#fiery opinions

[derekscorner]

Fiery Opinions: Engaging Dragons

One Ring to Marth them all

This is the second time since I started my Fire Emblem journey that I’ve got to use a brand new game as an entry as opposed to playing older titles. I was genuinely surprised by how refreshing this was both for that very reason and due to how decent the story was.

No joke, the story is actually good. It’s no flawless masterpiece, I’d worry if you went into a video game expecting such, but it does so much right by being so simple.

Hell, I’ll even start this by apologizing to poor ol toothpaste-chan which I’ll get to later. For now let me just ramble about how much I enjoyed the story.

Family is Key

At it’s core Fire Emblem Engage is about family. Not in the same sense as a special lineage a la Marth’s prodigious bloodline but it’s about found family. That made every story beat that would normally be cliche or what I call an “animeism” work because it’s not as simple as being there for blood ties.

Now blood relation is also certainly a factor for many characters but the story goes out of it’s way to make found family just as precious. Many characters lose someone that they thought of as family and others lose people that truly was their blood bound family.

They contrast it effectively against how the villain, Sombron, abuses his family. To him family is a tool and the story will list exactly how cruelly he’ll murder his own children a few times.

HIs actions also cause many others to lose family. Some die due to direct conflicts/schemes to aid Sombron (Morion) or you’ll have people who were good warped by his influence. (Hyacinth)

Sombron doesn’t just harm Elyos but he harms it’s people but breaking bonds. Usually in the cruelest way possible.

It’s also due to these themes of family that many character actions that would normally make no sense would. Such as the villain Zephia.

She is irredeemable. She does truly horrible things but her motivations for doing so make sense. That doesn’t excuse her actions but I at least understand why she would behave the way she does.

Namely, those moments that sharply contrast her usual cruelty. Such as when she randomly decides to help you once she’s defeated. In most modern stories they just treat this as a half-assed redemption. Zephia herself even gives that as a reason to the heroes.

Only for us to learn the real reason once the heroes leave her to die. She did it for spite. She wanted a child and Sombron promised to give her one. She doesn’t love the villain but she deeply seeks a family.

This desire manifests in her behavior toward evil Veyvle and the Hounds. She treats them like a family albeit in a warped perception of what she thinks it is. This caught my eye quickly because the story isn’t excusing her behavior but it is giving me a human motivation for that behavior.

I do not pity her but I, as the audience, understand her. Unlike Sombron, she truly wants a child but like Sombron she treats family cruelly as seen with Marni.

Sombron himself is very similar at the end of the day. He forwent any connections in Elyos because it wasn’t his world. His world had it’s own emblem war and he watched all his family die.

Being a child at the time, the victors cast him out into the Outrealms and he landed in Elyos with nothing but an Emblem Ring he managed to hide. That was his one true companion.

Everything he does is for reaching other worlds to find that emblem but the story doesn’t use this to make him tragic. The entire dialogue is called out by Alear and Veyle, Sombron’s two surviving children.

Sombron himself never tried to act sympathetic either. He merely gave his motivations when asked. The sins he’s done to get there mean nothing to him and when he says he no longer cares about their world the two siblings call him out.

Even if he says he’ll forget their faces and leave they know he’ll “just repeat the same mistake” and appear again in time. So rather than letting his evil reach other worlds they stop him.

This, to me, says that Sombron was either born evil or the war he witnessed made him so. Not once is his actions excused to downplayed. At most, his emblem leaving (which was likely it running out of power) was just the catalyst.

The excuse he needed to act on his evil nature. Something he began by slaughtering the village that had kindly took him in. He wanted to be alone and seek his own power and that’s the life he lead.

He’s not a redeemable being nor will the story act like he is.

The list only goes on from there. Family motivates this entire story in a simple but beautiful way.

The Hounds?

Mauvier swore to be Veyle’s knight. He’s the only one that has a genuine concern for her well being.

Zephia, as mentioned, wants a child.

Marni was abandoned by her mother and saw Zephia as that replacement to a sad end.

Griss also saw Zephia as the “closest thing” he’s had to a mother and chose to die fighting with her.

Princess Ivy? I found her the most intriguing royal by far. Her supports reveal that she did not like the political landscape or her mothers actions within it. However, she’s still a princess and loyal to her home.

Her forms of defiance were small as a result. She chose to worship the divine dragons instead of the fell dragon. She was loving to her sister when her mother and step-mother were in political turmoil.

She would die for her father despite knowing he’s warped. Her faith and loyalty conflict and thus her actions conflict. It’s nothing grand but that’s very believable. Especially due to her faith going form an initial defiance of authority to a legitimate belief and conflict of interest.

Thanks to this I can buy that she’d back down when confronted by the deity of her worship. You even see this in her first scenes at Brodia castle. Her odd behavior is due to that religion she holds.

The Brodian Royal Family Now these guys are endearing to watch. The playable units Diamant & Alcryst are great but the one that shocked me most was their father king Morion. In many stories you’d imagine the king of a kingdom focused on strength to be a hardass that is hard to please but no.

King Morion is a caring father. He relents to some of Diamants overbearing/worried demands and he’s more than supportive and positive to his second Alcryst. While Diamant is a more typical firstborn big brother good guy Alcryst is apologetically cowardly.

His brother and father go in guns blazing with swords but Alcryst wields the bow. A weapon of distance. He’s cautious and far too quick to knock himself down a peg. Despite that Morion is very proud of Alcryst and praises him nearly every second he’s on screen.

