#which is also why its such a question of who miranda even is

[rxttenfish]

im going to have to make a proper post for this tomorrow, but for now, enjoy this discord discussion

[thegamingcatmom]

Do you think Mother Miranda likes swimming?

Additionally, what kinda swimwear would she have?

I love that one. 🤭

Right so, I did mention in one post that she likes bird baths. But swimming? I actually don't think so. Not particularly. It's just so...wet, lol. A different kind of wet than the nice, warm baths she takes then and now.

The only occasion where I could see her taking a quick dive is when her wings require some extra attention. But, even then, it's more of a *flaps her wings aggressively* to make sure the water reaches every nook and cranny. It can hardly be called "swimming".

Much like this. :3

(Crows suck at swimming btw. I looked it up, lol.)

As for her swimwear-

The first thing that came to mind was black and short, lel.

The black fits, but I'm not sure how much skin she'd be willing to show. Probs a lot more with her s/o, but in an open space for everyone to see? I think she's someone who views those things as sacred, also because of the time period she comes from.

Which-

(Source: https://www.visualmood.com/blogs/blog/the-history-of-women-s-bathing-suits-a-journey-through-time?srsltid=AfmBOoo9dOWwAS6SVGe4TMAyEoqkgor2scRiaMANvQRObG4n15MRu-bt)

Ofc I looked that one up too, and it´s really quite interesting.

(I love history.)

Miranda was born sometime in the late 19th century (around 1870 to 1899, probs closer to 1900 though), which means she likely would´ve gone for something that covers most of the body. Just like the Mad Priestess we know and thirst for today.

(She´s so damn fine.)

The only things exposed are her hands and face sadly. Granted, that´s quite the norm for a priestess outfit and doesn´t necessarily tell us anything about her personal preferences, but I still think her swimwear would be of similar design (meaning: full body).

Why? Well, she chose to parade as The Priestess. It wasn´t something that was given to her or decided by the people. She did it because it allowed her to take full control over the village and its inhabitants, ensuring that nobody would question her or her methods.

And why would nobody question her or her methods? Because, back when the village was just a village, the belief in divine beings was strong. There was no technology or modern medicine to rely on, so people resorted to praying in times of hardship (sickness, poverty, crop failure etc). It gave them hope and stability, and Miranda took full advantage of that.

In fact, I wouldn´t put it past Miri to be the one responsible for sudden outbreaks of sickness or the cattle perishing of some mysterious illness. She´d then swoop in as The Priestess, telling them a sacrifice was due (aka: a new specimen to work on), and, SURPRISE-

Mysteriously cured.

BUT, I digress-

It all comes down to her time period, basically. I´d like to think Miranda is a woman who values and clings to the old ways (except when it comes to medicine) and, back then, it was all about modesty. Something we see reflected in pretty much every village woman - they´re covered head to toe.

...And she´s also possessive af, let´s not forget that. I doubt she´d much like if her s/o ran around half-naked. Some things are meant for her eyes only, and vice versa. 🤭

(Miri got high standards that she expects her s/o to follow. I don´t make the rules. 🤷🏻‍♀️)

With that said, I could see her going for something like this:

(Source: https://h5.lazada.com.my/products/women-swimwear-for-girls-one-piece-swimsuit-with-chest-pads-long-sleeve-bathing-surfing-swimming-suit-i2966475023.html)

...She´s mayhaps making a compromise with the legs here.

(And she will deny those puppy eyes having anything to do with that down to her very last breath.)

.

.

.

...Not me being unable to get Miri in a diving suit out of my head now though. 😭🫠

Thanks a lot for your ask! 💋

[ajbullet]

My thoughts on PJO episode 3: part 2

Part one:

We have no food so I’m back

-Having Alecto outside the Garden was such a clever way of adding intensity to the scene and answers the question of like why didn’t they just leave?

-I loved the changed to them knowing who Medusa is right away. It fits the characters and the vibe of the story so much better

-MEDUSA Omgs

-She was perfect. Her outfit and voice and presence was just absolutely intimidating while also almost nurturing? I was confused as where I should trust her or not, which is the point.

-the way they changed her story was astonishing and all the better for it. Her devotion to Athena. The parallel to Annabeth and how they both worshiped a god who has never recognized them (besides the cap). Medusa’s blind faith and her hatred towards Poseidon after he used her.

-“I’m a survivor” 😘👌🏻 perfect delivery

-Medusa calling Poseidon a monster and it reminding Percy of what his mother said.

-HIM TRUSTING MEDUSA BECAUSE OF HIS MOTHER

-The parallels between Medusa and Sally. The unity Medusa believes they share.

-“I don’t think she’s like that” The only one who can speak about Annabeth like that is HIM

-The INSTANT Medusa mentions killing Percy’s friends he is out of there. Like most people have pointed out: a great nod to his fatal flaw of loyalty.

-The labyrinth was so freaking cool guys. Like wtf. That was amazing. I kept picturing the scene from the movie and it blew that out of the water (even tho that’s my favorite scene from the movie. I mean come on, the iconic iPod reflection? Shall never be forgotten) But the invisibility cap was really cool too

-Grover flying of into the distance, screaming his head off, and Percy and Annabeth just being like “whelp, new plan”

-THEM WORKING TOGETHER

-Annabeth watching Percy kill Alecto. Again, wasn’t sure exactly what she was feeling when I first watched it but looking back I think she’s finally realizing like, oh, this boy is more capable then I thought. Maybe he can be useful. Maybe he can do this. Maybe I have a crush on- wait no not possible. Eww.

-Them finally reconciling after Grover broke.

-Oh and I love that they made the uncle Ferdinand a more sad, meaningful moment. I mean, that part in the movie was funny, but that wouldn’t have fit the vibe at all and I think it really added to Grover’s character. I wanted to hug him.

-Leah’s expression after Percy says he picked her cause they could never be friends. She was hurt and it broke me.

-THOSE TWO ARE GOING TO FALL IN LOVE

-Percy not realizing Annabeth’s hat is so important. Then immediately giving it back.

-“I am impertinent” This boy is Percy incarnate.

-LIN MANUEL MIRANDA wtf I wasn’t ready. Jump scare bro. Like give a girl a heads up.

I’m sooooo excited for next episode!! I think it’s going to be one of the best yet. This episode was perfect in its changes and implications. It was a new take on what we’ve read and seen before and even tho some people are mad about it, you have to realize that they have to keep it new. They have to adjust and change and ADAPT! I knew what was going to happen but yet I didn’t and it kept it interesting to me. It was a job well done. Again, please comment or reblog with any other takes or add one because I love seeing everyone’s perspectives. Just please remember to be kind!

[copperbadge]

If its not too personal could you talk about what was the inspiration for Michaelis? He's got a lot of depth to him, especially for what could have been a one off character in the background after Fete. Also the way he mourns but carries on really resonates with me in Jes.

Oh sure! I mean, on the one hand it is quite personal but it's a kind of personal I really enjoy sharing. :D Michaelis began life as the Standard Hallmark Parent -- you see them a lot in the movies, the parent who is

1. Kinda grouchy

2. Usually pushing their kid slightly too hard in slightly the wrong direction (with the best of intentions)

3. Often a widow/er

4. Practically a cameo designed to stress out the lead, but easily attractive enough that they could be romantic lead themselves in the sequel.

There are actually several Hallmark films where the over-sixty characters are either the supporting romance in a one-off film or the main romance of a sequel film. (The Wedding Veil films, which despite their flaws are actually very enjoyable, have a Michaelis-like character for the mother of the male lead in the first movie, and she then becomes the major supporting romantic lead in the fourth movie.)

By the time I got to Michaelis talking to Eddie at the end of the script for Fete, I'd grown to really like him. When I adapted the script to a novel, I liked him even more. I thought that I could do a sequel with him getting jolted out of himself a bit -- and I was encouraged by how many people liked him in the initial read through. The main inspirations for the actual plot of Infinite Jes were, one, Gregory jokingly suggesting he do a podcast, and two, Michaelis's defensive dismissal of Gregory's question about what he's done for companionship since Miranda passed.

Over the course of writing Infinite Jes, he came to be a collection of themes I've explored or wanted to explore, sometimes themes I knew I wasn't skilled enough to handle yet. The core of him is based on a professor I worked with as a student; the confidence that occasionally tips into arrogance, the keen intellect that likes to take things apart, the ability to look at some toxic family traits and decide "RIP but I'm different" and be a present, nurturing masculine figure, all come from that professor, who had a huge impact on me.

But I have also been fascinated for decades now by a certain kind of character in fiction, someone who has had a devastating loss and keeps going, even if they aren't driven by something like revenge. Profound grief is difficult and fascinating for me, and I finally felt capable of exploring that fully, perhaps because the pressure on romance novels is a bit lower at times.

