#shame cause it’s such a cool looking wyvern

[sadlazzle]

ancient wyvern is a disappointing boss but i don’t think that’s news. it’s hardly a boss at all

#like not even a second run around ?? just the one ??? okay #i was expecting it to take more than one head shot. oh well #shame cause it’s such a cool looking wyvern #and especially after ancient dragon in ds2 like dude. u had the blueprint right there n u still fucked it #gotta b one of the worst dragon-like bosses ive faced #at least guardian dragon actually did something #plum plays dark souls 3

[ladyanaconda]

Helluva Boss Vol 2: Loo Loo Land

Striker awoke with a start, panting heavily. His heart pounded so fast that he thought it would burst out of his chest at any moment now. The imp sighed as he ran a hand through his ash white hair.

He had that nightmare again. He didn't cry, as he had no more tears to shed and it wouldn't being her back but the wound was still raw. He'd tell himself that he did what she asked of him: to save their son. However, the guilt was still there.

Striker went to the kitchen for a glass of water. As he looked through the window, he noticed it was raining. There were no thunders tonight but still, he better go check on Jake just in case.

Something pulled on his pants. Speak of the devil! Striker looked down and found the infant next to his leg, his little hand grasping his pants. How Jake managed to crawl all the way down from his nursery was a mystery to Striker.

"What's up, kiddo?" Striker asked, not really expecting an answer. Jake reached out his hands, asking to be picked up. Sighing, he bent down to pick up his son. " Can't sleep either, huh? That makes two of us, my boy," he said gently as he walked up the stairs. "How about we keep each other company for a while? It'll be less lonely that way."

Striker sat on his bed and placed Jake on his lap. He entertained the little one with the rattling of his tail for a while until Jake lost interest and snuggled into his father's chest, yawning. Striker knew what the little one needed. Jake protested via whimpers as he was tucked back into his nearly started to wail if not for the familiar sound of a guitar's strings and his father's voice as the cradle was rocked from side to side.

Come stop your crying

It will be alright

Just take my hand

Hold it tight

I will protect you

From all around you

I will be here

Don't you cry

For one so small

You seem so strong

My arms will hold you

Keep you safe and warm

This bond between us

Can't be broken

I will be here don't you cry

'Cause you'll be in my heart

Yes, you'll be in my heart

From this day on

Now and forevermore

You'll be in my heart

No matter what they say

You'll be here in my heart

Always

Always…

Jake had long been lulled into sleep by the end of the song. Smiling, Striker kissed the little one's forehead.

"Good night."

*HB*

"M and M, J and S, get in here! We're going to Loo Loo Land!"

Striker frowned under his hat, annoyed at having his nap interrupted. "Isn't that the rip-off of Lucifer's far more popular LuLu World?" he inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"That's right, Strike! Stolas is paying us extra cash for making sure he and his daughter are still breathing by the end of the day."

Striker covered his face with his hat again. "Sorry, Blitz, my contract only includes assassination jobs."

"Look at it this way: you're going to 'assassinate' whoever tries to lay a hand on Stolas and his daughter."

The cowboy frowned. "Why us? Doesn't that blueblood have a whole legion of guards at his disposal?"

"Come on, dad! I want to go to Loo Loo Land!" Jake pleaded, taking his father's hat. "I've never been to a theme park!"

"Yeah, Strike, it'll be fun!" Millie wrapped an arm around the cowboy's shoulder. "You won't find a cheaper theme park in all of Hell, plus it's a good opportunity for you and Jake to spend some quality time together!"

Striker would have protested further, but Jake (and Blitzo) were giving him the 'puppy eyes' face. At last, he murmured. "Ugh. Fine."

They picked up the owl Goetias in I.M.P.'s van and went straight to the theme park in the Greed ring. As always, Striker and Jake rode Bombproof to avoid an overcrowding inside the vehicle, especially with two bluebloods inside.

Striker'd seen a few tv commercials about Loo Loo Land, but something he'd learned over the years is that no intentional rip-off of anything was worth wasting money on. He was soon proven right once they arrived at the place. Most of the attractions within Loo Loo Land were either broken, cracked, or disheveled-looking. And judging by the look on Octavia's face, she didn't like it here either. Jake, on the other hand…

"Cool! Look, dad, there's a carousel! Can we go? No, wait, I wanna try the roller coaster first! Whoa, is that a dragon? I must pet it!" the impling was running around the place, awing over the rides and booths with wide eyes.

"Blitz better add another zero to my next paycheck." Striker murmured under his breath.

"Woow! I haven't been to this place since I was a tot! It hasn't changed a bit- oh, LOOK!" Millie pulled Moxxie and Jake into a hug and gestured to an old dinosaur-like animatronic. "It's Big Woobly!"

"That is… deeply upsetting," Moxxie whispered.

"Oh, come on! It's fun! You've never been here?"

"No, theme parks always disturbed me. Especially the mascots."

"I agree with Moxxie." Millie, Jake, and Moxxie himself gave Striker a baffled look. "As incredible as it sounds."

"Well, hey there!" Striker was caught off guard as Moxxie suddenly jumped into his arms with a frightened yelp as a guy in an old cartoonish apple costume appeared out of nowhere. The only reason he didn't drop Moxxie was that he too was disturbed by the awful, smelly costume. "I'm Loo Loo! Welcome to Loo Loo Land! If ya'll get hurt, just try and sue us!"

Striker quickly wrapped his tail around Jake's waist and lifted him up before he could get too close to 'Loo Loo'.

"Hey, dad, let go!" the impling protested.

"Stay away from that predator, kiddo." Striker finally dropped Moxxie to the ground.

"I have a question."

"Well, ask away, little girlie!" the mascot made a poor attempt at goofy laughter.

Octavia sneered. "Is it true this park is just a really shameless spin-off or Lucifer's far more popular Lu Lu World? This place reeks of insecure corporate shame."

Striker held tightly unto Jake until they left the creepy mascot behind. Being new to this place, he decided to follow Millie and Moxxie around for a while.

"You really love this place, huh?" Moxxie asked casually.

Millie nodded eagerly. "I love this place! My parents would bring me and my siblings here when they could swing it. Money-wise."

"Dad, look!" Jake ran towards a gift shop and pressed his face against the window, eyeing a plush dragon like the one on the Petting Zoo. "Can I have one?"

Striker only had to look at the price, 400 souls, to reply. "Absolutely not."

"Whyy?"

"400 souls for a doll you'll end up throwing away? Don't you wanna throw away all of my salary, since you're on it?"

Jake pouted, arms crossed. "Meanie."

"He does have a point. I mean, that much for a novelty cup you use one time?" Moxxie added, pointing at said cup worth 29 souls.

"Cause it's Loo Loo Land!" Millie chirped.

"Listen to your hoe, Mox." Blitzo seemingly had no trouble with loading up on the theme park's merch. "Hey, Strike, how 'bout you and I take the first watch while M and M have a little fun with Jakey?"

"Can I, dad? Please, please, please!"

Striker sighed. "Fine. Just stay close to Millie and Moxxie and listen to whatever they tell-"

"Um, Striker, I have to interrupt your fatherly monologue, but they already left." Blitzo was right. Millie, Moxie, and Jake were gone already.

Striker merely sighed and loaded his rifle.

*HB*

Jake still couldn't understand why his father had never brought him to Loo Loo Land before. This place was incredible! The rides, the junk food, kicking the guy in the Loo Loo costume; for some reason, he couldn't resist the urge every time he saw the apple costume. And of course, Moxie simply had to ruin everything. His wimpy stomach couldn't handle The Lawsuit ride and he ended up vomiting unto the people in the front car, Jake included. They had to get him new clothes in the nearest gift shop.

"You're so lucky my dad wasn't here or he would have fed you to that," Jake pointed at the dragon peeking over the Petting zoo fence.

"Okay, guys, how about we take a look around the smaller rides?" Millie suggested.

"You mean the kids area? That's where the Petting Zoo is! Can we go there to see the dragon?"

"I don't care as long as I don't have to get on top of it," Moxxie murmured, his hand still clutching his stomach. Jake squealed happily.

There were lots of animals at the Petting Zoo. Jake recognized some from Wrath, most notably some Hellhorses with green fire to reflect Greed. He had seen how Bombproof's fire color change from orange to red each time they entered Pride, and it had changed to a minty green when they entered Greed. There were other animals he had only seen in books too, but his attention was entirely focused on the giant red, black and white wyvern. Known as Hellvern, it is native to Greed and is often used as a 'guardian dog' of sorts by Overlords.

Jake felt a shiver down his spine as the giant dragon stared down at him curiously. Taking a deep breath, he stroked the animal's snout. Once he realized his hand was attached to his body, Jake began to laugh and jump.

"I touched the dragon, I touched the dragon!" he cried out happily. "Just wait until I tell dad!"

"Oh, I bet he'll be very proud of you!" Millie smirked, ruffling the impling's hair. "

Afterward, they took a break from the rides and wandered around the snack and game booths. Jake and Millie ate big cones of ice cream bugs and fried butter sticks. Moxxie chose not to consume any 'junk food of questionable origin'.

"This place is amazing! Man, I wish I'd come here sooner!" Jake said happily as he looked around the game booths.

"So Striker has never brought here? He would have loved the rides for sure!" Millie pointed out.

"Nah, dad's never been too fond of machines. He'd rather do things the old-fashioned way."

