#WHAT DOES IT SAY ABOUT DESDEMONA THAT SHE LIKE. | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

odinsblog · 15 days

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“Yeah, I mean, in 2018 was the first Shakespeare and race festival that I curated at the Globe. And at that time, there was less vitriol, but it was more like, why are we talking about Shakespeare and race? Shakespeare's got nothing to do with race.

So that led me to thinking about writing this book. But it was in 2020, when I launched the anti-racist Shakespeare webinars, that there was a horrible backlash, very racist backlash. And my own ethnic origins were brought into the conversation.

Oh, she's a woman of color. That's why she's talking about race. And actually, I had been at the Globe for 17 years by that point, you know?

And so that backlash is about ownership. It's about people feeling that something is being taken away from them.

And after the Black Lives movement, Black Lives Matter movement went global, and organizations like museums and galleries and theaters started to take it seriously, that's when you started to see a really racist backlash against any kind of progressive movement, whether it's in a theater or a museum. And I certainly had to face that in 2020.

I was a little bit worried about it, probably more so in the UK, because I think in the UK there's a special sense of ownership of Shakespeare in the way that there isn't in the US. So I'm American, but I'm also a Pakistani. And so I think it was really, it's a double whammy for the British.

Whereas in America, I feel like I was less worried because Americans don't mind other Americans talking about Shakespeare. So I was in the UK, concerned about that. But I think it obviously didn't stop me because what I'm trying to do is keep Shakespeare around.

And I'm explicitly not advocating canceling Shakespeare. And I think that's what they all thought I was doing when I was running those webinars.

So Shakespeare sets Othello in 16th century Venice, which was a very multicultural society because Venice was a sort of trading giant in this time period. So it was really financially lucrative for them to have people from all backgrounds working and living in Venice. And so it's about a Black African, known as a Moor in that time period, who was the captain of the Venetian army.

And it starts with another member of the army sort of screaming and shouting outside the door or window of a fellow's now father-in-law saying that, basically shouting a lot of racist epithets about how his daughter, his white daughter, has married a Black man. And she's done so without her father's consent. So it starts with this idea of there's been some sort of violation.

A Black man has married a white woman, and this is a problem.

So it ends up at the court of the Duke who is dealing with other issues because the Turks are now circling around their outpost in Cyprus, and they need Othello to do some work for them and to fight off the Turks. So the Duke says, oh, look, it's okay. It's fine. You know, Othello is a great guy. We've all worked with him. We know him really well.

And that's when the line comes out: He is far more fair than Black.

And what he's saying there is that essentially, look, he doesn't act Black. He acts white. He acts like us. So let's just be okay with this.

And so what you have there is a situation in which somebody who has kind of violated a kind of racial code in Venetian society is given a pass because he's very useful to that society. What happens in the rest of the play is that lago works on him and tries to convince him that his wife is having an affair with his lieutenant.

And unfortunately, Othello believes him, and they plot to murder Desdemona, and they do. He does. And it's a heartbreaking, heart-wrenching play.

And what's difficult about it is that it seems to fulfill stereotypes about Black men and Black masculinity. So it's always been a bit of a problem to stage. So yeah, it's a fantastic play, though.

It's a real sort of exploration of interracial relationships in a white-dominant society.

Yeah, I think it's harder in classrooms. And that's something that I actually been thinking about how to address a colleague of mine, and I've been discussing it. Because a lot of teachers, especially white teachers, aren't necessarily equipped to have a conversation about race that isn't going to make all the students in the room feel objectified or uncomfortable.

And so what I'm trying to, what I also get at the book is about discomfort, being able to lean into the discomfort of having conversations. And Shakespeare, for him, he was an advocate of discomfort. You were not comfortable when you went to see a Shakespearean tragedy.

He didn't want you to be.

And so we should try and be comfortable in the classroom. And there are productions who have tried very hard to lean into the racial tension and angst in the play.

But often it can be unsuccessful, particularly if it's a white director that sees too much optimism in the play. And says, oh, this play really, it's not about race. It's about redemption of characters who've been singled out for some reason.

I'm like, well, the reason is race.

My goal was always to show how it rears its head, even in the moments that are the most unexpected or that seems innocuous.

But what is interesting is that in a lot of his comedies, he's using anti-Black racism as a source of humor. And, you know, that would have made people laugh, some of the comments that you hear in some of his most delightful comedies. And because the racism isn't the undercurrent of the play, that it's easy to miss it.

So you'll just get all of a sudden a comment like Much Ado About Nothing, where the character Benedict is talking with his friend Claudio about a woman that Claudio has a crush on. And he says, oh, she's too brown for a fair praise. And that would have made people laugh.

What he's saying is that she's not attractive enough to praise her, and fair in that time was a very elite form of whiteness. It meant beautiful and virtuous and white with a luster or a shine, and that shine is the virtue of a woman. And no woman of color could ever achieve that, because she's not white enough.

So he's saying that this woman is too brown, even if she's not brown, but he's using brown as a way of denigrating people of color.

But I think Shakespeare is still valuable for us because of the contemporary nature of some of the issues that he raises in his plays.

I mean, there's a great speech in Midsummer Night's Dream where he talks about the destruction of the planet because of the way people are behaving towards each other. And the powerful resonance of that today just is unmissable. So Shakespeare is able to articulate or help you to think about questions that are so urgent in your own moment.

I think other writers need to be brought into dialogue with Shakespeare. If you teach Othello, teach Toni Morrison's Desdemona, right?

It's incredibly lucrative intellectually and emotionally to keep Shakespeare in the curriculum.”

—Farah Karim Cooper: Director of Education at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, and author of The Great White Bard, How to Love Shakespeare While Talking About Race

#shakespeare #farah karim cooper #othello #racism #ingrained racism #casual racism #writing #much ado about nothing #colorism #the merchant of venice #anti blackness #desdemona #blacklivesmatter #theatre

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thesettlementneedingyourhelp · 6 months

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Fallout 4 companions as surgeons in a medical drama

This post has been brought to you by my old Grey's Anatomy hyperfixation clawing its way out out of the basement in my brain

Minus Strong because God no do not let Strong do surgery in any universe

Cait- Orthopedic surgeon, do not fuck up in her OR because it will not end well for you

Codsworth- Pediatric surgeon. He's very good with his paitents, good with teaching residents

Curie- Head of Cardio. Godlike in the OR, very passionate about her clinical trials.

Danse- Trauma surgeon. Used to be a surgeon in the military. Can save a guy you're sure is going to be dead.

Deacon- Plastic surgeon, focus on reconstructive surgery. Probably does free cleft pallet surgery for kids.

Hancock- Not technically a surgeon but Hancock is an anesthesiologist. Cracks jokes in the OR. Has probably "accidentally" taken drugs from work home with him.

Maccready- Surgical resident, interested in pediatric surgery.

Nick- Head of General Surgery. Has seen a lot of shit in all his years of being a surgeon, very little surprises him anymore. Very calm in the OR, if he's worried everyone is worried.

Preston- Heart Surgeon. Amazing bedside manner, probably cries when he loses a paitent, does probono surgery.

Piper- Another surgical resident like Maccready, not sure what she wants to specialize in. Potentially interested in neuro but a little scared of X6

X6-88- Neurosurgeon, hardly ever says a word in the OR, no one knows anything about his personal life. Scares the shit out of the residents. Very talented, it you ask him about his research he'll show emotion around you

Bonus

Gage- Gage lost his license to medical malpractice

Elder Maxon- Nepo Baby Resident. Piper and Maccready talk shit about him behind his back. X6 yelled at him in the OR and he will never live it down.

Desdemona- General surgeon, been there almost as long as Nick, she is so tired.

Father- Used to be the head of neuro, got fired for something that the board is keeping on the down low. Even acting head X6 doesn't know what exactly he did.

DiMA- Radiologist, doesn't seem to have left the scan room in months, does he live there?

Dogmeat- therapy dog, we love you Dogmeat

#fallout #fallout 4 #companions react #fo4 companions #cait fo4 #codsworth #curie fo4 #paladin danse #deacon fo4 #maccready #nick valentine #preston garvey #piper wright #x6-88 #god imagine being a paitent at Commonwealth General #the workplace dynamics would be off the wall

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burningvelvet · 4 months

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Hi! I was enchanted by your description of Byronic-ness, and really impressed with the wealth of knowledge you bring to bear on the topic. I'm re-listening to The Portrait of Dorian Gray, and I was wondering if Dorian would be Broadly Byronic, or Byronic-Orthodox? Conversely, how would Lord Henry stack up?

(for context, the post this ask is referring to, where I discuss my theory on the Byronic Hero, is here: https://www.tumblr.com/burningvelvet/733557464082120704/some-thoughts-on-the-topic-of-byronism-byronic)

Thank you for the ask and sorry for the late reply. I wish I could give a more thorough answer, and although I've read Dorian at least three times, I haven't since my study of Byronism. Now I would like to read it again just to scan it for Byronic themes - but at the moment I can't justify spending time on a venture like this. But I could write essays about this topic, as many other people have.

In short, I believe Dorian would be more Broadly Byronic and Henry is also probably Broadly Byronic, but that Henry is much, much closer to being Orthodox Byronic if we see it as more of a spectrum than a binary, which would really be best, although I didn't really take that approach in my original post. Very few characters could be classified as Orthodox Byronic, so a spectrum really is most necessary.

In my original post, I included some quotes from top Byron scholar Peter Cochran writing about the Byronic Hero concept in his essay "Byron's 'Turkish Tales': An Introduction."

Cochran contrasts the Byronic Hero with the Shakespearean Tragic Hero by saying that the latter can be something of a witty conversationalist, whereas the former never is, being too dead inside (my words, not his). Henry is certainly a cunning conversationalist, and is actually a lot like Iago from Othello — a character who, ironically, Lord Byron loved so much that he put on a production of the play just so he could play him (as an aside, because I love this story: Mary Shelley played Desdemona and Percy directed, but one of Byron's mistresses forced the rehearsals to stop, supposedly because she was jealous of one of the actresses and felt left out because she couldn't speak English).

Anyway. Cochran also says that the prototypical Byronic Hero (what in my post I originally called the "Byronist's Byronic," but prefer to call "Orthodox Byronic" for clarity) never succeeds romantically, which is true. I don't know if this fully applies to Dorian or Henry. The former has several love affairs which aren't really genuine but which he does derive a sort of decadent satisfaction from. Dorian "wins over" Sybil Vane. Henry is married, and though not in love with his wife, he doesn't despise her like Heathcliff does his wife. Heathcliff is widely considered the greatest overall Byronic Hero, as he meets most of the criteria for both Orthodox Byronic and Broadly Byronic.

Cochran also says:

"The Byronic hero is a human dead-end."

Which does describe both Henry and Dorian. But in being companions, neither of them have the solitary nature which the Byronic necessitates, although they both come close (especially Dorian in the end) by being outsiders. And they are both hedonists, which isn't really Byronic, though people consider it as such, probably because of the cultural & literary confusion (as I explained in my original post) between the writings of Byron the Writer and the life of Byron the Man.

The Orthodox Byronic Hero, like Heathcliff, is mostly antisocial with few exceptions and basically has anhedonia the majority of the time. Dorian and Henry are a little anhedonic, especially Dorian in his infamously increasing pursuit of pleasure, but the Orthodox Byronic Hero is really too depressed to get it up for prostitutes or to go to an Opium den, and would never be caught dead at the kinds of dinner parties Dorian and Henry frequent.

