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dwreader · 9 months

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How do you go about figuring out what references the show is making (besides the ones they just say directly)??

Ohh ykw on this show I think they hit you over the head with so many both allusions and direct callouts that its almost more like trying to figure out which ones are true thematic references and which are just fun little namedrops. For example Daniel mentioning Kevin Durant imo is just a pop culture/worldbuilding namedrop to show that he's a ~cool guy~ from brooklyn and goes to basketball games (and to further establish these characters live in OUR world with the same celebrities). We're not meant to read Kevin Durant's bio on wikipedia and think of all the deep parallels. On the other hand, my pal blueiight has brought up that Basquiat paintings hanging around the penthouse could be read more deeply about the two men's biographies but maybe you don't necessarily HAVE to get the reference to understand the show. It's like an easter egg.

Also some references are simply bc modern tropes all stem from some origin and not the show deliberately making the connection, like yk the gothic romance tropes are abounding in this story and its not necessarily the show directly being like hey guys this is just like Jane Eyre! imma right? rather the conventions are so ingrained in our culture now that they bleed into everything. Or like my My Fair Lady posts it's like is this really a My Fair Lady specific thing or is it cause all professor/student or mentor/mentee romantic fiction all kind of stems from Pygmalion?? Anyways I'm gonna put the rest under a read more cause it's gonna be long af. sorry.

The ones I tend to take really seriously are books, plays, etc where the show goes out of its way to give you a bit of plot summary like Iolanta (blind princess who doesn't know she's a princess) where Louis crying at the opera kinda like Julia Roberts crying at La Traviata in Pretty Woman signals a thematic parallel between the characters (shoutout to slaygentford for that post that changed the world). Whereas they don't for Don Pasquale so while that's like a little funny joke cause its heheh its also about an old ass man looking for a wife that's like less serious to me than Iolanta. Louis casually reading Madame Bovary as his voiceover says he was "neglecting the duties of the role Claudia mocked me for the unhappy housewife" is a clear HELLO LOOK HERE moment, as well as Louis reading Edward Carpenter's book about marriage trying to regain his sight after his beating. Whereas I think him reading the Origin of Species is just like aww he's so cute and intellectual trying to find a scientific reason for his eating disorder.

A Doll's House is the biggest one imo cause it's both a direct callout in ep2 (Lestat mentions not wanting to miss the opening scene of Nora and the Christmas tree) and an allusion in ep7 (Louis shown decorating a Christmas tree), AND the "doll" theme runs throughout most of the show so even if you know nothing about that play, there's like hints being thrown at you with Louis bringing paper dolls to the twins bday party, decorating Claudia's room full of dolls and Lestat designing his Mardi Gras outfit like he's a doll. Maybe you've never read or heard Nora's monologue where she says all her life she's been treated like a doll and now she treats her children like dolls too cause she doesn't know anything else but you can literally SEE the dolls on the shelf in Claudia's room.

Streetcar is also the other one that the show is so so soooo obviously Leonardo Dicaprio pointing meme at itself. Even if you've never read the play or seen the movie, the image every fucking person on earth recognizes is Marlon Brando in a wifebeater cause that quite literally changed the course of pop culture history and male sex symbols AND you probably know STELLLAAAAA!!!!! These are both referenced quite directly by the show with Lestat wearing wifebeaters in ep5,6 and 7 and in Lestat's attempts to get Louis back after the DV as that's literally the context of STELLAAA he's screaming her name after he got kicked out for beating her btw if you even care. Plus they are riding an actual streetcar in ep7 even though they have a car??? and they're way too rich to be taking public transportation like what's that about.. unless!

Then you have things that Rolin has brought up himself in interviews like Bogie & Bacall (famously massive age gap hehe), John Cassavettes films (I would say Faces and A Woman Under the Influence as the primary sources of that comp), Francis Bacon art that you can definitely pick out from the show as well! So this show is chock full of cool references and inspirations and its very cool that people are being introduced to some of these older pieces of media through the show!!

#iwtv #interview with the vampire #im sorry this is so long im bored at work and got carried away #but there's soooo many of these rolin you sick bastard #asks

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unexpectedbrickattack · 1 year

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hi again 👋👋👋 anyway i would LOVE to hear any thoughts you might have about fake pep and his interactions with other characters if you're amenable to that! i love him and there is So Much going on there and you always have stellar hcs so id love to hear them!!

Ive been shying away from drawing/writing anything with fake peppino bc frankly ur right; there IS so much going on with him 😭 so much so that it almost feels impossible to settle on something concrete 😭 This is also bc I link Fake Peppi and Pizzahead together, which means I also have to work on characterizing that punk 😭😭😭 But I will still try to get my thoughts out

(OKAY THIS IS REM FROM THE FUTURE OR PAST OR SOMETHING AND IM HERE TO SAY THAT I RAMBLED SO FUCKING LONG THAT I DIDNT EVEN GET TO THE ACTUAL ASK OF THIS FUCKING ASK!!! I JUST TALKED ABOUT FAKE PEPPI AND DIDNT WRITE A SINGLE INTERACTION. SO UM. THIS ASK IS NOW ABOUT FAKE PEPPI AND ONLY FAKE PEPPI IM SO SORRY 😭😭😭😭😭 ILL GO MORE IN DEPTH W DYNAMICS N SUCH SOME DAY BUT NOT TODAY)

Fake Peppino is Not the first clone; hes one of the Last ones Pizzahead worked on. The ones you see in the war level are the closest, appearance wise, to Peppino, but they arent the brightest and will often behave like [insert test subject] but with Peppinos face on it. The emphasis on appearance first resulted in some physically identical, but otherwise, dull witted clones.

