Assorted FFVI headcanons because these blorbos live in my head rent free: Edgar edition

- He became king at 17 and had to keep up an alliance with the people who killed his father alone for ten years, this man absolutely has anxiety

- Is used to suppressing said anxiety because he has to be dependable

- Definitely had a breakdown at some point in front of his friends and felt mortified; his friends don't judge him for it

- Workaholic- buries himself in his duties so he doesn't have to think about his feelings

- Tinkering as a means of comforting himself

- Actually quite the artist, especially sketching plans for machines, totally has a little notebook somewhere with rough sketches of various things and people he's encountered, Relm finds it at some point

- Doesn't hate kids but really also has no idea what to do with them if he's asked to watch them, will agree anyway (especially if it's for Terra)

- Always forgets to drink enough water

- Used to both hot and cold weather since he lives in a desert

- Outfit covers his whole body to protect from the sun but is very breathable so he's not overheating

- More of a survivalist than you'd expect him to be, especially knows a lot about the desert

- Can MacGyver the most seemingly unrelated useless objects into something useful

- The constant skirt chasing and flirting is intentionally exaggerated and he is not actually Like That to the level it seems

- Very bisexual, definitely has/had a thing with Locke or Setzer or both and also has a thing for Terra (good thing he's got two hands!)

- 100% would be down for polygamy

- Blonde hair is weird for a desert dwelling people with darker skin (related: I just cannot picture the figabros as white, they would burn so bad in the desert) but it's a Figaro royal family thing and of course Edgar is proud of it and vehemently refuses to cut it at all, impracticality be damned

- Uses some kind of special conditioner so even though the desert is hot and dry, his hair is very soft and shiny

- Figaro's native dishes can be notoriously spicy so the twins have a high spice tolerance

- Edgar absolutely deliberately chooses the spiciest dishes his country has to offer when entertaining fellow politicians he does not like, and his guests can't really complain because spices are one of those things that mean status and whatnot, so refusing a spicy meal is like slapping Edgar in the face, so he's just sitting there having a nice time and the other guy is internally on fire (yes he did do this to Gestahl and Kefka, the latter of which barely had a reaction to the pain and deeply unsettled him)

- Zero patience for nobility who look down on common folks

- Visits South Figaro incognito to check on his people, some of them have figured out it's him but they keep quiet about it

- Had the death penalty abolished in Figaro very early on in his reign

- Was personally responsible for the invention of air conditioning

- Gets adorably excited when talking about machines, will completely forget that not everyone understands technical jargon

- Very sentimental, has a collection of mementos from his travels, definitely still has the Gerad getup

- Will never admit it out loud but at least one of his friends has figured out that he can be calmed by stroking his hair, like a cat (it was probably Locke, they've known each other the longest, he definitely tells the rest of them because it's adorable and silly, yes Sabin was already aware of this)

- If he had a choice he'd be living in a little workshop building and repairing things for people instead of running a country

- A little bit vain but not obnoxious about it, mostly because he's supposed to keep up a certain image as the king

- Actually enjoyed being Gerad and not having to be proper all the time

- Is not stuck in Figaro all alone after the game because I refuse to believe they'd all just go back to doing their own things, instead his friends show up to pull him away from working himself to death and help take some of the burden off of his shoulders

EDIT: Can't believe I forgot my own headcanon I've already posted about but: migraines

Can you tell I think a lot about Figaro and the twins, because I think A Lot about them, I think the desert kingdom is very neat and desperately want to see it rendered in modern CG (I can't help imagining it would be like the desert region in ff16 every time the plot sends me there; please square I beg of you)

So not to start this off by coming across as my typical pretentious self but when considering aspects of a ship that are cute I personally like to allow it to be informed by the context of the characters within the ship. Like yeah you can make a first date be cute on any person, but the real treasure is found in things that are cute situationally to the character

I'll start with Edgar pairings because you know I'm not lying about him being my main little guy.

