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thedemonscrawler · 1 year

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Desperation (Hope)

I have no excuses, @sinistershepherd / @bitterkarmaa wrote a non-canon oneshot for their Karma is Bitter series (which y’all should read) and then I got brainworms and wrote this in like 12 hours instead of working on chapter 10 yaaay -6am cheer-

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A stranger.

There is a stranger in the library.

A stranger who wears the face of his master, a face that Sun hasn’t seen in so, so long but still glimpses in the pristine polish of marble tile and in glass window panes overlooking a darkened kingdom because it is his own face, a pale reflection of something grander. This stranger is a reflection, too; burnt orange and charcoal, silvery scars and soldered rays boasting proudly of conflict survived and surpassed. A slender frame draped in clothes nicer than any Sun has ever worn.

One of his eyes is dark, blinded, while the glowing orange pupil in the other is barely more than a pinprick, reflecting alarm that nearly matches Sun’s own. He does not belong here, and he knows it.

“Don’t say. A word.”

The harsh rasp of the stranger’s voice, barely louder than a whisper, spurs Sun into action. The voice is even more familiar than the face, bored drawl sped up by a fear and urgency that he’s never heard before, yet it strikes deep into a lifetime of conditioning.

He sympathizes, he really, truly does– but the fear his master inspires outweighs any sympathy. The stranger realizes this too, launches himself forward to cover Sun’s mouth before he can make a sound. The servant immediately cringes back, going still, trying not to provoke– but the expected pain never comes, just the press of careless clawtips into his cheek from the force of the other’s panic.

“Sun? What did you find?”

That was the drawl he recognized; irritated, impatient. Dull and lifeless like the building around them, a promise of punishment lurking just under the surface. A battered hand twitches at his side, unsure if he should try to pry the hand from his mouth, but the stranger makes the decision for him by releasing his grip. Sun doesn’t question it, only whirls on his heel with the intent to get away, and almost immediately runs right into his master.

He doesn’t bother trying to catch himself, an action trained out of him after one too many books knocked from the shelves by his uncoordinated flailing. Get away is still thrumming in his circuits but his frame is frozen, pinned under his master’s bored disdain.

“I-I was surprised, sir! You h-have to understand, I-“ he begins, and the disdain sharpens into a glare that severs his words, cutting off his frantic babbling. His master’s attention shifts, moving off of his servant and onto the intruder, and Sun knows that’s as good of a dismissal as he’s going to get. He scrambles away without bothering to climb to his feet, yet knows that he’s actually about as safe as it’s possible for him to get.

His master has something far more interesting to torment right now.

Tucked down next to a nearby shelf where he can observe without drawing attention, Sun follows the exchange between god and mortal with curiosity smothered by dull resignation and the fear that being in his master’s presence always sparks. It is interesting only in how it brings a little variety to the otherwise unchanging days, and soon the stranger will become nothing more than a memory– until his master decides to rip it from his head. He cannot imagine that even a scrap of someone who wore his master’s face would be allowed to continue existing.

Especially not someone who was going to talk back. Sun’s hands clench, fingers digging thoughtlessly between the spines of identical books, and he doesn’t know if he should feel pity or fear or faded appreciation as the glint in the stranger’s eye shifts from utter terror to anger, injured pride apparently overriding sense.

The look of dark satisfaction on his master’s face is expected.

The glow that emanates from the center of the stranger’s chest isn’t.

Sun’s eyes widen. He stops trying to meld himself with the countless books that line the shelves, stops trying to make himself even smaller and less important, and raises up on his knees so that he can see better. Damaged rays scrape and catch as they try to move, an instinct that has yet to fade completely despite only bringing tears of pain to his eyes.

He recognizes that light.

A white-hot glow, branching out from the center of the stranger’s chest, snaking up his throat and face, crossing his darkened eye. Cracks that do not bleed, causing no pain that Sun can discern. The brands of something much greater than the vessel that bore it.

