#Currently in a bit of stump rn.
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I made a doodle
doesn't twyla look so pretty?
#Currently in a bit of stump rn.#I'm trying my best y'all#Pray for me#Damn you art block!#twst#twisted wonderland#disney twisted wonderland#yuusona#twst oc#twst art#snail rambles#interactions are appreciated#twst oc art#Twst oc stuff#Snail art
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Actually I lied I’m just gonna do separate posts cause I’m impatient, one composite one now and then the rest (including the normal form ref, Traitor Magolor/EX, hopefully Epilogue final boss fight and maaaaaybe Manager/Shoppekeeper Magolor) later when they’re done, which will be after the legs are all finished. Anyway here’s Magolor
Now, you may be thinking: “Hey Kit, did you make our catboy a bird?” To which I say, “Read my 1.8k word essay from last week.” Albeit I don’t think canon Magolor is an actual Doomer, I just thought it would be fun; plays nicely with the wings + talons imagery of the crown, and I wasn’t sure about giving him full-on cat ears anyway (Also. Egg). I’m also weirdly committed to both staying relatively on-model and having fairly realistic continuity and am proud of how well I managed to do on those with stuff like the sleeves having the same markings as the ears of the hood so they can stand in for them in 2nd phase after the cloak gets its closure broken and falls off. Also btw the leg prosthetics (I commissioned a friend who draws mecha to design better ones than I could lol) are held together & operated by magic that Mags is always running in the background so they fall apart in 2nd phase once he’s no longer controlling his own magic. Ok that’s probably enough non-tag rambling; hasta luego!
#art#digital#kirby#magolor#kirby gijinka#sketchbook#body horror#blood#minor but it’s there in 2nd phase/soul form though if you’ve seen Magolor Soul it’s not that surprising#loosely inspired by a lot of Magolor gijinkas I’ve seen on tumblr but I can specifically call out nyaagolor and otaku553 for the hair#also something-sacriou for the pants which I did not end up using for logistical reasons#namely I felt like adding the tail (just one lol) and I was like well he keeps it under his clothes usually but#pants would be trickier for that and it would look weird just hanging out of one pant leg plus they’ll look weird without legs in em#so skirt time#hand on a bible in front of a court of law I swear I didn’t make him super feminine on purpose this time! This just happens to me!! lol#oh btw his thigh stumps are actually shorter than they look here I just drew these before that was decided (more space for the joints)#and don’t feel like editing these again#also as stated yesterday I’m not super happy with these artistically but I shrimply have got to draw. I got bit by the art bug#plus I fixed my brush settings somewhat for the one I’m working on currently so that’s good though I’d still like to experiment more#I’m just really inflexible and not really willing to put in a ton of extra brainpower rn#oh and I know the gold/silver hair presents a contrast issue but I like it conceptually so w/e#AGH I forgot alt text!! it’s there now though I hope it’s ok
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His silky smooth voice is the first thing you wake up to; him mumbling about something in his sleep. Though you could barely make out what he was saying, you could hear him clearly say, "I love you [Name].." and how that made your heart melt.
You lay there next to him, staring at his face in shock for a little bit before you smile and shuffle closer to him. You bring his head closer to your chest as you start to stroke his hair.
It's calm this morning, it's warm in this bed, and it's nice to have your lover asleep in your arms...well, he's not asleep for long-
Kaeya's eyebrows furrow and unfurrow as he awakes, eyelashes batting to get used to the sudden light. His face feels warm, warmer than it did last night, and he also feels someone messing with his hair.
"[Name]?" He asks, wrapping his arms around your waist as you hum in acknowledgement.
"Good morning sleepy head," you whisper back and Kaeya chuckles, sending vibrations throughout his chest.
He squeezes you close to him and closes his eyes again before saying, "This was a mistake to wake up like this, now I'm never going to get up."
A/N: I'm currently working on a hcs thing rn for multiple characters!(Im a little stumped though) But I wanted to post something to make up for my lack of work here! So take some Kaeya!
#blank writes!♡#blank drabbles!♡#genshin fluff#genshin x gn!reader#genshin x reader#genshin x you#kaeya fluff#kaeya x gn!reader#kaeya x reader#kaeya x you
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caesar and joseph kissing post pillarmen fight rn i demand it.
It was finished..
. Over..
He didn't expect to survive falling god knows how many miles up high on in the sky after it was blasted up there but he did what he had to. The sky never looked clearer than in those motions, nor did the land of far off countries look greener or more vibrant as the howling wind drowned out everything in his ears. Sterling teal eyes felt heavy, the darkness falling as his final thoughts dwelled on the people he held close after saving what may be the world from Kars.
While a full bellied guffaw might've been fitting for him in the basking moments of victory over the Pillarmen; the truth lay obvious as his beaten and battered body barely holding onto the falling piece of earth. Joseph was tired.. beyond exhausted with pushing through everything with a final last ditch effort and more luck than he'd like to admit. Sending that bastard off this planet was certainly a worthy end and the Joestar had nothing more to do than apologize to dear Granny Erina for what felt like his last moments.
... And then the cold splash of reality, and life, brought him back from that brink..
Sure enough everything hurt and he was bedridden with half of his bloody arm missing but surely things could've been worse-- He could be having an ugly scar on his face and scare away all the girls!
Or even worse than that, Granny Erina might've caught wind of his current condition! Oh how will he ever explain and make it up to worry her so much!? Surely the Old Man better keep his mouth shut until he could think of a way around this. Maybe he'll just lay low for a bit until he's in tiptop shape before he comes to show Granny Erina nothing happened..! Surely she'd be less worried that way... at least that's what he hoped.
A sharp inhale struck between his teeth, wincing as his worries aggravated the injuries sustained. Moving to try and place his hand on his cheek, it came as a surprise when he didn't feel his hand where it should've been... and came to stare at the remaining stump.
Oh right...
★ " Bloody bastard.. " He'd surely need to devise a way to hide that bit from Granny but right now he wasn't exactly fit to be running around, " Guess it couldn't be helped but this isn't going to be easy to explain. "
He shuddered at the thought, staring out at the window for some time before he heard the door open. Expecting it to be a doctor, or at least a really hot nurse, he hoped whatever potential news that could be given would be for the better. The sooner he'd get outta here, the sooner he can try to figure out work-arounds and get back home. Heaving a sigh, he supposed he'd better listen to whatever rubbish might be coming out but when he glanced towards the door, his heart seized in that instant.
It couldn't be..
Was he staring at a ghost or something..? Was this a cruel trick being played on him for sick laughs..
His throat clenched tightly, water glistening at the bottoms of his eyes as he stared like a deer caught in headlights.
Petrified like stone, he could barely breath as he stared in a stunned silence.
It was almost too good to be true.. at some point he was dreaming and he'd wake up to an empty room. Something would jolt him back to the truth of what happened in that forsaken hotel. The rock that marked the final resting place..
Only a few feet away.. he was just a few feet away.