Fake Peppi was the first attempt at replicating Peppinos actual personality over appearance and it works moderately well, its just that. Hes a little funky lookin. Which is okay! Its the first attempt !! He’ll get more time to try again! They give Fake Peppi a little run down shop to manage (that he almost immediately converts into a pizzeria) while they work on perfecting the clones. But then Peppino actually storms the tower after being threatened w the Pizzeria Begone Beam, and hes tearing through portals so quickly that Pizzahead literally has No Time to try and work on these new clones. Fake Peppi is the First of this new experimental line of clones, and hes one of the Last. (Said bc i do intend on making my own little peppi clone someday heehee)

Fake Peppi passes as a pretty Normal creature. Hes a bit Tall but not absurdly above average. I drew him pretty goopy and lanky on my first (and only ) attempt at drawing him, but the more i think about it, the more I want him to just be a taller, slightly offputting Peppino. I like the idea someone had of Fake Peppi mimicking the stylized, cartoonish logo design of the pizzeria, so hes got a bit of a doofy lookin face. Its very round, with soft looking eyes and permanent blush on his cheeks. When hes trying to look Less Scary (bc he is a bit aware now that hes a little Off), you can see his mouth on his face like a Normal person. When hes relaxed and/or unfocused, it kind of just. Disappears. It makes his face look kind of like a little butt or a peach heehee

Fake Peppi acts pretty similarly to Real Peppino. Hes quick to anger, and quick to frighten. Hes a bit of a goof and he likes to entertain (which completely threw pizzahead off; hes like thats. Not right? Is it??). He has more or less the same mental capacity as Peppino, shares similar skills and hobbies, and enjoys the same kinds of food that Peppino does (with mild variation). Hes very relaxed and easygoing with a tendency to act a fool and be a little playful, which leads Pizzahead to believe that despite what hes personally seen (from stalking this poor man), Peppino is Also inherently a bit of a fool and a little playful and also capable of being relaxed and easygoing.

Fake Peppi is prone to the same kind of anxiety and panic attacks that Peppino has, only he does not have decades of experience with them to know how to manage it. So the time he spends with Pizzahead is Not the smoothest. The combination of Just Being Created and having Crippling Panic Attacks leaves him with an almost Blank Slate, memory wise, by the time hes left with the pizzeria. When Pizzahead visits Fake Peppi again to give him the lift key; hes basically a stranger to him :0

(Peppino tries to help with some grounding techniques for panic attacks, but since they Both default to self soothing stims, hes not that much help 😭)

Conversations are as smooth as they can be with his garbled speech; he can understand what hes being told, and he will write down what he Wants to say with pen and paper. Eventually, he ‘upgrades’ to a phone with proper text to speech, so he uses that quite often. I know the backwards speech is canon (or at the very least extremely popular) but its very hard for me to read and parse in my head, so i am deciding against that 😭

Hes hard to understand bc despite having a similar vocal pitch to Peppino (a bit high), it rubberbands in a way that makes it sound incredibly croakey and scratchy. The more excitable he is, the more incoherent he becomes. With (immense) effort, he can speak clearly, but its almost as difficult as someone trying to suppress their stutter; hes much more comfortable using his phone to talk. I can see him learning sign language at some point; Peppino does Not know sign language but he IS capable of learning, which means Fake Peppi is Also capable of learning.

Overall Fake Peppi is Peppino with enough variance to give him his own personality. Some of the things he does shines a bit of a light on Peppinos personality; its like, if Peppino DIDNT have to struggle with a failing business and crippling debt and being drafted into a fucking war, what kind of Peppino would you get? And as a surprise to Pizzahead, its a relatively sweet and goofy guy!! And if he took the time to interact with the Real Peppino instead of an idealized version of him (like pepperman and vigilante have started doing) then he would see that. Oh well.

#answered #chattin #fake peppino #long post #it was SO fucking long #i literally scrapped like 4 paragraphs this was so gargantuan #also #tibli i am so fucking sorry #i was like ‘interactions; got it!’#‘i guess i should share my thoughts on him so that the interactions make sense’#and then i wrote a fucking essay #and i would STILL have to write the interactions 😭😭😭#so i think i will just talk about him more to make up for it #i want to draw some stuff w them but im doing soooo much comm work to afford an upcoming trip #im going to see my sister :)! i already paid for the ticket but i wanna get these people their sketches #anyway it means i have no time to doodle #so these asks are really the only way i get to still engage w this silly game #so there will be a lot more chattin on this blog again heehee

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partystoragechest · 1 month

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A story of romance, drama, and politics which neither Trevelyan nor Cullen wish to be in.

Canon divergent fic in which Josephine solves the matter of post-Wicked Hearts attention by inviting invites four noblewomen to compete for Cullen's affections. In this chapter, read the first line.

(Masterpost. Beginning. Previous entry. Next entry. Words: 3,380. Rating: all audiences. Warnings: fighting and blood mentions.)

Chapter 39: Duel Purpose

“The Commander is going to duel Lady Orroat!”

Trevelyan almost spat out her tea.

Lady Samient had burst through the door of the Baroness’ chamber, disrupting the quiet morning conversation being had within. Both women whirled on her, but—before they could query what she had said—Samient was already gone.

Trevelyan locked eyes with the Baroness, their faces equal in confusion. With nary a word spoken between them, they threw down their tea, and gave chase.

They pursued the sound of Lady Samient’s vanishing footsteps along the corridor, and down the stairs—tumbling out into the Great Hall, where they at last managed to catch her.

“What is going on?” asked Trevelyan, to no answer. Samient hurried them out of the door instead, to the courtyard beyond.