Edjose is the ship that, for me, I find the most straight forward "Oh. Little signs of affection are adorable on these two."

Like, I think of all the game five ships I write for, these two are the ones where the Cute Charm of the ship is the gradual acceptance of intimacy. José has grown up in an environment where the love he received was conditional to his work, and Edgar's love was supposedly unconditional but often inauthentic at best and explorative at worst. And (in the best case "these two come to understand eachother and have a healthier relationship" path) it's just inherently very cute for the two of them to have small moments of physical intimacy, understanding, and vulnerability.

Hmm. A specific scenario that has played out in my head that I've been looking for an excuse to include in my head being something like the two of them at a party together and Edgar, overwhelmed but masquerading it as anger, goes to place himself next to José. José takes notice and asks if he's had enough, touching the small of his back as he does it. Edgar glares at him, but it's clearly not with malice. José excuses the two of them from the room, and when they're alone Edgar spends like ten minutes resting his forehead against his shoulder.

Private, quiet intimacy. I think it's adorable on them.

Kevgar is cute like just conceptually to me. I know it's the entire premise of my main fic for them but I love the role reversal of "man introduced to gay culture by a man a decade younger and far more knowledgeable then him" I think it's nice especially give their character flaws and vulnerabilities. I think that Kevin has never actually gotten a chance to explore his own personhood before he doesn't have the vibe of a man that does a lot of introspection outside of self-flagellation and I think Edgar is good for him.

I think Edgar would for better or for worse know that Kevin is someone safe. Even before they like eachother or before they're getting along it's really hard not to look at this man and decide yeah he's wearing his heart on his sleeve he couldn't manipulate me if he tried, let alone that he wouldn't want to. Specific situation wise though I think?? It's something I've tried to write before and more specifically incorporate and have failed so if it pops up in a fic in the future don't look at me, but I think it would be kind of sweet if, pre-relationship, Edgar just Comes To Kevin when he gets in moods where he's getting really paranoid about the people he does trust taking advantage of it, or Kevin coming to Edgar when he's forced to be alone because being with someone he hates is better than being left to his own thoughts and guilt. And it's about the intimacy in the inherent trust that even if I hate you you won't hurt me. I think that's nice. That makes me feel warm and happy.

Edgar and Vera is really sweet because I think it's the only ship here where Vera would willingly eventually tell him about the full extent of her situation with her sister, the fact that she murdered her and took her identity, the fact she did it out of jealousy, ect. Like I think other ships here she might tell them bits and pieces, but with Edgar specifically I think there's a moment where she'd break and just dump everything on him, and he just like. Takes it? He accepts her for who she is, for better or for worse, because he does love (be it as a friend or romantic partner) Vera and wants the world for her! In return, I do think Edgar would tell her about killing his mentor, but I don't know if that holds the same amount of emotional weight for him as Vera's sisters death holds for her.

I included this scene in my uhh biography fic, but I do turn over scenes like. Melancholic dancing together. Sitting together and Vera leans in and whispers in his ear while blocking her mouth and they both turn and look at a character while she does it. I think Vera is a very physically clingy person, and I think she is the only person Edgar will let do that to him explicitly and publically. I think they like the idea that they're comfortable with casual touch and affection, and I think it's charming because in my head their end game relationship IS platonic.

I like? Edgar and Patricia? Like, clearly, given I wrote something involving them for his birthday. But I don't know if I have anything off the top of my head that would be "cute" for them, because I see so many of their interactions on the basis of mutual respect and the horrifying ordeal of being know. Like, I feel that so much of their relationship involves the inherent respect and seeing eye to eye and knowing eachother in ways others absolutely don't want to come to know you. So I don't know if I'd say it's?? Cute? But if I had to pick a scenario for them that would feel meaningful in some way, the idea of like. I would have to come up with an au to justify it, because canonically both Edgar and Patricia want Edgar dead. But protecting eachother or standing over eachothers bleeding out body.... In either direction. That would be nice to see for the two of them.

