#vw b

[whereifindsanity]

[usaac-official]

A PB-1 of Air Early Warning Squadron 2

[randomnameless]

The quintessential problem with Claude and the deer is that they should not have been involved in the war at all, or at least not Claude. What does he have to gain participating on it? Nothing, and he makes it even more explicit in azure moon when he dissolves the alliance. He could've pretty easely given the power to Lorenz or Hilda and nope out of there (what he does in silver snow), as it is clear througouht white clouds that he doesn't have as much of an attachtment to Fodlan as he does Almyra. And it isn't like the devs couldn't take the deer studients out during post-TS, when Marianne unless recruited is pressumed dead, and Lorenz unless recruited joins the imperial forces and dies helping the empire.

Outside of the problems with racism and the bigoted tropes related to "savage cultures" the Fodlan games perpetuate, the devs did not know how to use one of their house leaders for the main plot of "church vs empire", and idk if that's because they bit more than they could chew, or if it was intentional taking into account who gets the short end of the stick in both games happens to be mixed and from one of those "savage cultures".

TBH...

It's on the devs for having wanted to add a third lord to their game, but failing to, well, link him to any of those plots.

Supreme Leader's war of unification?

Well, Nopes gave him a part this plot - and yet there's no third choice in this plot : you bend the knee or you die. Nopes' wise, Clout decided (in his route) to bend the knee with his "alliance" that is totally supposed to make Supreme Leader reconsider her desire to roll over Leicester and make it part of Adrestia again!

(Granted, Nopes don't tell us how his plea to stop the war after killing the evil lizard lady will play out and leaves an open ending...)

In Houses, well, he doesn't want Leicester to be flattened, and goes on the offensive (counter offensive?) when Billy pops up with basically what is the plot events of Silver Snow (down to using the same strategy with disguises) with the Gronder Map.

And that addition radically changes... well, everything regarding Claude's relevance : he cannot form an alliance with the Blue Lord or the Kingdom to get rid of the Empire because "plot convenient myopia" and apparently Dimitri BaD enough that he attacks Alliance troops for no reason.

Forget SS, GW (and AM, in a way) is just using plot contrived excuse to... not have an united from to face the Empire. Why? IDK. Each Lord must be the hero of his story, or the unification boner means only one of them can "win" an unified Fodlan i'd guess.

Nabateans and the plot ?

No one gives a fig about that "plot", so it's basically pursuing a side-quest for no payoff.

Now, as @fantasyinvader wrote, Claude's story and journey as one who is ignorant and gets to learn and clear his misconceptions + the background of the land we're living in could have been interesting, doubly so given how Billy is voiceless and cannot play the "protag discovers the world at the same time as the player does" role.

But it has... no payoff.

Much like Rhea's infodump about the World, Relics and Nabateans... Claude reacts to the mention that Billy has a rock for heart, and not about his crest, his shiny bow or the fact that Rhea also had a vested interest in, uh, getting rid of prejudice against people who are perceived as "different" because her family was genocided for that.

Hell, the entire "prejudice" angle from Supreme Leader's war is swept under the rug, so we can have the Deers say nonsense like wanting to rekt Thales for Supreme Leader's sake, while only Flayn and Seteth can hear her "nabateans shouldn't have power over the people"...

There's no parallel drawn in the game about Claude and Rhea's situation - since she's at the center of this subplot - about being perceived as "outsiders" and not being able to do various things from existing to "rule over the people" because of what they are, or even faking their identities and building metaphorical walls between them and the people they're living with because they are afraid of rejection.

Nah, we can't have that, Rhea must be irrelevant to the possible, while also being the biggest scapegoat/dragon of this saga at the same time as a nebulous red herring to sell pots of tea.

Ihthe "fight against prejudice and make people accept each other" angle was that relevant to his route, Claude would have most likely talked or interacted with Dimitri and learnt of his plan to cleanse Duscur's name in his Father's assassination, raised a brow at Petra being a hostage and done something else than give a surprised pikachu face at Rhea's infodumps.

He could have reacted at her reveal that if you might want to live in peace with some people, if those people don't want that and label you as nothing more than fodder or things to be looted, it's not going to work.

And of course, gave a reaction at your second in command (unofficially?)'s reveal that, uh, her house keeps identured Almyran children as war prisoners?

Some people already made some AUs or "what ifs" routes for a proper Claude route and not the nonsense that we got in FE16 where it's basically "I react to the same plot events that happen in the other routes but top it all with a zombie".

