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#anyway. glenn just like me fr LMAO
ratislatis · 1 year
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idk why it’s just coming to me now but I remember feeling this cold, white catharsis upon realizing that it wasn’t Freddie’s decision to give Glenn that panic attack. It was Anthony’s. And the way he said it, so finite, “Glenn is having a panic attack.” in a tone that was used before only to set up a disastrous scene.
It hurt, a lot, because in the weirdest way possible that’s exactly what having a panic attack is like. You’re sitting there with your world crashing down around you and then a disembodied narrator suddenly says, “This bitch shutting down.” (Distinctly in a Stanley Parable manner.)
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its rlly difficult for me to choose my favourite brawlers out of each attribute, apart from ventus, bc while i love a lot of ventus brawlers, jesse just solos them all.
like first he's rlly fun to watch, secondly, he is the one who gets the element, basically all by himself, and he never loses a brawl on earth, his win rate is over 50% which is impressive when he's a villain and not even a major villain at that.
thirdly, i love how when ren gets revealed as a traitor, says "wow thats a lot of drama lmao", leaves and doesn't even try and help him, just basically goes "that sounds like a you issue ren" and the other gundalians agree with him. its so funny to me.
fourthly, he is like. absolutely autistic right? like we all agree on that? it isn't just me?? i have autism, i look at jesse glenn, and i say "wow he just like me fr" and then i made him my favourite ventus brawler.
anyways everyone should appreciate jesse far more i think. im gonna go watch gundalian invaders episode 11 again
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greatsylveon2007 · 7 months
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Rules: shuffle your 'on repeat' playlist and post the first ten tracks, then tag ten people.
Thank you @thegreatmaddu for tagging me and allowing me to ramble about music <3
Tried my best to explain my thoughts on each song but my thoughts are not comprehensible to anyone including myself so I apologize in advance
My thoughts are also.. kind of long, oops
1 - Sharks - Imagine Dragons
"You're hot, then you're cold, you're a light in the dark, just you wait and you'll see that you're swimming with sharks"
I didn't realize I listened to Sharks so often.. oops. If I had to guess I would say it's definitely because of the instrumental, especially towards the end, don't get me wrong I like the lyrics and the vocals, but the instrumental right before the last chorus sounds awesome imo
Surprised that out of all imagine dragons songs I know, this is the one I listen to the most apparently,, that was unexpected tbh
2 - Doubt Comes In - Hadestown
"i used to see the way the world could be, but now the way it is is all I see and- (Where is she? Where is she now?)
HADESTOWN GRR
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This was the song that introduced me to Hadestown I am so normal about it
Idk the vocals are so perfect and I think that the instrumental going on for a lot longer than it does in the rest of the Hadestown songs really shows how oddly silent the journey is for Orpheus. I adore how, despite the fact that Eurydice is literally singing right behind him, he can't help but feel like it's all a trick by Hades, The Fates voices are also so haunting in this one?? Even in like Wait For Me they don't sound like that for me, I love it, they sound amazing 100% of the time but this time they killed it
Orpheus and Eurydice's parts have such a contrasting vibe too, I can listen the colours of their verses what the fuck
Great song super recommend
3 - If It's True - Hadestown
"I believe that we are many, I believe that they are few (we're standing, we're standing, we're standing) And it isn't for the few to tell the many what is true (we understand him)"
Hadestown again,, I have so many feelings about this song aaaa I actually first heard a parody of it in a Shrek 3 video, so hearing the exact same melody and part of the same lyrics on stage was definitely a shock and it took a while for me to process LMAO
I REALLY like this song, it helped me write a character of mine and I just adore the build up as Orpheus starts a riot, the way the workers start singing louder and louder, the lyrics in general and Reeve Carney's voice are phenomenal, I adore this song fr fr
4- Who is She? (Reprise) - Centaurworld
"Who is she? She's the ghost of the girl I used to know. Who is she? She's the echo I'm chasing"
ONE OF THE BEST CENTAURWORLD SONGS MY OPINION IS THE ONLY RIGHT ONE - If I had to rank it it would be like, around the top five..