But again, my overall opinion is that whild both of them have strong Byronic elements, they are more Broadly Byronic than Orthodox Byronic, which is a more rare character type.

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she-posts-nerdy-stuff · 3 months

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Okay I'm not saying that I routinely imagine a jukebox musical of Othello using Florence + the Machine music but I'm not not saying that if that were to happen these would be the perfect songs:

THIS IDEA ORIGINALLY CAME FROM 'LUCY'S STUDY ACCOUNT <3' ON TIKTOK AND SHE HAS HER OWN FULL VERSION ON THERE THAT INCLUDES OTHER ARTISTS THIS WAS MY TAKE INSPIRED BY HER SUGGESTIONS OF 100 YEARS AND I'M NOT CALLING YOU A LIAR BECAUSE I HAVE PRETTY MUCH NOT STOPPED THINKING ABOUT IT SINCE I SAW HER VIDEO - I highly recommend checking out her list as well, I very much enjoyed it :)

100 Years

I believe in you and in our hearts we know the truth and I believe in love and the darker it gets the more I do. Try to fill us with your hate and we will shine a light, and the days will become endless and never, and never turn to night

And Lord don't let me break this, let me hold it lightly, give me arms to pray with instead of ones that hold too tightly

I let him sleep, and as he does my breath fills the room with love, hurts in ways I can't describe, my heart bends and breaks so many, many times

Hubris is a bitch

I'm Not Calling You A Liar (A duet between Othello and Desdemona and then a reprise when she dies would be amazing)

I'm not calling you a liar, just don't lie to me. I'm not calling you a thief, just don't steal from me. I'm not calling you a ghost, just stop haunting me. And I love you so much I'm gonna let you kill me

Which Witch (This screams Emilia weighing up her guilt for betraying Desdemona and her inability to say no to Iago because of everything he's done to her/her position in the relationship being so dangerous)

And it's my whole heart, deemed and delivered a crime, I'm on trial waiting 'til the beat comes out, I'm on trial waiting 'til the beat comes out who's a heretic now?

I'm not beaten by this yet you can't tell me to regret been in the dark since the day we met, fire help me to forget

Chained and shackled, oh, I'll unravel, oh, it's a pity, oh. Never to return, but I never learn, it's a pity, oh. Chained and shackled, oh, I'll unravel, oh, it's a pity oh. Say I won't return, but I never learn, it's a pity oh.

Queen of Peace (I'm imagining a Desdemona solo and maybe some chorus as well but I'd love to see her with this song, I'm picturing it to be after Othello hits her)

Suddenly I'm overcome, dissolving like the setting sun, like a boat into oblivion, 'cause your driving me away. Now you have me on the run, the damage is already done, come on is this what you want? 'cause your driving me away

Oh, the queen of peace, always does her best to please. Is it any use? Somebody's gotta lose. Like a long scream, out there always echoing. Oh, what is it worth? All that's left is hurt

And my love is no good against the fortress that it made of you, blood is running deep, sorrow that you keep

Big God (Okay hear me out: A three way split stage with Emilia and Iago, Desdemona and Othello, and Bianca and Cassio; all sing but mostly the women each singing different parts of this song to their respective partners)

Okay I feel like this one needs a little more explanation but for example

Women: You need a big god, big enough to hold your love. You need a big god, big enough to fill you up

Bianca: You keep me up at night, to my messages you do not reply

Desdemona: You know I still like you the most

All: the best of the best and the worst of the worst

Emilia: You can never know, the places that I go.

Desdemona: You know I still like you the most

Men: You'll always be my favourite ghost

And yes I can see the perfect choreography in my head

All This And Heaven Too (Desdemona singing this to Othello!?? I can also see it being a duet for them, but then with a harmony from Emilia as well singing alone but theoretically to Desdemona)

And the heart is hard to translate, it has a language of its own. It talks in tongues and quiet sighs, and prayers and proclamations, in the grand days of great men, in the smallest of gestures, in short, shallow gasps

And the words are all escaping, and coming back all damaged. And I would put them back in poetry, if I only knew how, I can't seem to understand it. And I would give all this and heaven too, I would give it all if only for a moment that I could just understand the meaning of the word you see, 'cause I've been scrawling it forever, but it never makes sense to me

Back In Town (Okay I don't know how to explain but I'm imagining Iago and Emilia alone on stage as he sings to her with very close choreography in a way that at a glance they could just be together but if you watch properly he's controlling her movements)

I'm back in town, why don't we go out? Let the rats spin around our feet, the full moon shines down on these dirty streets. Back in town, why don't we go out, to that ninth street diner? And carry on slowly, torturing each other

If you get spat on it's just your big city baptism, you're the star of the show. I'm back in town, why don't we go out and never go to sleep? Throw our dreams out, let them pile up on the streets

'Cause it's always the same. I came for the pleasure but I stayed, yes I stayed, for the pain

Falling (The Bianca vibes are undeniable, but also with the fallen from grace idea it has such potential to start as her singing and then gradually include more characters as it goes)

I've fallen out of favour and I've fallen from grace, fallen out of trees and I've fallen on my face. Fallen out of taxis, out of windows too, fell in your opinion when I fell in love with you

I could probably think of more if I put my mind to it but this is all for now, please add more if you think of any I'd love to see them!

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kuruna · 8 days

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∞ Arisen & Pawn Character Introductions

Template by @arisenreborn ^.^ Thank you for making it- I love stuff like this!

♛ THE ARISEN:

NAME: Desdemona NICKNAME: Mona AGE: While she physically appears to be in her mid-late 20s, she is at least a few hundred years old. RACE: Some sort of elven subspecies! PRONOUNS: She/Her PREFERRED VOCATION: Mage or magic archer. While she is capable of battling up close and personal when necessary, she prefers keeping her distance. FAVORED GIFTS: She tends to enjoy expensive things. Gemstones, regal clothing, and the likes. She is constantly pretty low on funds, because as soon as she has enough gold she'll blow it all on cute outfits. FAMILY: Noblewoman mother, peasant father (estranged from both). Distantly related to my DD1 Arisen, Kuja.

POSITIVE TRAITS: Has a very strong sense of justice. Determined. Has a natural curiosity that makes it easy for her to find hidden secrets. Kind, despite how she tends to keep her distance from people. NEGATIVE TRAITS: Very, very private. Tends to keep things to herself. Distant in the sense she doesn't allow herself to become close to others. Reckless and impulsive, will rush head-on into danger if it's to help someone else (which isn't necessarily bad... but if she gets hurt too, then it's an issue!) LIKES: Shopping, gemstones, forests, perfumes, hanging out around the brothel (she doesn't even do anything there she's just nosy...), she is fond of helping others. DISLIKES: hot weather, battling against ogres (more often than not she is the only woman in her little party...), reading maps (she's awful at it), large cities (despite everything, she gets lost very easily). FUNFACTS: Kind of flirtatious but avoids commitment. In a modern AU she'd be really into gyaru fashion. Likes exploring new places, but has a tendency to get lost... and whenever she makes it back to whichever city is newest, her and her pawns are in a pretty bad shape due to it. Actually prefers seafood, but doesn't often cook it while camping since it's not as filling as the meats.

1. What was their life like before becoming Arisen? Desdemona lived a very aimless life, in a sense. Due to her age she's gone through many different experiences, but she does not tend to attach herself to anything. But she enjoys helping others, despite this. she enjoys doing things that may be considered noble... and so when Melve needed help, she headed there.

2. How do they handle being Arisen, and the responsibilities that come with it? In the beginning, it was devastating for her. She already thought that her long lifespan as an elf was a curse, but now she has the immortality that comes with being Arisen. What will she do now? Thinking about it makes her head ache. Regardless, she tries her best to be virtuous... in her own way.

3. What are their thoughts on Pawns in general? Desdemona feels more kinship with pawns than she does her fellow men. She relates to the experience of lacking the will to do as you please, though her life has changed greatly since her time spent in a noble's household. Even so, this had led her to be very protective of any pawn that enters her care even if it's only for a short time. When they are taken by the Brine or she is unable to save them in time, she feels as if she's betrayed them...

4. What's their relationship like with their main Pawn? One of their first interactions was Desdemona saying "I'm not fond of that title- "Master" or Arisen or what-have-you. I'd like if you'd simply use my name." This small thing established how they'd interact with one another during their journey. Galapagos' own will is something Desdemona encourages. She likes him to be able to choose for himself what he wants. This has led to some tense interactions with townspeople, of course. To most of the world, pawns are simply mindless followers. Why is it, then, that this particular pawn has such freedom? She's also just very protective over him and on more than one occasion may have threatened someone who was looking at him funny. Whoops!

5. Do they have any interest in being Sovran? What are their opinions on the politics of the world in general? Desdemona left the noble life behind her long ago... and so she isn't fond of the idea of being Sovran at all. If she has no other option, however, she would be willing to do it... but she'd rule in her own way, which would perhaps be a bit untraditional. She doesn't quite understand why Vermund's ruler NEEDS to be an Arisen, when Arisen aren't always the best people for the job, tradition be damned. It also frustrates her that while pawns are treated better in Vermund than they are in Battahl, it is clear that they are still seen as tools, or just accessories to the Arisen.

6. Who are their love interest(s) and/or closest friends? Desdemona enjoys flirting with Glyndwr (she thinks its funny how obvious his blush is when he's so pale), but doesn't really have an interest in pursuing him. she sees some similarities between herself and raghnall, but wishes he wasn't so pessimistic, despite being the same way. she likes wilhemina quite a bit, too. she is more sympathetic to her desire for revenge than most may be. brant doesn't dislike her, but he thinks she is a bit strange.

7. What drew them to their preferred vocation? Do they have history with it?Desdemona is a bit... reckless. She tends to go for vocations that allow herself to have a longer range during battle, because she knows otherwise she'll end up getting herself beat due to some impulsive choice she made. She is also simply pretty proficient in magic.

8. Do they have any hobbies? Any way of relaxing between all that monster-slaying and traveling?Desdemona looooooves shopping...the first thing she does upon finding a new town is hit up the shops, she'll do it even before staying at the inns. she also enjoys reading and collecting different rings...she's a bit picky about jewelry, though!

♟︎ THE PAWN:

NAME: Galapago Ialandos (he was named by the child of the first Arisen he served. You can just call him Galapagos, though.) NICKNAME: Gal AGE: Physically looks to be in his early-mid 30s, but is really a very ancient pawn. RACE: Same elf subspecies as Desdemona. PRONOUNS: He/him (but when he learns about they/them pronouns it's over for him quite literally) PREFERRED VOCATION: thief -> fight / warrior FAVORED GIFTS: Would definitely get really really flustered if given Any gift, but he not so secretly likes being given fancy armors and the likes. He loves being brought along on Desdemona's shopping trips. INCLINATION: Forager (it's Desdemona's fault... she likes randomly grabbing stuff and cramming it into her pockets, and now he does too.)

