Sorry if this has been asked before but, I'm really curious about how you would have written Max in the story if he were to be there? He's one of my personal favorite characters and finding redemption stories about him is kinda hard (You have no idea how happy I was when I read Claudette threw him a scarf to stay warm, like yes please; he's a feral child in a killer's body, but please stay warm)

I don’t think I have been, and no problem!

If Max had had a larger role in ILM, I am not 100% sure how I’d have written his perosnality, since I haven’t had to do it yet in-depth, but I know he’d be very angry and both defensive and aggressive towards everything, warry, skittish, hostile. Not bad necessarily, but humans will raise hackles and be ready to lash out and bite if they’ve all they’ve ever known is abuse the same way a mistreated cat or dog would, or like, most any living thing. I think he’s very lonely and unloved, and it’s hard for humans to survive without positive contact and affirmation and physical affection. I mean, if we’re left alone totally, we literally just die. But since his only experience with humans—and his parents/the people who should have loved him most no less—was nothing but danger and abuse and isolation and imprisonment, I think it’d be very hard for him to be approached. Not at all impossible, but man, it is really, really hard to convince someone who’s been through torrential rains of abuse that there’s something else to be given.

I do have ideas on how you could get through, but let me think about personality first. Well, aside from aggressive, defensive, skittish, warry, and hostile, like inborn traits to go along with learned, I think he is a very volatile person. He must be enduring and strong to survive what he did and live, and so determined and tenacious. —Oh! Hang on, big one before I forget. So, I am not a forefront authority in Disability as it relates to narrative, but I know quite a bit and was lucky enough to have a professor whose central areas were Disability, Horror, and Disability in Horror. I don’t know who exactly popularized the idea of Max as having basically a child’s mind in an adult’s killer body, though I think I’ve been told it was one person or story? Maybe it was just a big fandom take. But that’s one of the most prevailing and harmful disability stereotypes, especially for mental disabilities, and horror is a massive offender in general with both disabilities and disorders, and we need to do better & listen to the communities themselves more. I don’t mean this in a harsh way at all—I don’t even know if you meant ‘feral child in a killer’s body’ that way, or meant like, ‘this feral man in a killer’s body is my child TuT’—which is a totally different statement—and even with the former, I know people have had that idea of Max super popularized and are inundated with it, and most people I think just don’t know it’s a very harmful and prevalent stereotype period—I didn’t until I was in my 20s. But I think it’s important to bring attention to it when it’s brought up. Many of the bad things done to people with disabilities come from treating them as not fully actualized humans (I guess I should say ‘us’), and some of those ways are easy to spot, because they’re cruel, and some are harder, because they seem positive. The ‘child mind in an adult body’ is a huge one for disabilities that doesn’t seem awful at first glance, but actually is a huge problem. Unfortunately, human children also get treated by and large as not fully realized humans (as in autonomous & worthy of respect and self-determination—obvs there are some differences that are important, but a child is still an entire ass human & should be respected as such). The painting a physically and mentally disabled character as childlike or mentally trapped as a child is used to control and take autonomy and gravity from our opinions and lives. It’s also just like, not accurate. But the biggest thing is that it takes agency from individuals and paints them as less intelligent, less capable of wanting or pursing more ‘adult’ things [such as jobs or sex or protesting for their rights or having informed opinions on current events and doing something about it], and tries to paint that permanent, life-long dehumanization as a positive thing by making it cute or innofenssive at first glance. While still discounting disabled as kids, passing off autonomy and decisions to their caregivers, and ignoring our status as equal and actualized individuals. Stunted learning or growth or different ways of speaking, moving, and limitations understanding certain things don’t actually make disabled people like children. They’re just adults who sometimes have some very different ways of speaking or thinking or seeming or being. But it’s super important that we’re still adults and like, have the actualized self of adults, even if our speech patterns seem weird. There’s a huge and extremely important difference between an adult with social hangups around sensitive areas and social norms, and being a child. If you didn’t know any of that, don’t feel too bad, again like, people who aren’t disabled almost never talk about disability theory or issues, and I didn’t know this till I was in my 20s. But I feel really bad for Max and bad about how he is usually characterized, so it is important to bring this up.