Moxxie scoffed. "Yeah, why would he come to work on a horse otherwise?"

"Well, at least we don't waste time on looking for a parking spot."

"Touché, kid."

"Hey, now that we're on it, I don't think we've ever met your mom."

Jake stopped in his tracks. His… mom? It's the first time someone's brought that up. Dad has never talked about her and there are no photos of her in the house. But surely he had one, right? Everyone has one.

"Hello, hello! Step right up and win a thing!"

Millie's excited cry distracted Jake from his thoughts. "Oh, look, Moxxie! A thing!" The 'thing' in question was a purple stuffed penguin-like creature with imp horns and pink overalls.

"Oh, you like that thing?"

"Yesss! I don't really know what that thing is but I want that thing!"

Moxxie smirked. "Finally, something I can handle." he placed a soul bill on the counter. "Okay! One game, please!"

Unsurprisingly, the cork but the target. To Jake's surprise, however, the target barely moved. Moxxie didn't seem to mind since he had hit the bullseye.

"Strike one, little man!"

Moxie's smugness faded instantly. "But I hit it!"

"Hmm, I don't know what to tell ya, buddy. The target, see?" the vendor pointed at said target "It didn't go down, so yeah, no go, bro."

Growling, Moxie placed another bill on the counter and fired another cork at the bullseye, but again it didn't move. Annoyed, Moxxie slapped the pistol. "The Heaven's wrong with this thing?!"

"Oh. Man, a real shame, I tell ya." the carnie made crying gestures in a mocking manner, prompting Moxxie to slam yet another bill on the counter.

*HB*

As incredible as it may sound, Striker envied his son. Jake was probably having a great time at the admittedly cool-looking rides while he is stuck babysitting a blueblood. He couldn't say he was completely bored, though. Turns out the pervert was right when he said there'd be lots of people going after him. Striker even ended up making a bet with Blitzo over who could shoot more people by the end of the day. Up to now, Striker was winning.

The cowboy casually spotted Octavia, who by then looked like she'd snap at any second now. He couldn't blame her, the show's musical number was rather bizarre.

"How come that pervert hasn't noticed his daughter is not enjoying himself at all?" he asked Blitzo casually.

"Not our business, Strike. We're their bodyguards, not their family therapists. Speaking of which," Blitzo shot an assassin in the back before he could stab Stolas. Blitzo smirked. "That makes it four on my count, Striker."

"Let's save that for later, Blitz. Looks like the mare's finally kicked." Striker motioned to Octavia as she fled the tent, Stolas following closely behind.

"You should find Jakey. It's Millie and Moxxie's watch, anyway, they can go keep an eye on Stolas."

Striker nodded gratefully and left the circus tent. Surprisingly, it didn't take him too long to find Jake, Moxxie, and Millie. They were at a shooting game booth. Judging by the enraged look in Moxxie's face and the 600 souls in the vendor's hands, the wimp just got scammed.

"Hey, dad! You won't believe what I did, I petted a dragon!"

Striker chuckled and petted the boy's head. "I'm glad you had a great time, kiddo."

"Hey, you, cowboy! You look like ye might be better at shooting this sad little fella."

Striker frowned. He knew from experience that these booths were rigged to scam customers out of their money at the vendor's leisure. He had a better idea. Smirking, Striker pulled out his pistol and handed it to Jake.

"Show them what you got, kiddo."

The impling's face lit up. He pointed the barrel of the weapon at the carnie to give him a fright before shooting all of the targets with flawless precision in quick succession. The bullets went right through the targets, leaving big holes. The carne was reduced to a trembling, frightened mess.

"H-Hey, take it easy, p-pal…" he stuttered nervously as Jake pointed the gun at him again.

"That's my boy!" Striker laughed, patting Jake's shoulder.

"Now I think," Moxxie sneered as he leaned unto the counter. "That you owe us a thing."

Something crashed through the roof of the shooting gallery and on top of the carnie. The group leaned in to take a look.

"Sir?" Moxxie asked.

Striker sighed once he turned around and found the theme park literally on fire. "Really, Blitz? I leave you alone for a second and you screw the damn place up?"

"Oh, hey guys!" Blitzo seemingly didn't hear him as he drew his pistol. "You should probably go, uh, make sure Stolas is okay. I got some… unfinished business to take care of."

The group dispersed, with Millie quickly grabbing her plush thing. Strike quickly picked Jake up and moved out of the way as Blitzo fired at the burning robot; the thing caught the bullet in its mouth and curled up to roll towards Blitzo in a fiery charge. Blitzo jumped out of the way just as the robot hit the booth and it exploded in an inferno of green flames.

"Um, Dad, should we lend Blitzo a hand?"

"I suppose so lest he ends up blowing the whole place up with us inside."

Jake smirked as he spotted the dragon from before on the loose. "I got an idea!"

Striker knew what the boy was thinking. He wasn't sure if it was such a good idea, though; he's dealt with wild hogs, hellhorses, and many fauna, but never a fully-grown Hellvern. Then again, he's always liked challenges. He had Jake climbed onto his back and cling to his neck.

"Hang on tight, my boy, this will be one hell of a ride!"

Grabbing a discarded rope and tying it into a lasso, Striker expertly threw it over the dragon's neck and pulled, tightening around its neck. When the animal reared back and spread its wings, Striker took advantage of the momentum to pull himself onto the Hellvern's back.

"Easy, there! I'm your new master now!" the cowboy shouted over the Hellvern's angry shrieks, pulling the ropes tightly in the manner of reins. It wasn't that hard, as the Hellvern had already been tamed. Otherwise, it was like riding a giant version of Bombproof.

"Woohoo! Can we keep the Hellvern, dad?!"

"I already got enough with a Hellhorse, kiddo!"

Striker led the animal through the green inferno, eyeing the crazy robot going after Blitzo. Millie and Moxxie were shooting it, but it was far too fast for bullets. Striker couldn't contain an excited 'yeehaw' cry as he whipped the Hellvern forward and it snatched Robo Fizz right before it could run Blitzo over; the animal threw Robo Fizz into the air before eating it whole.

"Got a new mount, Striker?! Can I keep Bombproof?!"

"In your dreams, Blitz!"

They barely made it out of Loo Loo Land before it was consumed by flames, then made a run for it before anyone could identify them as the people who destroyed the place. Mammon would look for heads to roll before the day's end, after all.

*HB*

"Best… Day… Ever…" Jake laughed in-between exhausted pants as they got home that night.

Striker fell on top of the couch, groaning in exhaustion. "We're taking the rest of the week off, kiddo. If Blitz calls, tell him Bombproof has a cold or something like that, but I'm not moving from this couch."

Jake joined his father and snuggled against him. "Thanks for taking me to Loo Loo Land, daddy."

"I'd say 'anytime' if the park hadn't been reduced to ashes." Striker chuckled, eyes closed as he wrapped an arm around his son.

As Jake snuggled into his father's arm, he thought about what Millie had said back at Loo Loo Land about.. "Hey, dad?"

"Mmm?"

"Can I ask you something? "

"What?"

"Well…" Jake took a deep breath. "Do I have a mom? I mean, Millie has one, Moxie too, Blitzo… Even Stolas's daughter has a mom. I've never seen any pictures and you've never told me about her…"

Jake trailed off as he heard snoring. Dad had already fallen asleep. He must be really exhausted, Jake thought. I can ask him some other time. I'll let him rest for now.

…

Striker didn't open his eyes until he was certain that Jake had fallen asleep; then he carefully cradled his son in his arms and carried him upstairs all the way to his room. He carefully tucked Jake in as quietly as possible; Jake shifted a bit, but otherwise didn't look like he'd wake up anytime soon. Striker smiled as he stroked his son's hair.

It's not that he didn't want Jake to know about his mother. He wanted to tell his son about the wild-spirited, strong-willed woman that stole his heart. He really did. But he just couldn't find the words to explain what had happened to her. Just even remembering her was like adding lemon and salt to an open wound. Striker would tell Jake about his mother eventually, just not now.

The cowboy carefully placed the stuffed dragon he had grabbed from the shooting gallery in Jake's grasp, carefully leaning in to kiss the boy's head.

"Good night."

*HB*

Well, seems there's been a hint about Jake's mother. What do you think happened to her? I might go into details later on.

#helluva boss #helluva boss striker #helluva striker #blitzo #moxxie #millie #stolas goetia #octavia goetia #jake (helluva boss) #original character #helluva boss oc #one shot #helluva dad au #helluva dad #fatherhood #father-son #fluff #humor #rewrite #helluva au #helluva boss au

[crusherthedoctor]

Out all the eggman boys he pilots for battle and what not like the egg dragoon or death egg robot, what are some of your favorites? And do you have any ideas you wish he would employ in the future?

It should be mentioned that, being the Eggman fanboy that I am, I love many of them, even the simplest or shittiest ones (ie: Egg Dealer), because the aesthetic of Eggman's style really appeals to me, and the way his machines can range from goofy to intimidating, or both simultaneously, can be seen as an extension of how versatile the doctor himself is.

Still, I do have my favourites. Most of them are the ones you'd expect, but here goes:

Well you gotta start with the classic, don't you? The first of Eggman's king-sized monuments to his own visage, and more than deserving of its iconic reputation.