POSITIVE TRAITS: Dedicated and loyal, thoughtful, always looks at all sides of a situation before acting. Good at communicating and very honest about his feelings (as honest as he can be, at least). Makes friends rather easily. NEGATIVE TRAITS: At times is unquestioning of other's motivations, even if such a thing can get him hurt. Has a bad habit of running off on his own. A little bit of a hypocrite; will scold others for things he lets Desdemona get away with. LIKES: Sunny days, traveling in ox-carts (he likes to see the scenery go by), collecting flowers, street performances, fancy armor sets (he takes good care of them). DISLIKES: Rain, ghosts, spiders, even darkness... despite his life experiences, he's actually a bit of a scaredy-cat and is often jumpy when exploring caves and the likes. FUNFACTS: Used to wear a black face-paint, but since switching vocations he's stopped using it. Has several tattos and scars from his time spent with bandits. His eyesight is pretty bad, so he tends to rely on sound more than sight... Desdemona wants to see about getting him glasses, though.

1. What was their life like prior to being summoned by their Arisen? Galapagos once served under an Arisen of old. This Arisen was a bandit-king, and while he wasn't callously cruel like some are, he was definitely a bit uncaring towards Gal. Due to this experience, Galapagos learned to be ruthless in battle, and learned to make himself quiet an unassuming. When this Bandit-Arisen was caught and swiftly executed, he left behind a young child... and Galapagos began to raise this child as a way of continuing his service to the Arisen. It was a strange time in his life, to act as a parent when a pawn should have no desire for such a thing... eventually this child became an adult, and grew old, and passed on. Afterwards, Gal traveled aimlessly across different worlds until, many years later, he felt something calling out to him... and soon he appeared before Desdemona.

2. What is their opinion on the Arisen? How do they view their relationship? Desdemona is very, very different from the previous Arisen he served under. She encourages him to think and act for himself. She encourages him to speak (and be listened to), to try out new things, to explore freely even without her guidance. He isn't quite sure what to think of it all, except that her kindness towards him has made him start to feel... odd. He doesn't know, for example, why seeing Glyndwr tends to make him feel instantly bitter (Gal hasn't realized it yet but the answer is very simple... he wants Desdemona to be flirting with Him instead!!)

3. Is there anything about the Arisen they find troublesome? Be it a small quirk or bad habit? (Or are they obviously flawless?) He wishes she wouldn't run off on her own so often! So many times they've ended up in perilous situations because desdemona got herself separated from him. at the time time, he finds her boundless curiosity very charming. he can never stay upset with her for long. and again, he tends to grow Mysteriously Annoyed and Angry when she flirts with others, though he tends to hide it (it's none of his business who Desdemona talks to, after all). He only figures out he's experiencing jealously when he brings it up to Brant (Brant does Not want to know the details about this, but Gal didn't know who else to ask about it 😭)

4. What is their specialization and is there any story behind how they cultivated that skill set? He's a forager... but it's not for any deep reason. It's simply that Desdemona herself loves foraging, and Galapagos ended up loving it too. However... they both end up carrying very heavy packs by the end of the day.

5. Do they have any thoughts on the politics of the world and their place in it as a Pawn - or how Pawns are treated? Due to his age, Galapagos has seen the world, as well as the way pawns are treated within it, change much over the years. Despite the attempts of Empress Nadinia, he noted that pawns have been getting treated even worse within Battahl, no doubt as backlash against the Empress giving pawns more legal rights. It frustrates him, though he doesn't often voice it. After his experience as a parent, he doesn't see himself as being overly different from humans or beastrens. He grieved his loss all the same.

6. Does their journey with the Arisen change them in any significant way and how? Galapagos becomes more confident and more talkative... he also, of course, falls in love for the first time, though he's reluctant to voice that. But being treated simply as a fellow man by Desdemona has enabled him to be true to himself.

7. Is there a reason they chose their preferred vocation? Due to his past as a pawn serving under a bandit, Galapagos was an archer and thief for a time, focusing on long range attacks and being sneaky. But he felt as if he learned all he could, and felt as if he were stagnating. And so he switched to a fighter at first... he wanted to learn new skills, but... something about being able to protect Desdemona in the same way a knight would... made him feel very excited. He's also giving warrior a try (Desdemona likes seeing him swing around that big hammer).

8. Do they have any hobbies or preferred past-times? He likes camping more than he'd admit... he also enjoys going on shopping trips with Desdemona (he acts like he isn't as Into fashion as she is, but more than once she's caught him eyeing some nice outfit or fancy suit of armor with a sparkle in his eyes). He finds it relaxing to be near the beach, and would probably enjoy fishing if he ever gave it a try... he's anxious about the idea of sailing on the water, though.

#hope plays dragon's doggy #i hope u enjoy reading about my freaks <3

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zwy01 · 7 months

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Noble OC! Raskreia’s mom doodles!!!

Finally got to do Raskreia’s other parent lol. Very excited to introduce her! She’s alive in the present day in my Millennium AU (check out my pinned post for more info) and while she doesn’t really have an active role in the foreground, she is quite influential and does move things around in the shadows.

Her outfit is lined with black feathers, which gives her the image of a mysterious raven.

Desdemona Kravei: often addressed as Lady Desdemona, Mona, Moni (by friends) or simply just Desdemona. Never addressed with her surname. She’s Raskreia’s mother, and the Previous Lord’s childhood friend. She and PL were not romantically involved; she offered her soul fragment to PL when he needed an heir, and they co-parented Raskreia as friends. She’s part Kravei, part Agvain, and part other clans. Her exact heritage is a mystery but she’s Roctis Kravei’s not-too-distant relative and their blood relation is close enough for the Kravei soul weapon Lantheart to go to her after he and Ignes died, though she constantly rejected it and Lukedonia had no choice but to create Cordelia as the next pure blooded Kravei heir and Clan Leader. Desdemona is an extremely beautiful woman with a calming and sometimes creepy aura. Her appearance mostly suggests that she is a Kravei, though her signature long black hair glitters a gorgeous dark red hue in the sun, which is a very prominent Agvain trait. She passes this trait (which skips her daughter Raskreia) onto her grandson Reiner, who looks a lot like her.

Desdemona is quite unusual for a noble, for many reasons. First of all, she rejects everything that could possibly be tied to her identity, which includes her surname Kravei. It’s not that she dislikes the Kravei clan members or anyone in particular. There are no personal grudges or complicated issues. It’s more that she just feels like she doesn’t want to belong to them, or any of the nobles clans, for that matter. Her heritage is there and obvious when people look at her, but she hates it when she gets associated with them. She wants to be alone, by herself, without any particular identity. Desdemona’s simply… herself. Literally. That’s all she needs. The second reason is that she doesn’t care about Lukedonia at all. Her clan members, fellow nobles in general, whatever drama’s going on… nope, she’s having none of that. She simply doesn’t care nor does she have the patience for any of it. So abandoning her surname is “her way” of saying that she has separated herself from the rest of Lukedonian society. It was a clear message for all the other nobles to back off and not bother her, no matter what their latest affairs were. Even in urgency she wouldn’t act. Sure, you could go to her and ask for objective advice, as she is great at giving them and doesn’t mind the act of talking. But don’t expect her to get up and actually do anything to help. Lukedonia could prosper, and she’d still prefer to live in the shadows. Lukedonia could burn down and perish, fine then; she’d die alongside them with no resistance. If that is to become her fate then bring it on. So be it. This mindset is essentially her philosophy of life. This leads to a lot nobles thinking Desdemona doesn’t care about them. Which is pretty much true, because she doesn’t exactly feel much kinship with her own kind, if at all. Even she herself feels foreign in her own skin sometimes. Her identity as a noble is one she doesn’t exactly want go along with, and she isn’t too keen on being referred to as one either. If you reminded her that she in fact is a noble too, she would simply answer “…yes, perhaps that is what I was born as, nothing more. Did you seriously expect another answer?” In a way, you could say that she has separated herself from most of Lukedonia, aside from the several specific individuals whom she genuinely cares about. Desdemona would’ve abandoned her first name too, but then she realized people would have a very hard time referring to her at all, so she begrudgingly decided to keep it in the end. Desdemona staying completely neutral and uninvolved in any of Lukedonia’s affairs means that she is, unintentionally, a very powerful balancing force in the background. She was never out there in the open screaming “I don’t care about any of you”. Rather, she remains silent and stays loyal to the shadows, essentially creating a barrier between herself and the rest of her world. One could go to her and tell her blablabla is going on with blablabla clan, she’d nod and then forget about it. One could even tell her about their plans to betray Lukedonia and slaughter a good portion of their own population, cool. She doesn’t care. She is known as the wise to her people, as she would give advice to just about anyone. Want to do good? She’ll give you a wonderful way to do that. Want to commit genocide? Here’s the most efficient way to do it without getting your hands dirty. It goes in both extreme ways.

She isn’t good, nor is she evil. Desdemona, to her very core, is impartial. She knows things, and will let you on her knowledge too if you ask. But just because it’s an answer doesn’t mean it has to align with any morals, it is what it is, an answer. That was her way of thinking, which was mesmerizing and fearsome at the same time. In the shadows she has the power to move things around, as a single piece of advice had the potential to inspire people to do either extreme good or extreme evil. For this reason, even though PL was her friend, he was wary of her as he knows what she’s truly like. Desdemona preferring to stay in the background doesn’t mean that she rejects people completely. Specifically, aside from guests and/or advice seekers, she does in fact have a social life and friends whom she cares about, as they are individuals that matter to her. But Lukedonian society and general politics as a whole? Nope. Unless it’s a very very close friend, if she passed by an injured or dying person, she wouldn’t extend a helping hand nor would she kill them out of mercy; she would simply keep walking on her path. This extends to herself. If she is ever in danger, she will not expect any help to come, and let fate decide it for her. In other words, she is only truly terrifying because she is so fair to everything in the world.

Personality wise, she is generally pretty aloof and distances herself from the average noble, though she can be both physically and verbally affectionate with people she’s close with. If she makes the conscious effort, of course, because this doesn’t come naturally to her. Which extends to several individuals, and they are extremely flattered to receive this “special treatment” from none other than the Desdemona. But even her relationship with her loved ones are a bit special. If she cared about them, they’d definitely know. But say they need to do something to save the world, and want her to accompany them and fight together so the chance of success is higher and risk of failing/dying is lower? Sorry, she won’t come with you, that’s on you and you alone. Not any of her business, even if she does care about you. Of course she’d want you to be safe, but if you died, then… too bad. Hopefully you didn’t go painfully. That’s where Desdemona draws the line, and her friends and loved ones are aware of it. There are almost no exceptions, and they know to expect that from her. She isn’t purposely trying to unhelpful, that’s just how her logic works. In terms of fighting capabilities, she is quite skilled and powerful. She still won’t help, though. Which is exactly why she does absolutely nothing during the Invasion of Lukedonia arc, leaving her own daughter Raskreia and her Clan Leaders to fend for themselves.

