#sorry this got so long but yes i love the blorbos and i do think astar is an intriguing character with so much potential for growth

[dent-de-leon]

Thinking about how similar in some ways Molly and Astarion are: bullshitters and thieves with their hedonistic pansexual peacock ways and foppish sassy attitude

But also how despite those similarities, they still feel so immensely different to me. And it really makes me appreciate more how committed Taliesin is/was to making the Tealeaves people who aren't afraid of hard work. Who don't take advantage of those less fortunate than themselves for their own gain. Amd just how overwhelmingly KIND and SELFLESS they are despite everything.

Astarion, darling, I love you but you are a whiney bitch who has to be threatened with violence to share coin with anyone else and will absolutely use people to get what you want.

They're both such wonderful characters but I'd much rather have Molly in an adventuring party than Astarion

ooh yes this is such an interesting thought!! I adore how they both have their snark, that hedonistic love of indulgence, the mischief and roguish charm and playfulness--or those moments when Astarion is a little warmer and his heart softens, and you can see bits of that devoted loyalty and compassion that are so characteristic of Molly.

I think the main difference between Molly and Astarion is...he got out. He had just as dark and traumatic a past, just as much reason to turn his back on a world that's only ever been cruel to him--but he gets another chance instead. A reprieve. Somehow, someway, the slate is wiped clean, and he can live free of all the demons that chained Lucien. More than anything, I think Astarion doesn't just feel afraid. Hunted. He feels...alone. Abandoned. "You never felt the call of the divine, Astarion?" "Oh, I tried them all. None of them answered."

But for Molly, there's one that did--"I found peace in building a new person. The Moonweaver--" Someone saw him. Saw how Lucien suffered. And she gave this shard of his soul a chance at a new life, found him someplace safe to land and tended to his wounded soul.

Molly gets something both Lucien and Astarion never do. He gets to be free. He gets to be happy--he gets to be loved. And it fundamentally changes him as a person, leads him down a better path than the fate Lucien was doomed to--and does Lucien ever resent him for it. Of course Astarion does get that chance too, but it also comes after 200 years of agony, and it makes the moment when he finally realizes someone truly cares all the more gutting.

So in a lot of ways, I think Astarion actually reminds me quite a bit of Lucien. Like Astarion, he was someone who spent so much of his life backed into a corner, learning to fight tooth and nail for any grasp at control and freedom. He views nearly all his relationships as transactional--even with Brevyn, there's a point where he's ready to leave her behind when he thinks he no longer has need of her, fully intending to abandon her and Cree for a better life (before he realizes he's already burned that bridge too without even knowing it).

And of course, Lucien also clings to power as a shield. Anything to keep him from being another casualty of Shadycreek Run--to escape becoming the Empty, soulless puppet at the mercy of another witch. Astarion has a taste for power and always craves more of it; and it absolutely stems from a place of deep-rooted fear and desperation, just like Lucien. They can't go back--they'll never go back. They won't be anyone's prisoner or puppet anymore, even if it means leaving the rest of the world to burn. They won't be a victim anymore.

And Astarion finds himself bitterly frustrated with a good aligned Tav in much the same way Lucien looks down on the rest of the Nein. Astarion can't understand why someone would play the hero and keep throwing their life on the line for a world that will never thank them, why they'll continually put themselves at a disadvantage for the sake of some arbitrary moral high ground.

If you don't take the tadpoles, he tries to sway you to his side, make you see that you're squandering this opportunity--that if you want to live, to thrive, then you have to take every edge you can get. Sure, he loves the idea of power and control, bending others to his will. But the way he encourages you to take that power for yourself, even early on, I think there's a part of him that is genuinely concerned for you. "I'm embracing this power--and you should too." He doesn't want anyone else to have that kind of power over him--or you. And that's why, if you want to save yourself, then you had better take this chance while you still can--

And then of course there's how Astarion tell himself you're just another means to an end, tells himself you're just another target and he's just going through the motions--hating himself and how it feels to be used all the while. Continuing to put on the act. Until it's not. Until he realizes he genuinely cares, and he wants whatever you have to be real--even though he's afraid he doesn't know how to give you that after being used and manipulated for so long.

Lucien indoctrinating Caleb and Beau, forcing them under the Somnovem's thrall. Keeping all of the Nein close and telling himself it's just idle curiosity, another foothold to anchor Cognouza to this world, all pawns in his grand plan. "That's not how we are, Lucien. We love broken things the most." Nevermind that Yasha giving him a four-leaf clover awakens another heart deep within him that should be long dead. Forget that attacking Beau and Caleb causes him very real, visceral pain--and if the sight of Jester's body causes him to tear his own claws down his face, if the Magician lying lifeless and bleeding still makes his heart ache for the taste of a kiss from a lifetime ago--it's just another hollow echo. Nightmares and shadows of a broken, forgotten little fragment.

Lucien desperately telling himself the Nein mean nothing to him. Even when they're the only thing that makes him feel real and takes all the Emptiness away. Lucien seeking to bring the Nein to his cause, taking them to Cognouza and branding them with the Eyes one by one--trying to claim them as his own, control them, bend their blazing bright souls to his will--because he is a dark mirror of Molly's own soul. And so, when he becomes one with all the Eyes and screaming voices and hungry minds, he corrupts Molly's love for the Nein into something warped and possessive. The remnants of a desperate desire to keep them all close still, to hold onto the only ones who once made him whole and refuse to let go.

It feels a little bit reminiscent of Ascended Astarion's feelings toward the PC from what I've heard of that route. Though I've yet to reach Cazador in either of my playthroughs, so this is just based on what little I've seen and heard. But yeah, I think Ascended Astarion wanting to turn Tav into his spawn and seeing it as a kind of protection or love--I can definitely see some parallels to Lucien wanting to make the Nein one with him, even as he tears them apart and tries to take away their autonomy. "He's gone. And you will all die and join me--"

Anyway yes, I really do love how Taliesin portrayed Molly as someone who wants so badly to be good, be better than the specter of his past he's so scared of becoming. He knows deep down Lucien wasn't a good person, and every time a fragment of some memory or errant instinct creeps through, it terrifies him. And this from someone who not only clawed their way out of their own grave, who had all their memories stripped away and clung so strongly to the very first people to ever show him compassion--for all the joy he filled his life with, there is something that hasn't changed between him and Lucien.

He knows the world is still cruel. Knows that there aren't many people in it who will show him kindness in return. But still he tries, and reaches out, and lets himself bleed for those in need. "I know what the others think, but the truth is...How do I put this...The world is harsh and cruel, and I don't seem to be able to just walk on by. You see a wrong? You fix it." It's the kind of earnest and vulnerable moral compass that I think Astarion would find laughable. But given time to heal, I do think he's able to gradually change and reach back out to others the way Tav does for him. Even Lucien is able to take Molly's hand in the end--

[shepscapades]

GOD DAYUM

So the part 5 thing huh? Welp IT'S GOOD I LOVE IT

Because X is my blorbo I just wanted to point out some things here

MMMMMMMM HE HAS LONG HAIR??? I mean *looks at my posts* long hair fits him absolutely [Still not sure if he has long hair or not but looks like he has his hair tied in a ponytail or in a bun, I don't know it just looks like it on the second image]

[oh and also he called him "Doc" again, instead of Docm which I don't know what could mean in this situation yet, but one day it'll probably make sense as we get more parts]

This Etho right here looks either terrified or confused, and I think it's because

X is going to go absolutely crazy and he's scared that X is now in control [based on the "you dropped your crown king'' caption that might refer to Etho who isn't the attacker anymore but could also refer to Xisuma which I'll explain later]

or

2. He finally snapped back into his senses

or

3. he sees X without his helmet for the first time and his good 'ol computer brain is like '??????? Who tf is that"

"you dropped your crown king" could also refer to X as his helmet got destroyed in process [being the crown] and from what I know, we don't know the reason for why X wears helmet in this AU. The most popular headcannon for his armour and helmet is that he's a voidwalker and can't breathe in the overworld, we don't know if it's a thing in this AU but if it is that could mean that now he's powerless, he "dropped his crown" - he became weaker, powerless against his enemy. Also Doc looks kinda scared, or maybe just surprised after seeing X's face for probably first time. [if he's scared, then he's probably aware of Xisuma's condition when it comes to air]

NESTLE CRUNCH

But also poor Doc he looks horrified

ALSO

*looking for lore through old posts* huh these seem familiar... WAIT

AND THE DATE THOSE WERE POSTED

[it's in Polish sorry, but it says 13th October]

SO THE COMIC HAS BEEN SKETCHED OUT SO EARLY?? Damn those really take long to do, I mean I was aware of that fact but It's been like 3 months since those sneak peeks have been posted and WOW THAT'S A WHOLE LOT OF MOTIVATION YOU HAVE HERE SHEP

[also only now noticed how in this panel Etho's body sketch is red as a sign that he's the danger in Doc's eyes and Xisuma's is green/blue. Oh and in the first sketch X didn't have his hair visible in the visor hee hee ]

So yes, loved it, even if there were only 3 images I still think it's amazing ! We got to see your Xisuma a bit [he- he handsome -makes big eyes]

Sorry for the long ask again!! just!! excited!!