This one's a fan favourite when it comes to his smaller scale Egg Mobile attachments, and it's easy to understand why. It's an undeniably brilliant design that doesn't have any obvious weaknesses for armchair intellectuals to point and go "Why does this video game boss have that? That's stupid, IQ of 300 my ass, I'm such a clever internet person, please give me all your praise".

The Death Egg Robot may be the one everyone knows, but the Great Eggman Robo is the one we all strive for. Both phases of the fight may be straightforward, but the scale of the behemoth cements the tense atmosphere, and it happens to be smack dab in the middle of arguably the greatest finale in a Sonic game, which is as wonderful as it is in part due to Eggman never, ever giving up.

A more unconventional choice here. There may not be much to these two fights in particular, but I just really like the general concept of Eggman taking ancient statues or other such structures, and weaponizing them. It's a nice spin on his usual motif of converting Mother Nature to his own preference, as well as defacing ancient histories and legacies for the sake of his own.

Both of Eggman's final mechs in SA1 are awesome. The Egg Viper is a really cool design and gave birth to a certain meme, and the Egg Walker marked the climax of one of Eggman's best moments and one of Tails' best moments.

Speaking of Egg Walkers, I like this one too. Yeah, it's no secret that I don't like how Eggman - the guy known for making all sorts of crazy crafts - is stuck in one tiny thing for a whole game's duration (even though I'm aware it's for gameplay's sake, but still), but on its own merits, the Walker itself is still cool in my book.

Putting them together because they're more or less the same mech. Nothing special here, I just think they're cool "modern" interpretations of the Death Egg Robot-style humanoid mech. And yes, I know Eggman technically didn't pilot the Egg Emperor in Heroes... but he did in Generations 3DS, so get it up yee.

Another one you knew was coming. Don't we all love the Egg Dragoon? So do Sonic Team, it seems. The Dragoon is one bad mothafucka, and the way Generations added to it by incoporating an Egg Viper tail and the Egg Wyvern's wings made it even more badass. Unleashed may not be one of my favourite games in the series, but I'm thankful that it gave me this winner right here.

These two don't really have much in common (aside from the colour blue), but I put them together because thanks for nothing, Tumblr image limits.

Anyway, I've always felt the Egg Wizard deserved more recognition. The design is interesting in itself and keeps to the nautical theming of Rush Adventure, but what REALLY makes it stand out is the way it uses the power of the Jeweled Scepter, and how we get to see some crazy magic that you don't often get from Eggman robots. Like giant dragon heads made of lava, for example. And the fight is plenty enjoyable too.

As for the Time Eater, it may not have gotten much if any story to its own nature, which is a shame, but at least we got a nice clockwork motif out of it, and the way it jitters gives the impression that it's trying desperately to fight back against Eggman's control, but can't. And speaking of, Eggman FINALLY controlling a monster successfully is worth celebrating... unless you forgot like Ian Flynn apparently did, since Worlds Collide claimed he lost control of it. Typical Flynnanigans, eh?

I'm absolutely in love with the idea of Eggman being crafty enough to store a second mech inside the first one in the event of the latter's defeat. It's the perfect way to cap off Eggman's consistent display of brilliance and foresight in Forces. The designs themselves are pretty sweet, with the first one taking cues from Alfred Molina Dr. Octopus, and the second one being an eerie mess of wires and tentacles, as if it were the "heart" of the first mech. And say what you want about the so-so execution of the fight itself, but the sound design that went into it is seriously overlooked.

Just a shame they're collectively known as just Death Egg Robot, seeing how they don't have anything in common with the actual Death Egg Robot. Neither of them are even fought aboard the Death Egg. They deserve a more unique name IMO, but ah well.

Other examples I really like but couldn't use images for because of Tumblr being Tumblr:

- The Final Zone/Egg Pistons from Sonic 1, cause even though it may be smaller scale than the Death Egg Robot, I like the unique scenario of the room itself being your opponent. The final bosses of Sonic 1 and 2 on Master System have a similar appeal.

- Brass Eggman from the 2013 Sonic 2, because weaponizing an organ of all things is perfect for a man of Eggman's pride and swagger.

- The Egg Totem from Advance 2. No special reason for this one, I just like the simple yet effective design.

- The Gachapandora from Mania, because it's a great way to pay tribute to some older Eggman contraptions, and it suits his manchild personality to a tee.

- The Phantom Egg from Mania (again), because even though it looks like a romper suit mixed with a Pokeball, I really dig the concept of Eggman using a suit of robo-armor to go mano a mano, which this boss comes close to doing, if not entirely.

- The Klepto Mobile from Mania (three time's the charm), because a literal rush job still being able to go toe-to-toe with Phantom King is both incredible and hilarious at the same time. Even Eggman's shittiest efforts are his best! Is there no limit to this man's brilliance???

- Metal Robotnik/Black Eggman/Brak Eggman/Bruh Eggman from the OVA and Sonic Robo Blast 2. I don't know what the doc was thinking when he decided to give a robot based on himself some dragon wings and a spiked mohawk, but I'm glad he went through with it. The final fight with Metal Sonic may be the one everyone talks about (understandably so, it's an awesome scene), but the battle with Bruh Eggman is great too.

- The Eggpod from the movie. As far as translating the doctor's style into live action goes, it's a worthy first attempt, and it's understandable that they didn't go for something bigger since they probably want to save that for the sequel, so as to organically raise the stakes (wink wink, nudge nudge). It also reminds me of the Egg Hornet from SA1. I don't know if that was intentional, but it's something I appreciate all the same.

#Crusher's Asks #Opinion #Dr. Eggman

[kendrixtermina]

Cindered shadows Reaction

tl;dr - Fodlan is a crapsack world and I want to strangle Rhea (or break Amyr on her again). Yuri is a very good contrast to the others and a cool addition to the ‘verse  for all that he is basically Joker XD

I took live notes while playing

One thing to take note of here is the house leader’s “canonical” classes (Fortress Knight/Warrior, Hero/Paladin, Assasin/Wyvern ride, though some of those assume the budding talents to be unlocked already) as well as just more of a look into what their dynamic is when they’re together - as such well-contrasting characters I always thought it was a shame that they didn’t interact more so I’m glad for this

 Edelgard is always somewhat standoffish/ closed off and generally the ‘logical’, least personable one, Claude is surface-level friends with both. Dimitri would like to think they are full-on BFF, calls Claude “my friend”, defends him etc. Claude’s friendship with Edelgard is very banter-driven, but there (the bit where she says “wow this trap could have been your idea” and hes flattered). Of course both of these carry over into their post-timeskip interactions especially when they part on good terms (Dimitri always does, and Edelgard easily can part with him on good terms, but Claude, though he doesn’t like the thought of them dying,  wouldn’t take risks on either them) - and of course it’s Claude who proposes the feast after the mock battle where they all eat together. Edelgard and Dimitri were never friendly (at least not during the academy), but at this point they’re civil. 

Claudes Dialogues are BRILLIANT like he really shines in this one (Edelgard probably gets the least exposure but all of this is set before the reveal, so she has to keep her cards close to her chest - Or maybe there just cant ever be enough Edelgard for me lets be honest)

First impression of the Ashen Wolves is that they’re all very dramatic with a lot of bluster (Hapi being the contrasting exception but over-the-top in concept) - they have really been the Kings of their own little world, having a lot of free reign underground, accountable to few and throwing down for the heck of it

So it’s Yuri Leclerc and he was adopted by a Kingdom noble, the same Gwendal and Lonato served  and who dies if Arianrhod is blasted, but it seems like unlike wish Ashe who was taken into the family this was just a temporary gig for him

That makes him a commoner, which by itself is a big difference from the other three. Dimitri is and always was the crown prince whereas Edelgard suddenly ascended the sucession list due to tragedy and Claude has a much doubted claim on both sides of the border

I suspected he was going to be from the kingdom as we already had the Alliance, the Empire and the token Foreigner accounted for - also ‘Yuri’ is a slavic name like ‘Dimitri’ - though being adopted he isn’t necessarily from there

(Later we learn that he was in fact born in a village in the Kingdom)

Also liked the callback to count Gloucester’s sheming and how he had Balthus spy on Claude

They do go through some work to flesh out Abyss and make it feel lived in as a sort of society. 

Just look at that very very makeshift classroom. Few down there were getting any sort of education before Aelfric set this up

They do something clever here where Balthus tells you part of why he’s wanted, prompting the question of everyone else’s stories

This idea of a wretched hive beneath the Church reminds me of Amsterdam where the big church was in the prostitutes’ quarter and they actually had flourishing trade agreements going on

But as a hiding place for outcasts it shows us all the uglyness about fodlan and how much persecution/ need for change there really is (Really wants me to play Crimson Flower again. Or Verdant Wind.)