I listen to this song a lot while I'm having my Hope brainrots because this song represents her so well, I can't talk about it because it's spoiler territory though, I really should start Storm of Shadows 😔
Anyway uhh I love the way they incorporate lyrics from Who is She, What if I Forget Your Face and Rainbow Road into this, and Glenn's voice is so good I love everything she sings in, the instrumental also sounds like really odd but in a good way? I can't tell if it's a darker version of the instrumental of a previous song or not but it definitely gives off those vibes
5 - True North - Vocal Line
"We never learned to use a compass, we never learned to read these maps, we always yearned for far off countries, we never found a straight way back"
OO I listen to this one solely because of a Paranormal Order OSNI campaign PMV idea I have.
The song itself rocks though, the singing voices are so good, the way they're just so calm is kind of haunting in a way? Like the male and female singers always switching between each other and there being (I believe at least) always at least two singers singing the exact same thing at once just gives off a feeling, a good one probably, but definitely a feeling
6 - That Me Is Not Me - Tryhardninja
"Doppelgänger demon in disguise, eyes appear in shadows in the night, evil never dies, it multiplies, multiplies, lies"
"Oh so you're a Mandela Catalog fan-" no, ok so, you know how I just said True North is because of a campaign of Paranormal Order... This song is because of the Quarentena campaign KAMKDKSOS
THIS CAMPAIGN IS SPOKEN IN ENGLISH PLEASE CHECK IT OUT I AM STARVING FOR PO HUMAN INTERACTION
Anyway I've been blasting this song since the first episode on the 25th and it's a certified banger
Oh right the song, tryhardninja's songs just have a very specific vibe that I really like and I cannot explain, I really like his voice and the way he sings stuff idk,, I don't have an explanation for this one I just vibe really hard with it :)
7 - Epic III - Hadestown
"King of shadows; king of shades; Hades was king of the Underworld. But he fell in love with a beautiful lady; who walked up above; in her mother's green field; he fell in love with Persephone"
This is my uhhh third Hadestown song.. I promise I am normal about Hadestown (I'm a liar)
If I had to rank every Hadestown song ever this would be a strong competitor for first place ngl ngl..
I love how the song is cheerful and magic while recounting the first meeting between Persephone and Hades, but turns slow and melancholic as it leaves that memory and goes back to the present.
The way Orpheus uses his feelings for Eurydice to relate to how Hades felt about Persephone, even going as far as using lyrics from his duets with her makes me feel, and the ending where he says things about Hades that drove Persephone away that COINCIDENTALLY are also things about himself that drove Eurydice away it's just so AA
The show really hyped up this song and it absolutely delivered, makes my brain feel many things
(This is my way of begging you to listen to the Hadestown soundtrack)
8 - I'm glad you're evil too - Rachie, PalmMute
"We laught while staring down the void, and cry while listening to vocaloid, two lonely and broken souls messing around with their lives"
This song is just really sweet I like it :) Vocaloid and vocaloid covers just have this very specific vibe
This song is extremely Spook and Chaos core I love it so much I want to draw them being happy forever
To me Rachie's voice just sounds really good with the lyrics and the song is just sweet, it has an energy I cannot put into words and I'm just very normal about it. One of the few songs able to out "memes" into the lyrics and not sound funny
9 - The Goose & the Wren - Hop Along
"While the outcry of 20 men, run from the nearby batallion; as if we avoid their light, then we might make it home tonight"
Another song I keep replaying while thinking of an Paranormal Order PMV (specifically the OSNF campaign hehe)
I don't know I really like the more simple vibe of it? I especially like the singing voices not being your typically smooth crazy beautiful voices you normally hear in music, it gives it a very unique energy that I really like! It sounds like a group of friends singing with each other, I like that :)
10 - Not Evil - The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part
"I'm Queen Watevra Wa'Nabi, the most least evil person you'll ever meet; and if you make eye contact with me, I totally won't have you executed immediately"
While I was flying to the USA the plane I was in had The Lego Movie 2 and I had only watched I think the second half of it by that point so I decided to check it out, tragically this song got stuck in my head 😔
There is no deep super analysis/personal project reason I like this song, Tiffany Haddish is simply killing it and I like how it sounds (the animation definitely helped too)
I uhhh definitely do not know 10 music nerds on this site and the ones I don't know I have no idea if they have Spotify or not..... Don't feel obligated to do this 😔
@rosia4309 @cristallun @crysolis @i dont know anyone else lmaoo
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peachringwithpiss · 2 years
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Inside Job music + dance hc
Ok so I was thinking about this earlier so now you guys have to deal
Reagan
I literally can only see her listening to the radio
Like flipping through stations everyday to fit her mood
She likes 2000s pop/punk though and has a youtube playlist of her favorite songs
What I'm trying to say is she's basic but will jam to MCR if given the chance
She does like the white woman shimmy but other than that cannot and does not dance lmao
Brett
80s rock like this is just canon
AC/DC, Bon Jovi, Journey, Guns N' Roses, Dave Matthews Band lmao
The whole nine yards
But just like imagine walking past the most unthreatening person in the office and hearing "welcome to the jungle" blasting out of his headphones
Since he was a goth/jock in high school he will also listen to shit like MCR with Reagan
90'S COUNTRY
LISTEN JUST HEAR ME OUT!!!!!!
