#stuffie solidarity

[machveil]

ok im coming off anon! i'm -🐁 anon (and fucking proud of it) to show my plushies

these are the current stuffies on rotation (Technoflop and Rammie should be pretty clear indicators on where I was once LMAO). But I also have Stalight (mew), Macaroon (protogen), the Doodles (pcrow merch), Satoshi (bunny), Coda (oldest stuffie), and Chelsie (the border collie)

And then there's the full stuffie box I have in rotation. Yes, it's completely full.

I have a stuffie problem I need to stop buying more but they're too cute ☺️

aah!! you’re so real for having them all on rotation. I keep a majority of mine on my bed at all times since it’s pushed against a wall and they won’t fall off - Chelsie is adorable, also the big Eevee is such a mood

these aren’t all of mine, but they’re the usual suspects. all the Squishmallows go by their given government names, the cat is Honey (as in I walk into my room and dramatically say, “Honey, I’m home!”) and the Llama is Rapture (got them around the solar eclipse). I’ve got another another Squishmallow (Seth), two Pusheens (holding an ice cream, birthday + cupcake), a Scorbunny, a cute fox in a hoodie from the St Louis city museum, a beluga (Wilbur), a unicorn pillow pet, a teddy bear blanket (Mr Bear, childhood classic), and a unicorn pillow but it’s soft enough to be classified as a stuffie in my heart

there’s a few more scattered around my room and a handful of Bamboletta dolls too

honestly, shoutout to stuffie havers - live your best life gang🌸✨

[istherewifiinhell]

Cust: [giving some product complaint blah blah]

Me: [prompting them for the "whadda want from me" part] okay?

Cust: NOT OKAY!

Listen. Listen..... you motherfucker..... here at pendantry and semantics r us. We value all fussing, piddling, and general inane word Pickiness. But I swear to god it you dont Get To The Point......

[thechaoticdruid]

°•IF THE BG3 COMPANIONS BABYSAT YOUR KIDS!•°

Lae'zel

Congratulations your children are spending an afternoon at boot camp!

You can rest assured they will be treated fairly at least.

No favoritism going on here.

Anyone who misbehaves shall be sent to solidarity confinement and left there until....Idk

If they want a snack they WILL have to fight one another in a duel to the death.

Or at least until one of them falls down and cries.

To the winner go the cookies.

Or more accurately maybe some giant space hamster jerky.

Karlach

This is assuming her engine has been fixed, naturally.

The kids absolutely love Auntie K.

Legit can carry them all on her shoulders at once.

She gives the best hugs too and is always so nice and warm.

She is up to play any games with them! Especially ones where she pretends to be a monster and chases them around.

Very protective of the little ones.

Brings them new stuffies each time she visits.

You MUST remind her constantly to watch her language around the little ones!

Gale

Arrives via magic portal.

Brings Tara to help him.

Takes it very personally if one of the children don't like him.

Tries to impress them via magic and creates a magical illusion to entertain the kiddos.

Attempts to teach them everything he knows about the weave.

Takes it very hard if the children fall asleep during his lecture.

Must be consoled by Tara.

If any take an interest in the weave they immediately become his favorite.

You'll probably end up coming home to your home appliances floating or having some kind of enchantment on them.

Halsin

Yes he turns into a bear and lets them ride on his back.

Most time is spent outside enjoying nature and all of its beauty.

Will carry the littlest one on his shoulders at all times.

Always brings healthy snacks, mostly fruit like apple slices.

Proceeds to take them to a nearby pond to feed the ducks.

Widdles them little animal figures to play with.

No TV or video games. The thought of technology taking over their lives makes him sick.

We play outside or we don't play at all.

Doesn't mind them grabbing at his ears, if they can even reach them that is!

He has to remind one of them multiple times that he unfortunately cannot turn into a dragon.

Sad sad truth.

Shadowheart

Makes cute little flower crowns with them.

Helps the little ones feel better if any of them are afraid of the dark.

Is very good at comforting them.

Possibly might be one of the older one's first goth girl crush.

Badmouths Lae'zel in front of them shamelessly.

Always puts on a tim Burton movie or something for them to watch.

Definitely the reason for any of their emo phases.

They think she's really cool though.

Wyll

Always the first to volunteer to babysit.

Man has the patience of a saint and can handle even the most unruly of children.

Always talks them up and is very careful to never put them down.

Tells them all kinds of exciting stories of his time as the Blade.

Makes sure to adjust them to be suitable for the kiddos.

Leaves out the scary parts.

If any of them are mean to one another and can't get along he's the type to make them each say something nice about the other as a punishment.

Let's them play with toy swords and teaches them a thing or two about using them.

Never raises his voice at them. Is super calm and collected.

Loves them all to pieces!

Also may or may not take them out to get ice cream if they're good.

Astarion

Assuming this is Spawnstarion we're talking about because the vampire Ascendant would just laugh in your face if you asked him then slam the door on you.

Our sweet little spawn will also likely laugh and think you're joking at first.

"You seriously want a vampire to watch over your children?"

Assuming you pay him and be sure to give him big sweet puppy dog eyes he may consider it.

This man is a very not my child not my problem kind of guy.

Gets annoyed with all the children asking tedious vampire questions and responds with very sarcastic answers.

Does not approve of them wanting to touch his ears.

Agrees to let them see his fangs in hopes to scare them (the mischievous little shit).

The children instead think they're cool, which confuses him. He really isn't sure how to feel about it.

Threatens to eat them if they get on his nerves.

Spends most of the time on the sofa, boredly reading a magazine or watching television.

Miraculously takes a shine to one of the younger girls who call him pretty and compliments his clothes and hair.

This is also given the girl is a little mischief gremlin who pulls pranks on her older siblings.

He lets her paint his nails purple or red while she gossips about her mother/father's new partner or her siblings.

Unapologetically shows her favoritism and lets her sit on his lap and watch TV with him.

Will not bat an eye if the other children run a muck and destroy shit.

Legit just keeps watching TV. Probably some drama filled 'reality' show.

He actually finds the chaos caused by the children quite amusing.

One of the children somehow ends up on the roof.

Once the parents are home and it's time to leave. The youngest girl gives him a hug.

His eyes get all big and round and almost threaten to tear up.

Astarion is not asked to babysit again.

Sorry some of them are so short, I mostly write for Astarion so I'm not very confident at doing the other characters.

Hope you like it though!

[juniperpyre]

musings on sexuality in the wizarding world

homosexuality has been treated as an action rather than an identity for most of european history (and, to my knowledge, in west asian and north african history), and in the late middle ages, just before the wizarding world separated from the muggle world, prosecution for homosexual acts between men was uncommon.

i think it would be logical for the wizarding world to be less concerned about gay sex, especially among young people, than the muggle world, in the 20th century. howeverrrr i don't think there would be a social movement that mirrored the muggle world's movements in the mid 20th c.

in part, bc we know the wizarding world doesn't always develop in tandem with the muggle world, and bc of the rise of blood supremacy in the late 19th/20th c. the sacred 28 list is created in the 1920s! in pureblood society, the society that sets the norms, that sort of identity formation would be contrary to their cause.

one, it would create solidarity between wizards and muggles. two, it would create solidarity across classes in the wizarding world. three, they are conservative and reactionary, so they wouldn't want to change their cultural attitude around homosexual acts. i imagine they adopted an imitation greco-roman system where older men got with younger men (and maybe women do to!) bc it harkens back to their Great Origins

tbh they could've done pinkwashing if they weren't so stuffy.