Diamant also thinks highly of Alcryst. They do not look down on him for his nature and I think that is because they see Alcryst for the truth hidden within his nature. Although cowardly, Alcryst will ignore his panic to be heroic. It’s not even a crippling fear, if it needs to be done he will do it.

This was most prominent to me when the corrupted Morion had to die. Alcryst hated the idea while Diamant knew it was more respectful to end his warped existence. However, Alcryst will have unique dialogue if he kills Morion. Saying that its better for him to take on such burdens over his older brother.

Morion and Diamant see Alcryst as strong and the player sees that when Alcryst will spare Diamant the pain of patricide.

The other cast aren’t quite as heavy but just as good. For example, the Firenese royalty is also very close as seen in their supports. Their family is as peaceful as the land they rule. Celine gets annoyed by her older brother and worries how Alfred will be as a king but she loves him anyway.

Alfred has some of the silliest but wholesome supports. He never takes an insult bad and will admit he’s more brawn that brain. He takes it all in stride because he’s happy to be alive due to a sickly childhood.

Then you have the retainers of the royals. Many of them have a close friendship, and at times family, closeness. Hell, even ones that do not like one another such as Ivy and Zelkov have a loyalty. They all have a simple but pure bond in my opinion. Some families are made of friends, or strangers even, rather than people with shared dna.

Of them all I rather like how lax Solm’s royal family is. That family is chill as fuck and I envy their freedom and overall disregard for decorum.

The Good & The Tragic

Now this is where I’ll say that I am absolutely sorry for any Alear slander I’ve made before. Sure, some jokes about the hair is okay, but the theme of family and the tragedy of it hit the hardest with this poor dragon child.

As silly as it appears at first, the hair color does have plot relevance. Everything from the blue hair, eye, and the somewhat-goofy white armor Alear wakes up in was actually plot relevant. It was so relevant that it’s almost sad to see upon a new file because I now have the context.

Alear, like Veyle, and so many of Sombron’s children, was an abused kid. Alear even lists, verbatim, the cause of death for many of their siblings;

“One older brother was drowned. One older sister was burned alive.”

“A little bother and a little sister -they were cute- torn apart by the corrupted.”

“Some siblings died in the war. Most were defects. Father disposed of them.”

Alear was old enough to see this, they watched them all die in these horrific ways. During the war Veyle was too young to be a soldier so in the one meeting they had Alear gave her his dragonstone (explaining why you can’t transform) with the intentions to return for her.

This did not happen. Alear was fatally wounded striking down Sombron and put to sleep to heal.

Found Family

This sad backstory and the encounter with the past Alear with their somber voice and sad face was one thing. A good one, a strong impression enough to make me like the character.

However, what fully sold the family theme was Alear & Lumera. I’m used to Fire Emblem or any RPG having parents die and other such cliches but once Alears past was revealed it hit different.

The “genshin look” let the animation of faces hit harder. I was already sad for Alear but now I was sad for Lumera.

She did not give birth to Alear. She found them. Lumera, like Alear, had lost everyone to that war and when she found them that shared sense of loss connected them.

Lumera was the parent Alear wasn’t given. She gave them love and that pure emotion made their tragic dynamic beautiful. Lumera waited one thousand years, slowly draining her life to convert Alear into a divine dragon, just in hopes of being a family once they woke.

A family is all either wanted and when they found it with each other it just hurtful to look back on her death.

Ya know Alear’s white armor? That’s there because Alear wanted to be a “good dragon” like her. One that wore shining armor and a sword.

Their blue eye and hair? That’s Lumera’s power making them divine.

Alear’s emblem ring? A present she spent centuries making.

Lumera did so many little and big things waiting for her adopted child to wake only for it to become a tragedy instead.

Veyle

This tragedy also affects Veyle because Alear was put to sleep before they could find her again. Veyle was forced to run terrified from all the enemies Sombron had made. The only people that showed her kindness for centuries was her mother and Alear and now both were gone.

She was found by some of Sombron’s worshipers eventually. They treated her nice enough but once Veyle went into her own slumber and awoke things had changed.

The poor girl only wanted to be praised by her father and was manipulated easily enough to help free him only to be treated like less than useful the entire way.

Veyle is such a kind soul that Sombron opted to have Zephia use magic to brainwash her resulting in the split personality. Even then Veyle lacks the power needed to use her dragon form nor any of the power Sombron seems to use.

Even Alear in the past seemed to have more of that power than Veyle. Although, it was this kind streak among Sombron’s children that leads me to believe that Sombron himself is the evil element.

Veyle and Alear are kind yes but seemingly most of Sombron’s children were. The “defects” he labeled useless weren’t just one or two but most of them. I’d imagine even the “useful” ones were kind but scared to act different as Alear was prior to meeting Lumera.

Veyle is easily the most pure and innocent of his children we get knowledge of but I would go as far as to say that Sombron may have been the real “defect”.

We have no context for his family in his original world but he’s the only one we see out of his children that is evil just because that is his nature. It makes me question what a “fell dragon” is within the context of Elyos.

Grima from Awakening was a science experiment gone awry. An artificial dragon made from stolen divine dragon blood.

The game does make a distinction between the power a fell dragon and divine dragon wield. There is a difference but I do wonder if “fell dragon” is the true name of their species.

Zephia claims that Veyles brainwashing brings out her draconic instincts but I find that hard to take at face value. If someone as pure as Veyle can use “fell dragon” power to raise the dead without evil in her heart then I suspect their real nature isn’t something as foul as what Sombron has made it out to be.

