a distance, and you knew he was trying to play it cool, but his eyes were sparkling with affection, although he knew he was supposed to suppress it due to the strict traditions imposed by the royal family; he looked away as he was escorted by six guards, but part of you wished that he hadn't.

You took a deep breath to calm your giddiness; this wasn't the time to allow your emotions to carry you away and affect the mission which was to get through the evening. V'gha could pick up on your subtle changes in body language, and thanks to a universal translator in your helmet, you could understand him. "From what I understand," he commented with a surprisingly smooth, velvety voice. "he's the smartest man in the universe. Is that true?"

"Maybe," you replied nonchalantly, "but he's more than just a brain. I heard he's a great lover. Not really my type," you lied because Zeta-7 suggested that you keep the details of your relationship with him a secret; again for safety, but you thought boasting up his reputation wouldn't hurt. "though, to each his own."

"Do you know him personally?"

When questions like this were thrown at you, it made you wonder about the curious people who meant it to sound nice, but in actuality wanted to test the waters as to how much can they ask so soon. Glancing at your nails, you feigned disinterest. "I'm not sure if I'm allowed to give out that type of information."

"You two are the only humans here." he stated matter of factly. There were humanoid beings but he was right. "It doesn't take rocket science to figure that much out."

"How would you know," you retorted with an air of certainty. "you're not a rocket scientist."

"You're right, I'm not. However, I do dabble into it from time to time. I'm sure he does too. I can smell the exhaust from here."

Hmm, perhaps this event was going to be more interesting than you thought. You shared a look of understanding with the chemist, and thought that perhaps you wouldn't need to be so wary of him; his charisma gave him a charm you hadn't yet decided if it was welcomed or should be ignored; whether his earlier comment was out of egotism or curiosity. And before you could make a comeback, Noathamas commented. "Shall we find our assigned seating and continue from there?"

"Sounds fine. Why don't you two walk ahead," you suggested with a coolness you didn't know you had. "I'll be sure to follow."

When you were sure that they were far enough, you took out your miniature glass terrarium necklace, which held a shrunken sunflower that had an iridescent shimmer on its petals; the one Rick had given you after a memorable date; it was made to remind you of how he saw you and you were very glad it had gone undetected under the scanners you passed through. And in your mind's eye you could still see the glimmer and shine of his electric blue eyes as he had taken in your appearance this afternoon before you two departed Earth; oh how he had wanted to kiss you and hug you but had refrained from doing so in order to double-check if he had all his supplies. His compliments had been many as he drove into the inky blackness of space, but when he parked at the station which was at the midway point, and you two lined up to board the ship which took you to this strange world, his face became neutral; his job made him good at that. You kissed your lovely necklace, replaced it so that it laid underneath your dress collar, and your heart called out to him in the void which was Petram Viridios IV; hoping you wouldn't have to go the through the evening without seeing your beloved again before you made yourself appear neutral and made sure to stay at least six feet apart from everyone in your midst.

Tbc

[dimiclaudeblaigan]

Miklan most likely does have family on his mother's side still in the Empire. Similar to the potential Blaiddyd bastards Felix mentions in Hopes though, extended family is just pretty much ignored in these games. Would be good for fics and art though!

Considering Edelgard's entire desired society is based on privileged people, it's not surprising. You need some kind of privilege over others less fortunate than you (be it physicality or brain power for example) to get into positions of power with her (supposedly, besides for the canonical fact that only her friends and people who are in with her actually get power/get to keep their power). If you're not capable of pulling yourself out of the dirt, you don't deserve to (hence, ablest).

In Edelgard's society, Bernadetta would never be able to thrive being she never leaves her room out of fear of being around people (which I also have, and it's agoraphobia. I leave my room, but I won't leave my house if I can help it. I leave for appointments, but work? Would rather do it from home, and felt that way loooong before Covid happened. Food? Groceries? Prefer delivery, and even more contactless delivery). She does though, because she's already "in" with Edelgard, so she can do whatever she wants. Even if you do the exact same thing as someone at the bottom of her society, if she likes you, you get special positions even if you don't do jack shit. I'm not saying that just as a guess, I'm saying it based on what happens in her route.

Dimitri: im going to create a democracy guys! his haters/edelstans, quite literally: he's a conservative and so is everyone who likes him!

bc you know, men can't create democracy. only pretty women who act badass can do that (and they call us sexist...).