[fallout-fallen-knight]

The Followers/Khan debate isn’t about stuffy nerds who read theory vs druggie bikers it’s about anarchist solidarity and most importantly it’s about Papa Khan and Julie Farkas recreating this photo

[k1tty-st4rz]

Hiii!! Do you have any headcanons for Roxie or Matthew Patel in terms of Agere?? I think they’re super underrated and would love to hear your thoughts!!

i have a teensy bit :3 sidenote i haven't slept in 2 days uwu

Roxie Richter & Matthew Patel Agere Headcanons

ROXIE

regresses to 3-5 maybe

she doesn’t have a cg :[ but the league help take care of her, esp Todd (they are mlm & wlw solidarity)

she LOVESSS bunnies ^_^ she has a pale pink fluffy bunny stuffie names Bun-Bun

no swords around her >:[ she hates that rule even tho she was the one who put it in place

is a very hyper baby!!  she has to be doing something or she’ll whine and fuss

very giggly!! <3

also really likes Squishmallows :3 she likes the smaller ones more than the big ones

^ really likes Cameron the cat and Blake the bunny

plays with ninja action figures

would think she’s being too rowdy so she goes up to Todd, Lucas or whoever’s taking care of her and ask if she’s burdening them or annoying them :[

i think she would like the 2003 Strawberry Shortcake series

MATTHEW

regresses to 2-6

his hipster demon chicks are his caregivers!! :D

little Mattie can’t control his fire powers very well which has unfortunately cause burnt holes in clothing

he likes watching The Dragon Prince and Bollywood movies (if they can find an appropriate one ofc) if he’s more older 

Matthew speaks Hindi!!  i personally think since the demon chicks are kinda connected to his mind, so can they :3 they speak Hindi when Matthew’s small (3-4) n they call him pyaar & priy <33333

He mostly wears black sweatpants, baggy tees and his jacket (ts a comfort item :])

Likes TMNT and Scooby Doo

he babbles!! :3 mostly just when he’s two he goin’ ‘babababa’ and the hipster demon chicks find it SOOOO CUTE <3333

A/N did y'all know i can speak Hindi :0

[satanslittleyogi]

♡ starter for my sickness solidarity buddy @doublejango ♡

The soft fluttering sound of Yogirt’s wings, mixed with a harmonious humming from his lips, filled the dimly lit corridor as he floated about an inch off the floor. Jovial and bright, his demeanour was in stark contrast to the grey water-stained walls, threadbare carpets and sporadically flickering lightbulbs. Wave upon wave of seriously negative energy was washing over the poor demon as he travelled down the hallway, but it would take more than some bad feng shui to bring him down~ Eventually, he paused in front of a chipped wooden door with the letters ‘I.M.P Headquarters’ scrawled across it. “Peace and light, my lovely group of assassins~” he announced as he breezed into the room, a heavy tie-dye tote bag slung over his shoulder. The winged demon, on temporary lease from wrath, had taken it upon himself to abandon his usual stuffy garb and instead had dressed semi-casually. This took the form of a pair of fitted, corduroy pants and a flowing, cropped, blouse. His platform, heeled, boots would have been an unwise fashion choice if it weren’t for the fact that he floated above the floor, saving his feet any possibility of aching.

Ruby-hued eyes gazed between the group of imps that, mere days ago, he’d seen bound in chains in the courtroom. The trial had been a real buzz kill — all of that talk of royal duties, violent executions and evil schemes? It was enough to send a shiver rolling down his spine at the mere memories. Yogirt hated all of that wrathian nonsense. Peace, love and forgiveness would make Hell a far brighter place for everyone to live within. It was nice to see all of them with their heads firmly attached. The office, however, had seen better days. Or, at least, he seriously hoped it had! Yogirt’s eyes widened as he looked around at the room. The windows were smashed, furniture broken and strewn across the room, there was also pieces of thin shredded paper everywhere. “Woooow. This place is—uh, well,…” the demon gesticulated with his hand as he attempted to find the words, “…the energy in this space feels... chaotic. Perhaps the room is reflecting a need for renewal and realignment~”

Zeroing in on Blitz, the confident if a little air-headed demon allowed a lazy smile to stretch upon his lips, “Blitzo, isn’t it?” he greeted in a soft hum, “It’s an absolute pleasure to be working with you~” The words slipped from his lips, despite him completely forgetting to hand over the wax-sealed, infernal decree that was concealed in his bag. It was from Satan, of course, a little explanation of this whole arrangement.

[zot3-flopped]

The fascinating emptiness of one Mr. Louis Tomlinson

Simone De Aurevoir

Feb 20, 2024

Four months ago I went to a concert. The exact city, venue and date doesn’t matter, and you will understand why it doesn’t matter in just a moment. The concert in question was given by Louis Tomlinson, a former member of One Direction, and what I experienced that night was so odd, so puzzling, so fascinating, that I couldn’t help but write it down. Allow me to explain.

The concert took place on a Tuesday evening. It is part of his Faith in the Future tour, and I was accompanying a close friend who is a huge “Louie”, as his fans are called. (Despite the difference in spelling, the man’s name and his fandom are actually pronounced the same way.) I joined her mostly out of solidarity and a little bit out of morbid curiosity. She had previously given me only small glimpses into the Louis Tomlinson fandom, and as a pop culture enthusiast, naturally I was intrigued by this window into an obscure cultural bubble. I remember thinking, “It might be interesting to see what she’s so obsessed with”.

Her first act of initiation had been to take me to see All of Those Voices, the documentary movie about Louis Tomlinson‘s life after One Direction, which depicted his chain smoking Northern English charm, his image of the humble underdog, and the unexpected upwards trajectory of his career over the last five years. It had also instilled in me a vague sense of fear of the fandom. Then again, the intensity of the Gospel is always off putting to atheists, so I thought nothing more of it.

Knowing that football/soccer games dictate which colors to wear and which to avoid, I had half-jokingly asked my friend about taboo colors the day before, not really expecting an answer. Immediately, she texts back — “Don’t wear green, and avoid any obvious combinations of blue and green.” If you’re feeling a sense of foreboding right now, that’s the right instinct.

On the night of the concert, we arrive at the 15,000 seat arena in the brisk evening air. To my surprise, the concrete vestibule is almost empty, save for the small crowd clustering around a merch stand. “They’re all already inside”, my friend explains confidently. We enter through the main entrance into the stuffy warmth of the lobby, through security, past another overcrowded merch stand, and through the soundproofed swinging doors into the main concert hall.

I suddenly feel very small as I enter this gigantic darkened arena space, where the air is even warmer, and buzzing with excitement. Indeed, everybody else is already here. The show won’t actually start for an hour, but the arena is already fully packed. We squeeze past a long row of excited faces to get to our seats, where the local chapter of Louis’s fan club has deposited some items for audience interaction: a blank white sheet of paper and a little snippet of red transparent tracing paper, both with instructions for how and when to hold them up.

While we’re settling in, the second of the two opening bands is already playing — a forgettable mess of clichés from Northern England. “As a white indie boy, Louis tours exclusively with other white indie boys”, my friend remarks with cheeky self awareness. While the clichés are playing, we look around the sold out arena. The two of us are only a little bit younger than Louis himself, which makes us some of the oldest people in the venue (not counting the occasional parental custodians who accompany their teen children).



Fans camping out for a spot in the first row for Louis’s show in Glasgow, 2022. Photograph by Steve Welsh

To me, it looks like we’re just two old pieces of driftwood in a sea of teeth in braces, puffy cheeks and pigtail buns, but my friend explains to me what I’m really seeing. “See that guy over there? That shirt is a Doncaster Jersey with Louis’s team number.” Or: “This girl in front of us? That’s a handmade replica of a t-shirt Louis wore on tour in 2016.” Already, I am amazed at the depth of not just her knowledge, but everybody’s knowledge of the history of this Louis Tomlinson. And then, to my delight, we actually see the forbidden combo: a girl wearing two glow-in-the-dark bracelets next to each other; one blue, one green.

It’s at this point that I finally get an explanation of the meaning behind the colors: Back when the band was still active, all five members of One Direction had a color assigned to them, based on their mic colors at live shows. Harry Styles was green, Zayn Malik was yellow, Liam Payne was red, Louis Tomlinson was blue, and Niall Horan was white. Therefore, wearing blue would symbolize fandom of Louis; wearing, say, red would be an indicator of favoring Liam, and green would symbolize fandom of Harry Styles. And wearing blue and green together would… well, we’ll get to that in a moment.

Since this is Louis’s concert, you might think that the audience would be a sea of exclusively blue clothing, but there is actually a notable amount of rainbow accessories — capes, earrings, fans, etc. — that make for an overall colorful impression.

I wonder out loud how it is possible that somebody who was big with teenagers in the early 2010s has so many teenage fans in 2023. After all, when I was a teenager myself in the late 2000s, it would have seemed unspeakably ridiculous if I had stanned, let’s say, the Spice Girls. (I’m not even sure I was aware of the Spice Girls back then.)

My friend, ever helpful, explains to me that most younger fans came across the fandom in 2020, facilitated by YouTube, Twitter, Tumblr, and pandemic-induced boredom.

Tumblr especially is infamous for its ability to grow and nurture expansive fandoms of pop culture items for years on end, even if the source material is long past its relevance peak (see Supernatural), its quality peak (see Doctor Who) or both (see Sherlock).

The momentum of Louis’ fandom on social media even led to the unusual phenomenon of venues getting bigger every time his concerts were rescheduled due to the pandemic. And this is when it starts to dawn on me. I am not attending a concert; I am witnessing a Tumblr dashboard come to life.

I’m just about to share this thought with my friend when the background music cuts off mid-song, the lights drop, and the sudden darkness comes with a piercing collective shriek that makes the earplugs flutter in my ear canal.