Desdemona has two distinct hobbies. She lives alone in her own place, a massive estate all to herself. Occasionally she’d get visitors who come for advice, or she’d bring her daughter Raskreia back home when it’s her turn to watch her, but other than that, she has no one else living with her. One of the things that she does is record history with giant stained glass panels. Times of war, times of peace, the rise and fall of noble factions… anything really. She isn’t deliberately trying to be artistic, but she is very talented. Looking at her stained glass panels filled with story and the wonders of the world would get people emotional and they’d start crying. Her home is generally very dark, with no light at all other than sunlight or moonlight that shines through her glass panels at specific times of the day. For this reason, Raskreia didn’t like staying with her mother/soul fragment donor because to her it was suffocating and gloomy. Desdemona on the other hand thinks her home is a safe place and the perfect cave for herself. Whenever kid Raskreia didn’t want to stay with her mother anymore and wanted to leave, Desdemona would just set her daughter free and have her run back to PL. I did my part and watched my daughter, now that she doesn’t want to be here, my job is done. That’s how she thinks. Desdemona’s other hobby is making ephemeral artwork, the kind of stuff that’s not supposed to last. She’d go on a walk and rearrange fallen leaves, pebbles, etc. It brings her a feeling of contentment. Most of the time her works go unseen and eventually destroyed with the natural passing of time but every now and then, someone would come across her “artwork” and go “Ah, Mona was here”. In a way, this is a parallel to her philosophy of life. She takes and uses what’s there, and if it shall perish and be forgotten forever, then so be it. It is beautiful to some, and haunting to others. Desdemona doesn’t care about what anyone thinks though.

Moving onto her relationship with the other nobles. Only going to list the more relevant ones. For ones that are not mentioned, feel free to ask!

The Previous Lord: her childhood friend, obviously. Desdemona used to be even more indifferent towards her own kind prior to meeting PL (when they were both children) and in a way he changed her a LOT. For the better. Much better, actually. Desdemona’s parents had a very hard time with their daughter. She’d always ask things that made people question her morals, such as “why give sick people medicine? Why not let nature take its course and decide their fates for them?” and “unforeseen events are entirely the person’s own fault because they were not wise enough to predict it. Why spend your own resources to help them clean up their own mess?” And so on. She wasn’t trying to be cruel, that was just what made sense to her. On the other side, PL was a bright and optimistic child who was open to many things. Perhaps he was able to show Desdemona not necessarily an answer, but a different perspective to her clear-cut world view of everything. And he did succeed. Desdemona’s core was never influenced but she did change the way she acted, specifically that while she would still be indifferent towards most things, she’d just do so quietly without saying anything to people’s faces. And PL was the first person ever in this world to be affectionate with her (her own parents were too scared of her and avoided her at all costs) and she was able to experience something, which was the first ever fuzzy, warm feeling, right there in her chest. And for that Desdemona was extremely grateful. PL would also be physically affectionate with her, which she reciprocated. The truth is, she simply copied the act of hugging or hand holding but she essentially never does it intuitively. She just knew that people liked these kind of things, and not the why part. And it did feel nice to be cared for, so might as well do it too for someone she cares about. PL knew this and was more than flattered to know that she’s essentially saying saying he’s important to her. The two would grow up to be close despite the massive gap between their characters and such. PL was aware of Desdemona’s true nature, and she knows he knows. They’re both okay with it. In a way PL appreciated Desdemona’s straightforwardness, as she was as genuine as anyone could get, in a good and bad way, because her impartialness was both impressive and unsettling. And Desdemona appreciated PL for acknowledging her for who she was, and that he was the first person to show her kindness. People still got weirded out whenever they saw the two of them together because there’s the kind angelic one and then the cold creepy one. They themselves didn’t mind, though. Desdemona didn’t even hesitate when PL announced that he needed an heir. She volunteered her soul fragment immediately, much to everyone’s shock, because usually she never involves herself with any affairs. Surprise surprise, she actually cared enough for someone to cut her own lifespan shorter to give them her soul fragment. Maybe she wasn’t so indifferent after all.

Raskreia: Her daughter. While Raskreia was the result of Desdemona simply donating her own soul fragment to PL as a friend, and not a child born out of romantic love, Desdemona still viewed Raskreia as her daughter, and loved her like one, though it probably wasn’t obvious on the outside. Just as Desdemona constantly made the conscious effort (and not out of intuition) to be affectionate, little Raskreia could sense that her mother’s actions were unnatural. Forced, even. Perhaps that was what it felt like from a daughter’s perspective. The sudden pauses, and the stiffness in her mother’s movements. Perhaps Mother doesn’t want me here, she thinks. And it doesn’t help when Desdemona’s home is all dark and gloomy. Raskreia dreaded when it was her mother’s turn to watch her, because she’d bring her back home and it was nothing but scary to her. In general, her mother was just creepy. Little Raskreia wasn’t trying to be mean, her instincts were just telling her to avoid these things at all costs. So one time, Raskreia decided to tell her father PL that she didn’t want to be at mom’s anymore. To Raskreia’s horror, her mother was there and heard the whole thing. Desdemona’s only reaction was basically “Hmm, okay. I’ll peace out then.” And simply just. Left. Desdemona didn’t mind at all, actually.

Yes she loved Raskreia but she also understood that if her daughter didn’t want to be in her presence, then she shouldn’t force it because letting things fold out naturally is the way to be. That was the way she loved her daughter…to just let it be. Desdemona’s not against Raskreia returning to her voluntarily if she’s ready for it again or somehow wants to stay in contact, but she doesn’t mind if Raskreia never comes back. In her mind, she already did her part as PL’s friend and maybe she wasn’t needed anymore, and that’s fine too. She just never actually verbally told her daughter that she’s welcome at any time. Raskreia misunderstood it and took Desdemona leaving as a sign of her mother not wanting her as a daughter either, which is not true. This causes little Raskreia distress and their relationship changes permanently, and they never clear up the misunderstanding. Desdemona since then was out of the parenting picture and Raskreia was basically raised by PL. Prior to PL’s death, he asked if Desdemona wanted to stay behind to see the world after him, and with nothing better to do, she agreed. After adult Raskreia succeeds her father as Lord, Desdemona is still lurks in the shadows just like she has always done so. Raskreia usually still avoids her mother, but whenever even her advisor Gejutel couldn’t offer her a solution to things and she’s desperate for guidance, she reluctantly visits her mother. Then they would have a very formal exchange. Desdemona would salute her daughter and address her as Lord. Not my daughter, not Raskreia, just Lord. Which bothers Raskreia a lot because she wonders if this is her mother’s attempt to tell her she still doesn’t see her as a daughter, by refusing to call her by her name, which is not the case at all. In truth Desdemona really is just showing respect to her Lord as a citizen of Lukedonia, even if this Lord happens to be her own kid. It’s the standard procedure, and she is merely adhering to it. To Desdemona, Raskreia is her Lord before she is her daughter, therefore she acts accordingly. Nevertheless, Raskreia takes it personally, though she never shows it. Then Raskreia would ask for advice, and after she gets answers, she leaves. There is nothing more to their exchange. No more words. No questions of how are you doing, is everything alright, I’ve missed you, etc. None of that. Raskreia secretly hopes that there will be something more to their interaction, only to be disappointed each time. Sometimes she would even hope that her mother would scold her a bit, just tell her that her reign is ineffective, as it is. But her mother never says anything, just as silent as ever, only answering questions being asked of her. Nothing more. Desdemona in fact does believe that Raskreia’s reign is a shit one, but as usual she doesn’t care about Lukedonia’s drama so no reason for her to say so. The general silence from her mother just tortures Raskreia even more, but with her own sense of pride, it is hard for her to bring up any of this. If Mother doesn’t make an effort, then neither should I, she thinks. In general, their mother-daughter relationship is a really unconventional and strange one. They obviously care for each other, but the way it manifests just leads to misunderstanding and a lot of guessing, especially on Raskreia’s part. Their relationship remains the same way throughout the storyline of my Millennium AU. Cold and ever so distant. Nothing less, nothing more. P.s. To this day, Raskreia is bitter because she suspects that her mother definitely had something to do with Reiner suddenly leaving Lukedonia, because her son is not the type of person to come up with that by himself, and someone must have given him the idea. But there is no proof. Out of respect, she does not mind-read her mother, but she is definitely suspicious of her.

Reiner: Raskreia’s son, and her grandson. Now this is where things begin to get interesting. Desdemona was fairly uninvolved with parenting Raskreia (well, Raskreia thought her mother was creepy so) and the total amount of time they spent together all added up wasn’t much honestly. But with her only grandson Reiner? She was very much involved in his life, and at a very a young age too. You see, Raskreia was often busy as Lord and didn’t have much time for little Reiner. During the time they did interact, she was always very strict on him, treating him more like her heir and subject rather than her son, a child who needed affection and attention. And Reiner’s other parent Razark just… didn’t really do anything about Raskreia’s relationship with their son, because being the blindly loyal husband he was, he believed that whatever Raskreia’s doing, was the best, and he had no reason to change the way things are done. In a way by not intervening (like he really should have) he was practically enabling Raskreia’s not good way of raising their son. While Reiner does love both of his parents (in a mildly twisted and unhealthy way), he isn’t sure about whether he trusts them. But with his grandmother Desdemona, he both loves and fully trusts her. She’s actually the only person to whom he feels this way in the entirety of Lukedonia and the Millennium AU in general. Their initial grandmother-grandson meeting was a completely unintentional one. When Reiner was born, Desdemona had the news delivered to her by another noble so she was aware of the birth of her grandson. She didn’t make an active effort to meet him though, as whatever happened out there still wasn’t any of her business, even if it was the birth of a new family member, someone who shared her blood.

When Reiner was old enough to wander around on his own, whenever he got tired from his momlord’s suffocating strictness and his father’s blind loyalty and enablement, he would walk around Lukedonia’s territory by himself to get a breather. By chance, he happened to stumble upon Desdemona’s home. It was dark and empty, with the only light source being the light that shone through the beautiful stained glass panels. Normally people would find this to be eerie but to Reiner, it was strangely comforting. He would calmly sit in the darkness and observe the globs of colorful, dim light on the ground that moved around slowly as the angle of the sun changed. There was no company for him here, but at least there was no one to tell him he’s a disappointment either. Turns out, there was someone lurking in the dark. The owner of this place. The silhouette did not move though, as if it were trying to not disturb him. Reiner would then greet the figure in the shadows with a full introduction of himself and apologize for intruding their home. Curiously, the figure stepped forward and revealed itself as a mysterious woman. Reiner had never met her before, yet he felt a sense of familiarity to her. She first asked Reiner if he knew who she is, to which he answered no. She then asked him if he would like to know who she is. He answered yes. That was how Desdemona revealed to Reiner that she is his maternal grandmother. Reiner was just. Shocked because his parents never told him he had a living grandparent. But at the same time, he was happy. Because now he had a new family member, and family is what makes you stronger, just like what his Kertia father had always been telling him, right…? Then Reiner remembered that he should be home now, and hurried away. But not before cheerfully saying, “Goodbye, Grandma Mona!” to a now very intrigued Desdemona. He also promised to come back again. Desdemona didn’t take this seriously and thought Reiner was just saying that to be polite. Though she didn’t pay too much attention to him, she found that this “Reiner” kid kept appearing on her mind once in a while for some reason. Perhaps this was fate. To her surprise, he did come back, and very excited too, to talk to his new “Grandma”. The occasional back and forths became a regular thing, and fast forward to Reiner as an adult, they’re basically best friends. Grandma and grandson. Truth be told, Desdemona had never been so close with anyone in her entire life, until now. Not even PL, her childhood friend, and of course not her daughter Raskreia either. And neither was she this close with her ex-lover, and all of her other friends whom she spent time with back in the day. For the first time in her life, she felt the feeling of “I love this person and I am willing protect them with my life” which was very surprising to her. For the entirety of her existence there had never been a single exception to her philosophy of being completely uninvolved and impartial to the world, but it seemed like that has changed too. And that person is her precious grandson Reiner. Reiner loves her back. He would confide in her his woes, family issues with parents, feeling like a disappointment, being extremely burnt out from the pressure of maintaining himself as the perfect prince… etc. and she would feel sad for him. The neutral Desdemona is actually sad on someone else’s behalf. Reiner doesn’t even know that this type of reaction from her is the rarest sight ever. As time goes by and Reiner’s mental condition worsens, he asks his grandmother for advice. And…. Boom. That’s where everything started, where the idea was first put into his head. She suggests that he leaves Lukedonia. If this was the source of his pain, then leaving everything behind and going to somewhere else for a fresh start, is the best idea. Reiner brushes it off at first, not even thinking of it as an option, but it slowly becomes a reality for him. Maybe grandma is right.

