#seeing him choosing to keep on living is

[miothle]

Farewell, Kakavasha.

#honkai star rail fanart #honkai star rail #hsr aventurine #hsr kakavasha #hsr fanart #my art #fanart #art #im crying so much this scene was so beautiful and yet the most heartbreaking one #as someone who has had a difficult life #seeing him choosing to keep on living is #crying sobbing throwing up #im rooting for him sm

[winkle-pickers]

Inspired by this post, a really good discussion about it, and reassurance that life doesn't end after your twenties - quite the opposite in fact. Happy 43rd birthday Kaiba <3

#kaiba seto #seto kaiba #ygo #ygo dm #I KNOW IM LATE AJKSDHJASKF AGAIN #OTP: 'Kaiba x choosing over and over to live and keep going and reach out to the people already there waiting for him' #you can tag any ship you want tho lol #(shhhh in my secret extended brain universe) #(jou and anzu get together in their late 30s and between both of them CANNOT wrap a present) #(honda made the cake) #(yuugi will always answer the phone no matter how late) #(mokuba is family to all of them) #(isono has been offered several generous retirement packages and won't take them) #(he is going to SEE THESE KIDS THROUGH DAMN IT) #(Seto won't let him bodyguard anymore tho so mostly he just hangs around enjoying his seventies) #art tag

[feroluce]

So I adore time loops and I think Sampo would be very fun in a time loop AU. Because despite having so many onscreen interactions with so many characters, he almost always seems to hold people at a certain careful distance, so it's fun to imagine what or who he's willing to use a time loop for, how far he's willing to go, how much he actually does care.

At the end of the Masquerade Duet companion quest, Sparkle mentions a catastrophe soon to befall Jarilo-VI. And some players have interpreted this as a past event (the catastrophe being the story quests we took part in there), but other players have speculated this as an upcoming disaster that Sampo is trying to mitigate.

And so, Gepard finds Sampo in Belobog, right after he was supposed to return from Penacony...or whatever it was called, Gepard had almost been too relieved to remember the name after Natasha assured him that Sampo was fine and not missing or dead, just on a trip since the planet was finally open for travel.

He had assumed this was some kind of vacation, or some shady business endeavor (valid), but when he sees him, Sampo looks. Exhausted.

His usual smirk is there, but there's something horribly off about it that Gepard can't put into words. His voice doesn't have the usual bounce in it. His gait slightly off. There are bags under his eyes, his hair is just the slightest bit out of place. Sampo looks exhausted.

His feet move without him really thinking, he goes up to Sampo to say...something. Maybe just ask him if he's ok. But he can't leave this alone and not do anything, because Gepard can feel it, something is wrong.

And that feeling sticks with him, like the persistent cold, like frostbite, all day. Gepard can't seem to shake it. There is a collective unease seeping through Belobog, sinking deep, tangling around their bones. And the only one who seems to be reacting truly different to it is Sampo.

Gepard tries to tail the guy a few times, anything he can do to learn about what's going on and ease this devouring dread, but Sampo seems to know where he's hiding and calls him out every single time.

He dodges every question (normal), slips out of every grab and grasp (normal), barely even looks at Gepard (decidedly NOT normal).

And maybe it's the darkness that seems to hover over them. The way the air feels like it is pressing down and smothering the breath out of his lungs. But Gepard's patience finally snaps, much sooner than he ever would have thought it would, and he finally grabs Sampo by the collar, hauls him up and forces his back against the brick wall of the alleyway. Because maybe Sampo makes his living double crossing and stabbing backs and he wouldn't understand this, but Gepard has a family, he has people he wants to protect, and so he needs to know what the fuck is going on.

And he knows he's crossed a line the moment he says it. He knows it's not true. Gepard has seen the way Sampo and Caelus sneak around in the Fragmentum or meander down the alleys, snickering with their arms slung around each other. He's seen the way Sampo lets Hook climb up his back onto his shoulders while he takes the moles on little adventures. He's seen the way he and Serval rib each other like it was natural, easy, and the way he goes out of his way for Natasha like he wouldn't any other client, had even trusted her with the knowledge that he was leaving off-planet.

Sampo has people he wants to protect, too, and Gepard shouldn't have accused him otherwise.

But before he can even apologize, Sampo does something stranger still.

Instead of telling him off, or taking a swing at him- both things Gepard would admit he deserved- Sampo just. Lifts one hand, lays it over Gepard's fists still balled in his jacket. Like he's keeping him there. Even through his gloves, his hand is warm.

And Sampo doesn't even really look at him, he leaves his head hung low as he quietly tells Gepard to just go home. Stay in with his family. Don't come out. Please. Please.

But eventually, the catastrophe strikes.

And Gepard can't. He can't stay safe inside his home while this is happening. He can't ignore this. He tells Serval and Lynx to stay in. Don't come out. And he dons his armor and marches out to protect as many people as he can.

When it's all said and done, all Gepard can see is rubble piled around him and a blackened sky. He can hear fire crackling. He can hear a voice he recognizes as Serval's wailing and screaming his name, and he knows she's not going to find him in time. She shouldn't even be out here.

