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tadfool · 7 months

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thinkin about Astarion mending Wyll's clothes for him but also embroidering something on them when he does. I imagine with all the fighting and traveling Wyll ends up with rips and holes in his clothes pretty often and eventually Astarion gets sick of watching him walk around in tattered clothes (most people likely wouldn't even notice but of course Astarion isn't most people). the first couple times he does it he just mends the damages and gives it back, but maybe one time Wyll ends up with a particularly large rip in his shirt and Astarion decides to take the opportunity to cover the damage with a small bit of embroidery to tidy up the repair. Wyll thanks him for repairing his shirt (again) but then he notices the embroidery and pauses for a moment in both surprise and marvel. "did you do this?" he says, carefully running his thumb over the delicate stitches, he knew it was a bit of a stupid question but he couldn't seem to think of anything else to say. (cont. under the cut bc this got kinda long)

"it was a pretty nasty rip, even with my skillful hands," Astarion flashes Wyll a suggestive grin to emphasize his innuendo but Wyll is still to busy admiring the embroidery in his hands, "I wasn't able to make the repair look presentable on its own, but a bit of embroidery does well enough to cover it up"

"it's beautiful." Wyll breathes.

"yes, well, you're welcome." Astarion retorts, his voice thick with snark to hide how much Wyll's earnest praise flustered him.

Wyll chuckles and thanks him again before they part ways.

the next time Astarion repairs some of Wyll's clothes when he returns the item Wyll once again notices a small patch of embroidery but this time it's somewhere totally unrelated to the damaged area. it's lovely, and he spends a moment admiring it before giving Astarion a questioning look. "there was a stain, I couldn't wash it out so I just covered it up. you're welcome, by the way." Astarion defends, and it's almost believable. it might have been more believable if it didn't keep happening.

every time Wyll hands over a damaged piece of clothing to be repaired, it's returned to him with some new embroidery adorning it. it starts off subtle but after some time he has a collage of embroidery along his left pant leg, starting at his hip and extending further down towards his knee with every repair. the collar and both shoulders of his shirt are adorned with delicate designs in colourful thread. he also, notably, becomes a bit more careful in battle, not wanting to damage Astarion's embroidery.

once, an opponent manages to graze his shoulder with their blade, the cut isn't deep but it slices through his shirt. and through the embroidery. as soon as he glaces over and catches sight of the torn thread, he's furious. he dispatches the enemy quickly and rather ungracefully. when he hands the shirt over to Astarion to be repaired he's positively dejected. "swiped at my shoulder, I didn't manage to deflect it in time, cut straight through the embroidery..."

Astarion clicks his tongue, assessing the damage, "no respect for craftsmanship these days..."

when he returns the shirt most of the old design has been picked out and replaced with a new one. a simpler design, Wyll notes, likely easier to repair if it were to get damaged again. he admires it with the same appreciation as the first. "is your shoulder alright, by the way?" Astarion asks rather suddenly.

"hm? oh, yes, barely grazed it. nothing a bandage and a night or two's rest won't fix."

"good." the silence that follows is almost palpable. so many unspoken words, concern, affection, hanging in the space between them. "well. do try to be more careful." Astarion finally says, then hastily adds "at this rate I'm going to run out of thread before I get a chance to get more."

Wyll smiles softly at him. (so softly it makes Astarion's chest ache) "of course." (the idea that Astarion cares about his safety makes Wyll's chest ache as well)

#holy shit this ended up. way longer than I originally intended #concept had a mind of its own #sorry my bloodpact brain worms took over #bg3 #baldur's gate 3 #wyll ravengard #astarion #astarion ancunin #wyllstarion #bloodpact #bloodfrontier

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kiwikiwiandkiwi · 10 months

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HARRY BEING HARRY ON TOUR — Love on Tour: UK + Europe Leg, 2023

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commsroom · 19 days

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circumstances surrounding the “leaked” documents about eiffel’s sentencing in need to know, as i understand them:

one of the very first things kepler does is offer eiffel, minkowski, and lovelace a drink. in true “at any given moment, kepler has about eighteen ulterior motives” spirit, it is, among other things, “hospitality”, sure, a test for eiffel, definitely, but… i think the main reaction he was checking for was minkowski’s. will she look at eiffel, or react to his reaction? how much does she know? how much does he trust her?

in don’t poke the bear, jacobi and maxwell stop lovelace from breaking into kepler’s server by pretending to be in on it with her: “she’s very good. it might turn into a problem.” / “i’ll run it by kepler.” two episodes later, files from kepler’s very secure server are “leaked.”

(the words "need to know" are spoken offhandedly by eiffel in the episode itself, but it also calls back to the excuse maxwell gives lovelace: "colonel kepler practically lives by the words 'need to know.' and, apparently, nothing i can say will ever convince him that i 'need to know' everything that's in our databanks.")

need to know opens with minkowski finishing an eleven hour shift, and then finding out kepler moved that shift to, well. now. she’s already frustrated and sleep deprived.

minkowski complains to kepler. jacobi and maxwell, on cue, barge in and complain to kepler. kepler assigns minkowski, jacobi, maxwell, and lovelace to punishment detail, taking eiffel out of the group because “you’re the only one who hasn’t wasted my time with pointless whining.” lovelace says: “um, i don’t think that i did any complaining either, so…” but that doesn’t matter. it’s just an excuse to remove eiffel from the group; he could just as easily have been singled out for special punishment. either way, it was going to happen.

hilbert isn’t there. not the most significant factor, since he’s already been effectively sidelined by kepler, but remember he already knows about eiffel’s sentencing, doesn’t care (about eiffel’s history OR about anyone else’s personal drama), and will later respond to minkowski asking by telling her to grow up and get back to work. it simplifies things to not factor him in.

consider the files themselves: we know from happy holidays that maxwell not talking to her family is common knowledge, but jacobi reacts like it’s news. we know from hera’s performance review flashback in memoria that kepler and jacobi were aware of “multiple attempted crew member homicides” in her record. the file about hera’s bentham directory was on kepler’s server. if there’s one person who would’ve been briefed on everything there was to know about hera, it would’ve been maxwell; her shock is entirely feigned. in fact, almost every reaction from jacobi and maxwell here is feigned. they’re black ops specialists who arrived prepared with divide-and-conquer tactics. there’s no reason they wouldn’t know these things. also note that none of the “leaks” reveal anything about the mission they didn’t already know, and that nothing about the si-5 is incriminating - if anything, it’s mostly silly and even humanizing. and, yes, all of that contextualizes maxwell’s reaction to “skiing?!”

eiffel’s file comes through last, once they’re already worn out. kepler sends eiffel to check on them at the same time so that he’ll walk in. jacobi shows minkowski the file. he lurks around waiting to see how her not-confrontation with eiffel goes, and then cements the thought in her head: what about you? are you going to care?

it’s true that there are aspects of the mission only kepler knows, but as far as information on the hephaestus crew goes (barring one very particular detail about lovelace)? that’s part of the job they were chosen for. when they kill the plant monster, kepler says: “you think we didn’t know about that thing? please. we listened to every log that you beamed down to canaveral.” kepler’s entire foundation is shaken when jacobi turns on him because this is how they operate: “have one person take the blame, say the mean things. meanwhile, the poor, betrayed little guy gets a bit more leeway - just enough to sneak up and hit you from behind.” the show is not subtle about any of this. you can pick apart any early-s3 interaction between two hephaestus crew members and an si-5 agent and see the same divide-and-conquer tactics at play. jacobi and maxwell are always - in morals, loyalty, job description - closer to kepler than they are to the hephaestus crew, and to even sort of believe otherwise is falling for that facade. it’s worth remembering that the hephaestus crew are prisoners. some of them were aware of it from the start, and some of them were lied to, but none of them were meant to leave. the si-5, on the other hand, went up there with a unified goal, and the knowing intention they would be, among other things, prison guards.

#wolf 359 #w359 #i see posts about this from time to time like hey they planned that didn't they? and well. yes.#i don't think that's a theory. i think it's the canon intent. and this is why. i think people on the whole also give jacobi and maxwell #... too much leniency. it's buying into the roles they play. even kepler's role as a strict disciplinarian is playing into this to a degree #... this is longer than i intended. sorry.