Ok 1. Since he was born in the 90s I feel like thats what he would have been hearing on the radio and 2. YOURE GONNA LOOK AT ME AND TELL ME BRETT HAND WOULD NOT LISTEN TO GARTH BROOKS
His playlists are a fucking mess
We all saw the clip, he heard dance like no ones watching and took it heart
Like don't even try to insult him cus I'd like to see you do better with that much confidence
Anyway thats enough of Brett
Glenn
Glenn listens to SiriusXM ASHDLSKDHALDJDSL
Specifically Willie's Roadhouse
Like Johnny Cash vibes fr
He has an Amazon Music playlist that's just the American anthem on loop for 10 hours
He is secretly really into like dad rock/metal
So like Rob Zombie, Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Nirvana
When he got divorced he blasted ABBA and Fleetwood bc they reminded him of his ex
He can square-dance nothing else
Andre
He has a playlist for literally any occasion
Disco/dance?- Camel by Camel (he would listen to it unironically), Funkytown, Earth Wind + Fire, Play That Funky Music
Girlboss(aka gigi)- Doja, cupcakKe, Lizzo, Nicki, Full Tac, Shakira, Lily Allen, Harry Styles, Lady Gaga, Yung Gravy
Sad- Mitski, Cody Fry, Hallelujah(shrek ver.), The Moldy Peaches
Random(aka myc lmao)- Soul Bossa Nova, icp, Oingo Boingo, the entire mlp discography, A Cruel Angel's Thesis, Dan Bull, The Living Tombstone
You get the gist they're all over the place, but he also has a curated playlist for everyone in the gang so give him the aux fr
I like to think he took ballroom lessons when he was younger so if ever needed he could do about any well known style
Other than that he dances about as well as you'd expect from someone who is constantly high
Gigi
I basically already said the gist of it in Andre's
She is the definition of Gaslight, Gatekeep, Girlboss
What people dont know is that she is a total theater nerd
She has the entire 3 hours of Hamilton memorized and can recite it verbatim
In the heights? Yup. Rocky Horror? You bet your ass. Grease? Regrettably lmao
Her comfort movie is Dirty Dancing
She probably had an aneurysm when Mamma Mia came out
She photoshops her Spotify Wrapped every year, because having The Phantom Of The Opera in her top 5 isnt exactly on brand
Speaking of she can hit christines high notes lmao
The only person here that can actually dance
She eats and leaves no crumbs
Myc 💀
You know male manipulator music
Yeah that
Askaldhalksdfgds
MSI, ICP, Hollywood Undead, Filthy Frank
And like no one can tell if its ironic or not and theyre frankly too scared to ask
He also listens to like 80s era er0tic club music
So like Love Shack- The B-52s, Super Freak- Rick James, Girls on Film- Duran Duran, Carless Whisper- George Michael
I want you to look me in the eyes and explain to me how Myc would dance....