Either way Veyle made me question a lot about the fell dragons and her shared parentage made me grow to like her even if I saw the sibling twist a mile away. She had the post-game ending I enjoyed the most simply because she worked to be as kind as Lumera or Alear despite being a “fell dragon”.

The poor little girl deserves the world and I wish she could’ve been family with Lumera as Alear was.

Story Overall

Family themes aside I was pleasantly surprised by how tight the story could be at times. It’s a simpler story about evil dragons and heroes like older FE titles but it also does a lot of things that you’d only notice on a second playthrough.

I’ve already mentioned how the family aspect makes motivations believable, I’d even call it competent and worthy of higher praise, but there’s some things that happen that you only noticed once pointed out to you.

For example, the plot twist of Alear’s parentage. This is done by witnessing how Alear summons an emblem. Divine dragons pray to summon an emblem but fell dragons invoke them.

Alear, being now divine, mixes the two aspects but if you notice in chapter 2 Lumera summons Sigurd without uttering a word. She prays to the ring and he answers her call. That is an early hint to later plot developments and it’s so subtle.

Or the use of the corrupted as a concept to help Alear cheat death in a believable way. Something that’s fixed entirely with the “miracle” that the emblems themselves hint at half way through the story.

In essence, the story foreshadows well and keeps things tied back around in a way that I’m not used to in games today. It’s sad to say that it’s rare but it is still pleasant to see. I’m going through my second file just hoping to catch more stuff like this.

It’s not flawless mind you but it is worth noting.

Emblematic Emblems

Another thing I took notice of in the story was the emblems themselves. Even the DLC bracelets that I currently have access too. They all have an establishment personality as former heroes of the series.

Even Byleth or Corrin who were avatars have enough of a personality forged by spin-off titles to make them feel like people. Even down to mannerism such as Byleth maintaining a blank face and tone that rarely breaks.

They also have a larger story presence than I initially believed them to. All 12 have scenes to do or say something while emblems such as Sigurd, Lyn, Lucina and Marth especially have as much to say as a main cast member would.

Sigurd & Marth in particular are very talkative and present offering advice and commentary on story moments. In contrast their actual bond conversations (think of it as supports for the rings) are extremely brief compared to their lines in story chapters.

You will feel like they are characters even if it’s to varying degrees. I grew attached to Marth very fast despite never playing one of his titles. Then I was attached instantly to Lucina, Riki, and Byleth because I have played those titles.

3 Houses was my first game but Awakening is my favorite. I always had Tiki or Marth on my person at all times. I also often tried to keep their assigned units together because some emblems have unique attacks when paired with a friend.

The most famous one online right now is Byleth and the Emblem of Rivals. If you use the Emblem of Rivals special when Byleth’s emblem is nearby he’ll be added to their attack.

However my favorite was Tiki & Marth. Not only do they actually talk in the paralogue scenes, something I wished for Marth and adult Tiki in Awakening, but if you use Tiki’s special with Marth nearby he’ll boost it.

Tiki, alone, will grant you a rival stone to a unit of your choice but if Marth is next to her this is changed to “Blessings+”.

I also found myself attached to Tiki for how she engages with dragons. For everyone else Tiki turns them into a red dragon with a tail whip, claw move, and fire breath.

But when Tiki is engaged with Alear or Veyle they turn into a proper divine dragon and the fire breath is swapped for fog breath which I used often to give my units a boost to AVO.

I can say without a doubt I loved the emblems far more than I expected due to the small things like what I listed. there’s probably several others I haven’t seen because I’m biased to Marth and Tiki.

I hope they’ll add even more as the DLC releases giving us more emblems or scenes of these legacy characters.

A side note to all my praise; I found it fucking hilarious that Byleth’s special is to act as a dance unit. Byleth can be a dancer class in every game they’re in but their original one. lmao

Gameplaly

Normally I’d give a deeper look into the gameplay like I did with Echoes or others but this post is already novel length. I also have very little to complain about when it comes to the gameplay.

Some of the hardcore fans can do the math to maximize and tackle maddening mode but I suck at math. I do not want to play a game to do math. I do not find join in min-maxing.

I did enjoy the game however. It returned to a two seal system with master & second seals but don’t let that fool you. The gameplay is more complex than you’d expect due to the nature of Emblem & Bond rings.

You can max a units bond with an emblem and inherit their skills. As mentioned, some emblems bounce off each other or even have unique changes on a specific unit.

They basically blow up the game to such a complex level that I can’t properly break it down. I enjoyed what I was doing and didn’t complain once. I liked that it only had two seals and I recognize the depth that I can’t fully see.

It’s like the best part of several fire emblem games were added in. The weapon wheel is back, weapon durability is mostly gone (sorry staves), and you have some new tweaks like how monks affect the returning daggers, bows, and tomes.

I ignored some of these at first but now I keep at least one chain-blocking monk and poisoned dagger thief with me at all times.

I have been trying to use things I didn’t on the first run to properly grasp more of the gameplay such as the new break weapons. Great swords, axes, and spears that are guaranteed to stagger an enemy and prevent counter.

At the cost of you being unable to hit first nor counter of course. They won’t give you that kind of tool for free. lol

I also adore the Somniel because it’s the kind of secretly hidden paradise home in the sky I always wanted. I don’t play the mini-games much despite the stat benefits but I do love to just wander the small island, change the outfits of characters, and take in the peaceful atmosphere of the place.