The band comes in first, taking their places. After barely a beat of pause, Louis walks onstage, with messy hair, wearing a tank top and designer sweatpants, walking at a matter-of-fact pace. I assume the shrieking got even louder, but at this noise level it was hard to tell.

Louis takes his place behind the mic stand in the middle and immediately launches into the first song, The Greatest — a stadium anthem basically written explicitly for this spot on the setlist. Not wasting any time on greetings or announcements, he immediately follows up with the other big hit, Kill My Mind. From there, directly onto Bigger Than Me, another stadium-ready rock pop number.

I’m alarmed as I suddenly realize that the only catchy, recognizable songs have come and gone, ushering in the phase of uninterrupted filler songs. (I had dutifully listened to the tour setlist multiple times in preparation for the concert, but my brain just wouldn’t latch on to anything beyond the first three songs.)

At this point, I’m worried this will be a repeat of that time when I went to see P!nk live in concert and noticed too late that I knew none of her songs from after 2005. However, P!nk is a charismatic person and a great live singer who was doing somersaults on a bungee rope as 10 dancers were trampolining and performing aerial acrobatics around her.

Louis is not on a bungee rope. There are no dancers, there is no set piece, there is no stage show, no performance, no outfit changes, no real interaction with the band, and no traditional crowd work. He simply stands behind the mic, singing his songs, the screens above him showing live closeups of his face in black and white, and I’m not sure he smiles even once. For a teen heartthrob, he’s… not very throbby.

(His outfit, by the way, will already have been documented and analyzed by a dedicated Instagram account, @fashionlouist, the owners of which can somehow identify the exact brand and name of each piece he’s wearing within the first 20 minutes of every show. His sweatpants today cost £380.)



Louis on the same tour, earlier in the year. Photograph by Amber Patrick

After the fourth song, Louis finally addresses the audience. “(City), make some noise!” He thanks the two opening acts, and points out that this is one of the loudest crowds he has ever had. That’s it. I’m amused at how his lines are almost comically generic, but my friend explains what I’m not getting: “He always thanks the band, and he always says this wouldn’t be possible without the fans. And he wouldn’t say that if he didn’t mean it. And he only says something about the venue when it’s a really special one.”

She doesn’t see his boilerplate statements as him being uninterested or uninteresting. She sees consistency and authenticity, and judging by the beaming smiles all around me, so does everybody else.

Similarly, his outfit may look to me like he tried to make the least amount of effort, but the fandom like that he is “finally getting more comfortable wearing what he wants”.

In case you’re wondering, Louis’s appeal doesn’t lie in his singing skills either — his pitch gets shaky when the melody dips below the falsetto range, but he is clearly making a great effort in this department. Live singing is hard, and for the most part he’s doing a good job at it.

The interchangeable songs go on for a while, and still the elated fans around me seem to know every syllable. It is very warm, very loud, and for an outsider like me, very boring.

I go outside multiple times to have water, to get another beer, to go to the bathroom. I can’t help but notice that I am the only one in my row leaving her seat during the show. Everybody smiles politely as they let me squeeze past, but every time I do it I’m keenly aware of how inappropriate my behavior is. No one else seems to need or want a break.

In the ghostly emptiness outside I overhear a member of the bar staff complaining about the awful evening. At first I don’t understand what they could possibly find offensive about this quintessentially inoffensive music, but it later dawns on me that they were probably referring to the complete lack of beer and concessions sales. Most attendees are either too young to drink legally or too young to want to spend 6,50€ on a beer. Most of them seem to be sharing one cup of water, and no one is leaving during the concert to go to the bar for a refill.

Down the hall, I hear yelling and commotion which turns out to be paramedics on their way outside, transporting a passed-out teenage fan on a stretcher, accompanied by their panicked friend.

When I return to my seat, everybody around me is still scream-singing along to every single word of every single song, including my friend. They are having a great time. It looks like I missed out on “She Is Beauty We Are World Class“, which, as I had learned earlier that evening, is the song his fans collectively take as an opportunity to show off their rainbow flags and create a queer-accepting atmosphere at the show. Though Louis is, by all accounts, a cishet man, the One Direction fandom has a very, let’s say, specific relationship to queerness and queer symbols. More on that in just a moment.

My ears perk up for a bit when Louis gets to Back to You, a label-mandated collab with Digital Farm Animals and Bebe Rexha from 2017. He plays an altered version of the song with more of a rock sound, but it still stands out to me simply for using different chord progressions than all his other songs.

Funnily enough, in the lyrics of another song (We Made It), he directly addresses this qualm of mine: “Singing something poppy on the same four chords, used to worry about it but I don‘t no more“. To his credit, he really doesn’t pretend to be more than he is — that’s all other people‘s doing. Let me explain.

Not counting parents or outsiders like myself, there are three groups of people in this room: former fans of One Direction, Underdog Cheerleaders, and Larry Stylinson conspiracy theorists.

The first group is easy to explain and even easier to relate to: they were big fans of One Direction (or “1D”), and since that band doesn’t exist anymore, the closest thing to it are the concerts by its former members, all of whom have embarked on solo careers. These fans are the ones who visibly come to life during the two 1D songs that Louis plays this evening; and the ones waving the huge rainbow flag with all five 1D members printed on it. (Again, more on that in a second.)

The second group, whom I call the Underdog Cheerleaders, are the group that my friend belongs to. These are the people who are convinced that there was a grand plan by 1D’s management to make Harry Styles the breakout star of the group, and to suppress the careers of all other members for that reason.

But because they, the true fans, appreciate Louis for exactly what he is, they will do anything they can to support this underdog millionaire, whether by making his songs chart by listening at the same time, buying tickets to his livestream performance during Covid, or writing to the BBC to beg them to stop blacklisting his music. (Whether that was ever actually the case is unconfirmed.)

For them, the appeal lies not in his singing, his performance, or songwriting skills. The qualities that are always repeated when people praise Louis Tomlinson are that he is humble and down to earth; a simple lad from a working class family in northern England.

This is pointed out in every single write up about this man. His humanity is further compounded by the untimely deaths of his mother and sister within a few years of each other while he was ascending to solo fame. For the Underdog Cheerleaders, it’s not about music so much as it is about identifying with, celebrating and uplifting the least memorable person in a lineup of five.

And the third group… they are the ones who would purposely pair blue with green. These are the so-called Larries, the people who ship Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson as a couple.

You can find a great deep dive on the topic here, but the long and short of it is this: While there were ships for almost all possible combinations between the five members of One Direction (resulting in droll ship names such as Nouis or Ziall), the Larry ship was by far the most popular.

The ideological overlap between the Underdog Cheerleaders and the Larries is not zero, but while the cheerleaders just want to see the nice guy win, the Larries also want the nice guy (and Harry Styles) to come out as gay.

They are willing to accept any explanation, however flawed or implausible, for why Louis and Harry have yet to come out as a couple even though they have definitely secretly been together for a decade now and their respective heterosexual partners are absolutely paid actors and they even totally have a secret baby together.

The lack of evidence, the repeated denials by the two men in question and their polite but increasingly desperate requests to stop the madness have only fueled the fire.

The one thing that all three groups share is that for all of them, Louis’s public perception is forever tied up with the existence of Harry Styles. Whether he wants to or not, Louis is forever defined against his more popular former band mate, whether as his colleague, competitor, villain, or lover.

It’s about an hour and a half into the show as I allow myself a peek at the set list on my phone. We’re finally nearing the end. Watching the unsmiling face of Louis Tomlinson, I’m wondering — is he enjoying himself? Who even is this person?



By seeing this image, you have experienced the complete stage show of the “Faith in the Future” tour. Photograph by Steve Jennings

The encore consists of three songs. When Louis gets to the last one, he descends into the pit. Still singing, he walks up to the first row who have been camping outside since the day before in order to get this spot. He touches a few of the outstretched hands, walks along the front row to the left, bends into the crowd for a few seconds, and when he reappears he no longer has his tank top on. His fans have ripped it off his body. He retreats back onto the stage, says a few polite words of thanks, and disappears.

And then, the magic is over as quickly as it began. The lights turn on, background music plays, and people immediately start filing out in an orderly manner. Some are clasping the red confetti bands that rained over the audience during the last song, and their faces look like they will treasure this souvenir forever. In the chilly darkness outside, a well-informed busker with a guitar sings songs by Louis and 1D, and a small crowd gathers around him to sing along while waiting for the shuttle bus back to the city.

At the end of the night, I’m left wondering what all these thousands of young fans really care about. Even though everybody knows all the music by heart, it doesn’t really seem to be about the music. And even though there’s a throng of fans crowded around the stage exit for a chance to wave at the tour bus with Louis in it, I don’t know whether this really has anything to do with him personally.