★ " ... Cae.. Caesar.. " Came a tight voice, hoping to whatever god that would listen to him this wasn't a dream he was having, " Tell me this isn't a dream. "
#|| Tag: Answered#raytm#|| Gazing over the Thorny Vines of Fate { Joseph }#( is2g you better appreciate the FOOD i am still holding after 5-7 years of writing this goddamn smartass. )#( HE DESERVES THE KISSES. WHERE'S HIS SMOOOCHES? )#( where ARE THEY?? -SLAPS TABLE- )#( I WANT TO FUCKING CRY RN WITH THESE TWO ASSHOLES. TEAR MY HEART OUT BC )#( I WILL WRITE U 10 PARAGRAPHS /AGAIN/ )#( EACH REPLY. EVERY REPLY. EVERY DAY. okay maybe not everyday cause work IS A PAIN but )#( u know jojo needs his stinky caesar )#( you cannot seperate them )
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I need to know more about Tinhj now. Everything. Please. ^-^
YESSSS SOMEONE ACTUALLY ASKED ABOUT TINHJ
Okay so TINHJ is technically a prequel to an rp with my friends but can be it's own separate story I've been wanting to write it but I've still been working out the whole thing,
basically the story follows Chrysalis, an anxious yet strong kid with black short curly hair, a mole on her right cheek and a bit of acne, a bit on the tall side compared to the other kids who live nearby
Chrysalis gained a reputation after her dog went missing and she was found with bite marks, it's hard for her to remember the full story because she was around the age of five at the time, people think she's weird because of the way she acts but she's actually sweetie, and pretty much a bit of a pushover
Chrysalis lives with one of her parents while her other parent only gets to talk to her through text due to reasons the adults refuse to tell her
The full story isn't completely set in stone ngl though because of this ask I think I've thought of it more and now I can see where to go now so TY for that,
Chrysalis starts to hear off things, she's started to hear random growling whenever she makes someone scared of her while talking to them, and she sometimes zones out only to hear odd noises she can't really recall, but nobody believes her though.
One day, when her only 'friend' (more acquaintance who sticks with her because of her intimidating self) runs off to go play with everyone else without her, someone new sits with her at the table bench she's at
they talk and she actually really likes this person, they seemed a bit creepy to her at first but they were understanding and actually talked about her interests! She didn't see them frown at all when talking to them, their eyes were wide and stared at Chrysalis intensely, but it was nice to talk to someone new who wasn't afraid of her!! The person stood up, sliding a note over to her that was held closed by a butterfly sticker.
Then her 'friend' came over to make her go get him something from a vending machine, and the person was gone.
That's all I can really say rn because I'm currently stumped on on what I can say RN I might add more later, but this is just the idea of how it starts,it might change a lot depending on what I decide, thank you so much for asking this!!!
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Sooooo sorry for being kinda dead, more inner child healing stuff and other mental health worries have kinda left me stumped to produce any new art or update my other socials with art
I’ve been having a lot of worries concerning money, which..is terryfing cuz I’ve never had genuine worries with money before aside from being a bit hesitant to spend lots in the past. (I’m in no danger of being homeless don’t worry, I live at home with parents rn) I currently pay for services to help my mental health out of my own pocket - including public transport to and from home and town where I get the help - and after recently learning my money from commissions (I have part time work over holidays) each month sometimes just barely covers my rent each month (£20 a week so around £60-£80 a month)
Yeah realising this has uh..been a bit of a kick in the teeth
With the money situation commissions are going to have to open this month regardless of if I feel up to them or not, that or I’m going to have to seriously consider receiving help for my anxiety on pause for a few months - maybe till new years - until I’ve saved up money in my account
I don’t think I’ll be uploading any art pieces but just wanted to let everyone know it’s just been another one of those bumps in the road for me so probably going to be quite for a little while online aside from commissions
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2022 Tumblr Top 10
1. 13,052 notes - Mar 17 2022
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*plays trombone* Oh dear mutuals, all of you gather around this here stump, in front of the mushrooms and moss, for I have a...
3. 100 notes - Jan 17 2022
Q:
4. 75 notes - Apr 22 2022
Ya know what?? What the heck! Im opening the inbox for a little bit! Here's the rules • three requests per person • character...
5. 62 notes - Feb 17 2022
Q:
6. 59 notes - Apr 21 2022
Tagging game because im in a really loving mood rn and i feel like we all need to admit we like at least something about...
7. 58 notes - Oct 4 2022
Currently watching megamind for the first time.
8. 51 notes - Jan 18 2022
Ayo yall I currently have some cookies about to go I to the oven. I'll let yall know when their done I'd yall want some
9. 50 notes - Feb 21 2022
Spiritually I am hugging my mutuals 24 hours a day 24/7 untill it starts getting annoying😘
10. 49 notes - Dec 5 2022
Hmmmm. I might just watch jojo for the first time
Created by TumblrTop10
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Im still working on creating characters for all the ikrev suitors rn. Or at least the ones that have routes. I've decided to work on them by game but oml- :')
Im only now realizing just how little I know about specific ikerev characters. I had no issues with creating OCs for Ray, Sirius, Edgar, and Luka because Ive played their routes, I have a good idea of their character. I also currently have characters for both Jonah and Fenrir as I got a decent idea of who they are through tumblr posts and involvement in other routes.
But now Im stumped. I have no idea what to do for Seth, Zero, Kyle, or Lancelot. Im not focusing on the civilians yet but I do have some ideas in regards to Harr and Loki, not sure about the other four yet. But I haven't paid much mind to Seth at all, primarily because I find him a bit annoying and hate when he calls MC Alice rather than using her name like all the other black army members- Kyle is a bit boring to me and Zero is a can of worms I dont feel ready to open yet. I do have some idea of what Lancelot is like due to his involvement in other routes and what I've seen so far of his own, but I still have no idea what to do for him?? I dont know what kind of character to pair him with that I think could work well together.
I might need to take a break since I've been working on this endlessly since yesterday. I currently have about 11 characters created across the games so far though!
Here's a lil teaser of the current picrew designs. More will be shared about them at a later date tho ;)
All I will share for rn is that some of these guys are indeed LGBT just like Iris and Raven are. And I plan to add more LGBT characters and pairings, nobody can fucking stop me.
#ikemen series#cybird ikemen#ikemen revolution#ikerev#ikemen oc#ocs#my ocs#seriously what is wrong with me
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Hi I’ve been unsure of what to call this? I’m not sure if this is alloromantic or aromantic, and I’m really confused on just everything. If this makes you uncomfortable or you don’t want to reply feel free to delete. I’m just not sure who to talk to about this as all my close people are allo.
I’ve realized recently, after also realizing recently I’m ace, that my romantic experiences are different than my peers. I’m in my late 20’s and I’ve only felt genuine romantic attraction once in my life, and it’s with my current partner. Usually the feelings leave, I feel trapped in a relationship, I panic and then move on bc it makes me almost uncomfortable? But not with my partner rn.
I enjoy being with my partner and dating them and I’m in love! And it’s weird bc this is a first for me, but I think I may be on the aro spectrum? I’ve always wanted and dreamed of romance for myself but other than my partner, it would send me running and would cause me to feel feel sick, uncomfortable, and I’d try to find a way out. I’ve been looking at different identities and some fit, some don’t, I see that I have a lot of aromantic experiences that others share, but not one fits?
I’m always left stumped bc I’m not sure if I can call myself arospec if I’m in a relationship and enjoying it, even if it’s the only time and first time I’ve experienced actual romantic attraction. Past relationships or the thought of them seemed nice in theory, but in reality I’d have full on panic attacks sometimes to the point of getting sick. I notice I even still often get repulsed by pda, but fine with it with me and my partner. Seeing it in movies, irl, just makes me so uneasy I have to look away.
And it’s been like that ever since I can remember. I honestly rarely feel attraction and the first time I have is in my late 20’s so I’m just confused and honestly scared even tho I’m genuinely happy. Could I identify as aspec? Like is that something I can identify as even if I’m in a relationship rn? I’m just now learning of these terms now at my age and just didn’t know that was something I could identify as, or if I can. If there’s anything hurtful or offensive I’ve said I am sincerely sorry and that’s not my intention at all, please correct me if I’ve said anything ignorant or offensive.
Also I’m so sorry this was so long!!
Hey! Don't worry, this wasn't offensive at all you're okay. It certainly sounds like you could be on the aromantic spectrum if you've only experienced romantic attraction once by your late 20s.
A lot of the feelings of anxiety to do with romantic relationships are honestly really relatable, I'm aromantic and I completely feel like that about the idea of dating or being in a relationship, and seeing or hearing about PDA. I'm about to throw a whole bunch of labels at you now but you don't need to take any or all of this in right away, it can be a bit overwhelming, so take your time, there's no rush.