There’s people “chewed up by the Nobility”

Duscurians and Almyrans

Many in the church want the place “purged”, Rhea wouldnt go so far but is at the very least unsympathetic

Tons of Banned Books (is this where Seteth puuts them?) Claude and Linhardt have a field day over it

That poor woman (probably Dagdan since she talks of a war) who was persecuted for believing in other religions (which was a thing under Rhea - I’ve been saying it, Shamir and Cyril are “allowed” because they work for Rhea which to her is the same as believing, both are “working for her family/ for us instead of against us” because Sothis is not just her god but someone she knows personally)

Yuri and his trouble are a sort of quasi-police or keeping order, reporting to Aelfric. As his second in command Yuri is a sort of “prince” and already lead his own bandit troupe, or perhaps more a chieftain than a prince, he’s a leader, an authority but not an inherited one but 100% selfmade, he comes from nothing - People call him “boss”,

One wonders if he already dressed in this noncomforming manner before comming to the abyss

He is very very self-reliant, decides and opines for himself, gives Byleth backtalk, very much a natural leader who owns his influence entirely to that natural-leader ness 

Byleth asks very good, very direct questions 

Hilda, Linny and Ashe are here because of their connection to the Abyss characters and the information they can provide - Ashe knows Yuri, Linny knows his book lore, Hilda heard rumors from Holst...

Here we get to appreciate why Claude keeps Hilda around she knows all the gossip, all the ‘local’ information that Claude doesn’t have, she’s an excellent info source

Lets appreciate that it was those three specifically because they were slacking off

Ppl say there the church scorns them pretty much I like how they’re no longer even pretending that the church is nice

The four MCs, meanwhile, might all have ended up here in a different life; If El had escaped the experiments she could’ve been like Hapi, Claude was already an outcast, Jeralt fled with Byleth as a refuge(or could have been sent there as a mercenary to torment the locals and then decided to stay there instead), maybe not young!Dimitri, but timesskip Dimitri was outright a vagabond and says in his lecture questions that he travelled many places and temporarily lived in slums he didn’t go full murdery until a few years in, as Gilbert recounts

AU where they all grew up  or met in the Abyss is what im saying, and the four MCs and Yuri team up. The slitherers still stir up war, perhaps Duke Aegir or Arundel made themselves Emperor etc. 

Characteristically, Dimitri really likes the idea of a secret haven for the outcasts (see all his dialogues about “acceptance” and general ‘help-the-orphans’ thing) - but also characteristically he’s a bit of a tool for the status quo- “Claude don’t be rude this guy is giving out charity~” but the issues Dimtri the issues they shouldn’t need to hide anyways and this is why I prefer the ‘revolutionary’ routes (CF and VW) - though to his credit Dimitri does do charity and stop ppl being poor when he’s king. 

Claude is absolutely having a field day, this is right in the way of his “Political program” - “What you’re helping the poor and downtrodden by barely tolerating them in a sunless hole where they have to hope the church doesn’t decide to purge them” They basically live in ever present danger

Bit sad that they had Edelgard “tied up” catching up with Constanze rather than stating a reaction to the abyss as a whole though it’s probably very deliberate that she keeps her cards close to her chest - As constance asks “What is the princess doing here?” - investigating that’s what. She mostly asks questions or voices conclusions - shes certainly also investigating for her own purposes

But of course Dimitri and Ashe, pure as always, immediately want to help the locals

Edelgard meanwhile is thinking strategy, talking of capturing and interrogating the enemy

Of Yuri ppl tell you both that he’s a real scoundrel/ “our scoundrel” - he loooks out for them so they obey him, “when I say jump they jump” - a Mafia leader of sorts. He’s like Claude in the ‘motivating ppl through taking care of their interest’ parts but claude’s alliances are looser and no one does “jump” like Yuri projects authority, its not quite the honor loyalty Dimitri inspired because he “pays”, Edelgard projects authority but it’s loyalty to the cause more than personal loyalty, and she’s an ideologue and inspires the same in her followers theres no “pay” from Edelgard. She warns you that you might die and that’s it. She is the same herself. 

I think Yuri would die for another the way that Claude and Edelgard would not, like when Aelfric got his mom putting her in danger was never an option. I don’t think you could pressure Edelgard with a hostage, she’d just be like “Hostage-kun, I won’t let your death be in vain” and then tell their captors to screw themselves. 

He has things in common with all the others - he has a certain honor and a people-driven leadership style like Dimitri (rather than ideals-driven like Edelgard, Claude and Seteth) - though unlike Dimitri his honor is only for the “in” group, he cares about protecting his turf, his people... and nothing else. Thus he doesn’t fit into the revolutionary (Edelgard, Claude) vs restorer (Dimitri, Seteth) dichotomy because he’s not concerned with the system as a whole - he doesn’t like it or have faith in it, but he will absolutely work with it when it suits his aims (such as when he makes his own alliance with the church behind Aelfric’s back, or just working with Aelfric in the first place)

This alliance is probably also supposed to give a reason why the Wolves would sttick with the church later (though Hapi’s non CF supports talk alot about reforming the crap institution that it is) even though they mostly have reason to dislike them

Like Edelgard he is calculating and ruthless more than Dimitri or Claude. (He laughts at peeps who fell in his trap) But you couldn’t see Yuri sacrificing an ally like Edelgard does (like with Dimitri the people come before the plan) and Yuri often markedly does NOT tell allies what they’re getting into while El makes a big point of telling everyone the risks and allowing them the chance to step out

In a way he’s Claude with a edge but without the big vision. Yuri is the most small-picture, Claude the most big-picture of the lords

They also have a different relationship with trust - some describe Yuri as “devoted to his own but too trusting” , he says it’s a choice... but he is never really fooled, just pretending to be, he solves a great part of his plot on his own. 

Like Claude and Seteth he prefers to play it safe/ know he can win (though Claude and Yuri arent against calculated risks) whereas Edelgard and Dimitri will do what they think is right with no guarantee of victory and don’t care much if it kills them or their followers

Otherwise tho they have a lot in common and are fast friends XD Yuri makes some great observations “Wow look at you three trying to suss out each other’s motivations must be exhausted”

“Doesnt take a title to have an agenda“ - Yuri and Claude are really... a “takes one to know one” situation

Claude tells us they generally get along tho (”Any misunderstanding might spark a war... ”... yeah)

Likewise, Yuri immediately gets that Claude’s friendliness is esentially “maintaining neutrality” more than actual allegiance

Yuri also seems relatively forward in romantic matters which is unlike the others lol

Remember how I was frantic for Claude/Linhardt or Claude/Hubert friendship content? Here’s another great team that ought to have interacted more, I could even see them working romantically assuming that Claude would be so inclined. 

Hapi/Sylvain, too! Because they’re both cynics

But despite her cynism Hapi is also characterized as considerate

Yuri likes board games! hes in the board game squad with Hubert, Claude, Sylvain and Edelgard. The Board Game squad is incidentally the Best Characters club

 He’s not big picture and only develops something like that toward the end of his support chain (to fight poverty)

So in a sense his style and the hole in it is more like Byleth’s own - he learnt practical leadership in the field and applies it for those he likes. He’s more self-directed

aaand more undercover fun

It seems that both the slitherers and Alferic were after the Chalice at the same time - the Death Knight’s presence hints at it, Metodey’s confirms it. So far I’d assumed he was one of Edelgard’s loyalists like Ladislava but it seems he works directly for Arundel, Edelgard is not too friendly with him and accuses him of “Disrespecting her house” 

Since Aegir was in power during the Bridgid and Dagda war, the slitherers could definitely have had something to do with how Constance’s family was treated, if they were onto her secret - I don’t see how Aelfric could have done it

Bold of El to order Jeritza away in broad daylight. At this point she’s probably come to accept that no orders are gonna keep him from Fiting PPl where he can, especially her she is a very tough opponent

I trusted Aelfric until he spoke. The voice is... its not a good guy voice. Same with how the eyes are drawn

then he called people “his flock”

“They are charitable only when it suits them”

“they have eyes and ears everywhere”

Yeah. I’ve always said that Rhea is like one of those millionaires who give their pocket change to charity but then support policies that keep people poor. Hopefully no one will keep arguing that she cares about the poor or the disenfranchised. 

“Her grace thinks its a nuisance”- This tells us alot. Alfric had to convince Rhea to give half a rats ass about the poor but still speaks of her with honorifics. That’s the crack in his soul right there

I also love how Yuri protests whenever anyone - the church etc make plans for him, hes very self-governed

Hapi, Lysithea, El and Byleth should have a “victims of human experimentation” support group

Alternatively, Cursed People support group with Hapi, Marianne, Bernadetta and Dimitri

I like the C supports with Byleth and Balthus as well as Hapi because they tell us not just about them but about Byleth - Both adress Byleth’s go-with-the-flow tendencies and lack of own direction, though Byleth makes clear that by this point they actually like the professor gig

“I could see this person just about anywhere”...in a bad way. Oh but Hapi you too can be recruited to all routes XD No she’s right. By-By is being used and she should tell them. 

MORE PARENTS LORE I rejoiced so much and this was such a cool thing to adress here

At first it seems that Rhea was also after the chalice but turns out she had written it off and the one pursuing it within the church was Aelfric

But you all do catch the implication that she did this all before and “great tragedy” resulted? Right? You get what that means?