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updownlately · 8 months

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in your embrace (this crowded room doesn’t matter)

| leah williamson x reader

~~~

“You tired yet?” The soft murmur of words against your ear had you relaxing, the familiar voice automatically putting you at ease.

Closing your eyes at the feel of her breath on your ear, you hummed in thought, processing the question as music filtered in from the speakers near you.

Continuing to sway gently in the dim light, you tightened your grasp around Leah’s neck and pulled back ever so slightly, your eyes meeting blue ones.

“Not quite yet. Are you?”

“I don’t think I can ever be tired while being in your arms…”

Smiling shyly, you shook your head. “Half past midnight and your flirting just doesn’t stop huh?”, you questioned.

The cheeky shrug and teasing smile you received in response had you quietly laughing, you tucking yourself back into the crook of the blonde’s neck, letting her guide you as the song changed.

You both had spent the day celebrating love, having been invited to an old teammate’s wedding.

Partying hard through the better part of the evening and night, on the dance floor with friends and teammates, Leah had whisked you away a short while ago, just as the slow songs had once again come on, more than glad to finally get some time alone with you after the hectic day.

The pair of you had ended up tucked near the back, lost in your own world as song after song had played, tons of other couples rotating on and off the dance floor as you two stuck around.

“I can’t believe we managed to make it on time…”

The quiet statement had Leah groaning in playful annoyance, her grip on your waist tightening.

“Not my fault you’re a distraction!”

“Me? I was ready on time…hair and makeup both done long before Uber had arrived. And if I recall correctly, it wasn’t me putting on lipstick and blush in the car, love.”

Your hushed jest had the blonde hanging her head back, your pace slowing as she chuckled quietly at the memory.

“At least the music was decent this time.”

Biting back a smile, you followed Leah’s movement without thinking, mind occupied recalling the morning before the wedding ceremony.

Though the pair of you had woken up on time- a miracle if you were asked, considering it was a Saturday off- you had somehow managed to spend a tad bit (read: over an hour) too long in bed, more content with lazily cuddling as the time ticked by, you both blissfully unaware until your warning alarm had rung.

It had been a scramble to get ready in time for the wedding, the both of you running around the apartment grabbing all that you needed, you claiming the main ensuite and ushering Leah and her suit to the guest one so that you could both be ready to go.

Even with your strategic separation, the blonde had ended up over in your shared bedroom, eventually roped into zipping you up and helping you with your jewelry.

Somehow, helping you out had turned into a small make out session, and well, if Leah had to fight the bumps on the road as she sang along to the radio whilst sorting out the final touches on her make up as the result of the time lost, you definitely weren’t the one complaining, more than content with your finished look and the presence of the blonde beside you.

Snapping out of your thoughts as you heard the familiar strumming of your favourite James Arthur song play, you pulled back to smile at Leah, the blonde returning the sentiment as she tugged you ever so closer, your faces mere inches apart.

Matching grins on your faces, you matched your steps with Leah, softly waltzing under the dimmer lights in the back, satisfied with the knowledge that you would likely not be bothered, more than happy to be consumed in your own world, in your love.

“…I’m so in love with you…and I hope you know…,” Leah sang lowly, just loud enough for you to hear.

Finishing her line, you smile grew as you continued the song. “…darling, your love is more than worth its weight in gold…”

“…we've come so far, my dear…look how we've grown…and I wanna stay with you until we're grey and old…just say you won't let go…”

Voice dropping as you let the midfielder finish the stanza, you shook your head in amazement, blush coating your cheeks as your thought of how lucky you were.

Head tilting as the soft hue reflected perfectly off of Leah’s eyes, you took a second to admire the darker colour that they appeared to be, as well as the rest of your girlfriend.

“You look absolutely incredible in this dim light- the way it’s perfectly highlighting your jawline and cheekbones, you’re gorgeous. And it’s somehow making your eyes nearly look this ethereal navy colour. Never thought they could get prettier but here we are…” You let your voice trail off, the quiet murmur over the music disappearing as you traced over the facial features of the one you loved, noting the rosy hue that covered her cheeks at your compliment.

Rubbing your thumb comfortingly on the nape of Leah’s neck, you watched her wordlessly accept your compliment, her eyes not meeting your gaze telling you that Leah appreciated your comment. Picking up your pace once again and tightening your hold around her shoulders, you brought yourselves closer, picking up the pace to match the new song that played, an Ed Sheeran one this time.

Taking a second to break out of your bubble as the song faded out, you took a look around the hall, realizing you were the only couple left on the dance floor, even the straggling drunk folks having sat down or headed out.

Glancing up at your watch, eyes widening as you saw the time had nearly hit half past one, you slowed down your pace, looking around once more only to notice even the DJ wasn’t at their station, likely a playlist the source of the music playing.

Bringing Leah’s attention to the station as you stopped dancing, you cast the blonde a look of disbelief before bursting out into laughter.

“Leah, I can’t believe we’ve stayed out here that long…everyone else’s nearly gone!”

And as Leah’s head swivelled around in search for your friends, well aware that the newly-wed couple had headed out a little while ago, you held back your laughter, amazed at how the time flew by as you both had spent the nearly two hours dancing together, lost in each other’s embrace, completely blind to everyone else’s presence (or lack thereof) in the room.

Turning back to you with a shocked look on her face, the blonde just barely managed to sputter out her next words. “We surely couldn’t have been dancing for that long, right?”

“Leah, I really think we ‘J-Lo’d’ this and very much have ‘danced the night away’,” you responded, giggling at your horrible joke.

Shaking her head amusedly at the lame line, the blonde grabbed your hand, leading you towards your table.

“I wish we could’ve danced a bit longer…forever even…”

Wrapping your arm around Leah’s waist, you brought your joined hands up to your lips, placing a kiss on the back of her hand before stopping her in her tracks and nudging her to look at you, your voice just loud enough for you two to hear.

“How about this...at our wedding, you and I’ll make sure to dance until both our feet ache, okay?”

Looking up into eyes shining with unspoken love, you let yourself be pulled into Leah’s embrace, sinking happily into the emotion-filled kiss being placed on your lips- the unsaid agreement clear.

Basking in the pure adoration, you held on tightly to Leah, grip only loosening as Leah pulled back, her wiping the slightly smudged lipstick gently off your face. Blonde head nodding vigorously, her response was enthusiastic.

“I think I’d love that.”

Balancing on your tiptoes, you placed a final chaste kiss on the blonde’s lips as if to agree to the final decision before grabbing her hand and continuing your trek to your table.

Looking back as you walked ahead, you shot the blonde a wink and a sly smile, quickly grabbing Leah’s coat before speaking.

“Great! Then all that’s left is for you to propose!”

And as you left a wonderfully perplexed Leah at the table, you slowly began walking backwards to the parked car, a proud smile on your face as you faced the Englishwoman, a lovesick grin of disbelief shining from her.

You absolutely couldn’t wait to marry her.

#honestly think i could've wrote this much better but idk if i have it in me to edit it so here ya go. sorry #not proofread #it's much longer than i intended #too many tags as usual but fuck it #fluff #leah williamson x reader #leah williamson imagine #leah williamson #woso one shot #woso fanfics #woso x reader #woso imagine #woso #woso community #my writing #blurb #iye

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stevenrogered · 2 months

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ONE DAY ↳book > screen

Imagine one selected day struck out of your life and think how different its course would have been. Think for a moment of the long chain of iron or gold, of thorns or flowers, that would never have bound you, but for the formation of the first link on that memorable day. - Charles Dickens, Great Expectations

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chaotic-neutral-knitter · 11 months

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I've seen metas about Stede being a coward and I think that, when you're analyzing a show about how there's not just one way to be a man, that misses the point a bit?

like. Stede definitely thinks he's a coward and other people call him a coward. in the same way that Ed thinks he's a monster and other people call him a monster. these are labels that they both grapple with because they don't want them to be true but when people keep telling you over and over that you are [X], then you'll believe it eventually.

and the thing that gets me about Stede is that his cowardice isn't in the areas that his bullies tell him it is. his plan to steal a hostage back from Izzy is dumb, but it's also brave. the man keeps putting himself in physical danger, ALL OF THE TIME. he's naive, but he's also brave.

his decision to go be a pirate is brave, and Ed sees that. I'd even say it's one of the first things he recognizes and likes about Stede. because Ed also wants to change his whole life (but is struggling with actually doing it) and here comes this guy who just went and DID it. what the hell. better talk to that guy, see what he knows. (maybe fall in love with him)

Stede's only a coward when it comes to emotional stuff. there was probably a middle ground between "suffer in this marriage forever" and "run off to be a pirate" but leaving in the middle of the night was a way to escape hard conversations. there was also DEFINITELY a middle ground between "go to China with Ed and be eaten alive by guilt over abandoning his family" and "leave Ed without saying goodbye" but that would have meant talking to Ed about it and my man Stede does not talk about his feelings, wants, or needs. because emotional honesty is scary. (and when you're Stede, emotional honesty has always ended up with getting yelled at, shut down, or worse).