And honestly, a lot of him is me, processing the fact that I am aging in fandom. I'm older (44) than the oldest person I knew in fandom (38) when I joined it at the age of 14. I have, for lack of a better word, a position in fandom, a status, that affords me certain perks and requires of me certain obligations. Not to call myself elected king of fandom ("I didn't vote for him!") but the duty I feel to fandom, both as a culture that raised me and a found family, is very similar.

Most of my characters contain some of me, but Michaelis and Jerry contain far more of me than most, perhaps because I'm in a place to do some reflection. Michaelis -- intelligent, experienced, hopefully a mentor, but also lonely and detached at times -- is who I'm coming to grips with being; Jerry, the charming fuckup with power but no real clue how to use it, who is doing his best to grow up a little later than a lot of his peers and figure out how disability fits into his identity, is who I still see myself as.

So yeah -- I find Michaelis incredibly fun and compelling to write for, and I think that's because I had hit a skill level in my work where I could combine a lot of tropes and themes into one character and use him to explore why I enjoy them so much. But he definitely began life as the Hallmark Widowed Dad. :D Well, there are worse origin stories.

[sirtadcooper]

I was tagged by: @matbaynton - thank you! <3

Tag someone you want to know AND/OR some of your besties.

This turned into a monster of a thing so I'm sticking it under a cut!

Favourite colour: I am rubbish at this question. I love various colours in various contexts, but at the moment I am really gravitating towards greens. Green is a colour I haven't paid much attention to before, but for some reason over the last few months I have taken an interest in it. I even bought a solid green jumper!

Last song: When Things Explode by Unkle. It's a song I first heard on an episode of Person of Interest and it's now on one of my YouTube music playlists. Takes me right back!

Last movie: I had to check my Letterboxd for this - that's how often I'm watching films at the moment! It was the 1995 version of Persuasion that I rewatched at the end of August. A film I only discovered recently but has become one of those instant comforting favourites.

Currently watching: Oh heck - I'm struggling to keep track, there are so many! I'm watching The English at the moment. Also Outsiders series 2, Taskmaster series 16, New Girl (on season 2), This Farming Life series 6 with my dad on a Sunday morning, All Creatures Great and Small series 4, Fletchers' Family Farm series 2, Schitt's Creek with @phantomviola (on season 5), The Musketeers (series 2) and Black Books (series 3) with @userdjarin and who could forget Our Flag Means Death season 2 which has taken over my brain! Along with all that I squeezed in a Primeval series 2 rewatch which I finished the other night. [slaps roof of my brain] this bad boy can fit so many narratives in it.

Other stuff I watched this year: HAH! I have an IMDb list of TV shows I've watched this year! It's long as heck! Silk, The IT Crowd, Black Sails, The Last of Us, Lost in Space, Endeavour, The Terror, Arrested Development, Community, Vicious, Prehistoric Planet, Why Didn't They Ask Evans?, Ted Lasso, Miranda, The North Water, His Dark Materials, And Then There Were None, Jonathan Strange & Mister Norrell, The Great British Sewing Bee, The Bear, Blackadder, 30 Rock, Chernobyl and The Expanse. And those are just the ones worth mentioning! And some of these I watched four times! Okay, one thing. Okay, it was The Terror.

As for films, it's a poor show this year - I haven't watched as many (see above for reason why). I have seen the latest Spiderverse film and I've love to see Barbie!

Shows I dropped this year/didn’t finish: The Mandalorian (sob!), Vikings (I think I was maybe an episode or two shy of finishing the first season but... man... I just wasn't having fun), My Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (to be fair this might have been last year, I can't remember, but I know I stopped a few episodes into season 2), Fleabag (I watched one or two episodes... wasn't quite for me).

Currently reading: Darwin by Adrian J. Desmond and James R. Moore (about 100 pages in but I'm taking this one slow because I'm not hyperfixating on him) and Dead Famous by Greg Jenner which I am taking even slower. I've read quite a few books related to the Franklin Expedition this year (thanks, The Terror) and for a while I was reading pretty solidly but I guess that's what hyperfixation does to you!

Currently listening to: I'm not really listening to music much these days thanks to YouTube's annoying ad blocker pop-up so I'm typing this in silence, haha! But podcast-wise I'm doing great. Three Bean Salad is probably my favourite podcast at the moment. The humour is just too good, and I look forward to hearing the lads every week. I'm also binging The Rest is History which is a bit more serious but still has its fun moments. I'm also listening to Off Menu, No Such Thing as a Fish, The Bones Booth, Taskmaster: The Podcast, The Mariner's Mirror Podcast, and odd episodes of RHLSTP if I know the guest. I save podcasts for when I'm doing something like washing the dishes, walking or driving.

Currently working on: Now that the puppy I found at the end of August is vaccinated, she can go out and about, and that has led to me abandon the polymer clay for a while to return to a hobby that I haven't spent much time on since early 2020 at the latest. I wanted to make her some nice collars and leads so she looks smart for our walks which I will inevitably be photographing. I know it's kind of hard to see but I made this collar and lead for her.

I was a bit worried that I'd forgotten how to sew the leather but thankfully not. I have a few more straps of leather lying around that I'd like to make into collars and leads as well. And several rope leads that need whipping (you wrap thinner twine around the thicker rope to finish it and protect the end from fraying) but I'm having to take my time with those because the twine is murder on my soft, delicate, feminine hands. I can whip maybe four leads before my fingers are red. It's worth the pain!

Current obsession: Our Flag Means Death has taken over my life once again. Whatever happens in the finale next week, I know I will be a mess. Heck, I'm already a mess.

I'm tagging: some recent mutuals so we can get to know each other, but no pressure! @tigerballoons, @woofety, @jackharkness, @jddryder, @ajcrowleys and @skatingthinandice! <3

[chainofclovers]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

Thanks for the tag, @tunemyart!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

162

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

695,994

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Ted Lasso is the only fandom I'm actively writing in right now. In the past I've also written for Grace and Frankie and The Devil Wears Prada (DWP) as an actual active member of the fandom. I've also dabbled in Doubt, a specific National Theatre production of Twelfth Night, Dead To Me, Killing Eve, 9 to 5 (film), Supergirl, and Carol.

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

Even now, all five are DWP Miranda/Andy fics. That is wild.

Clean Rooms and Dirty Light

Lightyear

Twenty Questions

Ice Water

Calibrated

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I do! I think I've replied to nearly every comment I've received. I really, really appreciate comments no matter how quick or detailed they are and while I don't think writers have an obligation to respond to anything they don't want to, I always love hearing back from writers when I comment on their fic. Receiving a fic comment feels like an incredible opportunity to thank someone for reading and chat about the story. One of my favorite things about fandom is the interactive component; when I publish something in a lit mag, I might hear from a few people about it, but when I publish fic there's a built-in audience/community and I do not take that for granted.

6. What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Maybe "Millimeters" (Grace/Frankie), in which Grace ends the story pining for Frankie, who is in a relationship with someone else? But even that story doesn't actually have an angsty ending; by the time I published it, I was already in the process of publishing a multi-chapter fic that was the third and final part of the series and that has a very happy ending.

No matter how much angst I put characters through in fic, I am pretty committed to endings that have some degree of hope and at least the possibility of joy!

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

I could answer with so many fics, but I'll go with "The Adventure" (Ted/Rebecca) because its ending is explicitly about Rebecca appreciating her life, sharing this appreciation with Ted, and feeling happy about her immediate future.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

If I have, I've blocked it out. I often put a note on my fics saying I am open to constructive criticism, and while I occasionally get criticism/questions/requests for additional tagging/etc. (all of which I welcome!), I've never gotten a properly hateful comment.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Absolutely! The sex I write tends to be relatively feelings-y, but that doesn't mean it isn't smutty! I absolutely love writing sex and a significant portion of my stories contain some kind of explicit content. I'm not totally sure what "what kind" means but by this point I've written solo sex, couple sex, and group sex in a variety of queer and hetero contexts. I've written more femslash sex than anything else, but I love writing it all!

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

I have tried but never successfully published any. I was really trying to make a DWP + Grace and Frankie crossover work for a long time but it just isn't the way my brain operates. I did write a story about Grace and Frankie watching Killing Eve with their ex husbands, though! :D

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not word-for-word/reposted, but I've had significant passages and concepts from fic plagiarized. It annoyed me.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Not yet but some may be in the works?! I've had lots of fic podficced before, and while all the podfics are in the same language, they still feel in some ways like a delightful act of translation.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Yes! The Ted Lasso Ted/Beard podfic @boglady, @podklb, and @rockinhamburger "Just Missed You," which we created for @pod-together.