Emerging into the glare of the sun, they caught sight of a crowd below, forming around the training ring. Soldiers, servants, visiting nobles: most of Skyhold had turned out for the event. Word, as always, had spread rather quickly.

Yet, within the ring, Trevelyan saw only two individuals of note: a battle-ready Lady Orroat, plated in iridescent obsidian, preparing to fight—and a flailing Lady Erridge, who tugged fruitlessly at her arm.

“Really, Lady Orroat, it is quite all right!” she pleaded, as the Ladies neared. “I suffered no injury from the Commander’s rejection, I assure you!”

Lady Orroat fastened her pauldrons.

“I am completely fine—I swear!” continued Erridge, to seemingly little effect. “I don’t mind at all! This is surely unnecessary!”

Lady Orroat turned. She hooked a finger beneath Lady Erridge’s chin, and tilted her face towards her own. Soft morning light trickled around them, motes of dust dancing through the air. The crowd almost melted away; time appeared to slow. Just their silhouette, in the shape of two lovers.

Gentle as her touch, Lady Orroat spoke:

“My dearest Tam, though you may bear the insult, I cannot. No man shall walk this plane and feel entitled to so callously discard your treasured affection.” Her thumb traced the curve of Erridge’s jaw. “Please, my Lady. Allow me this.”

Trevelyan’s mouth fell open. Lady Samient gripped her arm. The Baroness fanned herself. All those romances Lady Erridge had read, and somehow, she had failed to realise that she was, apparently, living in one.

Naturally quite helpless to do anything but gaze back at Lady Orroat, her eyes—wide and innocent as a doe’s—fluttering rapidly, Lady Erridge assented:

“Oh, well—um, don’t hurt him too much, I suppose?”

Lady Orroat took a step back, and bowed low. “Anything for you, my Lady.”

She strode away, to meet her foe. Lady Erridge listlessly waved her off, before stumbling over to where the Ladies had gathered. She was a mess of giggles and squeaks, unable to say anything that was not in relation to her dear Lady Orroat.

The Baroness took to helping her regain her faculties; Trevelyan and Samient shared a smile at the display. Certain that Erridge would recover from her stupor, they were able to return their attention to the ring.

Lady Orroat—sword drawn—had taken position at its centre, and performed spectacular practice swings, to the adoration of the crowd. Yet, while all eyes were on her, Trevelyan’s drifted, to the other side of the arena—in search, perhaps, of the Lady’s opponent.

Her breath caught.

There he stood. Soldiers flanked his sides, aiding him to prepare. Armour was placed upon his body; leather straps were pulled taut by his iron grip. He tested his breastplate with a beat to the chest; it clanged against the metal of his gauntlet.

His mantle was brought, and draped over his back, amplifying the broadness of his shoulders. His helm was presented—a lion’s roar, frozen in steel—and lowered upon his head, his fearsome glare framed within its maw. His sword was last, offered in its belt and sheath. He strapped it around his hips, good and tight. His fingers curled around the blade’s hilt.

The sword was drawn; he needed no practice. He was the Commander of the Inquisition—and Maker, did he look it, in the entirety of his regalia. Intimidating, unwavering, he stalked towards his opponent.

“Hey.”

Trevelyan startled, quite unaware how how enraptured she had been by the display. She glanced about for the source of the voice, and found Varric beside her, holding up a pouch of coin.

“I’m taking wagers on who’s gonna win. Want in?” he asked.

Lady Samient, whom Trevelyan had definitely not forgotten was beside her, took an interest. “What are the odds?”

“Winning side splits the pot.”

The Baroness tossed a coin to him, which he caught with ease. “One crown on Lady Orroat.”

Lady Erridge applauded. “Oh, good choice!”

Varric noted it down, and moved on to the next group of punters. Trevelyan watched him go, then returned her gaze to the arena. A Captain addressed the combatants; both nodded in agreement. Satisfied, the Captain withdrew, and raised an arm.

Hush fell over the crowd. Anticipation slowed the air around them. A breath spilled from Trevelyan’s lips. The Captain’s arm dropped.

They charged. Swords clashed.

It was the Commander who dominated first. His muscular build and experienced arm were a force to be reckoned with. He struck out with a barrage of blows, each one ferocious as the last. Each one as confident. Each one as precise. He commanded the battlefield, as was his right.

Yet Lady Orroat showed no signs of yielding. She was a fleet-footed fighter, taking each hit and turning it into momentum. Dodges and blocks; no counters. It seemed she was not interested in fighting back—not yet. She was biding her time. She was waiting for something.

Whatever opening this was, the Commander would not give it. He stepped back only to return, with even greater force. Trevelyan admired the arc of his sword through the air, its flash in the sunlight, as he thrust hard toward her abdomen.

Lady Orroat deflected it away. The crowd gasped. The Commander was open.

She delivered a swift slice to his arm, before it could straighten. The Commander’s grip weakened. She moved in, butted her pommel direct into his helm. The Commander stumbled back. A mighty kick to his chest, and he was thrown to the ground.

The crowd roared, the Ladies cheered. The Baroness was going to get that crown back.

Lady Orroat strode to where the Commander lay. Before he could recover, she knocked his helm away, with the tip of her blade—and then held it to his throat.

“Yield.”

The crowd waited, for the reply.

The Commander let his sword fall from his grasp. “I yield.”

The Captain’s arm went up, on Orroat’s side. The crowd began to holler and cheer. Soldiers, trained hard in this same ring, applauded the satisfaction of seeing their Commander humiliated.

Lady Erridge burst out from the masses, running to Lady Orroat’s arms. The Lady dropped her sword, and embraced Erridge entirely, twirling her through the air.