Vera/José is like...

I think so much about the appeal of this ship to me is the grief and the tragedy. They're both dealing so heavily with their own grief and trauma, and I don't think either of them are emotionally mature enough to help eachother deal with that grief when they're both handling their own. The aus I have for them are like. Madam Coral pulling Hook!José into the sea not by a song of seduction, but from the agonizing sobs that are echoing from the sea. The vibe of canon José/Vera for me is Vera acknowledging that this man tried to manipulate her but willing to disregard that in her own loneliness and exhaustion. They're standing there covered in dirt and grime looking at the damage the game has done

The only au I have that's kinda cute and fun for them is the. Basil au, because I think it's hilarious that Dill-Vera wants to fuck him like, canonically. She thinks he's hot. I lost the point of this question I know I'm supposed to be coming up with something cute for them but I think the point was that they are tragic. Uhh. So while my normal interpretation is that they would normally drag eachother down in their own misery... Hm. There is an au where they maybe mellow eachother out, and through eachother come to understandings about themselves. José maybe able to come to hear the way Vera's parents treated her (her "sister") and realize his own father never quite actually loved him (and he knew that, of course. He knows that love is conditional, he knows that care is secondary) and to that point, Vera (who sees the world through her perfumes craft, and how people only saw worth in it after it made money) is able to come to value herself beyond her worth as a perfumer. And there's connection there. And I don't think they'd ever truely be able to help eachother climb out of the realm of addiction, and I don't think they'd ever truely have the level of connection to eachother they could have with other partners (Vera is never telling him about killing her sister, José is never telling her the extent of the horrors he's seen at sea) but theres love and symapthy and empthy

And that's not cute. But it is heart warming

Anyway. Both of these characters are addicts with no emotional intelligence and no self-awareness. I hope this helps.

Vera/Patricia is ALSO a ship that's hard to come up with cute moments under the condition of romance because I ship it mainly under a toxic pretence, but like. At worst Patricia is actively trying to murder Vera, and using effection and comfort to calm her and help guide her to her death, and at best Patricia doesn't kill her, and Vera grows attached and their relationship becomes a little co-dependent bubble. And you can shape that in a way that's not DESTRUCTIVE, right? That co-dependence in itself isn't going to rip them apart. But the both of them have lived a very long, exhausting life. Vera never got acceptance from her community as herself, and Patricia ruined the acceptance of her community through her actions (it's more complicated then that, but as Patricia see's it, from her perspective.)

And so both woman don't have acceptance in their communities, and they can find that in eachother, and when you find that you want to keep it. And I think in doing so, they struggle to know Each other? If that makes sense. Something something the idea of eachother, seeing themselves in their partner rather than their partners actual issue, but knowing that vulnerability is there and knowing they connect with that vulnerability.

Something cute for them, actual situationship wise... It's not a specific situation because again. All of my situations with them are like. Patricia coaxing Vera to smoke to relax her, or Vera melting down in Vera's room. But I have this scene in my head for a scene from their main game where Patricia and Vera, both in their worn clothing and covered in blood, meet on the boat. The wind catches in Vera's hair, and she turns to give Patricia the smallest, most yielding of smiles.

For a moment, all is well.

Vera/Kevin

I think Vera Scares this man

I will keep it honest with you. I'm still working out their dynamic, so I don't know if I can come up with anything immediately cute off the top of my head for them. But I think Vera confuses this man, because she both confirms and contradicts his world view at the same time. On one hand she's dainty and elegant and kinda small and would be easy to... Hurt? Not to sound deranged. She's kind of pathetic in a way that would pull at Kevin's heart strings. But shes also very clearly manic depressed in a way that she has violently lashed out before, and gives me the impression of someone who goes through a lot of emotional swings. I think that contradiction would throw Kevin off.