Now I'm going into my drawing cave as I'm full of inspiration already bye bye <333

(also also to reiterate, I have no idea how long part 6 will take since I just kinda have rough storyboarding for the rest of the comic, and classes just started up again— this is my exhibition semester so most of my drawing energy will be prioritized for my grad gallery… we will wait to see how much energy I have left by the day for destruction :3)

ALSO ALSO ALSO! “You dropped your crown king” was absolutely me trying to find a silly caption for what’s supposed to be a serious/dramatic part of the story while also referencing the fact that Xisuma’s helmet shattered/fell off— there are many conspiracies and clues to be had here but I just wanted to clarify that that line is not one of them SFKDFGHJ

I will therefore also not directly respond to anything else being discussed here BUT thank you as always for sharing your theories and analysis!! It always makes my day >:D

[vaguely-concerned]

I’m on a Star Wars books roll so here we go with my — unhinged thanks for asking! — thoughts on Dooku: Jedi Lost, specifically the audio play. Short version: I fucking loved this one! For maximum emotional devastation, pair with Master and Apprentice and Padawan the way my stupid ass did and then be sad about it forever I guess that's what I’m going to have to do.

 Long (LONG oopsie) version:

- So. First of all, let’s get the most important thing out of the way on this here old man yaoi website. We all agree dooku and sifo dyas explored each other’s bodies right. Or at least definitely would have if not for the laws of this order etc., potentially. That’s not just me. Good. Thank you. We can now move on 

- Secondly. Well. Guess I’m just going to be inconsolable about Sifo-Dyas forever now. I miss the days in which he was just a throwaway line in AotC spawned by a random misspelling to me, rather than an eternal raw aching wound in my heart

- poor poor ventress just reading through all the proof that dooku absolutely does have it in him to be a good dad I mean master and just — idk got tired of that and went the force lightning route with her. I love the move of having her dead master hang out with her all that time as well (having her slip up and refer to ‘us’ did something to me, god this is so sad. Is he actually there in spirit or is it just her grief dreaming him up because dooku is awful and cold as a cliff  wall and she needs some kind of attachment figure even if she’ll have to reinvent him herself, rebuild him word for word, gesture by gesture. Pain. sorry about your terrible track record with father figures asajj) 

- Lene: (About Averross): He hasn’t changed. 

Dooku: (In the warmest fondest voice you ever heard) And I hope he never does

WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO WITH MYSELF? MUST I SET MYSELF ON FIRE TO ESCAPE THE PAIN???

Another strong showing for Rael in general, btw. He’s so warm and charming as a presence even though he’s also a little chaos gremlin. (He’s quite similar to how Sifo-Dyas was when he was young in some ways, I can definitely start to see what Dooku responds warmly to in terms of character traits.) 

- the fact that good ol’ sheev showed an interest in rael, dooku and anakin… interesting huh! He’s just got a soft spot for the disaster lineage I suppose, maybe there’s an element there of luring yoda’s most direct lineage into the dirt with him without yoda even noticing for the longest time. Also cackling at the idea that he looked at qui-gon ‘too fucking stubborn and insufferable to fall to the dark side out of sheer spite’ jinn and went ‘...not that one tho’ fhdskjfa. And obi-wan is more like ‘that one blorbo all my little guys seem wild about but I just don’t get it guys’ 

IF rael’s refusal to join dooku at the end of ‘master and apprentice’ is the last word (which I am not convinced of ;___; be safe cowboy jedi we never see in mainline canon so far), then he’s the only one who has dodged palpatine’s attentions. Wonderful if true love that for him

ALSO rael is one of the few people we know to be on (or at least to consider himself on despite what palps might think lol) first name basis with palpatine. Hilarious. I concur with dooku never change rael 

- Sifo-Dyas: That’s insane. 

Dooku, deadpan: Yes.

Sifo-Dyas: The worst plan I’ve ever heard.

Dooku, somehow even more deadpan: Most probably. 

Sifo-Dyas: I’m in. 

Crying… weeping and dying………… what if someone could have helped sifo with his unfortunate prophecy propensity and they hadn’t drifted apart. Clone Wars averted methinks if dooku still ended up leaving the order he would have been too busy having tender gay sex with the love of his life (and only person who can call him out on his shit and have him actually listen) to be a war criminal (I am being extremely facetious of course this is very much a ‘time traveler killing baby hitler’ situation where the underlying forces causing this point in history are way too powerful to avert the catastrophe in one move. but at least palps would probably have had to pick someone else to wreck the galaxy through and sifo-dyas would be kissed & held instead of going slowly mad. A net plus some (I, me) would say) 

- I just wanted to applaud both the writing and the voice acting for the characterization of Dooku in this, from his young self trying so hard to be haughty and self-possessed but also being like, y’know, twelve and a dweeb and easy for Sifo-Dyas to pull into trouble, to the dry wit and warmth he shows with Rael and Qui-Gon or his sister later. It took me a little while to get into the voice acting specifically (the actor makes no attempt at going the full Christopher Lee, which in hindsight was probably wise), but now I love it. It gets a bit goofy in places but you know what, I am a long time lover of audio plays, that’s part of the charm 

- “Master, have I done something wrong?”

My heart is clenching… do you think… that master yoda’s deal with leaving his student to try fucking everything to have some kind of relationship with him until he just breaks down in tears of despair… is the kind of thing that maybe started a little bit of a generational trauma cartwheel through the ages. The point that bb!dooku is arrogant isn’t without merit and he strikes out incredibly ungracefully about it (in fact I would be a lot more worried than yoda seems to be that he decides to try to kill a tree about it, ‘I felt like destroying something beautiful’-style)  but I just don’t think a… fourteen year old? A teen anyway, Is going to learn what you think he learns from this. I simply don’t believe that silent treatmenting kids will teach them emotional intelligence I guess especially if they already struggle with that naturally lol 

(It is exactly the same mistake (in my opinion) that Qui-Gon makes with Obi-Wan, too, just leaving the kid completely alone and forcing them to come to you every which way for comfort or guidance instead of meeting them or reaching out to them. Especially once you see that really Dooku’s prime emotion/big core wound right from the beginning is loneliness. And that doesn’t only come from a feeling of superiority (which to be sure is also a big factor), because he has no idea where he comes from until he meets his sister. I don’t think the jedi as a whole were unsalvageable by any stretch of the imagination, but Yoda specifically… you are on such very thin ice with me at this point you little green fuck. You’re very funny and moving in yoda dark rendezvous and that’s all that’s keeping you in my somewhat good graces.)

- Okay, coming back a bit later I think I’ve found the right words to say this. more precisely dooku has two big issues which you can later see haunting all the way down his lineage — loneliness and control. (and not incidentally the intersecting elements of the two haha.) We see from his relationship to sifo-dyas that he’s not incapable of having close mutual relationships with an equal, but that kind of crashed and burned for reasons neither of them could really help and after that it seems quite telling that he has the easiest time with deeper connection in a teacher-student sort of form. I think his affection is unconditional and real, but you can’t get away from the fact that he also has the most control in that relationship structure by default, he gets to dictate what form it takes to a big extent. He doesn’t trust other people — the underlying idea ‘Only I can do this’ that eventually leads him down the Separatist path is there the whole way. It speaks both to a sense of superiority and an utter lack of faith that other people can or will help him. And then that echoes down through the master-padawan line: 

Qui-Gon with his self-righteousness and utter refusal to compromise leaving him isolated among the jedi (only he is right. Yeah the Force told him so. Don’t worry I’ve got a permit *insert parks and rec I can do whatever I want meme here*), Obi-Wan with his anxiety and perfectionism and incredible sense of shame and responsibility that he should be able to carry the whole world on his shoulders alone and beating himself up for failing, all feeding into not knowing what to do with Anakin and his complete lack of control of himself and his desperation to gain and maintain connection and love (which earns him the title of ‘Dooku’s least favorite family member’ fhdsa his immediate disdain for him is so funny and so in character. Repress and go slowly mad like a normal person anakin the way you’re carrying on is just undignified and that is much worse than being evil)… 

- Rael gently telling Dooku to take on another padawan soon… so sweet, so sad, local cowboy jedi looking out for his dad. Also highlights something about Dooku I think is true: that he does much better and seems to have an easier time holding to the light when he’s responsible for someone else. Again, I do feel like Dooku’s core problem is loneliness, but it seems like raising kids is the one point where that relaxes somewhat. Maybe if Sifo-Dyas had stayed in a better mental place and they kept in touch it could have been different.

- Lene Kostana is SUCH a character! Charismatic and deeply fucked up, when it’s revealed how her and Sifo-Dyas’ relationship remains long after his padawan stage is done I felt a little bit sick, to my surprise. Because that could just be kindness on her part, of course, it’s good that he has someone he trusts to look after him when he can’t himself, but also there’s something… queasy about the way it keeps him continually young, in a way. (Notably he still calls her ‘master’ even as an adult, when they’re working together. Not uncommon in Star Wars, of course, but together with everything else going on vibes-wise… hm.) The inherent unreliable narration of this story really worked for me in this regard especially — do we know that young Dooku was entirely wrong when he sensed the dark side in her? She certainly is willing to go to lengths that are… worrying! in her fascination with sith shit, she tempted children into a dangerous place they didn’t understand and couldn’t know the consequences of and she continually puts sifo-dyas in situations that are implied to be a risk to worsening his condition. Run of the mill incredibly irresponsible at best, sincerely sinister at worst. Did she choose Sifo over Dooku because he’s more vulnerable and shapeable? There is an undercurrent of something icky and emotionally incest-y going on with how she relates to Dooku and Sifo-Dyas in general (right down to the ‘NO, no one can know about this’ intensity after the… evil moss cave. I can’t believe I’m this emotional about a book with an evil moss cave). I don’t think she’s a proper sith in any way and I also believe there is real affection there on all sides, but idk something about the whole thing makes me deeply uneasy. Yoda where the fuck are you your son is out there with his irresponsible mom again they’re looking for dirty needles in haystacks and they’re not even wearing any gloves

- dooku telling sifo-dyas he can come back to haunt him if he likes as a joke… well well well I’m sure that doesn’t ring with some dramatic irony at some point down the line lmao

- honestly looking back at master and apprentice after reading jedi lost makes qui-gon's apparent lack of reaction to dooku leaving seem — let's call it highly suspect haha. rael asks him if he's spoken to dooku after and qui-gon is like 'no. why would I. it's literally fine. anyway this topic is done now'. (and rael seems to just go ‘*older brotherly knowing* uh-huh’) meanwhile he's thinking about dooku *all the time* trying to figure out his role as master to obi-wan, thinking about being a padawan himself, the parts of his life he shared with both dooku and rael. The jedi doth protest too much methinks  

ALSO how much of qui-gon thinking the council was too lenient with rael after he had to kill his padawan is about that actual situation, and how much is a ‘our family still likes my older brother more than me even though he Fucked Up so bad and breaks just as many rules as I do’ sort of deal mixed with his own neuroses about how he’s failing obi-wan (to which rael’s situation symbolizes the worst possible outcome, i.e. the kid dies and it’s basically your fault). Many thoughts. 