A bloodied face swims into view, bright green eyes looking hollowed and haunted, posture weary and defeated. Gepard reaches out a shaking arm, trying to grab at Sampo's pantleg, trying to make any sound other than gurgling the blood filling his throat, because he knows it for certain now, he knew, Sampo knew.

"Not this time either, huh...?" The sigh he heaves isn't theatrical, for once. Somewhere, rubble groans and loudly collapses. Sampo doesn't even startle or turn to look at it. "I'll figure it out soon, I promise. There has to be a way to pull you through this alive. There has to be."

Something materializes in his hand, something red. Gepard's vision dims at the edges as he watches Sampo hold the mask over his face, as it seemingly attaches itself directly to his skin.

"See you on the next go around, Captain."

#hsr #sampard #gepo #gepard landau #sampo koski #I love open endings for things like this #but I did have the thought that like. the aeons are powerful enough to be immune to Sampo fucking with the timeline. so they all know. #(Aha is watching with a bucket of popcorn bc Sampo is Their Little Guy and They love to see him thrown into Situations ndmzjznd) #but this means that Qlipoth is also aware of what's going down. and They see how no matter what happens no matter what little things change #-Gepard still chooses to preserve whatever life he can. he chooses to protect every single time. and that becomes his saving grace. #Gepard DOES pull through not by compromising his morals but as a reward for keeping them because Qlipoth turns Their eye upon him. #They choose Gepard as Their Emanator. and that's what finally gives him power and the chance to live through his own actions. #and thank god lol bc Sampo would NOT be having an easy time with this au. i think everyone else he cares about would be relatively safe. #but Gepard considers it his DUTY to protect people. this is his RESPONSIBILITY. and he is so so goddamn stubborn about it. #so this isn't a case of man vs act of god. It's not Sampo vs The Catastrophe that's not what's going on here. #it's Sampo vs Gepard's unyielding will to protect whoever he can #and he is fighting a losing battle

[definitelynotshouting]

Okay, so, question I've had for a while but never got around to asking, what the FUCK is up with Grian's wings?

If all physical differences in players (like those particularly ascribed to 'Hybrids' in mcyt fanon) in Hunger AU are a result of conscious altering of your own code for the express purpose of achieving YOUR IDEAL BODY(tm) then what does that mean for Grian and his wings? No one seems to regard Grian's wings as "What The Fuck, You Can DO That?!?" so presumably wings aren't so big of a change from normal biology that players can't do that. If so, why is it not more common? Man, if I could have wings I'd jump on that in seconds. Especially with the sheer utility the ability to fucking FLY gives players. Are wings (and maybe other larger alterations) just like, REALLY HARD to code in? If so, that might add a really cool layer of "Oh wow! They must be a really good coder!" to players who meet people like that.

On a related note, Grian seems to have a positive regard for his wings, which is interesting because I would be willing to bet he didn't have that before *insert sounds of worm-bursting and non-consensual body modification*. I imagine seeing his wings would likely feel like a reminder of the Watchers and what they did to him. BUT, Watchers manipulate their own code when they change like Grian did to, y'know, not be a worm anymore so Grian probably specifically chose how he looked, right? So, unless he did so really rushed and somehow made a mistake while doing so (which he might not be able to risk the structural damage of correcting), keeping the wings was a conscious decision. Does Grian just not associate his wings with the Watchers or is it something else? Does he just really enjoy having wings?

HELLO I AM SO GLAD YOU'VE ASKED THIS BECAUSE I HAVE ‼️‼️‼️‼️ MANY THOUGHTS ABOUT IT ‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️

Okay okay so these are all SUCH valid questions, lemme go through them one by one. Wings are indeed something anyone could have if they wanted to code them in-- and in fact, i do believe many other Players have wings throughout the universe!!! As far as body mods go, i like to think of them as decently popular, so its definitely not anything too weird to see. In chapter 5, i even make a mention to Pearl having moth wings she occasionally codes in due to preference!!! So wings of many different types are definitely available-- but the catch is that they're real fiddly to code. You cant just give yourself wings, you have to code in the bone structure, the muscles, the tendons, etc etc, and then you have to change your entire body structure as well to work with and fully support them. They can be awkward and unwieldy, as ive tried to show in the fic itself, and i think that alone can be a big discouragement for Players considering coding in wings, along with the sheer coding effort needed to obtain them and make them functional

And the thing is, elytra already exist-- they're far more compact, they dont take up as much space, you can take them on and off super easily without having to mess with your coding, and they basically do the same thing. Sure, its a pain to get one, but a lot of Players really enjoy the sense of accomplishment, and i think theres a bit of cultural prestige too in that regard. Server milestones are a huge thing in Player culture, and getting your first pair of elytra is a big one!!! So it makes sense to me that people who just dont want to go through the effort of coding in wings (which can then in turn complicate how they code other future modifications) primarily stick to elytra.

And everybody is different-- some people prefer attributes that arent wings. I like to think everyone in hermitcraft generally is a mix of "jeez thats effort, i could be building my base instead of doing that" and "eh im fine how i am, i like it" and "well we have elytra shops everywhere so why bother".