Because at its innermost core, this fandom is about itself. Not in the sense of its specific members — I didn’t see many fans interacting and making new friends — but rather, the fandom as an abstract entity.

It’s the joy of belonging to an in-group; of sending and receiving signals that only the initiated will understand. The firm belief that you’re backing the right horse, that you’re part of something “Bigger Than Me”, that there is a purpose to your music listening.

Who is Louis Tomlinson? I still have no idea, and neither does it really matter. Nobody else cares. They will make Louis Tomlinson into whatever they need him to be.

[functional-left-kidney]

you might be dying. that is to say, you've already died - seven times now, or was it eight? five? ten? you're losing track.

your hands haven't stopped shaking ever since you came back the first time, heart pounding itself out of your chest as you grabbed at your throat, choking on air, choking on life. your nails left red marks on your skin as the man in the elevator with you watched, curious, horribly calm.

how is he so calm?

if he screamed, cried, paced, you could at least find some companionship, some solidarity. as it is, though, he's absolutely useless. he watches you step into the wet cavernous mouth and he does nothing. he watches your body tear itself in half and he does nothing. no compassion, no attempt to help. he makes you do everything. he makes you do everything. maybe he wants to stay in this elevator forever.

oh, he's so stupid. you feel like slapping him across the face every time you look at him.

you look at him now. he grins, his teeth white and sparkling.

you swallow down the acrid bile that seeps across your tongue, and stare down at the floor.

can't you still see his blood? red, hot, sticky, soaking into the carpet. it looked like when you rip into a pomegranate, the insides staining your hands, the flesh spilling all over the countertop. it felt like that, too. as easy as tearing into a pomegranate.

you can still feel his body beneath you, his heartbeat slowing under your hands.

you shudder.

“what's the matter? cold?” he laughs. “believe me, you wouldn't want to be here when the air conditioning goes out. if you’d endured that stuffy nightmare of a week, i don't think you'd ever -”

you're not listening. you can't listen, anymore. your ears are ringing, your heartbeat still thudding through your head. was it thirty seconds ago? five minutes? an hour? you drove those scissors into his neck and you killed him. you can't recognize that version of yourself. that person was a wild animal, feral, unthinking.

was it you? was it really you who killed him?

maybe you've been coming back wrong. maybe you're not you anymore. how many times can someone die before it starts to mess with them? the man's face looks blurry. you're getting tired. your hands hurt. your hands feel dirty. you glance down, half-expecting to still see them red with his blood. they're clean, of course. no trace remains of what happened.

how many times has he died? you can't remember. does it matter? maybe you'll kill him again. maybe he'll kill you. how many times do you have to die? won't you ever just stay dead? maybe it would be a mercy, at this point.

no, no, you can't let yourself think like that. it will be okay. you will figure this out. he will not help you, but it will be okay. you've come this far on your own. you can do it. you can crack open the mystery of this elevator and free yourself. you have to. you have to.

he's stopped talking. he's looking at you, now, quiet and firm.

he's waiting to see what you do next, you realize.

(so are you.)

[melles1276]

Chapters: 2/24 Fandom: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Captain America (Movies) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Major Character Death Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Original Female Character(s), Steve Rogers/Original Female Character(s), James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers, James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers & Sam Wilson, James "Bucky" Barnes & Sam Wilson, James "Bucky" Barnes & Clint Barton Characters: James "Bucky" Barnes, Steve Rogers, Clint Barton, Natasha Romanov (Marvel), Joaquín Torres, Sam Wilson (Marvel), Nick Fury, John Walker (Marvel), Lemar Hoskins, Alpine (Marvel), George Barnes (Marvel), Winifred Barnes Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Bucky Barnes Whump, Alternate Universe - Military, Developing Friendships, War, Afghanistan, Loyalty, Hurt Bucky Barnes, Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst, This Is Not Going To Go The Way You Think, Major Character Injury, Character Death, Bucky Barnes has a family, Blood and Injury, Injury, Whump, There's a lot of dialogue, Brothers at least, War in Afghanistan, Soldiers, Sad Ending, Uncle Bucky Barnes, Comrades, Someone is going to die, But I won’t tell you who, Friendship, Teacher!Steve, Teacher Steve Rogers, Art teacher Steve Rogers, Goats, Steve Rogers Whump, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, References to Depression Summary:

Sergeant James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes is stationed in Afghanistan in 2017 and is tasked with bringing employees of an NGO, including art and sports teacher Steve Rogers, to safety from a dangerous area. What begins as a normal mission ends in a nightmare. This is a story about friendship, loyalty and solidarity in a seemingly hopeless situation. Pairings: Bucky/OC, Steve/OC *Character death*

This story was partially inspired by animarvelita's pictures which can be found at https://www.tiktok.com/@animarvelita/photo/7294703498396978438?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7378547503304377888

Excerpt:

Chapter 2 - Uncertainties

The journey in the heavily armored military vehicles is anything but comfortable. The Humvees rumble along the unpaved country roads, past jagged rock formations, and the stuffy air builds up inside the cabin.

Bucky takes advantage of the ride to let his mind wander a bit in the passenger seat. They are still on safe ground in this part of the region, so he’s able to turn his attention briefly to continuing his plans for his return home to the States. After all his time in Afghanistan, it’s still hard for him to imagine spending Christmas with his family in snowy Brooklyn.

In just under three months he will be able to spend time with his family and hold his children and his youngest nephew in his arms. He'll be able to hold the kid the first time since he only knows of him from photos and video chats. His sister, Rebecca, had become a mother for the second time four months ago, and she has taken on the task within the Barnes family of keeping him up to date on all the developments at home via Messenger. That's how he knows that his father, George, is planning a fishing trip with him ever since he found out the date of Bucky’s return. In fact, he has already packed up all the equipment for it and is just waiting for his return.

Winifred, his mom, has already drawn up a menu for the Christmas holidays and wants to spoil him with home-cooked, delicious food and all kinds of scrumptious cakes. The idea makes his mouth water.

After two hours of driving around 100 kilometers, they take a short break. His commanding officer, Master Sergeant Daniel Miller, instructs Bucky and his partner, Travis Bell, to climb a small hill and get an overview of the situation.

While both are lying on the ground, Travis searches the area with his binoculars while Bucky, trained sniper that he is, secures the surrounding area with his weapon at the ready. Sergeant First Class Tom Jackson remains below and radios in their position.

“And?” Bucky wants to know.

Travis slowly lowers the binoculars and puts his sunglasses back on. “Nothing suspicious,” he reports thoughtfully. He doesn't have much experience as a so-called spotter and the fact that he is now being asked by the sergeant to give a situation report obviously makes him nervous.

Bucky narrows his eyes thoughtfully, and scans the horizon through the scope of his rifle. So far he's been able to confirm Travis' conclusion but with every mile they advance deeper into the interior, the risk of encountering enemy tribes and coming under fire increases drastically. They are only a few kilometers away from their destination. The quicker they get to the settlement to collect the civilians, the better.

Miller’s voice comes over the radio: “We’re leaving in 15 minutes.”

[eavangeek]

rook questionnaire

tagged by the curious and funny @jainydoe

I've only got the one, and they only recently got a name b/c before they were just "Strength" AKA the tarot card I based them off of.

This is Ishtar Laidir

1: Where in the Thedas is your Rook from?

Nevarra, originally. (I don't like the LoF background in game, so this bitch just had a Crisis and left home)

2: What is your character's alignment?

Ironically, they're a blue/purple. Which I guess puts them for classic DnD alignments as neutral good

3: Race and subclass?

Human Warrior/Reaper Subclass

4: If your Rook was a companion, where would they be found?

Recruit site is gonna be the Rivian Battle Pit (make that actually relevant to plot), but at the Lighthouse they like the music room. They put up a hammock and tend to pick at strings

5: What emotion did they usually pick?

Again, they're a blue/purple. I found myself picking mostly 👍🎭 options with them, right up until the end game

6: What companion are you platonically close with?

Neve. They have the same self deflecting tactics. The same kind of reputation that means their names are in the papers. And the same debilitating horror when they realize they like someone

7: Romantically close with?

Emmrich. They honestly thought he was gonna be just another stuffy mage like the kind they had to guard back home. They like the fact he's fond of spirits and treats everything with a level of fondness.

8: Who are they suspicious of?

Literally everyone. Even Neve and Emmrich. Being a Reaper tends to make you Like That b/c spirits, even the "good" ones always have plans on schemes on plots

9: Does your Rook get along with their chosen Faction?