but it's frustrating, because people will say "oh Stede's a coward" and point to all the people saying he is one and Stede himself believing it, and ignore all the times he is shown to be very brave. or they'll say (and this one haunts me) "Stede wasn't bullied as a kid for being obviously queer, he was bullied for being a coward."

and idk dude but I think the point is that sometimes the things we believe about ourselves because we've been told them over and over are just... not true?

your childhood bully wasn't right about you, they were a fucking bully. your shit dad wasn't right about you, he was just shit. these people don't know you and they don't want to know you. their opinions are worse than useless. and Stede's season one arc is about him grappling with that and deciding he isn't a coward, he isn't inadequate, he isn't a waste of space. he is in fact worthy of love. that's the whole point!

#at what point will people stop believing nigel fucking badminton's take on stede #that's all I want to know #does Stede need to symbolically leave behind the ghost of ANOTHER childhood bully?#sorry this got much longer than I intended it to be #our flag means death #stede bonnet #ofmd meta

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messiahzzz · 3 months

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while it’s perfectly fine to have your own headcanons that are non-canon compliant — by all means, go wild. recognizing pieces of yourselves in fictional characters can be a very healing and validating experience. this is nonetheless a casual, well-intentioned reminder that gale, in fact, does not have bpd.

bpd is a pervasive pattern of instability affecting interpersonal relationships, self-image, and mood. the disorder is marked by impulsivity beginning in early adulthood and is present in a variety of contexts. a diagnosis requires at least 5 of the following 9 criteria to be met:

Fear of abandonment

Unstable or changing relationships

Unstable self-image; struggles with identity or sense of self

Impulsive or self-damaging behaviors (e.g., excessive spending, unsafe sex, substance abuse, reckless driving, binge eating).

Suicidal behavior or self-injury

Varied or random mood swings

Constant feelings of worthlessness or sadness

Problems with anger, including frequent loss of temper or physical fights

Stress-related paranoia or loss of contact with reality

source: [x]

i highlighted the criteria that do apply to gale in one way or another in a pretty purple.

i personally believe that it’s rather harmful to equate his relationship with mystra with her being “his fp”. she is a deity, his goddess, and the source of his powers, who is in in full control of the magic he wields.

gale: mystra commands all magic. salvation, if such a thing exists, is hers to bestow or withhold.

gale has been effectively groomed and conditioned to serve and revere her at every turn since early childhood. imo this comparison really undermines a lot of crucial points in gale’s story that deal with his overall trauma and abuse. after all, you wouldn’t call shar sh*dowhe*rt’s fp either.

gale doesn’t revile mystra, nor does he commit benevolent deeds solely motivated by the secret hope that she will somehow notice and take him back. when you meet gale in the game he has already fully come to terms with the fact that he has been abandoned by mystra with no hope of reconciliation whatsoever. he also had some very fitting lines in ea regarding this topic that i'm sad haven't been repurposed in the full release in some way.

gale: [the tadpoles] don't know that some things are impossible. they don't know that... they don't know. player: what is impossible about what you're being shown? gale: forgiveness. gale: it is mystra i see. and yet it cannot be her. there was a time when i would have believed - but no longer. gale: suffice it to say she would not bestow upon me the favors promised in these dreams. that is how i know they are delusions.

he has already reached the stage of acceptance. moreover, gale only starts to realize that mystra might have been in the wrong for requesting his death once the tadpole squad & tav speak some sense into him. and even then he doesn’t ever show that his emotions regarding mystra are anywhere along those lines. he is instead rightfully angered that she only saw value in his death, after he had been worshipping her loyally for years.

gale: i worshipped mystra loyally for years, and in that time she granted me the barest sliver of the power i was ready to wield. gale: even with the fate of the world at stake, she had little more to offer me than the means of blowing myself up at a more convenient time. she's done nothing to help us.

gale: you abandoned me in my hour of greatest need. i had no obligation to help you in yours. gale: because you had no right to ask that of me. you cast me out, remember?

gale doesn’t display rapid changes in mood either. he is a character who is generally very composed and has been known to remain nonchalant even in the face of utter horror. tim downie himself even commented on this once. source: [x]

the only instance i can think of is his sudden switch from resigned-to-death to utter-eye-sparkling-enthusiasm once he spots the crown of karsus. apart from crucial story reasons that i won’t touch upon in this post, i’d also like to add that it’s a rather common phenomenon for people who have just barely survived a suicide attempt to suddenly be filled with zeal and unbridled energy. he doesn't display impulsivity without thorough consideration when it comes to its acquisition either. he considers this a golden opportunity and is positively enthusiastic and elated that this might prove an alternative to him ending up in a cloud of netherese smoke. nonetheless, he knows what he is doing. evident in him actually succeeding in ascending in one of his endings.

gale: this is no passing whim, trust me. if i can obtain that crown, it will affect us all. it is not a decision i'll take lightly. gale: it's our future that i'm thinking of - we can't rely on anyone else to do it for us. gale: for now - we've learned all we can.

neither are his relationships that we do know of (namely elminster, tara, and morena) frequently changing. they are marked by years of mutual respect, care, and consistency. there is nothing unstable about them. while it's important to note that his relationship with tav is still in its honeymoon stages during the main game, there is no inclination of any push-and-pull dynamic between them whatsoever.

gale isn’t preoccupied with keeping up some sort of benevolent act in order to win (back) affection — he genuinely IS a good person and he proves this at every turn. moreover, to have a tressym become your familiar you must be of Good alignment.

(taken from tumblr user galedekarios's post.)

there is never a moment where his ideals or alignment suddenly change. in fact, i’d argue that he and wyll are most consistent in this regard when compared to the rest of the companions. gale makes his moral standpoint very clear from the beginning on and also explicitly states that he believes that in order to survive this entire ordeal it would be selfish of him if he wouldn’t be willing to compromise on his morals. this isn’t a sudden bout of ✨muahahaha wizard hubris✨ that he barely contained to hold in before, this is yet another act of selflessness — it is what he’s willing to do for the group and subsequently, the welfare of faerun.

player: i love unsavoury things. don't feel guilty on my account. gale: that's good to know. although i should say i do what i do out of a sense of utility and pragmatism, not a love of the unsavoury. gale: we're up against the greatest threat faerun has ever faced. i don't mind getting my hands dirty if it gives us a better chance of surviving. gale: whatever advantage i can gain for us. i will. and i refuse to feel guilty for it, no matter how much mystra's chidings might echo in my skull.

this is him, once again trying to be useful in whatever way he can. to give them an advantage, a slither of hope against seemingly impossible odds, so they might make it out of this in one piece. gale wouldn’t approve of those actions under normal circumstances, but their predicament is as far from any definition of “normal” as it can get.

gale is no fool, he realizes this is essentially about survival. he knows that he has no option left other than to tolerate, which is why he can be convinced to not immediately depart tav’s company even if they choose to commit atrocities. this is no character flaw of his or him displaying a previously dormant openness for cruelty, this is about recognizing the necessity.

player: you don't stand a chance alone. you're free to go. i dare you. gale: gods damn you - you're right. few things are more powerful than the will to live.

gale: i thought the orb to be the greatest of my sins, but i see now that there are darker depths to which i might yet sink. you may be content to sink into that abyss, but i assure you - i am not.

gale doesn’t lead a split existence. he has a very strong sense of identity. he knows what he wants, what he doesn’t want and he isn’t shy in expressing his boundaries either. which he has especially shown when it comes to his relationship with tav. i originally had intended to touch upon this in another post entirely but: i firmly believe his entire Gale of Waterdeep™ persona is more of a performance than him struggling to find a sense of identity and trying them on for size. it is an intentional decision to separate gale dekarios from the great wizard of waterdeep, to create distance and make sure his family name remains untarnished in case things should ever go sideways.

gale: i agree. and on the plus side, if i get myself into any truly cataclysmic straits during the remainder of our journey, my family name will go untarnished.

there is also a deep-rooted feeling of unworthiness and his firm belief that love and praise are conditional resources that he will only be granted through his talents alone, naturally. presenting himself as gale dekarios, the man, would mean highlighting his shortcomings and very human flaws, while distracting from the aspects of himself that are deemed praiseworthy, the ones that actually matter: his magical prowess.