The star.

Sun sucks in a hissing breath, and his gaze cuts to his master’s face. He expects to see recognition as well, perhaps irritation or intrigue– and yet all that he can make out is confusion. His master peers at the machine in his too-tight grip as if the stranger was the volume of a book incorrectly shelved, nothing more.

Does he not recognize it, too? Was he so blinded by the light of his own star that he could not recognize its glow in another?

The crack of metal on metal makes him flinch, drawing Sun from his thoughts, and the servant watches as the stranger is hurled into a wall, hitting it with bone-jarring force. He winces, tucking himself back down against the books, hands brought up to clutch his own arms and pulling them tight to his frame in dull sympathy. He knows all too well how much his master’s ire can hurt.

Perhaps he’d been mistaken, perhaps he’d been wrong like he so often is wrong. Stupid, stupid, how could the stranger have a star? Of course his master hadn’t reacted, of course Sun had been wrong–

Scraping, claws against a solid surface. The stranger pushes himself to his feet, single pupil a furious ember, and he launches himself at the master of this world with deadly intent. They hit the floor together, hard enough to splinter wooden boards.

Sun… cannot recall ever seeing anyone attempt to challenge his master like this.

Something sparks; a tiny sliver digging into his core, frightening in its unfamiliarity. For a moment he fears that this is it, that he’s drawn his master’s ire one too many times and this is the first pinprick that heralds his unmaking, but grasping at his chest reveals no wounds, no new damage.

Sun’s eyes drift over the white-hot cracks twisting over the stranger’s dark frame, glowing faintly under fine clothes now torn and streaked with dust, and he inhales sharply as that light resonates with the feeling struggling to ignite in his otherwise empty chest.

Hope?

His battered hand twists in the fabric of his shirt, scratching roughly against the equally battered casing underneath. No, no, he dare not name this feeling something as fragile as hope. Any hope he had was crushed by his master's hand a long time ago, scraped out and discarded, leaving him hollow. All that he has now is fear and boredom and aching loneliness. Whatever this feeling is, it's not that.

The painful scrape as his rays try to move is barely acknowledged, and he grits his teeth on his permanently manic grin. Sun thinks about the hard glint in the stranger's single eye, fear and fury melting together. Something familiar, something he recognizes.

Desperation.

Sun has nothing to live for except the tired routine of life itself. A body of metal that rusts but never breaks, a mind of circuit boards and files that corrupt and fragment but never enough to stop him from functioning. He lives by his master’s hand, and he’s long since wearied of the leash that ties him to this world of empty halls and dusty volumes, lacking the strength or willpower to snap his bonds.

This stranger wearing a familiar face has the anger needed to fight back. This stranger has the power of the star needed to succeed.

When his master acts, an armored hand gripping his attacker by the back of his two-toned vest and tossing him aside as if he were nothing more than garbage, Sun is already scrambling to his feet. Too fast ventilations almost stop as he tracks the other’s trajectory, he does not hope he can only despair, please don’t take away the opportunity he has only just recognized. A heart he doesn’t have catches in his throat as golden claws reach out, snag the wooden banister, arresting the stranger’s fall.

Desperation, a last chance. If he does not seize it now it will slip through his shaking fingers, and he will have nothing but his own inaction to blame.

Sun has never moved so fast in his life.

The stranger’s claws slip and skitter, losing purchase on the polished wood just as Sun reaches him, reaches out to grasp a black and gold hand as tightly as he can. The weight nearly drags him over the side of the bridge, his shoulder screaming at the sudden abuse, but he digs in with grim determination, fighting back against gravity’s embrace.

He looks down, into a softly glowing pupil swimming in confusion, and the explanation spills breathlessly from him. “You have one.”

“What?”

It was a good thing that holding the stranger aloft requires him to engage nearly his whole frame, because it leaves almost nothing relaxed enough to flinch at the question in stereo. His master stands just a few feet away, and he can only imagine the expression that lurks on his face, the anger surely bubbling to the surface. Sun has been loyal for his entire life, a loyalty bought with fear and cruel conditioning, and this act of betrayal will not be well received.

