#with Dain being the encouraging one

[twilightichor]

✦ @apocryphis asked: ‘ i like the disaster of the night sky, stars spilling this way and that as if they were upturned from a glass. ’ (from nahida)

In the likeness of her predecessor, Nahida sees beauty in things that he cannot comprehend. Something as natural as dreams are to humans suffice to capture the attention to a divine connected to an even greater source of memories and experiences of every living soul, for her to find potential in them and turn them into a soothing balm to this aching world and its Axis Mundi, alas, never to herself beyond the tragic gladness she must've felt at the knowledge that one day in the distant future she, too, would be saved from her pain.

Dáinsleif looks at the noctilucent sky in an effort to understand the logic behind her positive sentiments. Coming from a kingdom that knew of nothing that wasn't a veil of night accompanied by ominous astronomic bodies such as the crimson moon or the black sun, he is accustomed to this environment. In fact, he favors it over the day, that took him long enough to get used to at the detriment of his poor eyes bathed in a light he was certain that he didn't belong.

This representation of the celestial dome, however, hits different in an unfortunate but soothing way. If Khaenri'ahns of old cursed their slow velocity to realize that what is displayed is faux, under this sky they would sooner believe they hallucinated— so well done was the job of the Usurper whom moved heaven and earth in order to fashion the world to his liking and to repress the true nature of this world.

As for the reason why he partly believes that it's soothing the way it is...

◜Not everyone needs to know.◞ Softness in celestial azures betray stone cold features. He whose knowledge isn't subpar to that of a saint or a prophet, ironically thinks that there is wisdom that shouldn't be known. Why? Because he's been a direct witness of what knowing too much can do to a man. Some may accept it, others may fall into madness out of rage to confront it and seek a change.

◜But not everything is so bad, after all.◞ His gaze pivots towards the young goddess, the memory of her predecessor overlapping her figure in a brief imagining of what her visage must be like weren't they in a crucial moment that could plummet the world into despair or be blessed with salvation, suffering as she was. ◜So long as people don't lose the ability to dream, even if something factually impossible as reaching upturned stars, there is still hope.◞ Unlike those that couldn't in that faraway dreamless land.

Sapphire irises return to the sky and soften when the realization hits that he understands the logic behind finding beauty in things he initially couldn't, they soften. ◜The night sky could be a living hell, but there will always be a light that will guide you.◞

[noctilucous-sunni]

game developer!creator in sagau that can play around with glitches and bugs, make things spawn or disappear instantly, which everyone perceives as magic or godly powers so therefore you must be the all creator if you can play around with the world as you wish, similar to the matrix in a way :))

(junior?) developer!creator in sagau thinking it must be a dream because how else can you play around with teyvat’s physics as if you’re coding in unity?

developer!creator in sagau saying their thoughts of fixing glitches or adding code out loud and its as if a big code editor pops up in the sky that only you can see which directly allows you to change the world as you see fit (you can even change it to a smaller one)

developer!creator in sagau having too much fun by creating a pen of boars and having them spawn continuously for xiangling and doing the same thing with fish and happily allow klee to go fish blasting forever without even changing the landscape because they can put it back together seamlessly

developer!creator in sagau having too much fun with bombs and spending time with albedo and sucrose in their lab

developer!creator in sagau teasing childe/ayato/cyno during a sparr by making their weapons disappear by muttering lines of code which instead looks like a incantation for a magic spell

developer!creator in sagau drinking with kaeya and venti in angel’s share, only buying one drink but constantly refilling it with their coding prowess causing diluc to frown and later kick kaeya and venti out, but not you, oh not his precious all-creator (that was mildly getting on his nerves)

developer!creator in sagau bonding with layla and kaveh over how stressful university is, complaining and encouraging each other

developer!creator in sagau struggling to figure out how to make themselves fly just so they can try to catch wanderer every time he flys off in a huff or with a teasing mark

developer!creator in sagau being head over heels for dain and trying to spawn a farm of khaenri'ahn flowers, the inteyvat, hoping that he doesn’t hate you because you’re somewhat a god yourself

developer!creator in sagau playing tcg with cyno and tighnari and kaveh and alhaitham and yet completely cheating with their powers just to mess with cyno because they think it’s hilarious and eventually apologize, creating a special deck personalized for him

developer!creator in sagau chatting with alhaitham about the language of code because he’s a little language nerd and learning about how you can literally change the world anytime you want

ALSO i added this real quick, but developer!creator working with albedo to make glasses/contacts because they can’t handle seeing the world in code constantly, they want to experience the world too, plus it gives them headaches

[callsign-rogueone]

nothing burns like the cold - r.g.

what's supposed to be an ordinary afternoon sparring with your friend goes wrong in an unexpected way. words: 1.4k 🏷: one incredibly mild Iron Flame spoiler (Ridoc's signet), she/her reader, very brief description of friendly sparring, no real physical injury, nothing too bad... both of you have Feelings and need to talk about them, Ridoc being sad deserves it's own warning, wingwoman Violet to the rescue! this can be read as a standalone or you can consider it a way-back prequel to hey roomie, my poly Ridoc/Sawyer/reader fic (more of that trio coming soon, by the way!)

Ridoc’s fist lands against your ribs, and you don’t know how to describe what happens, other than cold. Coldest shower of your life, bucket of ice water over your head, jumped into the river in late December cold, that shocks your senses and has you crumpling to the mat beneath you.

Your friends gasp, at your side in an instant.

You’re indoors, but your shirt is soaked like you’ve been out in the rain for twenty minutes, and your hair is dusted with… snow? You blink the wet flakes from your eyelashes, stunned.

Rhiannon helps you to your feet, and you wrap your arms around yourself, shivering.

Sawyer removes his flight jacket, draping it over your shoulders. The fabric is warm with his body heat, but it doesn’t do much to fight the chill you feel around your heart; the way the wet material of your clothes clings to your skin.

“I’m so sorry,” Ridoc breathes. “I had no idea that was going to happen.”

You still haven’t said a word, your entire body trembling — you’re in shock, unable to process your friend’s words.

“Get her into dry clothes,” Bodhi instructs quietly. “She should be fine in a few hours.”

Rhiannon nods, leading you out of the gym and toward your room.

Ridoc stares at his hands, at the frost that still coats his fingertips. You should be fine? Gods, what had he done?

Now he knows how Sawyer felt when his metal-bending signet manifested and he nearly skewered his sparring partner. But that’s the operative word — nearly. He’d definitely hit you with… whatever this is.

“You’re an ice wielder,” Dain answers before the boy can ask, dry and straightforward as always. “Professor Carr can explain.” He takes a few steps toward the door, realizing that Ridoc isn't following him; the younger boy is still stuck in place, silent.

“She’ll be okay,” Violet promises, touching a hand to his arm.

Sawyer offers some encouragement as well: “She knows you didn’t mean it.”

That’s not what he’s worried about.

————————————————

You aren’t at dinner that night, nor at evening formation; he doesn’t see you until breakfast the next day.

Your heart aches as he takes a seat clear across the table from you, as far away as he can be.

Violet comes to sit at your side instead, not mentioning yesterday’s events, but she gives you a soft smile that says I’m glad you’re okay.

You return it, though it doesn't feel as genuine as hers— the cold feeling is long gone, but it’s been replaced with something else that feels just as terrible.

You push the feeling down, waving Sawyer over to sit at your other side and extending him his flight jacket with a soft smile. “Thank you. That was really sweet of you.”

“Of course,” he says, reddening slightly as he puts it back on. He looks like he wants to say something else, but he quiets when he sees you glance at the other end of the table, deflating when you realize Ridoc is already gone.

Ridoc continues keeping his distance. You stand between Rhiannon and Sawyer at morning formation, and sit with them during Battle Brief, Ridoc at the end of your row, uncharacteristically silent.

You don’t see him that afternoon; you haven’t manifested a signet yet, so you aren’t attending Professor Carr’s class. You choose to sit in the study room instead, a textbook in front of you that you hardly touch; you can’t bring yourself to focus.

It’s getting dark out before dinner these days, the winter solstice approaching quickly. It’s supposed to freeze tonight, you’d heard someone say this morning. How ironic.

You sigh, curling up in the chair and tucking your legs to your chest, trying again to start the reading you’d been assigned.

“Mind if I join you?” Violet asks, a matching book of her own in her hand.

You smile softly, gesturing to the chair opposite you.

She sits, but doesn’t take out a pen or paper. “Don’t take it personally,” she says quietly, being mindful of the few other students across the room. “It really spooked him when… that happened. I think he’s afraid he’ll hurt you -- or someone else -- again if he gets too close.”

You’re silent for a moment, your chest aching at the idea of Ridoc, warm, happy, confident Ridoc being afraid, feeling guilty over what had happened by pure accident.

“I talked to him, but I think he needs to hear it from you,” she says gently, opening her book and starting to read, ending the conversation there.

You gaze down at the text, not reading the words -- instead thinking of what you could say to him to make him feel better, to get him back into your life again.

“The truth,” your dragon suggests. “The whole truth.”

————————————————

As soon as Sawyer sees you, he knows what you’re here to do. He excuses himself quietly, mumbling something about forgetting his book upstairs before he shoves everything into his bag and practically bolting away — not subtle at all.

Ridoc blinks in confusion, looking up to ask his friend what the hell that was, but he falls silent when he sees you.

“Hi,” you say quietly.

You could nearly cry at the sound of his voice as he responds, speaking to you for the first time in two days. “Hi.”