So in short, yeah!! Wings are a bit complex to code in. They're still pretty popular, i think plenty of Players do choose to incorporate them, but it takes a lot of hard and thorough work to make sure they function right and wont bug you out when you use them. There are billions of Players scattered across the universe, so what you're seeing in the fic right now is truly just a drop in the ocean when it comes to Player body diversity :] and then, elytra basically already help Players achieve a form of flight without the hassle of recoding their entire body structure, so i think the majority of Players just prefer to use them instead.

AS FOR GRIAN'S WINGS IN PARTICULAR......

Well..... its complicated. Particularly his feelings about them-- in the fic, i referenced them as the only good thing the Watchers ever gave him, and thats how he sees it, i think: a thin silver lining. He's had many, many years to get used to them, and i think he goes through periods where he hates them and the memories attached, too. Ultimately, he's kinda stuck with them, so i think he hit a form of acceptance (as bitter-tinged as it may be) out of sheer necessity for his own sanity.

As for why he has them, and hasnt coded them out: i think of it as a particular quirk of biology/structural coding. Watchers have a more instinctive way of coding than Players, but a Player-minded Watcher is still going to think like a Player, and thats going to muddle things a lot. Grian essentially had to relearn how to code, in a way that satisfied both Player and Watcher-style coding, and the results at first were.... a little rough around the edges. Once he managed to finally take on his original former appearance, the wings from his true form just kind of.... stuck. I like to think it took a few increasingly desperate tries before he realized he just could not figure out how to get rid of them (bc of how different his new code was), and had to accept that this was just how he was gonna have to live for a while until he finally figured it out. And then, well.... you can get used to anything, if you're stuck with it long enough. I think after a while it just stopped being a huge priority, and then he reached a point where it would be more awkward to live without them than with them, and he eventually dropped the idea altogether. And i think sometimes, they function almost like a scar, to him-- a reminder of what he went through, yes, but a reminder that he did manage to escape. And, ofc, he also just really, really likes flying skdjskdjdj

So yeah, loads of complicated feelings there about his wings, and its stuff i do plan on exploring later in the fic!!! This got a little rambly, but i hope this makes sense and answers your questions!!!! :D its a fun little complicated knot that im glad someone has gotten curious enough to ask about!!!!

#shouting speaks #asks #hunger au #grian #watcher grian #watcher!grian #hermitcraft #ig like. basically its all abt human behavior at the end of the day #not everybody codes in wings bc not everybody wants to. grian chooses to keep them bc hes lived w/ them so long it feels better this way #also i do think it took several tries for him to regain his player appearance. like he glitched several times #while trying to modify his body to accomodate the Problem Wings™ #kinda like... what was it. load bearing coconut in the tf2 games #you take it out the entire game wont start #he tried taking out his wings and it almost turned him into goo. atp it was better just to leave them until he gained more experience #and then when he got to that point it no longer felt like a priority/he'd settled into having them #so yeah fkwjdkekdk human illogic behavior. ur gonna see that a TON in the fic itself #long post #txt

[mejomonster]

On a serious note, I do feel mysterious case lotusbook has a lot of sincere themes about getting older, realities of responsibility and dreams realized, how it's difficult to succeed and not always the direct path one expects, how there's value in little aspects of life. Almost every li lianhua scene seems to be about that to some degree. The murder cases aren't particularly deep as far as super complicated to figure out or Able to be predicted super well (since they don't always give all the details in the initial setup), but the themes about who was killed and why do connect to li lianhuas situation.

#mysterious lotus casebook #lb #by all this i mean: a lot of the positive things li lianhua AND di feisheng say are fairly good advice tbh #like a fei? hes like you need to be fair in your decisions for your actions to be worthwhile and earned #li lianhua: sometimes being the one taking all responsibility was bad for you and the people you led who felt burdened #by You taking the burden. and stepping back can be a respectable choice. #cooking is more difficult than fighting. keeping yourself alive is Hard and its the hardest thing we do #and its admirable even when youll never be a hero never be able to achieve what those around you might #your peers are worthwhile if they choose diffetently than you (qian wanmian isnt lesser for not choosing to lead a sect and instrad #dissolving it. di feisheng doesnt think li lianhua is no longef worth his time even though hes weaker now. li lianhua is still someonr he #wants to see alive see brlieve in himself see passionate about things. the monks think its never too late to #reconnect to people again. that people who love you will want you and accept you even when you fail. #even fang duobing by knowing li lianhua gets the experience of someone who wants him alive #and fondly smiles and Is proud of him. evrn if hes learning and fails and moody #fond of him in a way his family wasnt that strangers lied about due to his status #in a way that he clung to li xianyi for ALSO seeing value in him when he felt he didnt live up to expectstions of the world #its the Kindness of little moments of acceptance. of being kind to yourself and kind to others (even down to #not wantjng to kill suspects but take them to trial. not wanting scapegoats blamed. which arent usually done in wuxia) #its the fact this show is quite about gentleness and healing (i see the Love and Redemption screen writing ismilarities) #rather than about power struggles. do you know what i mean?