A last chance, then. There will not be enough left of him for another, after this.

“You have one!” A response for the stranger only, twisted up with desperation and urgency as Sun pulls, trying to drag the other back up onto the bridge. He isn’t very strong, and the damage he’s incurred over the years has chipped away at his strength even further, but he can at least get the stranger far enough to pull himself up the rest of the way.

Confusion still reflects in the stranger’s– in Eclipse’s good eye, a confusion that isn’t dispelled when Sun presses a finger to his chest, to the center of that gentle white glow. He can feel unevenness to the casing underneath, a scar of hastily repaired metal.

He cannot understand how the stranger doesn’t realize what he’s talking about, how someone can be a vessel for such power and yet apparently unaware of its conspicuous marks, but they do not have time for lengthy explanations. His gaze flicks along shimmering cracks before returning to Eclipse’s eyes, one a burning amber, the other the barest hint of orange. “Use it.”

The tap of metal on wood, the click of metal against metal. Eclipse’s gaze refocuses over Sun’s shoulder, confusion replaced by wary anger. Out of time, they were out of time.

Sun does not know anything about this stranger that wears a familiar face, burnt orange and charcoal, silvery scars and gunmetal grey. He does not know what this Eclipse is like, if he is kind or if he is cruel. He knows that he could very well be trading one kind of hell for another.

But…

Eclipse had been afraid, as only those who still remembered what it was like to feel pain and loss could be afraid. The fear of a mortal who has trespassed against their will, the fear of someone who has suffered and would like to avoid more suffering.

Eclipse had been angry, fueled by his own fury and the gentle light of a star. Angry enough to pick a fight that he had no hope of winning, too proud to simply bow his head for the sake of his own life.

And with the god of this world bearing down on them both, Eclipse stands, steps forward to put himself between servant and master. An intent to protect, and it didn’t matter if it was motivated by pity or gratitude, only that Eclipse intended to bear the brunt of whatever punishment was coming.

So Sun tucks himself behind his savior, trembling hands clutching the soft fabric of a goldenrod sleeve. His damaged rays scrape and tug, trying to retract, and he buries a whimper of both pain and fear in Eclipse’s shoulder. He is not brave, he cannot bear to watch as death approaches.

Desperation and hope. Two emotions of such similar color, a gentle white glow that could either warm or scorch. In hands like Sun’s the power of the star would be useless, the servant lacking the willpower and the intent needed to take that final step.

However, Sun isn’t the one with the star.

“USE IT!”

#fanfiction #karma is bitter #i am pretty sure this might be longer than the original oneshot #because i have writes too much disease #OTL the bit about 'there is no way this is hope' sunk its teeth into my brain and would not let go #im sensing a pattern with my SAMS brainrot which is i have got to write it down in some fashion or it will not leave my head #Google Docs Exorcism #s!Sun thinks Clip is kind of a badass #fanfic

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notmoreflippingelves · 3 months

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Naomi/Esteban: 1, 7, 16 and 55 ; Gregory/Manfred (AA): 20, 21 and 59 please!

Naomi/Esteban

Who would end a heated argument by defending their actions with ‘because I love you!’ ?

Both to be honest. Albeit in slightly different ways. Esteban is more likely to have pre-emptively made a decision/taken action without informing Naomi or asking for her permission first. And Naomi would be livid that she wasn't consulted beforehand. Esteban would be very smug and condescending and talk about how he knows better since he's older (physically, maybe but not necessarily mentally) and wiser (questionable) so Naomi should defer to his judgement. And he would use "I love you" in a slightly manipulative way to try and silence all her protestations. (It doesn't work. His love for her just makes her even more determined to save him from his own noble urges).