You could say that the three of them are so eerily similar, with each of then so stubbornly loyal to their own beliefs and world view. That being Desdemona believing that everything should be left on its own to fate in a strong-eats-weak world, Raskreia believing she needs to reign with absolute control because stability is of upmost importance, and finally Reiner believing he needs fo free everyone in Lukedonia and make it a democracy where everyone has equal input in deciding how to live. Reiner’s final attempts to change Raskreia’s views fail, and feeling utterly exhausted and defeated, he decides to leave Lukedonia forever. But not before visiting grandmother one last time. They say their goodbyes, and Desdemona wishes him the best of luck. Strangely, she takes off her ring and gives it to Reiner, instructing him to wear it and never take it off. She doesn’t tell him why, but he could tell that she is serious. So he reassures her that he will, and that is the last they ever see of each other. What Reiner doesn’t know is that this ring has a special, single-use protection spell imbued with it. In the distant past, Desdemona had worked with one of her fellow nobles, a Clan Leader, to make this charm and only succeeded in making a single one after many, many years of trying. Desdemona correctly predicted that Raskreia would deem Reiner a traitor and go after him. The ring’s spell will protect Reiner from one single fatal blow as long as he’s still wearing it. To be precise, it will transfer the damage and fatal wound Reiner receives to Desdemona herself. Should Raskreia really land a fatal blow on Reiner, he will survive, and Desdemona will die. Desdemona on the other hand sees this as the last gift she can give to her grandson. She is willing to sacrifice herself for this child. While she hopes that this day will never come, she is fully prepared for it. She never told Reiner the truth behind this ring because then he would be heartbroken and not wear it. This is the only exception that Desdemona ever makes in her entire life, to go all out to save someone. And to her, it’s worth her everything. Grandmother and grandson both miss each other very badly, and they both know they will likely never see each other again. A beautiful yet tragic relationship.

Leona: her ex-girlfriend. Desdemona and Leona were on-and-off lovers, before Leona left for her mission. Leona adored her Moni for her weirdness and her very unique, clear-cut world view, and Desdemona appreciated her Leonie for her dazzling energy and ability to consistently switch between being super unhinged to being in total control. Their energy levels were completely different, with Leona being the very active and energetic one while Desdemona was the quieter and more passive one. The bright sun and the dark shadows. But they worked out somehow, and even though they weren’t together all the time, it was a time of happiness. Before Leona departed for her mission, she formally broke up with Desdemona. Even though Leona didn’t give any details, Desdemona knew that this was a serious thing. So she expressed her understanding, Leona thanked her, and they part from each other on good terms. Leona is one of the few people that Desdemona cares about. She is part of her inner circle. (apparently Leona’s type is tired people lmaoo)

Zephyrus: her old friend. And the secret person whom she worked with to create that magic ring she eventually gives to grandson Reiner, prior to his departure from Lukedonia. The Volo soul weapon’s ultimate skill is transferring a fatal blow from one ally to another, and after many years research, the two of them were able to replicate this skill onto a one-time artifact. This was long before Zephyrus and Leona departed for their mission. Desdemona’s instincts told her that she needed to do this, to make an artifact with this exact protection spell. And she was right, as she eventually gave it to Reiner. To this day Zephyrus honors his promise of keeping this ring a secret between the two of them, and not even his family knows about it. Zephyrus is one of the few people that Desdemona cares about. He is part of her inner circle.

Roctis: didn’t care about him. He was her relative, but that doesn’t change anything because she abandoned the Kravei surname long ago, so to her he was just like any other noble. As kids they did bump into each other more often than members of other clans. She never made an effort to get to know him, though.

Lagus: didn’t care about him. He was a frequent visitor who asked for her advice, before he betrayed Lukedonia. She actually put a lot of ideas into his head, as she would always answer honestly when asked for advice, even if the nature of the question is intended for evil. Lagus actually told her about him planning to take over Lukedonia one day, because he knew that she didn’t care and wouldn’t tell anyone else either. She just nodded and told him to do what he wanted, and if he succeeds, then that is because he is stronger than them and so be it. Lagus had planned to make her his advisor once he takes over Lukedonia, but that never happens because he died so.

Urokai: didn’t care about him. He was her relative because she’s also part Agvain. She never paid any attention to him but for some reason he was very, very scared of her. He believed that if he stared into her eyes, she would suck his soul out. Gave him quite the chills.

Zarga: didn’t care about him. Just like Lagus, sometimes he visited her for advice. She was the one who suggested that he should follow Urokai, when he asked what he should do about Urokai wanting to leave Lukedonia.

Luzia: Claudia’s daughter and the heir to Tradio. Desdemona is the only person in the entire Millennium AU to know about Luzia’s special secret underground lab, where all kinds of creepy illegal experiments are being done. Because Luzia willingly tells her about it, asking for advice on what kind of shady experiments to run, forbidden material to collect, etc. Luzia somehow just knows that Desdemona won’t share this with others, because the latter literally doesn’t care about what anyone does. This is the same correct prediction that Lagus made back then, when he consulted with Desdemona about his plans to take over Lukedonia. Same mindset. In a way, Luzia truly is Lagus’ granddaughter. And Desdemona is a surprisingly knowledgeable on shady topics. From there you can assume what their conversations are like.

Azurine: Zephyrus’ daughter and the heir to Volo. Same deal with Luzia, except Azurine comes to Desdemona with the intention to gain knowledge to help the world. As usual, Desdemona doesn’t care about whether you’re doing good or evil. Anyways, Azurine is here to ask questions like what poisons she should take next for her antidote research, how to increase her own poison tolerance etc. etc. Stuff for the good for of the people. Desdemona gives great advice on that too, which Azurine appreciates, but the latter just can’t help but wonder how the former even knows so much about things that are supposed to be the Volo’s specialty. What Azurine doesn’t know is the fact that in the past Desdemona had worked together with none other than her very own father and Clan Leader. To make a magic ring, or something. To this day Zephyrus honors the promise between himself and Desdemona, to keep it a secret between the two of them. Not a word to anyone, not even his own daughter Azurine. Azurine, and the rest of Lukedonia, would continue to be oblivious to this piece of knowledge.

Cordelia: the current Kravei Clan Leader, and the youngest of the fifteen nextgen nobles. Desdemona is very fond of this girl, to everyone’s surprise. The eccentric, aloof Desdemona who doesn’t even show much concern for her own daughter Raskreia, is being extra nice to this little Kravei girl. Perhaps it’s because Cordelia’s a fellow Kravei, but Desdemona abandoned her own surname a long time ago. Perhaps it’s because Cordelia looks like her grandson Reiner, but Desdemona isn’t the type of person to favor a someone just because they look like a familiar. No one knows exactly why. You could even say that Desdemona dotes on Cordelia. Cordelia is a bit confused but she appreciates this weird Lady who is seemingly even willing to take care of her. Cordelia is part of Desdemona’s inner circle. Though this affection indirectly puts Cordelia under immense pressure because the last time Desdemona was ever this nice to someone was when she was with Reiner, and Reiner ended up leaving Lukedonia. This leads to Raskreia (no so discreetly) keeping Cordelia under extra surveillance, because in her misunderstanding she suspects that Cordelia is up to no good either, because that woman is fond of her. Poor Cordelia.

…and that concludes relationships for now!! Yayy!! Maybe I’ll do the other characters in the future.

And in general a few quotes from Lady Desdemona, the great and terrifying:

1. “…Who am I, you ask? Good question. I don’t know either. Perhaps you can tell me.”

2. “Good and evil… the classic duality of nature. They are merely words people use to label and justify their actions. Such a concept simply does not exist to me. Do not associate me with such shallowness.”

3. (to PL) “A hug… that’s what you call this, correct? When I put my arms around someone’s body? I’m still learning it. How long do I leave them there? When do I pull them away?”

4. (to Raskreia) “That is correct. ‘Mother’ is the word people would use to objectively describe me, in relation to you. There is no need for you to address me as such, if you do not wish to.”

5. (to Reiner) “Go. Go now. Fly away from this place, and be free. Do not force yourself to linger here, where the only ending that awaits you is misery and madness. Leave before your soul withers here, where no hope is found. Or, you could stay here, if that is what you wish. Then I will be right by your side, and we shall witness the end of this world together. …Do not fret, child. There is no need to worry about me, or any of the others. The only person you can betray is yourself. Follow your heart. Set yourself free from this prison, or stay in it. The choice is yours…my little one.”

6. (to Leona) “Leonie, dearie, please come down. We can dance together somewhere else. Just please refrain from jumping around on my unfinished piece of stained glass. Hey! I can see a crack already!”

7. (to Zephyrus) “Thank you. Thank you accepting my unreasonable request in the first place. We really did it. You’re the only person I could trust for this. I will keep this ring safe with me. I have a bad feeling that I will need this one day.”

Aaaand that’s it for now!! I’m so excited to draw her again lol. Thank you for reading and see you next time!

#noblesse #manhwa #myart #oc #original character #millennium au #desdemona kravei

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vacantgodling · 7 months

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personally bothers me when ppl are like uwu Iago is gay for othello and completely ignore his racism let alone the racism throughout the play

lmao thank u for stopping by to talk old books with me :3c

but tbh thank god i’ve never seen this take in the wild because i just 👁️👁️ did we read the same play? are you okay??

iago’s like not even subtly racist. like the whole play is very racist in general when you start deconstructing it and thinking about it with a critical lens.