You pause, just looking at him for a moment. He looks like he hasn’t slept well for a few nights, his usually vibrant curls and glowing skin flat and dulled. A few of his cuticles are bleeding — he must have been picking at them as a nervous habit.

It hurts you to see him like this.

“You can do this,” she encourages. “Speak from the heart.”

From the heart, you say to yourself. It should be easy enough to say the things you’ve wanted to tell him for weeks.

He speaks before you can, but remains seated, making no move toward you. “I’m so sorry,” he says quietly. “I know saying it won’t change anything, but I really am sorry.”

You smile at him softly. “It’s okay. I’m fine, really. I slept it right off.”

You’d looked and felt so cold yesterday, but here you are, healthy and smiling, not mad at all.

“I’m still sorry. It was an accident, but if I had hit any harder, or hit you somewhere else, I don’t know…” he chews his lip, clearly still upset. “It scared the crap out of me, seeing you like that.”

You slide into the seat next to him and take his hand gently, interlocking your fingers. The warmth of your skin comforts him — that, and the fact you’re still willing to touch him after the other day, when that same hand had nearly frozen you to death.

“I never want that to happen again, especially not to you,” he says softly, gazing at your hands. “I really like you, you know.”

“You like everyone,” you say, not quite following. “That’s your whole deal. You’re easily the most likeable and easygoing guy in the quadrant.”

He cracks a smile, and you feel every ounce of stress melt from your shoulders at the sight of him happy again. “I’m glad you think so, but that's not what I meant.”

Your breath catches. Is he saying what you think he’s saying? He can’t be.

“I’m pretty sure I’m in love with you.”

You blink at him once, twice, letting out a shocked laugh.

His face falls, and he pulls back, starting to gather his things from the table. “Forget it.”

“No, hey, I’m sorry, I wasn’t laughing at you,” you say quickly, reaching for his hand again. “I was laughing because I came here to say the same thing. I’m pretty sure I’m in love with you, too.”

“Really?” he breathes, starry-eyed.

“Really,” you confirm. “I have been for a while.”

“Can I kiss you?” he asks, maybe a little too eagerly.

You smile. “I’d be disappointed if you didn’t.”

His lips are on yours before you can blink, soft and plush and perfect. He lifts his other hand, settling it on your waist ever-so-gently, stroking over the slightly tender spot in your ribs in a silent apology. The warmth of his palm against your side soothes the ache, relaxing you completely.

He pulls back after a moment, gazing at you softly.

“I think I’m more than pretty sure after that,” you breathe, stunned.

It’s his turn to laugh as he presses another soft kiss to your lips. “Me too, princess. Me too.”

[meeville]

Onyx Storm live reactions

Okay so this is something I did while reading IF for the first time.

I listen to the books as audiobooks the first time through because of several reasons: I live in canada and I preorder through !ndigo, So my books don’t get shipped until the release date and I don’t get my books until at least a week later because they get shipped from Ontario and I live not close to there. And with audio books I can get them on audible for a credit and it will be there on the release date. I also started reading the series as an audiobook and I’m going to finish it as one. And the final reason: I can open my notes app as I’m listening and put my initial thoughts down immediately without having to stop reading to do so. So without further adieux, my live reactions to Onyx Storm as I thought them and sans context; read at your own spoilery risk. Most will be out of context but that doesn’t mean there won’t be spoilers.

“I’ve decided you can all go fuck yourselves” -vi

I’m in confusion

Give me answers Rebecca!!!!!!!

Oh your such a leader Vi lol stop doubting yourself I was so right about the leader of the people thing.

Cat so civil now it’s weird

Oooo first six lore interesting…

“Good times”- Ridoc lol

Quiet time Tairn

Poof and just like that Lola s gone

Ridoc and Xaden are a duo I didn’t know I needed lol.

“I’m afraid our daughter has atrocious taste in men” -Lilith lmao this is too funny

The Xaden effect lol

Ooo task force

Grady oooooo nooooooo

Welp cassy’s gonna be happy

Love ❤️

Awww Brennan

Ooooo jealous Imogen this is good

Eeeeee Felix gave her a new conduit

What’s this thing Mira made

Sib fight!!!!

Silver hair mentioned!!!!!!🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅

There is so much politics and I’m so confused

Ridoc what’s it like to support the entire book on your humor

second wing’s assholery

Fuck yeah Aaric

Way to go Dain

Are you ever done Ridoc?

Come onnnn Violet come on

Nepobaby Aetos

Yessssssssss leader of the people!!!!!!

Ridoc never stop being you.

Devera, Emetterio and Kaori to the rescue

Running the gauntlet just for fun.

Awww Cat

Ridoc please

I state this now: Rhi and Ridoc are the best duo

Halden watch!!!!

Oooo I smell tension

O yes o yes ohohohoh

I know what’s coming

Aaric stays with his squad!!!!

Andarna hunting in the kings forest just for fun lol

I’m very confused

Poor Garrick

Ooofff

Fucking Ridoc

Quest squad!!!!!

Dyre omg I thought you was gone bro!!!

I figured it out ooooooo I know what they need sawyer for yes yes yesyesyesyes this is cool I like this plan tehehehe.

Ohhhh yessssssssssssss

Bodhi awwww

Both of them???

Lilith man I’ll start to cry bro

Oh Cat

Lol Devera is a hoot

FUCK AETOS SR

Well ship

People’s fucking leader

GENERAL??????

No Fucking way fuck him

Ohohoh Violet you’re smart. Very smart

O I like the queen.

Brennan!!!!!!!

Oh no well fuck.

Ffg called it.

Samara? Noononnnnononoooo well motherfucker

I think I already trust the commander of samara after one sentence. But he’s giving depression

That dream was horrific

Good choices were made

I too have eyes—Tairn lol

Oooo violence

A “fuck yes” from Tairn is very good

Aotrom!!!!!!

Not

Garrick?????

TAIRN!!!!!! Tairn tairn nononononon

Tairn

Oh oh oh

He’s okay

Oh my god

I’ll kick you in the face lol

You’re not kicking anyone lol

I fucking love Garrick

I think this is why RY does too.

They went through a fucking tornado

He’s a distance weilder isn’t he

Yesss vi

Wtf is an irred

How does Garrick have a second signet

‘My my’ lol

In front of the duke bro

I would not want to be you…—Brennan

Ooooooo we got another ‘well the fuck aware’

Ridoc is a man after my heart

Brennan Sorengail

You and me both Ridoc

Maybe I don’t like Grady

Yesss Imogen you badass

Aetos might be a sage

I also don’t think Jack is lying

And he’s still evil

At least jasinia will be on quest squad I think

Oh Sawyer

Oh that was a hint to my theories haza

Don’t encourage her- tairn

FUCK MARKHAM

2nd krovlen uprising mentioned!!!!!!!

Papa sorengail’s research

Oooohohohooooo

The babysitter program

Wow this task force is stupid

And they are sooooo going to fail

Ridoc N Xaden are so weird as a duo

Trayger and Cat???? Oooo I like this

Asher? Whom the fuck is Asher

OMG it her father

Ohhhh she so totally dated Halden

Also your a clown Ridoc

Imogen is smitten ooooooo

Ridoc those are inside thoughts bro

It’s fucking Halden

I called it he was in the infantry

Omg they were twins that makes so much sense

Alic and Halden were twins

Oooooo he cheated drama

Gem watch!!!!

First love is the dragon

Yeahhhh I really don’t trust quest squad

Ooops

Welp there goes Grady

Bye bye 👋

Bye bye Auryn

Character development for Ridoc !!!!!!!

Badassery for Ridoc

More development for Ridoc

Yesss Mira

I think I like tecarus

Ridoc’s humour is load bearing guys

Dealing in dragons

Tairn’s form of funny is scary

Cortland is direct

Well that’s grafic

Muther fucking leader of the people

Sassy andarna is so fucking funny

Oh is there something between Sloane and Dain????

Now that’s funny Mira

Sorengail lore!!!!!

They have the same hair

Momma riorson was on the isles

Betrayal Thalia

Ohohoh sneaky

Ridoc stop getting immpailed man

“I hate SEWING!!!!!!”— Ridoc

My least favourite îles too Garrick

Violet your so fucking clever

Asher Daxton I fucking knew it

This island has magic and is weird

Poor Trayger

Are they accidentally going to discover the irreds lol

They named the kitten Brocoli lol

Garrick your too sweet bro I knew I loved you

Okay so Ridoc and Aotrom match each other’s freak

Aww their so cute

Oh I was so right

Irrids

Haza

These dragons are rude.

And different

Tairn protecting Ridoc is so cute

I don’t like the irrids

There is no cure

No nononononon

Nonononononoooooooooooooooooo

Not Ridoc

I liked the queen.

Ohhh Ridoc

Dream-walking that’s interesting

Tairn nooooooo

Ohhhh Andarna don’t please

Noooooooonononononooooo

Awwww Tairn

Noooooooo

MIRAAAAA!!!!!! Fuck WTF WTF WTF

I thank fuck

We get a Rhi chapter?!!???!!

I like glane

Quinn nooooooooooo

Nonononononono

Why the fuck

Not Quinn

I think that was worse than Liam for me

Aaric is a precog that’s incredible

Fucking panchek

Traitor

IMOGEN WTF HAVE YOU DONE

MARRIED??? Really?

Oh I’m missing something and I don’t like it. Also where is Garrick.