It’s the type of “my base” I prefer in Fire Emblem. A cross between what Awakening, Fates, and 3 Houses have.

I hope future FE titles use a similar hub world should they choose to continue the trend. It does not have to be a sky sanctuary but I do hope they maintain the laid back nature.

A good base to wander, do a few small things, and just take an overall break from the story grind.

Resolution

I think I’m rambled out. I do sense that I had far more to say but this is long enough already. What’s important is that I enjoyed this game much more than I expected too.

The story is simple and good. I am very glad they dropped the branching routes idea they used for Fates and 3 Houses. Both of those titles had so much potential lost due to the lack of focus.

Gameplay is shockingly deep and while the look is definitely “genshin impact” it works in the games favor. The maps and scenes are beautiful and it allows characters to be animated with great effect at times like the flashback of Alear striking down the villain. The sheer terror and sadness on Lumera’s face works because of it.

Some characters do not translate well into the look (poor Edelgard) but I got used to it. I even liked it when “blue Alear” appeared on screen. God I wish their hair stayed that solid blue...

Anyway, bye now~

================================

Editors Note: This is part seven of my trip through fire emblem. You’ll find the others here: Fiery Opinions <–(link)

#fe #fire emblem engage #fiery opinions #alear fire emblem

[fieriframes]

[Well, in my opinion, Jim and Pam should have gotten married.]

#s25e04 chew and brew #guy fieri #guyfieri #diners drive-ins and dives #opinion #jim #pam

[askarss]

LILITH!! how do you feel about arle and how are u even related to her if like. at all beyond coincidences

"I wish I could explain everything to her myself. It would allow so much confusion to be settled, and I couldn finally apologize to Lucifer.

...I miss holding him in my arms."

#DISCLAIMER: this is just my opinion and thoughts on how it went down #after VERY MUCH cherrypicking lore from shin madou and the madou games #puyo questions #madou monogatari #puyo puyo #drawing with fiery #arle #satan #lilith madou monogatari

[autiezo]

Klaasjie (Disco Elysium) would have 100% bullied me in high school

I HATE HER ENTIRE BEING

GO DIRECTLY TO JAIL, DO NOT PASS GO

#disco elysium #I just detest liars and fakes with a fiery passion #i know she's a sympathetic character #but i still loathe her because i'm allowed to have illogical opinions about fictional media

[akioukun]

Me, finally getting to open the harringrove tag today- :)

Me, immediately coming face to face with an anti post- :(

#please get off my lawn #what are you doing here #i wouldnt mind it if it was more of like an opinionated take in fandom #but everything is always so black and white now and of u dont like something apparently you have to #HATE IT WITH A FIERY PASSION #and set fire to other peoples fun #anyway back to enjoying the lawn #harringrove

[amongie]

homeschool parents are so cruel, actually. peak "my child is my little barbie doll" behavior. i hope homeschool parents die

#very fringe case that ill accept is the child has personally requested to be taken out of school qnd even then #i have Opinions about how homeschooling should be handled #i am so mad about so many things regarding my upbringing but my schooling situation wasnt just a schooling thing #it was a social thing i was so isolated #i was educationally neglected #subjected to horrific things because of how my family is #i was around things i should never have been around #my schoolday could end because my mom needed a babysitter because she was suicidal or too high #it was so bad #fuck homeschool parents i hope for your sake that your god is real and that you die and wake up at the fiery gates of hell #while god recounts your crimes to you #and every single one of them will be about how selfish and disgusting you are to treat your child as àn extention of yourself #shut up luke #personal #homeschool parents dni

[dalekaiken]

Hits you with a perfect parry. Sonknux for the ship bingo 💥💥💥

I LOVE SONKNUX SO MUCH YOU HAVE NO IDEA it's my fave Sonic ship right after Sonadow... And I'm not even super into romantic ships when it comes to Sonic so that's saying something XDD It makes me so sad how little art and fics there are of them compared to Sonadow.

I love their dynamic, and how well they contrast each other both design and personality wise. They have a lot of potential. They're the type of guys who will just roast each other but still care about each other so deeply.

Sonknux just makes me really happy auuugh I need more of them ;___;

Ship bingo

#nibwhipdragon #thanks for asking! #Unpopular opinion but I don't care for Boom!Sonknux #I just really don't like Knuckles' characterization in Boom why did they make stupidity his main trait #He's not even stupid he's just naive and doesn't understand social cues. He's a cool warrior grrrr #His main personality trait should be his fiery temperament!!

[alcyonei]

Rejoice! Gale no longer Wants Me Desperately nor Approves of my every action From a Distance!

#i have successfully banished him to a corner of the camp and the only time he approved of anything was when i pet Scratch #and in my opinion that should be an 'Everyone Approves' action #grape-flavored nerd ass bitch #i will romance him another time #i also left some magical items around see if he.....has a snack..... #Im gonna go get Karlach next!!!!!!! im excited to meet her!!!!!!!!!! #big fiery friend!!!!!!!!!!!!!! #also Dovenyth continues to be massively either stupid or blind and everyone keeps having to grab her by the scruff pf her neck like #*walking towards a trap-perception check failed* everyone: 'no!' *lunges to stop her*

[mar64ds]

🔥BFDI

i like post-split bfb, the way four is characterized there is my favorite

#i dont know what the popular opinion is on the whole leafy and fiery thing but i have always thought fiery was in the wrong lol #they are friends now so it doesnt matter that much but i have always been a bit annoyed that it wasnt obvious in the show itself that #fiery was more in the wrong here. not that leafy is perfect but in this situation i'm on her side. god forbid women do anything #anyway my very strong object shows opinions i guess

[closetchild]

mcr emos are so not valid

#like. heres the ranking of emos #dir en grey emos > actual midwest emos > three days grace/breaking benjamin emos > nu metal emos #those are the valid ones okay #mcr and p!atd and fob are NOT valid BUT #theyre not burning in the fiery pits of hell along with jeffree star emos and botdf emos. but theyre still NOT VALID #and thats my official opinion #nu metal emos includes everything that isnt. like. attila btw. so deftones and soad to ptv and sws etc

[derekscorner]

Could Crimson Flower have worked?