Thats right he can't............ not as a mushroom that is
As a human he'd tear that shit up are you kidding me
They would be one of those people that can dance when there's not music
Alpha-Beta
I'm only adding AB because ❤him❤
He would and could listen to hours of static he doesnt need to listen to music
But that doesnt mean if you took a radio down to him he'd be mad
(Ps he really like the friends theme song and if you told him there was an extended vers hed have a conniption)
Cannot dance because he has one arm and no legs, but even if he had legs he doubts he'd ever dance
Thats a lie this domestic bitchboy would 100% dance with a partner hes just an asshole
OMG this was my first time writing something like this, I hope y'all like it :)
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spelviin · 3 years
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basically i have a lot of Thoughts™ about the whole “other people getting to play as glenn at this point in the story” thing and i need to inflict them on other ppl sry
ok so like. basically i’m kinda of two minds about the whole thing. like, on the one hand, i totally get “glenn fatigue” setting in, we’re like six months or something into his arc and tbh we don’t have an awful lot of clear-cut development or growth to show for it (some, absolutely, but not a whole lot). so a part of me is totally feeling the “just get on with it!” impulse, and in that regard i am glad we finally got him to break. 
on the other hand though, in the actual moment on my first listen-through of the ep, my honest impression was that i felt a little bit disappointed. not because it was jimmy getting to act out the moment, but because the reaction to the call from morgan itself felt just a teensy bit out of character to me? 
because like, we’ve seen this scene before. we’ve seen glenn take a call from morgan for the first time, back at castle ravenloft, and it did not go then the way it did in this ep. glenn was shaken, yes, absolutely, but it was a very quiet, heavy, restrained devastation. and it might have evolved from there and turned into something bigger, but he never had a chance to process the sudden reopening of that deep emotional wound in the moment because the o-dad reveal happened literally immediately afterward. 
that being said though, at least in my opinion, freddie did not let that moment or its implications on glenn slide, and was playing the emotional aftermath of that call for several episodes afterwards. and yeah, sure, that post might have been me reaching, but i do think that that shit indicates that freddie does have a plan for this character.
and it’s weird to say, but i don’t know how much of the rest of the podcast jimmy has listened to, whether or not he heard the ep with the phone call to morgan, and whether or not that factored in to the way he played that moment when glenn was in his hands. to me tbh i felt like it probably didn’t, but that’s just me.  
now, to be fair, the absolute last thing i want to do here is sell jimmy short. he did a fantastic job playing as glenn in this episode, his acting in that moment was perfectly devastating (”don’t get in the car” fucking BROKE me fr) and in his defence in terms of characterization, the glenn in this episode is in a very different emotional state than the glenn who answered the phone at castle ravenloft. he has been though hell, he has had his soul thrown from his body, he’s been put on trial, he’s been held in solitary confinement and been periodically tortured for nearly a decade, he’s had his entire life usurped by a fucking cop of all people, he has had his son, the only family he has left, the person he loves in this world more than anything, look him in the eye and tell him that he hates him. like, it is very very reasonable to assume that glenn is in a much more fragile state, and that being confronted with morgan’s voice now absolutely would push him over the edge and make him finally break. like that is an extremely reasonable and valid read on the character. i just don’t know if it feels 100% right to me. 
i don’t know how that scene would have gone if freddie had been playing it, but i do lowkey suspect it would have been a bit different. not better or worse, not even necessarily more or less satisfying, just different. 
BUT that does lead to the silver lining in all this. the thing we have going for us in terms of glenn’s characterization moving forward is that the players all know who they - and more importantly in this case, each other - will be playing in the next episode. which means that if there is anything freddie wants or doesnt want in terms of glenn’s characterization, he can discuss it all with will in between recordings. and yeah “spirit of improv” blah blah blah, the point is that if he does have a secret master plan of the nuances of glenn’s emotional state and how to deal with the current situation, he has a method of making that known to the guy who’s been handed the reins. 
and honestly i think this might actually be a bit of a win-win, because (and this is just my own baseless impression of a complete stranger who i do not and will never actually know, so take it with a massive grain of salt) i kind of lowkey get the impression that freddie might not be entirely comfortable with performing really intense emotional scenes? and lord knows that is absolutely will’s wheelhouse, like, dude has made me cry so many times over the course of this podcast, he is a goddamn powerhouse when it comes to emotional performances. so like, there is an opportunity here, if it is in fact what the players actually want (which, again, this is complete speculation), for everyone involved to kind of have their cake and eat it too. we as the audience get the emotional payoff for glenn, freddie doesn’t have to fake-cry on the podcast if he doesn’t feel comfortable doing so, but he still gets the opportunity for input as to his vision for how this would all play out. 
anyways, i’m likely wrong about all of this. i used to think i had an idea of where this arc was gonna go, but everything’s been so buckwild (in the best possible way for the most part) that i’ve accepted the only thing i’m usually right about is doodler shit and am now just settled in and enjoying the ride lmao. 