I've also collaborated more loosely on a couple fics, like the Ted/Rebecca fic "Rebecca Welton, 2021" (@boglady wrote the first chapter and gave me permission to write chapter two and @diane-lockharts permission to write chapter three) and the Beard/Ted + pre-Beard/Rebecca/Ted fic "Before and After" (@theodore-lasso wrote the first chapter and gave me permission to write a chapter two).

I might be forgetting something older, but those are the ones that come to mind.

14. What's your all-time favorite ship?

Impossible question! When I'm fixated on something it's my most favorite thing forever in a way that sort of limits my ability to think broadly and actually answer the question. So it FEELS like my answer is a tie between Ted/Rebecca and Ted/Rebecca/Keeley/Roy and Beard/Rebecca/Ted and any Ted/soulmate situation and that might actually be accurate because I can't recall my brain deep-diving into character quite like this before. But also, Miranda/Andy?! To have started writing about them in 2008 and to still read them sometimes and to have beta-read stories about within the last few months...that's some wild staying power, man.

15. What's the WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Oof, I've had a couple barely-started AU ideas for Ted Lasso that I am just 100% sure I'll never have the energy to write. Everything else, never say never! Either I don't want to finish and won't or I want to finish and might!

16. What are your writing strengths?

Detail, I think? I really love thinking about super-specific sensory experiences and exactly how a character would feel and respond, and trying to carve "meaning" from the ordinary little details that stack up to form life.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I sometimes struggle with blocking and describing movements. I also struggle a lot with conveying big feeling transitions. For instance, I might be able to write yearning, and I might be able to write that same character in a reciprocal relationship with the person they once yearned for, but that moment when things change can be really hard to write.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

As long as it's in-character, yeah! I don't think I've really had cause to do this. The closest thing recently might be Rebecca sending a text message in Dutch. I didn't translate it; translating it wasn't required to understand the meaning of the story, so it was more like a bonus for anyone who cared to translate it.

I don't love it when a character who speaks multiple languages peppers their speech with random well-known-to-English-speaking-audiences words in a non-English language when it feels like the writers is just reminding the reader about this fact about the character. But I love it when it's done in a way that resembles how people actually switch between languages as they speak!

19. First fandom you wrote for?

The Devil Wears Prada, back in 2008!

20. Favorite fic you've ever written?

Fic I haven't published yet! Always gotta have aspirations. <3

"Lavender II" (Beard/Rebecca/Ted) is a fic that I worked incredibly hard on and feel proud of because it just ended up being what I wanted and needed it to be, so maybe that's my favorite out of stuff I've actually already written.

tagging in a no-pressure way: anyone who was tagged throughout my answers + @talldecafcappuccino @dollsome-does-tumblr @broadwayfreak5357 @itsagutthing @kittensittin @thesumdancekid @fandomfrolics @waywardted @sapphicscholar @majolination + anyone who sees this and wants to do it (I probably meant to tag you anyway!)

[royalreef]

@archivalwrite || Continued from here.

"Dying is a privilege," Miranda says on near impulse, the first words to arrive in her mind and the only words to pass out through her lips. Silence settles after it, Miri still with her head to Liam's neck, not even sure herself why she's said it. It being her action makes it no more clear than if she was watching someone else, which is of a theme that Miranda cannot be surprised by anymore.

Taking stock of her own actions and words is not something she knows how to do. Sure, she was taught to think back over how she held herself, what she did, mark down these facts so that she could analyze them later, estimate how others would perceive her acting and how better to alter her next performance. But the deed itself remains inscrutable to her.

Why shouldn't it? No one ever did any good getting introspective. There were things to do, people to be, plans to place into motion. Navel-gazing was just going to waste valuable time needed elsewhere, on taking action and thinking ahead. The past was already done. Miranda moved without her fully willing it, and she spoke on command. That was all she really needed to do. Presence was its own merit. She was going to upset herself if she continued like this, and then the great joy of simply having things done for her by her would vanish. Then she'd start thinking of things, and feeling things, and keep going, and going, and going, and she knew what happened when she got too caught up in her own head.

Just stop it. Now.

Liam surely didn't care about all of four words, and why should Miranda? She said plenty of things all the time. These were whispered down into his neck, a non-starter, not even answering his question. Nothing worth saying was ever said in four words. She could have picked any that she knew in any language, arranged them how she wanted, and it wouldn't mean anything, so why should this? It was stupid. She was spiraling in this act alone, and she needed to stop.

Say something else. Move on already. She was making it weird, trying to make this into something else.

Against Liam's side, he would be able to feel the shift of her arms. Not much, no. They were still tucked beneath her own body, Miri resting the front of her chest up against them as another means of support, but she couldn't help but flex her hands, pushing her claws against her palms. Somewhere more distant still, the tip of her tail flicked, sweeping from side to side.

"I am just... thinking," she tries again, better this time. A better line for her to say, a better thing to speak into the silence, a better turn of the wheel. This means something, oh yes, something better and something right. This is what she meant to say, she's sure of it. "You know, to be... To be human, and then to not be human anymore. To belong to someone, and then to wake up the next day and to not belong to them anymore. And you have different needs than them, and you feel things differently than they do, and you think of things differently than they do, and you are hurt by things they do not and you have to continually worry of hurting them in ways you cannot intend... You knew how to exist, and then suddenly you are the odd one out who does not.

And you cannot make them understand, right? They would have to be vampires to understand, as you clearly did not just remain as they are with extra steps, you are something new, but... But you cannot bridge that gap? And you want to, you used to, but..."

Miranda shoved her tongue up against her front teeth, making a low hiss of frustration that filled an equivalent space to her body and then even more. An airy sound, one that seemed sourceless, but one which also reached down to the heart as if to shock it into motion.

"I am not making myself very clear, am I?"

[rxttenfish]

you know, i think the thing about miranda that most make or breaks if any given writing for her is any good, is that you just can't tell if she's doing something on purpose or not.

she switches hard from cute, innocent, head full of fluff and so oblivious and kinda stupid that she matches scott, to having such expertise and cruelty in manipulation and being able to not only get her way but to get it with such violence that it takes everyone else aback — and there is NO way for any other character in the situation to tell if both really are true and equal aspects of her personality and who she is, or if she really is planning this all along and all the innocence was just a farce.

both are given equal weight by miranda, both seem equally likely, and both are roles that miranda inhabits so wholly that there's not really any flaws anyone can find in either one of them. you expect one, the other one catches you off guard. for someone who makes such a show of wearing her heart on her sleeve, it is incredibly hard to actually tell what's going through miranda's brain at any given moment.

[niceminipotato]

So I'm here looking through things because why not. Anyway I was trying to figure out how she'd come across Rose or why she would have her and this is what I came up with...

So Ethan failed in saving his daughter. There's no way he would leave her after everything he tried to do because of course he failed in killing the lords. Miranda, however, she's dead. Ethan succeeded in that at least lol. So Ethan and Miranda are dead and I suppose that by proxy so is Mia. Ok so now that that's taken care off let's get on with it.

can picture the lords going to the blown up ritual site and looking around all dejected and stuff. You know, because finally they all realize what Heisenberg was saying was true and Miranda didn't care for them. To her they were just the means to an end. Anyway they're looking around and what's left of the black god spews a fully formed baby Rose (no brain capacity to figure this out, there was a black blurb and it spit out Rose)

The four of them would be shocked that in its last dregs the black god decided to bring a baby before it completely burned away. So there they have Rose, who is crying up a storm.

Sal tries to touch her and she wails even louder so he flinches away.

Karl takes one look at her, grimaces, then walks away to explore some more.

Angie's over there talking about how the thing is so loud as if she's not also screeching.

Donna hushes Angie then goes to hide behind

Alcina as if the baby will go do something to her.

She's still really interested though so she keeps peeking around Alcina.

Now Alcina.. she's just looking at the baby with a slight frown. Then slowly she reaches out but Donna stops her and tells her to take off her glove. She does even though she doesn't want to.

Then she tries to reach again and gently traces

Rose's knuckles.

Rose doesn't stop crying immediately but her wailing turns to soft cries which then become whines that become sniffles until she's quiet.

Alcina goes to stop but baby Rose takes a hold of her finger with her tiny fist and though the weak grip would do nothing to deter Alcina, she cannot bring herself to pull away. So there she is with a sleeping Rose holding onto her as if she wasn't a sadistic killer.

Sal approaches again and so does Karl. Karl grumbles that she has to keep it and Sal nods along.

Alcina wants to argue but one look at the rest of her siblings and she knows that no one is suited.