I mean, yeah, the title is easy to answer if you “yes if the devs focused on one story and not four” but I feel like I should add a bit more than that after my long Blue Lions post from the other day.

In that other post I claimed Dimitri is set up as the ultimate focal point to tackle the major story and mystery beats of Fodlan’s setting but it is possible to argue that Edelgard is even more worthy of that spot.

Her ancestor, the first emperor of Fodlan, was an ally of Rhea when she acted as Saint Seiros and even shared blood giving the royal line her crest.

It was her ancestors who passed down the knowledge that Rhea and those secretly keeping Fodlan’s status quo were not human.

The founding of the church and the Adrestian empire coincide with one another.

‘Those Who Slither in the Dark’ (hereon Agarthans) had long since infested the empire and swapped out key figures with their agents.

The top six nobles set Edelgards dislike for the aristocracy into motion.

She had to watch her siblings die horribly in the palace dungeons as the Agarthans experimented on all of them.

She has personal ties to Dimitri, the prince of another kingdom the Agarthans are trying to destroy, due to her mother marrying it’s king.

Edelgard herself was living in the kingdom a short while which may have reinforced her views on crests and nobility due to the Faerghus kingdom being even more strict on those and religious topics.

And this is only a few of the things you could list in her backstory. Whether you learned it in 3 Houses, DLC, or 3 Hopes.

In a sense, you can say that Edelgard begins the “story right in the thick of it” vs Dimitri who’s “drawn into it” by his families assassination.

Yes splitting a Fire Emblem story is a bad idea

The issue with it all was the execution. The same for Dimitri or Claude. Splitting the story into routes seems to just not work for a Fire Emblem game. Perhaps if they’d leave it at two routes or just one with alternative endings it’d be fine but they tend to get over ambitious from what I can tell after playing Fates, 3 Houses, and 3 Hopes.

And while I think Fates had the worst story due to this decision I do think this decision hurt Crimson Flower quite badly. Edelgard’s story needs a great deal of context and lack of it is what causes the intense debates on the legitimacy of her actions.

The story route is too short, you never once turn on the Agarthans which left it feeling unfinished, and Edelgard has a very iron fist approach hoping to push her ideals at the cost of burning the world down.

I won’t get into the debate of what’s right or wrong with her actions. If anything, I find Edelgard and Rhea great parallels because they’re essentially the same in many areas. Women who are good at heart but will do cruel or evil things. Contradictory if you will and marred by their traumas.

You would need Shez for this to work

To get to the point, before I slip into mindless rambling again, I do think Edelgard could’ve worked quite well. Better than the Blue Lions in fact. Crimson Rose just needed proper focus and some explanation of Edelgard’s actions.

You shouldn’t change what she does or her ideals since that’s core to her route but it would be best to have as much insight into why she’s doing it as possible.

Above all, I believe her story only works under those conditions if you do what Shez did in 3 Hopes. You do not need Shez themselves but you do need a similar play to what they domino into effect.

And I say this because Edelgard’s plans and work makes the most sense in 3 Hopes. Shez caused the Agarthans to appear early which let her run them out of the empire and seize it. That act was very crucial to me buying her route and it’s possibilities at all.

Since I find it hard to swallow as a player in her other routes to work alongside ‘Those who slither in the dark’. It makes no sense to me that she wouldn’t jump at the first chance to oust them and 3 Hopes played on that same notion.

Once 3 Hopes got Edelgard’s story going I found it much easier to go along with compared to Crimson Flower. If 3 Houses had done this and spent the game focusing on just that I could see it being better than even a hypothetical game focused solely on the Blue Lions.

Rather than solving the mysteries of Fodlan, Edelgard could expose them.

Rather than cooperate with Shambala she could make it a priority.

You could focus on the parallels between Edelgard and Rhea and even have Edelgard recognize this.

It’d be interesting to watch Edelgard realize her ideals are a bit too idealistic. Let’s be honest, they are, but that doesn’t make them unworthy of pursuing. In 3 Hopes Dimitri was the only leader to display the wisdom that change can’t be rushed. He too seeks it but knows it has to be done slowly.

Imagine if Edelgard took this lesson to heart. Imagine if her friends refined her ideas over the story like that one random support in which Ferdinand unintentionally offered up the idea of a regulated public school system. He did so after hearing Edelgards own idea to teach more than just the noble class.

That one support could’ve been a great theme to apply to more of her supports. Her friends helping her build her ideals.

I would still leave the moral quandaries of her and the war she starts but you can give what she intends to do more depth.

How will she replace aristocracy?

Will she even decide to do so by the end?

How will she help the common man?

How will she rectify a honest church when her own Southern Church is just a political tool?

How does she plan to offset corruption in her new system? The noble and crest system is very corrupt but so is our own alternatives in the real world. No governing system is perfect.

Does Edelgard even realize this in the heat of her revolution?