Okay! That all said, I think personality wise, Max would be really fun to write. Because you have two levels—you have the taught things—fear, aggression, etc, and his inborn perosnality. There is very little canon about Max, but we know he never left home after freeing himself, he steals clothes from scarecrows or whatever he can find, and he’s probably in his early 20s or maybe to his mid 20s now. Since he never left home, I’d think he’s probably a little more cautious and anctious by nature, even with all that rage. I think he’d be sentimental if he ever was given something to love. He must have attachment to things pretty easily, and would I think have liked people a lot because of that, if life had been different. Would have been a shy but friendly and hopeful farm boy. Now, he’s kind of a broken mess, sadly. He’s had it super pounded in by family he is worthless and horrific and disgusting and a monster and an abomination, so I think he expects all humans to take one look and violently feel the same towards him. Taught humans are cruel, and he isn’t safe with them, and the only thing that will stop them and protect himself is unchecked aggression.

So, when it comes to like, getting close enough to him to redeem him, it’s rough, because again, he’d be very very aggressive. I mean, even after killing his parents, he mutilated the animals on the farm in rage, and continued to viciously hurt and then kill anything living he could find on the farm, so he’s got a lot of danger, and he really leaned into violence to protect himself. It’s what he knows now. I think he’s still lonely — like, so lonely he’s sick with it — but unlike Anna and Michael, he’s never known love, so I don’t think he’s even aware of that, and it’s on a pretty subconscious level. Plus, he has even less understanding of human communication and rules and gestures than the other feral killers, so it’d be really hard to get through to him. I think about the only plausible way is really, really, really fuckin slowly, through repeated gifts and kindnesses for no reason (like Claude with the scarf but every day for three years)—the same way you’d try to get through to a feral cat, since like other living things, humans also are wary and mistrustful when hurt, but can be socialized into new situations and do have a pretty set list of gifts and actions we appreciate. I mean, if I was feral, I would start to soften if repeatedly left chocolates and big warm coats and picture books to look at, pretty rocks. I have a crow heart.... >.> Or, the much more likely option, you’d have to catch him or find him captured and helpless, and then be kind instead of doing anything bad at all, and help him for a somewhat extended period of time, nurse him back to health or such, so he’d be forced to actually realize this person isn’t trying to hurt him—they’re trying to help.

I think Max would get less hostile slowly and cautiously because like, if you’ve ever been horribly abused you know you’re afraid to be hurt again. But also, if you’re alone, there’s a battle between wanting some kind of constact and love, and the fear of trying to trust someone only to be brutally torn up again and cast aside. It’s a painful place to be. But I think once he made it over that initial trust hurdle, and could bring himself to stop shuddering at a touch and to believe the person helping him was just trying to give him food, not poison or something to choke on, he’d be absolutely overcome, becuase if you’ve never been shown kindness and then are, overwhelmingly, it’s really hard to process. There’s a lot of psychology stuff about how we form our understandings and processing of each other and the world that I’m not gonna go into much bc convoluted, but it’d be like the opposite weirdly of a Just World break. The realization some things are less awful than your cemented life understanding structure. It would feel wrong and be hard to process (and rewireing a brain takes some time), but he’s been so alone for so long, I think the longing for people would get through, and he would cautiously start to trust and be just bowled over and kind of intimidated by the strength of like, the love and affection and gratitude and belonging he’d start to feel. I think he’d be afraid, becuase it’s not how life is meant to go, and jumpy, but he’d also just be lost to the happiness of actually having some kind of positive human connection, and become fiercely protective of whoever (or whichever people) was/were helping him. Got something he doesn’t want to lose now.