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hii same boat here i litrally made an acc just to get more dndads in my life. anyway idk if this is like a thing fr fr but i swear glenn stopped having explanations for his magic post prison arc and thats Very interesting. to me specifically. like i know out of character it is bc like there was really no reason to do so in the first place (or something?) but in character.... i want to know what is up with his magic like In Character having the same spell as the demon who is now your sons father, like Is That Something?? (+ tj's whole deal with magic and spells and barriers. like what is UP with these guys' magic! am i blanking on canon lore stuff or is there something here LMAO)
YES YES THE LORE IMPLICATIONS OF GOOFS AND ONE-OFF THINGS ARE MY FAVORITE
tj doing magic Once and then they never bring it up again (that i remember)?? glenn suddenly just Doing Magic now instead of it being like. a part of his showmanship or music or even just personality? like iirc you're Right he definitely always had reasons before as to how he was casting spells or why he could do certain things but after he got out of prison he just suddenly was a Magic Man who could cast spells and do things Just Cause and that's not a bad thing!!! it works ooc as them understanding that it's not necessary to explain away every bit of glenn's magic, just like they don't exactly explain what little magic daryll has, but there are simply some things i think would be juicier as lore rather than ooc decisions. like maybe the court messing with him, nick, and jodie somehow messed with glenn's ability to do real magic? or maybe being in the forgotten realms for (what to him felt like) around twenty years made his magic stronger and more potent? there are so many Lore explanations and i wish they'd expand on it a tiny bit more even in a throwaway line because i LIVE for that shit
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queenmorgawse · 4 years
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loving you is my gift tonight
missgoneril : there’s so much going on in that pic i don’t even know where to start fearthedeer : you gotta be more specific. is it dima? his parents in a two-person sweater?? the piglet in a fluffy hat they put on the armchair??? missgoneril : i missgoneril : the holy kingdom of faerghus has actually been on crack this whole time, in this essay i will -
or, some good old-fashioned holidays fluff ft. dimiclaude in modern fodlan.
READ ON AO3.
The envelope arrives a week or so before Saint Cichol’s Day. It’s made of creamy, off-white paper and sealed with an actual wax seal bearing the griffin knight of Faerghus, because royals apparently have to be extra even with something as mundane as sending holiday cards.
It’s actually addressed to Claude’s mother ( President Juliette von Riegan, the envelope reads in elegant, swirling script), but as First Son of the Leicester Alliance, Claude considers himself plenty qualified to snatch it up from the pile of holidays-related mail and whisk it off to his room.
He flops down onto his bed before breaking open the seal. The card inside is just as fancy as the exterior, done up in dark blue and silver highlights, and it’s the funniest thing Claude’s seen all week.
Now, the Faerghan royal family has been sending Saint Cichol’s cards to the von Riegans since the beginning of his mother’s presidency, so this is nothing out of the ordinary. It also doesn’t say anything special, besides Merry Saint Cichol’s day & best wishes from House Blaiddyd in embossed letters.
What is new, however, is that this time, it doesn’t have  one of the Blaiddyds’ formal state portraits front and center. Sure enough, King Lambert and Queen Patricia are posing, flashing toothpaste-ad-worthy smiles at the camera, but there the resemblance comes to a brutal stop.
The photo features Dimitri, clad in possibly the gaudiest holiday sweater Claude’s ever seen. As per ugly sweater tradition, it sports an unholy amount of red and green, but nothing can dethrone the roaring lion’s head emblazoned over Dimitri’s torso, myriads of multicolored lights haphazardly sewn into its mane.
And he still manages to look like Prince Charming straight out of a collector’s edition of Fódlan’s Fables, because Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd is unfairly photogenic like that.
Seiros, life is unfair. Or maybe it isn't, because it’s given him a boyfriend who miraculously still looks good while looking like he’s been hit and run over by a garlands-filled truck.