See... you shouldn't have to fight for a decent life. That shit is cavemen shit. We have a society for a reason. If it's gonna be clawing your way to the top to rule over them all, shit may as well be cavemen. It's hectic and not a society.

Yeah, there's no freedom of expression in the Empire under her rule. If you express yourself and she doesn't like it, it's off to the chopping block with you. And that's... literally canon lol.

Aside from a lot of fighting, there would also be Sreng, Almyra and Duscur to deal with. Not only would Duscur want to be free still (which you know based on Brigid that she'd never do, because it means the Empire is even bigger with Duscur under their boot), but Sreng would still be attacking and now it's her problem. Almyra would also still be attacking, so now that's also her problem.

Mind you, if you killed Claude, good luck with that, because Almyra will always look for a reason to attack. If they find out she was responsible for one of their princes' murders, they would use that as a pretense to invade and start a war. Doesn't matter if they didn't like him, because he's their prince. If their royalty was murdered, that could make them look weak, and they wouldn't want that. They'd fight to prove they're not weak and remind everyone that they, and also their royalty, is not to be trifled with. Claude even said she should know why he had Almyran reinforcements, to which she didn't respond or even acknowledge and kept attacking him so uh... yeah.

Also, if Sylvain was killed? Pretty sure Matthias would sip tea while Sreng invades. If Hilda was killed? Holst would sip tea while Almyra invades. They'd probably let it happen if not just outright join in, because it's not their problem anymore and they'd want revenge. Sure, they'd want to protect their people... but a few exchanges of words and I'm pretty sure that could be handled.

If Sylvain was a traitor, you better believe his ginger ass would be disowned on the spot by Matthias. I also don't think Matthias would just logically up and leave his place as Margrave just because Edelgard took everything over. His people would probably still view him as the Margrave, respect him and follow his orders.

tl;dr her reign would not go all that easily or nicely. Just because the war itself was ended wouldn't mean the end of her fight like she thinks. There would be outright rebellion from the surviving Kingdom lords, and while Edelgard would most definitely have the former Leicester territories fighting for her (most of those lords would want their lands and selves to be safe and would easily surrender to her once Claude was defeated), but if they had Almyra to continue contending with? Can't spare much in the way of troops to help her hold back the Margrave himself. Also, who's to say one of those bastard Blaiddyd children wouldn't be found and asked to inherit the throne?

In a way, the "parley" scene is a good illustration of hadou (Edel) vs oudou (Dimitri), which was most likely the point.

Yes, exactly, and this is canon. These terms are used in their ending murals in JP iirc.

That's something I love about the Lions. They all actually give different perspectives. It's not always yes, not always no, and sometimes it's something in between or a suggestion not previously considered. The reason they can do that is because they feel comfortable enough doing so.

PEOPLE CONSIDER GW A GOLDEN ROUTE? SPITTING MY DRINK (HOLD ON, GOTTA GET ONE FIRST). I'VE NEVER HEARD THAT ONE BEFORE AND BOY THAT'S WAY OUT THERE.

If I had to say why I think AG is the golden route, it's because literally none of the main characters or even side main characters (Hanneman, Manuela, etc) die. Even Edelgard survives AG. The war is over, nobody's fighting anymore, yadda yadda. People still try to argue Claude is still gonna continue the war but as the aggressor this time to kill Rhea, but like... he has no reason to now that he's seen her himself, talked with her, worked with her, and has more chances to do so.

Since he's already in discussing range and was already doing so, there's no reason to turn a weapon on her when she's made it very clear that she's willing to talk with him. Also, with Dimitri as a middleman, there's even less reason to fight. Like, come on, we don't need Sylvain over here being annoyed and ready to bash Claude's head in in two routes. AG Claude is pretty solid. We don't need people trying to ruin him by believing he'd incite a war after it just ended because uwu he's gotta the cause of all strife ever in all of Fodlan and its entire history!!!

About your Sylvain in GW comment, I'm not sure? I mean, I can't see why he would be. Nobody else was, and they'd have no reason to specifically lock Sylvain up. If they did that, they'd end up having to deal with the Kingdom again and it... wouldn't be pretty. While to begin with I'd say it wouldn't be, it really wouldn't be if they locked Sylvain up without just cause.

Not only is he a Margrave, but he's essential to handling Sreng's forces and also future negotiations. I think Adrestia would be shooting itself in the foot if they tried to push the Kingdom to that extent, because a bunch of angry Lions is not going to be pretty.

