#someone: asks a simple question

[lordgeneralsix]

i would absolutely love to hear your thoughts on isterik so if you wanted to ramble..... <3

you're probably gonna regret asking unless you actually enjoy hearing my incoherent thoughts but regardless I am holding your hands so tight rn thank you for asking<3

I have a lot of thoughts about them and I'll try to untangle some of them here .. I guess I'll just start w the obvious and say I feel like watering down isterik to "toxic bc Istvan groomed erik" is a pretty dismissive way to talk about such a raw and volatile display of love. people are once again doing what they did with hansry and trying to understand their relationship through a modern lens when it's not that simple, especially since we're missing a lot of information from two very unreliable narrators. I'm not saying istvan didn't foster an unhealthy relationship with erik by taking him in, caring for him like a father would, and being intimate as lovers - he absolutely did. i'm just honestly bored of the discussions around Problematic relationships starting and ending with "that's toxic" as if Bad People aren't capable of loving just as deeply as anyone else especially if their circumstances are a bit... unusual. I mean, why do people do anything? to live and love, right? and no im not saying it's all okay bc they love each other, it's still bad but both can coexist.

it's interesting that we hear different accounts from both on how they met - istvan found erik during a raid and took him in, but we don't know the details. we don't know what situation erik was in, why istvan was so drawn to him, or hell, if maybe erik killed his own parents instead and istvan is just saying that to protect him. this is the story we hear from istvan, but we get two different recountings from erik. one is in kcd1 where he tells henry point blank that istvan killed his parents and he's stronger than his parents ever were, but then in kcd2 he calls henry a liar about istvan killing his parents. this confused me when I first heard it bc I could've sworn he was aware, so I thought maybe it was a retcon. all well and good I guess, but I thought,, well what if it isn't? as far as I'm aware nothing else has been retconned, so why would this be?

so I try to think of it a different way, just to see if that would even work. maybe it might be a key inconsistency of erik's mental state, showing how he's still trying to grapple what the fuck happened that day. I mean, it's hard to recall all the details of a traumatic event, right? especially if it happens to you so young. maybe erik has no recollection of what really happened and trusts what istvan told him. or he knows and he just doesn't need to justify anything to anyone, especially not to henry. maybe in the first game, since istvan is still alive, he plays up the hardened bandit face and says "yeah, istvan killed my parents in cold blood - know that he doesn't fuck around", but after he dies, well, we've seen him. he's thrown into a rage that will eventually consume him. his entire reason for fighting is gone, and henry bringing up something he tried so hard to ignore... well, yeah, id be pissed too.

again... I'm just speculating. in the end it could just be a retcon and I'm going insane over such a minor detail, oh well. we just don't have enough information to make a conclusion, but I guess that's the point. it's like they both said, we don't understand their relationship and we never will.

moving on from that.... since you were so kind to ask I'm gonna throw in a bit of rare lore about myself to kinda connect why isterik is like the light of god to me - in my own writing I try to explore a wide variety of relationships and character behaviours, almost anything goes really because I do believe fiction should be a safe space for writers to explore concepts without it being reflective of them as people.. some of the best stories I've been lucky to experience have been generally pretty dark, unafraid to explore beyond the boundaries of what we're comfortable with,, because well, it's real. and why not. isterik reminds me of one relationship I have - similarly a relationship that can't easily be defined because of the parties' roles in society, the circumstances of their meeting, and of course as two men. so, my understanding of this relationship does stem from my own experience writing these kinds of relationships, which in turn stems from my observations of people around me.

and I do love that honestly. can't give warhorse enough credit for making their characters so believable. what fascinates me about isterik is that they very obviously love each other and treat each other as equals. its obvious that istvan isn't using erik. he doesn't try to hide how much he cares for him.. why would he beg for erik's life instead of his? istvan has been playing the theatrical villain this whole time, but the moment his right hand man is threatened, he breaks. i've briefly mentioned this before but its unnerving how he begs for erik's life. this game once again shows you how your enemies are just as capable of love and fear whether you like it or not, they're people too.