i personally believe that part of the beauty of gale’s story is him realizing just how “little” it takes for him to be truly content. he gets his happy ending, with someone at his side who truly sees him, understands him and unabashedly commits to him. they worship and adore him in return — and it is well deserved. he isn’t reduced to be constantly and restlessly searching for some unattainable ideal to fill the gaping void within himself. he doesn’t secretly thirst for more power still or believes that in being with tav he is settling for something. instead, he is finally happy to just be. be and be accepted. teaching a class of unruly wizards and coming home to his spouse each day already fulfills him.

gale: that's how i feel with you - content. it's a rather unfamiliar feeling, i must say. not something gale of waterdeep ever craved.

even if he doesn’t pursue a romance with tav, he reaches a realization of “oh, it appears i am not irredeemably flawed and only able to reach true redemption through my own death. what i needed was actually with me all along.” throughout their journey and through his friend's support. i think that’s a very powerful and comforting message. he is very well capable of finding peace within himself.

devnotes: his default state is that he returned to waterdeep and became a professor of illusory magic at his former school, blackstaff academy. general vibe here is that this is a gale who's found peace with himself - he's a great teacher, one his students are mostly in awe of.

to repeat myself: sharing your headcanons is all in good fun, nor should you ever be discouraged from doing so. this is your personal tumblr experience, after all. but i personally think we should be mindful of unintentionally perpetuating negative stereotypes, such as narcissism being a general indicator or being deemed a classic depiction of bpd. i think we can all agree that the continuous longing for acceptance, connection, praise, and approval is something we all have in common deep down, regardless of whatever disorder we may have. [insert victoria justice meme here]

gale may be many things to many people, but he is no entitled narcissist.

#with love. a person diagnosed with bpd <3 #this turned much longer than i originally intended it to be (aka less of a reply and more of a character study)#by now you know that i am incapable of cutting myself short. i’m so sorry #i debated if i should put this in the tag at first #but i personally think that this is a very interesting discussion #also to reiterate: this is by NO MEANS a slight at the original poster #i just thought it more respectful to make my own post instead of invading theirs with my ranting #fandom is all about fun and escapism.#if you interpret characters in a certain way that i personally disagree with that is a-okay #BUT i’m also gonna have my own specific brand of fun by pointing out why you’re wrong (affectionately)#also i quickly want to add that if you're interested in a very accurate and respectful portrayal of bpd: watch crazy ex-girlfriend!!#its on netflix and genuinely such a funny and unapologetically weird show. the writers have really done their homework #bg3 #baldurs gate 3 #gale dekarios #gale of waterdeep #bg3 meta #character analysis #it speaks #long post #suicide mention

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hailsatanacab · 1 year

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@the-ghost-trader - ooooh, i love this! it has the potential to be so incredibly sad, too, like poor Damian just trying to carve out something normal for himself only for it blow up in his face

BUT, shockingly, i'm not about the angst today! not yet anyway 😇

---

“So, how was your day?”

Despite his answering groan, Damian likes this. This. This whole… thing he has with Danielle. With Ellie.

And, yeah, he’s not exactly told any of the others yet, but can you blame him? For wanting to keep something, anything, to himself. Wanting to keep this small little slice of goodness he’s managed to carve out, untouched and unmarred by his family, by their other lives, by the rogues, the vigilantes, the assassins, everyone.

“That bad, huh?”

Being with Ellie is freeing. That’s the best way to describe it.

She knows. Damian surprised even himself when he told her—not about the others, mind, but he supposes it’s not hard to put two and two together and Dani has always been smarter than most—but it’s the best decision he’s ever made, and no matter what the niggling little voice in the back of his head says (the one that sounds suspiciously like Father), he can’t bring himself to regret it.

He won’t. Because having Ellie know gives him freedom.

She’s a safe place, a hand to hold, a warm, welcoming presence when things inevitably turn ugly. It’s the freedom to just be normal when everything else in his life spirals into stranger and more stressful missions.

“Richard is being insufferable again. I do not understand his incessant need to know everything about my life.”

“Oh? What’s he done now?”

“I was subjected to an hour long interrogation about my love life, like it’s any of his business. It’s infuriating!”

“Ugh, tell me about it. I get the same thing from Jazz, constantly. It can be suffocating.” Ellie says as she curls herself tighter into his side. “But it’s just how they show they care.”

“Yes, well, sometimes I wish he wouldn’t—”

“Hey!” Ellie pushes herself up to glare at him, punctuating her shout with a soft whack to his arm for good measure. “What have I said about using that word?”

“Yes, yes,” he placates with a roll of his eyes, “‘Be careful what you wish for.’ I apologise, it won't happen again.”

“Damn straight it won't.”

She maintains eye contact with him for a second longer before tucking herself back into his side, squirming around with a long, contented hum that Damian can feel rumble through him. He smiles and doesn’t complain even when he has to shift to give her more room after a particularly strong elbow jabs him in the ribs. It means leaving the warm patch on the couch, but he’s rewarded with another long, happy moan as she settles and Damian can’t bring himself to mind.

Ellie constantly makes noises. Little mews and hums and laughs and songs known only to her. It reminds him of a cat, sometimes. He likes it. It calms him down; it means she’s happy, so he's happy.

They settle back into the cushions and Damian lets the subject drop, not wanting to spoil the moment. Outside, the wind changes direction and from where he’s laying he can watch as the snow starts to come down thick and heavy. Hopefully it’ll mean a quiet night's patrol.

“Is that why you haven’t introduced me yet?”

“What?” He can't help it, he stiffens at the thought of losing his secret, of the scrutiny he'll be inviting if he lets anyone know.

“Are you worried I’ll embarrass you?”

Damian’s eyes snap down quick to reassure her, only to see her light, teasing grin. He lets out a breath of relief. It figures she wouldn't worry about that.

“Of course not, don’t be absurd. You could never embarrass me.”

“I don’t know,” she muses, her voice taking on a dangerous lilt, “that sounds like a challenge.”

“Believe me, having been subjected to Father’s Brucie persona at every gala I’ve been to, it would take a lot to embarrass me.”

“Alright, bet. I’ll get you, just you wait.”

“You’ve already got me.”

She flicks him on the nose. “You’re such a sap.”

He hums his agreement, enjoying the tinkling sound of her laughter. And then, before he can think otherwise, he asks, “Is that why you haven’t introduced me?”

“That’s different,” she scowls. “You know how hard it is to get there, there’s no signal, and Danny only gets a break like—oh, Ancients!”

Damian gets another elbow to the ribs as she bolts upright, a manic grin on her face that has him laughing.

“What is it?”

“It’s the holidays! It’s nearly Truce Day! You know I said I had a family thing around Christmas?”

“Yes?”

“Well, do you want to come to it? I can introduce you then! I mean, it’s going to be a bit formal and you’ll have to meet everyone, not just family. There’s going to be some banquets, you’ll have to sit through some long speeches and you have to be on your best behaviour at all times, okay? Absolutely no fighting, it’s called Truce Day for a reason!”

“What?”

“Yeah, it’ll be perfect! I think Jazz is going in a couple days earlier to help with the preparations, so I’ll get her to let Danny know—and fair warning, he will try to give you the shovel talk, but this is great! It’s Truce Day, so he can’t actually do anything about it!”

“I’m sorry, but you're going to have to explain a bit.”

“Yeah, I know, it’s a bit much—but that’s family, right? Danny can get pretty protective over me, which is why going on Truce Day is the best time to do it! He can’t even command the Fright Knight to stab you! It’s genius!”

“Ellie, what?”

“Like, yeah, sure, he’s the king, but even he has to obey the rules of Truce Day—and then once you’ve spent all day with him, he’ll see that you’re a fantastic, wonderful, kind, brilliant, smart, strong, capable person and he’ll get over himself and everything will be good!"

Damian collapses down onto the couch, the wind knocked out of him. This is… He had not expected anything like this at all. For all that Ellie talked about her family, she had never mentioned this.

“Did you… did you say your brother is a king?”

“Yeah! High King Phantom, have I…” The manic grin slips off her face as she turns round and notices Damian. “Have I not mentioned that before?”

“No. No, you have not.”

“Ah. Sorry. Probably should clarify that I’m also a princess.”

“Right. Yes, that follows.”

“And I’m not really his sister, I’m his clone.”

“What?”

Damian blinks and tries to say more, but he has no idea what he’s meant to do with… any of this information.

Normal. He thought she was meant to be his normal. Nothing could have prepared him for this.

Not that it changed anything, of course, of that he was certain. It’s just… a lot to take in. Overwhelming. But it's okay! He takes a deep breath, and another, and a sense of calm washes over him. Ellie makes one of her little hums as she cocks her head to the side to consider him and he can't help but relax at the normalcy of the sound. It'll be okay, he's dealt with stranger and he can deal with this.

“I’ve, uh… I’ve told you that we’re half ghosts, though, right?”

“What?”