Lord of Fortune Faction: mostly. They're a brawler these days, and their stage name is "Lord of Mourning". They just like the fact that they're allowed to sun bathe, eat fruit, and Vibe™️

10: Are they proficient in playing any instruments?

They knew the harp as a kid, picked up guitar when they left. They don't think they're any good, they just like playing. The wisps around Neve think otherwise but what do wisps know?

11: Weapon of choice?

Claymore and Scythes. Two Handed Fighter AKA Whackis Bongus

12: What is their orientation?

They say Butch. She/They pronouns, generally masc, and bisexual. Always walking around without a shirt on (to the other's horror and delight). But any time people ask, the answer is Butch regardless.

13: What are their thoughts on killing? Is it a necessary evil or do they enjoy it?

Killing and Death are two different things. However it wasn't until they left home they realized why. As a Reaper who had to guard mages in the Necropolis during their dives, they would forget how to tell the difference. Nowadays they try to avoid killing people, or leave the deathblow to someone else

14: What hobbies does your Rook have?

Sun bathing and "plucking strings". Ishtar also lives a good nap

15: What NPCs do they like? Which one's do they dislike?

They have an employee/boss relationship with Isabela, they like Strife (Warrior solidarity), and thinks Antoine needs to listen to his wife more and the Blight less.

16: Do they have a favorite creature in the Thedas?

Mabari! There was a Nevarran noble who got buried with an entire litter and had statues carved for every dog he had. Something about the dogs always seemed a comfort, and wisps of compassion and protection always flocked to the bones. They want to see a live one, one day.

17: Do they enjoy life as an adventurer?

Eh? It just seemed the only thing open to them when they left home. There's very little someone who swings a big ass weapon and knows spirits can do. Rivian was the only place that had a similar respect like Nevarra does, and being a pit fighter keeps them active.

18: What would your Rook be doing if they weren't recruited by Varric?

Still fighting for money with the LoF, ignoring the rest of the world (and failing)

19: How do you think they'll meet their end?

They figure when it's time, they'll go back home and do what all Reapers do: find a mage who wants an undead bodyguard and let themselves be killed/transformed. Right up until Emmrich says otherwise, they figure they'll just let him do it. He'll at least keep talking to them after they're gone.

20: Would they side with Solas or fight him?

They are so fucking pissed they do in fact fight that bitch. Chose the trick option in game, but yeah they will punch him first to distract him

21: What is your Rook's favorite ability?

The Reaper Ult, Shield Toss, and the Jump Heavy Attack where you swing the weapon to cleave a bitch in two

22: What languages is your character fluent in?

King's Common. They picked up phrases in other languages but nothing that's conversational

23: What do they do after an absolute crisis?

24: Does your character believe in the afterlife?

They know the body can be used, that growth and decay go hand in hand, and they have the controversial ideology that when someone passes, their memories and emotions split into a thousand different wisps, seeking out like minded fractures. It's a very heated debate in Nevarra, and Emmrich hates the theory. Ishtar likes it though.

25: What specialization best represents your Rook?

They're a Reaper™️, it fits their general "put that thing back where it came from or so help me"

26: What animal best represents your Rook?

They're based on the strength tarot, they are a Big Lazy Wild Cat. Sun bathing, kind of a loner, will absolutely fuck a bitch up but only if you bother them first.

27: What was their life like before the events of Veilguard?

Pit Fighter. Prized Boxer type ass, letting Isabela be their manager.

28: Is your character the de facto leader of the party? Or do they consider someone else to be the leader?

Right up until [REDACTED], they very much believe Varric to be in charge. They think they're better as a second, they've always been the second.

Afterwards though, the Real DAO Reaper bloodlust leader comes out

29: If you could choose a different faction for your Rook, which one would they have joined and why?

I had planned to have them be a Mourn Watcher before the game was out, but when I played the first time, LoF fit them way more.

30: What's your favorite thing about your Rook?

In game, they're the bitch whose life is falling apart and telling everyone else to "drink water ((:" which is hilarious.

I'm writing a Modern AU w/them right now, and I think my favorite thing is the fact that they tease everyone. They know look like a big muscle block head. They get a kick out of saying things that prove their intelligence and watching others blue screen.

🫵 @nin-dy-tro @nerdanel01 and @elefluff

[fandom-nursery]

Belphie agere headcanons

Tiny baby. Never older than 3

Regresses probably around once or twice a month on his own although if Beel regresses it does usually trigger his own regression as well 

He is able to resist his headspace pretty well but why would he? He likes being little so there is no reason to exert energy into putting it off 

He really enjoys his regression. When he’s little no one expects him to do the things he doesn't have energy for. All the things that are bad habits when he’s big become perfectly reasonable behaviors when he’s small. No one is going to be upset when a baby has a hard time sleeping through the night or when they need to nap in the middle of the day

Belphie has a hard time with hand eye coordination and when little. Zippers and buttons are his enemy and he always needs you do help him get dressed 

If beel is regressed with him or is taking care of him he sometimes tries to hide when he’s upset so his twin wont worry about him 

Prefers to just point or make sounds to communicate when small. Not big on talking. Somehow Beel is always able to understand what he is saying  

Very sleepy and moody. He tends to fuss if left on his own too long or if he’s kept up when he’s tired 

Belphie probably spends more time asleep than he does awake while regressed 

The second he regresses it’s like his legs stop working. He won’t walk anywhere and the only way to move him is to carry him which he has no complaints about 

Being in warm water makes him sleepy and so he takes a bath alone while little. He knows falling asleep in the tub is a drowning hazard but he still grumbles and whines when you insist on keeping him awake until he’s out of the bath

He has a star mobile he’s obsessed with if you lay him down under it he will spend hours just looking up at it

Belphie loves to be swaddled up in his blanket

Despite being very sleepy most of the time  he is always willing to play with beel when they are little together. He loves to spend time with his twin

Really likes soft foods like yogurt and applesauce while little and loves to be bottle fed 

He has a lot of stuffies and shares some other toys like blocks and balls with Beel 

Big blanket boy. He has a star baby blanket that he is glued to and it’s a big comfort item for him  

Belphie mostly wears pajamas when he’s regressed.  Things that are loose and soft and breathable are ideal. He also owns several of those baby sleep sacks 

He does like using a paci and he finds them soothing although he tends to lose them in his blankets when they fall out as he sleeps 

He does use diapers while regressed. They are just another thing that takes away responsibilities for him while small and he really loves that 

Beel knew about his regression first but he didn’t really make much of an effort to hide it and the rest of his siblings know too 

He is very nervous when he first tells you about his regression even though he knows that you will be understanding 

Part of the reason he tells you is that he really does want a caregiver. He loves Beel but he needs someone who is big enough to help him with all the things he’s too little to do and since he and Beel often regress at the same time he’s usually not able to do that 

If you put belphie in time out for any reason Beel will sit by him in solidarity until he’s out 

[lanymme]

Forgot to include the scenario sorry!

I'd love if they were present together in the Storm Border post Lostbelt 5, having learned about ORT and losing Musashi. The danger may have passed and they're moving on, but there's an emotional weight still pressnt and a sense of loss. It would be nice to see Kiara's softer side attempting to comfort and support Ritsuka

(Kiara is the main servant I use for everything, so at least for me she was present through all of that and helped kill Zeus)

Oooh! I really like this one (the first part of the ask was F!Ritsuka and Kiara). Sadly, I haven’t actually finished LB5, but I tried to be as loyal to the spirit of it as possible.

As written this is mean to be Canon-compliant (i.e. nobody remembers Kiara) but I might be willing to do a version that’s compliant with Karuṇā canon if people want that.

Oh yeah, and CW for the hunting and naturalistic death of animals (phantasmal species, not real ones.

Without further ado:

— — — —

The shadow border is dead quiet.

It is not a place of levity. It is what’s left, after the death of Chaldea, their home. It’s the only thing left, after almost three years of struggle, after the death or Romani Archaman and Leonardo da Vinci and

What it is, is a place of hope. Or, perhaps more accurately, of perseverance. A cramped, uncomfortable place, stuffy with loss, but a place where people who have faced death together for years (and Director Goredolf) live in solidarity with one another, cry on each other’s shoulders, make jokes and talk about inconsequential things, or about memories, as they have done for a thousand thousand years: as—hopefully, if they can keep holding on, if they can weather another storm—people might do for a thousand thousand more. So long as they still hope, as they tell stories of the dead. So long as they persevere, as they eat imperishable rations.

But hope for what? Perseverance to what end?

Now they know.

Now, they know.

And so it’s quiet. Quiet like it would have been if they had not made it to the Shadow Border.