erik is more than some pawn. if istvan wanted to, he could easily replace him. but erik isn't disposable. istvan saw something familiar within erik and only he could drag it out - he built erik up and protected him the way he wished someone would've done for him after his parents were killed by the turks. he was alone and suffered god knows how long until he finally gained some semblance of control in his life, and then he taught erik to never let anyone take that control away... but who was the one who did that to him in the first place? is he talking to erik or himself? istvan himself has a lot of issues, but if you look past his mad rambling there really is some truth to it (a whole other thing to get into on my istvan analysis... somewhere in the future)

along w that i don't believe erik is entirely some helpless thing that doesn't understand what kind of situation he's in. the tragic thing is he was, but that boy is long dead and buried (and something I won't ever forget is how we see a glimpse of erik being normal through godwin's eyes... horse racing? really? that entire sequence was uncomfortable, erik is completely void of emotion, aside from rage of course, I honestly don't believe all of this was istvan's doing. something must've already been wrong with him, which could explain why istvan kept him and fed that hatred). at the same time, I don't believe erik is any worse than istvan, at least not when he's alive (like i found it interesting that when erik freed istvan, he begged him to flee when istvan wanted to kill henry.. idk how to explain, i feel like istvan was the reason he was even able to 'control' his anger. another thing i need to think on more).

istvan is clearly the one pulling the strings of everyone around him - the enabler - while erik is the muscle (no I'm not saying he's not smart but he's not capable of being manipulative like istvan, check their respective roles in society). he won't last long without istvan. his guiding light is gone. istvan and erik make each other stronger (better for them, worse for us), they fight for each other and for their place in the world - just like henry and hans do. they're really not so different, it's true. henry goes to great lengths to avenge his parents, believing it is the righteous thing to do, but so does erik. they were both horribly wronged and will fight to get that control back no matter the cost. they are products of war, extensions of their lords to be used and discarded. they're lucky if anyone cares about them at all in the end. and this is what istvan was trying to protect erik from and warn henry about. they're the same, but morality separates them in their ultimately selfish actions.

morality. that's the difference. hanush said this exactly in the first game - if i recall correctly, that their honour is what separates them from the common bandit. henry and hans believe in honour, it's what stops them from going too far even if they feel otherwise it in their hearts. henry especially can act on these darker thoughts - taking his revenge too far by taking his anger out on his allies and treating his enemies as subhuman... but isterik aren't caught up about imaginary concepts of mortality and honour, or especially in istvan's case, he doesn't fear god. they revel in their daily routine of pillaging and killing those they deem lesser, a threat. more importantly, they're doing it together (cute date ideas or whatever). anyone who threatens the other is in for a world of pain - I mean of course, no one would let their loved ones be threatened, but to the degree to which istvan and erik will go for each other is what most people would consider extreme. istvan was willing to let his hostages be violated just at the mere thought of erik being harmed, erik is hellbent on skinning henry and by extension hans.. and anyone who gets in his way.... which is why I do expect him to be in kcd3 if it happens, probably not as a major antagonist, but like how henry hunted istvan, erik will hunt henry. i don't see erik's story ending well, whatever he ends up doing to henry or even hans. his entire reason for living was taken from him, he'll burn the world and himself with it because that's the kind of person he is (which yk.... as a tragedy enjoyer.... evil emoji).

despite people thinking in terms of extremes with them, i do think they are capable of being normal with each other.. i mean, we've seen it. how tender istvan became when he said goodbye to erik. how erik was hesitant yet calm in his presence. so much left unsaid, we can't even begin to understand what was taken from erik that night. i wonder how long he stayed at istvan's grave after burying him, how often he went back to talk to him or just sit in silence. maybe he never went back at all. im normal about them. and i will be very normal about kcd3.

so anyway tl;dr I'm incredibly biased and I love when love is so so messy and passionate. they do not need a redemption arc or any kind of justification on Why This Relationship Is Ok Actually or why people who enjoy it are also bad people or whatever juvenile discourse people r having. they're unapologetically fucked up and I love them for it. they don't need to change people need to expand their minds and find enlightenment through isterik. or something

but who knows maybe I'm entirely wrong, this is just rambling off the top of my head bc its 2am now and I'm definitely missing a lot that would usually go in a more well thought out post but... I'll get around to that at some point lol. I would love to hear your thoughts as well or if anyone else feels like discussing this further . go crazy with my blessing