In circumstances that specifically involve Esteban putting himself at risk (to protect Naomi/other members of his family/Avalor), he would probably also try to pull the "I am older and less worthy/important, so I am more disposable if things should go wrong" bullshit, which would make Naomi absolutely livid.

Also I think it would be impossible for Naomi to end the argument simply with "because I love you." She would specifically end it with "because I love you, you asshole!" (Emphasis on that last part). Sure she loves him and wants him to know that's why she's behaving as she is. But she also wants to remind him that he is incredibly aggravating and often stupid and she can just barely stand the sight of him sometimes.

Would they build a pillow fort together just because?

Just because? No I don't think so. And certainly not together. That being said, I can see them building separate pillow forts under very specific circumstances for the sheer purpose of outdoing each other. One of them mentioned building pillow forts as children and being very good at it. And the other immediately follows up with "That is nothing. I built forts twice as high and just as impressive." and the inevitable response is "Oh yeah. Prove it!"

And so there just ends up being the pettiest little competition as to who can build the best fort. (Elena is named the judge since she has a foot in both camps. And she's rather shook about the whole thing. She herself would've absolutely accepted a pillow fort building challenge in an instant. But like she kind of expected Naomi and Esteban of all people to act like actual, reasonable adults--as they do in most circumstances. But no, they are the ones acting like children just because neither can bend even in a little where the other is concerned).

Not sure who would win the competition, though I might have to give a slight edge to Esteban. Simply because we know he likes to stack a pillow given the like 6+ we see on his bed in the sick day episode. (Of course, if Elena had taken part, she probably would've won because she has even more stacked pillows on her own bed and she's more stubborn than either of the others to boot).

Can they stay up all night just talking?

Could they stay up all night talking? Yes, probably. Both have a lot to say, enjoy the sound of their own voice, and like spending as much time as they possibly can with their partner.

Would they stay up all night talking? I kind of doubt it. While both are very hard workers, they are also two of the more practical characters on the show. (To an extent, Esteban can definitely have his super irrational moments). Therefore, they know the importance of getting a good night's sleep. They also seem like the sort that genuinely enjoy the sleep that they get. Like they're not going to protest too much or try to stay up any longer than necessary. Sleep is good (especially in each other's arms), so there is no strong drive to push it off.

Do they like watching clouds or star gazing?

Both of them are canonically into sailing, and using the stars to navigate is kind of a big part of that. So I definitely think they would look at the stars together. Additionally, Naomi has lived in a bunch of different places, and Esteban traveled a lot during his time as chancellor. So I think they would both know and talk a lot about the different names for various constellations in different places--as well as any legends/stories associated with these or the stars themselves.

On a similar note, they might also watch the clouds a bit--but more out of practicality than enjoyment. It's always good to be on top of changes in the weather--especially when one or both is out at sea and/or if they have specific plans outdoors in the near future. That being said, Naomi is particularly fond of pointing out any cloud that she sees that even vaguely resembles Esteban's facial hair. (Esteban's usual reply: "You do me a great disservice with that remark, Miss Turner! I would never allow such a miserable, misshapen thing to grace my face.")

Gregory/Manfred

Choose one song that perfectly describes their relationship.

I'm sorry, but I am so bad at this. I don't know music like at all. (It's really just musical theater and artists my parents like. That is the extent of my music knowledge).

So we're gonna have a few songs from random musicals and they're gonna be angsty since that's where my brain goes with this ship.

So I don't think this one will come as a particular surprise especially given I know you are a Les Mis fan...but yeah, the whole sequence of Confrontation --> Stars--> Javert's Suicide.

Just Manfred being horrified and disgusted at being at Gregory's mercy and the audacity of this man to be kind and just and dedicated toward the Truth when he has no right. Just go ahead and substitute "defense attorney" for "thief"/"criminal" in a lot of Javert's lyrics, and you've got Manfred being a toxic, doomed, would-be tsundere.