[garricks4thwingqueen]

request for some Dain x reader hurt/comfort please. i like what you had alluded to in rebellious secrets with Dain comforting her while Garrick was in war games.

You're My Sunshine Dain Aetos X Reader

Synopsis:  So this kinda strayed from the original Dain comfort idea that I posted for this request. Reader is Liam Mairi’s older twin sister who is battling her struggle with grief while back in Aretia after the battle of Resson and losing Liam. Dain comes to aid in comfort for his favoriter rebel. 

Word Count 1314

Trigger Warnings: Anxiety/Depression mentions as well as Panic Attacks, Nightmares, Grief, loss of a sibling (Liam I'm Sorry guys 🙁), kind of self-doubt?

                                                   Y/N POV  

  You were at home in Aretia with 100’s of cadets that decided to fight for the right reason after you and the other’s had returned from the battle at Resson. You had returned with all of the current rebels at Basgiath and Violet as Xaden had interrupted a death roll with all of your names on it. Only a few of those names had rang true which one had included your younger twin brother Liam Mairi. You remembered scanning the squads to see Dain Aetos’s face when you locked a glance with him it was full of sympathy but only for you. Dain had become an unexpected source of comfort for you during your first year at Basgiath War College. You wanted to run to him then but couldn’t. You wanted to run to him as Violet and Xaden encouraged other riders to come to Aretia. 

   And to your surprise a large number of cadets and their dragons did. Even Dain even though his rep with the other rebels was well below tolerable. But you were still home, with your younger sister Sloane, with Dain, with your friends, with the other cadets and even some Gryphon riders; but your anxiety mixed with panic attacks and horrible nightmares had been on the rise since you lost your younger twin brother in the battle. You’ve cursed Malek a million times since then. You had refused to let Xaden and Garrick burn his things. You were going to make sure that you were going to be there for Sloane. She was so young, just barely 20 this year and had gone through so much; just like you had. First it was losing your parents, then it was being separated in separate foster homes; you were placed in a home with Garrick which you both know had been the furthest from the others, at least Liam had been with Xaden; but Sloane you had no idea where she had been placed until you were reunited with her before coming back to Aretia. So why the hell were you still waking up at 3 a.m. from nightmares and panic attacks. You were pretty sure your dragon Dierdre was going to leave you for being a complete mess.  

                                                         Dain’s POV 

   I was jolted awake at 3 a.m. as Cath’s voice  ran through my head again: Diedre’s girl needs you. He said softly. I sprang out of bed and haphazardly tossed on a pair of black sweatpants and quietly walked down the hall to Y/N’s room. At this point I didn’t even bother knocking; this had become an almost natural occurrence after she lost her younger twin Liam. “Hey.” I said softly while opening the door quietly. My heart ached as I saw Y/N in tears, her chest up to her knees in her oversized shirt which I had realized was mine. “Hey.” she managed to get out through sniffles. “I’m here.” I said softly sitting on her bed next to her gently. 

    “What do you need?” I asked softly as there were times she wanted to be held and times she just needed me there. “Hold me please.” She sniffled. I nodded and pulled her into me and wrapped my arms around her tightly; as we sat in silence for several minutes. Over her first year at Basgiath we had been an odd pair seeking comfort for each other. I was colonel Aetos’s son and she was a rebel’s child. A relationship of which my father would never approve, hell even Garrick Tavis, her foster brother, would probably kill me. But that was the problem. I wanted our relationship to grow but I even knew she was in a rough place right now and I wasn’t going to do anything too fast to lose everything with her entirely. Hell even with how broken she had been at the loss of her brother when returning to Basgiath she still willingly took my hand to her face; which was the consent I needed to use my signet to see everything her and her friends had been through. How Liam died; and that was the second I dropped my hand down from her face not wanting to lose her trust and that was the first time I held her like this after Liam’s death. 

              “Dain.” She sniffled several minutes later pulling me from my thoughts. “Hmmm.” I replied in content. “Thank you.” She said turning slightly in my lap so she could look up at me. I chuckled softly. “For what? You don’t have to thank me.” “For comforting me. For being here for me. For last year when you intercepted Barlowe in the hallway for degrading me for being a rebel. For-” I sighed, cutting her off. “Y/N.” I said softly. “Anyone would have shut him up for verbally attacking you like that. You maybe a rebel but that doesn’t define who you are, who your brother was or who the others are and even Sloane. No, you're the exact opposite of what Barlow was saying to you. Your sunshine just like your brother was. You're soft and caring and those are just a few reasons why I love you.” whipped. Cath cackled in my head as I replied with a shove it.  I had immediately regretted the words leaving my mouth when she didn’t reply for several seconds which had felt like minutes.

                                                               Y/N POV

  “You-you love me?” You managed to stutter at your wingleader when the words finally processed. You felt Dain’s arms tighten around you. “I’ve loved you since the second I wanted to punch Barlow’s throat out in August last year.” You could tell he was worried that he just spilled out his true feelings for you, afraid of losing you. 

     “Dain Aetos.” You said cupping his cheek. “I love you too.” “Oh thank god.” He breathed. You giggled as your lips connected with Dain’s for the first time; his calloused hands running smoothly up and down your arms. It’s about time. Now Cath and I don’t have to hide our feelings for each other. Diedre chidded in your head as you pulled away from Dain in shock by your dragon’s admission. “Diedre just-” “Yeah Cath too.” Dain chuckled. “He's been making fun of me for it since last year. “So does that mean we have-?” “Mated Dragons. Yeah I think so.” Dain chuckled, pulling you against him tightly. Dain? You tried speaking mentally. I’ve got you my sunshine. Whenever you need me I’ll be right here even if we aren’t in proximite distance. I love you. You smiled softly burying your face in his chest. I love you too. Thank you for loving me. 

   Dain chuckled. “I told you Y/N you don’t have to thank me. Caring for you comes naturally. I’m just glad you're finally mine.” “I’m yours.” You repeated. “Dain?” You asked nervously. “Yeah?” “What about your father?” We will burn that bridge when it comes to it. But you are the only thing that matters to me. What would Liam think?” You thought for a second before answering: “I think Liam would be smiling down on us right now. I think he's going to be our light guiding us through every hurdle we are going to have to take but most importantly; I think he’d want to say thank you for taking care of his big sis.” Dain chuckled a sigh at that and gods it was the sexiest thing that you’ve ever heard. “You Mairi’s like that phrase way too damn much you know that?” You giggled, shaking your head. “Our parents were big on manners.” You teased and added; “Hey Dain?” “Yeah.” He chuckled. I love you. Please don’t leave me ever.  You had said softly down your new bond. I love you to my sunshine. I’ll always be by your side. 

A/N: I hope you enjoyed! I have two more requests coming soon!

[crisalidaseason]

Fourteenth entry: Be a supportive accomplice.

If you shadow someone like Violet, understand that whatever slightly criminal idea they come up with may be beneficial to a whole lot of people. Sometimes, being a bodyguard is also about encouraging your friend to be their true menacing self.

****

Liam had always been a little too competitive. Playing card games, sparring, even during arguing or simple opinionated conversations. He liked winning a little too much but always strived not to be an asshole about it…but in that moment he could not hold the euphoria or the gloating back.

“We won!” Liam screamed without even thinking as he left the mat.

Liam let go of his opponent and immediately sprinted to his squad, who were cheering louder than it would be considered polite. He opened his arms, engulfing Violet and Rhiannon in a hug, feeling as Ridoc and Sawyer embraced him tightly and jumped uncontrollably. Even Imogen had perched herself on his back, screaming right by his ears. Liam giggled at the chaos, cheering just as loudly in return.

“Your winner!” Emetterio’s voice was enough to calm his squad’s noise “Liam Mairi from Second Squad, Flame Section, Fourth Wing!”

Unfortunately, for all the losing squads around and Emetterio’s sanity, Sawyer and Ridoc screamed like lunatics. Liam could not care less about the chaos, there was nothing better than bringing a victory to his squad.

“I know you were all expecting the last portion of the Squad Battle to happen tomorrow, but the cadre and I have a surprise” Commander Panchek said, gathering everyone’s attention.

Liam untangled himself from the mess of limbs embracing him and all of them walked away from the edge of the mat, joining the rest of their squad. Emery and Quinn gave him a smile and even Nadine expressed her congratulations.

“Instead of telling you what the final, unknown task will be and giving you tonight to plan for it, your final task will begin this hour!”

Liam groaned. He hated how fast that quadrant ruined things, he really wanted to celebrate that night.

“Tonight?” Ridoc inquired beside Liam.

“Dain isn’t here. Neither is Cianna” Violet complemented.

Liam scanned the room, noticing all the leadership cadets were gone. What the fuck were they planning this time.

“Oh shit” Imogen shared the same annoyance.

“As you may have noticed, your squad leaders and their executive officers have been…shall we say, sequestered with your section leaders and wingleaders, and no, before someone asks, your task is not to find them. You are to break into your squads and accomplish a unique mission this evening without the leadership and instruction of your squad leaders” Panchek was beaming at the idea.

“Doesn’t that defeat the purpose of having squad leaders?” a rider on the side commented.

“The purpose of a squad leader is to form a tightly knit unit that can carry on with a mission after their demise. Consider your leaders…demised. You’re on your own, riders. Your mission is simple: find and acquire, by any means necessary, the one thing that would be most advantageous to our enemies regarding the war effort. Leadership will serve as unbiased judges, and the winning squad will be awarded sixty points”

Sixty points. His entire squad gasped and tensed at the information.