For once she actually noticed a mole though Aelfric likely wasn’t subtle

It results in a zombie dragon because she meant to revive a dragon not a human

By now people should really be used to Rhea handing out legendary treasure to byleth

there are friendly reminders of the western church purge still going on

I like how constance smells a spy right away

Also the contrast between Hapi’s jaded “Lets just give them the thing so they leave us in peace” (Yes, Lapis Lazuli) and Constance’s “We can’t let them have the artifact! theyre bad” - Constance might be shrill but she’s a person of action

The sunlight thing is a tad over the top/unrealistic but it’s not per se the cliched split personality thing, more like going outside brings out the bad memories after hiding away underground for so long (she tells mercedes as much) while she otherwise covers it with bluster. Her parents and older brother were killed and her hometown destroyed, after all. She is still basically talking the same overdramatic/ formal way

Perhaps two sides of nobility like the pride but also the demure good breeding n shit, there is some forced quality to the bluster even indoors

But ultimately she’s pretty hard working and determined underneath

At one point Hilda says something like, “You sure that we should interfere? I don’t want to make anything worse it might be better to stay out” - This right here is why you can’t get CF Hilda

Further Hilda facts: She had countless suitors and knows her way around “magical doo daads” and fortune telling

Having her mildly superstitious is of course a fun contrast to claude

“Compared to you even Hubert looks like a spring chicken” lol

I was going “Linny I love you” the whole time

Speaking of love... The moment I decided I loved Yuri is when I learned why he was expulsed - because the church sent him to kill someone he knew and rather than be upset, or thing how he might change society to prevent it or draw other conclusions from it... He refused on the spot and fough church ppl. That’s when I saw how he fits with the other characters. What the contrast was.

Yuri is one of those rare types who would never give the full voltage in the milgram experiment

Because see? That ties back so well into the themes

One of the main scenes that contrasts the house leaders is their reaction over having to fight Lonato. They all sympathize to a degree, but none acts against it. Claude and Edelgard show their dislike of the church and want to stop crap like this, but right there right then, they play along for the sake of their plans. (Claude’s plan at this point still involves stealing relics)

Dimitri is the closest to Yuri in that he immediately regrets it massively and says they should have found another way (in part because he is against the notion of “sacrifices for the plan”) but this realization comes to him only after all is done because ultimately he follows authority/ sees some good in it and the status quo

Yuri,  meanwhile, flat out refused. Yeah he also killed whoever the knight escord was but he refused

Also let this sink in: Yuri was slated for execution because he refused to kill someone he knew. This is what might have happened to Ashe, Sylvain etc. if they had refused to fight Lonato or Miklan. 

Aelfric arranged for him to fight someone he knew but that’s all he did, the rest is the result of normal church policy and then begged for pardon (meaning the normal policy would be to kill him) The mission might have gone to a different house, but the church constantly makes ppl fight ppl they know. You realize just how easily all our beloved characters could have ended up just like Yuri?!

I loved how, when offered info about their parents, Byleth immediately seeks it out with no delay

“Never discard a wild hunch lol“ Claude I love you Linhard I love you

Generally we see Dimitri being the local people person and catching onto details about people’s emotions and dispositions , while Edelgard is like, “Investigate this, investigate that” (i love that about her), and Claude is the oddball/curveball and follows his intuition. Yuri goes on instinct, Seteth, if I had to say, on experience perhaps, certainly caution. 

So she doesn’t even recognize Dimitri. She did say that “she can’t say the name” so she probably never learned that her little friend was the prince. Can ppl stop acting like she snubbed Dimitri or like she has any reason to treat him like a brother?

I don’t think he pieced it together until the ball, and she only realized either during the parlay (AM) or some time before their final confrontation (She distinctly knows by the time she killed him)

Another poignant moment is when she basically didn’t trst Aelfric and only started considering that he might be good by the time Team Slither showed up. Yeah she’s not trusting and would have zero base assumptions that any church ppl are good

By the time she learns about the Nuvelle crest she’s so done like, “Are there any MORE conspiracies I should be aware of?” And indeed there are

Aelfric is sort of a consequence of Rhea’s coverup certainly not an 1D villain. He started doubting her after the coverup began semi thinking for himself and at first this led him to try and make the abyss less chaotic and speak in their favor before Rhea, but then when Sitri’s body fell into his hands he was just too tempted

And UGH remember when I said that for all that im not a Rhea fan, i don’t thnk the human experimentation was so bad because she didn’t harm anyone and it seems like the homunculi lived out normal lives? yeah i take that back

Even if Sitri wasn’t healthy enough to travel she didn’t need to be completely isolated exept for trusted church peeps

This would have happened to Byleth. You see how this would have happened to Byleth? Completely isolated and controlled?

Oh Jeralt jeralt baby you were so right to flee with Byleth so right

Worse because Rhea was a parental figure

Also she kept creating more homunculi though they turn out frail and basically live miserable lives

and the first attempt with the chalice probably did kill ppl

sitting with the corpse all the time is creepy too

doest that mean Byleth won’t rot either?

So she was a book worm - Jeralt did say she was brainy

It did start as a mentor crush, much like Byleth’s own relationship might

I love how Edelgard is all subtly concerned after Yuris fake attack

I wonder how that apology line was phrased in Japanese, “useless” seems a bit harsh given that Edelgard generally seems to love her father, but there is no denying that he lost control of his empire and that as a result villains wrecked havock all over it so there’s nothing better she can say there excuses wont help constances situation

Like this must be very hard for her

Constance’s support definitely confirms that it was the Seven Families/ ie the PM and Arundel who did this to her (also lol at the concept that she basically wants to make Byleth her very own Hubert or Gilbert)

Edelgard is saddled with all this stuff from the previous administration - I mean so is Dimitri with the instability, the recent anexation of Duscur and part of Sreng... but she gets confronted with it more, iDK if it’s common knowledge who’s really in charge

Because Yuri is concerned with his turf, not the world, it makes sense that “his” route would be the sidestory. I kind of wanted a part 2 in the sense that I like this cast and want more of him as a main character but I also get why there isn’t one... because he wins no matter what. Lucky seven! He’s the one who can’t lose (except if you dont do the sidestory I guess) ”He works with whoever’s in power to maintain his own, just like when he made the deal with Rhea. He gets all three house leaders and Byleth to promise that they will look out for the Abyss so his bases are covered no matter who wins.

- even so he basically solved his own problem and Byleth’s presence just kinda gave him the opportunity . Well, one defining factor is that they trust Byleth exactly because they don’t “seem like a typical church funky

Still since Rhea tells us the backstory here what use is the silver snow ending? I suppose she doesn’t mention the homunculus/ “I created you” bit but the lack of decay and the transplanting heart bits do sort of hint at it

Certainly a contrast tho, like in SS you learn the magicky parts us in CS you get way more about who mommy actually was as a person

Poor, Poor Byleth. This must be such a mindfrick for them. Like I had so many feels for By-By

It’s so weird to go back and have the Yuri & so present throughout the monastery,but  not know us yet

#fe3h #cindered shadows #ashen wolves #fire emblem: three houses #fire emblem three houses #three houses

[sireneia]

@valorwilled​ sent: 🎰 i feel as if i am legally obligated to send this meme whenever i see someone reblog it     //  rng ships / interactions.

1. Paimonia & Percy

god i looked at all the things i randomized and i can’t see most of these as ships, mostly for age gap reasons bUT THAT’S COOL. LIKE. i can still talk interactions in general so here we go!!

The real question with this one is whether I go with making a Three Houses verse for Percy or stick to Heroes; I think both have their own appeals! I think as a student, Percy would have a lot of respect for Paimonia for them getting their position and respect through actual display of skill -- something that Percy himself would frankly be jealous of. Everything to him being a stroke of luck, and frustratingly so, could be something he would potentially open up to them about, and it could affect his studies. How he clearly has the successes in class but keeps getting discouraged by any praise he gets because it’s always to his luck; Paimonia’s fierce caring for their students and also no-bullshit approach could really be helpful for him in helping him regain motivation to be better. I think it’d also be really cute if he used his own habit of finding valuable things people lost to help out Paimonia with returning lost items to people around the monastery! 

In Heroes, I think since Paimonia would still be Golden Deer-aligned by default, they could maybe begin to talk and/or bond over how Percy rides a wyvern and how wyverns in Fódlan seem to be more associated with Almyra from what I’ve seen? 

2. Louise & Leif

Leif yearns so much for a mother figure in his life and thus could warm to Louise that way so long as she doesn’t mind the... less than pleasant first impressions he tends to make. I could see Louise reminding Leif of Selfina with her nature and her being an archer, and to a lesser extent, Leif reminding Louise somewhat of Erk though that one might be a stretch LMAO

An OG Leif unit and not a Legendary Leif unit could -- once he hears of how Louise vowed to protect Pent with her archery and that’s what got her married + how Klein, an archer general, got his skill from his mother -- also approach her with the aim of trying to learn how to wield a bow from her, thinking she might be one of the best in Askr to help him (especially considering his go-to choice, Selfina, wouldn’t be in Askr yet) and the slow bonding could go from there! 

3. Sumeragi & Ashe

Hmmm I could see maybe Ashe seeing a bit of Lonato in Sumeragi if they were to meet! A father who cares for his family dearly, someone who seems so kind and upstanding... holding the same values as Lonato, Ashe might have some conflicted feelings since Ashe is still in quite the turmoil post Lonato’s death. Trying to reconcile the father he cherished and was so grateful for with the man who got so many involved in a cause he at first didn’t understand... and then meeting a man in Askr who seemingly took that same path after Anankos’s influence... well, it’d be something for Ashe to grapple with.

It could be potentially helpful for him though, considering Sumeragi isn’t Lonato. There’s a safe externalization then that can occur to help Ashe learn to cope and move on. I’m just not sure what Sumeragi could gain in return tho.

I think, beyond that, Ashe would love to learn about Hoshido and their own tales since it’s not quite the same as knights. Learning the Bushido code, their own folktales, etc. would be of interest to Ashe definitely!