And Ritsuka Fujimaru, worked so hard to be the former last master of humanity, now the last once again, is not speaking. Is barely eating. Barely moving.

For the past two days, as they have driven across silent salt flats that were once the Russian Lostbelt, she has been curled up on bed, has barely stirred, except to eat and drink what Mash brings to her, to go to the bathroom, to thrash in her almost-sleep.

In hushed whispers, some of the remaining staff say that everyone has a breaking point. Living with heroic spirits as they do (have done), hamartia is a concept as familiar as death.

One so kind is ill-suited to the task ahead of them. The very thing that let her survive is now turned agaisnt her.

It’s all so terribly cruel.

— — — —

It’s dark. The only light is a pale patch of thin moonlight slanting in to the floor. The only sound is the drone of the Shadow Border’s engine, its steady progress rumbling through the bones of its passengers.

Her ribs hurt from lying down, and after several minutes of continued pain she turns over, facing the wall.

She killed all those people so she could live. It’s that simple.

There wasn’t time to weigh humanity—Proper Human History now, she supposes—against the Yaga. She couldn’t fold, couldn’t die, couldn’t leave everyone without hope, just because she couldn’t make a decision in the time alotted. So she had decided: this will not be that does me in. Many have tried. It will not be you. She’d swallowed her feelings.

Ivan had demanded to see her resolve. To look him in the eye as she… but he had gotten desperation instead.

Her hands start to shake again.

That dark spiral in her thoughts, tugging at her—she can’t resist it anymore.

She doesn’t turn away this time.

Has Okita Souji, man-slayer, killed even a fraction many people as she? Has Altera so completely wiped a civilization from history?

Her mother, for all that she is, has never done anything so…

She starts to scratch her arm, short blunt nails clawing against her skin.

Selfish. Selfish. She’s a mass-murderer now. So many lives for her own…!

She whimpers and curls in on herself. Hates herself for it.

As long as you don’t hurt anyone and you’re willing to work together toward the Grand Order, everyone is welcome.

People are counting on her to do it again. And again.

How can she look them… look anyone in the eyes when. When.

She can’t do it.

But Doctor Roman… Da Vinci… she has a duty. She can’t, she can’t leave it undone.

Her vision starts to tunnel. She’s not getting enough oxygen, even though she’s breathing faster and faster.

She can’t. She can’t do anything.

She doesn’t want to hurt anyone, she never wanted to hurt anyone ever again and now—

Somebody else… if somebody else could take this duty she’s worked so hard at, that has crushed her shoulders…

There’s nobody else left. She would never push this burden on anyone else.

But surely somebody… somebody…

Please. I don’t want to do this. Please.

She rages and squirms in the dark, heart tearing, pain consuming her, until eventually she tires herself out, and begins to drift off.

Distantly, in the back of her mind, she thinks she hears something—a chime, a clink of metal, a whisper of cloth.

The wordless call of something unseen as she slips into dreams.

To pursue life, for onesself… and, perhaps, for those one cares about… is one of the four essential truths of the realm desire.

She sees Patxi, gun thrown to the side, holding desperately to a Krichat’ as it bucks and bellows and tries to nick him with its poisoned horn.

To cling to it desperately, even when it causes suffering to onesself, to others, is the beautiful greed bestowed on all living beings.

She watches him pull out a long, cruel hunting knife to stab deep into its side. It spasms and cries out.

Its foot kicks desperately against his leg, tearing flesh and fur.

For one, triumph: for one, disaster. This is what is meant by “good and evil are difficult to measure.”

Weakening, the creature falls.

Far across the mountains, its young wait in the cold dark of a den for their parent to return.

Patxi pulls the body of their mother onto his shoulders, and trudges through the snow, leaving a trail of blood from the beast on his shoulder and from his own leg.

Such suffering is the proof of life.

She sees Patxi in his house, krichat’ strung up to bleed out into a bucket while he bandages himself.

Is it sinful to survive a fight to the death for the sake of one’s own desires? Does that change if one’s family is bigger than another, if one is happier than another? If one’s cause is rationalized and the other instinctual?

She sees Patxi knocking on a door with food in hand, stepping inside to see his mother.

The Krichat’ pups: one still and cold, one striking out into the blizzard. The others eat their sibling, still waiting for a parent that will not return.

Everyone is chasing their own desires. Everyone wants to survive. It’s just that the result of that is death. Who can be called the responsible party? This is the way of living beings.

Patxi stalks through the woods toward the sound of fighting. A coalition of Krichat’ surround two figures, red-orange and black and purple, poised for the kill. He watches, and after a moment, shakes his head and raises his rifle.

It is said that the Buddha taught flesh-eating creatures to eat plants, soul-eaters to feast on the recently dead: that the gift of bodhi freed others from suffering, from causing harm to one another. But what of those who remain?

Kadoc takes Anastasia’s hand outside a palace, and they nod to one another.

A coalition of starving Krichat’ surround two figures, red-orange and black and purple, poised for the kill.

Patxi stalks through the woods towards the sound of fighting, of voices yelling. He sees them, and counts bullets, and thinks of money. He hesitates.

They are not so lucky.

He watches, for a moment longer, and then shakes his head, raising the rifle to his shoulder.

A female Yaga points the silent oprichniki forward, and Atalante’s arrow tears out her throat

Ivan the Terrible bellows, and thunder flashes in the sky, as a blizzard rages on and on.

On the bleached earth, the stars twinkle in the sky, and in them a woman holds the planet in the palm of her hand.

…And their struggling pleases me greatly. So live, and suffer, so that I can bear witness to it. Suffer and kill for those you love, and for yourself.

She smiles down at all living beings with a bodhisattva’s merciful gaze, as they are wracked by turmoil and strife, striving toward the horizon, towards happiness, towards sadness, towards pain and release, clutching comforts to themselves and watching them crumble away into time.

And in particular, on one small girl, in a ship on land, curled up in her bed.

She holds them all to her breast, watching, waiting.

And if you must continue to close your heart to the Dharma… if you must continue to tempt me by clinging tightly to your heavenly desires despite everything… yes, if you must have someone to blame… consider for yourself...

She looks down from the stars, and sees six white trees growing, reaching out past the sky.

Why does one world’s survival depend on the death of another? Who decided that?

Ritsuka starts to fade, slipping away from the dream.

And Master. Always remember. If you truly decide to turn away from your path…

The white world and its white trees are stained, black and magenta, wriggling outward to cover its surface.

You may always find your comfort in the palm of my hand.

The last thing to fade from her awareness is the terrible, beautiful sound of a woman’s laughter.

— — — —

In the morning, Mash knocks on the door, before sliding it open. To her shock, Senpai is sitting up in bed. She smiles when she sees Mash, that familar weary glow that has seen them through time and time again.

“Hey.” She smiles, ruefully. “Thank you, Mash, for always taking care of me.” There’s an anguished resolve, a straightness in her spine as she stands up, and Mash blinks in surprise. “Sorry about the last couple days. I’ve made up my mind now.” She smiles, and reaches out her hand, and Mash will always, always take it. “Let’s keep facing things. Together.”

“Of course. I’m glad you’re doing better, Senpai.”

That hand squeezes her own.

“Me too, Mash. Let’s go get some breakfast.”

As they set out again toward a journey filled with terrible suffering, with disappointment, with joy, without end, the faint scent of incense and crushed flowers follows them out of the room.

Behind them, the door clicks shut.