[quietwingsinthesky]

for the ship ask game, have you ever thought about simm!master/eleven? would you like to?

would i ever!!!!!!

this was the basis of one of my posts about little amy so long ago. a hypothetical s5 where the master sticks with the doctor after he regenerates. but like can we talk about how insane that dynamic between him and amelia, the literal eight year old, would be. look at me. one of the defining things of eleven's run is that the first face he saw was amy's. seared onto his hearts!!! now, imagine that happens in a world where the master did everything right to be that person, and it was still amy. the tardis crashed, and the doctor went one way and the master went the other, and by the time the master drags himself soaking wet out of what was the swimming pool and into amelia's garden, the doctor is already having dinner with some random human child.

things simm!master is not above: being a little bitch to amy about this. yes, even when she's eight. (amelia pond with her stories about her magical raggedy doctor!! ...and the trash rat who crawled out of his time machine after him and threatened to eat her. wait okay hold on i know im getting distracted here but aslkjdalkjsd rory who amy makes dress up as the doctor vs mels who insists on dressing up as the master because she craves violence and an excuse to bite people.)

ANYWAY. god. eleven who is this bottomless well of grief and rage. and the master who is so much like him in this incarnation. silly goofy guys who burn too bright, burn up everything and everyone around them. what is simm!master if not a version of eleven untempered by kindness. i wonder what the master would have to say about a version of the doctor who is aware of how scared people are of him and uses it to his advantage. who scares the rest of the universe so much that they try to lock him away and kill him and do anything they can to get rid of him. when they lock the doctor up in the pandorica, does the master give him the final shove into the chair or is he a few feet away, just barely restrained, impotently snapping and snarling to prevent this?

but never looking at it directly, right? neither of them would be able to. not at what's between them, not at what came before. if you don't talk about that time you both saved each other, then maybe you can pretend it didn't happen.

i think the master would make eleven worse, no doubt about it. i think eleven might just make the master a little better, and he'd hate that but that wouldn't stop it from happening. they might find some sort of equilibrium, just this once, a little willing to bend in the aftermath of the events of the end of time. that part of the master that will be missy one day wakes up. the part of the doctor that was once the time lord victorious gets a last glorious breath. they can have that, together.

okay. okay. one last thing. gets ill thinking about eleven who is so physically affectionate being that way with the master. with mr 'im going to kiss my wife i married for political gain like im starving'. with mr 'time lord telepathy does not require physical contact but if we don't touch foreheads right now ill die'. with mr 'fuck u but also im gonna die in your arms, don't leave or let me go before everything falls quiet.' thinks about eleven touching him and hugging him and kissing him and- thinks about the master recoiling from it, hackles raised, or shoving the doctor away when he does. thinks about the doctor not stopping. thinks about the master getting accustomed to his touch, taking it greedily. (thinks about missy kissing the doctor to greet him later.)

yeag <3

[put any ship in my ask box and i’ll give my brutally honest opinion]

#ask #oh for fucks sake i didnt even touch on the doctor saving gallifrey i didnt even- #no no look at me look at me. day of the doctor with simm!master also there tagging along like clara does #because that's his home too. but that's where he was *used*. that's where he was made into a tool to be discarded. *diseased.* #the doctor is thinking about the children. the master is thinking about being one of those children and how much it *hurt*. #he's selfish. of course he is. the doctor is too. that's why he decides he gets to choose whether gallifrey lives or dies. #let the master get angry with him for deciding he chose wrong the first time. #let him get mad at undoing their inheritance as the last of their kind! the doctor fought him so hard to make sure the master couldn't #fix this his way. but the doctor gets to fix it his? #also ten here with simm!master pre-eot. ough. gah. HHWAH. i thought you were dead..... #elated horrified confused to see him. ohhohoho let eleven be a little mean to his old self. let him step between the master and ten. #casually. you know. but also keeping them apart. he's cruel to himself like that. he really is. #anyway. the master arguing for gallifrey to burn. the doctor arguing back for it to be saved. and all the things they won't say that the #argument is *actually* about. and send.

[lameow-l]

so wait… furina is the name of the archon role that “furina” had to play

wouldn’t make more sense narrative wise to give her a name of her own?? like scara gets his own epic chapter about him ridding himself of his past and adopting a new name then proceed to ignore said name in favor of “hat guy” but the actress playing “furina” doesn’t get to be known for her own name?

like people of fontain (partly maybe) know the truth so why not let her free? let her enjoy the simple human life she so so longed for? even the other furina wouldn’t want this