Because he’s the most loyal best friend anyone could ask for, Claude sits up, holds the card to the lamp on his bedside table, snaps a picture and sends it to Hilda. Her reply is almost instantaneous.
missgoneril : there’s so much going on in that pic i don’t even know where to start
fearthedeer : you gotta be more specific. is it dima? his parents in a two-person sweater?? the piglet in a fluffy hat they put on the armchair???
missgoneril : i
missgoneril : the holy kingdom of faerghus has actually been on crack this whole time, in this essay i will -
fearthedeer : LMAO
fearthedeer : fr tho i think it’s sweet
missgoneril : you have them rose-tinted glasses ON i see
fearthedeer : bold words coming from miss hilda ‘do you think dimitri’s hot blonde bodyguard will text me back?’ goneril
You can no longer send direct messages to this person.
Claude snorts and taps out of the conversation. Not a week goes by that Hilda doesn’t block him at least once. Whatever the reason - from posting their kindergarten playdates pictures on the Golden Deer group chat to that time he jokingly hit on her brother -, she always ends up unblocking him within the hour.
In the meantime, there’s someone else he wants to talk to. Claude flips to the second topmost conversation on his phone, lays back and starts typing.
fearthedeer : on ur way to light up all of fhirdiad by urself i see
hrhdima : I take it you’ve received our holidays well-wishes.
fearthedeer : it’s the BEST how did you not tell me about this before
hrhdima : Mother and Father wanted a ‘fun’ photo to go with our usual ones. I didn’t know they would actually use it for anything official.
fearthedeer : give whoever made that decision a raise bc they just made my entire week
hrhdima : You don’t think it’s silly?
fearthedeer : well.
fearthedeer : yes i do
fearthedeer : it’s definitely dorky
fearthedeer : but since it has you in it it’s dorky cute
fearthedeer : why are u not saying anything
fearthedeer : i told u u gotta learn to accept a compliment!!
hrhdima : Thank you, my dear. I had to take a few moments to compose myself.
fearthedeer : SEIROS
fearthedeer : HOW ARE YOU SO FUCKING ADORABLE 😭
hrhdima : 😳😳
fearthedeer : if i were here you BET i’d be kissing your cheeks
fearthedeer : but alas, the day’s just started for ur local first son
hrhdima : What’s the first thing on the list?
fearthedeer : visiting a kids’ hospital i’m pretty sure! hilda and i have some Clownery planned so i sure hope they’ll laugh
hrhdima : I’m sure they will. If you end up filming, I’d love to see it.
fearthedeer : eager to see me embarrass myself huh
hrhdima : Claude! Of course not!
fearthedeer : flames, i was kidding!! of course i’ll send u the vid!
hrhdima : Oh.
hrhdima : Good luck with...the clownery?
fearthedeer : thanks, good luck with what you have to do too <3
hrhdima : Thank you. Speaking of which, can I call you later? Ingrid’s banging down my door about the holidays address right now.
fearthedeer : sure!! have fun at rehearsal, romance that sweet sweet mic for me 😘😘
hrhdima : Claude, please.
fearthedeer : u love me
hrhdima : I do.
hrhdima : I wish we could see each other more, especially at this time of the year. I miss you a great deal.
fearthedeer : wtf you can’t just say stuff like that
hrhdima : We’re quite literally dating.
fearthedeer : STILL
fearthedeer : anyway don’t you worry your pretty royal head over it
fearthedeer : it’s time for a secret scheme >:)
hrhdima : Claude. What does this mean.
fearthedeer : ;)
hrhdima has sent a vocal message.
Hi Claude, this is Ingrid. Sorry for interrupting you guys, but Dimitri has an address to practice, so I had to take his phone away for the time being. Will give it back when he’s done. Say hello to Hilda for me!
fearthedeer : dedue wouldn’t do this to me
---
missgoneril : SWEET BABY SEIROS SHE SAID WHAT
---
“...And with that, my dear citizens, all that's left for me to do is wish you a Merry Saint Cichol's day. Hold your loved ones close, so that they might share the holidays' cheers with you. I know I will.”
Dimitri flashes the camera another bright smile before the operator signals to him that they're done filming. From the treshold, Sylvain gives him a thumbs-up, and Dedue an approving nod. Only then does Dimitri allow himself to relax, shoulders slumping ever so slightly.
It isn't the address that bothers him, nor the ever-present fear of slipping up in front of millions of Faerghus citizens on live television. He's been groomed in protocol for public appearances, virtual or not, since he was old enough to walk. No, it's the creeping realization that, year after year, he gives a little more time to the people, and keeps a little less to himself.