And no, I don't mean they'd start a whole war and kill civilians, but I do mean they'd target the people who locked Sylvain up, probably kill them in the bloodiest way possible and present their heads to the other nobles as a warning.

The Lions are nice and friendly, but if you cause political strife without just cause and hurt one of their own, they're dangerous. They're as dangerous as they are kind, and frankly, as someone who feels hatred as equally as I feel love, I can respect that. Being dangerous for people you love and for the sake of protecting the country I can understand.

Military expeditions, aka "we need more land to conquer", because Adrestian emperors for ages have gotten off on the suffering of others and the removal of their independence and power. Like man, I sure do hate Adrestia's leaders. Except Ferdinand. Ferdinand GooD. I like Hubert, but as a politician he's a little shit and a murderous little shit where he shouldn't be murdering. Love the guy as a character, but I know he's not that great of a dude lol.

Frankly, I prefer the Eagles characters to the Deer characters in terms of interesting I find them, so... me not liking Adrestian stuff isn't just because I hate the characters or something. I have little to no interest whatsoever in the Deer characters outside of Claude and Lorenz, and their lords/people in power are mostly unknown even in Hopes.

Hell, I'm more interested in Erwin now than I was before because we actually met the guy in Hopes, but the other faceless lords like... how am I supposed to like them? How am I supposed to say I prefer Margrave Edmund or Count Ordelia more than Leopold? Than Waldemar? We never see them and only have secondhand accounts about them.

As for Sreng and Lambert, we do know he had something go on there, but not for what. There's really no context which is a shame. Like, was he there as a warning? Did he just attack first because they knew Sreng was gearing up to attack? Why would he go there to attack then but be also trying to make peace later?

We also know he was injured, and I think gravely or something similar, so it was probably a big fight? But alas, we'll never know because they give us bits of information that they either forget about or never care to return to.

Taxing nobility more I could definitely see enraging them. It would do nothing to the commoners or their way of life, and the main people if not only people who were bothered by his changes were the western lords. Only nobility seemed to take the largest issue with him.

Yes, I do post my works on AO3! I have a secondary account I don't have linked (it's the same name just with a 2 at the end of it) for my non dmcl commissions and probably eventually also my non dmcl and Tellius stuff. My main is linked on my commissions post though toward the end, which is pinned. Just be warned all my content right now is literally dmcl lmao.

Dimitri sneaking paperwork in bed is basically a child sneaking food into bed. Man is gonna need someone to check on him at night just to make sure he's not sneaking paperwork.

Leif interests me tbh because it sounded pretty clear to me that he was familiar with both Sylvain and Miklan. He was locked up though as a prisoner, right? So that means, what? Miklan went down to see him or something sometimes? It does seem like he was friendly toward them at some point in the past as much as they would've been as enemies technically.

I'm having a really hard time fathoming how some people consider SB to be a righteous/heroic route or a route where we're the good guys. The route where:

You invade two independent nations under the pretence of "saving their citizens from oppression" (though I guess you can't be oppressed anymore if you're dead lol) even though Her Majestic Hypocrisy repeats a bunch of times that she's in for conquest and that she'd obliterate anyone who stands in her way.

The cast keeps victim-blaming the invaded parties for *checks note* defending their countries. 

The death toll is the highest. You have to kill Ingrid, Rodrigue, Gustave and Sylvain. And you can also kill Ashe, Mercedes (btw, if she dies, the cutscene where Dimitri and Dedue grieve changes slightly, which is nice), Annette, Shamir, Ignatz, Raphael and Marianne (how does Margrave Edmund feel about Claude's alliance with the empire knowing his daughter was killed by its army?). 

IIRC, this is the only route where you conscript merchants into the imperial army. No wonder the empire has the biggest army.

Based Rhea who, despite being hunted, still thinks about the safety of the continent first in the final chapter. It's hilarious how characters like Edespot or Clyde harp on about how Rhea is the big bad, and in the few scenes you have with her, she's just kind? Anyway. Rhea based.

In the C support conversation - which happens right after Felix got seriously injured and Sylvain got killed- there's this bit where Dimitri is like "I don't know if I can talk with like everything is normal, so many have died already" and Edespot's response is basically "yeah I don't see it that way. Let's agree to disagree". Also, I believe she wonders if she shouldn't just kill Clyde and Dimitri once they're out. Even though Clyde is her ally at the moment. You bet on the wrong lord, Clyde... 