You could use the label greyromantic, which essentially means that you experience romantic attraction extremely rarely, which it sounds like is the case for you, or possibly lithromantic, if you find you sometimes have romantic feelings but they fade once you act on them. Thinking back to when you first fell for your current partner, would you say you were extremely emotionally close with them beforehand? If so you might be demiromantic, or if you feel like multiple labels fit, but not entirely or all the time you could try aroflux, where your romantic orientation on the aromantic spectrum changes while still being on that spectrum. You could call yourself angled aroace if you are on both the aro and ace spectrums but still experience some attraction (in this case it would be to your partner).
You don't need to use a hyperspecific label if you don't want to, or can't find one that entirely fits, arospec or aspec are both good umbrella terms you might prefer, or even just aro (or aroace). If you feel comfortable using the label queer you are more than welcome to it too.
While I'm here, regardless of where you fall on the aro spectrum, from what you've said it definitely sounds like you're romance repulsed. This is common among aromantic people, but you don't have to be aro to be romance repulsed, and many aros aren't romance repulsed. You also don't have to be repulsed by every aspect of romance in order to use that label, if you're comfortable with it in certain situations, but repulsed to the point of panic attacks, or just feel uncomfortable seeing PDA or kissing on TV, that still counts.
I really hope this helps you, feel free to send another ask if you need :)
- mod key
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What r ur top three movies rn
!!!! seeing this in my inbox was so exciting! I'll jump at any chance to talk about movies. This was difficult tho, not gonna lie, I had to sit down and really think because honestly I can have a great big handful of favourites at any given time and they will all be so different to one another.
Part of me really wants to answer with things like Freaked or Meet the Feebles and all the batshit, over the top stuff with hybrid aesthetics that I really really like ha.
But I'll answer with 3 of my favourites that I can go back to in an instant that I think are all around pretty entertaining, interesting and kinda bizarre.
Phantom of the Paradise is one I absolutely love to the moon and back, everything about it enthalls me, from the overall themes of corporate bullshittery and the whole idea of art being so easily and quickly passed into the wrong hands (to the point where it is used as a weapon against it's original creator) being the main driving plot, Willem Finley, Paul Williams and Jessica Harper (in her first feature!!!!) being an iconic as fuck trio which everything is sorta balanced on, all of the stories about the film's production and the whole swan song set back, the music, the tonto synthesizer, the bird motif and how it's still pretty relevant now, I love all of it.
Possession from 1981 is one I just keep going back too, and I think thats just because I think it works great as a genuinely unnerving horror film/creature flick while also being pretty damn camp at the same time??? I get so much out of every performance every time I rewatch it (I fucking read a letterboxd review recently where the person said that Sam Neil reminded them a bit of a 'hot Mr Bean' and I literally cant stop thinking about it). Im a fool for content involving doppelgangers and I think this is still to this day one of the more mysterious and eerie examples of that kind of subject matter. On a more serious note, I think the setting (right by the Berlin Wall, something that really amplifies the films overarching theme of devision) and the gritty blue, green and brown colour palette makes the whole thing pretty identifiable as 'Possession', you know. I think I really just enjoy the heaviness of this movie, theres so many layers to it and I feel like I come out of it after each revisit with a slightly altered interpretation.
This third spot had me a bit stumped cos theres so many that could take it, but I knew it had to be a movie more on the theatrical side of things, in the sense that its something relatively contained in terms of characters and setting and relies heavily on the interaction rather than the event itself. Im gonna have to go with Dog Day Afternoon, which is different than the last two previously listed, since 1) it doesnt have any horror/fantasy elements in it at all and 2) it is a fairly recent favourite of mine. I love movies where dudes are just terrible at doing what they set out to do and this is like the pinnicle of that kind of thing. It's claustrophobic and insane and manages to be quite funny at times in a completely natural way, the humour coming from the absolute absurdity of the situation rather than the script itself. Lastly, but just as importantly, I think this movie and the sympathy it contains remains, to this day, incredibly culturally rich and fairly relevant (despite it being released in 1975) with the way it handles a lot of subjects that are still being discussed in 2021. Also, and this is a given, Al Pacino gives one hell of a performance here, the nuance, the range...
Forgive this long write up but yeah those are probably the three I currently wear on my sleeve the most. I do feel like I should mention the two I had running up for that third slot that are also high-stake, tense character pieces primarily set in the one location, and those are Funny Games from both 1997 and 2007 and Angst from 1983, however these are tough to sit through to say the very least and arent for everybody so I'll leave them in the honourable mentions (because god theyre effective in what theyre trying to do and I couldnt just post this without mentioning them, my apologies).
Alrighty, that's probably more than enough to answer your question, Im gonna go sit down on the floor now before I think of anything else and drag this on any further, bye 🏃♂️🏃♂️
#chalk answers#i steampowered through this once i actually picked which three i was gonna put in the spotlight lol
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just a little update!
im feeling a lot better still a bit sick but
im working on 2 fics rn and kinda got stumped <\3
however! i has this headcanon idea for a while so I’ve been currently working on that and tbh ill probably be done by tonight but ill post it during the week!!
after that hopefully ill be able to finish up on of the fics! the main thing that stumped me was i didnt know which route to take it you know? like ooh a) idea would be good or b) would be nice
anyways that’s it really for content making rn other than that ill probably post the occasional thirst since my anons feed me good!!
JWHEJJEJEJ ALSO CAN WE TALK ABT HOW GUOBA IS A GOD LIKE
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I dont have any critiques, I jus wanna recommend doin a bunch of experimental stuff w ur art. Like, suff with colors or ur lines, drawin ppl with rlly long limbs, or tryin out other ppls styles. Shit u normally wouldnt want 2 do. That, or, I once heard that drawin only things u hate kicks u out of art stumps. Overall just trust ur gut, its ur artstyle and if u feel u need to stretch ur legs and walk around w ur style for a bit ur current style isnt gonna go anywhere ykno ? I'm just ramblin now but I hope this was even the tiniest bit helpful or coherent lol
Ty Jam! And yeah I get that ig. I just wish to have like...a zone to focus on in specific? Per say? So that's why I asked for critiques bc rn it's like. My WHOLE art style has things I could improve on. But just thinking abt all the ways I could go is a bit overwhelming QQ. So I wanted to ask for more specifics so I could focus on those first and go bit by bit.
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I'm building a Gundam for the first time in almost 2 decades, I'm excited!
Currently building this one for my partner rn:
I also got one for myself that I'll build after:
it's a bit daunting but ive really been looking forward to getting back into gunpla, esp since I didn't know some of them were pretty affordable lol (these were under $25 each!!) of course the really really cool ones are pricey but... maybe someday.
for now I just wanted to dip my toes and do something with my hands since I've been stumped with drawing lately :x
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The Team Dynamics of the Three Houses
Essay time! =D
Part One:
Team Makeup and Thematic Framework
Blue Lions
Overarching Theme: Classic basic fantasy archetypes but with a dark twist (We have Prince Charming/ Guilt-ridden softboy standard-issue JRPG protagonist, Handsome Lech/Idiot Friend, Standoffish Rival, Gentleman Thief, Lady Knight, Sweet nice healer, Adorable spellcaster Girl, the Gentle Giant etc. )
Composition: Has the most people with crests, and the one guy with a naturally occurring major crest. Foreshadows how the crest obsession is particularly bad here, due to Faerghus’ harsh environment and a society that’s both religious and has a serious element of hero worship
History: Notably the most tight-knit group. Everyone knows each other already. It’s basically Dimitri, Dimitri’s longtime best friends, the daughter of Dimitri’s former instructor who heard lots of stories about him and her super nice BFF who gets along with everyone... and Ashe, who didn’t know the others until the academy, but since he is a honest sweety who loves cooking and knight stories, he hits it off with the others right away.