- moment of silence for jenza of house serenno. Girl your only sin was being surrounded by asshole male family members and I’m so sorry I think you did all you could with what you had to work with here.

Not… entirely sure how dooku’s claim to the title supersedes hers — is he a year older than her? (she’s eleven when they first meet, he might be twelve or older at that point I don’t remember haha) Does she just give up her place in the inheritance order? Are primogeniture and male heir preference factors in Serenno inheritance law? Not the most important thing honestly it works anyway thematically but could have been clarified quickly!

- interesting to see that the council’s restrictive policy against engaging with prophecies had a surprisingly big impact on how things went down. Kostana has a lot of responsibility in Sifo’s fate for insisting he keep it secret, but there is genuine fear for what might become of him if the rest of the order finds out he’s got 24/7 futurevision hovering over him threateningly… listen it’s not like the poor guy can help getting the future constantly pumped into his brain at nightmare resolutions, I think maybe if there had been more willingness to at least engage curiously with the concept of prophecy and how it works, even if you don’t put your faith in the particulars of what the prophecies say, this wouldn’t have had to be such a shitty isolated secretive life for him. hearing him slowly fall apart over the years considering how bright and lovely he started out... oof is all I can say 

- when dooku was a good jedi he was such a good jedi!!! The scene where they’re saving the kids from the collapsing hospital, every time he teaches his students anything…the impulse of someone has to do something about this! that made him so good at saving lives turning dark with the tarnish of frustration and rage over the years… nooooooooo problematic grandpa why did it have to be like this :(

- …do you think infant jedi can sense what’s going on around them in the Force. Because it makes a very sad kind of sense if dooku on some level remembers bodily or in the Force that he was not only abandoned but rejected in disgust as one of the first things he discovered in the world. Oh boy. With all the ways attachment relationships can go wonky in the first few years in real life I don’t even want to consider how much more wrong it can go when the baby is fucking psychic lol

- vaguely related: the way dooku seems to find the very idea of being truly reliant on anyone, emotionally or otherwise, personally offensive, terrifying and humiliating lol. Yoda saves him from being crushed by rubble and he is outraged because that means he can’t save himself (and his newfound sister) without anyone’s help like he thought for one glorious moment he could. The fantasy of perfect emotional self-sufficiency, doing away with all the messiness and risk of interpersonal relationships and cutting off the possibility of really being abandoned again. It’ll get ya every time. This is also a thing you see reflected in his lineage — they’re all quite inward-turning that way until you get to anakin, to different extents and with varying presentations but it is there I think. Qui-Gon turns to the Force, Obi-Wan to perfectionism and shame and rumination, Rael to the bottle and depression and hedonistic apathy, but they all struggle hugely with letting anyone in to help them. Dooku’s line are all much more comfortable being the helpers rather than the helpees, as it were.  

- “Thank you for everything, Lene. Tell Rael and Qui-Gon — tell them… tell them the Force will be with them, always”

Emotional terrorism against me specifically and personally. You asshole you just excused yourself from the non-attachment rules there’s literally nothing in the world except you to stop you from reaching out and telling your children you love them yOURSELF why are you like this

- the recurring theme of dooku seeing something beautiful (the tree in the temple, the tirra’taka as a child and an adult) and ending up lashing out to destroy it… but the tree was old and mighty and he was young and new and couldn’t truly harm it, so he was saved from his own impulsivity. And then when he sees the tirra’taka as an adult he loves it immediately. And in the end he still mangles and destroys it. He didn’t mean to, but he did. He woke it up and hurt it just by existing as a child and then he had to kill it as a mercy because he was too powerful at that point for anything to buffer his mistakes. The parallel with the bird he loved that he also couldn’t protect. He starts out with an aching loneliness somewhere at the core of him through no real fault of his own but by the end it is entirely his own fault that it’s worse, because he starts wrecking everything he loves in an almost absent-minded but definitely intentional way, like it’s a nightmare he’s listening to through the door as it happens in the next room over. He really IS the ‘I just felt like destroying something beautiful’ central of the jedi.

at the end qui-gon is dead and through dooku’s own influence, however indirectly. Rael has had to turn away from him. Sifo-Dyas is dead on Dooku’s own orders and so is his sister, he might as well have done it with his own hands. (though I think it’s very interesting that in each case he didn’t do it with his own hands, he consistently uses a middleman.) He lives within the coldness of his sterile empty castle and horrifically mistreats the one person he might have found something like connection with the way he did with his students before (Ventress), deliberately trapping her in a similar state of utter desolate isolation and telling her, essentially, ‘We’re like this as people and nothing can be done to change it. We can’t escape, we’re already doomed, stop trying, it’s too late. You are just like me (and if you aren't already I'll make you like me)’. And that’s the closest thing he gets to love anymore. When he accused Ky of using her ‘as a salve for his own loneliness’ and you’re like well well well mr projection man how’s that working out for you. He is completely, shatteringly alone and he is so entirely as a consequence of his own actions and he's too far gone to understand or care. I’m howling you useless fucking FOOL dooku  

- dooku 🤝 john gaius

“Hm. I have observed that there are in fact many flaws in our society and the government is deeply corrupt. So if I kill a few billion people here and there in order to fix it, is that not basically okay when you really think about it” 

Dooku making salient points about the political and ethical failures of the Republic and then, just when you think he’s onto something, he goes and makes The wildest fucking decisions about what to do about it. Sure. dark magic and genocide are probably the only ways out of this you’re so right bro. If we make enough minuses to add together surely we’ll end up in plus sooner or later

- *head in my hands once more* I can’t believe I am genuinely emotionally invested in someone called Count Dooku with the looks of a knockoff dracula and ultimate moral character to match right now this is terrible. hey. hey dooks. what you have to go and fuck everything up so bad for huh I’m so incredibly sad now

there is something to be said about how getting to see glimpses of what dooku looked like in the light makes it so much more heartwrenching that he never came back. he could have, a thousand times. and every time he chose not to.

[bolithesenate]

Hi! For some reason it wont let me ask from the blog I want it to, which is why the random name, but I really love your stuff! Quick question - what do you think would he Dooku/Sifo Dyas/Jocasta/Jaster’s main rule(s) for Padawans/foundling-child-thingy?

Sorry if this is boring or smthing its just Ive decided your word on these things is law!

Thank you!!! Xxxxxxx

eyyy!! never apologize for blessing my inbox with asks! especially not about the blorbos!!

Now, I'm not entirely sure on what you mean with 'what their main rules on children' are.... but that just means my answer gets to be more elaborate.

Sifo-Dyas:

In my head he is the most child loving of the bunch. He would THRIVE on taking a Padawan and honestly I could even see him have a biological child most out of all four of them. But he bars himself from either because of his visions – since there's no telling on how they would interact with a Master/Padawan bond or smt similar he isn't willing to risk a child's wellbeing for his own desires.

That being said, he lives all the more vicariously through Dooku and Jocasta when they take Padawans. (As well as visits the Crèche any day he can) In any universe he and Jaster are a thing he definitely tries his best to be of assistance there as well, even if just as a long-distance-father. He doesn't care if someone claims it's attachment. Raising children is only good and just and if he can help in ANY capacity he will do so and you'd have to kill him first to make him stop.

(And even then his Force ghost probably would find ways to meddle)

Dooku:

Dad-in-denial-supreme.

His stuck-up ass will loudly proclaim he doesn't like children and that they are too noisy and erratic and then turn around and immediately take the next best street urchin under his wing. Provided they look at a lightsaber with even a modicum of interest.

I mean, considering the NUMEROUS apprentices he has in the different flavors of canon (Rael, Qui-Gon, Komari, Sev'rance, Grievous, Assaij, Savage) this man simply is MADE to teach.

In fact, people wiser than me (hi Jess), have famously said that he'll actually go stir-crazy if he doesnt have someone to drill in makashi.

He isn't the best at emotions, but that's what he has Sifo for. And also he WILL offer each and every one of his Padawans/Apprentices/pseudo-children a place in House Serenno's actual lineage, even if just to spite his dead father and brother. But only after they turn 18/are knighted. Whichever comes first. (similarely to Jaster, he refuses to paint any more of a target on a child's back than strictly necessary)

Jaster:

As absolutely child-loving as most Mandos are. He would have adopted many more children already if not for the target that his existence as Mand'alor paints on them.

So while he tries to find them good homes, unless he is directly responsible for them or honor bound in some other way to adopt, he might refuse to say the words (even if it pains him gravely).

In any universe where he's in a relationship with the rest of the blorbos, you better bet he sees their Padawans as his foundlings-by-extension. Even if all the Jedi WILL argue that it is not the same (except Sifo, Sifo can has and will support this interpretation of the Master-Padawan bond until his dying breath). Although, again, he might not ever make it official. Politicians have many enemies. MANDALORIAN politicians doubly so. That isn't beneficial for a child's health long-term.