Over the noise of the crowd, one could barely hear what was said between them in that moment. But as their dance ended, and Orroat set Erridge down, she sank onto one knee—and the crowd fell silent once more.

“Lady Tam Erridge, of West Coldon,” said Lady Orroat, loud enough for all to hear. “My dearest friend. My most ardent love. I have been enamoured with you since the day we met; in the years I have known you, my love for you has only grown. I have always cherished our friendship, but I wish to cherish you, as well. Please, I beg—will you marry me?”

The pause afterward felt as though a lifetime. Though no one suffered it as much as Orroat, the Ladies held their breath. They looked to Erridge—as did the entire crowd—and waited.

Erridge, fixed in place, blinked. “Oh, Lady Orroat,” she gasped, “well—of course! I could not think of anything more wonderful in all my life!”

Lady Orroat shot to her feet, and collided with Erridge. The Ladies screamed, joyous and in sheer disbelief. The crowds applauded. At long last, a kiss that had waited for years to exist, finally came to be.

The Ladies rushed the arena, and many more followed. They met and embraced both Erridge and Orroat, smiling, laughing, squealing in delight. The world became nothing but noise and happiness. Congratulations were given, and received with joy. Invitations to a wedding, promised and assured.

Never had Trevelyan seen such mirth, and such festivity. Though very few of Skyhold knew the significance of the event, they celebrated nonetheless. The happiness of others was enough motivation.

And yet, in the crowd, Trevelyan found one face to be missing. As her friends continued their revelry, she continued to sweep their surroundings. Somewhere, in this maelstrom of merriment, surely—

“Your winnings!” came Varric’s voice, not quite the one she’d been looking for. He passed a handful of coins to the Baroness, who tucked them discreetly into a pocket, and told some joke about starting a fund for her wedding attire.

Yet before he moved on, to pass out his next prize, he stopped—for but a moment—beside Trevelyan.

“Armoury,” he said.

Trevelyan looked out, over the heads that surrounded her. The vaguest shape of red wool and silver plate disappeared into the building nearby.

“Thank you,” she said to Varric—but he had already gone. She made her excuses to her friends, instead, and began to find her way through the crowds.

It was difficult, to move against the flow of excitement—but soon enough, she found herself at the edges of the hubbub. The armoury door lingered open, just a crack, in the distance. She hurried over.

Peeking just her head through, Trevelyan took in the space. She’d not been here often. It acted as a second smithy, with forges and furnaces along the back wall, swathing the room in their warmth and light.

Yet, unlike the smithy of the Undercroft, soldiers would frequent this place. Armour and weaponry lined the racks, ready for use in training. A long bench, where they would prepare for exactly this, waited below.

Today, however, it boasted only one occupant.

The Commander had collapsed upon the bench, wrenching the plate from his body. Each piece clattered to the floor as soon as the straps came free. With all outside celebrating, there was no one to attend him.

And so he continued the task himself, stripping his mantle and laying it over his lap. Arms free, he tugged at his gorget until it came loose; removed it and the breastplate beneath. Just a gambeson, now, and his helm.

He discarded the latter first, his face at last revealed—exhausted, and panting.

Sweat-streaked skin glistened in the glow of the fires. But not mere sweat alone. Trevelyan gasped. Blood. There was blood.

The Commander must have felt it, for he raised his hand to his upper lip, and pulled it away, red. Bloody nose. That strike to the face.

He sighed, and, like the weight of the world was holding him down, leant back against the wall—

“Forward, Commander!” blurted Trevelyan, before she’d even thought of what to say next. “You... need to tilt your head forward.”

His eyes widened at seeing her there, but he followed the instruction regardless. “Thank you.”

Trevelyan watched him a moment, then glanced back to the door. She stepped for it—but, out of the corner of her eye, saw a drop of crimson splash against the floor.

She could not leave him like this.

She let the door shut, and turned back. A hand dipped into her pocket. From within, she produced a small cloth.

“Commander,” she said, creeping closer, “use this.”

Head still forward, the Commander’s hand clumsily found hers. Their fingers overlapped for the briefest of moments—before he took hold of the cloth, and fled with it.

Yet he hesitated, in bringing it to his face. “This is from the banquet,” he muttered.

Surprising that he’d somehow remembered. But he was right. It was the napkin he’d given to her that night, to dry her tears.

“I had it cleaned,” said Trevelyan.

He held it back out. “I... can’t use this.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t want to stain it.”

Trevelyan sighed. “Commander, you’re bleeding. Please.”

His hand withdrew, and he pressed the napkin to his nose. Trevelyan took a little step back, and watched him. Her hands twisted around each other, unsure of what to do with themselves.

“Commander?” she whispered.

He started to raise his head.

“No, no—keep it forward,” Trevelyan instructed. “Please.”

This order came not only for the benefit of his bloodied nose. She wished his gaze to be upon the floor, instead of her. She could not have him look at her, when she said what she said next. And thank the Maker, he did as asked.

“I’m... so sorry, Commander, for my behaviour, last we spoke,” she murmured, breathing through the words so as not to let them falter. “My response to your situation was entirely unsympathetic, and undeservedly harsh. My temperament at the time was not balanced, and it is you who bore the brunt of that. I am sorry, truly, I am.”

He was quiet for a moment. A terrifying, excruciating moment. Until, that is, he said:

“You needn’t apologise to me.”

Trevelyan blinked. “What?”

“Nothing of what you said to me that day was incorrect or undeserved,” the Commander told her, voice firm. “You had every right to despise me. I treated you all disgracefully.”

He lifted his head, if only for a second, to look at her—despite the pain it seemed to bring.

“It was not your fault, but mine. There is nothing for you to apologise for. I am sorry. For everything I did.”