Atmosphere: Everyone has kind of the same hobbies (cooking, handicrafts, weapons collecting, knight stuff) and a lot of history, some posters have remarked on missing the “family ambiente” in the other routes but since the bonds are stronger they’re also more charged, it’s also been said that it’s the group with the most inter-team drama, especially when you feature in their relatives - You have Dimitri’s whole character arc, all the family drama between the Fraldariuses and the Dominics, Ingrid’s hangups regarding poor Dedue etc.
As expected if you recruit any of them they’ll kinda have a hard time going after their old home, even the tsundere ones.
The Leader’s position: For all that Dimitri’s friends refuse to drop his honorifics they really are his friends. They’re just all kinda polite with the obvious exception of Felix, and he’s largely tsundere. Despite the afore mentioned drama we see plenty of Dimitri just hanging out with his friends and even coming to them for help, he’s really just one of the bunch .
Since Faerghus is in chaos everyone’s pinning a lot of hopes on Dimitri and it’s not like he’s completely unaware of that or doesn’t have the corresponding sense of duty, he’s always torn between that and his revenge plan which eventually just takes over. He pursues this entirely on his own, too, with not even Dedue knowing what he’s sneaking around the library for.
How this “flavors” part one: Gives it a very “personal” touch. Faerghus, it’s culture, recent past and current state of chaos are fleshed out a lot (we learn plenty about the Alliance and the Empire but Claude and Edelgard have greater scope plans) and since a lot of the part I missions concern the instabilities in the kingdom they affect the characters directly. Basically since they’re more “regular” fantasy protagonists we gotta hit em all with the Drama hammer to keep things fresh. And that’s how it continues - They follow Dimitri because of personal loyalty (both toward him specifically, and because it’s in their culture), and Dimitri just wants to protect (or avenge) the people he cares about.
How this Ties into The Themes: The Kingdom route eventually becomes very much a Power of Friendship story where they all stick it out with Dimitri in his time of need because he’s their friend and they want to be there for him and that makes a lot more sense if there was a big emphasis on friendship/ found family before that, and of course their friendship is what eventually helps him turn his life around.
How does Byleth fit into this: Dimitri, like Hubert and Leonie, can be filed into the box of those who aren’t immediately awed by their heroic charisma. He doesn’t really get people who aren’t as outwardly expressive as him (eg. Edelgard) But unlike, say, Leonie, Dimitri has no settings between crushkilldestroy and stilted politeness and seldom expresses or responds to overt hostility most of the time. On the one hand there’s a side to him that’s a bit judgemental and vindictive, but that extends to himself too so he’s very ashamed of his flaws and is afraid that he won’t be accepted, so he projects outward that same acceptance that he likes to receive.
So the end result is that he goes out of his way to befriend Byleth, he encourages everyone to speak with them in a familiar manner, insists that they join the victory celebrations etc. Then of course he gets to see that they’re actually quite supportive and so in time they become, as Dimitri puts it “the heart of the group”.
By the time they find out that Dimitri ever disliked them, that’s long past. He’s a very high-empathy, emotional person so once he likes you he really likes you and will regard your troubles like his own. Some ppl might say that maybe the bond feels more special since it took longer to “earn”. He’s practically ready to swear a blood oath with them once Jeralt dies. There’s an unappreciated Symmetry here like he goes through the trouble to ‘defrost’ them, and then they return the favor by supporting him through his difficult times when they perhaps get to see the ugliest side of him.
Further Dynamic Notes:
So you have a dynamic of working past/ understanding and accepting each other despite one’s flaws and differences. (whereas Claude and Edelgard are interested in Byleth right away, because they’re unusual, but in slightly different ways - Claude can kinda relate to the experience of sticking out itself but is still stumped by being unable to read them, whereas Edelgard sticks out in the same way so you’re actually on the same wavelenght to begin with)
“opposites attract” specifically in the way that they balance each other out. A cool steadfast leader type certainly has a grounding effect on Dimitri as a very reactive person, but he also pulls them into the ‘normal’ world a bit after they spend all this time just wandering the world like all places are the same to them. They basically put the magic destiny on the backburner to help him out. They still become archbishop and all to fit the standard fantasy look of it all but not like full messiah like on the church route
Even after the timeskip Byleth kinda plays the mentor role or at least that of the dominant person/ big spoon in the relationship (though Dimitri ends up waaay taler than them especially fem Byleth), “Excuse me this is my emotional support mercenary”
If you go the platonic route you very much stay at „mentor“, Byleth is basically the brains of the operation post timeskip ‘cause the old Mitya can‘t come to the phone right now and Gilbert and Rodrigue would follow him off a cliff
Plot wise, their contribution is to stop the revenge trip when it gets to be a too obvious kamikaze stunt, which they, as a relative outsider to Faerghus and experienced, pragmatic fighter, would do when someone like Gilbert would not
Character journey wise, they refuse to give up on Dimitri and still see the good in him so that he eventually comes to a point where he could envision his own redemption/ come to accept/forgive himself and learn that its okay to move on and live his own life
Byleth can be said to somewhat even out the flaws in everyone‘s leadership styles (while the house leaders help Byleth find their own direction – i didnt come up with this alone there was a brilliant post a while ago that i cant find rn) – In Dimitri‘s case, he has authority/credibility/integrity („Pathos“), being the rightful king with many loyal followers, and emotional/ personal leadership as an emphatetic person who inspired respect for his character („Ethos“) but is lacking in plans („Logos“)
Golden Deer
Overarching Theme: Ragtag Bunch of misfits /Unlikely Heroes (let’s see, we have trickster turned lying politician, upper-class twit turned opportunistic conservative, lazy rich girl, shy glasses boy and his best friend dumb muscle, cursed werewolf girl, stuckup teen genius and the mean money obsessed one )
Composition: Has the most honest-to-goodness commoners - and they largely got in on their own merits, too, while almost all the others had connections. You have a few peeps from the Alliance’s prominent merchant class and one completely ordinary village person whose father was a simple hunter.
History: Bar the two merchant kids none of them know each other and even they’ve been a little estranged since the demise of Rafael’s parents. There are a few backstory connections (Such as Lorenz’ dad basically having murdered everybody’s dead relatives, or Leonie’s village being in his territory) but they’re largely indirect. They come from a range of different backgrounds and life experiences. Even Claude just showed up the year before and doesn’t know anybody. Of course this is all so you can watch them grow into a team on-screen all leading up to Claude’s epic speech about how they got along despite being from different backgrounds (or be surprised if they show up as one post-timeskip)
Unlike Dedue or Hubert, Hilda can still be napped early on because she doesn’t really become Claude’s right-hand person until halfway through part oneIf you recruit any of the deer they’ll say that they didn’t have that much ties to their homeland anyways.
Atmosphere: These are definitely Garreg Magh’s party animals. Or like a bunch of theatre kids. They’re tremendous fun. “Less complicated” as Claude puts it though some have missed the intensity/drama of the other bunches. The Alliance itself might be full of political intrigues but this younger generation is fairly chill with the important exceptions that are Leonie and Lysithea but Leonie’s lack of chill is largely Byleth-specific, she’s plenty chill in her other supports, and though Lysithea probably donated all the extra chill for the other deer and hence doesn’t have any left, the others love her anyways wether she wants to or not because try as she might she can’t really get an argument out of them.
This certainly jives well with Claude’s “friendly surface level extrovert” gimmick they all get along on a surface level and you’ll be hard-pressed to find an ounce of social skills in the Black Eagle house, and the Lions have the Drama Moments, but some have also perceived the deer as not quite as open.
At the same time they’re not superficial. We have a large abundance of Artsy Ones, we have Ignatz, Claude and Lorenz both write poetry, Leonie isn’t good at it but she does draw etc There’s enough insightful ones for depht and insight to be a significant undercurrent in the group dynamics. They all have different sortts of insight - Hilda can read people well, Ignatz has this sort of intuuitive thoughtful understanding, Lysithea is observant and logically astute, Leonie has street smarts etc.