In any universe where he never gets to be Mand'alor tho he has like 10 foundlings MINIMUM.

Jocasta:

Last but not least. For her, children/padawans were a very distant thought most of her life. Biological ones she would never have in my opinion – either she's infertile to begin with or she got a permanent solution to prevebt pregnancy early on.

And while she did eventually take on three Padawans (yes, Olee counts even if she was stolen from her), she always considered them more students/peers than children in the familial sense. She just isn't very maternal in any capacity, but that is fine.

While she isn't involved a lot in the child-rearing aspects of whatever kids the other three drag along, she very much IS always up for bending some rules in favor of her precious nepo-niblings. Being the Head Archivist lets you get away with quite a bit.

Especially if it ultimately benefits the kid in question academically.

I hope the answer you were looking for is in here, otherwise let me know! I'm always up for talking more about the blorbos!

[one-idea]

HIII it's me again :D glad to hear you're doing well!! I hope life is being kind to you <3

of course, take your time to get to this part of the story!! I hope you end up liking sabo as well !! and get ready for the heartbreak of marineford... no really, get a few tissues because there are gonna be tears

coming back to the au, your ideas continue to amaze me, I swear I had this exact expression of shock 😲 reading everything, ITS SO GOOD !!! it's very in character for whitebeard to want to take responsability of blackbeard's actions and appear to help luffy, and of course shanks is going to help his boy (also, don't wanna spoil too much, but he gets there late for reasons and IMAGINE him seeing he failed to protect the sweet boy he was confident would become the new king of the pirates, that he passed his precious hat to... he'd be blaming himself so hard and I'm here for it!)

now that's pretty much what happens in canon, but throw in the revolutionary army in the mix?? PERFECTION !!! of course Dragon would want to save his son, so it'd make sense for him to send some people to help, and who better than the boy he trained himself, sabo? there's no way that could go wrong, right ^^ (it's going to go terribly!)

the idea of sabo meeting with his brothers but not recognizing them... acting like strangers... then gaining back his memories... being right there seeing with his own eyes when it all goes down and not being able to do anything about it, to save his little brother (who he's just starting to remember is his little brother at all)... and worse, thinking he lost BOTH of them at once, right when he got his memory of them back... I'm going insane just thinking about it !!! the guilt this boy feels in canon is already off the charts, imagine in this scenario in which he was THERE and still it didn't change a thing and his baby brother died right in front of him??? he's gonna be consumed by it, probably won't feel worthy of daring to show his face to ace after everything and trying to isolate himself to wallow on his guilt and self-hatred... we love emotionally unstable blorbos in this house!! god help koala and olivia who will have to deal with this mess. and then sabo and ace will have no choice but to meet in dressrosa and that's! gonna be fun! not for them... but for us it will!

THE KOBYFICATION OF DEUCE. YOUR BRAIN IS HUGE!!!! THIS IS GENIUS!!! deuce running his anti marine propaganda newspaper is so important to me... him joining the revolutionary army... it's everything I could ever ask for... and the acedeuce beloveds... with the added bonus of that awkward moment when your coworker/boss is your crush's brother AND your crush's mother figure is also your coworker and hears you gush about him

isuka mention !!! she's such a cutie, glad to see she's here too !! also her taking the role of ace's marine rival is just perfect

sorry I got way too excited with this but your au is just way too amazing <3 thank you once more for sharing your ideas!!

🐝

I’m so sorry I took so long to respond to this.

I’m very afraid of getting to Marineford. My mental health can’t deal with the stress at the moment.

But yes you get it. Sabo and Ace working together to save Luffy without realizing it.

Like Ace just wants to get Luffy out of Impel down and this masked loser is slowing him down. How dare he!

Meanwhile Sabo has the biggest headache (particularly from his memories trying to resurface) because Ace is the most reckless person to ever live. He’s going to get them caught! Stop attacking everyone!

These two just can’t work together because Ace is in panic mode and this person who is only here to save Luffy because Dragon sent him can’t possibly understand the stress Ace is under. How important Luffy is.

Sabo (at the time) doesn’t get it. He needs to get his bosses son out of here. He gets that his adopted older brother is emotional but just calm down and think!

Later Sabo, with all of his memories will look back at this time and wonder. If I had let Ace rush it. If we were both fighting desperately for our little brother, could we have gotten to Luffy in time?

Even later when the meet at Dressrosa and Ace puts together just who the Masked loser in impel down was. When he realizes it was Sabo who “slowed him down” (kept him alive!) he has no idea how to feel. Enraged (why didn’t Sabo care about Luffy) confused (this couldn’t be their brother) desperate (one of his brothers is here, he’s not alone) upset (where was Sabo the past two years? Past 12? Ace needed him! Luffy needed them!) and fury (Luffy will never get to be with both his big brothers every again. He died think Sabo was gone)

Needless to say Ace has a lot of BIG feelings the day Sabo walks back into his life.

Back to Deuce!

I love him so much. His anti-marine paper is so important to me to. Like his dream is to be a writer. Let him write. Let him tell the world exactly what the Marines and pirates do. Let him tell the world about liberated countries and the injustices of the world government.

People say he’s afraid to show his face and that’s why he wears a mask and uses a fake name. But Deuce has never been more himself. He’s never been truer to himself than when he goes by the name Ace gave him.

He tells everyone how amazing the reverse strawhats are. And you best believe when Ace’s lineage gets out he’s writing about not only Ace’s character (how he saves people because he wants to, how no man should be judged by who their father is) but he’s doing his research on the original pirate king and just destroying all the lies the world government circulated about him. The public conscious changes. Roger’s wasn’t a horrible person, in fact he helped a lot of people. And even if he wasn’t should they really hold a son accountable for his father?

(This is after Luffy’s death and you best believe Deuce dragged the Marines for filth over that. The public knows Luffy as a 16 almost 17 year old who never left his home island. Sure he was a bit wild but everyone liked him. He never hurt anyone. And yet the government killed him because of what his father, who he never met, had done. Deuce ran them over the coals. He couldn’t stop what happened at Marineford. The revs wouldn’t even let him go to fight (he was to important by then) but he’s not going to have the last picture Ace has of his little brother be the one the papers ran with Luffy dying in Ace’s arms. Every piece he writes about Luffy he tries to find an old photo from Dawn island or Dragon’s surveillance to attach to the article. It drives home that he was just a boy, while also giving Ace new picture of his precious brother to cherish.

Speaking of Acedeuce. Deuce suffers those two years Nico Olive is there. It’s already awkward enough that Sabo, who has heard him talk about how down bad he is for Ace for two years, turns out to be Ace’s brother. But Nico Olivia? He never knows peace.

On one hand it’s nice. She helps him write his pieces about Luffy. (Ace told a lot of stories during their 3 years together) in exchange she gets a nice copy of every picture they find of Luffy and Ace from Dragon’s surveillance (he definitely had people watching over his boy) she collects them to give to Ace when they reunite.

On the other hand, she is relentless. Constantly teasing Deuce about his crush. (She’s met him before. In the early days of his paper before he was recruited by the Revs.) constantly asking when he was going to ask her captain out? When the wedding would be? Should he be joining the crew once they were official?

Deuce thinks she’s just teasing him. And he could live with it, if she didn’t make it sound like Ace wanted him to. (Baby is in hard core denial that his feelings could be returned)

Nico Olivia does not see herself as cruel. She is asking honest questions. To her (and the crew) Ace’s crush on Deuce was obvious. The question was never Ace’s feelings but Deuce’s though Olivia knew from the way Deuce wrote about Ace that he must have feelings for her captain, it was nice to have it confirmed by the other Revs. (Koala makes fun of Deuces crush at all times, especially now that it makes Sabo squirm because that’s HIS big brother they are talking about!) to Olivia she can’t see why the two boys wouldn’t get together. (After Ace has had time to grieve and process his loss of course)

Her captain deserves good things. He early lets himself want, believing he does not deserve the goodness of the world. Olivia violently disagrees. She wants her boy happy. And Deuce is a great young man who would make her boy happy. Sure she might be a little pushy, but she’s not getting any younger. Excuse her for wanting to see her kids get married before she dies. (She’s not dying anytime soon, but she will use guilt to her advantage if it will make these two knuckle heads get it together sooner rather than later)

[crossbackpoke-check]

find a blorbo (nhl tag game)

RULES: Go through the roster of each NHL team and find at least one player that you can root for.

tagged by @bondedpairs!! when i say too many teams to count and here for the narrative um. i may not have lied. this is not an extensive list of my blorbos but in order to make it not ten thousand years long i made up the rule that i had to do it straight from memory :)

anaheim ducks: as evidenced by recent events i DO like mason mctavish and trevor zegras but i have to honor laura and mention troy terry and beloved goalie gibbie*

boston bruins: oh for sure brad marchand… can i say patrice? one of the charlies got traded but i think mcavoy is still there because gryz is gone, brandon carlo is there still i think

buffalo sabres: cozens & thompson, owen power, rasmus dahlin, ukko pekka luukkonen

calgary flames: is chris tanev still here? is markstrom still here?? noah hanifin?? as a last resort i’ll say blasty

carolina hurricanes: aho & jarvy & teuvo teravainen & brent burns is still playing maybe? i know sepe got traded

chicago hockey: the bedsy narrative is compelling but ANDREAS ATHANASIOU MY BELOVED reunited with tyler bertuzzi… that’s the real story. also i like foligno

colorado avalanche: gabe landeskog, whatever ross colton & miles wood have going on, natemac + jo, mikko

columbus blue jackets: have long been on the merzlikins train, have been swayed to the darkside of umich boys (brindley, kent johnson, fantilli, blankenburg who is now on nsh)

dallas stars: seggy! mush! roope + miro and otter and robo and wyjo (rip ty dellandrea) and harls! etc.