He’s young, so he’s going to still be figuring stuff out, and he had an awful upbringing, so lots of confusion and anger and un-learning too, but I’m really glad you liked that scene!! 😭 and that you like Max too, because he needs more love. I like him a lot too, that’s why he ends up with an undetermined fate instead of, like, dead in ILM. I’d like to give him a fully story role sometime, when there’s more space for it. He’s such a complex and unfortunate guy, he deserves a chance to grow more right and find people who are different and have a better future. TuT. It ain’t fair how his life was.

Claude and any of the other lords!

Y’all are MVPs… I appreciate you so much

How I feel about this character:

I feel like… it’s decently obvious that I’d die for Claude… Like I definitely knew I was going Golden Deer as soon as I saw his recruitment trailer and heard Joe Zieja SPEAK, but nothing could have prepared me for how much I love him now that I’m actually in it. 

(Under a read more cause of spoilers and I talk waaaaaay too much…

A lot of people claim that Claude grows the least of the three lords over the timeskip, and while I’d generally agree with that, it’s still such a poignant thing to get to the timeskip and suddenly this cheerful, teasing “That’s the Golden Deer for ya!” has changed to this super resigned yet determined “Sorry, but I must…” Sure, Claude may be the one who is least outwardly affected by the war, but honestly, that’s exactly what he wants you to think. He has a smile that doesn’t reach his eyes and that’s even more true after the timeskip. He has these grand ideas about how he wants to change the world and is actually facing the reality of the scope of what that dream implies for one of the first times. No, his dream isn’t a raging fire willing to burn its way through a forest if it has to like Edelgard, and it isn’t so steeped in despair it loses its meaning like Dimitri. But gosh, the way he talks about it... he wants it so desperately it hurts, yet it’s all tempered by the lingering fear of “can I really do it?” The Alliance is falling apart as he struggles to keep up a good front, all of his friends have scattered, he’s getting forced into a corner by the other lords, who have way more experience, training, and military strength… and here’s Claude. Tired and battered, but still smiling and still fighting and still hoping cause the world he’s dreaming of is WORTH THAT and like? That’s my favorite kind of character. 

Not to mention hiS BACKSTORY MY GOSH. Looked on as a filthy outsider by both his worlds, someone who either has “beast’s” or “coward’s” blood in his veins depending on who you ask and then is treated as such. And yet?? He’s not cold? He’s not dismissive of other people? He hides behind a battle worn smirk and charismatic words and looks up at the sky and dreams of a world where the boundaries are torn down and people see people as people first and their bloodlines second and oh my gosh just, let him be happy please????!!?

All the people I ship romantically with this character

I’m notoriously bad at multi-shipping cause once my heart is set on something, it’s SET, so like, Hilda for the banter is great and Petra for the cool societal implications is also great, but BYLETH FOR THE SURPRISED SMILES AND MUTUAL SUPPORT AND POWER COUPLE DYNAMIC SLAYS ME. 

Look. L o o k. I know I’m gonna be biased and I know that Byleth being plot important plays a huge role in how much they interact buT ALSO. Byleth is the first person to actually give substance to Claude’s dream and that’s? So huge for him? He has these wild ambitions and crazy dreams that he’s determined to pursue, but also never a real way to accomplish them. He’s the only lord without a route specific retainer and he’s never had someone that’s so firmly in his corner, who supports his ideals yet also challenges him to see them through. And then Byleth shows up and she’s knowledgeable and powerful and he can USE that, but oh, oh no, she’s also kind, she also has this deadpan can’t-quite-tell-if-it-was-intentional humor that catches him off guard, she doesn’t smile often but they’re so real and so genuine he can’t help but return them, she sees him as more than an outsider, the heir of House von Riegan, or an Almyran royal, she looks at his dreams and smiles and opens the door to a reality where they aren’t just dreams anymore. I ALSO LOVE THE IDEA THAT CLAUDE’S TEASING GETS THESE LITTLE SURPRISED LAUGHS STARTLED OUT OF BYLETH? She’s stoic and distant and doesn’t show a lot of emotion cause that was never encouraged, but her deer are ridiculous and adorable and sweet and Claude is the epitome of that anD UGH I LOVE THEM. 