The Leader’s position: Precarious. No one knows him, no one trusts him. He just showed up one day, very suspicious timing, not long after his uncle dropped dead (that was Lorenz’ dad but it’s not like anyone knows) and then he’s a shifty weirdo who cannot help being slightly unnerving despite his friendly extroverted demeanor.
Still he’s a big believer in teamwork, appreciates the value in everyone’s perspective and he can do the friendly extroverted charm well enough to eventually win over most people based on that, though its not until waay after the timeskip that he even considers letting anyone past the soft outer layer. (In Recruited, Raphael remembers him mainly a lover of feats and merriment)
The longer the story goes on the more the Deer transition to being “Claude’s jolly detective bureau” in which he pulls on all their individual insight for maximum info collection.
How this “flavors” part one: It’s taken up largely by Claude’s search for information with the various events being seen in that light.
Claude’s first reaction is often to ask questions and be curious with the emotional response hitting him somewhat later, though it’s definitely also that he keeps up a cheerful face for the team.
Ironically he’s the only one who came to Garreg Magh for it’s intended purpose: To get a ruler’s education and do networking. Dimitri and Edelgard were already onto Thales courtesy of his having killed their families, him searching on his own, her making preparations for her takeover, and Claude doesn’t know - it’s probably a game balance thing because Claude is the smartest person in the game and if he started out with all the info there would be no plot.
How this Ties into The Themes: It all builds towards Claude’s big speech about people from different backgrounds coming together. It’s like a microcosm for what he wants to do with the world, to bring people from different places and backgrounds together and have them understand each other.
Lorenz takes until halfway through part II to come around, but come around he does. (markedly, this happens only on Claude’s route, otherwise he sticks with the empire out of self-preservation and opportunism, though he gladly jumps ship to join the kingdom. )
How does Byleth fit into this: Now I‘ve seen some people saying that Claude initially didn‘t like Byleth or just wanted to use them, but I don‘t think that‘s true. I do think he actually liked them, found them interesting and wanted to befriend them. But Claude, on principle, doesn‘t trust easily, and will in any interaction look at how he can use it.
It‘s a habit born out of both natural curiosity and intelligence (What the 12type eneagramm calls a „Mercury“ Personality type) and the need to survive in a hostile environment where people tried to kill him as a child, and as such it‘s automatic second nature. He has a strong overruling self-preservation instinct. Claude is suspicious and will interogate people completely independent of how much he likes them. No amount of like makes him trust implicitly.
He doesn‘t have a bad impression like Dimitri, but he doesn‘t immediately click like Edelgard and the curve is pretty nonlinear: With Dimitri we have a clear progression from dislike to like and then the reversal where Dimitri had defrosted Byleth and now Byleth must defrost Dimitri. With Edelgard she likes them immediately out of similarity (like Felix likes Byleth, or like Edelgard likes Lysithea and Petra), and the difficulty/drama only comes later when Byleth‘s connection to the church and Edelgard‘s plots become apparent, but mostly she‘s sad that she‘s „destined“ to be enemies with this person she likes, her level of like never goes down. Claude meanwhile – you might compare him with Dorothea. He‘s used to being able to charm people as well as read them, and Byleth is not only a brick wall, but remains one upon closer examination. They really don‘t know about their past – but Claude takes that as evasions and becomes more and more suspicious.
A big turning point here is the Jeralt situation, where Byleth finally opens up and tells him everything, and Claude realizes they‘re not hiding. And that‘s something I really love about their dynamic – Byleth tells him all and Claude is so interested in them and looks out for them.
Though you could assign each of the three a „turning point“ after which they open up - The diary for Claude (which shows him that Byleth really isn‘t hiding anything) Flayn‘s dissapearance for Dimitri (which convinces him that Byleth cares) and the holy tomb scene for Edelgard (which shows her that Byleth won‘t betray her)
Further Dynamic Notes:
Claude and Byleth relate because they both stick out, but it‘s notably about the experience of sticking out in and of itself, whereas in Edelgard‘s case they stick out in the same way. They’re also alike in that they only found out some secrets about themselves when they were already young adults, Byleth’s magical destiny, and Claude finding out he was related to the ruling house. From how he mentions “not being raised in the lap of luxury” and how his royal connections in Almyra are also “distant”, he might in fact have been raised in a normal village and not known he was the king’s bastard son for some time, though once the secret was out he definitely got some princely instruction like training with Nader.
The dynamic both interpersonally and as an action duo is very much a complementary one. Dimitri is very different and has that sorta morality chain dynamic going on. And though they each have their specialties that the other is lowkey jelly of Edelgard and Byleth actually fill a fairly similar niche as the charismatic superhumanly powerful field commander. Meanwhile with Claude there’s a division of labor: Claude’s the planner and Byleth’s the enforcer. He repeatedly observes that his plans would be way less effective without someone of Byleth’s caliber to carry them out.
Out of the three lords Claude is the only one where you get the sense that Byleth works for Claude post-timeskip or that Byleth becomes his subordinate. Dimitri’s lost without them, and while Edelgard offers them a formal position as royal advisor after the mock battle and gets this line about how they can’t yell orders at her in public now that she’s the emperor, but it’s phrased in such a way to suggest that she just wants them to yell orders at her discreetly. They certainly balance out Claude’s presentability/trustworthyness problem the way that Hubert quickly puts them in charge of morale to patch Edelgard’s PR shortcomings, but Hubert pretty much says this to Byleth’s face whereas Claude is the only one who knows where the ship is going for the majority of verdant wind. And in the end he’s like “Babysit fodlan for me while I finish world peace” He’s also the dominant one on an interpersonal level, he gives Byleth this speech about how they should use their position more confidently and promise to detective out their mysterious past for them. He also tries dropping hints that maybe Rhea’s not to be trusted though Byleth’s dialogue options are written to suggest that they bought her maternal act and want her back – some ppl said but this way really expositions that „well meaning deception“ aspect of Claude‘s character. He frequently steers ppl toward something they don‘t want but with the hope that they‘ll want it eventually. Perhaps he could be said to have a very fluid/dynamic view of things and people; The other two lords view them more as fixed, hence „I respectfully disagree… lets settle this by stabbing each other“
The platonic end result is your basic Epic Friendship, tell each other everything, very supportive, look out for each other, take down a zombie warrior together in an epic team attack, what more could you want I think I‘ve made a whole post about what a good friendo Claude is, initial ulterior motives nonwithstanding… He certainly had strategic advantages in the back of his mind but I don‘t think he ever faked liking Byleth
Plot wise, having The Messiah on his team gives Claude a bargaining chip to seize control of the church with its greater influence. On the other routes, he wisely refuses to touch that particular hot potato with a ten foot pole.
Character wise Byleth‘s influence largely serves to mitigate his jaded cynism. He starts to actually believe his far-flung dreams might happen, so he plays far less defensively than on the other routes.
Claude is smart and charismatic („Logos“ and „Ethos“), his main problem is that nobody trusts him. This is a bit more dimensional than just a flaw though, because he hides his real goals (though they are not truly sinister) both to avoid fights with people who would oppose these goals (contrast Edelgard who declares her intentions openly and deals with the fallout, so she has to fight the knights whereas claude manipulates them) and get the chance to gradually convince them and reveal the truth once ppl agree, also he‘s more a tactician than a strategist and often changes his plans in accordance with what he thinks is doable under the circumstances, and not telling what his plans are gives him the freedom to do that – either way, a downside of that is that no one trusts him. He lacks credibility and, having shown up out of nowhere, has less loyalty and support. Byleth, as a chrch-sanctioned charismatic figurehead, naturally mitigates that.