(such as: black/dark skinned men are going to come around and seduce your pure white daughters with either “magic” or their physicality, abuse them, black men are inherently violent and angry and good for their physical prowess, the only reason a white woman would love a black man is because she pities him… like i can go on)

however, aside from desdemona’s father, iago is the Most and honestly only maliciously racist character, and it’s not even just towards othello lmao (looking at his speech about how a black woman who’s smart would only be of value if she married a white man 😒) like, i understand the ideology behind wanting to read homoerotic jealousy into his actions because why is he so fixated and jealous of this (1) man who has “everything he wants” and tbh perhaps it could work if the play itself wasn’t saying, in part, that othello cannot be trusted with the things he was “freely given” stolen because he’s black/dark skinned/from the Moors, however ya wanna put it.

like it’s easier to read homoeroticism into fucking julius caesar (the play, and i suppose the man) than this play. in hamlet, CLEARLY, than this one. and then it creates a whole host of other issues with the play IF iago is gay because then *insert a slew of homophobic stereotypes here*

however, what gets me is the play already does give reasoning behind iago’s actions. like as i was reading wiki and analyses of it after i finished my first pass of it, there seems to be a lot of “discourse” around iago’s motivations and how they’re not clear… but they are? at least to me? like, he’s egotistical, and big for his britches. he’s petty and jealous and feels that he deserves things simply because he wants them. he wants the lieutenant position because he feels he’s owed it for being done the disservice of having to serve a Moor in the first place and for being a tenured soldier for so long; and whether or not cassio is competent are neither here nor there, the point is if you get passed up for a promotion at work: work harder, accept it, or just fucking quit. but iago decided to make it everyone else’s problem. it really didn’t have much to do with desdemona herself (though i could argue that he was perhaps jealous that othello had a pretty wife who actually loved him; because even though i mentioned the racist sentiments about white women and black men earlier i don’t think desdemona is a racist character in the slightest: she fell in love with othello for who he is and she is faithfully in love with him to the end. that doesn’t change the outside perspective of those who see their interracial relationship, which is very translatable into real life in how interracial relationships are viewed but that’s a whole different conversation), nor do i think did it have to do with this weird homoerotic tension people want to force into the reading.

whenever iago says that he ‘loves’ othello, people should understand that in this time period the word “love” was (1) more freely used to describe a wide variety of positive emotions (2) in this context probably meant something more akin to “loyal” that he wouldn’t betray othello or that he values him as a subordinate should (which is clearly sarcasm) and (3) be read with heavy damn sarcasm especially when iago is not talking directly to othello. he doesn’t care about othello in the slightest; and i would argue that even if iago was made lieutenant from jump he would be scheming about how to become general. we would still have a play about how iago hates and wants to “dethrone” othello. like he’s just fucking selfish in how he treats everyone throughout the play lmao. he doesn’t even describe othello in a “i hate that i yearn for you” type of way like there is Nothing that can construct this narrative to me in the text.

so like long story short (i didn’t mean to rant but yknow ya got me going) i think a homoerotic reading of iago is just kind of out there at best and just irresponsible at worst. there’s plenty of other characters you can read as gay in shakespeare’s works, even fucking desdemona and emilia in this play itself have a better gay reading than iago and othello lmao.

obviously shippers gonna ship and like do you but i just don’t see it.

#ren hot cakes #othello #ren reads

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greenteabtch · 9 months

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don’t know what the MQ entails but I’m nosy haha.. what does Lucille get up to after the main quest?? does she go home?

Oh my goddddd i’m still reeling!

She opted to save her 10 year old son Shaun in the capacity he existed in (such strange words for a reason) and obliterated the Institute with the help of the Minutemen.

Though I really revel in destructive characters and definitely see her trying to work with the Brotherhood of Steel to satisfy the anger brewing after her loss, I wanted to accommodate her well intentioned nature by letting Nick influence her for the better. He convinces her that like himself, she doesn’t need to be a testament to her past circumstances and can make the choice to act mercifully, though justly.

She started the story alienated and lonely in her marriage, and spent her journey through the wasteland finding power in her own physical strength/intimidation (and to an extent, her brutality). Discovering the reason her husband was killed and Shaun was taken engulfed her with the need for vengeance.

Luckily, seeing communities form, synths gain independence, and the commonwealth become a place of peace thanks to her actions made her realize that she wasn’t the same forgotten person she once was. And she remembered something important about her old life: she’s compassionate.

For now, she still has work to do! Now that her son has returned to her side, she’ll make a home for herself in Diamond City, the center of the Commonwealth! Nick will continue to be Boston’s greatest Detective (and now Dad + HUSBAND WOAH 😳) and the pair of them will continue to do good deeds as they come for the Minutemen. With Dogmeat, of course hehe.

The movers and shakers in the Wasteland always have need for a butcher like her 🫣 (channeled into more honorable deeds than self-service, thankfully)

Whether its helping Deacon and Desdemona continue to liberate Synths of their Institute ties, or doing what it takes to beat back the Brotherhood of Steel, there’s no doubt Lucille has interwoven herself into the fabric of the broken beaten and damned Commonwealth people.

As for the companions, I doubt she’s met them all! But the friends she began with truly became her confidantes. Nick, Piper, and Preston remain at the top of the list, with the good fellows of Good Neighbor and the Railroad staying close as odd couple allies.

After rejecting Danse and the Brotherhood, though, the two have vowed never to meet again, lest their differences lead to bloodshed. Will that happen? Who can say…

That’s all I know for now— at least till i play the dlcs and get a redo on all these companions! I definitely missed so many personal quests and opportunities to learn more. I can’t wait to see what happens next 💕 thank you for asking jay ❤️❤️

#asks #lucille fraiser

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kiasnocturnality · 1 year

Text

✧⋆ﾟ 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓

NSFW marked with *

. * ⋆ . · 　. 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒

✧･ﾟ𝐀𝐋𝐎𝐈𝐒 𝐋𝐄𝐁𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐂

can he sire other vampires? | info

brushing his hair for him | imagine

all ears | imagine

you tell him he's no longer welcome in your home | imagine

*feeding from you for the first time | imagine

*NSFW alphabet | headcanons

does he hate being a vampire + his blood | info

the Leblanc family | info

seeing his reflection for the first time | drabble

an act of affection to help you de-stress | drabble

how he reacts to a darling with dizzy spells | headcanons

dark! Alois au | headcanons

✧･ﾟ𝐍𝐀𝐒𝐀𝐍𝐀

he finds you stuck in a tree, trespassing on his land | drabble

does Nasana shed? | info

how would he react to you tending his wounds? | imagine

how he kisses | headcanons

role reversal! naga reader, human Nasana | drabble

*make it fit | imagine

*NSFW | headcanons

yandere! Nasana | headcanons

*you’re too embarrassed to moan for him | drabble

*play fighting with him in heat | imagine

his s/o brings him a hot meal during his brumation | headcanons

his s/o has big thighs | headcanons

✧･ﾟ𝐓𝐀𝐊𝐄𝐒𝐇𝐈

how he kisses | headcanons

how he reacts to you having a dog | drabble

yandere! Takeshi | headcanons

*NSFW | headcanons

listening to him talk | drabble

his date loves Japanese mythology | imagine

lipstick | imagine

*Takeshi with a virgin reader | drabble

*predator/prey with Takeshi | drabble

yandere! Takeshi | drabble

*polyamorous! yandere! Takeshi | headcanons ft. Lisheng

*red rope | imagine

✧･ﾟ𝐃𝐄𝐒𝐃𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐀 𝐍𝐀𝐔𝐒𝐈𝐊𝐀𝐀

how she reacts to you gifting her jewellery | imagine

she saves you from drowning | imagine

✧･ﾟ𝐀𝐏𝐇𝐀𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐎𝐍

*how it feels to be holy | imagine

how he reacts to his s/o asking if he’s a mafia boss | imagine

how he is with his s/o | headcanons

archangel! s/o discovers his plans | drabble

his darling falls to her doom | drabble

the reader is a private investigator, hired to investigate Aphae | drabble

*somnophilia | headcanons

*NSFW alphabet | headcanons

✧･ﾟ𝐕𝐀’𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐈𝐄𝐋

her human darling is her knight | headcanons

her human darling is her knight II | headcanons

✧･ﾟ𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐔𝐐𝐔’𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐋

✧･ﾟ𝐊𝐇𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐄

can't handle the cold? | smut

. * ⋆ . · 　. 𝐌𝐈𝐒𝐂.

what they would study in a modern setting | headcanons (Alois, Nasana, Takeshi)

how they react to finding you injured | headcanons (Alois, Nasana, Takeshi)

how they react to you singing | headcanons (Alois, Nasana, Takeshi)

*biting | headcanons (Alois, Nasana, Takeshi)

how they would react to meeting each other | headcanons (Alois, Nasana, Takeshi)

crossovers | info (Alois, Nasana, Takeshi)

how they are with kids | headcanons (Alois, Nasana, Takeshi)

*NSFW | headcanons (Desdemona, Aphaeleon)

you help them preen their feathers | headcanons (Desdemona, Aphaeleon)

fun facts | info (Alois, Nasana, Takeshi, Desdemona, Aphaeleon)

*how they are with a soft, submissive reader | headcanons (Alois, Nasana, Takeshi, Desdemona, Aphaeleon)

yanderes seeing a rival with their darling | headcanons (Alois, Nasana, Takeshi, Desdemona, Aphaeleon

where they like to be kissed | headcanons (Alois, Nasana, Takeshi, Desdemona, Aphaeleon)

general yandere behaviour | headcanons (Alois, Desdemona, Aphaeleon)

what they’re like as older siblings | headcanons (Alois, Nasana, Takeshi, Desdemona, Aphaeleon)

bathing with them | headcnaons (Alois, Nasana, Takeshi, Desdemona, Aphaeleon)

what your fav character says about you | shitpost (Alois, Nasana, Takeshi, Desdemona, Aphaeleon)

*who’s into predator/prey dynamics? | headcanons (Alois, Nasana, Takeshi, Desdemona)

the languages they speak + reacting to hearing their s/o say sweet things in their language | info + headcanons (Alois, Nasana, Takeshi, Aphaeleon)

their darling snuggles up to them while they rest | headcanons (Alois, Nasana, Takeshi, Desdemona, Aphaeleon, Va’ariniel, Taruqu’inel)

their darling has a fox laugh | headcanons (Alois, Takeshi)

their darling is feral for them | headcanons (Alois, Nasana, Takeshi)

their darling is afraid of thunderstorms | headcanons (Alois, Nasana, Takeshi, Desdemona, Aphaeleon, Va’ariniel, Taruqu’inel)

*Take taking his s/o in front of Aphae | drabble (Takeshi, Aphaeleon)

*how they react to their darling calling them daddy/mommy | headcanons (Alois, Nasana, Takeshi, Desdemona, Aphaeleon, Va’ariniel, Taruqu’inel)

their favourite activities | headcanons (Va’ariniel, Taruqu’inel)

general fluff | headcanons (Takeshi, Aphaeleon)

decorating a Christmas tree with them | headcanons (Alois, Nasana, Takeshi, Desdemona, Aphaeleon, Va'ariniel, Taruqu'inel, Khione)

how they react to you being attacked by a creature | headcanons (Alois, Nasana, Takeshi, Desdemona, Aphaeleon, Va'ariniel, Taruqu'inel, Khione, Lucien)

birthday girl! | smut (Takeshi, Aphaeleon)

. * ⋆ . · 　. 𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐑𝐒

*in the night | drabble (Lisheng, edenspetals’ OC)

*polyamorous! yandere! Lisheng | headcanons ft. Takeshi

𓋼𓍊⋆ﾟ like my work? why not:

⋆ support me ⋆ join my taglist ⋆ consider following/reblogging

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godmona · 2 months

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Questions for the mun about Des and Elliot! What are your favorite headcanons/fun facts about them? What was their first date like? How was "the first time"? What'd Des' favorite memory of Elliot?

i have so many. i dont think you understand how much i think about them for real. you were probably expecting a bullet point list but instead you get a 1500+ post on des and elliot because i love them and their dynamic.