[kelin-is-writing]

kelin may i hear more about rockstar touya \(★ω★)/

I was planning to post other headcanons before going for these, BUT I’ve got some for Rockstar!Touya that are pestering my mind these days and your asks come in the right moment, so bear with me please 🤧

࣪𖤐… ROCKSTAR!TOUYA

The first time Touya knew that he wanted to become a rockstar was in middle school, right at the age of thirteen, his influent CEO of a father was trying to mold him into a carbon copy of himself to rival Yagi Toshinori’s Enterprise. While taking a break from studies, he saw his sister watch on TV a rock concert of “Loudness” and to say Akira Takasaki is his role model is the least. That’s a true legend to him.

After “Loudness” and Akira Takasaki, he discovered “Metallica” and Kirk Hammett which made him go like “HOW??? HAVE??? I??? MISSED??? ALL??? THIS???”, scolding himself for taking so long to fall in love with the electric guitar and its sound. The next week he’s blasting full volume “The Final Countdown” by Europe inside the Todoroki Mansion like the good old stamp rock fanatic he is, getting himself scolded and grounded by Enji who is a fan of traditional Japanese music so yeah…

At one of the Todoroki family gatherings during the weekend, he was scrolling down his phone looking first of all where to take guitar lessons and second for a guitar to buy, but he knew his father would never agree to get him one. That’s when his grandfather, peeking at his grandson’s phone, butted in and asked Touya if he’s interested in music. He wasn’t sure if it was a good thing to answer that question, since he’s the father of his father, but he did and hell has it been the best thing he did!

On his fourteenth birthday, Enji’s father bought Touya his very first electric guitar, a good old Fender Stratocaster CUSTOM MADE for him. It’s snow white like his hair and has a his name engraved on the bottom left side of the guitar, while on the other side there were engraved tiger’s fangs, all in turquoise… The color of his eyes. And this has been by far Touya’s best birthday ever.

After finishing Middle School he choose to attend an Art School, taking the music classes as main classes of course; he may or not have done it to piss off and raise Enji’s blood pressure from how mad he got for choosing something different from Finances and Management. Oh his father was livid and Touya was so proud of himself for that.

He has formed a rock band, of which he’s the guitarist and vocalist, with Tenko Shimura (Bassist&Vocalist) and Shuichi Iguchi (Drummer) called “The Villains”… Are we even surprised about this name? Really? Because I am not. Tenko suggested, Iguchi supported strongly and Touya just went with it because complaining and thinking about another name was “Too much effort”. He likes it a lot but will never admit it.

At the age of nineteen, Touya owns a Fender Stratocaster (Custom Made), an Elite Stratocaster, an ST-83-80 Japan (1983) black, Lone Star Strat, IC350 black, IC50 black, ICHI00 white, Gibson SG Standard mahogany and a Jackson Pro Series DK Modern HT6 MS. He also owns four acoustic guitars for songwriting, like a Martin GPC-X1E, Martin 000-28 Modern Deluxe, Taylor GS Mini-e Rosewood SN LTD and a Taylor AD22e. Did he pay all them with Enji’s credit card? Hell yeah. Did he do it out of spite? Absolutely. Did he care about his father’s blood pressure rising even more? Not even remotely.

His favorite groups are Loudness, Metallica, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Europe, Scorpions, Slipknot, Three Days Grace, Green Day, Skillet, Linkin Park, The Rasmus, L’Arc-En-Ciel, UVERworld, Nirvana, Guns N’ Roses and Evanescence to list some, because there are many more he adores honestly. He isn’t a picky ear as long as the song gives him chills and inspires him, being someone who’s driven by emotions that’s what makes him likes something he hears.

Atsuhiro is their homeroom teacher, at the Art University they attend, who introduces them to Giran, a friend of his, who has an agency for new talents and after they sent him six of their songs wants to launch their very first album by August to make them debut at the “Rock In Japan Fes.”