“That’s enough to put us into first!” Rhiannon murmured beside Liam “We could win the glory of going to the front!”

Liam was just as euphoric at the possibility, they were fucking close.

“What are the boundaries?” another rider asked.

“Anything within the walls of Basgiath” Panchek informed “And don’t you dare let me see you trying to haul a dragon back here. They’ll incinerate you out of sheer annoyance”

Liam observed as a few people clearly deflated and his eyes immediately set on Ridoc, who had a glazed look. He nudged his squadmate in reprimand for what could be the stupidest idea Ridoc had ever conjured.

“You have three hours, at which time we’ll expect you to present your stolen treasures in the Battle Brief room”

Silence reigned the gym, all squads looking at their commandant expectantly.

“What are you waiting for?” Panchek said “Go!”

The gym resembled a market in the middle of a sunday morning, people scurrying around and everyone talking at the same time.

“Second Squad!” Imogen called loudly, her confident voice carrying beyond the cacophony “follow me”

They soon left the gym, taking the familiar path to the weight room. The cooler air was a relief on Liam’s heated skin. Fuck. He really wanted a shower - fucking Panchek.

“You did great” Violet complimented, walking beside him.

“It was epic” Ridoc commented, giving Liam a full waterskin.

Liam welcomed the refreshing water eagerly, barely containing his smile at the recent victory. Once they were all sitting on the benches of the weight room and the door was warded shut, they began discussing.

“First thing. Who wants to be in command?” Imogen inquired.

Liam snorted as Ridoc’s hand shot up and Rhiannon immediately stopped him “No. You’ll turn this into some kind of prank”

He liked Ridoc, but leadership was not his strongest suit. Liam voted for Rhiannon or Imogen. Those two knew how to handle people well - even if Imogen had a tendency for occasional death threats.

“Liam?” Quinn asked.

“No” he replied without hesitation.

He looked at Violet slightly and cursed internally when she narrowed her eyes at him in wonder.

“No one is going to try and off me while we’re out tonight” she countered.

Liam was not about to risk it, that entire shit with Barlowe spiked his - and Xaden’s - blood pressure for life. He would love to perform a leading role one day, but he was not in a hurry. With a shared look with Imogen, they settled that matter.

“You keep command” Rhiannon suggested to Imogen “You’ve gotten us this far”

Their entire squad expressed their agreement, which made Liam think about how odd things could be. Who could have guessed that people would trust a marked one with leading an important mission. Even Nadine - someone who was very vocal against his people - seemed to recognize there was more to Imogen than a rebellion relic.

“Good. We have a little less than three hours. What are your ideas?” Imogen began.

Oh, Liam knew exactly what to do and he also knew who would make them win this shit.

“What about a piece of weaponry? A cross-bolt would be deadly to any of our dragons in the hands of our enemies” Ridoc offered.

“Too big,” Quinn replied “There’s only one in the museum, and honestly, it’s not even the bolt that’s deadly, it’s the launching system”

“Next?” Imogen sent Liam an expectant look.

“We could steal Panchek’s underw—” Rhiannon shut Ridoc’s suggestion “And that’s why we don’t let you lead”

Liam tried not to laugh at Imogen’s left eye twitching in frustration. Honestly, any other day he would probably help Ridoc to steal said underwear.

“Come on, guys! Think! What’s the most useful thing to our enemy?” Imogen huffed.

Time to keep his friend’s hands from strangling everyone in that room

“Information” Liam sent Violet a pointed look “Violet, what about stealing the news missives from the Archives? The ones that come in from the front?”

And also cause fucking chaos. Liam was thirsty for chaos.

“It’s after seven” her voice is disappointed “the Archives are locked, and it’s the kind of vault that even wielding isn’t going to touch. The whole room is sealed up airtight in case of fire”

Fuck.

“Damn.” Imogen deflated “That was a good one”

Liam sighed, listening half-heartedly to other suggestions. He looked at Violet, noticing her eyebrows frowning in a way that reminded him of their first ever interaction. The creepy calculating eyes. She shook her head as if disregarding an idea and he was sure that whatever popped into her head was going to be epic. Liam caught Imogen’s attention, pointing discreetly at Violet.

“What are you thinking, Sorrengail?” she interrupted the discussions “I can see the little gears turning in your mind”

Everyone looked at her expectantly. Rhiannon, Ridoc and Sawyer - and Liam himself - practically falling from the bench due to anticipation.

“It’s probably nothing” Violet shrugged.

“Get up here and work it out in your head” Imogen insisted, her eyes narrowing.

“Seriously, it’s mad. Like, undoable. We’d get thrown in the brig if we’re caught” Violet mumbled.

Even. Fucking. Better. Liam was giddy thinking about it! It would probably beat the chaos that stealing Panchek’s underwear could cause.

“Get. Up. Here. And. Work. It. Out” Imogen ordered.

Liam brushed his arms against Violet’s, encouraging her to stand up and speak her mind.

“We can wield, right?”

“By all means necessary,” Heaton nodded.

Liam smiled as Violet spiraled into her thoughts, the tell tale of her repetitive movements giving away her plotting.

“All right. I know Ridoc can wield ice, Rhiannon can retrieve, Sawyer can manipulate metal, Imogen can mind-wipe recent memories—”

“And I’m fast”

“Heaton, what about you?” Violet asked the third year.

“I can breathe underwater”

Their entire squad - apart from Emery - blink in surprise. What an odd signet, though Liam would have sold his favorite knife to have that kind of signet when he was younger.

“Awesome, but I don’t think that’s going to come in handy if we do this. Emery?” Violet continued.

“I can control wind. A lot of wind”

“Quinn?”

“I can astral project. Keep my body in one place and then walk around somewhere else”

Holy fucking shit, Liam was beginning to think his signet was boring.

You insult me, Deigh’s voice thundered inside his head.

How can I insult you if signets are all on the rider’s personality?

No rider of mine is…boring, they are fierce, cunning warriors-

Alright, I get it! My signet is very useful and I am very proud of it. Liam tried not to laugh out loud.

“What are you thinking, Sorrengail?” Imogen was as tense as a crossbolt.

“You’re going to tell me I’ve lost my mind, but if we pull it off, we’ll win for sure” Violet’s smile went from casual to fucking wicked “We’re going to break into my mother’s office”

***

Violet was scary when she plotted and Liam took a mental note to never cross her.

“Everyone, remember the plan. No one deviates. No one”

All of them were about to enter the administrative tower, sealing their fates. It was now or never. Liam was walking just behind Violet, trying not to step on her ankles while ascending the stairs.

“It’s six flights straight up” she whispered to them.

Once they reach the top, Liam discreetly looks over the long hallway, using his signet “There are mage lights in sconces. And you were right, there’s only one guard stationed at the door”

“Was there any light under the door?”

“No” Liam shook his head and looked at Quin “The guard looks about six feet tall, but he seems pretty athletic. The other stairwell is down the hallway to the left, which means you’ll have to get his attention and then book it”

“No problem” the ghostly girl replied.

“Everyone else know what they’re doing?” Violet confirmed for the millionth time, but everyone nodded anyway.

He wondered why she was so nervous. Her plan was solid and she was great at putting their signets to use. Was it her mother? Liam was sure the woman would not mind her daughter’s strategic planning…right?

“Then let’s do this. Quinn, you’re up. Everyone else, circle back down so he can’t see us if he looks this way” Violet commanded.

They do as she says and Quin promptly sprinted towards the hallway. The guard’s voice boomed and heavy footsteps echoed as he passed by. They quickly run for the door at the end of the hall, Sawyer and Nadine already working on unlocking the door. Liam’s eyes darted to Violet again - who was out of breath and looking paler than usual.

“Are you all right?” he whispered

Liam always thought that Violet’s eyes were an open book, unable to lie. He could see there was something too personal about that situation.

“Yep” she whispered back “And I’ll be fine in there. Which is funny, since I didn’t think the same way the last time I was standing here”

The smile she gave him was completely ingenuine. Her mother was the issue then. Odd. He was not able to ask anything else once the door finally opened.

“If you hear me whistle-”

“Relax” she told him, bumping his arm softly “We’ll go out the window or something”

They entered the office and Liam took his post, not allowing the distraction to hinder the mission - he could ask Violet about her nervousness later. The hall seemed empty, illuminated by the mage lights in a blue hue, but Liam’s farsight focused on Rhiannon peeking out of the staircase. Her and Emery had stayed there to lock the door of the hallway as soon as the guard left. Liam hoped Quin was successful in luring the man out, but sounds echoing behind the large door indicated otherwise. Steps turned into loud stomping and soon the pounding on the door began.

Fuck. He whistled.

“What’s going on out there?” Ridoc whispered while opening the door slightly.

“He’s pounding at the hall door! It’s going to give any second. We have to go now” Liam warned as quietly as he could.

Liam held the door open as they all run back into the hall, right on time for the guard to actually break the door open and catch them, yelling profusely.

“We’re dead if he catches us with the map” Ridoc is beside Liam, fight stance ready.

“We can’t hurt him” Violet warned.

As if she had super hearing, Rhiannon quickly stepped into the hallway and wielded the map out of Imogen’s hands and into hers, Liam almost cheered out loud.

“This was not part of the plan” Liam commented, standing beside Violet just in case something freaky happened.

Emery was quick to wield air, strong enough to push the guard away at least ten meters and knock him against the wall. They did not lose any time and ran to the unconscious guard, Ridoc and Liam dragging the heavy man into a random office. Violet kneeled, feeling the man’s pulse and nodding to herself.