The Deers could have been "better introduced" in a plot about getting rid of prejudice, or learning the causes of this prejudice : Marianne was/is hunted because of her blood ties to Maurice - not because what she did, but because what Momo did back then! - Lysithea was treated as a guinea pig and her house rolled over by Adrestia who has a less than rosy views about the "offshoots" that are called Leicester and Faerghus, Lorenz could explain that prejudice, just like piety, are tools used by people whenever they're relevant, like, some people being pissed at foreigners and some who aren't because they make money through international trading like Margrave Edmund does, Hilda justifying her House's animosity towards Almyrans because they lost many people in those pointless skirmishes (maybe a closed ones? Her mom or Uncle or whatever?) which would make Claude realise that "ending prejudice" is a much more difficult quest than, idk, just killing one or two randoms.

The commoner trio might share Claude's views about prejudice and welcoming foreigners, but have more "mundane" worries like being able to have a roof and food to eat, which might be the case of some people in Leicester, or tell us more about Leicester and how it works (give us more insight about the different countries if Fodlan ffs).

Maybe we could have add a Claude who learns and discovers Fodlan, and along the way, starts to love the land as much, if not more, than Almyra and really wanting to protect this land from whatever Supreme Leader's cooking, or becoming an Almyra v.2.

I don't think making Claude the third wheel of the plot was maliciously intentional because of the, uh, implications with RL cultures and Almyra, but more like they didn't know where to put him.

I noticed you wrote the conflict as one that is "the church vs the empire", but I do not really agree - if that was the case, the war would have stopped in VW/AM/SS the second Rhea was caught.

The main conflict is Supreme Leader's war of conquest - with the twist that the devs were really banking on their brilliant idea of making the red emperor the titular waifu of the game that each person/lord/whatever Rhea is must find a way to excuse and/or justify her actions.

With this in mind, AM is basically Dimitri's fall (and rise!) because of his ties to Supreme Leader.

In VW? The game cannot explore too much outside of the Supreme Leader scope so we're left with.. well, what VW was.

Claude cannot go on a journey to discover Fodlan and get rid of his misconceptions... because part of those same misconceptions are used by Supreme Leader to start her war, or the sheer concept of a conquest, aka a nation being rolled over by another is anathema to his, supposed, ideal of wanting people to accept each other despite their differences.

I ranted about it since day 5, but the Nabatean subplot (and Fodlan in general) is accessory to Supreme Leader war, there is no point aka no payoff for learning all of that, because you cannot challenge the one who wants to unify the continent.

As such, Claude cannot deviate too far from this plot - while receiving infodumps about "the lore" - and we end up with third wheel of a bike and characters who, at first and second glance, appear to be irrelevant.

Fodlan ends up unified despite starting as three separate countries, we feel bad for Supreme Leader and mourn her unknown ideals, Rhea is gone and the Agarthans aren't a problem anymore.

the second the devs said leicester was a republic, claude was doomed. Merchant republics are always irrelevent or straight up useless in the FE series!

[photos-of-everyday-life]

Bug.

San Francisco, 2022.

[air-cooled-love]

Working on a 1959 VW Ragtop Beetle

[sanpatron]

Now, Django can't deny the fact that he mostly came to this wedding as an excuse to gorge himself on cute little appetizers and whatever drinks they had in stock. He wasn't exactly close to either of the men—though Vash's uncanny ability to show up at most places Django wound up could net him familiarity points. But that sure wasn't going to prevent the former gangster from getting swept up in the emotions of it all. To see a display of love and vulnerability that strong could make just about anyone's heart swell the tiniest bit.

He was happy for them. Sincerely. And it gave him some peace of mind in knowing that, despite everything this island could do to a person, there was still the chance at finding your own sort of happiness here. Something you can cherish forever more.

" Mmm. These boys sure didn't skimp out on the grub. Maybe I should get married again just for the food. "

[orcelito]

I've just been. Thinking. About how close I am to Finally reaching things I've been looking forward to in ITNL

Like. I'm writing chapter 17 rn. And it should not be too long of a process.

Chapter 18 is wolfwood. Then chapter 20 ish will be the reveal of Something I've had cooking for A Bit. The chapter after that (21?) will be the first signs of smth I've had planned since the BEGINNING.

And that's just. So exciting to me. All these things I've been looking forward to getting closer and Closer...

I'm getting there. I'm getting there.