Also their paired ending?? Is so good??? I was wary of it at first, but I FREAKING LOVE THAT IT ISN’T JUST CORNY THEY LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER, it’s CLAUDE HAS A DREAM AND HE PURSUES THAT DREAM BUT THEN COMES BACK TO HER LIKE??? AHHHHHHHHHH

My non-romantic OTP for this character

HILDA. Like I said, I LOVE their banter and the way they goad each other on and generally just play off each other. It’s a very fun dynamic and I could absolutely imagine them running amok at the monastery together, gossiping and teasing other students, pulling pranks, and generally doing vine worthy activities… if Hilda can work up the effort. 

WAIT WAIT LORENZ TOO. Claude pokes relentless fun at him at all times, and Lorenz HATES IT, but like, in a resigned sort of way and I can’t. 

… Just all the Deer are the ultimate brOTP tbh… They play off each other so well and their antics are soooooo fun. They’re goofballs, but they care about each other so much and I’m so proud. 

My unpopular opinion about this character:

Dunno if it’s unpopular but like, regardless of romantic partner (or not, cause that’s also a totally in character option too imo), I don’t think Claude would ever have kids or ever “settle down.” He’s just not the type to stay still or have time to prioritize a family. Unlike the other lords, his dreams extend WAY beyond Fodlan, and I don’t think he’ll ever stop pursuing a true WORLD where borders are torn down. 

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.

I WANT. SO BADLY. FOR CLAUDE’S PAIRED ENDING WITH BYLETH TO BE LIKE. YEAH HE SHOWED UP. HE KICKED BUTT AND HELPED OUT THE LEADER OF UNITED FODLAN. THEY MADE SURE THINGS WERE GOOD, PUT TRUSTED PEOPLE IN CHARGE OF FOSTERING PEACE (Probs Cyril and Lorenz and Hilda and the rest of the deer) THEN THEY DISAPPEARED. JUST GONE. 

Like if there was one thing the post war didn’t give me, it was Byleth actually getting to choose whether or not she actually wanted to be the new leader… Throughout the game, it’s pretty obvious that, while she DOES CARE, it isn’t really HER dream to unite Fodlan and then rule over it… I think she and Claude both would be waaaaay happier jumping on his Wyvern and taking his dream on the road to change the world at large. They’re both practical, capable, and don’t really like being tied down, so I definitely feel like they’d have the time of their lives just wandering the world, instigating change, taking mercenary jobs if need be, fishing, living off the land, and then packing up and moving to the next place to do it again.

Flaws Stitched Together With Good Intentions chapter 26: Chain of command

It was an interesting bunch to say the least. But Amelia looked past all the odd creatures to search for what she referred to earlier as her "backup."

She noticed Claude and Sikes first, they were classy as usual. And they all noticed her at the same time and they seemed to fight to get to get to her first.

Percival, being the tallest and most imposing, won. He gathered Amelia into a tight hug. "Good to see you, now how much trouble did you get yourself into this time?"

Back at the town hall, Neal leaned over to Emma. "I can't hear what they are saying."

Emma nodded, curious at what would be said. She waved her hands and now everything Amelia and her friends said would be heard back in the town hall.

"About the same as always." She answered before accepting a shoulder squeeze from Claude.

"I thought we told you to be careful when dealing with the Horned King. You don't listen, do you?" He remarked.

"I just bit off more than I could chew. But I'm glad you all showed up." She honestly had never been so happy to see a bunch of villains before.

"Your guardian spirit was very persistent to get us to come here and being help. She actually scared my friends." Pierre commented. He finally got to hug Amelia.

Sikes stood a few feet away. "You only care that we brought help." He said.

"No, I honestly missed you guys. But given the current situation, what did you bring me?" Amelia did want to catch up with them but there would be a time for that later, maybe.