It's selfish, which is precisely why Dimitri's only vaguely mentioned it even to his closest friends. They'd whisk him off to some holiday destination at the speed of light if he asked, he knows, but it doesn't feel right to shirk his duties — even though Sylvain wouldn't call it shirking, only giving himself a well-deserved break.
After a few minutes of idle chatter with the camera crew - Dimitri's made it a habit to try and get to know everyone he works with, to the point he can now ask after some of the operators' children by name -, he finally steps out of the royal office requisitioned for the occasion. When he idly checks his phone, the screen flashes with half a dozen notifications : a picture of Felix and Ingrid on St Cichol's shopping (presumably for Glenn), some last minute recommendations from both his father and Duke Fraldarius, and…
fearthedeer : hey hey hey
fearthedeer : dima
fearthedeer : u should go get some fresh air 😜
fearthedeer : (front gate. hurry!!!)
fearthedeer : i see u typing. why don’t u walk faster instead
Dimitri picks up the pace, until he’s almost flying past the castle’s front gates and into the main courtyard. At first, nothing seems more out of the ordinary : the gatekeepers even shoot him perplexed looks as their crown prince stares out, half disheveled, at the snow-covered cobblestones.
Then a nondescript black cab pulls up, somehow unbothered by security checks, and everything suddenly pieces itself together.
Dimitri’s down the staircase before anyone can stop him, right as the cab’s door open and a silhouette clad in a vibrant yellow sweater steps out. Claude’s barely finished handing the driver a tip when Dimitri comes to a brutal stop just a few steps from him, heart beating wildly against his ribcage.
They exchange pictures pretty much everyday, but there’s an inherent brilliance to Claude a screen can’t capture. It’s something, Dimitri thinks, in the way his smile blooms first over his lips then reaches all the way to his eyes. Every time, it’s like watching the sun rise.
Claude opens his arms. Wordlessly, Dimitri lets himself be drawn into his embrace, curls around him and breathes in the fresh scent of pine needles.
Eventually, he finds it in himself to step back. His hands stay firmly planted on Claude’s shoulders, grounding himself in the other’s presence. “It really is you.”
Claude grins and tips an imaginary hat at him. “The one and only.”
“Flames, I—” Dimitri takes a deep breath in an attempt to compose himself. “How...when did you get here?”
“On a plane this morning. And before you ask, it wasn't on taxpayers' money,” Claude quips.
“Don’t get me wrong, I’m delighted to see you, but why now?” Dimitri’s brain frantically cycles through their relationship milestones. Their anniversary’s in early summer, and Claude’s birthday isn’t for another few months, and⎯
Claude gently takes his face into his hands, tiptoeing a little to rest their foreheads together, and Dimitri’s mind comes to a standstill.
“Hey, calm down, okay? You’re overthinking everything again.” Claude pauses, breathes in, breathes out. “Would you believe me if I said I’m a little late for your birthday?”
Oh. It’s true. His birthday, a national holiday. How did it slip his mind again?
As if able to read his mind, Claude chuckles. “Really, I just wanted to see you again. In person. I already meant it to be a Saint Cichol’s surprise, and our texts the other day were just...additional motivation, if you will.”
“You’re amazing,” Dimitri says, as earnest as he’s ever been. This time, it’s Claude’s turn to blush, a rosy flush creeping up his neck and onto his cheeks. It offers a nice contrast to the paleness of the snowflakes that have started accumulating in his hair, dusting his dark curls with white.
It occurs to Dimitri that perhaps they should have had this conversation inside.
“Come,” he tells Claude, slinging an arm around his boyfriend’s shoulders to steer him back towards the castle’s warmth. “You must be freezing.”
Claude snorts and tucks his chin down into the collar of his coat. “Only because your country considers negative temperature to be mild weather.”
“It’s only starting to get chilly, really⎯” Dimitri cuts himself off when Claude shoots him a half-exasperated, half-fond look.
Before he can fumble himself into another clumsy explanation, Claude tugs him down by the lapels of his jacket and presses a kiss to his lips. It courses through him like lightning, all the way down to the tips of his toes, and it lingers even after Claude pulls away.
“Well, you’re here to keep me warm, aren’t you? Lead the way.”
Like this, his love is bright and lovely, the great hall’s flickering hearth painting him in broad strokes of honey and gold.
Dimitri takes Claude’s hand, and follows.
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