Touya, being the emotional driven type of musician, is the one put to write the lyrics for the band’s songs and most of the times are hits, especially because his and Tenko’s voice brings to life the emotions of the lyrics in a way that it reaches the listeners right into the heart and soul.

You will never catch Touya’s fingers empty, there’s always rings decorating them and some rings are even custom made by his cousin Geten, who owns a Jewelry shop that he promotes a lot on his social media. One of his most precious rings is the one that he got made for him, with his birthstone carved in it, when he turned eighteen.

He has three earrings on his right ear: an helix, mid helix, conch and low helix. Four on his left one: two helix, a low helix and one on the lobe, plus three nostril piercings on the right side of his nose.

After “The Villains” debuts and proving his father that he could succeed through music without his help nor his name, Touya owns now a black card that he lets Fuyumi and Shoto use to their heart content.

Last, but not least, be ready to be the muse of Touya’s songs the instant he falls head over heels for you. The moment it happens everything, and I mean everything, to him becomes about you driving Tenko and Iguchi to pure exasperation.

[crocodilenjoyer]

here’s the thing. about zolu. puts myhand on your shoulder Here’s the thing. luffy? aromantic. zero interest in romance. zoro? gay. very low interest in romance. has two braincells and they’re both devoted to thinking about swords. they are not dating. it is not romantic. it’s not sexual either because luffy, much like his views on romance, could not give less of a shit about sex. maybe if they both feel up to it at the same time, but that’s rare and when it does happen it’s more of a physicality and, to a lesser extent, affection thing than anything else. occasionally it’s a “hey wouldn’t it be weird/funny/fucked up if we [insert some david cronenberg-type shit]” thing and the other one goes “haha yeah do you wanna try.” but i digress.

however. HOWEVER. they Have A Thing. what that Thing entails is a mystery. luffy is both incredibly straightforward and frustratingly cryptic whenever he’s asked about it and zoro just kinda shrugs. they’re just luffyandzoro and zoroandluffy. the king and his lionheart. drift compatible. partners. captain and first mate. the sailor and the north star. sun and moon. they simply Are. what does that entail? well brother. they hang out

[hctclcalifornia]

there's a frown on his face as ned rubs at his eyes, very decidedly out of it as marley had pointed out. "out of it is harsh. i'd prefer sleepy, yet trying his best." they were eerily perceptive… or perhaps ned was especially tired. "i was up late last night..." pauses, debates on what would make him sound the least insane. "...working on a new pie recipe." technically true. he definitely thought about one while devising a plan to break into a miniatures museum for a new case. "pie-making is hard business, i'm sure you get it. well, not exactly get it or anything, but cheese and pies are definitely related— unrelated, but do you have any coffee?"

@hctclcalifornia / lyric starter. forever by alex g.

"you look so out of it."

[lvmimis]

i remember i failed the civics exam so spectacularly my normally super strict aunt (i lived with her at the time) looked at my paper and laughed

[makeshiftloops]

You ever think about how Martin probably masked a lot for social interactions before The Lonely, and how usually when you finally stop masking for whatever reason, it’s near impossible to start doing it again no matter how much you want to? How hard the skill regression hits you after? Yeah I think about that

[boymilf]

as much as I hate to work in customer service I also love when we are allowed not to engage with specific customers who are abusive etc. The shit that goes on in universities is crazy and as a huge sticky beak I love all the gossip about troublesome students

[supermarine-silvally]

Yara, would you recommend eating a devil fruit or would you say it has too many drawbacks?

“As for me, I wasn’t much of a swimmer prior to eating the Tōka Tōka no Mi so I can’t say I miss it, though it can be rather annoying to have to be so mindful about not falling in the water. I ate mine in a moment of desperation, but if I were to do it all over again, I would make that same decision. Even if my fruit is basically offensively useless, I have an almost impenetrable defence, which suits me just fine as a swordswoman.”

Ask Yara (or any of my OCs) anything!

[bogos--binted]

can someone please tell me what yhe fuck my mothers problem is

[spartalabouche]

they need a word for the type of guy who automatically answers any question with 'just google it' i cant stand that shit. im trying to be social with you man i want you to share your knowledge i want to ask a person not a robot i want you to help me learn. wont you help me learn???