“Good strong pulse. He just knocked him out. Open his mouth” she said while pulling something from her rib pockets - a vial.

Liam watched horrified as she poured whatever liquid that was into the guard’s mouth.

“He’ll sleep the rest of the night” Violet’s voice was almost too creepily innocent for someone who walked around with drugs in her pockets. But again…she did poison Barlowe with oranges and smuggled a strong sleeping draught for Liam once. Did poison master abilities run in the Sorrengail family?

“You’re kind of terrifying” was all Liam could blurt.

Previous chapter

Next chapter

[asena-queenslayer]

genshin guys as figure skaters (& more) at the rink part 1:

characters: aether, albedo, alhaitham, ayato (& ayaka), baizhu, bennett, chongyun, cyno, dain, diluc, heizou, itto

disclaimer: all headcanons inspired by my own experiences as a former figure skater! honestly this started as just a "genshin tall guys as figure skaters" hc but then I added xiao and it just snowballed from there. there will be headcanons for the girls if there's interest!!

2/2

-------------------------------------------------------

aether:

dain's student. late starter but seems to have a knack for skating. moving up pretty fast. just started nilou's ballet classes. actually pretty good at spins & quite flexible too.

albedo:

former competitive figure skater but mostly coaches now. does both Learn to Skate & private coaching. v patient & understanding. great with encouraging the more shy & hesitant kids.

alhaitham:

skating judge. only around for competitions & testing. hella intimidating. leaves v terse comments on tests. somehow, they're not as blunt as he looks. probably went to Worlds in his time.

ayato & ayaka:

extremely good pair skaters. everyone is in awe & lowkey fear of them whenever they're on the ice bc they're so focused & extremely fast. ayaka is super sweet off ice tho & besties with nilou. ayato has all the beginner skaters hanging over the boards wishing he was their partner instead.

baizhu:

medic. often gone on sick leave but always around for competitions. always has a cardigan on bc the building is hella cold, even in the lobby outside the rink. v kind but hopes no one will get injured so that there would be no need for him.

bennett:

in Learn to Skate. honestly probably shouldn't be on the ice but is trying his best. kaeya especially looks out for him. always encouraging the little kids & keeps a positive attitude.

chongyun:

just graduated to the freestyle ice!! unfortunately everyone there is extremely fast and scary. hugs the wall for dear life every time one (or two, in the case of our pair skaters) speeds by. actually started skating bc of his aunt shenhe, who used to figure skate. also takes nilou's classes.

cyno:

one of the guys working at the rink stores. usually the hockey store but occasionally the figure skating one as well. sharpens skates. will yell his bad dad jokes at people from across the lobby just to embarrass them (or maybe himself). also the guy jokingly twirling around & copying the ballet class outside their open door while they're practicing. actually surprisingly good at it.

dain:

serious af coach from Scandinavia or Russia or somewhere in Eastern Europe (no one knows). coached multiple Olympians in the past but has no current ones. scary af. only the really intense parents (the ones living vicariously through their kid) attempt to recruit as their child's coach. best of luck to them, since he only invites his students.

diluc:

arrives later & leaves earlier than kaeya (they drive separately). doesn't skate as often as his brother but has impeccable technique nevertheless. v consistent jumps. puts his waterbottle on whichever side of the boards that kaeya's isn't on. kaeya will move his own waterbottle over just to mess with him. iconic move is a beautiful spread eagle.

heizou:

that one guy from another rink who randomly shows up whenever his rink is closed for maintenance. still knows everyone despite not being a regular. super fun programs & does a lot of showcases.

itto:

hockey player. duh. did you think this guy figure skates. the little kids love him tho. probably the guy they call in for birthday parties.

[pleasantlyinsincere]

Long ago I promised an audio-dump of some more from Angie and Ruth McCartney's Giuliano interview. It's more than I remembered, so multiple parts. Some of these (not all) are the more controversial stories, so feel free to just ignore.

PART 1

15 year old Ruth goes to tell Paul about appearing on TV. It doesn't go well.

I was leaning against the wall, telling him the story - whatever. And he leaned over me. Really menacy, put one hand on the wall. One hand above me and one hand below me. I thought 'What the hell is he gonna do? Is he gonna hit me?'. He said: 'Look. Remember something. The only reason you got this job is because of me.' He said: ' Those fucks at Granada television want me to go on to one of their lousy, cheap [...] little pop-shows and grace them with my presence. They only put Mike on with his bullshit song, because they want to kiss my arse.' And he said: 'If you think you got the job on your own merit, you got another fucking thing coming. [...] You're fat, you're spotty, you're overweight. You are a fucking teenager. You don't have a life. You are not interesting. Those people only come over to take you out, so they can meet me.' [...] He had me pinned against the wall just raging. [...] I just ran out of there. I called Mike. [...] He said 'What the hell is going on?' I told him a little bit. 'I went round to tell Paul. I told him I was so proud.' He said: 'Oh, you made that mistake.'

Paul buys Jim, the gambler at heart, a race horse.

So, Jim was absolutely delighted. He was a gambler at heart. Couldn't really afford gambling in his early days. In fact he got into a little bit of hot water by gambling and borrowing money when he was working for Hannie and company, you know the cotton broker. And his boss at the time loand Jim the money to get out of it, to get straight with his gambling debts. And that really scared Jim of gambling. He was a very prudent gambler after that. He had an account with a betting compony in Liverpool called Murphy and sons. You could place telephone bets there. [...] But he never spend very much at all. He would only spend like five pounds or ten pounds. But when Paul bought him Drakes Drum that obviously encouraged him to go to the race track. The horse was very succesfull it won quite a bit of money for Jim.

Paul and Linda coming home at night, waking up the household, smacking the kids and expecting Ruth and Angie to take care of it

The studio sessions, being what they were ... Paul and Linda would get home at three or four o'clock in the morning. Waking all the frigging kids up, wake the dogs up. 'Come on. Kisses for Mummy.' .. Wake up all these fucking babies, have everybody screaming, smack them then, take three hits from a joint and then be ready for bed. And then they would go to bed and the whole freaking house was up barking and screaming and shitting their pants. So, Angie and I would get up and I was going through high-school at this point. And I would get up at 3:30 in the morning and I'd take Stella into bed with me and I'd get her back to sleep. And Linda would just spank Heather behind the knees. Cause Heather was old enough to understand 'Go to sleep!'. 'Hi, mummy loves you. *kiss kiss kiss* Go to sleep.' And then it's lights out. Ange would take Mary and walk up and down the gallery landing or up and down the staircase. And you know, take Mary and I would invariably take Stella into my bed. Trying to get these poor bastards back to sleep. And of course I had to get up shortly after seven for school. So, these kids would be up at seven and be put back in their room. And then I would go to school and it was Angie's job to amuse these three children all frigging day till two in the afternoon, till Paul and Linda dained to appear to say 'What's for breakfast?'.

[glacialswordsman-a]

They really have to stop meeting like this.

But, as it turns out, there's more in common between them than Death After Noon -- and so Dainsleif finds himself taking a seat next to Mondstadt's famed Cavalry Captain yet once more, content to sit and listen to whatever far-fetched tale he has to regale him with this time.

Except that on this particular night, he hasn't been listening to a single word shot in his direction, star-shaped pupils fixated on Kaeya's singular visible eye.

In some ways, being around him feels like home -- and he knows it's not a feeling that he should entertain, but... Selfishly, he wants to.

500 years was too long. He had almost forgotten what it was like to sit shoulder-to-shoulder with his kin, close enough to touch and hold them within his embrace. Now, he sat in the heavy and burdensome wake of that loss, closer than ever to recreating that which he missed so dearly.

This, he knew, was all he had left of those people.

And it was beautiful.

Was Kaeya aware of it? Of how Dain's heart leapt when a genuine smile reached his eye? How he had come to memorize the way his lips dimpled at their corners when he grinned, or his shoulders shook with laughter, and had even begun to look forward to it?

Was he aware of how simply being alive and living well made Dainsleif's chest squeeze with painful, crushing familiarity and warmth?

His eyes fixate upon Kaeya's lips for a few seconds longer than he intends, and it certainly isn't the alcohol that drives his next actions. In fact, his drink has gone largely untouched for much of the last hour -- though he does take one quick sip for some much-needed liquid valor.

There, tucked away in the dark corner in which they sat, Dainsleif kisses him. He's endlessly gentle as their lips touch, save for his hands which clumsily grasp at the shoulders opposite to pull the Captain closer still. He finds that Kaeya's lips are as pleasantly soft as they looked, with the added bonus that they taste like his favorite drink, which only encourages Dain to slip him some tongue to get a better taste...

And then he remembers himself before he can get too carried away, ripping himself back to sit at arm's length, elbows locking both arms straight as he still retains his hold upon those shoulders.

"Sorry-- I don't know what overcame me... I'll, uh, go."

Familiarity, warmth, comfort.

Words that Kaeya had assigned to Dainsleif the more he came around. At first, the Cavalry Captain was wary of the Bough Keeper. Really, who wouldn’t be when someone from your fallen kingdom showed up randomly one day and tried to get a gauge on where your allegiances lay? He was untrustworthy, strange, enigmatic. It felt as though he could see right through the younger Khaenri’ahn and peer into the depths of his soul.

As though he could see the hideous, unforgivable creature that hid beneath the beautiful plumage of a peacock.

Yet now… After having spent some more time with the Twilight Sword, Kaeya felt…at peace.