#i think her story is a better use of the (give character name) mechanic that wasn’t really needed in scara’s arc imo #like yeah it’s cool and all but we literally saw him throw the actual physical manifestation of his past into the fucking void!!! #i personally think it was kind of wasted on him on top of me thinking that idea was entirely stupid to begin with and hyv keeps proving tha #no one actually refers to him as wanderer or by the name they choose online.. its just scara #thats both bad marketing and confusing burying the character away from new players #and like the amount of shit u have to go through as a new player just to name ur weird huge hat angry little dude is just.. #but imagine how impactful such a mechanic would be for ‘furina’ who spent all her live acting a role she wasn’t #at the end of all that agony do u think she could endure hearing people call her by that name?? #unlike scara she did that for the people every moment of those 500 years knowing that the fate of every person is mere a breakdown away #there was nothing in that for her or for a reward she thought deserved.. just suffering on her own #it just makes more sense for her to want a different name a different identity that has nothing to do with that role #and again i think that mechanic is stupid anyway but if it had to happen i’d loved it more with ‘furina’ #or idk give her like a clueless friend she gets to meet that keeps calling her a different name for reasons and her liking the name or smth #maybe give her a different role she gets to play.. or have neuvillette give her a name #same with scara i think it would have been a lot better if he went by a name he choose when all his previous names were chosen for him #i dont see how the entirety of genshin writers and devs agreed to this mechanic being implemented honestly #like traveler is literally there waiting for a single soul to address them by their actual name (the one we choose) but every time it’s jus #traveler traveler.. even their most beloved companion calls them traveler #like that alone should've changed the writers minds bc such a name would 1. either not ever be used or replaced by a nickname #2. the hell devs had to go through to not allow certain phrases and names and 3. the hell both teams will suffer should they add a new char #tl;dr stupid dumb mechanic but they should still give furina a new name #genshin impact #furina #fontaine archon quest #scaramouche

[dimiclaudeblaigan]

Something that SEEERIOUSLY isn’t talked about enough among Rodrigue fans is how Rodrigue (almost? or generally) always refers to Dimitri as “Your/His Highness” except in the moment that Dimitri’s life was at risk right in front of Rodrigue and Rodrigue shielded him with his own body.

Rodrigue is always respectful and aware of their stations, but none of that matters when Dimitri is almost killed. Rodrigue reacts emotionally without station in mind, forgetting to refer to him in an “appropriate” manner and reacting instead in a more intimate manner (i.e. using a person’s name instead of their title).

Most people wouldn’t dare to refer to their prince by their first name, but Rodrigue forgets all that the moment Dimtiri is in danger. He follows up that familial intimacy by calling Dimitri “my boy”. In a way it’s like Rodrigue's formalities are just forced expectations that are ingrained into him, because his actual instinct is to refer to Dimitri in a familial way. If he doesn’t have time to think about what he’s saying, it will be Dimitri’s name that he uses because that’s how he truly thinks of Dimitri.

He doesn’t solely view Dimitri as his prince. He views Dimitri as family, and in a setting where royalty exists, it’s so important to the relationship in question when that societal expectation is broken, simply because it tells you exactly what that character thinks of their royalty.

When royalty’s life is in danger, it would even make sense for people to hesitate because if they do anything, they might also be in danger and generally humans instinctually prioritize their own life (even if they do really want to step in to help). That typically is not the case with humans regarding loved ones, where that instinct instead changes to an instinct where they automatically step in to protect people dear to them - especially parents to their children. Parents - not just in humans but in most forms of life (cats, dogs, etc) - are extremely protective of their children and react without a second - even a first - thought, because it’s not a thought at all when they see their children in danger. It’s a base reaction.

Rodrigue wasn’t witnessing his prince being attacked. He was witnessing his son being attacked, and he reacted as a father would - not as a knight, a vassal or anyone under Dimitri’s station and how they would be expected to react to protect him. Dimitri didn’t have to be his blood son for him to react the same way a blood parent would. Dimitri wasn’t born to him but he was Rodrigue’s son all the same and he couldn’t accept his boy being harmed.

I love that his reaction is exactly the same as what Lambert would have done. I love that in that one moment when he didn’t have time to think about his word choice, such important stations meant absolutely nothing to him. I love that what was important to him was Dimitri the person, and not Dimitri the prince. I love that at the very end, he died knowing his boy was safe and alive. I love that, when he starts reusing “Your Highness”, it’s only after the immediate danger has passed and he has time to actually process his word choice again, because it really drives home how quickly and thoughtlessly he reacted to seeing Dimitri in danger when he dropped formalities to use his first name.

He also didn’t tell him to live for the people or live because he was a prince. He wanted Dimitri to remember to live for himself and likely died with the hope that those being his last words would be taken much more heavily and sincerely, and give Dimitri a lot to think about in regard to caring for himself as a person and not just seeing himself as a prince/future king, because Rodrigue also saw him as a person.

Not only did Rodrigue protect his son (which mind you must have been extremely important to him after already losing a son. Can you imagine how devastated he would be to lose another child? This time he saved a son from death, which he was unable to do previously and he wasn’t present to be able to even try), but he gave Dimitri the thing Dimitri desired the most from those he loved: he treated Dimitri like a regular person who needed to live his own life for himself, and in the single most critical moment to Rodrigue, forgot to use titles and formalities and openly expressed his true feelings just by using Dimitri’s name alone.

Dimitri never liked all those stuffy behaviors and titles. He just wanted to be a person. Rodrigue, his family, gave him that at Rodrigue’s very end, explicitly informing Dimitri that was how this man always thought of him just from that one moment of Rodrigue’s feelings slipping through. He was always keeping up appearances, but Dimitri was always just Dimitri to him.