4. Eliwood & Tine

The way Eliwood goes to help others without question and also has a bit of fire in him to even do things like... yknow... try and earn a passage’s worth of money via the arena all by himself would read to Tine as shockingly kind and brave both. She would be in shock to know... he Exists and could use him as a model to be a bit more brave herself! 

I just think Eliwood could be very receptive and a good presence for Tine overall. He can help her feel more at ease just by being himself. They also have mourning over their deceased parent solidarity... u___u classic fire emblem

Thinking not in terms of shipping them but rather a case where he might already be involved with Ninian, that could also be something to help Tine be optimistic about her own romantic chances seeing as how I think one can make a decent argument for Tine and Ninian themselves being rather similar, or rather, Tine could probably see a bit of herself in Ninian. God that probably read really weirdly what’s a word

5. Louise & Siegbert

OH! I actually think this has a surprising amount of potential! I’ve noted before on my blog (I’ve probably deleted the post though) that I see Siegbert as being much like younger Zephiel; they’re both princes that put themselves to impossible standards and stress out over it and their roles, and they both want to make their father proud and puts that as the highest priority above all else but they also have lived very estranged lives from their fathers (though of course for different reasons) and struggle with what that isolation has done to them. They’re mild-mannered and earnest, and they believe they must behave a certain way or else they shall invite shame and disappointment. The main difference is that Siegbert doesn’t... yknow, have Desmond for a dad and thus that helps him a lot in not going the same path as Zeph.

If Louise can see the similarities between Sieg and Zeph, I could see that being the kickstarter to an interaction! Or maybe that’s just something that’s noticed along the way, their interactions starting off more innocuously with Siegbert’s desire to be helpful and learn from others. 

#// OK MOOD THO... this meme is very helpful #// you wouldn't think with rosters this big on both our blogs we'd get a double but wELL.... #valorwilled #+. / ooc. #+. / inbox. #long post ---

[the-east-wind-shall-come]

The Traitor’s War - Chapter 5

Context (previous chapters): part 1 part 2 part 3 part 4

The gates of the great Muspellian fortress separate with a loud, grating noise as Surtr leads his army in. I follow behind him, cautiously, my heroes Ike and Lyn at my side. Laegjarn sweeps down in front of us, and dismounts her wyvern as a certain pink-haired girl runs out from inside the fortress.

“Laegjarn!” shouts Laevateinn desperately at the sight of her sister.

“Laevateinn!” responds the older sister, running up to meet her. “You’re all right!”

I smile and watch the happy reunion of the sisters. We’ve just arrived at a base in the kingdom of Muspell, not far from the border. We’ve returned to Muspell for only a few days, just to gather supplies and prepare ourselves for advancing the tides of war in our favor.

Laevateinn hugs her sister tightly, but then she spots me. “You...what is she doing here?” she asks her sister, after taking a step back.

Laegjarn smiles. “Don’t worry. The summoner is on our side now. She helped me escape.”

I nod, and smile at Laevateinn, who continues to glare at me with a searing gaze. “I understand...if you say so, at least. Tread carefully, Alethia...for I will be watching your every move!”

I try to laugh her statement off, but a small shiver runs down my spine. “Of course, Laevateinn! I have already sworn to your father to aid your kingdom.”

“Hmmph,” she responds, and crosses her arms.

“Enough of that now, we have important matters to attend to,” declares Surtr. “Come Alethia, enter with us into the mightiest fortification near our borders.”

He motions with his hand, then marches into the stronghold. I follow, silently.

Laegjarn shows me and my loyal heroes about the castle. The walls of each room glow red, and torches lit every hallway. It reminds me a lot of a place I’ve seen before, perhaps on television…

“If you turn left here, you should be able to find the baths quite quickly. The mess hall is a bit further down this corridor, and your rooms are on the next floor,” Laegjarn speaks, quickly giving us the rundown of our new location.

As I stare in awe about my new surroundings, something else still lingers on my mind. “Laegjarn?” I interrupt.

She turns and raises an eyebrow at me. “Sorry, Alethia? Am I speaking too quickly?”

I smile and shake my head. “No, it’s not that...I was just curious...you said your father carries the blood of the Flame Dragon?”

“Yes,” she replies with a smile, and a flicker of emotion passes through her gaze. “The Flame Dragon founded our nation. His blood runs through my father’s veins. It flows through mine and Laevateinn’s as well, to an extent. Why do you ask?” she says, suspicion arousing in her voice again.

“Ah, I see. I was just curious,” I reply, hesitantly. So that’s why Surtr’s flesh...is magma?

We walk in silence, but a certain tension seems to build in the air. I need to be careful what I ask her...I can’t afford to cause Laegjarn any more doubt.

A soft rumbling noise breaks the silence. I smile, as I know for a fact that it is Ike’s stomach. Nobody says anything, and the moment grows even more awkward.

I decide not to press Laegjarn further upon the subject of her lineage. I look behind me at Lyndis, and she nods curtly at me.

“Let’s continue on, Laegjarn! It’s been a while since we’ve all eaten. Ike wants some meat!”

“Hey now, don’t put it like that,” he says, stepping forward to walk in line with me. “Can’t help it if I am hungrier than the average grown man...lembas doesn’t cut it well, you know?”

I laugh.

A few steps later, we arrive at the mess hall. It’s a great room, lit with many red chandeliers of flames above our heads. An extremely long table stretches from one end of the room to the other. Surtr sits at its head, and beckons to us.

“Welcome, my guest...as a token of your cooperation, please enjoy the fine dishes of our kingdom!”

We take a seat near him, Laevateinn and Laegjarn on one side of him, while I sit on his left side with my two heroes. Several high ranking officers join us, as more and more Muspellians fill the seats.

Servants in black clothing come bearing trays of delicious, grilled dishes. I have never seen more meat in my life! From beef kababs to whole roasted lambs, the tables are filled with platters of cooked delicacies. I try a piece of red chicken, piping hot from the grill. I smile in delight as I taste the familiar spicy flavors.

“Reminds me a lot of the food I eat from my world...it’s delicious!” I say to Laegjarn with a smile.

She laughs. “Our food is unparalleled among the realms...the food in Askr was truly insufferable, wasn’t it?”

I nod vigorously. “I need spices in my food, and I appreciate how you actually use them here!”

But only meat, you ask, dear reader? Hell no. There were stir fried carrots, sauteed spinach, roasted bell peppers, among other vegetables. Several types of veggie and meat curries were passed about, along with a great bowl of rice. A plate of naan slices were also circulated. This place didn’t serve your textbook medieval roasted meat and cheese, this place embraced every spice and pepper in the world with open arms.

“Mmm”, I whisper gleefully to Ike, “They certainly put the Fire in Fire Emblem here, don’t they?”

He shakes his head at my terrible joke, and continues to savor the fried chicken drumstick in his hand. “I’m just glad we’ve gotten to take a break from eating lembas,” he says to me.

“Truly,” Lyn says, “The food here is wonderful! It’s a shame your culture isn’t spread beyond these parts!”

Laevateinn’s face darkens, and Laegjarn frowns. Surtr looks at Lyn, and I stiffen.

“Hey --- is this a Naga pepper?” I say loudly, in an attempt to divert their attention to another topic.

In my hand, I hold what seems to be a perfect copy of the ghost peppers from my world. The famed Naga Morich my mother told me about, the hottest pepper of her home country.

But...if there is no India or Bangladesh in this world…then where did these peppers come from?

Lyndis bursts out laughing. “Of course it is a Naga pepper! We have those in Elibe as well. Legend says, that they contain the same amount of heat as a dragons’ breath. It’s no surprise that these peppers would be cultivated here!” she says with a smile towards Surtr and Laegjarn.

I suddenly feel really bad for putting my dearest friends, Lyn and Ike, through this, but I continue smiling. “Dragon’s breath, huh? That’s pretty cool! You must love to eat these! A hundred Naga peppers probably isn’t enough to satisfy someone as powerful as you!” I exclaim to Surtr.

“Ha. I sense you are aiming to flatter me, but you are not wrong. Peppers and spices are a way of life, here, as you see through our cuisine.”

We continue to eat an chat through the rest of our meal. When we’re finished, Surtr motions for the servants to take our dishes away. I notice their clothing as one draws near...quite familiar, I’d say. Her dress style reminds me of the enemy clerics we’d fought when in Askr.

“Now that you are all finished, we shall now commence the war council.” Surtr declares.

A meeting?

The Generals, commanders, and soldiers turn to face Surtr. I guess Surtr has caught me off guard...I didn’t expect there to be a meeting tonight. Nonetheless, I smile, and give him by best attention.

“As you all know, Laegjarn has returned and recruited Askr’s summoner, Alethia. She can provide us with valuable information on our enemy’s next movements, so we can pinpoint their weakness in order to rout their forces at once. Tell us Alethia, where do you think are they going now?” Surtr asks, turning his head to look straight at me.

“They are currently heading to complete the Rite of Frost,” I say in a clear voice. Suddenly, I feel a cool sensation against my leg. I lift up the Breidablik, and it begins glowing a blue color instead of the yellow tinge it recently picked up.

“Your weapon…” Surtr comments, narrowing his eyes.

I set it on the table, and hide away my hands. The gun glows brighter and brighter, until it makes the sound of a crack.