She waited until his head dipped back down, and moved a little closer. “But even if I were upset, even if I were right, I needn’t have been so wicked in how I addressed you.”

“No. I deserved to know the consequences of my actions, in as clear and difficult terms as possible. I was cruel, and ignorant. I needed to understand the hurt I had caused. Especially to you. And... I am sorry that I did, cause it.”

Trevelyan sank to her knees before him. Gently, she took the napkin from his grasp, and examined his nose.

“The bleeding’s stopped,” she told him.

Unable to meet her eye, he nodded, head still bowed.

“I understand why you did it,” she muttered. “Lady Montilyet explained to me, what the court of Orlais has put you through. Were I faced with the same, I cannot imagine I would have acted differently.”

The Commander’s head shook. “You would. You would never have done what I did to all of you.”

“Oh, come, Commander. You’ve seen my less savoury side, now.” She folded the napkin, so that she made a clean little square. “You should have heard the things I called you the first night we met.”

“Deserved, I’m sure.”

“Stop punishing yourself, Commander.” Trevelyan raised the napkin to his face. “May I?”

He nodded. She placed her fingertips beneath his chin, and tilted his head. The cloth was dabbed upon a small cut, lancing across his cheek.

“Besides,” she said, “I hear you’ve had punishment enough.”

The mere mention was enough to eke a little smirk from his mouth.

“Yes, the Ladies made quite sure of that,” he murmured. “I... ought to have listened to you, and Lady Montilyet. They are good women.”

“Impressive, even?” she suggested.

“Yes.”

Trevelyan smiled. She turned his head, and brushed dirt from his other cheek.

“Their ‘punishments’ were more endearing than I believe was intended,” the Commander confessed. “I quite enjoyed their company.”

“Finally.” Trevelyan withdrew her hand, let him face forward once more. “I told you.”

“You did. Though… I was right about one thing.”

“What is that?”

He smiled, eyes askance. “I still much prefer yours.”

“Oh.”

Trevelyan stared at him. No longer seeking his skin for wounds, she took in his face, closer now than it had ever been. Every prick of stubble was in perfect focus. The exact curve of the scar that marred his lip. Each lash that framed his honey eyes.

She caught their gaze.

“Um…”

“Commander!” came a shout, from just outside the door. As it burst open, Trevelyan scrambled away, to her feet, and hid the napkin in her pocket.

Lady Orroat—half-out of her own armour, as well—strode in, with Lady Erridge hanging upon her arm.

“Oh!” gasped Erridge, eyes wide at seeing Trevelyan. “Lady Trevelyan is here. Um, dearest Hul, perhaps we should leave them, for a moment—”

Lady Orroat, apparently as oblivious in nature as her fiance, continued marching in.

“But we must make certain the Commander is all right,” she begged, heading for where he sat. She winced, upon seeing his face. “Oh, Maker—I am so sorry, Commander.”

“It’s fine,” he said—though Trevelyan could not help but note a tone of confusion in his voice. He mouthed, to Lady Orroat: “Does she know?”

‘She’ referring here to Lady Erridge—who promptly began to giggle.

“I’m afraid I do!” she confessed. “My dear Lady confessed all to me after the duel had ended—though I had suspected it might be a ruse. Dear Hul would never truly be so insistent upon fighting if I objected so!” She took Orroat’s hand, and squeezed it tight. “Oh, it was so terribly romantic. Thank you, Commander. I am ever so sorry that it got you hurt.”

He waved it off. “Perhaps that makes us even.”

Erridge nodded. “I believe it does.” She glanced between Trevelyan and the Commander once more, and tugged at Orroat’s hand. “Come, my love, we’d best be off.��

Orroat finally allowed herself to be led away—but as they left, called out:

“There’s been some kind of impromptu party arranged at the tavern nearby! Do come along!”

“No, no,” said Erridge, hurrying Orroat out of the door, “stay here as long as you like!”

The door swung shut, and silence fell again. Trevelyan looked to the Commander. He had begun to occupy himself with the removal of armour once more, now busy loosening his greaves.

“Is that why you invited Lady Orroat here?” she asked.

He glanced up. “Hm?”

“You conspired with Lady Orroat to stage a duel?”

The Commander released the straps, and straightened up. “Not originally. I invited her because I realised Lady Erridge cared for her. I thought it might be a start, at making amends. I spoke to her privately after she arrived. She told me of how she and Lady Erridge had met—through a duel, between a boy and Lady Orroat.”

Trevelyan nodded. “Lady Erridge told me the same story.”

“I suggested we recreate the circumstances, to provide Lady Orroat an opportunity to reveal her affection. I thought it... might be poetic, in some way.”

He shrugged. Trevelyan smiled. A little warmth gathered in her chest.

She moved closer.

“Will you be attending the party, Commander?”

He shook his head, and continued working off his greave. “I am unsure the loser would be welcome at the celebration.”

“I believe it would a show of humility,” Trevelyan teased. “You do have an arrogant streak.”

“I’m working on it.”

“I didn’t say I didn’t like it.”

The Commander glanced up at her, hand finding the back of his neck. “I, ah…”

Trevelyan giggled. “Here,” she said, offering him the napkin, sullied as it was, “in case you need it. I’d best get to the party, before any rumours begin.”

He took it, and nodded. “Yes, of—of course…”

“Perhaps I will see you,” she said.

“Perhaps.”

She smiled, and bid him farewell, with a curtsy. He bowed as best he could, and watched her go.

Trevelyan had thought, that when she spoke to him again, she would know what she wanted. Whether she wanted to forgive him, whether she wanted to trust him.

She was right, in a way. For when she glanced back, one last time, before slipping through the door—she knew exactly what she wanted.

It was simply not an option she’d expected.