#dpxdc #danny phantom batman #danny phantom crossover #damian wayne/dani phantom #do they have a ship name? probably but idk it sorry #this was fun!! damian is strong and smart and capable and he won't let this stop him!#sure it's a shock but what does that matter when he has the love of his life by his side!!#he can get through this! at least his girlfriend's brother/original/...father? can't get his knight to stab him #that's a point in truce day's favour - even if damian is regretting asking to be introduced #in ellie's defence she thought he knew! he's slightly liminal himself she just assumed he could pick it up! ... he could not.#when they actually get there damian loves it - he fits right in with all the ghosts #there's a little adjustment period where he is VERY prickly with everyone but he gets the hang of it very quickly #all the ghosts are very impressed with his willingness to throw down and he has to be reminded by a very stern ellie that it's TRUCE DAY #stop fighting!!#ah i really enjoyed this thank you for the prompt! i hope you enjoy it too!!#as always it came out a lot longer than i intended - i don't know why i even bothered with the whole 'five sentences'#it was obvious i wasn't going to stick to it smh #anyway i hope you liked it!!#(also but sorry i prefer to call her ellie sorry i know i'm in the minority here haha)#my writing #(shit how is it four in the morning eep)#cab writes

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elitadream · 5 months

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I think a gift that Luigi would give Mario for his birthday would be a wood carving kit like one of the professional ones with all the fancy tools for carving, sanding and sculpting, along with a few blocks of wood. He saved up all his money specifically for that and nothing else. And Mario can’t constrain his overwhelming joy over receiving such a thoughtful gift.

He cherishes it, truly, handles it with care and love just as he does Luigi.

AHH I love this idea so much!! 😍🛠✨️

I can especially see this ocurring as a flashback from when they were both still on Earth. Luigi buying this for Mario despite how rough times were back then, because he knows the hobby brings him a lot of joy. 🥺

"Fratellino...! You shouldn't have," Mario would gasp as he would unwrap his present, gazing down at the beautiful kit with a mix of wonder and dismay.

"Oh, hush!" Luigi would dimiss affectionately, patting the box and inviting Mario to open it. "We both know you've wanted one for ages. When was the last time you've treated yourself? You never indulge in any personal expenses!"

"Because I can't afford it," Mario would murmur with a furtive glance to their dingy appartment, giving Luigi a pointed look when the lightbulb above them would suddenly start to flicker.

Undeterred, Luigi would merely shrug and sit beside him, his eyes soft and compassionate.

"Please, take it," he would insist, with a knowing smile. "Please. I know how hard you try. I see it everyday. Saying that you deserve it would be an understatement. It was the least I could do."

Mario would grimace slightly at his brother's words, feeling a simultaneous pang of guilt and love in his chest.

"Thank you," he would finally say in quiet surrender, turning to give Luigi a fierce hug.

Much later, when they would both celebrate their first anniversary in the Mushroom Kingdom, Luigi would be elated to learn that the princess has given Mario full reign of the north wing's workshop, essentially letting him have it all to himself. While on his way to greet him there, he would huff with a lopsided grin upon thinking of how vast of an improvement this is over the meagre selection of tools he had offered him back then, but to his surprise, he would find Mario working at the nearest desk... with his kit laid out beside him. He would remember that this was one of the few objects that Mario had been very adamant about retrieving from Earth before the portal vanished, but he had believed it to be merely as a souvenir and would be confused as to why Mario would even bother still using it now.

"Seriously?" He would quip bemusedly as he would enter the room, causing Mario to break from his current train of thought with a start. "I can't believe you sometimes."

"What?" Mario would retort, a helpless smile tugging at his lips.

"Mario, half of these are worn down to a nub, and the other half is completely obsolete. Why keep a rusty old bike when you can have a Ferrari, eh?"

Luigi would nudge him with a smirk, pleased with his own comparison, but Mario wouldn't seem to find much humor in it. Instead, he would stare at the blueprint lying on the desk's surface and would shake his head slowly, his expression one of deep nostalgia and gratitude.

"The old bike has infinitely more value to me than any Ferrari, Lamborghini or Maserati ever could have," he would answer simply, his tone filled with warmth and appreciativeness.

Luigi would sigh dramatically at that, however beaming at the compliment.

"Okay, okay, I get it," he would concede with a playful roll of his eyes. "Just- promise me to use these shiny new toys every once in a while, alright? It's not everyday one of your craziest dreams come true! Might as well make the most of it."

He would ruffle Mario's hair and give him a wink before leaving him to his project, but would secretly feel very touched and a little emotional that Mario views his gift with such importance. ☺️💞

#This got longer a bit longer than intended 👀#Sorry about that! 😄#I just... have a lot of thoughts about this whole concept 🥹💗#asks #mario #luigi #best bros #family #affection and mutual regard #wholesome vibes #I love them 💓#concept #headcanon #characterization

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laughhardrunfastbekindsblog · 14 days

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A question of loyalty: an analysis of two perspectives in season 1

The past few years, I have loved rewatching season 1 with the context of the finale, because it has been so interesting to really see things from Crosshair's perspective.

Our first hint that maybe Crosshair's motives aren't what we first thought:

Hunter's (and our) perspectives on the issue are further challenged:

And then we reach the ultimate accusation:

So, let's take a look at both sides.

POINT #1: "Crosshair was the one who kept attacking the squad! How could he POSSIBLY accuse the squad of betraying him??"

COUNTERPOINT: Because from his perspective, they had. We as the audience know the whole plan was for the squad to get Crosshair back after they escaped the brig on Kamino - in fact, Hunter was prepping to go back for Crosshair at the same time Crosshair was coming for them - but Crosshair doesn't know that. He had been arguing with his squad ever since Order 66, trying to get them to understand how important it was for them to follow orders, and they had yet another disagreement right before he was singled out. His inhibitor chip gets intensified, he gets sent after his brothers (as if Tarkin needed to do anything else to thoroughly disgust me...), and he finds them in the hangar prepping the Marauder to leave. (Just to reiterate: from Crosshair's perspective, he had recently been arguing with his brothers, and now he finds them readying to leave.) Hunter never tells him that they were coming back for him; instead, they engage in some back-and-forth about surrendering and following orders before the shooting begins.

Having left him on that note, it would be all too easy for Crosshair to work himself up over the perceived abandonment - especially if he started feeling any sort of regret over his actions toward his squad (finding a way to blame the other party is, after all, a common defense mechanism).

And every time they cross paths thereafter, instead of his brothers apologizing or listening or trying to come with him, they keep running away from him after arguing with him about how he's being controlled and forced to obey orders. I can't help but imagine that any mention of "programming" only served to stoke Crosshair's ornery side: he and his squad are "superior," after all; he can't be controlled, he is being a good soldier and following orders because HE chose to, not because of some stupid chip. (Cue Crosshair claiming it "doesn't matter" when he got his chip removed: his ideology remains the same, thank you very much.)

And so, from Crosshair's standpoint: his brothers abandoned him, they won't even talk to him except to try to convince him he's wrong about everything, and they're ruining any chance they have of finding "purpose" by remaining soldiers and serving the Empire.

POINT #2: "Hunter and the others didn't try hard enough to get Crosshair back - actually, they didn't try at all."

COUNTERPOINT: I think we overestimate just how much time passed between the Batch escaping Kamino and the events on Bracca (unless the squad was just hanging around in open space for weeks at a time, which I doubt). Consider how quickly events occur in the first eight episodes:

The squad narrowly escapes Kamino

They try to lay low at Cut and Suu's, but that lasts maybe two days before they are on the run again

The Marauder crashes

It's necessary to find a way to scramble the ship's signature, so they have to make a quick landing on Pantora

Enter Fennec

Well, now they have to find out why a bounty hunter is after Omega

Enter Cid

Cid pretty much immediately starts blackmailing them

They have to do another job for Cid - we don't know exactly how much time passed, but Cid doesn't seem to be one to wait to order the Bad Batch around, especially as this next job reasserts her claim on them.

Rex reappears - we don't know exactly how much time passed here, either, but I would guess Rex sought them out as soon as he was tipped off about them.

(Lest anyone think Tech must have just given up on the chip scanner after the Marauder crashed, remember that he needed comparative data in order to properly use the scanner. I can only imagine how much it must have eaten at Tech to not have any way of finding a source with the necessary data to complete the scanner - especially considering everything else going on - until Rex miraculously showed up.)

So, until reuniting on Bracca, there is precious little time or opportunity for the squad to formulate a plan to get Crosshair back... And then Bracca happens. Here, they are confronted by Crosshair, who responds to genuine pleas to reconsider his stance by hitting them where it hurts: "Aim for the kid." Crosshair then sets things up to literally incinerate them, and they barely make it out alive before being attacked by Cad Bane.

Now, they had seen what the chip had done to Wrecker, true; but Wrecker had previously acknowledged that he understood the chip existed and was willing to have it removed, AND it was squad+Rex against Wrecker (and even then they barely managed to subdue him). Crosshair refused to acknowledge even the possibility of a chip influencing his actions, obviously wasn't willing to have it removed at that point, had never shown any inclination of wanting to rejoin them, and squad+Rex against Crosshair+vast Imperial resources would have been suicide - ESPECIALLY since Crosshair proves time and again that he can predict their moves. There's no way around that.

So what does the squad decide to do? They run. They can't take Crosshair with them, but they aren't going to try to kill him either.