And I think that's where the meat is. Like the meat is her challenging his view. But I don't know if that's cute that's just a straight forward dynamic. I think the idea of Kevin just scooping Vera up and over his shoulder is very cute. I don't even think she'd fight it like Edgar would, I think she's so touch starved that he scoops her up and she freezes up like a cat she's so thrown off.

I'm surprised I didn't hit José/Kevin sooner, but like. Gestures at the fandom. To be fair, they mostly got that covered.

I do think that the fandom does get the baseline of their dynamic wrong? This is a ship that, at the very least, starts as a hate fuck and has to grow from there. I think these two are verbally fighting in the streets and fucking in the sheets. But it's easier for me to come up with things that are cute and charming for them as a result, because the aspect of the enemies. It's about the little aspects of care while they deny it's aspects of care. Kevin gathering José up after catching him drunk because the instinct of being a hero overpowers the aspect of hating men? That's cute as hell to me.

I don't think. José is self aware enough to understand what he appreciates about Kevin is that Kevin disrespects him for who he is and what he does. I think José DOES like the fact Kevin is willing to challenge him so avertly. It would amuse him as much as it frustrates him, but would especially frustrate him when Kevin starts making points that are right. I think Kevin is, more then anyone here, someone that might make José actually question and crumble against what his idea of honor (because José's idea of honor IS bad. He thinks he is a good person because of his service to the queen, because of his role in the navy) is through direct confrontation and conversation. I can imagine Kevin and José arguing and José just stopping mid sentence and trailing off as he realizes, unfortunately, that Kevin might be RIGHT about something he's saying. He needs to sit down over it, and he expects Kevin to mock him for it, but I think by the point that this would happen Kevin is also sitting there looking at José essentially melt into himself and hold his head over his own world view and just

Quietly sit down and join him. Sitting back with him, rest an arm around his shoulders and sit with him.

And they have that moment where both of them understand. Yeah?

José/Patricia and Patricia/Kevin .... Give me a day or two to think on that one. I haven't put much thought into either of those dynamics. The most I've thought about José/Patricia's dynamic is in the post game au that came out before Edgar's letter where she was constantly exasperated and judging him for like. Still being alive, literally for that reason. Patrica doesn't respect José OR Kevin, I think she thinks they're both big miserable babies in drastically different ways. But she also thinks that of Vera, and I'm willing to ship those two. So I'll think of something unique and interesting for you in the future.

this is so typical of me but for the ask game, could you do edmund and/or the lear sisters?

YES I absolutely can, this is as much my brand as yours. Sorry for the delay in posting, I had a change of plans yesterday :)

EDMUND

Sexuality Headcanon: Only really attracted to women but if it was somehow useful to sleep with a man he probably would and probably wouldn’t mind it too much. Also, I HC him as relying way too much on sex to fulfill his need for affection. Also also, a sub, I will die on that hill. Gender Headcanon: Male in the canon but I have a huge soft spot for female!Edmund too so either works for me. Probably cis but I’ve seen some people post about trans Edmund so maybe? A ship I have with said character: Edmund/Goneril is my TRASH because it’s such a mess but it could be so good. Started off as kind of a joke/speculation for one particular fic and now I have a lot of feelings about it. A BROTP I have with said character: Edmund and Edgar!! Let! Them! Be Brothers! Especiallly pre-canon :((( Also not sure exactly what the Edmund and Cornwall dynamic is, possibly it falls under BROTP but it’s definitely interesting. A NOTP I have with said character: I’ve seen like one fic of Edgar/Edmund as a romantic pairing and. No. Just stop. A random headcanon: Has gorgeous handwriting. He’s obviously great at forgery, but I imagine his own writing is just lovely. As opposed to Edgar, who probably has a very messy scrawl. General Opinion over said character: Actual love of my life, more than is justified. He’s objectively terrible, but he’s also so sympathetic and so self-aware that it makes me love him even more. Imho, hottest character in the canon.