#unwanted fic #unwanted #cullen rutherford #cullen x trevelyan #you know what those tags mean folks #he's here #and ohoohoooohohohooo #spoiler warning for the next tags #i've been soooo looking forward to this. the tension. the atmosphere. cullen panting and sweaty. it's got it all #on the other hand i am very sorry because next chapter is not the party as nothing of import is going to happen there #and cullen does not show up #but dont worry #there's another party coming soon enough #(and congrats to anyone who gets the deep cut cullen girlie reference in this chapter lol)#(btw this was 99% done for days but it took me so long to get the beginning right that i kept it back and im glad i did bc i like it now)

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ddruxyart · 5 months

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I get that theres a lot fun to be had, when designing dol characters, to really lean into the differences of a masc vs fem version.

But I generally prefer creating character designs that really cater to/capture the feel and personality of a character. So there wont be that many drastic differences between my versions, regardless of sex or gender

#also #sorry to disappoint any dol-ies but some of the characters will not get a male or female version from me #Idk if i will ever draw Eden. But both Eden & Avery are not men to me. Plus Im just not into their male versions so no love for them here #Also as a general warning: idk how long my brain will allow me to stay on this train soooo keep that in mind #as a teaser: Im workshopping Sydney and Harper atm and they will both have the same face regardless of sex or gender #im genuinely surprised that I got ideas for a Sydney design bc i couldnt shake myself free from the fanon version for the longest time #no hate to any of you its just... not for me #druxy rambles #not art

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waterfallofspace · 7 months

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HI!! same anon who asked about vnc here. i feel like your answer is enough of a go-ahead for me to be a bit more unhinged so first of all PLEASE SHARE YOUR VNC THOUGHTS. at some point. you must be the change you want to see in the world and whatnot. ive been on a skk kick but my bimonthly vnc rewatch is my sanitys single saving grace. vanitas is such a pathetic worm and he deserved to get stomped painfully into the ground /aff

also just letting you know that a second season is unlikely bc the anime adapted 55 out of 61 chapter (WHICH ON THE BRIGHT SIDE easy to catch up!!! :"D) the only time ive seen an anime get THAT close is with... bsd. which. well. sure was something. but i doubt theyd go that route with vnc

i have... alot of opinions on the ships. but its ALOT. however i will disclose that vanoe <3 SO JUST KNOW THAT IF YOU DO POST ANYTHING VNC/VANOE RELATED.... there will be at least one person (ME!!) screaming about it FHDJDJSJ

Oh it's completely a go-ahead, I'd love the chance to be deranged about them!!! Gonna stick it under a cut because it's gonna be long ahahaha~ (possible V/anitas no Carte spoilers under cut, so be warned!)

Augh I know, I mean look at this man!!!! He deserves to be wrecked in the most gorgeously affectionate painful whumpening <3 I want to bite him (and we know he'd like it LMAO)

I adore skk and satosugu, but Vanoe will always have such a sweet place in my heart~ gah tragic beloveds (that are at times, not tragic) are my bread and butter.

Yeahhhh, I did hear about thatttt, but I'm still hopeful that after... idk... 5-6 years... we might get more.... I just!!! They can't end it like that!!!! I mean it's an ending I can live with, but god I crave so much more!!!!

Omg if you ever wanna discuss the opinions I'd be so happy to listen!!! I have some opinions about dif ships in there too (Olivier and Roland are In Love and you cannot convince me otherwise).

So I adore Vanitas like I mentioned, but um... Olivier also owns my heart. We don't get enough of him I love him- the way he gets a headache every time Roland is there???? ICONIC OF HIM <333

He's just... he's so gorgeous. He has the aethetics that I adore, and a personality I find intriguing and fun~ Gahhh now I need to rewatch again hahahaha~

(also love Roland but in the same way I love Noe, just lil sweethearts <3 also also Chloé and Jean-Jacques <3 are so precious <3 to me and each other <3 )

Aaaand a little snippet as a 'thank you' and 'congrats' for making it to the end of this way-too-long response, here's a lil taste of what I had headcanoned for Vanoe

Vanitas: Soft, little rapid ones, 'iHh'tchiew! hiH'tchhue!' and he is so. mad about it. Will often try to stifle so no one hears them, orrrr add a yell/growl to try and unsuccessfully make them sound more 'fitting'. Truth is, they fit him better than he'd ever admit~

Noe: Harsh and (fairly) Loud, and it surprises literally everyone, Vanitas most of all (despite hearing it however many times now). Think something like, 'hHRZShh'ieh! ah'yieASHhuh!' You'd think someone this soft-spoken and sweet would have a dainty little sound, but nope~

#waterfallasks #waterfall snzcanons #should be tagging this 'waterfall talks too much' LMAO #can you tell ive been holding thoughts about this in my head for months bc its been MONTHS #genuinely im so happy to talk about them any time like i love them!!!!#im also sorry for how long this was ToT and for the recent spam of ask answering #but god non i love you for asking about them im so!!!!! about them!!!!#i do have more in my lil hc document and i may actually get around to sharing it/writing for them sometime soon #gotta finish a few other projects first (im SOOOO behind on requests im so sorry djsakgl)#and got a lil birthday thing to finish too~ but these are my beloveds and you know what i might need to hc for R and O now too

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sieglinde-freud · 26 days

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think this is the first time ever i have been disappointed to see an awakening banner