detroit red wings: MOST players. dilly larks, moritz seider, jv, raymond, rasmussen, kitty, lyon, etc except for k*ne

edmonton oilers: mcdrai, ofc. nugent-hopkins, nursey, rip vinny & skinny

florida panthers: tkachuk, reinhardt, sasha barkov, verhaeghe (is there still?)

los angeles kings: adrian kempe… kevin fiala… danault… quinton byfield & alex turcotte

minnesota wild: kirill, marat, fleury, brodes, fabes, boldy, moose, middsy, spurge… god’s perfect idiots

montreal canadiens: going out on a limb here to say martin st. louis but also xhekaj (both), slafkovský, suzuki, my austrian reinbacher, yes fine cole caufield

nashville predators: MOST BEAUTIFUL D PAIR IN THE WORLD GRADY SKJEI AND ROMAN JOSI!! juuse, evangelista, isn’t stamkos there and also someone else who absolutely should not be

new jersey devils: nico… tuna (tatar), dawson mercer, siegenthaler, dougie hamilton, yes the hugheses whatever

new york islanders: barzy, zeeker & marty, anders lee, noah dobson lol

new york rangers: mika & chris, lafrenière & k’andre, shesterkin

philadelphia flyers: frosty & beezer and tk and sanny and the new baby michkov and coots and scooty loots and foerster etc etc. you know the Guys

pittsburgh penguins: the two headed monster but also compelled by rutger mcgroarty, and kevin hayes was there!!!

ottawa senators: timmy stü & brady! josh norris! the evolution of shane pinto! ullmark now and brännström and claude giroux and chabot

san jose sharks: ekky, thrun, mario, borde, logan couture, shakir, that other vaguely blond rookie

seattle kraken: brandon tanev, andre burakovsky! grubauer & d’accord also

st. louis blues: jordan kyrou, nathan walker (is still there?), rob thomas? is parayako still there?

tampa bay lightning: hedman, point, they dumped so many guys after the cup run… is kucherov still there or is he in nashville?? anthony cirelli (notable for being made out with by pat maroon)

toronto maple leafs: mitch, jt, willy, alex nylander, kniesy, dewar, et

utah hockey: crouse, keller, tuba

vancouver canucks: quinn, brock, petey, jt, garly, höggy, i want to say dakota johnson, elias lindholm?

vegas golden knights: brandon montour is here now… alex pietrangelo, so sorry to one i can’t remember who loves the lions it will come back to me

washington capitals: full of love and stupidity. oshie, nicke/ovi, pierre-luc dubois, dowd, vrána, milano

winnipeg jets: adam lowry!! josh morissey and kc and morgan barron, also vladdy my beloved

tagging @stillfertile + @colap1nto + @songsandswords + @moregraceful if they haven’t done it yet, i know they follow at least a couple teams. if anybody else wants to play i love adopting blorbos!!

[bright-and-burning]

thank you k @mecachrome i LOVE to yap and i love to see other ppl yapping!!! f1 tag game time!!!

Who is your favorite driver?: lando's grip on my brain should be studied in a lab tbh

Do you have other favorite drivers?: i am fond of many many drivers... oscar obviously is #2 to me. just the tiniest bit below lando, sorry oscar <3 and then there's a medium sized gap to anyone else but i am extremely fond of the williams guys. and i am studying alpine and aston martin like bugs. and i have a lot of blorbo-in-laws that i feel very fond of...

Who is your least favorite driver?: it depends on the day whether i even dislike anyone or not. today i feel neutral and up about everyone!! sometimes i distinctly do Not feel neutral... (usually during races)

Do you pull for drivers or do you like teams as well?: i am very driver oriented but obviously my like . internal ideas about drivers are heavily influenced by who their teammate is/what team they're on. and since i've been into f1 the driver lineups have. not changed. so in my head the teams n the driver pairings are pretty immutable (obviously that will Change djfldsakjfa)

If you like teams, what team do you pull for?: i am so deeply attached to the orange bitches 😔 i just watched the season 6 mclaren dts episode and when claire williams went “the likelihood of a team being able to turn around their performance to any kind of significant degree during a season? i can’t tell you how difficult it is. it’s pretty much unheard of” i just smiled SOOOO evil. sooooo evil. i believe in andrea stella's hot nerd vibes bless that man

How long have you been into F1?: since uhhhh approximately one week after qatar 2023. made this account right around cota 2023

What got you into F1?: twitter algorithm put some tweets about the shitshow that was qatar on my timeline (literally one of them was just. a little of names and like . blank threw up. blank was hospitalized. blank couldnt get off the ground.) and i was like:

(why is that picture SOOO large) and also i had been admiring the f1 web weaves for a while bc i would look at the 'web weave' tag and half of them would be f1 and i was like wow. these guys have a collective shit ton of daddy issues. fascinating... tbf!!! i have always been sports brain lol. just never quite rpf sports brained? so the stars aligned for this fr (recommended tweets, f1 web weaves, and me being unemployed, geographically isolated from all my friends, and severely depressed)

Do you enjoy Fanfic/RPF?: yes . i am constantly cooking . everyone here is soooo smart and cool and the writing is genuinely so incredible. and 8104 specifically has just like. a really dope bunch of ppl ive become friends with that i am constantly like. wow i cant believe these ppl want to talk to me!!! (k you are included in that <3)

How do you view new fans?: by looking in the mirror... djfladsj jk. i am a new fan! i am not a ""dts fan"" (have literally watched two episodes Ever and one of them was today) but none of it matters and i don't really find those kind of lines to be helpful. i have disagreed with ""dts fans"" and i have disagreed w ppl who started watching before i was born and i'd do it all again (this probably says more abt how opinionated i am than anything else)

If you could take over as team principal for any team, who would it be and why?: personally i am delusionally confident enough to believe i could run that bitch like the MARINES. at the very least i would not be running my mouth like toto lol. vibes wise idk if i could do it at Any Team (like. imagine mercedes being run by a punchy american woman. LMFAO. imagine FERRARI) (i'd say mclaren for papaya reasons but a) andrea stella i could never replace you and b) i think i would set zak brown's fuckin sports car on fire day 1.) but based on location only alpine!!

Are your friends and family into F1 as well?: uhhhh no. my dad went to exactly one motorsports event when he was like my age maybe a year or two younger and saw a really horrific deadly crash so that ended any family interest. my friends are mega sports ppl but they're into like. american popular sports. and running. i do have a tifosi coworker and a couple friends from high school who are into it but that's it

Are you open to talking to other fans/making friends?: yes!!!!! i am so horrifically extroverted i love to chat i love to make friends!!! i am in so many ppl's dms on the Daily just sayin shit to the point where im like maybe i should cool it. lol.

tagginggggg @monacotrophywife @freeuselandonorris @liamlawsonlesbian andddd @red-flagging if you want !!!! this was fun n i love hearing how ppl got into f1 bc i feel like i might've taken an odd route

[quillkiller]

for the hot takes thing:

idk if they are hot takes on this blog tbh because the tumblr fandom has messed up my perception of what is popular and what is not but anyway here they are

i do not give a fuck about dorlene. i cant see it. it very often seems like forced lesbian representation to me. like, oh, lets throw them in here so that people dont say maybe i should have some sapphic women in my art if im trying to write about the queer experience. i read only one fic in my entire life that made them interesting and fleshed out characters. usually they are incredibly boring and i dont like it

marauderstok makes me a gatekeeper. i hate gatekeeping but then i see someone on tiktok talking about bartylily or sunkiller or moonrose or peter x barty and i just cant deal with that. they dont get them!!!! i dont even like most of these ships that much but i have moots that do and im overly protective of their blorbos. those people on tiktok dont understand bartylily!!! they are just into it cause it seems weird and unusual!! they dont see the vision of the pure hatred between barty and james that turns into sexual tension! they dont understand why barty would fall in love with peter and they try to make all of these ships into sketches!!! they are not!! those are my children youre talking about!!!

i am not a james fan tbh. probably because of how long ive hated him for. when i was a child and read hp for the first time the scenes with snape made me despise the guy. i spent years trying to explain to people that yes maybe he changed but he was still a terrible bully and nothing can ever excuse that. it got so bad my mom banned me from talking about james potter in our house because ive just said the same things over and over. 9yearold me was very determined. i know that all the marauders were involved but somehow it only affects my relationship with james. i know it unlogical but i just dont like him

on the topic of marauders and sev. i HATE the way fandom acts about it. acknowledge that your favorite characters were flawed! they weren't good people! what the fuck do you mean "i'm proud of james for bullying snape! someone had to do it. snape was just so bullyable"?? snape was a 11year old kid who was incredibly abused at home!!

again on the topic of severus. if i see one more joke made about his hair i'm going to go insane. are you guys aware that sometimes children are neglected so bad that their parents don't teach them things that are obvious to most of us, like how to wash your hair? have you heard about this concept of people not caring about their child and not buying them hygiene products? have your heard about poverty? have you heard about not having enough money to provide your child with all the things they need, including shampoo?

sorry for all that about sev. i am just very passionate about the way he's treated in this fandom. on the topic of characters being treated poorly by the fandom - dumbledore. some people truly believe that it's all his fault which is just so weird to me. he's obviously a deeply flawed man who made a lot of mistakes and i don't necesserily like him but i think we can all acknowledge that he's not the one who killed lily and james? like. he should've fought harder for sirius, obviously, but he didn't murder dorcas. he's not the ultimate villain that people make him out to be

i realise this is more about the fandom than the characters itself and i apologize it's just what's currently on my mind

whew lets get into it……

agreed. they often feel like the token lesbians that are just. already there. so might aswell just throw them into the story lmao and they wont have to flesh them out. i like my own version of dorlene, but yeah :/ people just aren’t interested in lesbians but what else is new