GONERIL

Sexuality Headcanon: I guess straight in canon? See I really like the idea of lesbian Goneril in the female!Edmund AU and I feel like...she probably has some sort of equivalent hangups around sex in the canon-verse too, but she clearly likes men so...not entirely sure? At the very least she’s definitely not at ALL attracted to Albany. Gender Headcanon: Definitely a cis woman, since that’s tied to a lot of her experiences and especially how Lear treats her. A ship I have with said character: As I said before, Edmund/Goneril is terrible but also great and has a special place in my heart. A BROTP I have with said character: Her and Regan before Shit Went Down. It was probably always a little rocky, but that scene where Regan takes her hand and they stand up against Lear together? Excellent. A NOTP I have with said character: She and Albany just have an objectively terrible relationship that makes both of them miserable. I don’t think that’s controversial, but yeah, definitely a bad ship. A random headcanon: Less of a headcanon and more a question but: where did she get that poison that she used on Regan? Unlike in a lot of plays, there’s no mention of that. I wonder if she had it for awhile, planning it for something, maybe Albany, maybe herself, maybe something entirely different. General Opinion over said character: She used to be my least favourite sister and boy was I wrong! I find her very weirdly sympathetic and I think she’s a deeply sad and desperate person with a uniquely tragic position in the fucked up world of that play, but also, a very cool evil lady.

REGAN

Sexuality Headcanon: I think of her as bi; don’t really have textual evidence for that but oh well. Definitely into some WEIRD SHIT as far as BDSM (emphasis on the S) taken wayyyyyyy too far. Gender Headcanon: Probably a cis woman, not really anything to suggest otherwise. A ship I have with said character: Regan/Cornwall is the power couple for the ages! So equal in their dynamics, so passionate, so fun and evil and tragic in a weird way at the end. A BROTP I have with said character: As I said, her and Goneril! Also her scene with Oswald is very...interesting idk, I haven’t thought about it much but I wonder if they ever had a weird sort of friendship. A NOTP I have with said character: Regan/Edmund isn’t a NOTP exactly because it’s definitely canon and definitely interesting but I think it’s just bad for both of them and not what they actually want. A random headcanon: Sometimes in production she’s dressed in every Dark Evil Villain Outfits, but I actually imagine her wearing very colourful, ostentatious clothing a lot of the time. Probably very quick to change out of her mourning clothes too... General Opinion over said character: The least sympathetic sister, but also by far the coolest. PEAK villain stanning material, and one of Shakespeare’s female villains who’s allowed to get most in-touch with her brutality in a super fascinating way.

CORDELIA

Sexuality Headcanon: Probably straight cause I’m not sure why she wouldn’t be I guess? Gender Headcanon: Probably a cis woman but in a staging where Cordelia is actually the fool I think it could be really interesting to consider as a pants role/exploration of her gender. Especially in terms of her only being able to get Lear to listen to her while she’s dressed as a boy. Maybe not an actual reflection of her identity, but still much to play with. A ship I have with said character: Ugh it really depends on the AU for her, @princess-of-france​ has such a great Edmund/Cordelia dynamic in her work, @harry-leroy​ opened my mind to Edgar/Cordelia too, but I have such a hard time choosing one just for the canon play. But Cordelia and France are adorable in every universe, so I’ll go with that! A BROTP I have with said character: Her and Edgar! I’m on the fence about them romantically but I love the idea of them being close before the play. I would have loved to see one last conversation between them at the end. A NOTP I have with said character: I don’t know that people SHIP this but the Lear/Cordelia as an incestuous relationship discourse is YIKES. A random headcanon: Way wittier than she tends to get credit for. She canonically had some connection with the fool, and I wonder if she had a similar relationship with Lear before everything, able to quietly question him in clever ways without him taking offense. She might not have realized that her defiance in front of everyone would be a step too far. General Opinion over said character: I’ve definitely moved past seeing her as the boring good angelic daughter, thank god. She’s a wonderful character! I talk about her less than the other two mostly because I don’t think I need to be in her defense squad as much, and I love villains, but she’s fantastic.