#ann cries about feh #I WAS SOOOO READY FOR BABY RAM VILLAGERS MAN #SO READY #BABY KLIFF… WHERE YOU?!????#cuz like. sorry i love the ram kids so much. and NONE OF THEM HAVE ALTS #ok well. thats not true. valentines faye and alm and celica have a few #but 1) v!faye was SO long ago and 2) alm and celica NEVER get seasonals #they got valentines and then??? AND THEN WHAT??#brave alts cuz they won and legends bc its mandatory for lords. ????!!?!!!!?!!!#THATS IT???!!!!#not that baby hell is the best outcome but i thought theyd be a shoe in eventually #also for an awakening baby banner i was. kinda hoping if it happened itd be like. the second gen???#bc. theyre the babies???#BABY LUCINA IS LITERALLY IN THE GAME #i mean i guess itd be weird to have a newborn out on her own like that #but idk i think baby lucina + a few others would be a much better idea than chrom and lissa im sorry #do we not have enough chrom alts.#+ consider if we got like. cousins duo baby lucina and owain. cMONN owain doesnt have enough alts considering hes. yk. OWAIN?!#itd be nice if emmeryn was there though. though again her being relegated to BABY BANNER is kinds insane #ugh idk. couldve had duo baby celica and faye and i think that wouldve been adorable #or not. actually high chance intsys would ruin that and turn them into only talking about alm…#instead we get to have lissa and emmeryn only talking about chrom! whoop de doo!#i think theres actually child chrom lissa emm art out there somewhere i forgot where but #thats probably why. but that doesnt make the missed opportunities hurt any less #whatever ram gang fs next year!!!#please #what if we got baby awakening tiki and its j y!tiki again lmfao

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khonshuscondemned · 2 years

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ksjdndbhsjshdhs i hope u don’t mind that im answering this on my mk blog instead but @tiptapricot you . you got my mind spinning . and pardon my brevity here- but during that little period of time tip? i think... marc fell in love with layla all over again. i hope to maybe go into more of a story/scene rewrite of this but for now- for now have some of my own soft marclayla hc’s yeah?

i think the moment she popped into his vision with that smile that could freeze time and melt the fuckin ice caps sipping her lil drink, he was done for. He knew it was coming, knew it from the moment he saw her wandering Steven’s flat, her curls ever as wild and unruly as the heart that beat so fiercely in her chest, when she looked at Not-Gus and through him he knew that there was never any hope for him. He loved her all the way, entirely. In the way that suddenly had him . wishing he knew stupid shit like poetry. the way all she had to do was look at him and he felt.. whole. better.

so after they met up in cairo, i think Marc was re-learning how to breathe with her so close to him- she who could be so free with her touch and her light and her smile- he’d seen it before, had known the intricate steps of they way Layla El Faouly lived and breathed and moved and existed for just enough time for him to never forget it, he cherished her so deeply. [i think marc strikes me as the sort of person who recognises how good someone is because he’s . seen some of the worst of the worst. and when he comes across a soul that shines as bright as Layla’s?? well, i think he works to memorise everything he can, to keep close to his heart forever, because he knows - he knows there will be a time where he will be without it .]

relearning how to coexist is like ice cold condensation on the outside of a glass on a sunny day- refreshing and delightful and he keeps catching himself staring at her when she’s not looking, keeps getting distracted because he’ll be looking at her and trying to listen to the things she’s saying but the only thought in his brain is about how she’s beautiful and how her eyes shine like buried gold and sometimes when she turns around really quickly her hair will smack him in the face and he swears he recognises the sort of floral scent of her shampoo-

and i think steven comments on thoughts like that that slip through, chuckling and pointing out nice things marc could say when marc’s tongue feels a lil too thick to come up with words or when she asks him easy questions like ‘left or right’ or if she’d been listening to a word she’s said. (’Nod and repeat the last thing she said, mate-’) (he’d been thinking about the way she’d put her hand on his shoulder to stand up earlier-) (if he took his shirt off and saw the mark of her handprint seared into his skin is it weird he thinks he might be grateful?-) (Marc. Focus.)

i think if at any point the suggestion of splitting up happens marc is quick to find cause to work together, even if it’s kind of a reach or a stretch bc once he’s around her again it’s like. how could he have lived without?

this got a bit longer than i meant but TLDR: i think marc spent the whole time just as starry-eyed for Layla as he was on the boat and i dont think he could bear to split up with her- and i think steven was constantly slapping his hand over his eyes bc how is it he feels more well-equipped to flirt with Marc’s wife than marc is..

#ihanswers #heheskjfhslkdjf sorry this got so long i really was just gonna write like. a little bit. omg #and im in a soft af mood so this might be like. tooth-rottingly fluffy sorry skdhfk #moon knight #marc spector #layla el faouly #marclayla my beloveds #ihdrabbles #moon knight meta #sort of? slkdfjw its just how in love marc is with layla which is totally canon soooo #beloveds ask

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humanmorph · 1 year

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games to finish this year:

- outer wilds ✅ (i will have to look at a guide finally even though i DONT LIKE IT) I wish I'd done this sooner (just gotten help). Incredible game

- kentucky route zero (i never played the final episode when it released and at this point i might aswell start over)

- BREATH OF THE WILD ✅ (I SHOULD. DO THIS TODAY ACTUALLY. did this. it took an embarassingly short amount of time what with me having everything fully upgraded)

#i was thinking about what to play next after psychonauts and its not psychonauts 2. because i dont actually own it which i forgot #so its either grits teeth outer wilds or im starting TUNIC or im starting pentiment (which i also dont own but am willing to pay full price #i also wanna try out sekiro sometime but no hurry.#rosa rambles #botw man. the issue with open world games for me (granted ive only played 2) is that i dodge the main quest for soooo long #and then im like well i GUESS i should finish this rightand it really. doesnt have the same impact.#this was true for fnv at least i didnt really gaf about benny. sorry benny. hardly knew ye #and i still havent finished fnv ever i shot him & then went : I oh right i havethe dlc. ill do that #*hit him with a sledgehammer but same difference #but botw is. well totk is coming out Kind of Soon so i need to. finish it #Edit: got reminded this post exists. I beat outer wilds #Still haven't started Kentucky road zero....