Will Edelgard spare the Leicestor Alliance or conquer it?

All fun things you could build on if you just focused on her story alone. There is potential there and I’d be very inclined to see it should they ever decide to make another 3 Houses spin off.

Byleth

The question of how to kick this possible branch off would also lie with Byleth I think. I earnestly believe Edelgard’s story works so well in 3 Hopes because she does the smarter decision of ousting the Agarthan infestation. She has more time to plot her war and reform her nation.

That really works in her favor as a story lead in my opinion but we still need someone to help her kick those events off. It would be easy to reuse Shez here but I think Byleth is a more intriguing option.

As the vessel of the goddess of which the Church of Seiros worships it offers a unique realization for Edelgard. Rhea may have founded the faith on lies and warped history with half truths but the goddess herself is very much real.

How does Edelgard rectify this truth? Especially if Byleth is the teacher she admires and the reason she’s able to reveal Arundel as an imposter?

Edelgard even wonders in 3 Hopes if her attraction to Byleth is due to her cest of Seiros resonating with the crest of flames.

How does Byleth help her dethrone Arundel and the Noble Six? Depends on you. You can do what they did in 3 Hopes with Shez or you can do a slower alternative with the class set up from 3 Houses. In either case it’s doable and a bit more compelling.

Conclusion

No I do not know how to conclude or expand on this route more. The point I hoped to make was that Edelgard could’ve been a great route. There is a lot there and it offers so much to work with had the developers and writers chose too.

I doubt we’d ever see a genuine focus on her but one can hope. If not her at least Azure Moon. Heck, despite my lost posts I do still prefer Claude and the Golden Deer so I’d even take a focus on them.

That’s a rant for another day however. Bye now.

================================

Editors Note: This is a second spin-off from my traditional: Fiery Opinions posts. You’ll find the rest in that link if you’re curious about my trip through Fire Emblem.

#fe #fe3h #fe3wh #fire emblem #fire emblem three hopes #fire emblem three houses #edelgard von hresvelg #fiery opinions #someone said to add #edelgard discourse #so there ya go kids

[fieriframes]

[Public opinion is the worst of all opinions.]

#s19e02 all things new york #guy fieri #guyfieri #diners drive-ins and dives #public opinion #opinions

[aberrantmind]

yaaaay. yet another normal family life focused DLC for the sims 4, featuring even more plain modern clothing and furniture. would it kill them to make some vintage options???

#would it kill them to make an occult expansion. #would it kill them to let us have a mystical world with more than five lots in it. #would all the employees spontaneously combust and die a horrific fiery death if they added some victorian clothes to the game jesus christ #8lah #im kind of pissed tbh because fucking again #would it KILL THEM to let us have an occult themed world with more than Five Fucking Lots to build on. #would they die. would they explode into a shower of gore. would they lose all their customers #like i understand that a lot of sims players play it as a family simulation but i hate doing that i always have aging off #i get too frustrated with my sims having to piss all the time for me to allow them to have their needs go down #theyre pristine little dolls that i take out to dress up and play out angsty teen dramas with #im sure that theres plenty of people who would really enjoy a mystical world with more lots idk #i dont have their dlc sales numbers. #anyway im betting 50 on the new expansions world being a boring ass suburban place that looks identical to all the other #boring ass suburban worlds in the game. idc anymore #if you dont enjoy this post or my opinions you have the option of blocking me btw. you dont have to argue

[forbidden-sunlight]

yandere!Alastor with Violet Evergarden!reader scenario

Warning: aged-up!reader [in early to late twenties], obsessive behavior, implied violence, implied emotional and physical abuse, implied brainwashing, knowledge based on spoilers from the first two episodes of the 2024 series.

There may be possible triggers in this story.

If you do not feel comfortable venturing any further, please hit the 'back' button on your device or computer and read something much more pleasant than a possible series of unfortunate events.

You are responsible for your own Internet consumption!

Hey guys, welcome back to another Hazbin Hotel fic, starring Hell's one and only Radio Demon, Alastor! This is a collaborative piece written with @isuckatwritingsobenice, whom I share a mutual adoration for Violet Evergarden, the anime and titular character who is in my humble opinion, one of the best written female protagonists I have seen in anime.

As always, bullying is not tolerated here. If you have nothing nice to say, please do not say it. Furthermore, if you believe the warnings listed above will make you uncomfortable, please leave now.

For those who have decided to stay, sit back, relax, and let's see what's going for tonight's broadcast :)

Alastor is someone who thrives on entertainment and chaos. Seeing the scourge of Hell striving to redeem themselves in Charlie’s hotel, only to fail as soon as they gave into the vices they’ve been trying to cure themselves of? That’s the only reason he agreed to help the princess with her passion project. He needed some inspiration after lacking it for so many decades! 

When you had arrived at the hotel with nothing except the clothes on your back and a suitcase that protected your precious Remington typewriter, the Radio Demon would not deny that he was amused to see a sinner who actually saw his advertisement on the television. After all, no one was taking Charlie seriously, and who would? Apparently you did, but for a different reason: you were looking for a job, a purpose. You said so in the interview, and you were willing to learn. When Vagatha asked what would be considered a flaw in your work ethic, you took off your leather gloves and showed her and Charlie  the alloy prosthetics that acted as your new limbs after losing them in the war.

Why you still had them and why your appearance was wholly human, you did not know. Would this be considered a flaw? You were not sure either. You are still learning about modern technology, especially the handheld devices called cell phones. 