Also, Rodrigue says “please tell me it wasn’t in vain”. Remember, Rodrigue’s son died in vain. Glenn didn’t actually get to protect Dimitri. Earlier, Rodrigue stated that Dimitri’s injuries left him on the verge of death. Glenn didn’t die protecting him. Glenn died in a tragedy. Nothing Glenn did that day that led to his death actually helped Dimitri survive. Dimitri survived because Gilbert found him in time.

Rodrigue knows that and doesn’t want another person dear to Dimitri to die a death that didn’t need to happen. He also doesn’t want it to be in vain because if it was, he would have died being unable to protect his son. Rodrigue “died for what he believed in”, but he died because he thoughtlessly, without hesitation, died to save his son. He believed in Dimitri, but he also believed Dimitri to be his child as much as Glenn and Felix ever were.

Even though Glenn did die in vain, he attempted to die keeping his best friend alive. He believed in his best friend, just like Lambert believed in his son to be able to saved if he ever went astray.

Before Rodrigue dies, he last thoughts are of Lambert, but also his promise to Lambert, which was about Dimtiri.

Rodrigue was always thinking of his family throughout the whole game (literally, he brings up Felix to Byleth regularly and brings up Glenn throughout the story as well), and that extended to Lambert and Dimtiri. At the very last, he literally died like he lived, and that was for his family.

#DCB Comments #Rodrigue #Rodrigue Achille Fraldarius #I just love that Rodrigue wasn't living solely as the right hand of a king #It wasn't about who was in power that he acted like he did for them #If you notice too he never really talks about Rufus as if he simply doesn't care for him either way #Rufus is still part of the royal family but he doesn't get the same treatment from Rodrigue as Lambert and Dimitri #It's not about ''they're my king and prince''. It's not about being in a slightly lesser station than them that he saved Dimitri #For him it was always about family first and his position after even if HE himself didn't realize that #If Rufus was about to die would Rodrigue die for him? Probably not. He may be a royal but if Rodrigue died for him #he couldn't be alive to watch over the people he actually cares about. Say Rufus was about to die but Lambert and Dimitri weren't even there #Here he wouldn't even have a choice to make of ''do I die for Rufus or live for them''. I think he simply just... wouldn't do it #He might /fight/ to keep him alive but I don't think he would shield Rufus with his own body. That line of thinking makes me think #that again it's not about status. It's about who he considers family and who is important to him just like any other person would react #It's bc he loves those two that he behaves the way he does and does what he does for them. I think if he didn't love the people in power #he wouldn't treat them like he does simply bc they're in power. I think he only treats him like he does bc of affection #Like I really think if Rodrigue had to choose between Faerghus or Dimitri and/or Lambert that he'd pick those two over #Faerghus itself bc tbh Rodrigue is really just like anyone else. He has priorities preferences and biases #I ofc think he'd be torn abt it but I think he'd ultimately choose people he sees as family over anything else #i love you rodrigue achille fraldarius

[meowmeowmessi]

i dont remember who (i think he was from portugal nt back in the day?) but there was someone who kept playing until they turned 50 and were still in good shape despite being "old" (in football terms). i get there's some health issues they should be careful with, but i dont really get people saying messi has to retire before he reaches like 37. i think unless messi himself has stated he wants to retire after this wc, i dont see why he shouldnt keep playing

but thats just me 👁️👁️

#i think ppl are just scared if he keeps playing any longer than his age allows he'll 'taint' his legacy u know? #those who're worried want messi to be remembered for lifting the wc trophy and not. like. playing again in 2026 and bottling or anything #of the sort. and i do understand the fear. it's basically what ronaldo is doing rn. burying his head in the sand and living in denial #plugging his ears with his fingers and doing his best to ignore the fact that he isn't the player that he once used to be #(i mean he hasn't been for a long time but that's a topic for another day lmao) #at the end of the day messi is wiser than that. i think whatever time he chooses to r word for good he'll do so with grace and dignity #however i do understand your anxious appeal for him not to hang up his boots anytime soon #we all want to see the little magician keep on performing :") #anyways. scalonicore #djsksj #asks

[gayemeralds]

here's the thing about shadow: his role, as the protector/savior of the world, is already being utilized. there's someone else filling his role. sonic.

shadow fulfilling his goal of protecting the world would have been fine as a one off thing. shadow being the protector and dying valiantly thus fulfilled what gerald and maria originally intended for him. he kept his promise to maria, even at the ultimate cost.

but by bringing him back from the dead, sega brought about a very big question- what do we do with him now? the role he wants is already being filled. there's not really a need for him. so what's left for him?

i don't think sega honestly has a concrete answer. the route they seem to take is that shadow's trying to let go of his past but also keep maria's promise. but i think, for both fans and sega, that they put far too much emphasis on maria's promise. i don't think it's a satisfying arc for shadow to save the world just because he feels he has to, just because he promised he would, just because he was intended to do so. shadow 05 was all about a deep exploration into morality and identity. what is shadow, now that maria and gerald are no longer in his life? what is shadow, now that someone is already fulfilling the role of the hero?