PEOPLE ON TIKTOK ARE TALKING ABOUT BARTLILY ????? jesus…………..

honestly i respect this so much... your mom banning you from talking about james made me laugh out loud…… Mad Respect

honestly. im very grey in this area. i like making fun of his hair unfortunately, but in other contexts i also think sevs greasy hair has a swaggy seductive lesbian flair. depends on how he’s being characterized. i saw a post today that was like ’cant help but laugh at people being angry about people objectifying fictional characters when they’re fundamentally dependant on being objects’ which i fully agree with. it’s part of litterature and film making that the (im gonna talk in film terms bc im a film student) that the mise-en-scene is an active choice, meaning that the way characters are dressed and presented is meant to, on purpose, reveal things about said characters. and often its driven by stereotypes that the audience has. severus is meant to look like a loser because he’s portrayed like a loser / and as someone who will be the victim of bullying. its simply the way his characters is canonically written and portrayed, and writers and viewers pick up on that. also im unfortunately one of the people who think bullying fictional characters is funny. it’s fictional and fandom, and never once have i stumbled upon a person who can’t balance the made-up fandom rules regarding fictional characters and their actuail real life morals. not saying these people don’t exist, but i certainly don’t kiki with them. fandom just doesnt affect real life issues in way some people sometimes seem to think. im personally a severus Lover and his biggest hater depending on the setting/hc’s/etc

i love albus, but i love him because i genuinely think he’s despicable. im not interested in his supposed reedming qualities and i personally dont think he has any….. he allowed teenagers to fight his wars and canonically didnt deny that he doesnt care for harry / and that he raised him like a pig for slaughter. its what makes him interesting. his childhood and early adult years make him one of the most fascinating characters in the fandom.. like i have so many feelings about him. he breaks my heart, he’s awful, he believes he’s good because he has good intentions, he yearns after grindelwald all his life and it was a 2 month summer romance, he killed his sister, his brother barely speaks to him. he’s a tragedy, but still despicable…… but i respect your opinion so much king thank you for sharing

MWAH loved these, thank you…. 🤍🤍

[sunset-a-story]

Happy Blorbo Blursday yourself! Please, please tell me why everyone wants to drag Reeve? I love it, but I'm curious!

LMAO. Thank you so much for this, love. I'm going to include an excerpt but let me try to explain too.

The problem is everything about Reeve should traditionally make him one of those smooth, cool characters.

He's a high-level telepath

He's smart

He's a trained killer

He's had some spy training

He's queer

He's mad attractive

He's a leader

He has a classic car

He cares about his appearance

AND YET HE WILL NOT ALLOW IT.

He's a dweeb. Full stop.

Reeve was that teacher's pet. If he worked in an office, he'd probably tattle on people taking long lunches and never, ever bring stationary home with him--but he's the team leader of what is essentially a small hit squad so that makes it worse. His aloofness could be sexy but instead, he leans into pathetic-yet-pretentious. I mean, we love him to death for it but he's so easy to make fun of.

Here's an excerpt from Arc 1 (Gareth's POV) where they get after him about it:

--

Alex whistled, startling them both out of their exchange. “You’re looking spiffy.”

Reeve’s shirt and slacks, because the man actually wore slacks, were pressed with neat creases and he’d put some extra effort into his hair. 

“He’s got a hot date with Julie,” Hannah teased, coming in from the living room, her hand extended to Reeve for him to take his phone.

“It’s coffee.”

“Who’s she again?” Gareth asked, passing a plate with a sandwich to Alex.

“She works at the corner store in town on Second Street,” Reeve said in a monotone. 

“You know, the one we go to all the time? Brunette, little nose,” Hannah added as she plopped into the seat across from Alex. 

“Oh, yeah.” Gareth leaned his back against the counter and took a bite of his own sandwich. “What the hell do you have in common with her?”

Reeve slipped his phone into his pocket and cocked his head. “Not sure if I should take relationship advice from someone who needs to check what county he’s in when going to meet a date.”

Alex turned to Gareth and quipped, “It’s really cute that he thinks you’re concerned about whether or not the sex worker is licensed.”

Gareth nearly choked. Psychometrists, telepaths, empaths, the fucking lot of them. But he was relieved to see some life returning to the kid, even if it was mostly bravado to cover up nerves.

“Alex,” Reeve started, but was cut off.

“Who does she think I am?” Alex asked. Explaining the strange set of roommates with no discernible jobs was part of why Gareth found it easier not to deal with the whole dating scene.

Hannah smirked. “My half-brother.” Alex rolled his eyes at her, but she gave Reeve a kind look. “I think it’s nice. She’s pretty.”

“She’s not that cute,” Alex muttered.

Reeve crossed his arms. “Yes, well, you’re the only person in this house not at least a little attracted to women, so I hope you won't mind too much if I ignore your opinion.”

Gareth watched Hannah’s eyebrows attempt to make an escape off the top of her head as she dropped her jaw and looked at him. Gareth wrinkled his nose at her in response. This wasn’t going to be pretty.

“Je-sus-Christ,” Alex snapped. “Touchy much?” He looked annoyed, but any fear or vulnerability he’d shown earlier by the shooting range was nowhere to be found. 

Reeve closed his eyes. “I’m sorry. I can get reactive when people are purposefully embarrassing me.” 

Which was an extremely Reeve thing to say. 

Alex processed that for a moment. “Oh my god, you’re such a robotic nerd.”

Reeve gave an unamused frown.

Gareth shook his head then smiled pointedly at Alex. “You’ll learn to ignore Reeve. He’s just got a nasty case of T.L.S.” 

Reeve’s head snapped back. “Where the hell did you hear about that?” 

Hannah put her fist over her mouth as she choked on a laugh. “That was me.”

Reeve made a face. “You grew up in a Mars foster, why the hell did that ever--”

“Hey,” Alex interrupted, his face flushed. “What the fuck is T.L.S.?” 

Gareth did his best to keep from laughing long enough to speak. “I’m sorry, I was just trying to lighten the mood.”

“It stands for Team Leader Syndrome,” Hannah explained.

Alex’s brow furrowed. “So it’s the big head you get from being in charge?”

“That’s not accurate,” Reeve replied from between his teeth. 

“Sounds right to me,” Gareth shrugged.

Reeve let out one of his long-suffering sighs. “It’s a set of personality traits that result in being tapped to lead.” 

“Like what?”

“Like being organized, detail-oriented, decisive…”

Hannah continued counting off on her fingers, “Practical to the point of ignoring social graces, a buzzkill, a know-it-all…”

“Sounding like a robotic nerd?” Gareth added.

“Okay, okay.” Reeve glared at him. “He gets the idea.” He turned to Alex. “I apologize.”

“It’s cool,” Alex said, all straight faced. “You can’t help it. It’s part of your condition and I’d be a real ass holding that against you.”

Hannah and Gareth lost it.

“Are you happy now?” Reeve asked Gareth.

He nodded, trying to rein in his chuckling, and failed.  

--

[For the record, as a telepath Reeve has the advantage and disadvantage of knowing what people really think about him. So he gets the "omg Reeve why have you never heard of fun???" thoughts but also knows how much they care about him so their dragging doesn't bother him.]

Sunset taglist. I try to keep it to release updates, character profiles, and especially long excerpts. Please comment/dm for +/- @words-after-midnight @thathaunteddoll @chayscribbles @elizaellwrites @theimperiumchronicles @thatndginger @clairelsonao3 @writeintrees @hon3yquilt-blog @scribe-of-stories @kahvilahuhut @stuffaboutwriting @iced-ginger-tea

[op81s]

Who are some of your other guys in Indy? :0 Mine are the one that gets called Lil Dave and the Scotts :3 oh and Marcus Armstrong or Marmstrong as I see some people call him

sorry for the late reply anonie. i've been at my sisters for the weekend and i don't really like answering longer asks on mobile 😅💖

the list of faves is pretty long 😅 but i will happily rant about them for a while. (and some of your faves make appearances anonie!! 👀)

so the top fave other than rossi is josef. what can i say? i like my drivers to be weird little fuckers. and you don't get weirder in indy than rossi and josef. they're the og's. if there was a competition for weirdest drivers they would be battling for supremacy.

and scotty. i just love my little kiwi. i could go on a whole rant about how the bus bros episode endeared me to him in a way i didn't think he would?? i mean. i liked scotty before watching bus bros but some of the things we find out about him over the course of the show?? broke my fucking heart. AND. i love my bus bros. i said i wasn't gonna get into bus bros 'cause they're fucking divorced and yet- they pulled me in with their wacky little videos and now i'm here?? loving scotty and josef and just wanting them to get along 😭

and then there's pato!! my blorbo-in-law from so many of my mutuals!! and he just seems like the sweetest guy!! just always up to chat with/sign things/interact with fans at the drop of a hat!! and i love his relationship with alex so much and i'm absolutely gutted we won't be getting them as teammates next year 😭

SCOTTY DIXON!! i don't know too much about him but i do vibe with him so hard. truly THAT BITCH when it comes to indy. i remember watching the detroit gp and hearing the commentators be like '....he's gonna have to pit?? like- he can't finish this race on that amount of fuel??' and i was just sitting there, thinking. yes he is. he absolutely is. that is scott fucking dixon. he is gonna make that fuel his bitch and he is gonna win this race (and felt very seen when alex said pretty much the same thing in the off track episode recapping detroit. he said he immediately knew it was dixon's win).