[leatherbookmark]

every once in a while i'll see someone who for some reason keeps on reading fanfiction despite... really, really hating fic writers. whether it's because they keep on writing about dumb shit no one cares about (their personal life) in the author's notes, or because they're entitled, narcissistic pricks who make up excuses when in reality they just don't value their readers (someone didn't reply to that guy's comment i think), those fic writers are BAD!!! and SHOULD SUFFER!!!

so many different types of guys in the world.

[frogshipping]

🍎 🍇 🧅

Hi, Rebecca my beautiful mutual. Thank you for the ask as always <3

I'm answering for just one f/o today I think (feelin lazy lol)

🍎 - How easily does your f/o get sick? How stubborn are they about getting themself treated, or having their wounds taken care of?

Goku rarely gets sick, but when he does he can be quite stubborn! It's not that he doesn't want to be treated; it's that he doesn't like medicine, or having to lay in bed all day for multiple days. He will try to exercise or train while sick, and it can sometimes end up in an argument. Because he shouldn't be doing that! He needs rest! He's gonna make himself feel worse! But Goku doesn't care, 'cause he doesn't like being idle for more than a day. Goku also isn't the biggest fan of doctors, especially when sick. He's terrified that he might be given a shot instead of oral medicine, especially when he resists taking them. He's fine with getting wounds/injuries treated though, whether by a medical professional or Viti, as long as no one points a syringe his way (same tbh)

🍇 - Is your f/o more generous or more selfish?

I feel like Goku leans more towards selfish, though not terribly so. He doesn't always consider others feelings, however that's more out of ignorance than anything else. He wants what he wants, and it's not easy to change his mind when he's locked onto something. Even if it gets in the way of others or anyone's plans beyond his own. But he does care about others, and is around when it matters the most. He gives people the benefit of the doubt, even when they don't deserve it.

🧅 - What are people’s initial reactions to your f/o, and what have you learned about them now that you’re close to each other?

A lot of people think that Goku is dumb, or way too naïve, but that certainly isn't the case. He can be an airhead, sure, even ignorant at times, but he's definitely not stupid. He's very knowledgeable about his interests, strategic, observant when he wants to be, and aware of himself and his surroundings.

Viti discovers that he's also more emotionally aware than others believe. He doesn't always show it, because he doesn't think it's any of his business when people are upset or bothered. He'll offer an open ear or a shoulder to lean on, but won't press. He comes off as more nonchalant as a result. But he can tell when something's not right, or when somebody is excited but hiding it, or when the mood switches because of poorly spoken words. He knows, he just doesn't show that he does. Though with Viti, he will. With her, he makes the effort to.

[deankarolina]

god does it really fucking annoy me when I see the most dumbass takes on butchfemme and it's so fucking clear that the person who posted has no fucking clue about butchfemme and just equates it to 'butch is when they wear pants' 'femme is when they wear skirts'

[thebluebygracieabrams]

.

[freepassbound]

strawberry - favorite fruit?

daydreams - if you could be anything or anyone, who would you be?

cupcake - are you a good cook?

Aphrodite - favorite actress/actor?

watermelon - do films ever make you cry?

strawberry - favorite fruit?

In terms of actual fruit... I have a lot of sensory squick issues with texture? 😅 So probably just your basic apple - and even then it has to be a nice crisp apple.

Fruit flavor - cherry. Delicious. 🤤

daydreams - if you could be anything or anyone, who would you be?

An immortal shapeshifter who can grant both abilities to a partner. 😂

More realistically, I'd just like to be someone who actually get things done. 😬

cupcake - are you a good cook?

I'm good at what I know how to make? Maybe even very good - but most of it is pretty easy cooking, and rarely ever from scratch. I lack confidence with new recipes, and that's usually where I run into trouble. That, plus altering them because I'm picky. 😅

(I am a good baker, though 😁)

Aphrodite - favorite actress/actor?

Would have to say Cary Grant. So smooth, so impeccable, and he has the range!

watermelon - do films ever make you cry?

Oh, goodness, yes. I probably have at least a dozen over on my shelves that are close to guaranteed to pull tears out of me.

[chocosvt]

oh