Black Eagles
Overarching Theme: Subverted Villain tropes. We have Emperor Evulz / mad science supersoldier, Black Mage classic, Seditious Chancellor Junior, Sexy Mage, Eccentric Scholar, Pretty Barbarian, Fighting Obsessed Blood Knight and Antisocial Sniper
Composition: It‘s nobles all the way down, even the one commoner used to be famous and is from the capital where all the wealthy ppl live (as opposed to the decentralied alliance and the very spartan kingdom nobles) – The capital‘s a heaven for culture and sophistication but you also see the evident elitism/corruption/inequality problem going on. In keeping with Adrestia being more secular, Ferdinand‘s the only one who‘s explicitly stated to be a believer (in the Marianne support) and he‘s not even super devout
One should also appreciate the irony that the side with the ‚saintly‘ crests is now against the church whereas Faerghus, ruled by the descendants of Nemesis‘ former allies and where he used to have his stronghold are now fighting for the church. But should you go with the church route it also makes a kind of sense as they‘d be goig back to the empire‘s distant origins in a sense.
History: They all vaguely know/ have heard of each other due to their parents being co-workers or living in the same town, many have at least met each other but at the same time they‘re not BFF like the Lions and many take a bit to warm up to each other.
Another thing of note is that while many of the Lions‘ families were also friends and have been associates since the days of Nemesis, many of the backstory connections for the adrestian studenrs would seem to predispose them to being foes rather than friends, half their dads‘ essentially dethroned Edelgard‘s and are various degrees of complicit in what happened to her siblings, Petra was basically taken hostage by the previous administration, Dorothea has good reason to have beef with the local rich people etc
Atmosphere: I‘ve seen some ppl who played the other routes first say things like how they were struck by how individualistic they are and how there‘s far less team cohesion, or how they „all seem to hate each other“ - I don‘t think that‘s correct assesment but they definitely are quirky, independent-minded or both. They scamper off in all directions when introduced and definitely don‘t bother with formal politeness or friendly facades, if they‘re annoyed with you most of them will probably say so. Even Bernie gives Ferdinand a lecture once XD They‘re basically goth. Though I do think it‘s sorely underappreciated that there definitely IS friendship and admiration between them esp. later in the story, admiration & appreciation being key factors especially since they‘re none too easily impressed.
Of course being independent minded makes it likely that they wouldn‘t blindly follow a leader who‘s up to no good, but it would make them just as suitable to participate in a rebellion
Another thing of note is that while the Kingdom nobles all learned to hold sharp objects in the nusery and many of the deer have street smarts or survival experience having had to live through tough circumstances most of the Eagles are complete greenhorns when you first deploy them – sure many have seen their share of effed up stuff but not in a warlike setting. And you have many of the sensitive/reluctant ones like Bernie, Linny and Dorothea. This of course could either make you think twice about the church sending them on missions or predispose you toward Flayns brand of pacifism.
Of course this just leads to Hubert and Edelgard (and to a lesser extent Petra) to clearly stand out as the experienced ones. El-chan and Hubie dear have most definitely killed a man before. The rest of them will definitely have to measure up to pick up the slack after the two of them leave.
The trajectory certainly goes differently, in CF they all return notably more confident after the timeskip (most notably with Bernie) perhaps in keeping with how Edelgard believes in & promotes self-reliance whereas in Silver Snow they never quite stop being like „AAAAA“ though I suppose the point is that they get their act together and do the deed regardless.
The Leader’s position: Absolute both in terms of power (sorry Ferdie) and dynamics. Definite ‚student council president‘ vibe, she largely interacts with them as a taskmaster/ to make them do their homework. She markedly doesn‘t like this and would like to be one of the bunch but genuinely finds it hard to step out of boss mode.
She does try her best to cultivate an equal atmosphere and for what it‘s worth most do drop the honorifics and tell her when they disagree.
How this “flavors” part one: The emphasis is certainly on expositioning how much everything in the setting sucks especially on the church‘s horribleness, I mean in the end if she‘s essentially like „We‘ve all seen it this past year“ but of course there‘s also definite foreshadowing that sHE is up to something, there‘s certainly peeps who picked her ‚cause she‘s pretty and she looked more put-together/less obviously dodgy than the others but then didn‘t personal taste wise jive with her character. The whole scene after Jeralt‘s death is definitely a point where you either decide you hate her or love her forever; You get both „WTF“ and „I get it“ type of dialogue options.
How this Ties into The Themes:
No matter what route yo pick you essentially get a story about going your own way and putting right what the previous generations done fucked up – wether they do this by leading Adrestia back to its holy origins, or by backing Edelgard‘s revolution.
On a political level they either go against their homeland or the previous administration, and personally they‘re all sorta expected to take over their parents‘s job and follow these expectations of proper nobility that they have no interest in and many of them renounce their titles or cut ties with their folks. Only Ferdinand particularly wants his fathers job and even them he means to do it very differently. The happy ending, for most of the eagles, is getting to choose their own paths
How does Byleth fit into this:
Mostly, they shift the team dynamics from Edelgard as the absolute leader in a lofty, distanced position to her coming closer to being „one of the group“ working under Byleth.
There‘s a reason she later names her elite troop the „Black Eagle Strike force“ in honor of their time at the academy. This is almost the bigger difference, because Byleth isn‘t there for the timeskip. The big change is caused by creating this situation where all the black eagles leave with Edelgard, so she knows she can trust them and having real allies needs the slithers less.
It‘s very hard for her to step out of boss mode for reasons ranging from her personality, backstory, monarch obligations and fear of vulnerability, but having Byleth be the boss for once helps. Some of her most formative experiences were a) Her family betrayed by almost all its allies including her own uncle b) being helplessly dragged around as a hostage. She wants to avoid being helpless ever again at all costs and thus grew to be a very proactive decisive adult which is mostly a good thing but can cause her tome come off blunt and unyielding at times. I mean when she‘s worried that Hubert, her best friend, is hiding some worrysome secret from her she‘s like „Tell me that‘s an order!“ and when he expertly sidesteps that (since he knows her well and understands that she wouldn‘t actually force it out of him) she‘s stumped and doesn‘t know how to tell him that she‘s worried about him – and this is a guy she knows since forever. With the other eagles she really looks out for them but can only really show it through her „leader“ persona, she has this one trick, and when it doesn‘t work (like with Caspar or Linhardt who don‘t really want anyone to boss them around or talk politics) she‘s stumped.
This is hugely mitigated when another person of her caliber shows up with whom she can share the responsibility or even leave it to them so she learns to allow herself to be soft and do stuff like admit her doubts, this starts with Byleth but also radiates into the other relationships. See Caspar and Linhard revising their bad first impressions of her later in the support chains
Further dynamics notes:
A recurring theme is being misunderstood (outright stated in the introduction and that one quote by ladislava – and also in the church route dialogues where Seteth says that „the people will never understand her ideals“ ) and finding someone who understands, which is different from Claude and Dimitri who ultimately want the world at large to understand and accept them. Edelgard has given up on that long ago - her version of the „pep talk“ scene implies she thinks its impossible to truly understand anothers sorrow – I like to think that after her siblings died she found great comfort in Hubert being „not much for condolences“ and talking plans rather than sympathies while everyone else was showing pity for something they couldnt understand. Dimitri is basically traumatized (he relates to Dedue about losing everything and thats why they‘re so tight knit), Claude is basically an outcast and relates to all that dont quite fit in, but Edelgard… yes her family‘s dead much like Dimitri‘s, but in addition to that, she has been through an indescribable science fiction fantasy thing that no one has any context for. She views herself as so altered that she considers herself a whole different person and her past self basically dead. Hence someone like Byleth or Lysithea who could relate to all that is very, very tempting to her – we‘re not told if that‘s the truth or just her perception though, Hubert doesn‘t note her being extremly different, and later on she kinda admids that she herself distanced herself from other people.