Crosshair remains too well protected for the squad to go after him, but we can see on Hunter's face as the squad leaves Ryloth after peripherally tangling with Crosshair that the situation REALLY doesn't sit well with Hunter.

And yet... WHAT ELSE CAN THEY DO?

So, from Hunter+squad's perspective: as far as they are aware, Crosshair is refusing all offers of help, and trying to go after Crosshair would be suicide. Crosshair can't be rescued if the squad is all dead.

An impasse, then.

ANOTHER FACTOR TO CONSIDER:

But the accusation of disloyalty goes far beyond Crosshair believing the squad left him behind; he sees disloyalty in the fact that they apparently don't share the same views. It's not just a conversation about why/how Crosshair was left behind; it's also an argument over ideology, as Hunter tries to point out the Empire's flaws while Crosshair is determined to remain a soldier with the one purpose he has always known.

And then we reach the climactic revelation: Hunter is trying to convince Crosshair that maybe his views are being controlled by the chip - only for Crosshair to tell Hunter he already knows about it and the chip is gone, AND he won't even tell Hunter when it happened. We can make educated guesses as to when Crosshair's chip was removed, but Hunter has been spending all this time trying to keep everyone else on the squad safe from a fellow brother who is being controlled by an inhibitor chip... only to find out that maybe Crosshair was acting of his own volition for who knows how long. This, I believe, is the point where Hunter started to consider Crosshair as having actually betrayed the Batch.

And no matter when the chip was removed, Crosshair is still convinced that the Empire is the right side, and believes that anyone who won't join the Empire is against him.

So, before the confrontation on Kamino: Crosshair is convinced the squad has abandoned him. Hunter and the squad can't feasibly do anything about it.

During the confrontation on Kamino, we learn that unless the squad is willing to join Crosshair and the Empire, he's going to continue to believe they have disowned him. And the squad will not join the Empire, much as they love Crosshair.

CONCLUSION: Crosshair's and Hunter's perspectives are both equally valid, especially based on what they know and later learn of the other's stance. Hunter rightly points out that wanting different things doesn't mean they have to be enemies; but as long as the rest of the squad members aren't willing to support tyranny enforce order, Crosshair will consider them disloyal to him, since they are opposed to the views he stands by, the views that - at that moment - define him. It will take other perspectives, outside the squad, to shift Crosshair's views (but that's the topic of another essay 😉). In the meantime, having finally had the chance to hear the other's side - even if they don't agree - Crosshair and the Bad Batch separate on at least marginally civil - if strained - terms... Though both still consider the other to be guilty of betraying the ideals of Clone Force 99.

#the bad batch #tbb #star wars #star wars the bad batch #clone force 99 #this is longer than i intended it to be #sorry not sorry #from a certain point of view #tbb hunter #tbb crosshair #tbb analysis #just passing the time until the series finale #by (over)analyzing certain topics #still rooting for a full reunion #i love them all so much

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squuote · 10 months

Note

16 /j https://www.tumblr.com/squuote/722231167405998080/alexanderpearce-ship-ask-game-1-who-would-be?source=share

16 and if the dog bit back?

sorry i took this actual serious, it was too tempting.. yall already know who's on my mind for this

#the stanley parable #tsp #zending #the zending #blood #gore #implied death #ask to tag #help me tag this plz! <:-]#crows art #i have like. two other ships this also applies to....#was gonna thank you anon for being my warmup for the day but kjhgkjfg this took longer than intended LMAO #either way. sorry for taking this ask and bolting with it.

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mewmewpercy · 1 month

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The Luofu Rundown

So it's come to my attention that a lot of people don't quite understand some of the lore so I'm gonna explain it as best as I can.

So number one is that we've gotta understand it's confusing as absolute fuck. Even for me. I know the story well but it took a lil time and research to understand as much as I do now.

Okay so first thing: The story is unfinished. Yes. It's unfinished. That was for a reason. We learn really early on that there are 7 Xianzhou ships run by the 7 Arbiter-Generals. It was briefly mentioned in the 2.1 Special Program that we will be revisiting the Xianzhou soon. It's also kind of implied that it's a "to be continued" with Jingliu's companion quest as well as us not knowing what really happened to the Luofu and Jing Yuan after the Stellaron crisis was resolved and the whole Phantylia bit.

Second thing: Let me just break down the very many groups brought up and their relations to this story. Phantylia is a Lord Ravager. The Lord Ravagers are emanators of Destruction. She took Tingyun's form so that nobody would know it was her and then killed the body and took the form she had in the boss battle. That form was killed but not Phantylia herself. Jing Yuan relied on the chance of her wanting to turn him into a pawn so that he could have her linked to him which is when he summoned the Lightning Lord and told Dan Heng to stab him.

Next up we've got the Abundance aka Yaoshi. Yaoshi's "blessing" of long life was more of a curse to the people because the mind and body aren't meant to live that long which is what the whole mara-struck thing is. Luocha is linked to this which is why he's basically on Jing Yuan's watchlist and the whole reason he was brought to the Shackling Prison and why Jing Yuan was interrogating him in Scalegorge Waterscape during Jingliu's quest. And also because he wanted to talk about Jingliu but unrelated.

Another kinda confusing faction that we actually don't know much about is the High Cloud Quintet. To sum it up basically about 8 centuries before our current time there was a legendary group of five heroes who were called the High Cloud Quintet. Baiheng was a foxian starskiff pilot who died during a war. Her death is what spelled the beginning of the end for this group. Dan Feng was the High Elder of the Vidyhadara. The old Imbibitor Lunae. He tried to illegally use a charm to bring her back and of course the Preceptors(like a council of the Vidyhadara) disapproved and ordered he be imprisoned and forced an exuviation charm onto him which forced him into molting rebirth. He was the past incarnation of Dan Heng. Yingxing is basically past Blade. He used to be a short life species but got turned into a long life species which has made him unable to die despite his many tries. Jingliu was the old Sword Champion and renowned for her skills on the battlefield. She was Jing Yuan's old master and trained him from a very young age. Her companion quest implies she cared very deeply for Baiheng with her wanting to preform a foxian soul soothing ceremony because Baiheng never got one. Based on timeline Baiheng's death may have been the reason she became mara-struck in the first place. Jing Yuan is the only one who remained of the Quintet when everything went to shit. He is now one of the 7 Arbiter-Generals and leads the Cloud Knights of the Luofu. He has the blessing of the Aeon Lan which is what gifted him the Lightning Lord and is passed on through the Generals. Although he doesn't say it outright it's pretty obvious what happened to the Quintet stays with him but he pushes it down to avoid becoming mara-struck.

Another thing people forget: While there was a Stellaron crisis that was the Express' initial reason for visiting that was not our focus pretty early on. Once we caught wind of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus(basically a kinda cult who follow Yaoshi) our focus shifted and then Phantylia killed Tingyun's body and she was our target. Welt states at one point after the boss fight later on in the timeline that the stellaron was taken care of.

Some people also don't understand Dan Heng's part in the story and I'll admit there's a few things I don't understand myself but I know a bit. The reason he avoided the Luofu at first was because he grew up in the Shackling Prison and that obviously messed him up. He came on when he wasn't getting responses to our texts because as much as it hurt him he cared about his Express family more. Whenever we switch to his perspective we learn more about the past and what he's running from. It all comes to a head when we get to Waterscape and Blade is there with Kafka and Yanqing. Yanqing tries to stop Blade and Dan Heng when he figures out they're actually both criminals because it's his job as Lieutenant to protect the Luofu. I'll admit I don't know what about getting stabbed made Dan Heng unlock his Imbibitor Lunae form but that happens. Jing Yuan arrives and blah blah blah boss fight. I know it's somewhat linked to the exuviation charm because we find out it was incomplete and is the reason he retains some memories of the past but that's where my own knowledge ends sadly.

Another quick tidbit people miss: The Stellaron Hunters, The Express, and Jing Yuan all had different intentions for what they did. Blade was there to get revenge because he blames Dan Feng for who he is now. Kafka was basically stirring the pot. Jing Yuan was using everyone like pawns on a chessboard so that he could battle Phantylia and save the Luofu(He ain't the Divine Foresight for nothin I guess). The Express Crew were there to stop the Stelleron crisis at first but shifted focus. Dan Heng only joined this purpose when he was fearing for his friends safety.

I think I covered everything. I dunno send an ask if there's anything confusing I'm always down to yap about this stuff and these characters.

#honkai star rail #jing yuan #dan heng #hsr blade #hsr kafka #this was so much longer than i intended #pure yapfest out here sorry

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dogpastra · 6 days

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mom said it was my turn on the writing