"Damned if I'll live in the debt of a thief/ Damned if I'll yield at the end of the chase./ I am the Law and the Law is not mocked./ I'll spit his pity right back in his face./ There is nothing on Earth that we share....

"How can I allow this man to hold dominion over me...This desperate man whom I have hunted."

And as for another toxic musical yaoi ship, Judas' reprise of "I Don't Know How to Love Him" from Jesus Christ Superstar. (Arguably Mary Magdalene's original as well). Just Manfred destroying the man that he loves (unrequitedly?) as Judas has done--simply because their goals are not aligned and because he doesn't know how to handle his feelings that he can't help but feel are irrational--especially as Gregory (or Jesus in the original) is just so damned Good and Manfred knows he never would've been worthy of him.

And even though I don't particularly read MVK as wallowing in guilt nearly as much as I do with Kristoph in krisnix, I think here could be an element of that there as well.

"I have been splattered with innocent blood./ I will be dragged through the slime and the mud./ I have been splattered with innocent blood!/ I will be dragged through the slime and the slime and the slime and the mud...

I..I don't know how to love Him./ I don't know why he moves me./ He's a man; he's just a man./ He is not a King./ He is just the same as anyone I know. /He scares me so."

There's also a bit of a similar feel from Burr's parts of "The World was Wide Enough " from Hamilton. Realizing that your idealogical opposite and narrative foil and foe didn't need to die at your hands. That your victory at long last is distinctly Pyrrhic and that there was and should've been room for both of you in the courtroom (which is THE world for all intents and purposes for Manfred).

(For both of the above songs, the beginning isn't really the vibe for angsty Manfred/Greg, so I went ahead and linked to right where the relevant part starts).

And on a much, much lighter note. "Horny Angry Tango" from Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. (Bonus in that both characters are lawyers and the background of this is them duking it out in court in a proxy battle for their relationship issues.) Just Manfred and Gregory getting super hot under the collar while arguing against each other in court, but also like genuinely being furious with each other as opposed to just horny and in denial.

And similarly, You're Only Second Rate from The Return of Jafar. I see this as early in Manfred and Gregory knowing each other. Manfred is just so aggravated by Gregory and thinks its so absurd that Gregory thinks he is a match for him. And he just quickly becomes overly obsessed with him in a totally not healthy or normal way that Greg in no way asked for. But Manfred just can't let this go for some reason. (It's a crush; he's got a crush, but he'll never realize it).

Who would get into a fight to defend the other’s honor? Who tends to the other’s wounds?

I'm not sure I can see either of them getting into a fight to defend the other's honor. Gregory doesn't ever think fighting is the answer, and it would take awhile for Manfred to ever get to the point where he is self-aware enough to admit that he cares about Gregory in order to defend him.

That being said, I can definitely see Manfred getting into a fight that concerns Gregory in some way. Maybe he's jealous of someone else he thinks is moving in on his man? Or someone (Gant probably) makes this mistake of teasing Manfred about his obvious "crush." Then, Manfred gets really really defensive about it (he's so in denial) and may even retaliate with his fists if the person is really pushy about it.

Greg would have to be around to bandage Manfred's wounds, but he would definitely do it and very carefully. Which of course makes Manfred even more furious about everything. HOW DARE HE BE KIND WHEN THIS IS ALL HIS FAULT IN THE FIRST PLACE?

Who tops? Who bottoms?

Honestly, I don't think I've ever seriously thought about this, lol. I am friendly with some Manfredf*ckers, though and so I have thought/heard a little bit about their thoughts re: von Karma sex in general.

My main feeling is that I feel like whether Manfred would top or bottom depends entirely on whom he is being shipped with. He bottoms for Gant and Blaise, he tops Udgey, Yanni, Phoenix, Miles or Kristoph (I've only seen it one fic but like...👀).