As though no one in the entirety of this star could ever understand him the way Dainsleif does.

He’s never really done much to suddenly have Kaeya’s impression shift like that—but it was the presence that he bore with him whenever he appeared. The expressions of understanding and patience as the two conversed. The expressions of longing for a place that can never be again.

At least, not in the way they’ve known. Not in the way it used to be. The abyss within him yearned strongly for union, howled and clawed within him to return to a place that no longer exists, yet it quiets down the moment it feels the Bough Keeper close by. It settles like a house cat sunbathing within the warmth cast through the window, purring ever contently as it fell into a gentle tranquility that Kaeya never knew possible. He’s always known it as this insatiable beast threatening to rip through him the more time went on away from what he’d known; a tiger clawing through the bars of its cage threatening to rend its handler apart.

But Dainsleif has quieted the bellowing—simply by being nearby.

Because he felt like home.

And it was so, so easy to start feeling at peace with the Bough Keeper, regardless of how the past and the dead ever haunt them both. Kaeya honestly felt light as a feather when with him, and it was evident in the way he laughed and smiled freely while sharing in his company. It was in the way the star in his iris twinkled before his eye shaped into a crescent moon, the way little craters appeared upon his unusually warm cheeks from his brilliant smile, and the way his voice lilted and carried like a song through the din of the tavern.

All because of him. All because of Dainsleif.

It was unbelievably liberating, being able to just…exist. To pretend that this was how it was meant to be, and to pretend that Kaeya didn’t have an ancient plot right on his heels, ready to make him trip and fall to a place he can never surface from again.

However, he didn’t have to worry about falling into the abyss—no, perhaps he should have worried about the danger of falling elsewhere.

Such as into the Bough Keeper’s touch.

As his shoulders were taken and held, the Cavalry Captain paused in his merriment as his expression shifted briefly into one of puzzlement, before sharpening into shock as he felt gentle lips pressed to his own. The star in his eye had briefly shrunk into a pinprick before blowing out and dilating into a beautiful diamond of indigo, a delighted shiver running down his spine upon the soft feeling of Dainsleif’s tongue grazing past his lips. He was only a tad slow in melting against the older Khaenri’ahn, although it appeared much too slow as he was suddenly held back at arm’s length. He tried to blink away the thin glaze that had overtaken his sight as he stared at the blond before him and heard his apology.

No.

No, that will not do.

Furrowing his brows, he brought his hands up in order to shove those arms away and off his shoulders before pulling himself in towards the older man, taking his face in his hands and delicately cradling it as he returned the kiss with the awareness and fervor he had previously lacked. He’s not letting him slip away anymore, not after this.

“No. No running away, Dainsleif. Stay,” he voiced against supple lips, grateful to have their own little corner within the tavern so the people wouldn’t have heard the quiet tone of pleading in words that would otherwise be taken as a demand.

[vodika-vibes]

So my brain is focused on Cal and Spark and their connection with the 501st, because there's absolutely no reason why a group of, self proclaimed, anarchists would have anything to do with members of the GAR, but here you go-

It's starts with a party. Every three months, like clockwork, the members of the Daines house pool their money to rent a warehouse for 3 days. The money goes to the warehouse, to food, to alcohol and other drinks, to tattoo supplies, to hair dye, and everything else they might need for a truly spectacular party. There's no door fee, but everyone does have to show ID to get in. But, as far as everything else, it's all covered by the members of the Daines house. Every tattoo. Every dye job. Every meal and every drink. The only rule is no bigots. They can and will throw out anyone who feels that they're better than the people partying with them. And there is an open invitation for everyone and anyone to come and party with them. And that is how it starts. Fives finds the announcement, left laying on a table, and he brings it to his brothers. And Rex isn't so sure, but the majority of Torrent is sure, and so Rex sighs and agrees to go. It takes the convincing of Tup, Hardcase, and Fives to convince Dogma that one party won't kill him, but eventually even he agrees. When they show up at the warehouse, in groups of ten, they expect to be turned away, but they're not. Jesse and Hardcase head directly to the tattoo stations. Tup heads to the hair dye station, but the majority of the vod'e make their way to the dance floor. And that's where Fives meets Cal. She drags him to the dance floor with a grin and a wink, and Fives essentially attaches himself to her. She's pretty and pastel and makes the war seem so much further away than it is. Dogma sticks to the walls, not really comfortable with the whole situation, and that's how Spark finds him. Spark encourages him to go and get food, to get drinks, and while Spark doesn't get him onto the dance floor, they do spend the whole evening together. And before anyone really knows what happening the night has rolled into day, and cots are being laid out on the dance floor, and food is being made, and stands are being set up to offer counseling services to people who need it, and free medical/dental care to people who need it. And somehow the men of Torrent end up running self defense classes to women and at-risk youth. And when the night rolls around again, the party starts all over again. And it repeats, for all three days. When Torrent finally leaves the warehouse, a lot of them have dates set up, and all of them are so drunk that they're barely able to see straight. In fact, the following morning Torrent is still more drunk than hungover, and Cody has to lie out his ass to get the 501st pulled off the mission that they're about to be sent on. Instead of the 212 and the 501 going to Umbara...it's the 212 and the 104, under the command of General Pong Krell and General Plo Koon. And it changes everything.

When the wrong Jedi Arc happens, Ahsoka ends up crashing on the couch in the Daines home, because where else is she going to go. Luckily for her, one of the long term residents of the home is a Criminal Defense Lawyer, who takes the chance to verbally eviscerate the Senate with a frightening amount of glee. And so Ahsoka is cleared of all wrong doing, and remains a part of the Jedi Order. And when, later, Fives is accused of trying to assassinate the Chancellor (which he deserves) he also runs to the Daines House for aid. And, once more, the wolf like Lawyers of the Daines home are more than happy to turn their fangs against the Senate.

[reginrokkr]

I just realized that I kept forgetting to talk about the canon divergence of my Dain concerning 「Bedtime story」 which... I wish it didn't come to this, as this would be genuinely the first canon divergence I'll write that is directly related to one of his quests. Nonetheless, it's something that must be done and so it'll be, as there are many things that don't make much sense to me no matter how hard I try to put aside my own bias and exhaust every possibility under the sun as to why things were done the way they were for no other reason than... apparent narrative convenience. So here we go:

α) One of the things that didn't make sense to me is having Dain be as highly perceptive and sentient as he is, feeling in every moment when a new memory is being implanted in his mind and even when the ley lines are being altered, only to be okay with the knowledge that he had given Aether the eye of the first field tiller. Why do I think so? Because Aether kept saying quest after quest that even if he doesn't understand Lumine's actions nor he subscribes to them, that he's still with her. After all, his journey began because he's searching for her, his only kin, and his journey continues to be because of that. In the same quest, Dain asks him if he believes that Lumine betrayed him and regardless of the answer he gave, Dain encouraged him to remain positive because their relationship isn't incorrigible nor beyond repair, unlike his own with his own brother.

It's because of this that I think that it makes zero sense that he'd be okay with the thought that he has given Aether the eye of the first field tiller because, following the previous line of logic, it'd be easy to think that in the scenario where he'd have to choose between Dain and Lumine, he would choose Lumine over him always. This in itself would be very dangerous in the face of wanting to stop the Abyss Order's plans.

β) Which leads to the second problem, and that is his "confrontation" against Lumine. So we know that Dain was at ease knowing that Aether has the eye of the first field tiller and that he sent him off just in time so that the two of them wouldn't meet. Once again, in the scenario that Aether stayed and things played out in reality the way Dain conceived it to be because of Caribert's actions, the odds that the eye would fall in Lumine's hands would be higher if Aether stayed than if he left.

Moving on to the next issue with this part, it's the fact that Lumine does tell Dain that he risked his own safety and that of the eye to ambush her. This here should've sufficed to him to realize that he never gave the eye to Aether (since he showed to be highly perceptive, analytical and sentient with less information in order to reach to very sound conclusions, it's difficult to think that he would continue to believe that Aether has the eye when Lumine is telling to his face otherwise), to defend himself against Lumine even if it's just to not let her have a way to the eye no matter if he didn't want to fight her. But instead... there was nothing of this and, once again, it makes zero sense.

So now that I addressed the two main points that for the life of me I can't agree with, the canon divergence of all of this is that: Dain becomes suspicious of the memory of himself giving the eye to Aether, specially after having a similar memory but with Caribert being the receiver instead. And for the love of Celestia, no matter how much he doesn't want to fight Lumine, he does defend himself and he succeeds in defending the eye, too. That being said, since I'm aware that him losing the eye and the Loom of Fate being completed is a pivotal point of the narrative to continue with the main story line, Dain will still lose the eye. Just... not like this. The reason will be kept obscured (if anything because I haven't come out with a good way for him to lose it save for the outline of it, but it doesn't matter too much as he'd probably feel ashamed enough to not talk about the topic, no matter how he comes to lose the eye), but his own brother will be related to this instead.