or at least in specifically how much elliot loves and cares for his wife genuinely. like for as evil and terrible as he is ( and is perceived ) what he feels for her is very genuine and real. it’s ironic that both of them on their own think they don’t deserve love or care in any aspect due to their actions – but are able to find that in each other. des craves someone to be completely and totally obsessed with her, she needs that constant attention and love – which she’s used people throughout the centuries for her own amusement, eventually leaving when they no longer excite her or give her what she wants. all of this is also her hiding the desperation to be genuinely loved and adored for who she actually is. the initial meeting between the two of them had them both using each other for power, excitement. and then somewhere along the line it became genuine. and i think elliot was the one to notice it first. at the time he and des met he was in a serious spiral of murdering witches for their power to add to his own. and desdemona was a powerful woman of her own right – and that interested him. and then slowly he started noticing small things about her. putting too much thought into someone he was just “having fun” with. small things like her love for purple but her distaste of lavender. her favorite type of wine. he spent enough time with her at her side, day and night to begin to notice the cracks of the bitchiness facade she’s spent centuries building up and laying each brick for. of course not everything desdemona does is a facade. she has little guilt in using people, or ruining people’s lives for her entertainment or her own advantage. but a lot of it is an act that she’s been building and maintaining for so long of her life it feels real. and elliot realized eventually how complex and beautiful and powerful she is. and he wanted that. he wanted to see her smile genuinely because of him.

elliot has craved a purpose for his life. he’s often felt lost more times than he can count. his father attempted to find him a home that he would be loved and safe in – but that left elliot alone in learning what he is and how to navigate that part of his life. and he is completely okay with his entire life being for her. and eventually his child with her, viktoria. that’s what means the most to him. all of this just to go to say that i think elliot most definitely fell first. and when he began to make those genuine outreaches to desdemona – she’s beginning to see her own things about him. i think it was small things that begin to change their relationship from more of a “friends” with benefits and mutual usage of the other to a genuine relationship. elliot buying desdemona a new pair of stilettos he knew she wanted. flowers just because. you ever see one of the most powerful immortal’s faces light up because someone got her her favorite flowers randomly ? elliot has.

a major part to desdemona’s attraction to elliot is the fact that he treats her like his entire world ( and she is ) while being willing ( and eager ) to commit acts of violence for her as well. she’s never had someone treat her as priority number one, and elliot does and will forever. he is content to do everything he does for her. but on the outside it may seem like it’s a one side pining from elliot and that desdemona doesn’t show appreciation for him. which is completely untrue – elliot is aware of how desdemona shows her love and affection for him. in that same way that he knows things about her that no one else will – desdemona knows things about him that no one else will. like from the outside you’d never know how much elliot absolutely hates and loathes himself for what he is. or how much he struggles with his impulses. desdemona has stayed up late nights to help console him. time, effort and love and care that she’d never put into someone she was just manipulating or having fun with. when things get too rough inside his head, she’s here to bring him back to reality. in the same way he does for her.

elliot knows desdemona is a complete hopeless romantic, all the little cliche things mean so much to her. because for most of her life no one has ever meant the gestures behind them. like the first bouquet of flowers elliot gave her has been dried and saved and intact ( for as much as they can be for centuries old flowers ). which wasn’t even just one he bought, but spent so much time gathering the flowers for himself. so he absolutely pulled everything out for a proper first date. bought her a new purple dress to wear ( that she’s also, obviously kept ), for it. candles, flowers, the entire set. not because he was trying to impress her – but because he knows how much the small things like that mean to her. and because to him, she deserves every bit of it. all of it.

they’d obviously slept together numerous times before they entered into a genuine relationship with the other. but i think their first time together as a couple was probably before their first date. that little wake up call of “i actually really like this person -” except in reality they’ve been falling in love with each other this entire time and they’re both just making that connection. that impulse – i’ve got to sleep with you right now trope.

des has lots of favorite memories with him. the first time he took her to the movies. as if they were completely normal people. the first time he let her see that he has wings ( they are completely inoperable of function and abnormal due to how elliot thinks of himself ) and the emotional burden that comes with them. how he cried when they found out they were finally expecting. how he tries to be there for her first son, sergius, despite him and elliot not being related by blood.

of course the angst being that almost as soon as they figure out their relationship – that they’ve fallen so deeply in love with the other is when elliot’s little habit of murdering witches catches up to him and he’s placed into his pandora’s box and promptly hidden away. and the witches are very intent on keeping him locked up and away to prevent him from slaughtering more witches and becoming a bigger threat to them. which absolutely devastates desdemona because when she does love she loves hard and fast. having something that feels absolutely genuine for the first time in her centuries long life and loosing it so quickly makes all that bad behavior bubble back up. nothing matters except finding elliot and getting him back to her. she doesn’t care who she has to hurt, use, or kill to make it happen. in reality the two of them didn’t have too much time together before this happens, but the effect of it is tremendous regardless.

and the fact that it took so long for the two of them to actually have a child together was not from their lack of trying. i’d like to think of it as nature trying to prevent the creation of another being that shouldn’t exist. elliot alone considers himself, ( and is ) an abomination of nature. a hybrid between a demonic being and a witch, someone who communes and follows the laws of nature.

elliot does everything for his wife and there is nothing you could tell him that would change his mind about her. he knows her more than the world and the history books will ever write her. you could tell him about the things she did to get him back and he would only love her that much more. i think the fact that des lost herself so much and did everything she possibly could to get elliot back shows how much she actually loves him. she could have gone off and found someone else with power. why would she waste her time – years, decades, on getting someone else back if he was replaceable? he isn’t. not to her. in their weird way – the love they have for each other is deep and genuine. and you’re so fucked if something happens to the other. they are quite literally ready to burn the world down should they loose each other again. i can’t even express how much elliot wanted to wage war against tobias for causing desdemona to loose her memories. he wanted to hurt them alone for killing her ( even though she returns ) because he knows how much desdemona does care about their sibling ( despite the scheming to ruin their life and things you know ) and for them to kill her would only set their relationship back to square one. desdemona came back a blank slate, without all her little quirks, her memories and trauma that made her the woman he fell in love with. and i think it was a really difficult time for him to navigate that, but he didn’t go anywhere. he's never going anywhere that she doesn't.

#& about information /#& headcannon post /#THIS IS SO LONG. I JUST. GNAW ON MY ARM ABOUT THEM.#OKAY.#& answered /

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fallrimxreader · 1 year

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I loved what you did with John as SS! Is it possible for you to do a part 2 for John Wick as SS with the Faction Leaders (and Nuka Leaders) Along with certain NPCs like Kent Connolly?

(Warnings: Mentions killing.)

Arthur Maxson: He’ll accept almost anyone into the brotherhood because he just wants numbers. You can always train a good soldier. He sent John Wick on one mission, and immediately heard back about how brutal he was. Maxson was incredibly impressed. From then on, he was set on using John as a weapon, Maxson wanted to send John on all the difficult missions. Using him to get ahead in the war. He tried not to cross John and did respect him. He tried his best not to annoy John and get put on his hit list. But he tried to use his skills as much as he could while John was ‘happy’ to work for him.

If John decides to turn against the brotherhood Maxson is terrified, he would send soldiers after John hoping they can slow him down enough. But eventually he would know John would come for him, he just prayed John would be quick.

Desdemona: She appreciates his kind and quiet nature, she knows he’s a good man. It didn’t take too long for word to get around that he was on the extreme side when it came to fights. But she tried to let it slide most of the time. She does feel that sometimes force is necessary, and as long as the job gets done she is happy. She would only say something when other Railroad members mention they are a bit scared of him.

“Would you mind trying a less violent route this time?” She asks one day, sending John on a simple mission. “Some people are getting a little uncomfortable with your extreme measures.” John understood and toned down his fighting style for a little while.

If John turns against the Railroad, she tries to evacuate everyone, not wanting them to come against John’s wrath. She’ll put herself in his way first.

Father: He was a baby so he couldn’t really remember his parent John Wick. When he meets John again, he is first greeted with the kind and quiet man in a suit. He is happy to meet John and likes him. After working with John for a little while Father feels confident in giving the institute to John. But then word comes out about how brutal John can get in battle. Father does not approve of this amount of violence. He knows sometimes fights can get rough, but there is a limit.

“If you’re going to go around under the institutes name you need to be more professional. The institute does not react the way you do.” John tones it back. Father can die happy, knowing John listened to him. He knows he is leaving the institute in good hands.

Gage: Upon first look at John, Gage thought he was going to be a soft push over trader. How wrong he was. After a few interactions and one fight Gage knew he wanted to work with John. He was excited for John to fight Colter and become the new overboss. Gage respects the hell out of John. He thinks he is a great guy, friendly, but he also made sure to never get on John’s bad side. Gage is extremely loyal and will follow John to the ends of the Earth. Whatever John says Gage will do, because he knows John is smart and would never put Gage into danger. They make a good team and work well together. Once John is in charge no one messes with Gage anymore, because they don’t want to piss off John. And Gage likes that very much.

Overboss Colter: Gage brought John to kill Colter. But after seeing how amazing John Wick is, Colter tries desperately to recruit him. Colter wants to make John work for him, so that everyone will fear him just because he has John on his side. He was hoping that would mean he would get to stay as the leader. Unfortunately, John has no interest in working for Colter and kills him.

Nisha: She does not get along with John. She appreciates his skill in fighting, so she would never go against him. But Nisha likes violence and she doesn’t care if people die. John only kills to survive and if it’s absolutely necessary. He will not harm people for the fun of it, unlike Nisha. This is where they have the biggest disagreements. However Nisha does respect John as the new overboss, mainly because she doesn’t want to be on the receiving end of his rage. She will behave around him, but talks a lot of trash behind his back.

Mags: She gets along well enough with John. Like him she is usually a calm mannered person, but she is not to be pushed around. This is something that can bring the pair to a mutual understanding. She is fine with John being the overboss. He’s proved many times he can be reliable, ruthless, but also useful to her. She wouldn’t say she completely trusts him, though she doesn’t completely trust anyone. She likes to have him on her side. As long as he proves useful to her then she will do everything she can to stay on good terms with him. She likes how he operates, and she generally has nothing to say about his violent fights. In her opinion, as long as he does the job, he can fight however he likes.

Mason: He thinks that John should be violent all the time. In Mason’s mind violence is the best way to get things you want in this world. He really respects John’s fighting style and would love to watch him in action. He does feel that John can be too soft sometimes, he doesn’t like it if John just wants to talk things out. However Mason will never go against John, for the fact that he is terrified John will kill him. He puts on a big show in front of everyone else, and boasts about how he could kick John’s ass. But deep down he’s worried it would be the other way around.

Kent Connolly: He likes John. When they first met John was kind and considerate to the ghoul. Kent had heard rumors about John and had thoughts about how well he would do as the Silver Shroud. Kent is not too keen on how violent John can get, but he would still be quite happy if John was to go around acting under the Silver Shrouds name. In Kent’s eyes there wasn’t a better choice, and John does a fine job. John usually always saves the day, he’s a real hero and that is what Kent likes most.

#fallout 4 #ask

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lizardrosen · 8 months

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Hamlet Liveblog 2011, Act 3 Scene 1

Going through my notebook from twelve years ago with my line by line reading of hamlet, and sharing the good, the bad, and the ugly! I'm just doing scene one for this post because the nunnery scene and the Murder of Gonzago are both long enough and important enough that they should each get their own spotlight!

3.1.8-10 "but with a crafty madness keeps aloof when we would bring him on to some confession of his true state" - but he did make a confession! that whole passage where he goes "man delights not me" and talks about how everything has lost flavor for him

If Claudius already knows that Hamlet is faking (most of) his madness, why does he need R&G at all? Since Hamlet (might be) merely pretending to be crazy, we must take into account that he wasn't entirely sincere when talking to R&G. But some of the things make too much sense for him to not be feeling it to some extent. Or he's really really calculating and knows exactly what to say. Is that a kind of madness?