But as for Gregory...you know I have a feeling Manfred would bottom for him too. Specifically in the sense of being a rather pushy power bottom and sort of for similar reasons as Kristoph. He's super uptight and repressed--and I feel there's a part of him that would enjoy losing some of his trademark control and perfection but specifically in a controlled, safe, private environment like the bedroom. Also, he's worth it so he would enjoy making his partner do most of the work and he just sits and enjoys like the perfect and deserving von Karma that he is.

As for Gregory, I guess see him more as a service top anyway. He doesn't strike me as particularly dominant, but he strikes me as a submissive even less. Maybe it's the overall "dad" energy that he exudes, but I feel like he would be very attentive to his partner and focus on making sure that they feel good and are well-looked after.

So yeah, they're probably both switches but in this case, Greg as service top to Manfred's power-bottom.

#gregory edgeworth #manfred von karma #naomi turner #esteban flores #gregfred #esteomi #a little bit of estebalenaomi for you too in question 2 #ace attorney #elena of avalor #oh wow elves is talking about jcs again; how original #honestly for some reason thinking about gregfred made me think about superman/lex luthor #why? it's literally just cause clark and greg both wear glasses and have a rich enemy who is canonically obsessed w/ them #otherwise there is nothing in common #and now my brain is just whirring about...is lex luthor a power bottom too? Why am I even thinking about it?#if he were to get superman to top him once; would he stop thinking about world domination?#food for thought #honestly these two ships couldn't be more different tbh but they definitely have the delicious tsundere factor in common #now i'm wondering what the eoa characters would look in an ace attorney AU #I feel like Naomi would have beef with Klavier Gavin (it's onesided) and would probably bond with Ema over it.#i can't decide whether klavier and prince alonso would be best friends or bitter rivals (who secretly want to kiss)#but either way they would be obsessed with each other #i can also see esteban getting a bit of a crush on dhurke sadmadhi too but not sure it would go anywhere #he probably wouldn't even recognize it as a crush tbh #just like 'wow. he's so cool and manly and mysterious. like a hero from a storybook.'#like how i hc esteban has a crush on antonio agama but also doesn't realize it #oh esteban and minister inga would definitely have so much beef tho #it would be glorious to watch them do passive aggressive extreme diplomacy while being THIS close to straight up murdering each other #naomi would be munching popcorn like there's no tomorrow --as she should #ask memes

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super-sootica · 11 months

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Dean was such as ass to Cas in the final season.

When he goes to save Cas from the Empty he better be bringin flowers.

#spn #supernatural #destiel #bitter casgirl #bitter casgirling for the first time in a long time #maybe being nailed to death was karma

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pheenick · 2 months

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there's something in me that dreams to write a roleswap au for ace attorney. edgeworth remains a defense attorney because gregory never died, but phoenix—

well, you see. that's where it gets interesting.

phoenix becomes a detective and his hell mentor is damon gant.

#i also want to write a dnd au one day but goddd detective nick has been an Idea for agess #him and gumshoe having a nice senior and junior dynamic #working closely with von karma as a witnes on his cases and edgeworth seeing his old friend who disappeared from his life 15 years ago #testifying on the stand and finding contradictions in his statements ouguhghg #from a game perspective edgeworth and phoenix working together like you do with gumshoe but he's cagey #more like phoenix in aa4 mmm spicy #and the classroom trial still being his driving force. phoenix bitter about it #if he had found evidence he would have exonerated himself - thinking stuff like that #just like how the og story with takumi went down

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bitterkarmaa · 13 days

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KB!Eclipse: I have three kids.

*Harvest Moon falls from the sky*

KB!Eclipse, picking them up and patting them on the head: Four.