personally, if i had been in charge, i would have put him on team chaotix. having shadow align with g.u.n. is frankly a bad move- the very same branch of government that literally killed shadow's family and is filled to the brim with corruption? i don't see shadow joining, not willingly. and i definitely don't see him joining as an alternative to being a hero. the commander and him still have a lot of unresolved conflict and there's the fact that g.u.n. KILLED maria and EXECUTED gerald.

i think him being a part of team chaotix would be a good compromise. shadow's allowed to let go of his past, to no longer live up to the expectations of others. he's not just fulfilling a role, he's not just doing what he was always originally intended to do- he's carving out his own path and his own identity but he's still able to keep maria's promise, just on a smaller scale. he helps the chaotix with smaller level cases, helps keep people smiling and happy, becomes a hero to the little people.

the chaotix could definitely help him loosen up and learn to create his own identity without worrying about other people's perception. shadow fufills his promise without compromising the idea of giving him a life separate to the one gerald and gun intended for him. he's not a weapon or a cure or a saviour or whatever. he can just be shadow.

#there is something quite lovely to me in the idea of weapon of revenge shadow the hedgehog #ends up being some guy that helps old ladies cross the street or gets cats out of trees #its about the choice of living a peaceful life after seeing so much hate and tragedy #its about being able to choose mundanity #its not about surviving or fighting or whatever #its about thriving #sega official speaks #i don't know #like im fond of the idea that shadow wants to keep his promise but i always HATE how much like..... spotlight/focus is on that aspect #i think its counterintuitive to have him only be a hero because of maria #i honestly don't think thats particualry canon #or at least wasn't the direction they were going with him until they jsut gutted his character into edgy sonic rival #in my mind he'd more of a bonus back up character #like he's plan b if something goes wrong with sonic #but he wouldn't be a part of the main cast #also i don't necessarily mind team dark as a family but i just don't really think they would be able to #and i stress #HEALTHILY give shadow a sense of identity while fufilling maria's promise #omega can teach shadow how to live beyond what his creators wanted from him #and rouge can teach him the value of selfishness #the value of your own life #but ultimately i don't think they would give him the color he's looking for #the two of them live VERY exciting lives too #and i think it would be nice for shadow to end up being a bit more mundane. still here to help but in his own way. #after years of thinking youre just a weapon or you just need to dish out revenge #years of straggling and uncertainty. i think he deserves a bit of peace. like emerl/gemerl did. #etc etc etc etc also i think it would be funny for shadow and charmy to be on the same team. thank you for your time

[callixton]

have i gone 40 hours without sleep yes. am i dangerous levels of sleep deprived and making poor decisions yes. am i taking advantage of that boy’s kindness yes. but also it’s true that i wasn’t feeling confident about making it into my dorm safely i was just expecting him to offer to walk me in not to invite me to sleep on his couch

#i’m choosing not to feel guilty abt it bc he basically said he was happy for the excuse to keep talking #and i have so little time left with him this semester #i feel a bit like i’m making a double standard w him and my ex but tbf he lives under 5 minutes away from me and in out of my super time #- sensitive med and if those things weren’t true i would have said no #plus i’m seeing my ex on thursday and i’ll probably sleep over #can i feel really weird referring to him as my ex bc we do have some active relationship. he’s just not my boyfriend anymore #*can i say #anyway. feeling. normal. #i’m reading this back and there’s so many typos in the tags jesus #ted talks #🗡️

[raiiny-bay]

ok i’m going back & forth on my mbz ending

#& it’s not bc i don’t want to kill off my boys! #i mean i don’t obviously but the story spans over a 10 year timeline so them dying doesn’t matter #there is plenty of story to tell even outside of the main plot #i’m just more worried that it’s boring or predictable #or WORSE it would get misinterpreted as some kind of statement on morality #which it is NOT #but yk bc red is technically the quote unquote bad guy of the story #him dying could be seen as him being brought to justice or whatever #but really he’s not even the bad guy #yea he does bad shit but there are REASONS for that #& by the end of the story he supposed to be kind of humanized again you know #i just don’t see him losing everything he has & choosing to live #yea i could keep both boys alive but i just. i wouldn’t know where to GO with that. #man..... i don’t KNOW!!!!!! writing is so hard!!!!! #rainyrambles #dl

[harleybarbarahandler]

got to thinking about a potential mad love origin movie starring mark hamill and margot robbie now… he is the only joker I will accept (and the huge age gap would probably help emphasise how fucked up the relationship dynamic is/stop people from romanticising it)

#hamill is SUCH a great joker so you’d be able to see the charismatic side when she falls for him #and also the cruel and abusive side that keeps her trapped dependent on him #and we can also have ivy in this movie who will help harley leave him and work through her trauma #thus paving the way for a harlivy/gotham city sirens movie sequel #and like I said in my reblog of that photo mark is such a nice person #so he’ll make sure margot feels safe during shooting even when they’re filming intense and difficult scenes #unlike l*to #anyway I have no idea how this movie would work esp since it would be live action #and hamill hasn’t done a live action joker before #but it’s my brainmovie and I get to choose the cast

[dirt-str1der]

Btw shinada is by far one of my favorite yakuza character, i think he is one of the very few characters that got an actual decent closure

Yeah ...... it didnt un-ruin his life but like it was satisfying at least .... but his whole story arc was crazy (in a good way) like god ...