She isn't suited either but she is a mom to vampiric/cannibalistic fly girls so close enough.

Angie says it looks almost like an angel when it's quiet.

Donna still peeking around Alcina, who is certain if she could see her sister's face there would be wonder shining in her eyes.

Reluctantly Alcina picks up the baby, almost certain she will start to cry once their skins make contact. To her surprise despite her chilled skin Rose just nestles into her neck and continues on to sleep. Baby Rose's actions warm her heart. But then an important question surfaces... what does she feed this tiny little one again? 🤣

Wonder how the girls would react when they first meet this new little thing 😉

This is just some drabble. Hope you enjoy how my brain thinks sometimes.

Silly sketches. 

Alcina adopts Rose AU. Diane Keaton-esque comedy ensues. 

[kindchenschema]

girl I don't even go here (watch greys anatomy) but I'm enjoying the talk between u n anon lmaoo. Should I watch it hmm? 🤔

omg hey new anon bff! welcome to the madness.

yes u absolutely should. it's 20 seasons (but barring a few gems like the weed cookie episode (14x20) and the return of our lord and savior addison montgomery in season 19 it goes pretty downhill after like season 12 so you can stop watching there 🙏), it's messy af (how old is the main character? why is the chief of surgery who wanted to retire in season 1 still going strong in season 20 (love u my old man bestie richard #1 protector of lesbians) ? how many national tragedies can/should one hospital endure before the government shuts it down? and many such questions) and - speaking of national tragedies - it's DRAMATIC. secret wife. secret half-sister. other secret half-sister. OTHER other secret half-sister. cutting of certain wires. elevators. carousels. ferry boats. bombs. guns. men who go rogue. buses who go rogue. amazing plane ticket bargains. semi trucks that make me believe mermelia can be real. secret ivf children.

(there was also a covid season we do not talk about the covid season.)

but most importantly the WOMENNNNN

my personal top 9 (from left to right up to down) (yes i downloaded a collage maker and made a collage its that serious) are:

addison(my wife) amelia(my second wife. its a polyamorous marriage got a problem with that ?) lexie(our adopted genius child) cristina(my intj soulmate) maggie(our other adopted genius child) arizona(my rollerskating buddy) dr. bailey(whose first name is miranda but i'm not close to her like that) izzie(who's advancing feminism with her groundbreaking work in the heavily male-dominated field of kidnapping, apparently) and zola(our adopted genius goddaughter).

they're all very shippable(EXCEPT ZOLA), canon lesbian couples include callie x arizona which i'm sure you know about, mika x taryn in the recent season, kai x amelia which will 100% be endgame so true 💯 and also carina x maya from station 19 which is a spin-off of grey's. and i guess the other ones would be considered spoilers but there's more 🙏

AND the femslash potential is immaculate. right now my fav ship is addison x amelia(me and the other four people who ship them write really great fic i swear), and the more popular ships would be addison x meredith(she's the main girl and i like her too but not enough to be in my top 9 sorryy google her if u want), amelia x arizona(the fandom will welcome you immediately they're so sweet) and cristina x teddy(which i cannot begin to describe to you how third eye open this ship is like there is simply nothing more intelligent. iykyk). people also ship cristina x meredith sometimes and i prefer them as platonic soulmates but i support their cause ❗��

(also as u kno i've been keeping up with the newest eps and there's material for dyke delusions in there too ! lowkey i ship simone with addison meredith and dr.bailey send tweet)

the men are all annoying except my aforementioned emotional support grandpa richard and joe the gay bartender. some storylines (or recently the lack thereof) make you want to jump in front of a bus (lol.) and also all the actors hate each other irl LMFAO so yeah in conclusion it's rlly camp it's great yapping material and you should definitely watch it. and come to my askbox to yap about it with me 😌

[hellmouth-manor]

Mithridates, sixth of his name // Poppy // Trial 3.1

Her hair had looked very beautiful floating around her, Poppy thinks. Her repose had been surprisingly gentle despite the conditions; even if Poppy knows better than to say the dead look like they’re sleeping, Miranda had looked serene in some odd way as they’d turned her around to inspect her wounds. Red water, like petals around her. Her hair, like a soft, living halo.

They hadn’t known her well. They found it easy to wade through the coppery water to her, to handle her like the shell she had become, devoid of humanity. She had weighed next to nothing. Almost like a doll.

Poppy walks to the podium next to Alou, giving him a quick glance as they try to determine if he was feeling heartbroken, and then towards Mari. They can’t tell how either is feeling.

They don’t feel sad over Miranda’s death, not really. Still, in life they had learned something from her.

How to order drinks at Starbucks.

It’s a small thing. Insignificant, really, in the grand scheme of things. But it was still something. It’s a weird realisation, how the small things still make a difference – how every trail left behind, be it by a giant or by an ant, exists all the same.

After Mari is done speaking, Poppy nods slowly.

“… I can confirm that the flowers picked from the garden were foxgloves… Digitalis. Some were growing nearby.”

“As for the poisoning… someone was having tea together with Miranda at the pool. There were two tea cups – one was broken, its shards on the floor, and one was left on the table… Both of them smelled slightly floral, as befitting of foxglove, which could imply both of them ingested the poison... A daring move, though the other was only half-drank. ” 

They momentarily frown, tail sweeping at the sand behind them in a large arc. 

“Microdosing can refer… to poisoning someone long term, yes… but it can also imply microdosing a poison on oneself to build an immunity, also known as mithridatism after the famous king Mithridates, who grew paranoid of being poisoned by his enemies so he began to ingest poisons to build an immunity… Whoever did this must have been meticulous and clever – they had calculated a dosage which they could work up from… to work up to build an immunity for themself or to poison someone long term? That is the question…” “We should also consider… the possibility that Miranda was the poisoner, just in case… We do not know her real cause of death… and if the poisoner had been so meticulous, I wonder why they would have gone for a stabbing in the end… unless they got impatient, or were afraid that Miranda might survive the poison and wanted to… ensure the end result.”

[thefanficmonster]

can i req for some lord heisenberg headcanons where reader is like very emotionless and their ability is kind of like venom/a symbiote? i feel like karl would be really interested in a lord that doesn't react to his taunts at all and doesn't see him like how lady d or miranda sees him

bonus if everytime karl makes an amazing move they pat him on the head gently and saying "good job" still emotionless lol

Sure thing dear! Enjoy 💕

Pairing: Karl Heisenberg x Reader (Gender Neutral) [Resident Evil Village]

Warnings: SPOILERS for Resident Evil Village, Mentions of human experimentation, Mentions of blood, violence and death, Swearing

Genre: Humor

The moment Karl met you, he was intrigued, puzzled by you and the way you made your way through the world with an exceptional poker face

That’s also the exact moment he set himself the goal of either making you crack a smile or pissing you off to the point of throwing him through a wall

He was willing to take either, still is

But you’re giving him nothing to work with

Never have, never will

You struggled with your emotions a lot prior to the experiments you underwent but after them you were an entirely different person

An emotionless one

Although to some that may sound like a nightmare, you’ve found it to be quite the calm and content way to live

You’ve never given into anyone’s desire to make you laugh for their ego boost nor have you indulged anyone who’s tried to anger you for their own entertainment

In fact, you’re the one on the receiving end of said entertainment when the tables flip and the person poking a stick at you is the one growing frustrated by how indifferent you are to their existence in its entirety

Karl falls under that category

He’s a walking vending machine for sarcastic, witty quips that get an eye-roll or a groan from Mother Miranda and Alcina while managing to draw at least some laughter from the crowd, curtesy of Angie and Moreau

You rarely spare him more than a side glance 

And that drives him fucking nuts

“Oh come on! That was one of my better ones!“ He’d complain, going as far as to cross his arms over his chest even

Whether an intentional tactic to make you laugh or not, it still gets and internal chuckle to dance around in your chest whereas your exterior remains unbothered

“What can I say, you were born to be a clown but if that doesn’t work out you can always be a comedian.“

Now that gets a laugh from everyone, almost from him as well but he’s got enough pride not to give in which means the playing field is somewhat leveled 

That is also reflected in your powers, both of you being the two most powerful Lords in Miranda’s clan

But that doesn’t mean you don’t fight alongside one another from time to time

Why take on the enemy alone when you can save some time and effort by getting an extra set of powers involved, right?