Although the staff was in dire need of someone who could advertise the Hazbin Hotel on the Internet, the princess found something you could do and might be adequate at: gardening. More specifically, being the hotel’s groundskeeper. Someone who can maintain the hotel’s outward appearance and make sure the hell-grass or weeds don’t  get too out of control. You stood up from your seat, feet planted together and saluted Charlie, promising that you will do your best in a monotone voice.

The poor dear did get a little flustered from your actions, but Vagatha did not seem to mind, asking you to follow her upstairs so that she could show you your new room and give you the key. Your first day will be tomorrow. 

Oh, this will be fun~! Alastor thought with a wide grin. Someone new to antagonize and watch fall into the fiery pits of failure! Husk was starting to bore him anyway. 

And he was not disappointed. 

He saw you struggle with holding a garden spade, laying down carpets of fresh grass neatly without trying to crush it between your prosthetic limbs, carrying fertilizer and what flowers to plant! These entertaining events happened within the first week of being here. Is he sorry that his shadows purposely swapped the fertilizer bags and replaced the seed bags to plant roses with rat bait? Absolutely not! 

The more chaos that he created, the more entertained he will be. The anticipation to see you crumble from the pressure and expectations of dear Vagatha and Charlie is almost palpable, he couldn’t wait! 

However, you were not someone who gave up as easily as he hoped you would. 

You kept showing up every day at the exact time, and worked in the garden until Niffty had to drag you inside to have lunch. Then you stayed outside for a bit longer, making sure everything was ready for the following day. You even tried to help out in the kitchen, though you were still struggling to properly hold a knife and chop up vegetables for his jambalaya or cracking eggs in a bowl to help Niffty bake a cake at nine o’clock in the evening because she was bored and wanted something sweet. 

You carried heavy crates of liquor for Husk and even massaged his temples when he complained of a headache. When you discreetly switched out the liquor in his booze for water one time he held a grudge against you for pulling that stunt for almost a week. He eventually forgave you by preparing a Shirley Temple on the house after you politely rejected a whiskey on the rocks because you did not drink alcohol. 

Sir Pentious, the wannabe overlord, was utterly fascinated with your prosthetic limbs and had asked you to let him examine them. That comment earned him a low, menacing growl from Vagatha, spear in hand. The Egg Bois seemed to like you well enough that they tried to help you out in the garden when all they really did was make your job a bit harder. You still thanked them anyway. 

Angel Dust tried to take you shopping for a new wardrobe since you always wore the same outfit every day, but his definition of fashion bordered on risque and flaunting his assets. You were not here to flaunt your appearance, you were here to work, but you thanked him anyway. When he came back to the hotel, staggering inside on wobbly legs and his face covered in black-blue bruises, you were the one who caught him and helped him settle on a table as Husk pulled out a first aid kit. You allowed Angel to put all four of his arms around you and cry on your shoulders, carefully placing your skeletal prosthetics around his back. 

How is it that a single sinner could empathize with everyone here except him? 

This singular thought, this curious idea, is what motivated Alastor to find out more about you. And there is no else in Hell who can spill the tea on someone as accurately as his dear friend Rosie. 

A trip to Cannibal Colony was in order~!  So he did go there, proclaiming he’ll be back before dinner and ignoring Vagatha’s cursing as well as the princess trying to calm down her short-tempered lover. 

As it turned out, he had heard about you, it’s just that the topic in question did not interest him at the time. Rosie conjured up some old newspaper clippings, pointing at the image of you fighting against an exorcist in hand-to-hand combat during the Extermination. This article had been written five years ago, and the one before that? Three years ago. It seemed like you were simply at the wrong place at the wrong time, and you fought back because that is what your life had been before; surrounded by violence, vanquishing enemy forces when they crossed your path. Yet when you did make an appearance, everyone in Hell clamored for any scraps of information. Anything to find out who is the mysterious sinner who looked like a human and could rip off an exorcist’s head bare-handed. 

Now, you were staying at the hotel trying to put whatever remained of your afterlife together. That is your true purpose and now the Radio Demon knew. 

Alastor thanked Rosie for the information and the company, leaving Cannibal Colony in a merry mood. Everything was in place. Everything made perfect sense now.

If you were looking for a way to be useful in his newest project, he can make that happen. All he needs to do is nudge you in the right direction without Charlie and Vagatha around.

They are adorable when they are taking turns being a guard dog around you, you sweet little darling~. 

Taglist

@chroniccorvus

@imperfectbloodmoon

@doc-tooth

@nixie-writes

@riddle-simp

@tired-of-life-86

@blackmageoffandoms

If you would like to be tagged in future yandere hazbin x reader fics, please comment on this post here. If you do not comment, then you will not be added on the taglist.

#hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel x reader #alastor x reader #hazbin hotel alastor #yandere alastor x reader #forbidden-sunlight #fem!reader #yandere x reader #male yandere x reader #violet evergarden!reader #yandere male #yandere #ns.fw #hazbin hotel 2024 #cw physical abuse #tw physical abuse #cw obsessive love #cw obsessive behavior #tw obsessive love #tw obsessive behavior #character!reader #tw emotional abuse #cw emotional abuse

[fierifiction]

This burger, the Brindle Room, is in my opinion -- my professional opinion -- but habes iustam medicinam. I just took her in the morning, and she wasn't happy.

#s19e03 big time bites #guy fieri #guyfieri #diners drive-ins and dives #brindle room #professional opinion

[hunnieknight]

Paws on Me!