Likewise the ship dynamic is ‚birds of a feather‘. Edelgard tells you right away: She feels that she and Byleth are similar and is drawn to them because of that. It‘s not just the mad science background, both are stoic natural leaders with a bit of a dorky side. This goes both ways – While others are often mildly stumped by Byleth, she can read them pretty well and gets a lot of dialoue like „wow you‘re telling the truth“ or „I can tell you‘re lying“ - that happens so often that it‘s even used to hint that she‘s the flame emperor.
If you had to name a dominant person it would probably be Byleth but overall this combination is disntinguished by being relatively equal and balanced. She likes having Byleth‘s support but repeatedly mentions wanting to support Byleth as well - As she says after the big mock battle, „sometimes its better to have someone to rely on to support each other through the darkness“. Team dynamics wise they feel a similar niche – the abnormally powerful, stoic charismatic leader who inspires many followers and is a gifted field commander. When they‘re not allies they are foils after all. But as pointed out in their A support despite their similarities each of them have their own particular strenghts that the other envies – Byleth is a better tactician and ultimately better at moral support (though their time powers help). On the flipside, Edelgard is more proactive whereas Byleth struggles with that, and at least her 22 year old self probably has more raw strenght (judging by her stats total and how they‘re evenly matched in the church route reunion cinematic though she isn‘t using her preferred weapon)
If you don‘t marry her then the note the A support ends on would suggest that Byleth sorta gets adopted as a honorary big sister/brother with how El asks them to use her childhood nickname and just lampshading the sense of kinship between them – the platonic outcome is a family bond, which buils as much on similarity and alikeness as their romantic outcome
Plot wise, Byleth‘s presence gives Edelgard something that she wouldn‘t otherwise have: Reliable allies. This means not just Byleth themselves, but the other Black Eagles whom she feels are more firmly on her side as they never defended Garreg Mach from her assault. As she puts it when she tries to recruit you as the „Flame Emperor“, the slighterers will go around causinga strocities but with the sword of the creator on her side she could courttail that better and generally has less need to coorperate even for purely pragmatic reasons so she is free to weaken them ahead of time, kills Cornelia right away rather than work with her etc. Interestingly this is why the front lines are actually further back when Byleth returns than they are in the other routes, but then the war ends the quickest.
Character journey wise, Edelgard goes from being convinced that she has to give up everything to be a tough leader to allowing herself to just be a person, cummulating in the ending where she pulls a washington/cincinatus, abdicates and gets a normal life.
In terms of leadership style, Edelgard has „Logos“ and „Pathos“ to spare, she‘s described as a remarkable leader who inspires remarkable devotion and has a cause/ rationale – but she‘s got her weakness with inspiring loyalty on an interpersonal level. The followers are loyal to the cause – Edelgard herself is perceived as unapproachable and shady/unsavory, see Dimitri‘s rant about how she‘s „strong“, or statements by herself and Ladislava that people tend to misunderstand her. As a superhuman science experiment she is by definition not a „relatable“ leader. So once Byleth proves trustworthy Hubert immediately puts them in charge of morale and of support/pep talking the reluctant recruits.
(In part II we‘ll get into decision making processes but I think here we have to separate by route rather than house since it’s most evident post-timeskip and dependent on plot events.)
Team Dynamics and Decisionmaking
Empire Route
Here, there is a very clear distinction between inner circle and outer circle. Edelgard and Hubert have their own thing going on and once you prove loyal, you’re in, and you get to see a whole different side to both of them, Edelgard lets down her guard, Hubert acts polite and sympathetic where he was previously suspicious and mocking, and they basically tell Byleth everything, including the unsavory pursuits that they keep secret from everyone else – but overall the secrecy, maintained for realpolitik reasons, never truly stops. Basically those three make all the decisions.
Notable is that if you’ve recruited Lysithea she hovers on the threshold between inner and outer circle. She was fed the cover story of the nuke being a church weapon (though she did’t buy it) but WAS told about the secret assault on Arianrhod. This is prolly cause Edelgard likes her, she can become her main advisor in their paired ending.
Kingdom Route
Dimitri describes himself as as someone who thinks change should come from the people and that the leadership should serve them, for all that he prefers to uphold the basic order of society, and this is reflected in his leadership style – though this also reflects that he is a ‚people person‘ rather than a planner, so the plans are left to his advisors like Byleth, Gilbert and Rodrigue. He is more the emotional/ spiritual lynchpin than the mind or will of the group.
In Azure Moon, especially later on, the decisions are really made by the entire group and you see them considering their next step together. Dimitri spills the backstory as soon as it comes up, telling everyone about his relationship with Edelgard for example.
In early part 2 this is at an extreme in that Byleth, Rodrigue and Gilbert are de facto making the decisions and Dimitri is at best a grumpy figurehead that they‘re putting up because they need him as a symbol, but at the same time he doesn‘t really compromise on his revenge obsession and is just dragging the whole team along/ not really reacting to how they are making him the lynchpin for their hopes. (though it is important to note that he didn‘t ask him too either – they decide to follow him out of friendship or loyalty to his house) yet inwardly Dimitri too is blindly following what he believes are his obligations.
A huge turning point is when he returns after the whole rain conversation and Byleth gets to ask him some variety of „What do you want to do“ in which Dimitri makes a step toward both inner and outer self-directedness, but precisely because of that becomes are more complete/better consensus leader.
I also want to stress that Claude and Edelgard LOVE togetherness and cooperation and equality as concepts every bit as much as Dimitri does they want to be one of the team but they find it difficult. And of course Dimitri’s style has its own flaws too
Alliance Route
While the Blue Lions decide everything together and either variation of the Black Eagles setup has an „inner circle“ that makes the decisions, in the Golden Dear that inner circle is basically just Claude.
Even Byleth doesn‘t find out his plans until part two, and it‘s later still till he comes clear with the team (and still doesn‘t reveal all but points to Cyril as a stand-in) Hilda and Lysithea are discernable as preferred right hand people, and Byleth and Marianne as special confidants, but in the end Claude rarely shows his real self and only he knows the plan. If Hilda and Lysithea pick up alot about him and his true self it‘s because of how observant THEY are and how much Hilda is basically a lot like him.
Claude does all the thinking and motivates followers (from Lorenz to the random merchans who support him) by promising them things they want – because even if he can‘t trust peopöle, he can trust their self-interest.
Church Route
Since you are with the church that is ideally a sort of benevolent parental authority under the supposition that people need guidance and that‘s a good thing it is perhaps fitting that though Byleth winds up the nominal leader, this is actually the route where they are more of a follower. They do watch Seteth says, who is doing what he believes is his duty and mission, and we have Flayn as an innocent, pacifistic voice.
They lost their dad, and the Nabateans are a sort of surrogate family. (wether its one that youre born into or marry into, the wiord „family“ is stressed) – they are the „inner circle“ making the decision and the empire kids, ragtag misfits estranged from their homes, follow. On the one hand they‘re going against their home country on the other they have the saint‘s blood and Adrestia USED to be church aligned so it also makes a kind of sense.
Among the Adrestian kids themselves, Ferdinand and Petra get a chance to shine as the ostensible leaders. They are stalward, competent leader-like people in CF too , but there they are more overshadowed by the much more experienced Hubert and Edelgard. - Though when you think about it they are like „pure hero“ versions of them who were never forced to become as cold and pragmatic. Ferdinand, like Hubert, is a nobleman from a storied family who is proud of it but wants to fix its tarnished reputation from his corrupt father. Petra, like Edelgard, is a former political hostage who experienced hardship at a young age and worked her way up all on her own, being very serious and competent despite her young age. I prefer the version where they stay buds rly.