[dirtyoldmanhole]

so i've been low key pondering over what is it about gunter that twigged my 'dude, you are a freak nasty kinky fuck (solidarity 🤝)' radar from day one.

ergo, have an old school ~*krad does a character analysis essay*~

under the cut for kink talk and also sheer length !

introduction

why would I want to lead into this reading?

gunter is honestly, to me, an extremely cool subversion of his own FE archetypes on top of (imo) what types of characters are "allowed" to be kinky. a good chunk of FE characters, particularly jeigan archetypes tend to be one note about their devotion to their lords and/or country, and a little stuffy/uptight. when they do have a personality, they still tend to be pretty "safe" nurturing caretaker type of archetypes (eg, titania, and i say that loving her as a character).

of course, nothing wrong with liking said archetype; my tastes just happen to run differently.

gunter is explicitly both those things (could be read as uptight and a caretaker) and still, fascinatingly -- has his darker sides. you don't have a whole-ass ingame cgi and arc of going ham as the possessed yandere villain with a pretty consistent sexual undertone and still keep a ~purely wholesome~ reputation.

so what's the in-game canonical nods that started pinging the radar?

point one: i'm still not over the whip reference in his corrin supports

the tl;dr of his fcorrin C-A support is they pick up an old game of theirs since her northern fortress years -- playing catch with an old leather ball. it isn't until the A support that you hear gunter made the ball from a whip that garon handed to him to whip corrin as discipline.

this assumes several things: (1) gunter knows his way around whips (2) to the point of most likely whipping somebody in discipline before, otherwise why would garon be so convinced he'd follow through? and then

(3) nintendo why the fuck would you add something like this if you didn't intend on us reading some kind of vibe here LMAO. the fact that treehouse kept this line while "sanitizing" most other deeply horny fates scripts makes me inclined to think they knew they'd be breaking gunter's entire characterization if they'd tried to bowderize it, or they just didn't give a shit, thinking that they could probably get away with it since he's not niles-popular. (both can be true).

while it doesn't mean everyone with a passing interests in leather and whips is automatically some flavor of kinkster. just. speaking from IRL experience, the crossover between the groups is also a wee bit higher than the background population. either they tend to be a younger man looking to be "badass" like indiana jones, or their job involves some flavor of implement or ... yeah.

point two: mcorrin/fcorrin script differences & gunter harboring feelings for fcorrin (always has been.jpg)

additional script differences cost money. companies like nintendo hate spending money especially when there's a finite budget, and doubly so for non-popular characters.

so ime, when there's a clear difference between scripts in a non-obvious spot, and it's there in both the JP/EN versions like gunter's final revelation talk with mcorrin and fcorrin, i pay attention. that's nintendo more often than not underlining something and saying "hey, this matters to characterization".

cue this bit after you bring gunter back from the brink of being possessed and talking some sense into him:

Corrin: Whatever your motivations, you stayed by my side and helped me. Your intentions may have been dark, but you were still good to me. (If Corrin is male) Corrin: And that's what you'll always be—my friend. (If Corrin is female) Corrin: You'll always be important to me. Gunter: But, I... I killed Scarlet... Corrin: I know, but you were under the control of Anankos. You weren't you. If you truly wish to atone for what you've done, you must live. Live for Scarlet's sake. Live for the family that was taken from you. I need you to help me fight Anankos. To protect all the people he could still hurt. (If Corrin is male) Corrin: Let's go. Our final battle awaits. (If Corrin is female) Gunter: ... Corrin: Let's go. Our final battle awaits.

now obviously, with a literal "dot dot dot" line, you by definition have to read into the sentiment. one could just as easily argue that here....

.....

nope, i got nothing, lol. m!corrin gets a very pointed "you're my friend" line, and if nintendo wanted to dissuade from the romantic/sexual subtext, they could have awkwardly tried to stick to their more neutral "you're my mentor/father figure/etc" guns which read way more platonic, especially if you kept it the same for both.

that script change is only for f!corrin, and gunter has a few other script mentions where f!corrin gets something extra from him. this combined with f!corrin's particularly sexual-subtext-ladened support chain with the whip-ball (versus m!corrin's pretty platonic "feed the poor kid") vibe hints that he's always held a flame for f!corrin, which leads into asking some pretty interesting questions about his tastes.

it's some kinda vibes all right!

imma also be honest: (possessed!)gunter gets a little sexually subtextual in general. there's other revelation quotes like this during the confrontation --

Gunter: I would tear every last bit of innocence away from you.

(dude) (wow)

-- and the gothic horror camera angle/framing of certian scenes with him alone with corrin, most pointedly when corrin's alone with him, anankaos channels himself through gunter, the screen goes white, and corrin wakes up with him leaning right over her, practically on top of her. all of these add up to one hell of a sexual subtext in the last three chapters.

i could break this down further into shot by shot visual analysis since that's my field as a design manager, but this essay's long as is (and I'll cover this in the current revelation liveblog anyway).

point three: there's a suspicious amount of nohrian characters that have explicit kinks

there's xander with his JP crossdressing supports. niles with his ... nearly everything in his quotes, bless him. and camilia too on the ladies side what with her sadisim and S/M behavior, more blatant in the JP script side which is (ime) the more faithful one.

I'm probably missing an example here (garon also felt weirdly sexual for a FE dad/final boss, somewhat usually lampshaded in the comments of the 'azura dances for him' cgi movie), and that's not even mentioning the faceless which -- i don't know about you, but i've seen actual folsom BDSM gear less kinky than that enemy design.

clearly: nintendo's not exactly afraid to lay some sexual subtext with nohrian characters. hoshidos generally don't get this treatment, this often.

is it likely part and parcel of how they intended to "villain code" nohrian characters, since adding kinks to an antagonistic faction has a long history in media to make them feel more "othered" and dangerous? most likely!

regardless, i absolutely get why they'd layer in that vibe with gunter especially in revelation's route when he's one of the final bosses. adding an edge of sexual menace is an easy if cheap way to butter on that foreshadowing, and it separates him from the "nice(r) guy gunter" in the conquest married route.

sort of.

to which ...

point four: there is no polite way to get around the incesty caretaker daddy vibe in their married route so imma just say it lmao

[ just gestures wildly at his A-S support chain with fcorrin ]

somebody who is completely vanilla is not uhhh, going to have that love conversation/confession right after a literal 'father figure' mention :'D

people are entitled to their own tastes, and while i'm the type to bounce in when people bounce out "because it got too creepy", i do think it's pretty telling that there's a hell of a lot of people that got twigged out of their support and don't generally pursue it unless if they're completion fanatics. even if I'm reading way the hell into this -- they're responding to something, that's for darn sure.

one more thing to point out with the supports --

Gunter: And since you missed, you must answer a question I have for you. Corrin: All right, ask away. Gunter: Is there anyone in camp that you have particularly strong feelings for? Corrin: Wh-what? Why would you ask that? Gunter: Ah, I'm the one who is asking questions.

by itself, that last line could read fairly platonically. but with everything else.... whew. this is a man who's very aware of power dynamics. speaking of --

point five: just trust me bro

call it uhhhh prurient interest, but there has been quite a few times when i've nailed a (IRL) person's interest in kink by that version of a gaydar :P just a little too many times for it to be coincidence.

if you're asking me, the tell-tale hints are usually :

(a) a hyper-awareness of power dynamics compared to normies,

and

(b) hints of adjacent interest/sub-cultural aesthetics. (eg, goth and alt-fashion, common kink implements that can be hidden in plain sight like handcuffs, whips, boots, leather as a fashion).

and obviously we're talking about a fictional character which changes the conversation (characters being built from the ground up to serve a plot. rather than a fleshed out autonomous human being with their own set of preferences that can change over time), but listen, mate -- if my kink radar was a geiger counter, gunter here lit up like fucking chernobyl. :P

all I have to do is point at the whip bit to (5b), and regarding point (5a) ... well. you know the interesting thing about kinksters is that in addition to power dynamics, some of them have a particular thing about titles?

you know who else has a whole very specific thing about titles?

in conclusion

now, all that said, could it be wish fulfillment? absolutely. and it does need to be said -- i dig the character a lot for many other reasons! but i'm focusing on this kink angle in this essay as frankly, it's not a popular topic to talk about in fandom, and it's a fascinating itch to scratch at.

there's the sense in wider media these days that anyone over the age of 40-50 isn't allowed to have a sex life much less something as edgy as kinks unless if they're a complete monster, which is both as untrue as it is unfair. shame never helped anyone -- and i've always been partial to my messy favorite characters who never apologized for what they were. once a villainfucker, always a villainfucker.

either way, there are distinctly too many coincidences for me to write him as anything but, and I'm having fun in this sandbox ~

thanks for reading!

[ihopethisendswell]

Scooby Doo trending and my general lack of interest of watching Velma ( I don't even have HBO max) just makes me think of my own version of Scooby Doo. As in the one that just won't leave my brain for the day lol. Things that I just thought of

Daphne and Shaggy friendship real. I mean they already were, but in my head they are literally Besties. They both like rock and heavy metal ( Shaggy's secondary favorite music genre). Daphne likes to tease Shaggy occasionally and Shaggy helps reign her in ( she is generally very level headed but can get a little too over ambitious). I was pretty much thinking how fans treat Elesa and the submas twins lol. Pan-Bi solidarity.

Velma, from how I'm envisioning her,is still snarky and sassy and still the brains of the group. I imagine her having trouble making friends and even emoting well, hence why it took her a while to get used to the gang. Is actually pretty close to Fred, both being major history nerds and gifted kids.

Fred is a loveable goof who also serves as a mechanic for the group. A genuine sweet heart " confused but got spirit" type of guy, was the one that brought everyone together. He tries his best to make everyone comfortable ( ie: When shaggy is panicking, Fred always has on him a pair of headphones and a mixtape of 70's music, which he knows would help calm him down. That and the obligatory Scooby snacks). I think he's really good at math too. English/ Literature not so much.