And if you two can’t have each other’s backs, who can? Neighbors are obligated to be looking out for each other

Oh, right, did I fail to mention his factory is right next to your observatorium? Well, imagine how much fun it is to have this man you like referring to as ‘raccoon’ as a neighbor

Of course, you’re not exactly buddy-buddy with one another, but you have helped him prevent several explosions in his factory 

Whereas he saved your ass when a pack of rabid lycans broke through and entered your quarters, thirsty for blood

You and the many little animals you’ve adopted over the years were most certainly not ready for that but Karl seemed to have been

Weapons of all kinds, all metal, were flung at the creatures, some hitting them, others chasing them away before the gate to your quarters was promptly propped shut with the help of Karl’s powers

“I’ll fix it properly later!“ He called out to you, standing all tall and proud amidst the garden that had been ambushed seconds ago

How he got there was beyond you but you never bother questioning much about Heisenberg

“You can thank me then“ He continued, watching cautiously as you approached him, “There, now we’re even. You can’t flaunt anymore. I’m just as good as you are.“

God knows how laughable you found his claim but the closest you could come to laughing was patronizing, so you did just that

“Of course you are, Heisy. Good job.“ You said, emphasizing your mocking words with a complimentary pat to his head

And just like that, a habit you enjoy and one he hates was created

Patronizing him till he starts hating you, and then till he can no longer hold back his laughter

[perfectmisslawson]

some quick notes on miranda

(long ass post warning and i didn‘t edit this because my executive function disorder brain won‘t allow it so no beta we die like men)

contrary to what some people might believe, miranda doesn‘t think she is superior to other people because she‘s genetically modified. look what she says here:

‚You should know I‘ve had extensive genetic modification. Not my choice, but I make the best of it.‘

miranda doesn‘t seem to feel guilty for it, because it wasn‘t her choice. but she also doesn‘t feel like she‘s superior for having perfect genetics (which i feel a lot of people accuse her of), because she knows she only has those because her father paid for it. it isn‘t something she can take credit for. i think she knows she‘s got ‚unfair‘ advantages but she doesn‘t dwell on it - she makes the best of it. she‘s not ashamed to point it out, because it‘s just a fact - if other people interpret her stating the facts as her being cocky and feeling superior to others, that‘s their fault for falsely interpreting what she says. i also think she likes to point out how she‘s good at everything because before joining cerberus her whole life she believed she was a failure - her father constantly criticized her and picked her apart her entire childhood, how could she not believe she was a failure at everything she did?

that time when miranda instantly mentions what she is capable of (‚worried about my qualifications? i can crush a mech with my biotics or shoot its head off at a hundred yards. take your pick.“) isn‘t her bragging. it is miranda preemptively assuming that shepard is potentially doubting her qualifications. because her entire childhood miranda was constantly fighting a battle - constantly having to prove herself to her father. so before shepard even gets the chance to express any doubts, miranda makes sure to tell him what she is capable of because she doesn‘t want to be in that unpleasant position again of having someone doubt her. because she knows she is not the failure her father claimed she was.

she‘s still so traumatized from constantly being criticized, that she just instantly assumes shepard is worried about her qualifications. even though there should be no reason why shepard should be worried about her qualifications right from the start without a proper reason. it‘s the mindset abuse victims have.

miranda isn‘t bragging when she mentions her capabilities. she‘s just avoiding being vulnerable, or she is responding to questions - such as that time when she mentions what benefits she had from her modifications because shepard asked. she wouldn‘t have listed it off if shepard didn‘t ask - which is exactly what conceited people do who like to brag.

miranda, in my opinion, even downplays her modifications. when shepard asks what level of modification she‘s talking about she says

‚It‘s very thorough. Physically, I‘m superior in many ways. I heal fast and I‘ll likely live one time and half again as long as the average human. My biotics are also very advanced - for a human. Add to that some of the best training and education that money could buy and well, it‘s pretty impressive really.“

she‘s got far more modifications than just her lifespan, faster healing and biotics. if miranda really were that conceited she could have listed them all but she didn‘t. she gave shepard a quick run down of the most relevant ones (biotics and healing for instance are relevant to mention because it matters in a combat setting). she‘s not even mentioning her genetically modified intelligence here. she doesn‘t mention that until later. note how she also adds her biotics are only strong by human standards. would a person that is so conceited really mention that? if she were so conceited and self obsessed she‘d use every opportunity to get to brag. and she‘d definitely be mentioning something like superior intelligence much earlier if that were the case.

the rumor that miranda thinks she‘s something better because of her perfect genetics is definitely just a myth, and whoever claims she‘s bragging all the time is wrong

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Wisdom of the Ancients

The plethora of floor-length, ruffled, high-necked dresses in stores this past winter heralded a shift back to pioneer days in fashion. Now that the Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade, the country is reverting to pioneer days in women’s health and bodily autonomy, with the help of Laura Ingalls Wilder — I mean Amy Coney Barrett.

If this feels like a kind of betrayal, that’s because it is. Justice Barrett, along with Justices Brett Kavanaugh, Samuel Alito, and Neil Gorsuch, declared during their confirmation hearings that they would commit to obey the rules of “stare decisis” — the legal doctrine of respecting judicial precedent — if they were ever to consider Roe v. Wade.Kavanaugh even called Planned Parenthood v. Casey a “precedent upon precedent” — so, doubly challenging to overturn. Their spoken commitment to precedent, under oath, turned out to be not much of a commitment. (As Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), a staunch Kavanaugh supporter — whined, she was “misled” by Kavanaugh, since he made a pinky promise to her that he wouldn’t overturn Roe.)

It’s not that precedents are never overturned. SCOTUS has overturned more than 200 in its history. But it is, actually, a Big Deal. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. called it a “jolt to the legal system” to overrule a precedent. And most often, they are overruled in favor of more rights, not fewer. Brown v. Board of Education, for example, overruled a precedent of legal segregation that stood for 60 years; Miranda v. Arizona overturned two precedents, giving an accused person the right to remain silent and not self-incriminate. (SCOTUS is busy chipping away on that, too.) And of course Loving v. Virginia overturned the blatantly racist ban on interracial marriage that had stood since Pace v. Alabama in 1883.

The question now is whether this court will use its disdain for precedent not to improve existing laws but to reverse the legal march of progress. There’s much talk that the court won’t stop at abortion but could continue to whisk away other rights, like gay marriage (granted via 2015’s Obergefell v. Hodges) and even contraception (made legal, though only for married couples, in Griswold v. Connecticut in 1965).

How far back can the court go? Pretty far, it turns out. Alito reached all the way to the 17th century to support his opinion. His arguments came from Sir Matthew Hale, a judge who died in 1676. Hale was an upstanding gentleman who believed that women who charged men with rape should not be trusted. He believed that marital rape was an oxymoron. And he believed in ghosts and witchcraft and presided at a trial where he sentenced two witches to death. Indeed, I am not certain that the ghost of Antonin Scalia, the original originalist, wasn’t directing Alito’s hand like a ouija board as he penned his opinion.

If Alito really wants to reach back in history, he should take into account that from 1776 until the mid-19th century, abortion was not illegal. Unless you were a slave: Slaveowners wanted as many enslaved children as possible to shore up their numbers and enhance their reputations.

But historical arguments supporting abortion are out there, too. No less a patriot and founding father than Benjamin Franklin had a recipe for an herbal abortifacient to solve what he considered the problem of unwanted pregnancies. But let’s not stop at the 16th or 17th century. Why not go back further, to the much-respected Stoics? They believed the fetus was a plant until it was born, when it became an animal. And Aristotle, a guy everyone quotes, thought that abortion was fine before “ensoulment” (which came sooner for male than for female fetuses, but that’s another story).

The court’s decision on Roe last week is terrible news for all women, most especially women of color, women who live in poverty, and women who are survivors of domestic violence. But it’s also terrible news for what we call the march of progress, as enshrined in legal milestones that many of us assumed were part of the foundation of the modern United States. That march is hampered and reversed by this Supreme Court. The conservative justices are short-sighted and tunnel-visioned and out of touch with what the majority of Americans want. Their decision will be responsible for the very preventable deaths of women across the nation, and it may also set a precedent for future harms.

[T.J. Ford]

[hapigairu]

Yup. Not to mention that those who managed to flee the battle would tell the king what happened, and... well. Leicester is headed for very troubled times.

Hm. "Cause" has such a nice ring to it. You can imagine she's after something noble (and maybe she believes that lie herself) and not, well... you know. In a way, I get that translating hadou might be a tad difficult (if you want her lines to flow naturally), but there were other ways to show what Edelgard’s path really is without using such pretty, shiny words.