AND LIL DAVE 😭😭😭😭😭😭 i have the biggest fucking soft spot for david. i truly fell for him through mclaren's pr videos of him but by the time i knew who he was he had already gotten kicked by mclaren so i was so happy when he got a new seat!!!

then there's the boyfriend teammates!! i gotta give a shoutout to colton and kyle. also blorbo-in-laws through mutuals (shoutout to @raapija + @omigodyall) but i also just genuinely love them so much. i especially have so much love for kyle 'cause he just seems like he has a good head on his shoulders?? willing to admit when he was mistaken?? and not fighting colton for the win yesterday?? all around a good 🥚 (also. got so much love for colton 'cause he said 'with the news of oscar it's gonna be tough 🤔' when talking about where he ranks on the pole of sack brown's faves back in 2022)

and then there are the swedes!! gotta give some love to my swedes!! felix, marcus and linus are always gonna have a special place in my heart 💖 (and tom blomqvist. the half swede)

and finally. i cannot end this post without including my queen 👑 katherine legge. i love her. i love how much alex clearly looks up to her and how close they seem to be. i just want her to have a full time ride in indy so it's easier for me to see her race 💗 i would LOOOOVE if people had some katherine lore to drop on me 👀 'cause i do think it's pretty hard to find the interesting little tid bits about her 😭

(also this list could be even longer but i feel like this was enough of a rant 😭😭😭 but yeah. feel free to ask my opinion on literally any driver. i can't guarantee i'll have one but i might?? and it might be spicy??)

[kurjakani]

Blorbo bingo for courtiers from the arcana?

Omg sorry rhis will be long

VALDEMAR

Like i genuinely dont know wjat tonsay. Tjis bitcb is currenrly ravaging my grey matter. I keep thinking about making a double coned hat inspired by them & sm medieval images ive found. I am going to buy the shaker charm for them when i havw some money again i rly fucking rarely buy any merch but for them. If anyone has anu rly good fanmade merch to link pls hmy i need to fill my life with their visage.

Me and valdemar r like. We r girls who made a blood pact at age 11 under a creek.

VOLTA

Idk what to tell u im p much like. I am Volta? Volta is me. I am her but if she was like a little guy from modern times. Volta is me? I am deadass planning to cosplay her.

Genuinwly tho she rlu reasonates w me. Glutton, (and in my case its a food thint but also a glutton for pleasures) to the point whrre it blanks out her ability to comprihend situations. Also runs away from problems. Pathetic little whimp. Thats me shes me im the same stature/shape as her also. Btw im Volta

Vlastomil

He is 8ugjkshhaushajakjsisjsjsd. Ok so. I defi wish we got more of him im SOSOSOSOSOSSO HAPPY that we get to swe his mansion in gamw?????? Its fuckinh dope btw. Anyways he is like one of the hottest characters in arcana. S2g ppl do not give him enough credit and when im done w work today i might try to doodle some tit pics of him.

I dont think. I need to say rhis. But the autism is rly strong w thisnone. Like not tje my autism attaching on him (which, that too yes), but like. He is so fucking. Oh my god

Vulgora

This is rly tough for me ro say bc i love all the courtiers but. I think along w Valdemar, Vulgora IS my favourite? They're just. So. Fucking. Intense. And as a rather intense person myself, i find it rly rly delightful (in fiction. Kinda scares me irl) when someone is capable of matching that? I am drawn 2 characters who are off the wall- weather visibly like Vulgora & Vlastomil & Volta or more Subdued like Valdemar. But Vulgoras energy just GETS ME. I think it would be so fucking fun to mess with them. God. I think along w that brash anger and pompousness does come a lot of frusturation which is SO fucking cute.

Also i think Vulgora jas just a rly fucking fun design???? Like they were not shy when designing them. Honestly their design rn is giving me some inspi for some of my own projects on just "your3 allowed to be extra and get inspiration from those golden palace theatre costumes".

I wanna marry Vulgora ans drive them fucking nuts

VALERIUS

CHARACTER BINGO

[highwarlockkareena]

I was tagged by @eohachu and @thitiponqs 🥰🔥 thank you!

1. why did you choose your url?

from my old old fandom shadowhunters & my love of magnus bane - the high warlock of brooklyn. i really should change it but i am incredibly lazy.

2. any sideblogs? if you have them name them and why you have them.

i always said i'd never have one - but then got into kpop and spam so many gifs i made a kpop sideblog @junsfangs to save all of you (i'm sorry that's a lie i still spam here)

3. how long have you been on tumblr?

end of 2015

4. do you have a queue tag?

nope but almost everything is queued

5. why did you start your blog in the first place?

i wanted to scream about star wars

6. why did you choose your icon/pfp?

because there aren't many bi desi women and certainly none as kickass as margo hason my beloved

7. why did you choose your header?

wei wuxian is another beloved bicon blorbo

8. what’s your post with the most notes?

had to wait 10 mins for tumblr top to tell me but it's: this one about foreshadowing in the untamed

9. how many mutuals do you have?

no clue - 20? 30?

10. how many followers do you have?

I had about 12k i think but now I use the xkit hide followers so no idea - probably scared off most of those!

11. how many people do you follow?

not many - 100ish? I love to use tags to find stuff as i hate a fast dash

12. have you ever made a shitpost?

oh yes

13. how often do you use tumblr each day?

not as often as i check discord but too much!

14. did you have a fight/argument with another blog once?

back in an earlier fandom but now i just block and move on

15. how do you feel about ‘you need to reblog this’ posts

no.

16. do you like tag games?

ofc! i try to do them asap or i forget tho 😔

17. do you like ask games?

sure!

18. which of your mutuals do you think is tumblr famous?

all of them!

19. do you have a crush on a mutual?

i love all my mutuals (platonically) 🥺

20. tags

@sandushengshou @lan-xichens @gege @beefleef @khaotungsfirst @hoppipolla

[lost-and-cursed]

Was tagged by @debellatis for a 5 favorite characters challenge:

"List five of your all time favorite characters and then tag five people to do the same. We'll see which character of the five gets voted the most loved."

Ugh... Who are all my blorbo's once more? And roughly equal in weight at that....

Curse of remembering your blorbos and Blessing of bragging about your blorbo's be upon ya

@jorisjurgen @sapphicvalkery @sockdrawerdemon @aromantisk-fagforening @jasonmantitstodd + @minahuston (cause I know you won't participate, but I dare you to prove me wrong)

A little bit of propaganda under cut because I can

Jason Todd (on the left)

Aka child vigilante turned dead turned mob boss who decided that dead enemies are better than dead you! Very inspiring. Book nerd, very crafty, attempted to steal tires from the Batmobile when he was nine, a killer, a middle brother, snarky, caring and just very petty person.

Jaster Mereel (on the right)

Aka you like your blorbos obscure. A Mandalorian. Long dead adoptive father of Jango Fett. Supposedly nerd historian, good ruler and father, and someone who wrote a ridiculously long philosophical paper on the nature of his culture, ways to preserve it and make it true to modern times.

Tobirama Senju (on the left)

Aka one of Konoha's finders. Ridiculously competent, brilliant scientist, ruthless warrior, cold to point of awkward. Loves learning?creating jutsus and his brother, if fandom to be believed the only person who thought about infrastructure when idea of making village came up.

(yes all my blorbo's are at least supposedly nerds, how did you guess it)

Urahara Kisuke (on the right)

Brilliant sassy scientist, but make him slightly evil trashfire. A lot of brain cells, none of them are figuring out morals or socialization. Had one brilliant crush, that he followed in military assassination squad, then got his own research facilities, low-key committed attrocities, effectively invented an atomic bomb, that got stolen by the villain. Yay. He's sorry though. A little. Wasn't caught on accusations of treason and build his own lab masquerading as effectively tea shop. He also has a funny hat. And a cane! Favorite war criminal what can I say

I thought about putting here hp character next, but Hp doesn't deserve rights and I mostly hallucinate chatacters from there, so instead I gonna brag about a character that quite literally isn't translated in English.

His name is Roque Alva from Reflections of Aeterna and he's at different points High General, Warlord, Duke and something between chosen one and cursed one. He's ridiculously competent, history nerd, drunk, whore and has enough sass to fell the county. He has trust issues longer than the borders he sworn to protect. He's effectively immortal because of the curse, but everyone he even remotely cares about die around him or betray him. (He also pretty sure that's because he sold his soul to devil. He didn't. It's technically perk of being divinely ordained to be king. He doesn't want to be one). He also the only sane person in the books (saving my sanity by proxy) and has ridiculously high resonance in type of thinking and existing to mine, so he's the only character I would claim kin for, so please love him or your blorbo rotator will malfunction for three weeks ^^

[skloomdumpster]

Thank you for tagging me @crazycatfaery <3 I'm sorry I took so long 😅😅

Rules: How much do these tropes affect your decision to click on a fic?

-10 -> very dissuaded

0 -> don’t care either way

10 -> very enticed

nope -> if it’s a hard no and you’d never click on a fic with that tag or or you even have the tag blocked or you’d insta click out of the fic if it wasn’t tagged.

Bonus points for explaining the rating and whether it’s conditional

Age Gap: 7/10

I love it, but I'll only read it if the Dead Dove Do Not Eat tag is there. I want to read it from an author who's aware they're writing an age gap, especially if we're talking toxic/problematic ships. If we're all in agreement in this room, then HELL YEAH.

Codependency: 100/10

Love it. I love it between love interests, I love it between family members, I love it between enemies even. Characters who only exist and see themselves as a paired up thing with another character. If I see that tag in any work the chances of me clicking on it double.