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everythingsheneeds · 1 year

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going to read little women wish me luck

#i watched the greta gerwig movie #and it was so good but there were some things i didnt rlly understand #trilingual struggles #ive owned the book for like a year tho idk why its taken me so long #i got the pretty chiltern gold/flower edition and its SOOOO PRETTY #i usually buy paperbacks but it was just too pretty #prob gonna start tonight or tomorrow tho bc im going out #why have i been ranting for so long #sorry #little women #booklr #louisa may alcott

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shiinsei · 1 year

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i suddenly know what im doing actually, good job brain

#also half an hour earlie i told my mom that i dont knwo what im doing with my thesis #and that i looked at my previous grades and that i have mostly gotten 1.7s and some 1.3 on papers #and that i read over one of them and it was pretty good i guess i am smart? but i feel soooo dumb lol #the one that is closest to my topic too and i got a 1.3 on that one PLUS the points i made in the discussion part were really good actually #i think the structure my examiner made with me makes more sense to me now #i have to read luhmann and giddens now tho #i always think ugh i dont want to read every original text why isnt the text im reading about them now enough #but the originals make way more sense usually #anyway i recently found out that the only master's program that would be interesting for me at some point is waaaay too expensive #so at least i wont have to think about doing that for a long looong while #sorry for the rambling

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capricores · 8 months

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I’m not the most informed on how astrology works but everything I learn is very fascinating to me. Now every time I hear about the wild things happening in the world recently, I can’t help but think “omg it’s Pluto in Aquarius” lol but I was wondering your thoughts? Do you believe these correlate? If so, since this transit is only in its early stages, do you think things will get worse before they get better?

Oh ABSOLUTELY! I'm a huge believer that the transits immensely impact us and the world as a whole. Years ago, I went through my transits + solar returns at various points of my life (highs and lows) and it was scary how every major event would perfectly correlate to a certain intense transit! Even for my Mom, she was in a catastrophic car accident - and it happened when RX Mars in Aries was in her third house (short-distance travel) and conjunct her Chiron (the accident triggered a major pain-point and healing/turning point in her life beyond the actual accident/physical healing); it was also opposite her Natal RX Mercury (Travel), Sun (Self, Ego), Uranus (Sudden, unexpected change) and Pluto (Death & Rebirth) in her 9h (also travel). I remember seeing that and having my mind-blown! So anyway long-winded ramble about how I truly truly believe transits can show so much about our lives and what may or may not happen!!

I find that general transits for the outer planets (Uranus, Neptune, Pluto) are definitely felt more on a world-wide scale, not so much individually. The individual impacts of those outer planet transits are more-so felt when it aspects your natal planets or certain points (Ascendant, Midheaven, IC, Descendent) in your natal chart tightly!

To be completely honest with you, astrologically, my forte and studies are more catered to transits impacting individuals. I don't generally interpret transits and things on worldwide or universal scales just due to my own lack of confidence in my own predictions. So take anything I say with a grain of salt, and a lot of this that I'm mentioning has already been said by countless other astrologers!

That being said, I think the Pluto in Aquarius transit mixed with the Pluto RX in Capricorn currently is bringing up a lot of power struggles on a much, much larger level - specifically relating to government and social systems. I've heard a few astrologers bringing up civil unrest, governments being re-worked, etc - which I think will ring very true, especially once Pluto enters Aquarius again. Since Pluto is all about power and control, and Aquarius breaks tradition and rebels against authority for the greater good/humanity, I want to be hopeful that some strong, just leaders will start taking over and making this world a better place to live in.. So I do want to think things will get better! I am also an optimist, though - so maybe I'm not the most objective person to ask, mixed with the fact I don't ever study too heavily into universal impacts of transits (at least not for outer planets). But given that Pluto is about death and rebirth, and Aquarius ties so heavily into humanitarian themes, social reform, etc - it could be a very promising sign that there could be some major changes socially.

Another thing is Aquarius is all about technology, and again Pluto is power, transformation: I think we're directly seeing nowadays how technology is so rapidly changing (ie: the dominance of AI lately) and the power around it. I have a feeling through the Pluto in Aquarius era, technology will continue to develop at unmatched speeds, and become nearly impossible to avoid. I do think things like self-checkouts being the norm, all jobs requiring base knowledge of technology (and many requiring "higher" knowledge like coding/etc), potential job losses/power struggles due to the emergence of certain technologies, etc., could be some themes we'll see often over the next twenty years. I do also think we'll see technology power struggles: not on a competing company level; but on a humans vs technology level. Not as in some sort of war, but again, more the jobs for people diminishing due to technological advances, people being forced to become proficient in things like cyber-security, coding, etc; just to keep up.

The last time Pluto was in Aquarius was during the rise of the industrial era! When people started getting replaced in factories by machines. I really feel like we're seeing a repeat of this currently through AI/etc.

Sorry that was such a long ramble! I think some great things will come from Pluto in Aquarius: More social equity, technological aid in things we currently struggle with, great advances in the medical field (due to tech), etc. Some cons would be job loss/race against AI, civil unrest due to people standing up against oppressive governments/people, etc. I think like any transit, there's both good and bad that will surface during these times. Again, as an optimist, I really want to believe things will get better and everything will be for the best!! I think the best we can do is stay positive 😭

#question #sorry such a long ramble!! i'm so sorry if i made no sense #or if i got any info wrong im ngl im soooo sleep deprived

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