Doesn't she say this in the Zahras chapter, when Dimitri is within earshot lol? “Ya hear that, Meat Tree? I won’t rest until your country is gone” I think people take her line "It's not too late Dimitri, abandon the Central Church and return to your people" as proof that she's not after Faerghus (and then they say that Dimitri is crazy and paranoid for correctly thinking that she's not going to stop at the Church)... But that's just one line against many, many lines/actions etc. Her supports with Balthus, the scene where she says that she's going to conquer Leicester but not through military means, her line about Faerghus' disappearance being better for her, the fact that she continues to wage war against the kingdom even after Rhea is dead in both SB and GW... Like, be honest and admit your waifu is waging a war of conquest instead of forcing your warped vision of her onto everybody who isn't a stan. But anyway... yeah, I guess a certain fanfic being shoved down people's throats for its "amazing" analysis of Edelgard has... certainly caused some damage.

Which is rich coming from her because at some point she's like "Remember my teacher, if you think of people as either allies or enemies, it will be hard for you to grasp the truth." This "you're either with me or against me" stance applies to everyone but her. And by allies, she mostly means lackeys who won’t question her...

Hm, it’s possible, but then why would she oust Thales from Enbarr? I don't feel like she's any different from GW or SB (save for part 2 obviously)…Unless Thales used magic on her after he’s been chased out of the capital as a way to keep tabs on her or whatever? Or maybe it could be the magic equivalent of a chip that he could activate if Edelgard openly rebels against them (kind of like the chip Miranda wanted to implant in Shepard in Mass Effect 2). Problem is, the Agarthans being this shrewd would have forced the writers to actually write them better... That said, considering how the unification of Fodlan has been the Empire’s dream for a long time, it’s likely she’d end up wanting to fulfil her father’s (and ancestors') goals even if the memories she regains are from before the experiments she underwent. So… yeah, Edelgard’s situation is a big mess lol.

I don't know if you've ever watched Wentworth, but there's a somewhat similar situation in the last seasons where a character comes back, but without any memory of their previous deeds (and oh boy were they bad). Obviously, there's the question of whether or not they're faking it but it also raises some other questions about the accountability of someone who has no recollection of their crimes, what do you do with them, etc. If that were the case, I guess Dimitri would put her on house arrest? She wouldn't be free, but she wouldn't be rotting in a dirty cell either (or be executed). And if she does regain her memories... well, it'll depend. But considering how uncompromising she is, executing her would probably be the safest option because, as you said, she caused a lot of suffering and people will expect her to be punished accordingly. The only thing that could prevent (or delay) her execution is the information she's holding (or whatever information Faerghus thinks she's holding) about the Agarthans, Anselma, the Tragedy of Duscur, etc.

Yeah, the devs never seemed to know what to do with Claude (even in Houses)… They did say they wanted to write a story with the Claude they originally envisioned, which… yeah, wasn’t Claude anymore. Claude would think beyond short-term gains, Clod… does not. What’s worse, Clod isn’t the only casualty… Characters like Marianne were also completely twisted to fit in GW and even then, their reasons for fighting the Church and the Kingdom are pathetic.

(Which reminds me of this whacky dialogue in the last chapter of GW with Jeritza and Mercedes. Jeritza “Mercedes, please… stop”, Mercedes (who until now was fighting against Leicester to defend the Church) “Okay, lil’ bro” *proceeds to attack the Church one second later… Like, what?)

Yup… Ferdinope was a mistake… I know I’m repeating myself, but if only he had been a recruit in AG part 2… AG shows you that it was possible to recruit characters without having to fight them first, so it could’ve been possible to add a scene where a soldier from the Kingdom finds Ferdie and asks Dimitri what to do with him. If you decide to lock him up and speak to him after the end of the war, he doesn’t join you, but if you decide to talk with him about the recent developments in the Empire etc., he joins you. I don’t know… Ferdie deserved better…

I mean, I’m not going to disagree with you about the importance of hearing both sides before making up your mind, you’re absolutely right about that. Unfortunately, it’s easier for people to believe one side (while dismissing the other(s)) because it doesn’t require them to dig under the surface. It’s kind of like when people discriminate against immigrants because they’re “taking their jobs”… The Immigrants are an easy target right in front of them (so to speak) unlike the people who are really responsible for the current state of the world. Of course, there are many other factors to take into account. But trying to be as objective and fair as possible requires effort, and not everyone is willing to make it.

The only thing that bothers me about the Erwin thingy, is that you have a knight who says something like “I’m not looking forward to telling the count” once you win the battle (in Japanese, he’s saying “Damn it, you pests (well… more like “you stopped/interrupted/stood in our way but it sounds a bit weird)… What will I tell the Count?”). And these soldiers (or general, according to the datamine) are letting monsters roam free… So it sounds like it’s a bit more than just hearing one side of the story in that it implicates him? Still, it’s difficult to know for sure what was going on. Maybe Erwin wasn’t even aware about the generals using monsters to attack the merchants?

I’d say that Sylvain understands deep down, but he’s still disappointed/sad about Leif running away? Like when you understand where someone is coming from but you can’t help but feel a certain way about it? Or maybe they got really close to the point where Leif told him (or them) about his family and how things weren’t exactly rosy so Sylvain assumed he’d be happy to stay in Faerghus only to be proven wrong (because, as you said, why would Leif be content with being a prisoner away from his people?)? Ultimately, I think their… conflict wouldn’t be too hard to solve post-AG. They could come to an understanding and even become friends (like, real friends without a power imbalance between them) if they manage to negotiate a treaty between the two countries.

And to think an NPC we see in only one paralogue would have more personality than Whodislava (love that nickname, it really suits her lol) who had two games (and potential too).

True, and unlike Petra, Leif was offered up as a POW by his own father (aka Sreng's leader). You could argue that Petra - being the future queen of Brigid - couldn't afford to risk the safety of her people by running away or that she'd be afraid for them should she turn her back on the Empire once Edelgard starts her war, but that's not her reasoning at all in Hopes, so… But thank goodness we can recruit her and make her see the error of her ways in AG. Thank goodness we have AG.

For sure, he'd do something, considering his entire personality revolves around protecting his sister... yeah. It's also possible that Holst being "conveniently" ill during Edelgard's paralogue was his way of not supporting the Empire taking over Leicester lol. And yes, Nader does die during the battle...

Yes, needless to say between Almyra's aggressivity towards Fodlan and the Empire's military expeditions, there will still be a lot of conflicts. Edelgard might think that because the people of Almyra don't believe in the Goddess, she can foster a peaceful relationship with them only to realise that - Pikachu face - Fodlan's Throat is here for a reason. And while her army is busy "visiting" other countries (meaning there wouldn't be as many willing soldiers to protect her Empire), Almyra could catch wind of it and attack.

Oh, sorry, no I meant in Fire Emblem Heroes:

Like when you give her a blessing, or... whatever it is you can give your heroes, she mentions that her path is that of military rule.

There's a reason why she's so deadset on pursuing Dimitri. She knows he's loved by his subjects, and allowing him to live will only undermine her conquest. No matter how much the stans want to ridicule Dimitri for (rightly) assuming that she's not after his head, the fact is she's very clear about this through both her actions and her words. She wants the Kingdom to disappear and continues her invasion even after Rhea's death. Makes me think that her whole "What do you mean it's not enough to kill your foes?" isn't a genuine question at all, but a way to gauge Claude's exact stance on this. She's known for assessing the people she engages with (peacefully or not) even if she quite often ends up drawing the wrong conclusion.

Yeah, true. Although I'm bappy to think of a post-AM where Lysithea is cured and lives happily with Cyril while working with Hanneman (and/or Linhardt), that whole Crest-removing doesn't make much sense. How would that even work? You mean like if the true Edelgard ceased to exist once TWS' experiments on her started? I mean, I wouldn't put it past them to do something of this calibre. But it wouldn't be that difficult to indoctrinate and manipulate her into hating and wanting to do away with the Nabateans considering how young she was when it happened. Feel free to correct me if I'm missing something though!

True, but on the other hand, some people might want her to be punished for her deeds, and you can't exactly punish a woman trapped in the mind of a 10-year-old child. Well... you could, technically, but I doubt Dimitri would stand for that.

There's something that slightly bothers me about Hopes!Claude actually; we know from Houses that he acts as though he's not a hardworking student when he actually spends a lot of nights researching and studying during his year at Garreg Mach. So why didn't he do that during the two years that preceded the war? I understand that he must have been super busy with Alliance stuff, but even so, wouldn't he study Fodlan's history whenever he got time? Wouldn't he visit the monastery in 1181 (it would have been open this year around, right?) to conduct some research or ask someone to do that for him? Granted, it's not like he found all that much in Houses, but surely, as the leader of the Alliance, he'd have more leverage to uncover some of Fodlan's mysteries, no?