I probably forgot a few stuff, but... oh well.

To be honest,

The only things I like about Supreme Bullshit are :

Its ending! Supreme Leader and Barney (well, at least they throw a sword?) being sitting ducks while Rhea steals the show, and sacrifices herself in an epic shonen scene to get rid of the real threat, aka showing that unlike someone, she knows how to prioritize, and it ends up in an explosion. It matches the ending of the F-Zero anime (at 0.48!), Rhea/Falcon rushes to deal a blow (a Falcon punch and a Seiros strike I guess?) to their mortal enemy, there is a giant explosion, and both Rhea/Falcon fade away in a blinding light. Too bad the Supreme Bullshit BGM is eons away from "Searching to the Truth" :(

The reveal that Rhea kept the keys to the sekrit passages in the Imperial Palace - or Rhea knows more about Enbarr and its castle than the current Emperor and her aides...

Doro's paralogue being incredibly tone deaf about, uh, soldiers being "too busy" by the Mittelfrank troupe, that they can't basically protect the dancers/performers from bandits, when the paralogue happens in an area that is expressedly supposed to be full of soldiers!

If starts align in a certain way, it's the only route in Nopes where Clout dies!

Leopold! He's like Victarion Greyjoy, only if he was taken seriously. But we, as players, know better! Also he's a living retcon, from having a major cichol crest to gift to his son because he fought well (and not to, say, Big B or even Ferdie) a sacred weapon despite the route being all about muhritocracy!

Supreme Leader plans and plays with the cards she has in her hand - from trying to get good PR to get rid of people (Varley sr) by pitting them against her next target (the CoS)!

An entire game full of new Supreme Replies (tm)!

For shippers around, it has a Cathmir scene where everyone knows Shamir will prioritize Catherine's life over her allegeance! too bad this is a Supreme Leader route, so no, Shamir won't fucking try to kill her for blackmailing her and can even kill Catherine herself later on....

That's not a lot lol, and most of it are breadcrumbs because for the proper plot...

Yeah, it kinds of sucks.

Supreme Bullshit is even more tone deaf with the War and its realities than Tru Piss (and that's a feat!), Ferdie being completely, uh, off the mark about everything (invading lands and rekting people, and then saying those people's fears are only in their heads! Pal, one of the first missions in the SB exclusive chapters is to rout refugees??? + the nonsense about the Kingdom having more crested generals, when data shows the Empire has more crested peeps than the Kingdom!), Caspar being turned in the worst version of himself who dgaf anymore about protecting "innocents" and "justice", and, uh, everything with Monica.

Victim blaming is the norm with Fodlan games, but yeah, it really feels odd that suddenly, in the Zahras chapters, Dimitri's all "okay" when his closest friends either died or were grievly injured and the game proceeds as it does when, come on, why wouldn't Dimitri kill her the second they're out of the Zahras verse??

I really disliked how Supreme Bullshit yeeted Ionius from Adrestia, or how it didn't explore in more depth the Insurrection of the Seven, especially since we side with Leopold'n'Waldemar against Ludwig, who used to be allies! Also, as far as I remember, no one mentions anything about Arundel, why he ran away to the Kingdom with a young Supreme Leader and how he changed when he returned, or something?

If Ludwig is pushed by Supreme Leader, reciting her Dad's words, as the one who led the insurrection and the experiments on her, why the fuck no one else mentions them, as Leopold and Waldemar were on Aegir's side back then? They don't even mention "Arundel" participating, like, Volkhard sides against Ionius and hides his niece, but 3 months later, he returns and offers her as a guinea pig?

As is the norm with the Supreme Leader routes, the "truth" isn't what we're looking for, because we know Supreme Leader pushes a narrative she will follow to reach her goals, but where Tru Piss gave hints here and there about her narrative being, uh, rubish, we have no clues here, and Leopold prefers to flash his loincloth than giving us anything meaningful about that incident.

When you compare them to Matthias and Rodrigue (and Gilbert?) who often mention Lambert "back in the days", it's more and more obvious that... we're not supposed to ask questions in Supreme Bullshit, and just go with the flow.

And it ends with a high five.

I'd say it deviates less from Tru Piss than Golden Shower does from Verdant Winds, but it's an "expected disappointment".

That's why my only higlights are not plot relevant (save for the Captain Falcon - Rhea parallel) - because we know the plot will never deliver something meaningful in a Supreme Leader route.