Daphne, as I mentioned before, is a bit ambitious,and honestly a lot more energetic than how I think her canon counterpart is? She kinda the every girl? The muscle, the talker( next to Fred ), the tech expert( again, next to Fred),and very much the fashionista. Honestly,I said that her and Shaggy are Besties, which is true, but I think it would be interesting if the two were childhood friends of shorts? Anyway, Daphne's forever an optimistic and opportunist. Her love for mysteries isn't as intense as Fred or Velma, but she craves adventure - anything to get away from her stuffy mansion.

Shaggy is kinda the protag? Kinda? I tend to focus on his relationship with the rest of the crew, but whatever. He's pretty much how he's always have been, tbh. He wasn't always the hippy 70's loving guy though. He was pretty much a loner, who didn't see much for himself. Then Scooby came into his life, in which then he heard his first 70's song, and it went from there. Daphne was also there too, and she also helped him open up a little AND give him the make over he deserves. Again. Daphne and Shaggy are Besties. Also he has a hobby in cooking! I figured for someone who loves eating food, why not love making it too.

Scooby is the same character wise: just as scared as Shaggy is, but also just as heroic. The thing I'm torn about is if I should have Scoob be a regular dog who can talk, or a dog with some supernatural shenanigans surrounding him. Either way, Scooby is Shaggy's best bud! Kinda the one that lit up his life, tbh.

Okay that's all. This was on my mind and I needed to share.

Edit: On a whim,I made Shaggy and Daphne :)

I wanted Shaggy's locs to be more in his face than the picrew had. Maybe he dyed the tips blonde too? I dunno. I hope you like them :)

Picrew

Edit 2: I forgot Daphne had purple eyes 💀. Whoops.

[marsiplant]

dirty boots, meet corporate ladder

past 50 floors of offices to streets pleasantly free of cars

midtown's not that busy on a saturday.

i'm introduced to a college sophomore who's already had 3 internships.

i learn she's double majoring in sociology and marketing

as she flashes me a syrupy smile more artificial than the lemonade.

she knows the rules of this game better than i do

tripping and stumbling over my own words.

why am i talking to her?

just for the sake of networking without connection?

i don't remember her name.

all i can think is i don't belong here

in stuffy glass houses with lawyers and marketing directors in pantsuits

who will tell them to give 120% because they need to hustle harder than the white kids with built-in connections and generational wealth

because that is what they need to hear sometimes.

because it's true.

i know it's true because i lived it.

just a slightly different version.

i hold my tongue when my colleague parrots the grindset

because i know the color of my skin will always give me a leg up.

but they also had access to things that i didn't even know existed

like these mentorship programs

and a community that accepts them

knowing they're not alone.

i think of paulo freire and the opposition to having his work read in a corporate environment

because it will encourage us to pay more attention to act with more solidarity, intersectionality, cooperation

when capitalism keeps us divided and pitted against each other in individualistic competition.

"when the deck is stacked against you, you have to make yourself stand out. go above and beyond to get your resume noticed for the content instead of having it put into the reject pile because of your name. that is how you win."

they will have to play this game and learn the rules until they have enough breathing room to afford bending and breaking them.

this is how it has always been.

does that mean that's how it has to be?

have we been tricked, conditioned to forget there are alternatives?

these glass walls are closing in and i don't know the right things to do or wear or say

i try to fake it until i make it

but i am reminded that my definition of "making it" is different because the standard doesn't include or consider people like me. there isn't a section in the store for "person with sensory issues and dysphoria aggravated by most professional clothing who doesn't have a desire to look professional in the first place because professionalism is rooted in classism, ableism, cisnormativity and white supremacy."

when expectations of how to look and behave are enforced through systems of hierarchy and oppression

no, i wasn't raised right, not by this definition.

maybe a different definition

one that values radical authenticity, curiosity, sensitivity

would be a more comfortable fit.

i am reminded that even when i try to fit in

to play by all the rules

there is always something that will cause people to say i "do things differently"

i am so used to taking it as criticism a warning that i do not belong that i will not be safe with the herd.

i learn from nature documentaries this will lead to exclusion and death.

i learn from the few remaining queer elders that silence also equals death

and we must be honest and loud if we want things to change.

trying and failing to do both is a silent killer

whispering that i will never be good enough

preying on my insecurities

until i have isolated myself enough for it to pounce.

i am torn and ripping apart at the seams.

i tune out of the small talk about private schools and luxury car payments.

this is not my world, and i don't want it to be.

but i know i am at the edge

a critical juncture

toeing the line.

i can't lose touch with where i came from

because then the voices of those still there aren't heard at all.

i would rather stare out at the city from this new vantage point

i have never been this high up before and i want to take full advantage of it.

they flock to me after the panels

my computer science ducklings hanging on to my every word.

they are also awkward and nervous and in search of answers

without knowing all the right questions to ask.

i tell them that yes, they can double major in computer science and creative writing or fine art or urban studies

and we want them and we need them in this new future we are building.

because the white and uncaring and unimaginative tech bros have locked the gate behind them once they got theirs

and they are no longer interested in disruption

because you will have better ideas than lazy new apps to shift old money around

because we are trying to break that mold.

i see hope for a better world in their eyes.

i remember all their names.

i did whatever it took to climb up to this point

pulling myself up by broken straps on mud-caked secondhand boots that never fit quite right.

now that i am here,

i am realizing that there is so much i missed out on.

we get used to the reality that surrounds us

and it was difficult to imagine a different way of being before i had access.

i know it's just as difficult for people who have always had this vantage point to imagine a better reality

one that uplifts everyone

one that does not pull up the ladder behind them. this version has kept them comfortable, after all.

when your identity is used as ammunition and ricochets around school board meetings

the personal is made political but somehow you must still remain professional.

when the bullet strikes true

these chambers rupture and spill over into each other.

my brain and heart and soul are not designed to compartmentalize.

i am messy and fluid and cannot be contained or confined

and my insides muddle together and burst out.

of course this was bound to happen.

of course my guts would be strewn across the road

on view for all who drive past.

i can't clock in and out of who i am or empathy and passion.

we don't even clock in and out anyway

and i am reminded when i call my dad after his shift at the chocolate factory

how much of a privilege this is.

sometimes he is working overtime

and the line keeps ringing from within his lunchbox

because he can't carry his phone on the factory floor.

sometimes he's out on a moonlighting job

fixing up someone's barn's electric in exchange for venison

or felling a tree on my brother's property

or volunteering at the women's shelter

or out in the garden digging up root vegetables until after the sun sets and his fingers are freezing.

whether or not he picks up,

i am reminded that there is always more i could, should be doing

especially now that i am here.

how can i best leverage this new position?

what's next?

what can i do more of?

what can be improved?

how can i climb higher?

i have spent so long being asked these questions

that they took the reins of my inner monologue and squashed any opportunity to settle for "good enough."

spurned onwards and upwards in perpetual motion

because i am afraid that if i slow down

maybe it's time to clear out the cobwebs,

make room for matters of living

rather than surviving and striving.

what do i need from you?

what do i want?

what if i can't trust myself to know the answers to your questions?

what if my answers are wrong?

what if what i think i want

is not what i need in the long term?

but if i don't give you an answer

(and even if i do)

how can i trust that you'll know where to go from there

that you'll act with integrity and compassion?

how can i know what your intentions are

when after a few drinks

you brush your shoulder against mine

and you say you will follow my lead

but i don't know where i want to go?

how can i trust that you are not a wolf in sheep's clothing

that you will not be like the others?

i want the chance to be reckless and bold and honest as i work through these things

and learn how to be a human being.

isn't that the point of being young and alive?

these things are new to me

please be patient

but not too patient

because i am trying not to take for granted

that there will always be time for these things later.

because i know by now that there hardly ever is.

i need to devise my own path forward

but i'm stuck in -

mired in the rumination of ambiguities

and it's hard to pull myself out

to the solid ground of clarity.

vision unfocusing

lines blurring

left to bleed out alone.

nobody is coming to save me.

i must learn how to save myself.

that is how i survive.

this is how it has always been.

i knew i couldn't last long within current structures and paradigms

as they are, as expected, maintaining the status quo.

but when we give ourselves and each other permission

to expand definitions and parameters

creating new ways of being, doing, relating

maybe, just maybe

there can be a place for me here.

i want to believe there is room for mistakes and missteps and oversteps

because i know they will happen.

help me correct course when necessary.

you may need to be explicit

because subtlety is not my strong suit.

i don't want to leave

because you're as good as they come

(at least as far as i can tell).