Nope, I checked, and it's both a JP and a localised thing! Here are both versions:

In Japanese, he says something like "Everyone (or we humans) is afraid of getting robbed, even if it's just their imagination (or a fantasy/in their heads). If we consider the point of view of the people of Faerghus(and people here doesn't just mean the nobles, but the commoners as well), they probably don't know what the Empire is up to." 

(Hopefully, someone smarter can confirm or correct me, just in case.) I don't think Ferdinand's remark is acceptable in either version, but the localisation seems to, uh... try to downplay the Empire's actions by suggesting the Kingdom is probably exaggerating about their invaders? "We are so misunderstood :(, we don't mean to make these people suffer by taking over their lands through violence, we just want to take over their lands through violence even if it leads them to suffer (uwu?)." I'm assuming he's referring to the Empire's big and shiny reforms, but... we both have the same opinion on these lol.

Regarding Erwin, I think most people got upset about him not being behind the assassination of Claude's murder?  And Ignatz and Raphael's paralogue doesn't paint him in the best light, was this ever addressed in Hopes? I don't remember... It's just a bit odd to think the Erwin we now know (someone very dedicated to the protection of his people even if it means looking like a weathervane) would turn a blind eye to what's been happening to merchants going to Riegan territory. He wouldn't mind stopping House Riegan from getting even wealthier, that's for sure, but since he did punish whoever was responsible (bar the 'mastermind') for what happened to the Duke and Raphael's parents, why does he allow this to continue in the Houses timeline? Anyway, it would have been interesting to see more political struggles in the Alliance (and even the Federation, I suppose... why was the plot about the three minor houses wanting to defect to the Kingdom relegated to side-quests? Ugh, the more I think about GW and what it could have been, the more frustrated I get...)

As for Matthias, I think Sylvain is like "Ohh, father is doing his best as well I see.  Was he in good health?", which... might suggest that he's not as surprised as he is in the localisation? Which would make more sense considering, well... can you imagine if the Margrave responsible for keeping Sreng at bay didn't pull his weight? In any case, I really liked what they did with Matthias and I'm glad our Faerghus cuties got most of the best additions in Hopes.

Yeah, considering Sylvain's reaction towards him when he asks about... Miklan? ("Why do you even care? You're the one who left" or something like that) It's rather apparent that they bonded, if just a wee bit.

[therewasatale]

his scars

On Ao3.

Summary:  Each Lord had their own rules, and you have broken Lord Heisenberg's.

Note: I saw a bunch of fanarts with Heisenberg having a lot of scars, so I played with the idea.

Each Lord had their own rules. Which if their servants did not follow, they had to pay a heavy price.

Rules like that; you must not go to the lower levels of the factory alone. If Lord Heisenberg said something, you had to do it without question, especially for your own safety. And if you visited his private room, you always had to knock before entering.

You’ve always followed two of them. However, your attention slipped over the last one as you hurried out of the elevator to Heisenberg's room. At each step, you could feel the slow, rhythmic thumping of the factory from behind and below you as the various machines and tools worked non-stop. Every click, tap, or squeak has become as familiar to you as your very being.

Pulling closer the book you got from him a month ago, you tried to gather your thoughts about what you wanted to say. You'd have never thought a darker fantasy would appeal to you so much. It had a mystery, a bunch of different, but still interesting characters, and an oppressive background that the story slowly began to bring to light by the end of the first book. The ending was open for a promising sequel.

And you entered his room. Without knocking.

Inside, the smell of thick tobacco and oil rushed your senses.

"Heisenberg, I brought back the book! And imagine it's already-"

"WHAT IN THE LIVING HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!" He yelled.

You froze in place in the doorway. The sudden shout shook you up completely and you gripped the book tighter in your hand so you wouldn’t drop it.

Your gaze was immediately drawn to the man, as he was standing by the bed.

Heisenberg's shirtless upper body was covered in a myriad of thin scars, like cobwebs across his entire body. Starting at his neck, they ran down his chest all the way to his waist, and probably continued under the pants. The scars on his arms were gnarly, from long healed injuries, which were most likely the results of fights. However, some of those on his chest were too straight and clean to come from an accident.

"Get. Out." He didn't look into your eyes. Objects trembled around him. A knife rose into the air from his desk. "NOW!"

You didn’t look back when the door slammed close behind you. Not when the elevator was already climbed up a few levels. And not even when you got to your own room and threw your back at the door. You felt like a hand was wrapped around your throat and it began tightening its fingers, ever so slowly.

Long minutes passed and yet you still felt as if your heart was trying to break out of your chest. The only thing you could clearly hear besides the beating of your heart, was your own panicked breathing.

"Shit..." you slid down with trembling legs. You had to wrap your hands around your body to try stop the trembling.

It was over.

You broke his rule. And now he's going to kill you, if you're lucky, he will make it quick.

Each Lord had their own rules, and now you have broken Lord Heisenberg's. Like a stupid fucking kid.

"Shit!"

You were aware of the fact that the people in the Dimitrescu castle disappears and got replaced very often, and you were really surprised how different Heisenberg was from what you imagined. He shouted a lot and swore even more, but he never tried to hurt you, even on his worst days, he just grumbled impatiently and vented his frustration on his machines.

He was loud, but understanding in his harsh way. Impatient, but still a good listener on his good days. He was rough, but you knew he cared about you, in his own grumpy way.

You were happy. You enjoyed living here.

But now...

Now you had to get out of here.

The sudden thought helped to clear your head with such force that you have managed to get on your feet. You didn't want to die. You didn't deserve death for a complete nonsense.

You had to get away.

Heisenberg waited while as the elevator started upwards.

He didn't even have to move his hand. The knife spun around its axis then it slammed into the wall with tremendous force, then again and again and again. It didn't stop until the blade bent from the force. His fingers trembled, bolts and gears threw themselves around him in all directions. The legs of his bed buckled as the springs in his mattress straightened, pierced trough the material and then snapped and shot themselves into the ceiling.

"Fuck!" He grabbed his dirty-gray hair and pulled it hard enough so the pain would clear his head a bit. He needed to calm down before he smashed everything around him. The bed creaked behind him, as two of its legs finally gave up and fell to the ground with a thud. Then there was silence again. This snapped him out from his blind anger.

He shut his eyes tightly. Letting his shoulder sunk, he took a step back and threw his back against the cold wall. He needed to take a few deep breaths to slow down his pounding heart.

When he opened his eyes the first thing that caught his eye, was a scar running through his forearm. He clearly remembered getting it in a fight against a bunch of lycans. Years ago, when he started constructing his factory the territory of the lycans stretched all the way to the area where the main building would be. At the time, they didn’t even know who they were facing and sometimes they ventured through the fence. That evening, Heisenberg did not expect them in such numbers, let alone that they will attach wooden spears on their arm to counteract his powers.

With a sharp exhale he lowered his arm.

Those creatures became what they were thanks to Cadou. Technically, they were all related. He took a deep breath, knowing it well that these thoughts didn’t help and were not important right now.

He gave himself a disgusted look before he got dressed. When he buttoned the last button on his shirt, only then he let his thoughts wander again. An unpleasant feeling settled into his chest.

You saw him. And now you will run away.

It was over.

He knew that the body he had to live in was utterly repugnant. The body which was experimented on by Mother Miranda, conducting studies and surgeries until she was satisfied with it. The body she put the parasite in and which cursed him with this fate. He hated her for making him this way, and he hated himself for being her child.

He still woke up time to time drenched in sweat from nightmares where he has been implanted with the parasite over and over again.

It spread throughout his body and turned his existence into pure hell. His thoughts burned away by the eruption of the unbearable pain, he felt as if his chest would open up and his heart would tear itself out of its place. However, the worst part of it all, was the realization that something was trying to subsume his consciousness. Claws tore into his brain and tried to suppress part of his being. It was almost successful, but Heisenberg held on.

And when he woke up after the procedure, he found himself in a whole new hell.

You were the only thing, along with the constant building, that kept him happy day by day, and helped suppress his raging hatred. On the worst days he still could felt the Cadou trying to making its way into his head. But you always were there to help him, or at least, you tried and he was grateful, even when he didn't say anything.

He knew full well that this would not last forever. Because why would it last? In this godforsaken horrible place everything fell to pieces and rotted apart eventually.

He took out a cigar from the depths of his coat.

He didn't want anything; he didn't ask to being like this. And yet you stayed with him. He had you. But now, you saw him.

The bitter smoke slowly rose from his lips.

Everything was over.

 Hours have passed. Night arrived, or just the tiredness told you that.

You thought about running away again and again trying to figure out how, and when you should do it. The first thing you thought was that you had to find a way to do it as soon as possible. The elevator was an option, but you would have risked running into Heisenberg, or, more dangerously, into his servants. He could send them after you at any time.