Enemies to lovers: -5/10

Eh... Sure if it's okay enemies to lovers, as in they're actual enemies and they want each other dead and then we turn it back around. Alright, sure. But honestly? 9/10 times people are writing mild-annoying acquaintance to lovers. I hate that. And even when they ARE writing real enemies to lovers, sometimes the "lovers" part doesn't live up to the "enemies" part.

Enemies With Benefits: 10/10

It's rare and I love it, but it's a tricky trope to get right. You can't remove the "enemies" aspect from it. I've seen this done right (cough - John Ross/Pamela), but I've also seen it butchered many times.

Fake Dating/Relationship: 3/10

Cute and all, but I won't click on a fic because of it.

Found Family: -1000/10

Nope. Most of the time people mean "found nuclear family" and then I'm forced to watch as these characters act completely wacky and ooc. I adore a good found family, but seeing this tagged in a work is a surefire way to have me not click it. (also let's just please stop with the weird subtrope of putting the favorite-white-guy of the group as the "tradwife/mom"??? what the FUCK is this? I've seen it in Teen Wolf, I've seen it Fate, I've seen it in Fast and Furious... just nope.)

Friends To Lovers: 100/10

Perfection. You want pining? You got a forest of pines. You want yearning? You want italicized oh moment? You want harmless jealousy? You want hilarious cutesy moments? You want deep conversations? You want confessions that fix something broken inside of you? You want a love so deep and profound that it has grown and changed and it'll change again if you won't take me as a lover because a friend is good too, is great even?? You want STAKES because I-love-you-but-I-don't-want-to-ruin-this-because-you're-the-best-thing-in-my-life??? Perfect trope. No notes.

Friends With Benefits: 10/10

The same as above + sex. Can't go wrong.

Hurt/Comfort: 100/10

Bathe my blorbo in their own blood!! Whump the shit out of them!! Put them through hell!! Make the caretaker fear for their life!! Get the begging and bargaining out and the wheezing confessions through bloody coughs. Love this.

Love Triangle: 0/10

It sure exists.

Mistaken/Hidden Identity: 0/10

I don't think I ever read this, don't think I ever will either.

Monster Fu… Relationship: 5/10

Sure, but only if it's a werewolf. Team Jacob forever.

Obsession, Possessiveness, etc: 10/10

Fuck yeah. Yes in good, deliciously toxic ships, but also YES in good, healthy ships. The golden ships, made up of two righteous characters and you wouldn't expect this and then BAM. The other day I read fic that was like "[redacted] had often fantasized about reaching in and counting the teeth in [redacted's] mouth" <- most perfect line ever written.

Opposites (like grumpy×sunshine, etc): 5/10

Eh...? It can be cute, but sometimes it feels like too much. I'm actually more of a "they're both grumpy, but not with each other" or even "they're both golden, but can be at their worse with each other".

Poly: 5/10

Sometimes it's shoehorned in and I'm like... :/ you could've written something more interesting if you allowed the conflict to exist. BUT sometimes there's genuine sexual/romantic attraction between all parts and that's when this hits. I'll read an OT3 as long as it's not "author couldn't decide and decided to go the fluffy no conflict route even though it makes no sense for the characters"

Pregnancy: 8/10

I'll read it in fics, in all sorts of manners: cute family fic, kinky breeding fic, plotty dramatic fic, etc. But I don't like it in canon, movie or book. In fic I have the ability of getting bored and clicking out and reading one of the other 200 fics where there's no pregnancy or baby. In canon that's impossible.

Second Chance: 0/10

Sure, I'll read that.

Sex To Feelings: 5/10

IDK, when are we talking feelings? Is this a scenario where they're friends/enemies to benefits and then the feelings emerge? Because then yes. Or is this just a PWP and then I get some feelings at the bottom? Because then no. Or is this a character study while they're fucking? Because then YES.

Slowburn: 10/10

It's the perfect trope but watch out. I'm a firm believer of stories needing beginning, middle, end. I've read fics that are 80 chapters long and every time the characters are about to get together/realize another curveball is thrown their way. Once or twice I'm good with, but 50 different obstacles? Fuck no, I'm clicking out.

Soulmates: -1/10

This won't make me wanna read your fic. If you mean this as a "they are soulmates so X happens" ....nope. Not my thing. If you mean this as "they're always the endgame. In every universe, in every reality, these two are IT" (cough, Skloom) then YES!!! But also don't spell it out for me. I don't need you to tell me soulmates, I can guess that.

Tagging: @infp-obsessing-over-everything , @faithfire and @daisiehoney @astrid-v

[holy-batmans]

I’m having a lot of thought’s about your Temptest of oblivion fic and I know you might never finish it so I’m gonna ask you some questions.

You don’t have to answer all of the questions or you can just ignore the whole thing …

Does it have a happy ending or does it end in tragedy?

Is Dick underage when they finally get together or do they wait till he is of age?

Do they even end up together?

How do Dick’s parents react?

Would Bruce’s parents even support it?

What does Alfred think of them????

I’m sorry if this is a lot but I cannot go another day without knowing

You might be seeing me again if you don’t mind because I have plenty of thoughts about abof lol your stories compel me.

First thank you!!! Its so nice when people talk about my fics and Temptest of Oblivion was one i REEEALLY loved back in the day.

Stupid fact no one asked for but in my doc drafts i called it "seasons of love" (so LAME i know 😭) but because i would outline everything for it by year and then month of each year to try to fit with the sorta flow you can get in school. Idk but it was different from any other i did / have done before and I always liked that for it 🤷

I will answer SOME because normally i'm a dillhole and like to keep things close to the chest but Lorde have mercy I no longer have that right when it comes to these old fics that got lost in the sauce of my life.

Please don't read further if you don't want minor spoilers on a long un-updated fic

1. Yes, this is one that i did always want to have a (somewhat) happy ending because they deserve it damnit and I am often so rude and mean to my favorite blorbos.

2. Something i grabbled with a lot but it was going to slowly progress and yes, probably. (if youve read my other fics then yea, thats usually my MO)

3. They are in LOVE and i cannot keep them apart

4-6 🥴😈🫣 in no particular order or comparison.

Truthfully I'm a hopeless idealist and still have so many outlines and drafts that I always like to think i'll post back to it when my life aligns for it again. I hope it's true, because this was one of my favorite, melancholic babies and it makes me so god damn giddy and happy to hear you loved it so much too????

thank you omg 💖

[gomensbrainrotsyndrome]

I'm back with another aria! (Sorry, I think my opera singer is peeking through... actually no, I'm not sorry about that at all). You gave me permission to come at you with classical music, so here we are >:)

This one needs a translation, so this ask going to be rather long. Also, I feel like I should provide context, because it's too funny if you think about it long enough/too long.

So, the aria is Agathe's scene/aria "Wie nahte mir der Schlummer ... Leise, leise" from Der Freischütz by Carl Maria von Weber. It’s in German, so here is my best attempt at a translation of the weird ass grammar in this aria (I'll add a short summary of the opera afterwards, there definitely is a 1941 thing going on here):

How did slumber approach me before I saw him.

Yes, love tends to go hand in hand with grief. Does the moon laugh (as in shine) over his path? What a beautiful night!

Softly, softly, my devout tune, fly up towards the circle of stars. Song, resound, celebrating my prayer may waft to the heavenly hall.

Oh, how bright the golden stars! With what pure light they glow! Only there, by the distant mountains, a storm seems to be brewing. There, by the forest, a host of dark clouds is floating, dull and heavy.

To you I turn my hands, Lord without beginning and without end. To protect us from dangers, send your angelic hosts!

Everything is at rest. Beloved friend, why do you delay? Even if my ear eagerly listens, only the pine is rustling. Only the birch's leaves in the grove whisper through the serene silence. Only nightingale and cricket seem to enjoy the night air.

But how? Is my ear not deceiving me? There, it sounds like footsteps, there from amidst the pines, something emerges - It's him! The flag of love may stream! Your girl is awake even in the night!

He doesn't seem to see me yet.

God, if the moonlight doesn't deceive me, flowers adorn his hat! Certainly! He did the best shot! That means good fortune for tomorrow!

Oh, sweet hope! Newly revived courage!

All my pulses beat, and the heart is beating brashly, sweetly delighted towards him!

Is it not deceit? Is it not delusion? Heaven, accept the tears of gratefulness for this favour of hope!

And here is the promised summary:

Agathe is the forester's daughter. She and Max are engaged, but he is only allowed to marry her if he wins a shooting contest to prove that he is capable of taking over her father's business. He's a good marksman, but lately, he's been too nervous to land his shots (yes, this opera can be read as a metaphor for erectile dysfunction. No, I did not make that up). So, he strikes a deal with a demon, Samael: he gets seven bullets that will always find their target.

The catch Samael doesn't tell him about: the first six will hit whatever Max wants them to. The seventh one though will hit what Samael chooses.

The next day, the day of the contest, arrives, and Max wins. With only one bullet left, he wants to shoot a dove in celebration. However, Samael chooses Agathe as his target. But, by the power of being a Good Girl (tm), she miraculously escapes (no, I did not make that up, either. She's literally too good and too pious to be hit by the devil's bullet. Also she got a blessing from a hermit).

In the end, the hermit appears and tells her dad to stop it with the contests, poor boy was so under pressure he literally couldn't shoot without help from the devil. And it was a dumb tradition, anyway.

Max and Agathe are allowed to marry, everyone's happy, the end.

The aria is set while Max is in the woods making his deal with Samael. Agathe sits at home, waiting for him, because he said he'd go practice and then come back and visit her.

Have fun with this one!

Don’t know about that summary and it is literally about other blorbos BUT lyrics wise this serves up all the good gomens flavour like heaven lord even a nightingale, the pining’s real good, i suppose the bullet thing is 1941-ish, excellent submission overall!