3.1.30-1 "That he, as twere by accident, may here affront Ophelia" - does Ophelia know about this plan? By now she's probably used to being another prop in Polonius's plans. And then he dies and she is left adrift and freer than ever before

3.1.38-40 "I do wish that your good beauties be the happy cause of Hamlet's wildness" - Gertrude is sympathetic to having a controlling male figure - and they've both had two!

3.1.56-88 (To Be Or Not To Be) Oh God, here it comes! The bit everyone waits for and secretly fears!!

3.1.62-3 "the thousand natural shocks that flesh is heir to" - it's part of living, Hamlet, and yes it hurts, but life in a box is better than no life at all

3.1.63-4 "Tis a consummation / Devoutly to be wished" - he fervently wants to end it all (primary meaning); BUT - consummation is the sex to seal a marriage, and 'devoutly' is religious, so he sorta becomes a High Priestess of Death; also, is this where he gets the idea of a nunnery? current Will: oh my god. hamlet the high priestess of death. this was definitely a stretch for the meaning of this specific sentence, but it's also pretty true to his character. I'm laughing so hard.

3.1.67 "When we have shuffled off this mortal coil" - slow and plodding, like a breadline or a movie premiere, where everyone is looking forward to the end

3.1.89-90 "Nymph, in thy orisons / Be all my sins remembered" - compare to Othello, who told Desdemona to confess her sins before he killed her; but why does he mention his sins instead of hers? because he knows he's going to be a dick?

3.1.96 "I never gave you aught" - denies ever loving her? he's a different person than the one who gave the favors? She didn't acknowledge it, so why should he? if the emphasis is on "you," he means that she has changed, or he's talking directly to Claudius and Polonius. Also, switched from 'thy orisons' to the formal 'you' :(

3.1.101 "for to the noble mind rich gifts wax poor when givers prove unkind" - He fears she doesn't love him anymore, and she wants to spare his feelings by returning the favors as gently as possible. Or he is the original giver and has been unkind and frightening to her current Will: I wasn't thinking of this at the time, but it's worth pointing out that this phrasing sounds like the kind of advice Polonius would give his kids

3.1.107-8 "Your honesty should admit no discourse to your beauty" - again with the idea that pretty girls don't stay virgins

3.1.116-117 "You should not have believed me; for virtue cannot so inoculate our old stock but we shall relish of it: I loved you not." - Hamlet makes virtue into a disease, which horny noblemen "cure" current Will: honestly I'm still a little confused by this line but i'm pretty sure this interpretation was wrong

3.1.119 "Get thee to a nunnery - why wouldst thou be a breeder of sinners?" - How serious is he? Does he really believe the world would be better off without men; or that a nunnery is safer for Ophelia, body and soul? Maybe he's mocking her and telling her to go to a brothel; Also, notice the return to 'thou' - is this genuine affection or the disrespect of talking to someone much lower than him?

3.1.121 "I could accuse me of such things that it were better my mother had not borne me" - self-loathing for things he's done or said or thought; if he hadn't been born he wouldn't be tormented by his uncle/father/mother now; also R&G wouldn't end up executed silly version - if his mother weren't so pretty, he wouldn't want to bang her and if he weren't 'born of woman' he could kill Macbeth and have great king-killing practice current Will: I think the bit about hamlet's ~oedipus complex~ was tongue in cheek, especially since I started by saying "silly version" but I also know that for a while I did buy into that theory and it colored some of my interpretations. I'd like to publicly renounce that now.

3.1.125 "We are arrant knaves all" - this is where he realizes that he's being watched, and shortly after asks "Where's your father?" Also, Hamlet calls Claudius an arrant knave in Act One

3.1.128-9 "Then let the doors be shut on him, that he may play the fool nowhere but in's own house" - he doesn't want Polonius to jump to conclusions but since he is there watching him, Hamlet will take advantage of it

3.1.133-5 "or if thou wilt needs marry, marry a fool, for wise men know well enough what monsters you make of them" - cuckolds! current Will: yes, past self, you're very smart

3.1.152 "Like sweet bells jangled, out of tune and harsh" - she recogizes the sweetness they once shared, but it's just not there anymore; compare to Hamlet's "the time is out of joint" (1.5.189) headcanon: Ophelia took clarinet lessons when she was ten

3.1.159-9 "There's something in his soul / O'er which his melancholy sits on brood" - Claudius can tell Hamlet's sadness is exaggerated to cover up something else, but he doesn't know it's vengeance

3.1.167 "shall expel this something-settled matter in his heart" - perfect description of Hamlet and his indecision and desperation 3.1.168 "whereon his brain still beating" - makes his brain a muscle that does actual physical work

3.1.172-4 "How now, Ophelia! You need not tell us what Lord Hamlet said; we heard it all" - Polonius honestly cares for his daughter but isn't very good at showing it current Will: this was a generous reading of Polonius, because this line can definitely be said dismissively or impatiently, but i've also seen productions where he drops everything to comfort Ophelia and is only half-listening to Claudius

3.1.176-7 "Let his queen mother all alone entreat him to show his grief" - why does Polonius insist on torturing this poor boy? It's no wonder he loses it. Is he even still paranoid if people really are out to get him?

#hamlet liveblog 2011 #hamlet #claudius #ophelia #my writing #not quite liveblogging my life

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upagainstthesunset · 8 months

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Metron's Love Life: Does It Exist?

Okay to be fair, it's never stated in canon that Metron can't fall in love. Ive been going around saying it is canon, but it's probably more of my own extrapolation of his personality than anything. It's my interpretation of what is or isnt out of character for him. With that in mind, let's look at three specific scenarios and I'll let you be the judge on whether or not this guy has a heart. These are the only brushes with romance that Metron's had that I'm aware of (and believe me, im very aware).

Scenario 1: New Gods #13 by Gerry Conway 1977

Metron and others are each tasked with protecting a human on Earth, so he shows up in New Orleans to protect a woman named Lorraine Hampton. The only indication that he's partial to her at all is when he watches her perform on stage and admires her singing.

[ID: Two comic panels. In the first, Lorraine turns Metron's face towards herself flirtatiously and says, "--and like me." To which Metron replies, "I'm sure I shall enjoy your performance Lorraine Hampton." She says, "See that you do, good buddy... And don't go home without me."

In the second image he watches Lorraine sing and says to himself thoughtfully, "Odd. I've traveled half a dozen galaxies... Spanned a full third of the known universe... But never have I felt a sense of belonging, as I feel here... Tonight." /END]

My personal feeling is that this out of character, but he really only has had 11 appearances up to this point. It's hardly much to go by. And in fairness, this is treated as a kind of unexpected anomaly that he finds himself feeling this way. But I suppose what I always end up falling back to is Kirby's characterization in New Gods. In my heart of hearts I just don't see this fitting. And also it really skirts around flirtation without him indicating if the odd feeling he has is romantic or just fascination.

Scenario 2: Super Powers #5 by Jack Kirby 1984

So if Kirby's word is gospel, what do we have here. In this one Metron has managed to save everyone after dealing with Darkseid and the Worlogog. To show her appreciation, Wonder Woman gives him a chaste kiss on the cheek, to which Metron appears visibly startled.

[ID: A comic panel of Wonder Woman kissing Metron on the cheek. Metron looks shocked and says, "What?! A kiss for Metron? I-- I never thought it likely--" Wonder Woman replies, "You deserve it-- for saving our world, and showing us that even a god can be human." Off screen someone says, "The brain booster-- it just disappeared!" /END]

I've shared this panel before because to me this is buck wild. Metron getting a kiss! From Wonder Woman!! He looks as surprised as I did when I first read this. I'd call this fan service but idk besides me what fan this could possibly cater to. Regardless, this is a rare time where we get any insight into Metron's thinking about romance at all. He doesnt say if receiving a kiss is something he had desired or hoped for, or even if he liked it. Just that he thought it wasn't in the cards for him. Knowing him, if he had wanted this kind of interaction with someone, he would have pursued it to completion. We've seen other instances where he is almost relentless about getting what he wants, so to me it means he didn't care enough to try to make it happen. But hmm idk, that really doesn't explain why he's so flustered.

Scenario 3: New Gods #22 by Mark Evanier 1991

Metron thinks back on the time when he betrayed all of New Genesis by giving Darkseid the means to be anywhere at any time in exhange for the ability to complete work on the Mobius Chair. Back then there was a woman who tried very hard to keep his attention, but she never won him over in the way she would've liked. He respected her in a way, and even said he loved her, but he also thought of her abstractly and through the lens of study.

[ID: A comic panel of Metron and Desdemona arguing. Desperately, Desdemona yells, "There was a time, Metron, when you said you loved me... When that and that alone gave you purpose!" Standing away from her, but turning back to regard her, Metron says, "Desdemona, I do love you. In my own way, I always shall. But I was gifted with an insatiable brain and a thirst for knowledge, so that I might ever expand the latter." /END]

So now we finally have an example of Metron addressing his ability to love directly. And by his own words, he can love. He does love. But it clearly isnt in the way that others do, and he knows it. But despite what he says, he still betrays her and others. He doesnt try to protect her, or even really consider her in general except when he's taking mental notes on her behavior. Always the academic amirite?

The other thing with this exchange is that apparently at one time he said she was enough to satisfy his mind. No offense but I find that pretty hard to believe. It's a real 'he would not fucking say that' situation. I'll buy that Metron thinks he loves someone in his own way, but i draw the line at him allegedly saying love gave him purpose. I mean come on.

[ID: Two comic panels of Metron and Desdemona talking. He appears stern, while she looks defeated with tears in her eyes. In the first he says, "There is a price to be paid with every gain of knowledge. As my mate, you shall just have to accept that." She says, "You have so much to learn, Metron. Even the simplest truths escape you."

In the second panel she walks away from him saying, "I have not been your 'mate' for a long time." /END]

See now this sounds a lot more like Metron. He wants her to accept that Darkseid's troops attacked New Genesis children in exchange for securing the element that powers the Mobius Chair. And you know what? He totally would fucking say that! That is SO in character! Are these the words of a man who loves someone?? No! And this whole "as my mate" business.. I do think he'd say that. I don't like it, but is it within reason for his personality? Absolutely.

So like, to me it kinda seems like he didnt really love her even if he thought he did. He mightve loved studying her? But thats about it. And when she walked away crying she said she never wanted to see him again and he noted her behavior for further study (not pictured).

Now there is something to be said about this being just one writer's characterization of him, but Evanier worked as one of Kirby's assistants during the creation of the Fourth World books. He has gone on record as saying he felt he didn't do as good of a job with the title himself, but I still think tonally maybe he gets a little extra credit for whatever insight working with Jack Kirby gave him.

That said, would Metron ever take on a "mate"? Idk maybe for science to see what it's like or how it goes. And would he end up completely missing how much he hurts her? Probably. So yeah, to me this wasn't love. Even though he said it was.

In Conclusion

Ive shown what I can related to Metron's few brushes with romance. Obviously I couldnt include all of scenario 3, so if you want to learn more youll have to read the entire issue. But as you can see, the rare times where he supposedly saw some action, it's either unclear how into it he is, or unclear if what he felt was actually romantic attraction in the first place. And in all cases, it really begs the question of if certain aspects are even in character to begin with. So what do you think? Does Metron have the ability to love?

#metron #new gods #fourth world #metronmeta #metron if i fits i sits #katetakes

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