A 'stray' found by the Express scientist herself, she took you in as her lovely pet/partner. She takes pride for being the only one who can control you, so, how does she feel if she sees her lovely puppy being obedient to another woman?

Kafka-Hybird!Reader-Himeko

Feral reader!!, reader is dog-coded, good relationship with Himeko/unknown relationship with Kafka, FERAL ARF ARF ARF, hint of obsession/possesive, attachment issue, yandere-ish Himeko, manipulation, OOC!Himeko and Kafka probably.

A/N : bad grammar

-------

Playpen

On one day when the red fiery head lady decided to explore outside express, she brought in...a 'being' from outside.

A...human dog? You have all the traits of dog and human. Cute triangle fluffy ears, and big tail too. It seems you are some kind of unique species that Himeko found.

Being the conductor's second-in-command, she does not need other's opinion to bring you in. she just decided to pick you up, clean you up, and dress you up properly.

It seems like Himeko actually had planned to take you in really well. Considering she already knows a lot about your likes and dislikes, prepared extra pillows and blankets in her room, and your only words are simple 'no/yes' and 'Himeko'.

Also considering how you seem to have an attachment to Himeko, to the point it seems unhealthy.

So, at some point in the day, there will be raspy 'Himeko?' around the train as the red-haired woman teaches you or hanging out with you.

You growl. growl. and growl at everything and everyone. Feral and aggressive. Your first meeting with the Express crew resulted in heavy constant growling within the express. Himeko decided to bring you back to her room after you tried to hide in her coat and luscious red hair.

However, Himeko herself understand, you are not aggressive without reason, you are just afraid. Every little grown and snarl is just you trying to defend yourself.

If Himeko is alone, it usually means you are asleep in her room. The express seems back to normal, without any yapping, barking and growling. Well, until you wake up that is. Your separation anxiety and attachment to Himeko make you NEED to see the red hair in your vision at all times.

Howling and whining can be heard throughout the whole express cabin, a cry of a poor lonely being, an obvious sign of someone missing their master so much. The sound that Himeko loves so much

It is kinda cute though, to see you who usually being aggressive and untouchable, will cry with your tail between your legs, barging into the main area to find Himeko. Once she sees you, she will coos and call you to her lap.

Like the spoiled puppy, you are, you just jumped into her arm. Melted into her touch while you whined and cried softly.

"Aww, I am here, I am here. Shh..shh..."

It is borderline cute--you curled up next to or on her lap, whimpering scared--if nobody notices the excitement glint in her golden orbs. It seems your attachment to her isn't a problem at all.

Treats

When the Express first met you, they knew Himeko had quite some time spent. Matching rose choker/collar, coffee scent, Express tag on your outfit, matching coats. Everything on you screams hers.

Himeko should give herself a pat on the back for turning you a dirty-flea covered mutt to a fluffy healthy dog.

At first they were having a hard time to even socialize with you. Every attempt of being friendly met with snarl and growl. But after sometimes, the crews knew you are just all about making noises and mean no real harm as long as Himeko is untouched.

Despite already being 'friendly' with you and seen how you act like a rabid dog in training, every attempt of the Express trio requesting you to take them trailblazing always meet with a shake of head from Himeko.

Your meal consist of meat, although you have a perfectly normal human body, despite the ears and tail, you prefer to eat meat, raw or cooked.

You don't really like Dan Heng. Himeko said you are sensitive to other predator's scent, and somehow Dan Heng having dragon blood in him counts as 'predator'.

Himeko did a great job to not making you follow your prey-drive, however, the crew sometimes caught you staring at Pom Pom a lil bit too intense for comfort.

They love seeing you wag your tail though.

Himeko seems really proud and happy whenever you 'hang out' with the Express. Usually just you growling while March brushing you or Stelle/Caelus teasing you.

Himeko adores you, a little precious thing she took in.

Trick

Although she knows how dependent you are to her, sometimes she can't help the thoughts of you being snatched from the warmth of the safe haven Express.

The way she attracts you was by her heat and welcoming comfort of her warmth (she is thankful for her fire element). You were just a lil beast cowering in fear and cold.

Being thankful, you always being obedient and follow her. No one is as important as Himeko to you, she is your top priority list. Th eonly one in your head.

You only have Himeko in your mind.

So, what happens if you meet someone who can play with your mind?

Kafka is a threat. Himeko knows that, but Kafka is a massive threat to her and her pup.

A stellaron hunter, with almost 10 B for her neck, will get what she wants, especially with that alluring voice of her. You might get snatched away from Himeko's grasp.

Oh no, she does not want that.

So, imagine the crew seeing Himeko being all defensive and hostile towards Kafka whenever her hologram decided to stop by to check on you.

Poor you does not even know you are facing one of the most dangerous criminal. Well, maybe you do, judging how you start hiding behind Himeko whenever Kafka comes.

Kafka is a considerate person and despite being a manipulative master, value real bonding. So she never use her voice to call you to her. so far

She will sits too close to comfort with you, poor you trying to squeeze yourself more into Himeko's side, trying to get away from her. Kafka sees this as a cute thing somehow maybe she enjoys seeing fear in others huh?

Oh how a little beast like you ended up here huh? Himeko's puppy? Oh would be a shame if someone decide to just take you away and gooble you up~

--------

--------

--------

After this, Welt decided to teach you how to speak and read.

#imaginedraw #hsr x gender neutral reader #hsr x reader #himeko hsr #kafka hsr #yandere himeko x reader #himeko x reader #kafka x reader #yandere hsr