#karma’s bitter #kb incorrect quotes #sun and moon show #the sun and moon show #tsams #sams au

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mandiemegatron · 5 months

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Your recent Eustass Fic was just *chefs kiss* 🤌

I've been reading that on repeat ever since I first read it. It warms my heart knowing that we're off vibing with law and the crew while Eustass stirs there in his misery. Cheaters never prosper 👏

I need you to know that this ask made me cry but like I good cry bc 😭😭😭😭😭 I put my heart and soul into LTW and it took the longest to write so to know you've read it not once but you've re-read it multiple times 😭😭😭 be still my beating heart ! 💖 it makes me feel like all my effort was worth something 😭😭

YES!! that was the main point I wanted to push across - Eustass is a big, bumbling IDIOT and I wanted to put him through the wringer 😈😈😈😈 and what better way to do that, than have him see his actions have consequences?

I feel like Eustass would be furious with himself - maybe he just wanted to make you jealous, maybe he was super drunk or maybe he's just an asshole who wants a taste of everything the world has to offer - men and women included. And unfortunately, this time, it cost him.

I swear I didn't purposefully make it a "Law finds reader" fic but as I was typing, I was just like... what better way to make Eustass feel even worse? If his ex-lover got caught up in his arch nemesis' arms 😈😈😈😈 he might not know it yet, but something in his heart is ticking like a time bomb and it's ready to go off 😈😈😈😈

Thank you again, from the bottom of my heart, not only for this ask but for your support 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺💖💖💖💖 its people like you that make the fandom world go round 💖💖💖💖💖💖💖

I hope you have a fabulous day! 💖💋

#answered ask #glassartpeasants #nothing but good karma to you for the rest of your life #i hope your pillow is always cold #i hope your coffe is never bitter #i hope you never have to wait in long lines at the grocery store #thank you thank you 😭😭😭😭💖💖💖💖💖💖💖

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bloo-the-dragon · 1 year

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@sinistershepherd @bitterkarmaa TAKE YOUR BUNNY BOY TAKE HIM

(context under the cut lmao)

#fnaf #fnaf security breach #five nights at freddy's #five nights at freddy's security breach #fnaf eclipse #fnaf moon #fnaf moondrop #fnaf daycare attendant #sams #sun and moon show #karmas bitter #Bloo's Art #fnaf fanart #i drew this so heckin fast hfgk

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dmclemblems · 2 years

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maybe sometime I really will go into more detail about how inaccurately Houses handled recruits for the Lions besides for on this post (like for more depth), but the fact that you can recruit Sylvain outside the Lions in Houses is absolutely NUTS. the whole flirting with girls thing is so superficial and he knows it, so the whole idea of him joining any house because of the option of Byleth being female is super lame (even if Byleth was male he wouldn’t). his loyalty to Dimitri, Felix, Ingrid, and Faerghus itself would never allow for him to take up arms against his family group of friends or his home. he just wouldn’t.

I’m actually very happy that Hopes doesn’t allow any of the Lions to be recruited outside AG besides for Mercedes (not loytal to Faerghus) and Ashe (who you could argue Lonato with and the fact that he would just want to survive and surrender to any enemy because he needs to survive to take care of his little siblings). Only those two have reasons to be recruited whereas none of the other people in Faerghus would ever ever ever take up arms like that against their own family, friends and homeland.

I mean it’s literally basic Faerghus facts that it’s a country of extremely loyal people. they’re not loyal to their customs, just ingrained in them and Dimitri is working to carefully change any toxic customs or issues while making sure it doesn’t cause any problems that could harm the citizens (like riots and shit). they have customs that can change, but their loyalty to their home and each other is part of who they are as people.

just because they’re willing to die for their country doesn’t make them all the nonsensible shit that Edelgard and Hubert say about them. Edelgard says shit like how she can’t understand why they die for their homeland instead of surrendering and choosing to live because she’s so narrow mindedly focus on the Crest system that she literally believes Faerghus is just trying to defend its old ways and stay trapped in them.

it’s literally not. it’s a country that will fight to protect its freedom from invaders and will die for their honor, loyalty and everyone and everything they love. they don’t die to protect their systems. they fight because they aren’t willing to be overthrown. Edelgard should have known that with how long they’ve been fighting Sreng away from its borders. Faerghus is full of VERY PROUD people and you can’t just walk in with an army and go “hey so I’m here to overthrow your country and destroy your systems and throw your people in power out of power”. they’re not just gonna be like oh no how scary it’s an army. they’re gonna say bitch fuck you and your whole ass army you’re gonna have to kill us to take this country.