It‘s worth noting that Seteth, ‚Heir of Purpose‘, sees it as their families duty to protect Fodlan and is the only one really doing that – his brothers noped out, and Rhea, uneknowst to him, twisted „protect“ into „rule/subjugate“. One might question who gives him the right to decide things because his mom is magic but on the other hand he really is 100% benevolent and I see no sign that he has any greedy intentions especially in in Silver Snow, all the countries collapse and someone needs to keep order, he doesn‘t understand what the empire‘s doing and why just sees their agression and really is rising to the challenge of upholding peace because something needs to do something about the violence. He had withdrawn to protect his daughter but then in the end he‘s the last one who is really doing what Sothis would have wanted. He looks most like her too having the slightly darker, ‚spikier‘ hair.
Further Thoughts
I’m curious to see how Yuri, the Ashen Wolves, and Cindered Shadows compare/contrast to this and i theyll manage to make the dynamics sufficiently different so that its neither a carbon copy or a blabk mary sue ish superlative.
I mean the other routes are so interesting to dissect because its a tradeof and all have their own flavor so really CS would do better to try to be “different” or, better yet, “complementary” than “better” or “cooler”
#three houses#fire emblem: three houses#fire emblem three houses#fe3h#black eagles#blue lions#golden deer#three houses meta
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Random Pulp Hero Thoughts
So, I'm on a bit of a Holmes kick, RN; two of the books I read last week had vague Holmes ties...
-Murder In Old Bombay by Nev March, a mystery set in 19th Century India who's protagonist decides to become a detective after reading the then-recently published The Sign of the Four.
-The Dark Archive by Genevieve Cogman, who's protagonist chose to name herself after The Woman, and who's supporting cast includes Peregrine Vale, a Great Detective from an alternate universe weird steampunk Victorian London who is repeatedly noted as being very Holmes-like.
...and the two books I finished this week and the third I've begun and will finish next week, are even more so. In backwards order...
-There's A Murder Afoot by Vicki Delany, the secondmost recent installment (which I missed on initial publication due to the Current COVID Crisis) in the "Sherlock Holmes Bookshop" series of cozy mysteries, about an expat British woman who runs a Sherlock Holmes-themed bookstore in a small New England resort town and keeps solving mysteries with the Holmesian intellectual abilities she refuses to acknowledge she has. This book has her return to the UK, and introduces the fact that she has a more intelligent older sister who supposedly is a minor functionary in the British Government but clearly is of greater importance.
-The Case of the Baker Street Irregulars by Anthony Boucher, a recently-republished 1940 novel set in then-contemporary Hollywood. When Metropolitan Pictures announces that their upcoming film adapatation of The Speckled Band will be written by Stephen Worth, an ex-PI who's a devotee of the hardboiled subgenre of detective fiction an has made his utter disdain for the Great Detective genre and of Holmes in particular, that early fandom society launches a campaign to get him fired. In an effort to appease the BSI, who's number include quite a few influential public figures, five of them are invited to come to Hollywood and consult on the film. When Worth is murdered, they become the chief suspects...
And finally...
-In League With Sherlock Holmes, the latest anthology of "stories inspired by the Sherlock Holmes canon" edited by Laurie B. King and Leslie S. Klinger. It comprises...
"The Strange Juju Affair At the Gacy Mansion" by Kwei Quartey. In contemporary Ghana, a police detective consults Superindentendent Mensah Blay, a legendary former member of the Ghana Police Service who has retired to make wooden children's toys, to help solve a crime that has him stumped. Very good, feels pretty Holmesiean despite, y'know...
"What My Father Never Told Me" by Tess Gerritsen. A young woman comes to Britain to dispose of her late father's ashes, and discovers he was part of something grander than she ever imagined. Yecch. This isn't a story, it's the prologue to a story, and also hinges on the idea that Holmes was actually a villain.
"The Case of the Wailing Ghosts" by Joe R. Lansdale and Kasey Lansdale. A duo of occult detectives are hired to break a ghost, and end up dealing with a supernatural murderer. Great story, not sure what it's doing in this book, asides from the two protagonists having a somewhat Holmes-and-Watson relationship.
"The Twenty-Five Year Engagement" by James W. Ziskin. A proper pastiche, pretty good.
"When You Hear Hoofbeats" by Robin Burcell. A contemporary detective story, with minimal Holmesian content, asides from some proper names (the victim is a plastic surgeon named John H. Watson, the suspects are his wife Mary and his business partner Joseph Bell), and the police detective narrator enlisting a former colleague who's become a PI to help solve the case. Good though.
"Mr. Holmes I Presume" by Joe Hill. This is a short essay written as an introduction to...
"Dying Is Easy" a short comic written by Hill, illustrated by Martin Simonds, apparently an installment of a series they did a few years back about a '90s cop-turned-standup-comedian who keeps having to solve crimes anyways named Syd "Shit-talk" Holmes. Not very Holmes-y, but fun.
"The Observance of Trifles" by Martin Edwards. the tale, in the form of a rather ramble-y blog posts and some comments on it, of how a Sherlockian becomes convinced that another Sherlockian who has become wealthy and famous with his works analyzing the Canon, has been plagiarizing him, and sets out to murder the man. All the characters are given pseudonyms drawn from the Canon, and vaste swathes of the text are quotes or paraphrases thereof. Fun, if a bit depressing.
"Infinite Loop" by Naomi Hirahara. An R.A. in 1980s Stanford University, Joann Wat, is forced to enlist the aid of Shel Rock, a Junior who is the dorm's resident drug dealer, when the parents of one of the Freshmen under her ostensible care may or may not have gone missing. Good stuff, not very original flavor-y of course, but there are some neat Holmesian touches asides from the proper names.
"A Seance in Liverpool" by Lisa Morton. A young ACD, about to set out on his stint as a ship's surgeon, before completing his Doctorate, is convinced bya friend to attend a seance. Things do not go as planned, but he gets an idea for a new character...Good stuff, not what you'd expect.
"Benchley" by Derek Haas. A printer's apprentice finds a body and summons the police. More I cannot say without spoiling. I love it, although it isn't quite Canon compliant.
"The Murderer's Paradox" by David Corbett. A tale narrated by Prof. Moriarty, which seems to follow the take that he was a Fennian. Or he's posing as one in order to enlist two young people as part of an effort to mess with Holmes, it's not clear. ACD's defense of the Boer War is crucial to the plot, though I wonder if some of the language used is anachronistic; did the terms "racist" and "Imperialist" in the modern, derogatory sense exist in 1902? Not a bad story by any means, but not for me.
"A Scandal On The Jersey Shore" by Brad Parks. In which a modern-day descendant of The Woman must prove her BFF isn't guilty of murder. A fun romp.
"The Adventure of the Northwood Bilker" by James Lincoln Warren. A contemporary Forensic Linguist, Shirley Ho, is hired to find a missing journalist who infiltrated a cult. Very good stuff, if a bit technical in places.
"Cumberbachelor" by Maria Alexander. In modern LA, a young woman must find a way to save her sister's wedding when their mother becomes convinced she's become engaged to Benedict Cumberbatch. Good story, not very Holmes-y.
"A Case of Mistaken Identity" by Chelsea Quinn Yarboro. A somewhat unethical therapist treats (or pretends to treat) a brilliant serial killer who believes himself to be Sherlock Holmes. The story hints that the POV character has A Plan in mind for his patient, but never states what said plan is. Not my cuppa.
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Hey everyone, this wonderful woman is in a tough spot right now and has been keeping it a secret from me that she needs to buy a new harddrive for her PC that keeps crashing, and is a bit strapped for cash, and was too emotionally drained to tell you guys about it. Idk what her kofi incentives are rn but I'm sure shes got something good if youd like to help her out!
Thank you, honey
I’m sorry that I kept this a secret. You’ve been dealing with a lot lately and I just didn’t want to give you more stuff to worry about it
As for my kofi, you can donate by using this link right here. Currently the only incentive is that the first 3-6 people who donate each month (at any value) will get to play an RPG one shot GMd by me
I’m trying to think of more incentives, but I’m stumped right now
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