[twilightichor]

I just realized that I kept forgetting to talk about the canon divergence of my Dain concerning 「Bedtime story」 which... I wish it didn't come to this, as this would be genuinely the first canon divergence I'll write that is directly related to one of his quests. Nonetheless, it's something that must be done and so it'll be, as there are many things that don't make much sense to me no matter how hard I try to put aside my own bias and exhaust every possibility under the sun as to why things were done the way they were for no other reason than... apparent narrative convenience. So here we go:

α) One of the things that didn't make sense to me is having Dain be as highly perceptive and sentient as he is, feeling in every moment when a new memory is being implanted in his mind and even when the ley lines are being altered, only to be okay with the knowledge that he had given Aether the eye of the first field tiller. Why do I think so? Because Aether kept saying quest after quest that even if he doesn't understand Lumine's actions nor he subscribes to them, that he's still with her. After all, his journey began because he's searching for her, his only kin, and his journey continues to be because of that. In the same quest, Dain asks him if he believes that Lumine betrayed him and regardless of the answer he gave, Dain encouraged him to remain positive because their relationship isn't incorrigible nor beyond repair, unlike his own with his own brother.

It's because of this that I think that it makes zero sense that he'd be okay with the thought that he has given Aether the eye of the first field tiller because, following the previous line of logic, it'd be easy to think that in the scenario where he'd have to choose between Dain and Lumine, he would choose Lumine over him always. This in itself would be very dangerous in the face of wanting to stop the Abyss Order's plans.

β) Which leads to the second problem, and that is his "confrontation" against Lumine. So we know that Dain was at ease knowing that Aether has the eye of the first field tiller and that he sent him off just in time so that the two of them wouldn't meet. Once again, in the scenario that Aether stayed and things played out in reality the way Dain conceived it to be because of Caribert's actions, the odds that the eye would fall in Lumine's hands would be higher if Aether stayed than if he left.

Moving on to the next issue with this part, it's the fact that Lumine does tell Dain that he risked his own safety and that of the eye to ambush her. This here should've sufficed to him to realize that he never gave the eye to Aether (since he showed to be highly perceptive, analytical and sentient with less information in order to reach to very sound conclusions, it's difficult to think that he would continue to believe that Aether has the eye when Lumine is telling to his face otherwise), to defend himself against Lumine even if it's just to not let her have a way to the eye no matter if he didn't want to fight her. But instead... there was nothing of this and, once again, it makes zero sense.

So now that I addressed the two main points that for the life of me I can't agree with, the canon divergence of all of this is that: Dain becomes suspicious of the memory of himself giving the eye to Aether, specially after having a similar memory but with Caribert being the receiver instead. And for the love of Celestia, no matter how much he doesn't want to fight Lumine, he does defend himself and he succeeds in defending the eye, too. That being said, since I'm aware that him losing the eye and the Loom of Fate being completed is a pivotal point of the narrative to continue with the main story line, Dain will still lose the eye. Just... not like this. The reason will be kept obscured (if anything because I haven't come out with a good way for him to lose it save for the outline of it, but it doesn't matter too much as he'd probably feel ashamed enough to not talk about the topic, no matter how he comes to lose the eye), but his own brother will be related to this instead.

[callsign-rogueone]

hi liz!! how are you doing?

I just wanted to ask if you could do a halloween edition of all the girlfriends dressing up

hope you ok

hi!! I’m doing okay. long weekend this week 🥳

here are my thoughts!! I had the hardest time picking costumes for some of them that could be possible in their universe — so like not pop culture references or anything. and I added how they’d be at a party, too.

Duchess is the one hosting the party, despite it being Xaden’s house — he lets her have the reins because he doesn’t do holidays, even if they’re dark and broody. I’m stuck on what she would dress up as. her and Brennan might not, honestly, with the excuse that “they’re getting too old for this” but at the very least she’d wear a nice fall-colored dress, not her rider’s clothes. she also lets her hair down for the occasion, which Brennan likes very much.

Angel dresses up as an angel, of course. cute, peaceful, and a reference to her nickname from Garrick and the boys. it’s easy enough to put together; a little white dress and a halo. Gare is a big fan of the exposed leg and the wings she’s got on. he’s going to try to pull her away from the party multiple times that night, but Angel is too polite and too shy to leave early, so Gare is a little pouty about that.

Spark is one of those people who does not care about any holiday ever. but Liam is excited about it, so she’ll play along, because she does care about him. Her costume probably consists of a t-shirt and pants, maybe a hat or a headband, but that’s it. Plunk some ears on her, and she’s the black cat to Liam’s golden retriever. Love attempted to convince her to let her draw some eyeliner whiskers — that went about as well as you’d expect it to.

Peach, our sweet healer girl, borrows someone’s flight jacket and dresses in all black to be a rider. (Dain gets over it when he sees how starry-eyed Sawyer is about this.) Later in the night, she steals the hat from Sawyer’s costume, looking him in the eye while she does. he blushes so hard, nearly choking on his drink, but thankfully these city kids don’t know the rule: wear the hat, ride the cowboy.

Darling is hand-making treats for the occasion, obviously, because she’s extra like that. she borrows a dress and shoes from Love or Duchess and is a ballerina 🥹 (this will make more sense whenever I finally finish one of her chapters… anyway) she’s classy and practical through and through, so she’s wearing tights under. and she encourages everyone to drink water and eat some real food to balance out the alcohol and churam.

Love dresses up as a fairy (because she has Tinkerbell energy). it’s easy enough to put together — a little pastel dress (of which she has dozens) and some wings, which she can make flutter with her little wisps of air. she’d make a dramatic entrance by floating down the stairs. Dain is probably a little anti-Halloween in the sense of it being “impractical” and “for children”, because there is no whimsy or fun allowed in the Aetos household, but when he sees how happy Love is, he’s on board. like Garrick, he’s into the dress and the wings, but he has the restraint not to drag her away from the party.

Sweetheart doesn’t want to stand out too much. she’s probably not going to dress up. or if she did, it would be something simple. maybe she’s another black cat with Spark — Liam plays that sunshine role for both of these withdrawn, “cold” girls. she hangs back at the edges of the party most of the night (with Xaden!) and watches it all unfold.

Sunny is also one that’s stumping me right now. she wouldn’t have any impractical clothes or shoes to wear, so she’d have to borrow something from one of the girls or make something herself. she spends a lot of the time bartending for the party, as she’s experienced in that. Aaric stays closeby the whole time, helping her, even though he has no idea what he’s doing. he probably didn’t dress up — he doesn’t seem very whimsical.

[hockeyspiral23]

FOR EXAMPLE:

The following was written last night ... for an early chapter that is STILL not done even though ones after it are (in theory):

"Is that from today?" I ask, gesturing at the line. "It is," she says. "May I grab a snack?" She's already heading to the kitchen before I can affirm or deny her request. "It just showed up," Dain adds. "How cool is that?" I freeze. Fuck. He saw. "Dain, if you wouldn't mind, would you excuse Violet and I for a moment?" He shrugs, but sits on the couch in our living room while I follow my daughter to the kitchen. She's sitting at the table, eating an apple, and looking at me curiously. I look at her, trying to decide how I want to start the conversation before I throw up a sound shield. "Which would be more awkward? This, or the, what do you humans call it? The birds and the bees talk? I would think the latter, but given your apprehension, perhaps not." I send a scowl through the bond. "Okay then. How would you tell one of your offspring if they weren't allowed to fly and hunt with one of their little dragon friends anymore thanks to them being part of some ancient Empyrean thing? Because that's the conversation." "Because you don't trust your aide." I go to deny it, but I pause, realizing that's the exact crux of the issue. I do trust Conrad, but do I trust him enough? Do I trust him to keep the secret of my daughter's status? Can I trust Dain to keep it a secret? I think he might, but I also know how much he trusts and looks up to his father, and Conrad always encourages Dain to tell him absolutely everything. And I know Dain well enough by now that if I tell him he can't interact as much with my daughter, he'll comply, but want to know why. And I can't truly tell him that. But whatever I can tell him will be easier than telling my daughter she can't have a close friend anymore.

Whyyyyy can I not write linearly? Why? Life would literally be so much easier if I could ...

[manias-wordcount]

hello! i just read the Itto drabble where he meets his baby and it was so cuteee! i really love it uwu if it's okay, may i please request the same but with dainsleif? a small drabble where he meets his son for the first time? please? i really love him, and i think it would be cute to see him being soft with his babyboy ;w; anyways, i hope this is okay! thank you and have a nice day! 💝💝💝💝💝😚

  Why He Fights (Dainsleif x Reader)

𝗔/𝗡: 𝗛𝗜 𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗚𝗢𝗢𝗢𝗢𝗢𝗢. 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘀𝗼 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗮 𝗳𝘂𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗯𝗰 𝗵𝗲'𝘀 #𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝗶𝘁!!!!!!!!! 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗶 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗺 𝘀𝗼 𝘀𝗼𝗿𝗿𝘆 𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲! 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘆 𝗯𝗼𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘆 𝗯𝗼𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵<𝟯 𝗲𝗻𝗷𝗼𝘆 !!!

𝙒𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚? ⇒ 𝙈𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩

𝙟𝙤𝙞𝙣 𝙢𝙮 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙘𝙤𝙧𝙙 𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙚𝙧?

The process was daunting. Daring. Horrific yet inspiring.

  And it was yours and yours alone.

  He saw very little. He helped very little. As a soldier, this was a battle not meant for the likes of him. A battle in which he could not lift a blade to assist. And that thought alone nearly destroys him. Yet, he pressed onwards. He insisted on being there. Every step of the way. With little more to offer than his hand and his voice. Something to hold when the pain became too much. Words of encouragement when the final ascent was drawing near. And when the nurses and doctors finally cleared the grounds and had left you two, alone as the victors, it was then when you turned him and said:

  “Dain, do you want to hold him?”

  There’s a reason why he continues to fight.