It was risky.

Or there was a ventilation system that weaved through the factory. You could use that, though you were afraid of getting lost inside of it forever rather than getting out. Escaping trough, the dumpster promised only similar chances.

You even started to think that maybe first, you should talk to the man. Or at least try to talk to him. Though your reasonable-self protested profusely against this emotional suggestion.

However, your pride also spoke up and somehow, it made you stay. You're not going to run. Not anymore. Not from him.

So, you waited.

Sitting on the edge of your bed, you hoped you would have a chance to talk to him. You just couldn’t decide when to go to him. Every part of your body shivered as Heisenberg's angry voice echoed in your head. You had to go to talk to him, but you were simply unable to leave your room, at least for now.

Fortune was on your side for once.

Your door opened slowly. You felt your shoulders tense up and you swallowed dryly. You couldn’t look up at him.

"I thought you would have left already." His voice didn't sound as harsh, as you would have expected.

You glanced up at the man who was leaning against the doorframe. He folded his arms in front of his chest, his eyes were hidden behind his black sunglasses.

"Why should I leave?"

"Well," despite his words his voice sounded surprised "I yelled at you."

"You've yelled before."

Heisenberg snorted a little and rubbed his hair under his hat. This didn’t go as he thought it would. "Well yeah, but..." his words let him down.

"What happened to you? I mean your body…?" You got up from your bed. He was just a few steps away from you.

The man drummed with his fingers a couple of times on his arms. "I fell."

"Heisenberg..." you took a careful step towards him.

"Lord Heisenberg." He corrected you. "If my bitch mother is forcing this prestigious bullshit then we should keep to it." He sounded more annoyed than angry. He continued to drum slowly with his fingers, but you could also feel his eyes watching you from behind his glasses.

"I'm sorry that I didn't knock."

For long minutes, the only thing could be heard was the rhythmic thumping background sounds of the factory.

"Well...Yeah..." He scratched his graying hair slowly as he pushed himself away from the doorway. "Listen, if you want to go, then go. I'm not going to stop you, just don't ever comeback. All right? Have a nice life, or whatever. That giant trash is actually looking for new maidens," He turned around.

You managed to stand up and hurried after him stopping him in front of the elevator.

"What?" Heisenberg glanced down at your arms as you hugged him. "(Y/N)?"

"I'm sorry." You snuggled closer to his back, hiding your face in the fabric of his coat.

"For what?" His hands shook, he had to stop himself from touching your arms. The thought made him tremble a bit, but he realized that you were trembling too. You were so close to him, he could felt your body against his, your finger griped into his clothes.

"For not knocking. And not saying sorry. And for not trying to talk to you." His coat smelt like tobacco and oil, just like everything around him did in this place. For you, it felt like home.

When he didn't answer, you spoke again.

"I don't want to leave. I'm sorry."

There was another quiet minute. You were about to let him go when he finally found his voice.

"Are you sure? But you saw me." He carefully caressed your hand with his fingers. "You saw what that bitch did to me."

So, you were right, those wounds were too straight to be from some kind of accident.

With your eyes closed you enjoyed the gentle touches, as he run his fingers along the top of your hands, and then slowly moved up on your arms as well. He slowly relaxed between your arms and leaned closer to your body. Even his breathing became more even.

When he sighed, you let him out from your hug and stepped beside him, looking up at him "Come with me, Lord Heisenberg." You gently took his hand and pulled him after you. heading back to your room.

"Hm?"

"I need some rest, and you too. And I'm sure you've destroyed half of your room."

Heisenberg pulled down his hat into his eyes. Damn.

"Why would I have done that?" Oh, for the love of god, shut up you, idiot! He snorted to himself.

"Because you care about me, just as much I care about you. Come." You pulled him all the way to your bed. Turning towards him you took off his hat and glasses.

"Mh, what?" His tired eyes looked straight into yours.

"Your eyes are really beautiful."

"Oh shut up." Stepping next to you, he threw himself on the bed.

You never dared to ask why you got a bed which was big enough for two people. Whether someone owned this room in the past, or the man had some kind of plan for you. But right now, as he leaned back to the bed, you haven’t really found a reason to worry about that. Climbing next to him, you hid under his arm. Leaning your head against his shoulder, you sighed deeply.

"Well, I hope you're happy."

"Very much, thank you."

He snorted and listened quietly to your steady and calm breathing as he tried to ignore his own pounding heart. He fervently hoped you wouldn't notice this. This hope was unfortunately false considering that you were only a couple of centimeters away from his heart.

The redness spread through his face even more so than before.

He didn't imagine this could happen. You shouldn't have been here anymore. You should have gone to the village a long time ago and not looked back. You should have left everything...and everyone behind.

Instead, you were here. And you laid next to him so damn close. His skepticism struggled against the notion.

Like anything would just become magically fine after this.

"You know, you can't fix me with cuddling, right? I'm messed up in the head and even more fucked up in my body." He swallowed dryly.

"What are you talking about?" Raising your head, you looked straight into his eyes.

"I just told you." He let out an impatient huff. "You can't fix me, I'm this fucked up. And it won't go away after some warm cuddling and snuggling. Sorry to ruin your hopes."

"I don't want to fix you, Heisenberg."

"What?" Every answer of yours caught him off guard.

"Why would I want to fix you when I like you this way?" You leaned closer, slowly kissing him. His body tensed, you could feel his grip tighten on your shirt, then his lips gently kissed you back. The kiss tasted bitter, like his cigar. He pulled you closer and didn't let go until you yourself pulled back.

Looking into his eyes you smiled gently. "Besides, I've been here a long time, so I'm pretty sure I'm just as messed up in the head."

"Damn." His grey eyes almost sparkled. "God damn."

You let him pull you closer, snuggling up to his shoulder.

"So, we're messed up together."

"Pretty much, yeah. But somehow it doesn't bother me."

Heisenberg was sure by then that you could feel the pounding of his heart, but he didn't mind it now. He gently caressed your face with his fingertips from your forehead through the line of your nose all the way to your chin. He spent a lot of time under your eyes.

"Listen, I know she did something to you." You placed your palm carefully on his chest. "But your body isn’t scaring or disgust me." You gently caressed around his heart trough his shirt. "It's your body, it belongs to you and I like it. I mean it's yours and it's fine."

"Mh," he replied tellingly.

His heart finally started to quiet down. Good. He needed to think with his god damn head and not with his heart. Everything happened differently. For hours he believed, no, he knew, that you have already ran away. He wanted to give you time, that was one of the reasons he didn’t come after you for so long. And yet, deep within him he felt he can't just let you go. Who knew what he would have done if you would have told him to his face that you are leaving him? He felt as if his whole world started to tremble.

It was as if you could feel what he was thinking you snuggled closer and rubbed your head against his shoulder.

The man sighed softly.

But you stayed. You were here, and you were honest. Maybe he could be a bit honest too.

"Sometimes, I dream that I'm just a machine myself." He gently played with your hair. It was a long time ago when he touched something this soft. "That I'm lying on one of Mother Miranda's experimental tables, and when I look down at myself I see nothing but gears and bolts that work together inside me. It's not my body anymore, I lost my real one. Then I start to lose my mind as well. And she just watches me, every damn time. Calling me his son. " He rubbed his face into his hands.

Raising your head a little you laid it back on his chest, listening to his heartbeat.

"What are you-"

"Sh."

The man snorted, in confusion and embarrassment.

"Hm, all I can hear is your flesh heart beating in your chest. The rhythm is pretty fast but maybe because of the many cigars."

"Oh, shut up." He hid his face in his hands and tried to rub the crimson of his face away.

"All right, all right." You snuggled back to his shoulder. "Still, I'm not going anywhere."

"You can be a stubborn bastard sometimes."

You chuckled, clearly proudly and as you embraced him a smile remained on your face.

The room around you was filled with the sounds of the thumping factory. It felt comforting. Your heart started to quiet down as you let your consciousness relax from the rhythmic noises around you two. His hand drew gently circles on your shoulder.

"Can we stay like this for a while?" You asked, what he didn’t dare to ask.

"Sure." He pulled you even closer and buried his face into your hair. He seemed to relax even more. He raised a finger, and his sunglasses slipped off, levitated under his coat, and raising it up gently laid it on the two of you, before it landed itself on your nightstand with a small clink.

"Thank you." You muttered as you gently drifted towards sleep.

"Yeah-yeah." He kept his face hidden in your hair.

You won't leave him, at least not now. Maybe you will actually stay with him, maybe you were stubborn enough to do it. He ignored his worries about the future, instead, to his own surprise, he let himself be happy for once. He slowly fallen asleep with you on his side, listening to your breathing.