The gargoyles are from me." Claude pointed to a few hundred stone statues that suddenly came to life. They loudly roared and bared sharp teeth. It was impressive to say the least.

"Obviously the spirits, or friends from the other side are from me." Pierre directed her attention to the ground and the buildings. There were shadows of creatures that Amelia couldn't even name. She had always heard Pierre refer to his friends from the other side but had never met them.

Then something heavy knocked into her back. She spun around to be face to beck with a large griffin. "Hey Bucky, you came too?" Amelia actually snuggled the creature. It made a grunt but it sounded happy.

"And there's more where he came from." Percival stated.

"Saving the best for the last, are we?" Sikes stepped forward and pointed to a miss matched army behind him. "Highly trained mercenaries, completely loyal to me…"

"So you brought me an army?" Amelia said sweetly.

"I am letting you borrow the army." He said seriously, and then he smiled. "They are fully at your command, Bernadette."

"Wait… wait Sikes," A solider stepped forward with an arrogant attitude. "You never said nothing about taking orders from a little woman. Women don't belong on the battle field, they belong in bed, preferably on her back."

Back at the town hall, Killian and Robin had to grab Neal to stop him from rushing across the street and ripping out a throat.

Now Amelia knew as a fact that her surrogate fathers would never let someone talk to her with such blunt disrespect. She saw Percival already advancing with his daggers in hand and Claude was actually cracking his knuckles. Amelia was thankful that Neal was out of earshot. She could handle herself. She stepped between Percival and Claude, placing a hand on their shoulders. "I got this." Amelia walked up to the disrespected soldier with a sweet smile plastered on her face.

"Hello there darling, I suggest getting out of here and finding somewhere quiet. Taking orders is so much better than giving them…" He would have said more but Amelia plunged her hand into his chest and pulled out his heart.

Neal turned to his father. "You're a horrible influence."

"I don't take orders; I barely take suggestions." She said softly before turning to the rest of the army. "Now I'm going to explain how things work in my town. I give the orders, all of the orders. You were given to me; basically you are a gift that I can command to do anything I want. If anyone has an issue with taking orders from a little woman, as this poor unfortunate soul described me as, by all means leave. I will not hold it against you. Does anyone else have an issue with the chain of command?" She still had a crazy commanding side and she loved it. There was no answer. "So does that mean you will fight for me?" She asked and was greeted with a yell of approval. Amelia turned to the heartless man. "And what about you?" She gave his heart the tiniest squeeze.

"I will fight for you." He answered, a drop of sweat appeared on his forehead.

"Good choice." Amelia stuck his heart back in and walked to her friends who were staring at her shocked.

"I don't want to sound terrified but where did you learn that trick?" Pierre asked.

"The Dark One or the Evil Queen, take your pick." Amelia answered casually.

"Look at that, our little girl moved on to bigger and badder villains. I'm impressed." Claude remarked.

"Actually, they will both be family eventually." If they made it, big if. Amelia began to walk back to the town hall and the rest of the make shift army. But she suddenly stopped. She looked down and saw a spirit holding her ankle.

"Bernadette, you can't just say something like that and not expect questions from us." Sikes kept calm somehow. How could the Dark One and the Evil Queen be family? They were villains who should be avoided at all costs. What was Bernadette thinking?

Amelia turned around. "We can walk and talk, can't we?" She began walking quite fast to the town hall, hearing heavy footsteps behind her. "The Dark One will be my father in law and the Evil Queen is my future step son's adopted mother. I have a war council set up in the town hall"

"War council? You really have this all figured out, don't you? And when this is all over, we are talking about your new extended family." Percival said.

"It's on the job training." They entered the town hall. "Okay, quick introductions. Guys, this Percival, Claude, Sikes, and Pierre, my surrogate fathers back in the Enchanted Forest. This is Emma, Killian, Mary Margaret, David, Regina, Robin, Henry, Gold, Belle…" Amelia continued to name everyone in the town hall, ending with "And Neal is my fiancé."