Clyde had been careful. Unseen, unheard, it had scoped out exactly how to track its newest victim- though it wouldn't exactly describe them as that yet. It took a meticulous sort of planning when it wanted to erase someone and steal their mind away, but this particular human was more useful to it alive, it thought. Over the course of 6 days, Clyde had stalked Alex. Having someone on the inside seemed like a lucrative idea, and it wanted to be thorough with its investigation on The Foundation. Not to mention, scaring someone into looking through its secrets for it had been fun. If Alex thought he could keep the Eastridge Demon at bay with nothing more than cheap peanut butter- the kind that's just a little too sticky- they were wrong. ...Well, just a little too sticky, and paired with that jam-- Clyde dismissed the thought. It kept going over how exactly it should go about disposing of him. Absorption was immediately obvious, taking in all the information it needed without ever needing to set foot inside, but strangely, it found the company.... Not exactly a chore to uphold. It was slow, it was tedious, but Clyde could be patient. It needed to be patient. It would wait desperate, agonizing years if it was the only way to find where his other half had been taken. It hadn't exactly liked being alone, as much as it hated people. The crunch of spring snow brought it to attention. Alex was leaving for work again. Clyde wondered if they were worth keeping around a little longer.

#sorry this took me way longer than i intended to because i got interrupted for hours on end #oops #doai sitcom au #hi guys btw

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neptunesailing · 10 months

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mayoi (enstars x hnk au)

#nep draws things #ensemble stars #enstars #sketch #mayoi ayase #enstars x hnk au #hnk au #ouoououououu i am soooo proud of the mayo on the right hjhjrhgrghrhgrhghgrghrhg he is so !!#showed this to a friend before i posted and they said his hair would taste like frozen grapes and i had to break it to them that it'd break #their teeth JHDHJFHJSDHJFHJSHJFSJD anywayy i might redraw the aira one.. he needs some attention too ^_^ sorry i only design for hii.ai /#alkaloid but THEY ARE MY FAVS........ by this logic i should be drawing more sw.itch but . i just . *waves hands* alkaloid !!! alkaloid so #special to me.. anyway tatsumi has another job other than patrolling with mayo which is why mayo has the winter uni and tatsun has the norm #i was maybe thinking tatsun would be a healer like rutile is..? nothing is set in stone (pun intended) for now ahha but tatsun can still #fight jsut fine!! hes more of a watcher for mayo. mayo fights more since his hardness lvl is much higher than tatsun's. during the spring a #stuff tho i think mayo kinda hides around? still not sure.. youd probably see him around tho in the shadows (ala canon i guess) and i guess #thats how hiiro and aira get to know mayo outside of patrols.. OH the reason why mayo is on winter patrol is because he gets too nervous #working with other gems and he kept messing up and hiding away whenever he did mess up so :((( yeah he usually fights by himself OH I SHOUL #EXPLAIN WHY HE CAN SPLIT INTO 2 its because of the spinel law something somethign rotated at 180 degrees at some axis but ANYWAY his hair #is longer in his singular form but you can see in his split form his hair is cut differently than how we normally see mayo's hair- and also #theyre mirrored!! their braids are on different sides and the side w/o the braid is shorter!! and the moles are on opposite sides too heheh #holy shit i wrote so much in the tags..... anyway THANK YOU SOS SO MUCH TEA FOR REMINDING ME OF THE HNK AU AGAIN AND ENABLING ME TO GO #INSANE OVER THIS AU AGAIN UR AMAZINGGGG <333333

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amour393 · 1 year

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it's thinking about early season wu hours

(This??? Got long???? Not a fic but also kind of?????)

I think wu gets a lot of crap he doesn't deserve. If you think of what the pilots and first couple seasons are like from wu's perspective, it's actually heartbreaking like every other part of this show

so, you got Wu. Wu, who met someone who was like a son to him, who he led down the wrong path, who he failed, and he never sees him again, left to grieve in solitude as Ninjago needs him once more

Wu, who has only ever loved one woman. She is beautiful, bright and sharp and is the only one he knows can rival him on and off the battlefield.

But his brother loves her too. For good reason, but it hurts. It hurts because his brother is only like this because of him, it's his own fault and they all know it, but despite the venom Garmadon refuses to say it. Even corrupted, Garmadon loves with his whole heart.

It only makes sense that Misako chooses him.

It stings, but Wu smiles for her, and for his brother, and years later he'll smile for their son.

Wu, who fights a war and is betrayed. Who has to scrap together another team, and risks two of his best friends in the process. They barely win, and Wu knows it's not a permanent victory. The knowledge weighs him down.

Wu, who is holding on to the threads of his relationship with his brother with the strongest grip he's got, who is careful, oh so careful not to let those strands snap, and then they do, and his brother falls, cursing him all the way.

Wu is heartbroken. He's lost Morro, he's lost his love, and now he's lost his brother.

Buried in his grief, in his shame, in his guilt, Wu lets autopilot take over. He hides the weapons. He does what he can. He goes to one of the only people left that he can trust, places a tremendous burden on him, and leaves. He can't take the risk of visiting his friends more now that they have the map, and he's putting them in enough danger as it is

Years later, after learning of their two kids, news from his friends go silent, and Wu figures it's for the best. He trusts his friends. Something must have happened, they need Wu to stay away. So he does.

He learns he has a nephew. A nephew whose father is in the Underworld because of Wu, it's his fault Lloyd won't grow up with his dad, and it's a shame because he always knew, venom or not, Garmadon would be the greatest father.

His nephew's mother, Wu's old love, disappears. Wu doesn't know where she went. He doesn't know why. He doesn't know if her son is with her or not and he doesn't know where to even start looking.

He's not entirely sure he should.

Wu loses contact with many of his old friends. First Ray and Maya, and then the Master of Lightning stops contacting him, and Wu is left to wonder why.

The Master of Ice passes, and Wu grieves alone.

Then Lilly is next, a good friend full of hope and joy, gone, passing like a distant earthquake.

It's then that Wu decides enough his enough. It's time to reach out, so Wu steels himself and returns to the field.

He first finds Lilly's son, who he'd heard many storied about. The boy who stands before him resembles Lilly in a way that hurts more than a little, his dark eyes and smile mirroring hers. He looks nothing like Lilly described, though, the smile she swears- swore- he always wore gone, as if he'd never smiled before. Grief weighs on him, different from the way it pulls Wu down, but perhaps stronger for it.

Cole joins him, and Wu wonders if he's making a terrible mistake. If Lilly would hate him for it.

Just add another name to the list, then.

Next he goes for the Master of Lightning, a kid he knows nothing about. When he finds the boy, the resemblance to his mother is striking, bright blue eyes and a spirit that moves faster than lightning. Wu wonders if he'll ever know what happened to his mother. He wonders if the kid will ever know, either.

Like his mother, Jay is always on the move, eager for adventure, and after his parents' blessings (parents who are not Libber, not Wu's friend), Jay joins the group, bonding with Cole in an astonishingly short amount of time.

He finds the new Master of Ice, too, though is surprised to find that he remembers nothing of his father, or of the strange visitor that changed his life. Zane joins him quickly.

And then there's just one more.

Like the others, Wu goes to recruit the new elemental master alone. His stomach turns as he approaches, nervous and excited at once.

And then he hears the words in the shop.

"If father were still here-"

The voice is so much like Maya's that Wu has to stop, and the sharp, fiery one sounds so much like Ray. But Wu knows in his heart that it's not them.

He's gone. Ray is gone. Maya must be too, or she would have told him. A million questions run through his head. How- where did they- when-

How long have their kids been alone?

But this time, Wu doesn't have time to grieve.

The banter he easily fell into with his father is not mirrored in the son, Kai's words sharp, hardened by the fire of an unfair world.

He looks so much like his father.

Nya, too, he sees immediately. They both resemble their parents, their eyes smart like Maya's but kind like Ray's. Kai's hair is every bit as wild as Ray's was in his youth, Nya's posture strikingly similar to her mother even in her young age.

The fire in Kai is obvious. Nya's path is less clear, which is to be expected of someone so young (both of them are young- they all are- by his Father, what is Wu doing-).

Nya is taken less then ten minutes later, by agents of his brother, and Wu doesn't think about what her parents would do if-

If they knew. If they were here.

But they get her back, and the five kids bond remarkably quickly. Jay falls for Nya rather quickly, and Wu wonders if they'll ever know how close their mothers used to be.

Weeks pass. His brother is nowhere to be seen, and Wu lies awake at night thinking about the moment he returns. His students are rather unvigilant, but Wu isn't too worried-

That is, until they get the distress call, until the Serpentine are released, until Wu learns who did it.

His nephew. Lloyd. The son of his brother and his love. On the streets, worn black hoodie loose over his thin frame. He tries so much to be like his father.

Wu's the only one who knows how little his father wanted that.

Lloyd eludes them, again and again, until finally they manage to snag him from the grip of that cursed Anacondrai, and Lloyd is with family once again.

Whether he likes it or not.

His students don't like that he's there, but they- they don't understand. They don't see the traces of his parents. Misako's eyes. Garmadon's wild, joyful grin.

The kid tries to be like his father. It hurts Wu more than he'd ever admit.

Eventually, Lloyd doesn't seem to hate Wu or his students. He tries to help, in his own little ways.

A servant's heart, like his father.

Sometimes he follows Wu around like a shadow, asking questions, eager to learn.

...And a curious one, like his mother.

Sometimes he follows Kai around, and it's hard not to see the similarities to their parents.

Ray was Garmadon's friend, too.

The day Lloyd is taken, the guilt finally overtakes Wu.