  “I…” He hesitates, and his voice wavers. By instinct, he reaches his hands out, but his fingers twitch, and suddenly he’s drawing into himself. A second passes. And another. And another. You’re looking at him the entire time, sparing glances at the newborn baby in your outstretched arms, swaddled in one of the many blankets you made during your pregnancy. You’re patient with Dain. You’re so, so patient with him, and he needs that. The life in your arms is worth a thousand times more than anything he’s ever seen. “I...I would, yes.”

  A thousand more than anything he’s ever seen except you.

  Your smile is as gentle as the breeze while you place the little one in his arms. You move slowly. He moves even slower. But you guide him through every step along the way. A tiny body resting against his chest, supported by an arm with an even tinier head being propped up on his shoulder. A swaddle so precious, you’ve had to remind Dain three times to relax his body and try not to tense up so often. But that’s okay. That’s fine, really. He’d do anything for you. It’s only natural that he’d do anything for his newborn son too. 

  “He’s beautiful.” The compliment flows from his mouth naturally. As nothing more than a whisper, it barely disturbs the quiet bubble surrounding the two of you. He doesn’t know where it came from, but he knows it holds true. Wispy little golden yellow hairs line the top of his son’s head. Round cheeks and a tiny nose. Chubby arms and legs are hidden behind the blankets, but he knows they’re there. He saw them wiggle and move as he heard his son cry for the first time. But now, his child sleeps, an almost soundless slumber. And Dain can’t wonder what his son’s eyes with look like once they finally open. Will they look like yours? Like his? The thought excites him as much as it terrifies him. And yet, all he can do is just sit there and utter once more, “He’s beautiful.”

  “He looks like you.”

  Your remark is quick, but you’re as genuine as they come. He turned to you slowly, and you meet his gaze with the smallest of smiles. The woman before him looks disheveled. She looks exhausted and battered. Her hair is a mess, and she looks ready to drop everything and to finally make use of the bed she’s laying in and sleep for a good twenty years. And he knows the woman in front of him is hungry and tired and ready for the longest bath of her life. He knows it because it’s you. Beautiful, strong, and perfect you. Resting in bed after just giving birth. After facing a battle most men would turn away from. 

  But it’s you.

  You who had treated him with nothing but kindness when he came crashing into your life one day all those years ago. You who spent every day and every night with him patiently helping him through his sorrow and his pain. You who would hold his hands and kiss him as a reminder that he is deserving of all the love you have to offer him. You, who is looking at him right now with the tenderest smile, despite the last couple of hours that you’ve been through. You. His wife and the mother of his child. The mother of his sweet, sweet baby boy. The child that you gave him. The child that is starting to look like him.

  And it hits him so suddenly. Flames of emotions that he didn’t know he still had in him until he met you. Flames that were extinguished as Khaenri'ah fell. But every time he looks at you, he knows it. It screams it out in his head. It echoes through his heartbeat. It flows through his blood. It reminds him. Over and over and over again. Every single time he looks at you. For there’s a reason why he continues to fight. Not just because of duty. But because of you. 

  And now, him too. 

  “I love you.” It’s not the first time he professed those three special words to you. Nor is it the second time. Or the third time. Or even the fourth. And yet, this is the first time he tells it to you with tears in his eyes and his son in his arms. The first time he can say I love you to two people in one breath. The first time he can say it since the first moment of true peace in his household now that the world has slowed down long enough for him to look at the family he has created despite all his years. And the words have never tasted sweeter from his lips. So he says it again. “I love you.”

  And again. 

  “I adore you.”

  And again.

  “I need you.”

   And again.

  “I would do anything for you.”

  He whispers it to you as you lean in close and cup his cheek. He speaks it against your lips as you wipe away the tears that threaten to spill. They’re accented with promises to protect you and your child. And they’re threaded with tiny strokes to his son’s cheek and kisses to his forehead. Over and Over. Again and again. 

  In a couple of hours, he knows he’ll have to part from you and his child and allow you to get your rest. In a couple of hours, the house will be quiet but it will have one less person inside. He wishes he could stay longer, but there’s trouble brewing nearby. Trouble that he has to take care of, lest he breaks his oath to you and his boy so swiftly and so soon. 

  But for now, he holds onto this moment. He holds onto this feeling. The sounds of your voice as you tell him how much you love him back. The sound of his son’s coos and murmurs as the little one shifts in his sleep. The sounds of the house built for a family, creaking and groaning, welcoming its newest edition in its only way. The warmth of your loving, motherly touch that spreads to him. Warmth that he, a soldier turned father, learned to spare for his son through you and you alone. The son that you gave him. That son that looks like him.

  And that thought alone nearly destroys him.

  But if this very moment he shares with you and his little boy, right here and right now, is not enough to keep a man as broken as he in the fight…

  “I love you too, Dain.”

   …then who knows what will. 

[oathofkaslana]

my thoughts on natlan so far:

disclaimers: im deeply fixated w houkai rn so i haven't been committing natlan to memory as much as like.. the previous nations. that being said this fixation began when fontaine was being released and even w/o being super invested in fontaine i still liked it and can recall a lot more abt it.

this post is being written after natlan's final archon quest and before the traveler interlude with dain. i've done all the available story quests --mualani, kinich, xilonen, chasca, citlali, and mavuika-- and all the important world quests.

ok now list of my thoughts

kachina, little one, and capitano are literally the only characters i give a fuck abt. i kinda like mualani as well but her character's writing is soo insidious to me i can't look at her positively. xilonen, citlali, and iansan are fine (barring the whitewashing ofc). i don't give a fuck abt kinich he's boring to me. i would like chasca, olorun, and mavuika better if their designs weren't so horrifically racist. fuck you, mihoyo.

the people of the springs is genuinely so fucking evil to me. seeing hawaiians beg people not to visit because tourism is harming its indigenous population while mualani's tribe is a popular tourist spot that encourages tourism to the point where mualanis' fucking character story has her being a tour guide is disgusting and mihoyo actually needs to die for that shit.

why do they refuse to use iansan im actually so mad at them for this. she was the ONLY character i was excited for in part bc she was literally the face of natlan in the travail character AND THEY DID NOTHING WITH HER CHARACTER WHAT THE FUCKKKK. HOW DOES KACHINA HAVE MORE LINES THAN THE LITERAL TRAVAIL CHARACTER??????????? im so fucking pissed abt this bc the other travail characters had a very heavy hand to play in their nations archon quests so seeing the darkest one being cast aside like that and being reduced to her occupation as a fitness trainer throughout the entire quest is infuriating. mind you she's literally named after an orisha.

xilonen's story quest and citlali's story quest are the only one's i liked. chasca's is on thin ice and i either dont care abt the others or outright hate them.

ok this one is vv subjective but why the fuck is kachina, a four star character who isn't even a hero, the most compelling natlani character... like there ARE other characters who go on arcs throughout this nation (namely like. chasca, capitano, kinda olorun ig, citlali through her story quest) but somehow kachinas arc is the only one i care abt. dear god. the way we get more character development out of her than the archon.ok.

they managed to make war boring i hate it here. also. i hated that parade section of the last AQ where traveler was just being paraded and celebrated like i get that it's to change the mood so that they can set up tension for the next scene w mavuika's sacrifice and fits in w what was already established w natlan's culture but it went on for way too long and felt really really cheap i hated that. esp since they so heavily stressed the fact that mavuika is human and is thus a friend of her people and now they're treating traveler like a celebrity? weird.

capitano's the most interesting character in the AQ and all but also the reveal of him being khaenri'ahn was somehow so anticlimatic. i do like the souls in his heart thing though i love nations full of grief and i like how that narratively fits in w him teaming up w olorun.

huitzilin citlali yuri.

ppl have already talked at length abt how racist their designs are and how out of place they look for a fantasy world so i wont talk abt it more but i wanted to mention that bc.. put mavuika and her bike in old mondstadt. what the fuck is going on.

not even the hi3 references could save mavuika to me ok im gonna talk abt this under the assumption that she is a himeko variant even if idont particularly subscribe to that idea. she's in a questionable spot variant wise to me mostly bc i just. dont like her as a variant. like at all. and ok coming at this as someone who likes hi3 himeko and has read the og himeko (retro ggz) and read half of fire moth. note that i know basically nothing abt reborn himeko. himeko's character is so heavily entangled w soldierisms/the military: ggz and hi3 himeko are schicksal valkyries who play a direct role in helping the main trio train for battle and shit, ggz himeko's theme song is about fighting til the end, hi3 himeko specifically plays a heavy role into the soldier's sacrifice thing we explore throughout hi3. this extends back to previous era HIMEKO, fire moth himeko has burnt her bridges and dedicates herself to being a weapon. so seeing mavuika being the god of war was sooo interesting to me! but then its like. ok mavuika's a god of war, she heavily deals with memory and sacrifice, she dedicates her life for others futures cool. but idk i guess i just wanted. something new????? something innovative??????????? i guess?? like to Me a successful variant is one who's identity as a variant is a writing device. but to me it just seems like a marketing tactic. they didn't even play w himeko's core themes which fucking sucks.

and ok now under the assumption that she isn't a variant. idk man i just would like sm less formulaic even her not getting her gnosis taken away was boring and felt kinda undeserving. idk my mind may change abt that later when the other quests inevitably come out but yk. she's unfortunately very boring to me idk!!!! also! i didn't like her story quest.

im not even saying it to be mean. i promise i wanted natlan to be good but then those fuckass designs dropped and the archon quest sucked and you can just. very clearly tell it was rewritten and its not done in an endearing way to me.