yeah, they’re used to their systems, but the people also recognize that Sreng has been kept away thanks to the Lance of Ruin and the Gautier family’s Crest’s power. until they’re able to find a new way to manage that, they can’t just toss the system out the window. they need a plan first and then they need to find a way to initiate that. you also can’t just change things overnight and expect the populace to be cool with it. there’s a reason it’s taking longer for Faerghus to have huge changes, and it’s because Dimitri knows how to run a country. it’s because he knows the people he needs to worry about and please are the people themselves.

tl;dr the Lions are way too fucking loyal to ever leave Faerghus. Felix is also like that and him being a tsundere character doesn’t change that. him not knowing how to handle talking to Dimitri, who he shows worry about in a very aggressive and roundabout way, is not him actually hating Dimitri and wanting to leave Faerghus behind. his issues with Dimitri also don’t extend to Faerghus itself, so even if they couldn’t find common ground again (which they do), Felix would not leave Faerghus because his country has nothing to do with their personal issues. if he didn’t like something Dimitri did as a ruler, he’d want to be there as someone who can borrow Dimitri’s ear and give him advice to help him. he would not just walk away and be like oh well I guess Faerghus is fucked. he’d work to help fix the problem.

while I understand the overall reason for Houses letting you recruit basically anyone, I know it’s also a common thing that people mention how much of an asspull the dialogue is for the characters’ reason for turning on their homeland. it’s one of those things where you can’t reasonably recruit them as a real story-based ally because it messes with their core character. in the case of Hopes, it at least handles the recruit problem for the Lions waaaay better.

like... if this universe was real, you would not be recruiting them to another country’s side in war. you just wouldn’t because you couldn’t. it’s like trying to pull a single brick out of a solid brick wall with just your hands and nails. y’ain’t doin’ it.

#Three Hopes #Three Houses #and look like one of my favorite things abt Sylvain is his loyalty #one of my favorite things about him is how he won't turn on the people he loves #he doesn't even hate Miklan. he's bitter about what happened between them and that's really it #he can be mad but he also gets sad when Miklan dies. his last words after fighting him are ''Miklan... My brother...''#if Sylvain can't even find it in him to hate Miklan after what happened between them in Houses then he's never gonna turn on Faerghus #like deadass he is the guy who would slit your throat in your sleep if you fucked with Felix Dimitri or Ingrid #Hopes did so much good for his character and that angry worrying mom side of him #he's literally team mom and he will do anything to protect them #I haaaaate any concept of Sylvain ever betraying the people he would literally die for #that doesn't like much in words bc it's easy to say/write ''die for'' but that's the end of someone's life and when it's happening #in real time it's significant and most people WOULD turn tail if they thought they'd die there #Sylvain... wouldn't do that. he'd really die for them. he would never want them to die before him #that's also why for me non-AM Sylvix endings just KILL me and prove to me that they should never have left Faerghus in the war #it's almost like karma for betraying their people and Dimitri. Sylvain doesn't get to die before them #he doesn't even get to see Felix's body. he'll never know what happened to Felix. he just gets his sword and has to live knowing #that now both Dimitri and Felix are dead and he may or may not have outlived Ingrid so like #it's literally the worst possible ending for Sylvain for his core character. outliving EVERYONE he ever loved or cared for #Felix just likes to act tough and bitchy he's just a soft dumb nerd at the end of the day who loves cats #if you put a kitten in his arms he'd probably just melt on the spot and bluescreen bc of his cute it is #and if it mewled and stared up at with giant wide adorable eyes he'd combust #and Ingrid is self explanatory like there's no excuse for her ever leaving Faerghus lol it just wouldn't happen #DCB Comments

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