I hear a familiar voice chanting, as a cool breeze brings about her whispers,

Nifl, god of ice, hear me... It is your child, Fjorm, who bows in prayer... As an offering, I bring you my flesh. As the vessel, I bring you a divine weapon... One that has come a great distance and has the power to rule all worlds. I beg you, hear my prayer. We seek the strength to tame the savage flame. We seek to quench the unquenchable, to kill the undying. Fill this vessel with your power…

A gust of icy wind blows in, and the gun freezes solid with a shing. I place a finger on the weapon carefully. It’s cool to the touch.

Surtr stands up, his eyes blazing. “The Rite! They have completed it!”

He glares at me, flames fuming from his eyes and the spaces between his armor. “Take them to the dungeon!”

Ike and Lyn stand up and draw their weapons, while Laegjarn tries to calm her father. “Father, I don’t think-”

“Enough! Lock them up, now!” He yells, and snatches the Breidablik from my grasp.

I jump back, startled, as Muspellian soldiers surround us.

“Wait-!” I try to say, but we are swarmed by the Muspellian soldiers and soon imprisoned before anymore words can escape my mouth.

Chapter 6

#the traitor's war #feh #fanfic #fanfiction #my writing #surtr #muspell #fjorm #laegjarn #laevateinn #ike #lyn #lyndis #short piece this week sorry #next week's one will be longer #also idk why I write so much about food lol

[bloodthirstymoonstone]

Cursed Lance (Meta #1)

Hey, guys! I’ve been meaning to do a few posts like this where I kind of go in depth about something related to Valter that would kind of seem out of place, were I to try to include the details in an actual post. I like the idea of this because, while Valter is pretty much just a walking, breathing pile of trash, I think that looking around the world around him can add a bit of depth as to WHY he’s as fucked up as he is, and the effect that has on everything around him.

So I thought I’d get started on the one thing integral to understanding his character, and that’s understanding my take on his famed Cursed Lance. It gets kinda long, so I’m gonna place most of this under a cut. But if you plan on interacting with Valter in the future, I’d consider this a must-read!

Okay, first let’s get all of the canon stuff that we know out of the way, for those who aren’t privy on FE8 lore. Most of the information we have about the cursed lance comes from a conversation between Duessel and Cormag. 

It’s extremely powerful

The cursed lance is a family heirloom that belongs to Duessel

You CAN touch and carry it around safely, as long as you don’t use it in battle

If you use it in battle, you’ll go insane (unless vague stipulations are met)

The insanity stays with you, even if the lance is later taken away (Valter wasn’t in possession of the lance during the in-game events of FF8 at all)

Lance apparently glitters with an unnatural light and emits a powerful aura

Valter’s eyes shine with the same light when in battle

Though Valter was never really a “good” person, the effect of the lance made him ten times worse (More on that in a later post!)

I’ll also make a quick note on the cursed lance as it appears in FE Heroes. 16 Might, which is on par with other melee legendary weapons like Armads and Raijinto, but it also has TWO effects. Not only does it accelerate the Special trigger by reducing the cool down rate by one (like the killer lance, Mystletainn, or Hauteclere), but it ALSO increases attack and speed by 2 each, at the expense of 4 health per combat phase.

In other words, it makes him more deft, more powerful, and a more savage attacker, but not at all more DURABLE. (Unlike Fury, which will sap your health each phase, but will also make you more resistant to both physical and magical damage.) In fact, it actually SAPS your health, making it harder to survive the longer you stay and fight.

Now, to be fair, Valter is already fairly chunky (having a base of 34 def and 42 health at 5* level 40 is nothing to sneeze at), but I think this says a lot about the effect the cursed lance has on Valter. He’ll always be crazy as fuck with or without it in his hands, but having the Cursed Lance directly in his grasp will actually make him even MORE reckless than he usually is. And more dangerous as well. 

He knows that the lance grants him more power, which is why he’s often seen with it, even if he’s not supposed to be heading into battle any time soon. It just makes him feel… more secure. Like a nightmarish version of a comfort blanket. And the prolonged exposure to the lance has had detrimental effects on his body as a whole, but it’s hard for him to recognize that with the seducing power of the lance thrumming in his head constantly. Most notable examples being, decreased appetite and especially decreased desire for sleep.

Notice that I didn’t say the lance decreases his NEED for food or sleep – it just makes him FEEL like it does. Most days, I’d say he’d get only like 2 hours of sleep (most of which consists of really quick power-naps taken through the day – I’m talking a minute each, at most), and might go most of the day without realizing he needs to eat, only to quickly find himself in danger of passing out due to low blood sugar. Incidentally, this is why his eyes always look so… weird. Tired, almost. He’s running his body ragged and doesn’t even realize it. It won’t be long before the madness takes him completely and he ends up in a coffin. 

Speaking of “madness”, perhaps calling what the lance gave him is a bit of a misnomer. He’s not insane at all – he can be incredibly cunning, manipulative, and crafty. He clearly understands basic rules of the universe and won’t try to do something that would be ACTUALLY insane, like jumping off of a cliff without his wyvern because he thinks he can fly by himself. What it DID do is strip him of basic human emotions and morality – the concepts of shame, loyalty, fear, and even empathy seem as alien to him as someone trying to explain theoretical physics to a dog.

The lance has also warped his perception of the world around him – usually in regards to his abilities. As I said before, the lance doesn’t make him invincible, or even more sturdy. It just makes him FEEL like it does, which can often make him over-estimate his abilities in relation to others (as seen when he cockily challenges the twins to a fight and admits to Cormag that he slaughtered his brother in FE8, and gets his ass handed to him in result). He thinks of himself as the strongest, toughest Wyvern Knight to ever exist, and it’s just… It’s not true.

Okay, this is already getting pretty long, so here’s another bullet point list about misc things I couldn’t seem to fit in anywhere else.

I have no idea how Valter got the lance in FE Heroes, considering that he only had the weapon in FE8 for a short time years before the in-game events ever happened

I think the most probably explanation is that he broke into Duessel’s crib and stole it from him, possibly even killing him in the resulting scuffle.

Valter’s eyes are usually bright blue, but will occasionally flash a vivid purple while in combat. This is the gleam Cormag described as Valter’s eyes and the lance sharing. (Based on his special portrait in Heroes)

The foreboding aura the lance exudes is a chilling aura – just being around it can make the air feel 10 degrees Fahrenheit (~5.55 C?) cooler

I probably describe Valter’s hands as being cold a lot. That’s a direct consequence of handling the lance. 

Yearning for blood is a physically painful experience for him. When he hasn’t killed in a while, he almost feels as if the lance burns to the touch.

There’s no way to know if that’s mental or an actual, physical property of the lance. Outside observers who touch the lance during times he swears it’s burning him say it’s as cold as it usually is. 

Valter is 6′7″ (~200 cm) tall. In his glory days before handling the lance, Valter was 265 pounds (120.202 kg) heavy, with most of that being muscle.

The lance tricking him into thinking he doesn’t need to eat has caused him to lose weight (and, consequently, muscle mass) over the years. He’s now 245 pounds (111.13 kg)

The lance has caused him to throw most of his self care out of the window, but he still takes absolutely meticulous care of his hair. That’s for reasons I’ll get into at a later time.

The lance has dulled his sense of touch pretty significantly, making him more pain resistant. Again, this does nothing to make him more resistant to damage -- he’s just less likely to notice it. Which can be a bad thing.

The lance also sharpens his sense of sight and hearing slightly. If he concentrates, he can hear incredibly soft noises like someone breathing a room away from him. He can make out details from farther distances and see extremely well in low light.

#meta post #headcanons #god this took forever #i hope you guys enjoy it! #i worked really hard on this #it's been sitting in my drafts for days hehe #i know it's long af #that's why i tried to increase readability by making bullet points and highlighting things #lmk if you have any suggestions about how to improve it for next time! #valter meta #war meta #mega meta

[regina-del-cielo]

Hi! The biggest of your personal headcanons about each Gold Saint, Specter and Sea General, please!

OMG ANON YOU BEAUTIFUL PERSON GET A GRIP ‘CAUSE YOU’RE IN FOR A LONG RIDE!

I don’t know how to define ‘biggest headcanon’, tho, so I just… went with the feel? Hope you don’t mind!

Another thing: I put Kanon under the Marinas just for the sake of… giving him more space? Don’t know, just felt right this way!

Answer under the cut! Enjoy and thanks for asking! :D

Gold Saints

Aries Mu: he has the sickest sense of humour EVER. He could burn you with words with a straight face, looking perfectly innocent, and it’d take you five solid minutes to notice he just insulted you. Probably a meme master before it was cool.

Taurus Aldebaran: our sweet giant is the king of perfect gifts.He always knows what you need, even if you didn’t yourself. Gifts given by him are greatly cherished.

Gemini Saga: he’s got a thing for order – slightly bordering on obsession. His desk is always perfectly neat, pens ordered by colour or degree of ink consumed, this kind of thing. Nothing’s out of place after his passage.

Cancer Death Mask: he sings. A LOT. From opera’s arias to popular Italian songs. Especially if he’s dusting the faces hanging on his House – he keeps himself company with his own voice. It’s amazing and also bloody scary that he’s actually really pleasant to listen to.