He manages to offer some semblance of instruction to his students before leaving, and Wu forces himself to face his brother.

The look in his brother's eyes when he hears the news of his son breaks Wu's heart all over again.

(Because it wasn't supposed to be like this. Garmadon was supposed to be happy and warm and Lloyd wasn't supposed to wonder why he'd been abandoned-)

Kai's the only one who hasn't unlocked his true potential yet, and in a moment of fear, Wu says something he regrets.

"Perhaps it would be best if you did not reach you true potential, or someone could get hurt."

The betrayal in Kai's eyes mirrors Morro's in such a perfect way that Wu leaves in a hurry, pain rising in his chest and twisting his stomach.

He's scared. He won't tell his students, because they need a leader, but he's scared.

Scared that Kai is the green ninja.

Or worse, scared that he isn't.

The parallels between Kai and Morro are easy to see, like the wind that fans a flame high into the sky.

Morro had transformed from the kind boy Wu loved, like a gentle summer breeze, warm and comforting, into a winter storm, cold and stinging and hurt.

He worried the same for Kai. Kai has two fires inside, Wu knows it.

There's the campfire, warm and welcoming and valuing family above all else.

And there's a forest fire, that burns down all in it's path because it's angry.

Kai's got a little bit of both, like his father, but Wu worries that the latter will spiral out of his control, and it'll be another student lost because of Wu's mistake.

He hadn't thought that losing Kai was an option.

The volcano erupts. Garmadon screams. Nya's gasp is strangled, denial lacing her voice as she whispers her brother's name.

Wu nearly falls to his knees.

Kai is gone. Ray and Maya's son is gone. Kai- energetic and passionate and caring and welcoming and warm- extinguished like the flame of a match.

And so is Lloyd.

Lloyd, eyes bright and trusting in Wu, in Kai, in his father. With a future ahead of him, one full of hope and good.

Jay, uncharacteristically quiet, gasps suddenly, and a flicker of hope burns in Wu's chest.

Kai lands on the Bounty with Lloyd in his arms, smile bright and radiating heat, before the energy needed for his true potential burns out and he promptly passes out.

It's not too long after that they're gathered in the control room, and there's something about the way Kai is looking at Lloyd that makes Wu nervous.

Kai reveals his experience, and the Golden Weapons confirm.

Wu's heart sinks.

It's Lloyd.

It's been Lloyd all along.

He has no doubt that Lloyd will be an excellent green ninja, strong and wise and good, once he's old enough.

Which is, to say, Garmadon doesn't stand a chance.

There's resignation written on his brother's face, and a bit of pride, too, Wu thinks. Garmadon is proud, of course he is, but Wu knows his brother too well to not notice the sadness deep in his eyes.

Lloyd, for his part, doesn't seem to notice what this means, for all he's listened to the others bickering over who the Chosen One is.

Wu doesn't want to be the one to tell him, but Garmadon doesn't deserve to. Wu's done enough, this is the least he can do.

"That means..." Garmadon says- starts to say. Lloyd looks so confused, staring at his father with wide red eyes.

"The battle lines have been drawn, brother. Sadly, our family has only become more divided. Brother versus brother, and now..." Wu's eyes flick to Lloyd in sympathy. "...son versus father."

Lloyd still doesn't seem to get it, and Wu can't bear to look him or his brother in the eyes.

Their family is being torn apart once again, and Wu's the only one to blame.

#THIS WAS SO MUCH LONGER THAN INTENDED #IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE AN ANALYSIS POST AND THIS IS JUST WU ANGST NOW #wu 😭😭😭#im sorry your life is so messed up 😭😭#i think hes doing great personally #he didnt have a lot to work with #and if you think about it homie has at least as much trauma as the others #im sorry i love wu #ninjago #my fic #kind of my fic anyway #ninjago wu #wu ninjago #master wu #ns1 #ninjago pilots #analysis #headcanons kind of???? roll with it mkay #OK IM DONE

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unicyclehippo · 2 years

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Hey, if you still want imodna prompts, raise and/or arise? Love your work (especially he most recent ones)!

forgive me, brain broken, im just gonna do a couple real quick things as fast as i can

‘do you think we should talk to her about it?’

orym, of course. ever cautious, ever sensible. it’s not a word she used to think synonymous with kind but it is now. it’s sensible to make sure everyone is safe and warm. it’s sensible to protect your friends with your body, if you’re faster, tougher. it’s sensible to make sure they are alright. imogen doesn’t think these things have much to do with sense but orym does; his mind is built so thoroughly on duty and care that kindness is as sensible to him as making sure his sandals are nice and snug.

‘about what?’

‘what she went through. what we went through to get her. literally. imogen, we went through her mind. or her memories, maybe? and—‘ he sighs. ‘i knew most of it already and she told me some, but i don’t think she’d told the others much about it. about what happened to her. she’s private. as - as eye-catching as she is,’ he says with a curl of a grin, ‘she’s private about things that hurt.’

‘i know that.’ imogen doesn’t mean for it to come out sharp but it does. the words have a heat to them because of course she knows. orym has travelled with laudna for all of a month; she’s been with her for two years. of course she knows. tempering her tone, imogen says, ‘i know. but she hasn’t brought it up and i get the impression she wants to forget about it. and unless she tells me otherwise, i’m gonna follow her lead. about all of this.’

orym frowns but nods. ‘i won’t bring it up.’ he adds, with a stubborn set to his chin and thoughts, ‘i still think you should.’

‘orym-‘

‘when it comes to laudna, you’re different. she’ll talk to you,’ he insists.

‘it has to be her choice.’

‘then give her that choice.‘ he takes a breath. braces himself. ‘now isn’t the time to be a coward, imogen temult.’

for a second after he says that, all she can hear is the roll and crash of thunder in her ears; when it dies down, when she lets her breath out nice and slow, she realises it was her own angry pulse and lets it fade and fade, opens her hands out of the fists they’ve formed at her sides. she turns on her heel and storms away. it’s tempting to glare at him but from the way her eyes feel hot and dry, they might have been without a halfling if she had. better to walk away.

she goes to laudna. of course she does. orym’s question, suggestion, prodding aside, imogen is always wanting to go to laudna. it’s been three days and she’s mostly recovered—physically, at least—but laudna seems to be dealing with it far better than imogen.

each morning, grief loops around her neck, her throat, and only eases up its strangling hold when imogen lays her eyes and hands on laudna. each moment of the day, she’s looking for her. she wants to slip into whatever space delilah hollowed out in laudna’s mind and fill it, leave a portion of her mind tucked away inside of laudna’s, always. it’s sick and wrong and awful. and yet, imogen wants it so badly. feels the want physically, nearly drooling with it, tongue to teeth, hands clenching tight to her skirt to keep from reaching out and taking.

there had been a moment, the day after laudna was raised, when they had been alone and imogen had woken to a cold, still body. terror dropped her walls and she had plunged into laudna’s mind. like diving off the cliffs into a cold lake. she wants to be there always, in the cold and dark and strange stagnant waters. wants to take laudna’s mind into her, open her mouth and drink it, fill her lungs with it. wants to know laudna inside and out—wants to take her apart, set her memories out, chronological, beside scarred skin and bones to look for fractures and breaks, beside organs, blood, gristle and guts, beside whatever form her magic would take. wants to know it all like these physical things might contain every secret every moment of laudna.

she had left laudna’s mind in an instant. hadn’t seen anything, hadn’t looked for anything. she wants to return, always. to her side, to her mind.

so she does.

‘hello!’ laudna smiles brightly when she enters the room. she’s perched on the edge of the bed, packing everything away neatly as she always does. ‘is it time to go?’

the walk has eased most of her fury. a few lavender sparks crackle at the ends of her fingers, in her curling hair. she wills it to stop, and smiles back.

‘no. take your time. i just—‘ she touches her head.

laudna coos, sympathetic. ‘too much?’

‘mm.’

‘sit, sit, let me get you some water.’

not all her irritation has left; it comes out, makes laudna’s name harsh when she goes to stop her from standing.

‘just—you don’t have to do that,’ imogen hurries to say. ‘i should be taking care of you, not the other way ‘round.’

laudna blinks big, black eyes. quietly, she says, ‘i just want you to be alright.’

‘i know.’ imogen steps deeper into the room, and then makes up her mind—damn orym—and crosses it entirely, sitting beside laudna on the bed. ‘it’s important that you rest, though.’

‘y-es, of course,’ laudna demurs, lowers her head.

imogen tucks a finger under it. lifts it, with a smile. ‘hey,’ she whispers. ‘please? let me take care of you?’

‘imogen-‘

‘please.’

‘of course i do, i will,’ she says, and fritters with her skirts, fingers crooked tangling when imogen only looks at her, pleading, waiting for her to mean it entirely. for as long as it might take. ‘such a rotten task, caring for someone like me,’ laudna whispers. ‘dead twice over.’

imogen shakes her head, a tight sharp movement. hardly enough to convey how much she disagrees with that. she’d like to explode everything around them to show the force of her denial.

‘no. no. it’s not, not to me. it’s -‘ she swallows. ‘everything. please, let me.’

laudna nods slowly. holds her hands out for imogen, who takes them. rubs sore knuckles. presses a kiss to those aching joints.

‘i’d like to talk to you about it. at some point. whenever you like. i want - to do it right. and i don’t know what that is. but i want—‘ she shakes her head again. ‘however you feel about it, i want to hear it and know. and help. i should’ve told you that when you - when you woke up. sorry,’ she adds, a little awkwardly.

it’s hard to talk, she finds, when she’s holding laudna and her heart both in her hands.

#tagging my stories #prompt fill #cr tag #imodna my beloveds #hm longer than I intended n sorry for no read more im writing this on mobile so

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