[vilonnie]

thinking about the relationships between the three main characters from the fire emblem three houses verdant wind route and also cyril

Claude and Rhea: The societal unfairness and hatred they endured has made them desperate to establish control at all costs so they can do what they believe they must to create a better world and protect their loved ones, but at their core they are afraid to be alone.

Byleth and Cyril: As a commoner they only saw luxury or power from a distance and yet became the right hand of one of the most incomprehensibly powerful people on the continent and now their love burdens them with the weight of being at the center of a huge conflict though they never asked for this.

Byleth and Claude: You got so caught up in the trust you were building with your best friend and leader without realizing that he had baggage all along that you can't solve for him, so sometimes he's not acting solely in your best interest, though you're openly co-operating for mutual gain.

Cyril and Rhea: You got caught up in your love for one of the only adults ever to protect you without realizing that some things she did hurt you in ways you were too young to understand, so you have a complex relationship with a too-powerful immortal who cannot understand you, though she may genuinely love you like a child.

Claude and Cyril: The leader seeks solidarity in the younger soldier out of isolation but in doing so projects onto them somewhat unfairly, though the soldier feels no resentment.

Rhea and Byleth: The leader seeks solidarity in the younger soldier out of isolation but in doing so projects onto them somewhat unfairly, though the soldier sympathizes despite themself.

you know when you just want to make endless pretentious art about something but you're too slow and unmotivated so you just make more quote unquote extremely comprehensible charts

[devotedlystrangewizard]

i forgot how funny hubert's supports with byleth were

[whereifindsanity]

instagram.com

Christopher Funk

[orangetintedglasses]

Any thought of water or drowning or the like that attempted to bubble up would taken and and swiftly buried somewhere else, somewhere deep in the depths of his mind where they wouldn't be able to breach and ruin the moment. That wasn't a thought for right now; it was something he could talk about some other time. Eventually.

There was... a lot, he supposed, that he should talk to Wolfwood about (aside from the main elephant in the room, obviously), if this was... i-if it was something that the undertaker really did want. Which it really, really did seem like it was...

Vash's heart beat faster, louder, thundering at his temples. The stupid thing was about ready to leap from his mouth and into Wolfwood's as he returned the kiss, and Vash had to stop himself from chasing after more. At least attempt to be responsible--

You know I do.

Which question was that answering? Yes.

But unless you have enough money to pay for another night when we can't get up tomorrow...

He let that thought trail off into pointedly suggestive nothing as he chewed the inside of his lip. Regardless of whether or not they missed checkout and had to pay for another night, they needed to leave tomorrow. They had plenty of things that needed to be taken care of before then, too... but given the fact that it certainly wasn't water or suds that gathered on Wolfwood's fingers as he teased them over his sex like that, he was rapidly falling away from that level of logical reasoning.

Besides, if you pass out, I'm not gonna be able to pick you up~...

Aren't you supposed to be... like... good at water or something? You can't drown, dummy.

When Vash turns around, he'll see the signature Wolfwood Smirk that displays his sharpened teeth proudly. Indeed, his oil-black hair pours waterfalls down the undertaker's face and neck. The hair practically covers his eyes at this length and lack of volume. Little slivers of bright white shimmer through strands and clumps, and after Vash is able to take all of him in, he raises his hand to the blond's chin and tilts it up for an endearing kiss.

...Water streams between their faces and onto their lips, but it's not... unpleasant?

Like what you see?

He practically purrs in his inside voice because he knows the answer. He sees the way Vash looks at him. He looks at Vash the same way.

God, he's too tired to go another round but boy does Vash make him want to. There's probably no way in hell they get up and check out tomorrow—they'll probably have to pay extra for another day. Oops.

Do you need any more help getting washed up...?

Okay, yeah. His hand gets curious and teases the inside of Vash's thigh.

Wolfwood can't help himself anymore. He slides two fingers gently through Vash's folds—not enough to dip into him, just enough to get him thinking about it.

[pureva]

why has this day been like this. first i have a nightmare my car has been stolen (it hasn't been), i woke up 2.5 hours before my alarm and could not fall asleep again, fucked up my hip while skating (thought it was a sprain first but then it popped and instantly moving it hurt less so probably some kind of dislocation), movie theater ticket machines are broken so i couldn't get the Memorabilia, the one time i decide to get popcorn i spill it, AND i've aggravated my hip and now it hurts more. ARRRRGH.

[mahameruputra14]

Rubber Fender V

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[air-cooled-love]

Rebuilt engine ……. 1959 VW Ragtop Beetle

[sigalrm]

Doughnut Time by Pascal Volk Via Flickr: It's always a good time!