#Thanks for the ask ! #Yakuza liveplay #this isnt about shinada because i want to talk about kiryu but he seems like a walking horror story to me. a man with his strings cut will #just keep falling ... like theres nobody to catch kiryu and he made sure of that himself #i think kiryu wont die. people will just keep throwing themselves in front of bullets meant for him until the group of people he can trust #and talk to slowly dwindle to nothing. he knows its because of him. i think kiryu will eventually stop trying to force his story in another #direction. he will keep walking until theres nobody behind him to follow. there is literally no end in sight for him no valiant death or #sacrifice he can close his book with. someone will keep bringing him back he will keep walking into pitfalls he cant afford the #gravitational pull of a big problem itll just keep drawinf him in until hes right in the heart of it and then he can pull it all apart and #he starts all over again with the next city the next family the next villain. kiryu will never rest and its in part his fault. just a little #he said it before. men like him dont get to choose what to do with their lives. they dont belong to themselves. like kiryu has stayed alive #in the scariest possible way. hes dead on record hes basically a ghost among the living. he cant live as himself his name doesnt belong to #him anymore (unless hes inputing his high score for karaoke) he drifts along until the next guy hooks him out #of the flow and puts him to work. and hes always happy to work because theres literally nothing else for him to do #i know people want him to retire but the lack of closure for him is so compelling to me .... #kiryu will die alone. he’ll see to that himself

[weird-life-of-a-closet-fangirl]

surely I'm not the first person to think this, but there's definitely been at least one timeline where engie walked in on the captain living their life with the alternate universe's version of him, right? and surely that would cause immense emotional turmoil for anyone having to experience that, right? RIGHT??

#girl help im iswm-posting again #i keep thinking about how its implied that engie has the biggest crush on the captain #and how he must've seen them living out so many lives across so many universes #and none of them with him #like that's gotta hurt right? seeing the person you have feelings for live out their best lives- sometimes with different versions of you!! #and realizing it wont ever happen with you #like idk about him but i would've had a whole identity crisis #like that's not me obviously but its me?? just a little different?? so its still me and technically they fell in love with me #so there's a chance #but its not me???? #'that's not me captain that isn't me please don't trust him more than me please don't stay with him that's not me stay with me stay with me #and the captain never chooses him (they don't know they never knew he wanted them with him until the universe imploded) #and isnt that a tragedy #iswm #captaineer #y/n captain #head engineer mark #clearing my drafts out again #obsessed with the fact that i have so many iswm posts saved in here i dont even remember writing this

[yeonban]

Soma's bushido summed up:

#muse: date soma. #That's one of Soma's canon quotes from 15 years ago btw... it's an embedded belief by present day #Naotora in his speech patterns: (flexible) want to. should [do x bc he feels it's a good idea]. #Soma in his speech patterns: (rigid) have to. can't [do x bc it isn't smth that's allowed]. #Not to say he doesn't /want/ to see a better world. He does. but the more idealistic version of him died over a decade ago #He wouldn't be pushed to keep going by just thinking that he 'wants' to do something or 'wants' to see something happen #what is 'want' in a society that represses individuality and calls for everyone to live for their nation/clan rather than themselves #'must' and 'have to' are firmer concepts that he can hold on to. it means there are /important/ things at stake if he doesn't follow thru #Ask Naotora what he wants and he's going to list off a hundred things as easily as he breathes #Ask Soma what he wants and he's going to stare at you like you've grown a second head bc wdym what he /wants/ #Naotora is what he wants to be first and foremost. Soma is what he needs to be first and foremost. #It's why I'm so :') at his interactions w/ Seiroku bc he doesn't /have/ to be anything around him and that's a VERY novel feeling #Soma w/ his people: I'm their captain -> I must never show them weaknesses. I have to be an unshakeable stronghold #Soma w/ the grand generals: We're friends but also rivals -> I have to remain on my guard about their propositions & not show any weakness #Tsubasa's kind of an exception but EVEN W/ HER... Soma doesn't /fully/ let his guard down; altho it's mainly out of force of habit #He does trust her; and he does a lot of things she wants him to bc he has a soft spot for her & knows she doesn't mean him harm #but at the end of the day... ALL of the grand generals are competing against each other #there are only so many resources they can use (esp in this arc) and their duty; which comes first; is to ensure their own band's survival #so despite trusting Tsubasa; at the back of his mind he's prepared for the eventuality of her choosing the Tokugawa over their friendship #He cherishes his childhood friends but man is there a LOT of baggage and a very specific detachedness in his interactions w/ them #That for the better or for the worse aren't there (at least rn) in his interactions w/ Seiroku which allows Soma to Be Himself