Leo Aiolia: he’s the laziest cat that ever lived. Unless he’s on service, trying to get him out of bed is basically a herculean feat. No way he’s leaving his mattress without a very good reason to do so, no sir – ‘good reason’ being something along the lines of ‘Athena was kidnapped’ or ‘the world is exploding’.

Virgo Shaka: he could probably blackmail every single member of the Sanctuary with some ridiculous thing they did five years before on a random day. He’s got a damn fine memory and has no qualms in using it.

Libra Dohko: he’s a romantic dork and has no shame in admitting it. Literally waiting for Shunrei and Shiryu to marry and have ninety children to play grandpa with.

Scorpio Milo: he’s a literal magnet for animals – the grumpiest cat or the most antisocial dog turn into adorable cuddly balls of fluff when he approaches them.

Sagittarius Aiolos: the purest cinnamon roll on the planet but if you hurt one of his loved ones you better run, or else you’d find yourself pinned to a wall by his arrows. Takes him a lot to get angry, but when he does, it’s bad.

Capricorn Shura: give him some tequila and he’ll become the sexiest dancer on the stage – nobody can resist his tango moves, trust me.

Aquarius Camus: he wants to act like he doesn’t care but give him a sad movie or an emotional book and he’ll become a hapless ball of tears. It’s even worse with music.

Pisces Aphrodite: has the biggest sweet tooth in the bloody Sanctuary. He’d eat sugar directly from the spoon if on abstinence. Do not – repeat – do not take his sweets away. Death Mask and Shura got scars over this.

Bonus! Pope Shion: Dohko and him played chess through telepathy for centuries – Shion says it’s because he wanted to help his friend keep his mind awake while sitting on those rocks for weeks on end, Dohko says it’s because ‘he’s a competitive bitch that never wanted to lose’.

Sea Generals

Sea Dragon Kanon: he’s left-handed. One of the many reasons he was considered ‘the bad one’ – left-handed people were considered ‘demonic’ and‘deviant’ until the seventies or something.

Siren Sorrento: he’s an albino – and spent most of his childhood safely kept inside his house, looking at the world outside only through a curtained window.

Scylla Io: he’s got a Maori-styled tattoo on his back representing the six animals that make up his powers – thought it was a good way to bond with the South Pacific he’s supposed to protect.

Lymnades Caça: his monstrous appearance is completely made up –he used his shape-shifting abilities to conjure up the scariest face he could to look menacing to his opponents.

Chrysaor Krishna: he’s the healer of the group – his Cosmos can re-align chakras on other people to bring back equilibrium in their bodies, accelerating the healing process.

Sea Horse Baian: he fell in love with the sea by watching killer whales swimming in the bay of Vancouver Island, where he lived as a child.

Kraken Isaak: his ‘fanboying’ over the Kraken wasn’t casual –he’d always been supposed to be a Marina General, an equal in rank to his master (assuming that Sea Generals and Gold Saints have the same role in different armies) – no wonder Camus thought he was stronger than Hyoga.

Bonus! Mermaid Thetis: being a Nereid – a nymph of the seas, the incarnation of Achilles’ mother, sister to Amphitrite - she’s the keeper of the memories of Atlantis, the only one apart from Poseidon himself to remember its greatness and beauty in mythical times.

Specters (only the ones I actually have hcs about, obvs, they’d be too many otherwise)

Wyvern Rhadamanthys: he won’t admit it even under torture, but he’s kind of a mama dragon. His God, his lieutenants, his brothers– he’s going to chew up anyone who dares hurting them.

Griffon Minos: he sews, mends and weaves like a pro. Got a hole in your socks? He’ll make them as good as new – if you actually have the guts to ask him, that’s to say.

Garuda Aiacos: Biggest Bollywood fan EVER. He sings the songs from their movies non-stop, and even dances their choreographies half-naked in his house in Antenora.

Balrog Lune: he goes in full-raging paranoia when somebody gets inside his archives without his supervision – ‘it took me decades to bring order to it, don’t you dare touch my books!’

Necromancer Byaku: chilliest Specter in the whole Underworld –never loses his cool and is the only one who can calm down Lune when he becomes a bunch of frail nerves.

Harpy Valentine: BIGGEST DRAMA QUEEN with a ‘mother hen’ tendency – always checking if everybody’s alright, if they need something, etc. Obviously this intensifies to epic proportions when Rhadamanthys is involved.

Alraune Queen: the human definition of ‘smol and angry’: he always quarrels with Fyodor for “who’s the real mandrake in here”, and Valentine, Sylphid and Gordon must drag him away every time.

Basilisk Sylphid: being Belgian, he’s the greatest beer expert inthe Underworld. Better not argue with him about that beverage!

Minotauros Gordon: Just wants to do his job and not be bothered by anything else – although he has to stop Queen from charging head on and chew people’s faces out for the silliest things.

Papillon Myu: his metabolism is extremely fast – too fast for a human body, to the point that he has sudden droppings of energy. He stays in his ‘blob’ form to avoid wasting strength when it’s not necessary.

Behemoth Violate: in a ‘no Cosmo, no Surplices’ brawl, she’s strong enough to actually bring Aiacos down – or at least get a par out of the fight. You don’t mess with Violate.

Sphinx Pharaoh: he’s got a thing for snakes and helped Pandora deal with her ability of conjuring them – they get along pretty well thanks to this.

Acheron Charon: he gives great emphasis to his talking by throwing Italian and Neapolitan words in it, and doesn’t give a shit if they don’t understand him – after some time, his colleagues have somehow learned to get the gist of what he means.

Bonus! Pandora: She seems all prim and proper, but actually knows lots of swear words. And being them in German, they sound very, very menacing coming from her mouth.

#I NEEDED TO CREATE A WORD FILE FOR THIS I'M NOT KIDDING #anonymous #asks and answers #saint seiya #my headcanons #aries mu #taurus aldebaran #gemini saga #cancer deathmask #leo aiolia #virgo shaka #libra dohko #scorpio milo #sagittarius aiolos #capricorn shura #aquarius camus #pisces aphrodite #aries shion #sea dragon kanon #mermaid thetis #siren sorrento #lymnades caça #chrysaor krishna #sea horse baian #scylla io #kraken isaak #pandora heinstein #wyvern rhadamanthys #griffon minos #garuda aiacos

[0ccuria]

Kingdom Hearts Asks, Part 2

(I’m gonna bring in some KH3 related answers to these, not really spoilery)

21.favourite disney character

Gotta go with Flynn Rider

22.least favourite heartless

THOSE FUCKING HOT RODS I HATE THEM SO MUCHHHHHHH

23.least favourite character

There’s a few I really don’t care about but it’s gotta be Larxene. The main reason being is because whenever she’s talking I really do kind of feel terrible, personally. I used to get teased a lot like how she bullies Sora. So you know.. I just really don’t like hearing her talk.

Kind of a shame because she’s the only woman in the Org and they just had to go and make her be that mean and cruel.

24.favorite disney villain

Tie between Maleficent and Hades

25.least favourite world

Deep Jungle, just a pain to go through. It’s not really terrible, otherwise, but I just hate navigating it. I ALWAYS get lost or turned around. No matter how many times I go through it.

26.favourite world theme

Arendelle is becoming a top favorite, honestly.

27.favourite boss theme

oh man this one is hard.. they’re all real bangers. A Shrouding Dark Cloud, The Encounter, Dismiss.. but Oscurità di Xehanort (not sure if actual title or not yet) is climbing it’s way to be my top fave because it’s like.. THE boss theme to end all boss themes, you know?

28.favourite heartless

never really thought about it, there’s so many. Always liked the Wyverns from Hollow Bastion, Invisibles are also neato.

29.favourite character

I already answered Sora and a couple others so.. I guess I’ll add Ventus to the list cause he goes through so much shit and it’s so sad and I feel bad for him.

30.favourite unversed

Metamorphosis looks cool

31.favourite keyblade

As simple as it is, I always liked Sleeping Lion, by design. While I’m not really thrilled about the KH3 keyblade designs, I really love the transformations. I found myself using the Ever After and Wheel of Fate keyblades a lot.

32. favourite outfit

I really do like how simplistic and uniform Sora’s outfit is in 3. But Aqua’s is pretty nice, too.

33.favourite nobody

Does Marluxia’s third form count lol, that shit is rad. If we’re just going for normal ones, I like the Dragoons.

34.favourite world

Kingdom of Corona might be my all time fave out of them all. It’s just so bright and colorful and full of life and the actual city/town was my favorite part with all the people and the dancing etc.

35.favourite scene

I mean... can you really go wrong with the entirety of The Battle of 1000 Heartless??

36.favourite song

again a hard question cause there’s just so much to choose from. I’m gonna go with Fantasia Alla Marcia from KH2, though. I love really long compositions and when all of the major themes are compiled together, plus it just gives off a great sense of adventure when listening to it.

37.notp

Hadn’t really checked on the shipping side of things lately, but I know I’ve seen Vanitas/Ventus and I’m not very fond of that one for obvious reasons.

38.otp

I used to be really into Axel/Roxas, but times have changed and after going through all of the games, Soriku kinda solidified itself as an otp. I’m sorry but it’s just hard NOT to see it.

39.ot3

Destiny Trio for life

#ask #kingdom hearts #my favorite scene is probably the hardest to choose #there's so many good/funny/sad moments #I mostly love the little stuff tho #like Sora's tech illiteracy or really silly moments