The four men sized Neal up. He was going to marry their little girl?

"Listen here, if you ever hurt her in any way shape or form, we will destroy you." Percival threatened him.

"You mean destroy whatever is left of me after she's done?" Neal asked calmly.

Not the answer they were expecting but it was the correct answer. Percival nodded and turned back to Amelia. "I approve." She received accompanying nods from the others.

"Okay, are we done here? We have an undead army coming." Amelia tapped her fingers on the table.

Pierre turned around to face her. "Army of the undead? What are you talking about? What did you do, Bernadette?"

"Did you listen to our advice? We gave you three simple instructions before you went to Prydain. Don't die, don't kill anyone, don't do anything stupid." Claude was livid.

Amelia wanted to hide behind Neal, he would protect her from them. But she didn't need to, Robin stood up for her.

"Gentleman, what's done is done, now we have to deal with the consequences. What matters most is that Amelia is safe and alive. Can we agree on that?"

Low grunts and nods were around the room. Amelia mouthed 'thank you' to Robin. He nodded back.

Plans were laid out. According to Percival he saw a mass of creatures heading from the south and would be in the town limits in two hours, tops.

Everyone stayed close together for the most part, they did not want to break into groups, they wanted to stay united as a town, and as a family.

Emma was then at Amelia's side. "Your town?" There was the slightest bit of a joke in her voice. Of course the sheriff was going to question the librarian's sudden ownership of the town. Was Regina next?

"My problem?" Amelia corrected herself.

"Our town, our problem. Our family." Emma said, she was completely open and willingly to have a family who cared about each other.

If this was what it took to make Emma finally feel like she belonged, so be it. Amelia wanted to hug Emma. And she did.

Pierre, Sikes, Percival, and Claude ended up standing in a corner, just studying the group Bernadette had gathered. They had noticed Prince Charming and Snow White, Robin Hood, the Evil Queen, the Dark One. Bernadette had some interesting heroes on her side but also some powerful villains. What had made them go to the good side? Was Bernadette the reason, or maybe part of the reason? Wait, she wasn't Bernadette anymore, what was she called now? Amelia, was it? They weren't sure the name suited her, but who were they to judge?

Then they noticed a certain person, someone they knew as a villain and, as a surrogate father, the very worst kind of villain.

Claude noticed the hook first. "Captain Hook? You're on the good side now? What changed your mind?"

Killian looked up at the group of four men. They were the reason Amelia was the way she was. So he was grateful but at the same time, slightly scared. "Yes, I had a change of heart and now I'm helping a friend." Killian answered honestly.

"A friend? Bernadette is a friend?" Pierre asked.

"Aye, she is." Killian did not want to go into detail about the nature of their relationship.

"Your ways with the ladies is almost legendary. Good thing our Bernadette was too smart to fall for your tricks." Sikes gave Killian a look that rooted the pirate to the ground.

Killian slightly paled. A silent Percival was playing with a dagger as a threat. Killian franticly looked around the room and caught Amelia's wide eyes and she was barely shaking her head. "Right, Bernadette was too smart." He lied through his teeth.

"Most maidens are perfectly capable of rescuing themselves in my experience, at least the ones worth something in any case." Percival commented, meaning every word.

Killian nodded, he agreed full heartedly.

Amelia sat in Neal's lap, her mind was in turmoil. She wasn't sure what was going to happen. There are so many possibilities and none of them ended well. Some had slightly better outcomes than others but all horrible nonetheless. She had to reach in the deepest, more ancient part of herself, her essence, in order to calm her nerves and the demons in her head.

It was the calm before the storm. It wasn't long before the call to arms sounded throughout the hall.

"The army is here! The army is here!" Leroy yelled at the top of his lungs from the door.

"The town crier strikes again." Killian chuckled humorlessly.

Amelia stood up, Neal followed suit. David took charge and began to march the troops out to meet the enemy.