ugghhgh you know what? lost eden spoilers and long rambling about shu and yuma’s relationship under the cut

I KNOW i know im so predictable everyone is like “uugggghhh nat has to make everything about sh/uuma” but I’ve been thinking about this lucks reveal, I’ve thought long and hard about it, heck I even showered on it and I do my BEST thinking in the shower, and like I just can’t get it out of my head

yuma’s backstory (pre-mukami bros) is sad but it’s full of people that he loved. he had really good friends throughout his whole life pretty much. he had shu and that big group of kids with lucks as the leader, but he got separated from all of them. yuma was under the impression (before finding out that shu knew him pre-amnesia) that all his connections to his past had been severed. everyone was dead. all his old friends were gone.

and then more,blood rolls around and what do you know!!! yuma finds an actual, honest-to-god connection to his old life in the form of shu sakamaki! in MB and dark fate, shu was yuma’s only clue when it came to finding out his past. the problem with that was........even if yuma was desperate to find out about his past, shu wasn’t willing to tell him about it right away. shu didnt want to talk about it, and he even lied to yuma by saying that he was the one who started the fire that burnt down his village. even with shu right there, with all the answers, yuma still has to find out about his friendship with shu all on his own. that was hella frustrating. and heck, it’s not shu’s fault - shu had been really hurt by edgar’s supposed death and he wasnt emotionally ready to have another relationship like that, so he pushed yuma away. for a lot of reasons, they were having trouble connecting with each other again.

but from the point of view of someone just watching the games unfold, it definitely looked like things were getting better!! things were getting better I think! they had a really good talk in dark fate, yuma even referred to himself as shu’s best friend, and shu expressed both verbally and with his actions that he didn’t want yuma to die (and heck, that’s the nicest thing a diaboy has ever done for another diaboy!). shu came clean about the fact that he didnt really burn the village down, and he was even able to work shit out with reiji. they were hella friendly in lunatic parade, shu was smiling and stuff. shu even got to apologize in the versus cd, and believe me when I say that he needed to get that off his chest for a long time. such a long time. holy shit (sure yuma kinda refused to hear the apology and ran away before shu got to say it, because rejet fucking hates me personally, but shu ESSENTIALLY apologized ok)

BUT THEN

but then in lost eden, LUCKS shows up. LUCKS!!! lucks is someone that yuma has CLEAR memories of, someone that he’s mourned for for a long time, someone that he’s planted roses for in his garden to remember him by. LUCKS is here now, and yuma’s like fuckin :D!!!! immediately, it’s the goddamn reunion of the century, and he still calls him by that old nickname Bear which is pretty much the oldest name that yuma remembers being called. it’s really special to him.

...yuma no longer NEEDS to be around shu. he has another connection to his past now, someone who doesnt withhold information about him like shu does, someone who he’s been through a lot of hardships with. I think yuma prefers his life with lucks and the others over his life as edgar, to be honest. and it’s gotta be a nice change having someone that you can just sit and talk about your past with, as opposed to shu who couldn’t deal with that at all.

so, I guess what I’m wondering is, like.............I know that shu is still in yuma’s LE route because he was mentioned in the preview. how exactly is shu fitting in with all of this? is shu gonna meet lucks, and if so, what are they gonna think of each other?? is shu gonna get pushed aside so lucks can regain the “best friend” title, and is he gonna be okay with that??? WHAT DID SHU DO TO MAKE YUMA CRY

anyway, best case scenario for me: yuma makes it clear that he wasnt JUST hanging with shu just to find out about his past and that he genuinely considers shu his friend regardless, and that he’ll keep being his friend even if other friends show up. I’ll recover emotionally and then I’ll probably write some fics where lucks is the love rival

sorry about how long & pointless this post is. sometimes you gotta just type out your feelings yknow?