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#cress' nonsense
cressjacquine · 1 year
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Kaz what are you doing in the water
You don’t even have Jordie’s corpse to use as a floatie
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emile-hides · 24 days
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I was looking directly at a reference while drawing these and I still somehow convinced myself he had long hair. Whatever, he's pretty.
A-Z Isekai'd Cress deign by @acfan120 really got me in some kinda way and I couldn't help wanting to draw him. I also have thoughts on story for him but I'm not gonna be annoying with that rn. Maybe someday.
Bonus my warmup doodle:
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pagesfromthevoid · 2 years
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Good morning my brain decided that it needed to very specifically dream about Benedict and Anthony Bridgerton fighting over me and now I want to write that
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caliburn-the-sword · 7 months
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more cress thoughts and reactions (if i wasn't lazy i would start numbering these)
WHAT is with this lunar guard and WHY would he randomly choose to help these guys. since he's a Named Character (but i already forgot) i'm demanding a pov chapter immediately. probably won't get one until we trust him tho rip
NO WAY SCARLET CAN'T DIE OMG - oh thank goodness she's been taken hostage. that's better because it means she has a chance
what is it with cinder and her tendency to pick up strays?? first thorne now the blondie
cinder got that medical rizz (got blondie to take his shirt to staunch blood)
wait how does blondie know that cinder is the lost princess?? did i miss something??? maybe it was something cress mentioned
"Thorne thought maybe it was best for her to practice (cutting bonds) on herself anyway" DAMN BRO COLD
i wonder if the programming making the sat invisible still applies now that it's crashed. if not we're about to have a big problem on our hands
"somehow she’d never worked the sensation of prickly facial hair into her fantasies. She would amend that after this." MISS GIRL WHAT???? that said i find the diction of 'amend that' there's just something so detached about it lmao
OMG THORNE LOST HIS VISION YES THIS IS MAKING ME NUTS
no i agree cress WHY would you give a newly blind man a knife
her hair is getting cut off <3 "It felt as though twenty pounds had been cut from her head" probably because it HAS girly. haircuts are literally magical. feel sad?? get a haircut
"It's not your fault" damn thorne i really appreciate how conscious he is of cinder's and now cress' self blaming problem even though he doesn't act like he's all compassionate. softie
grossed out by thorne kissing a 16 year old even if it was just her hand (someone play sixteen by ayesha erotica)
omg i thought the kids were talking about PRIZE MONEY for a BOUNTY and that we were about to see someone properly threatening appear, not just gummy worms fkshfsdkh. LOVE erland for indulging the children. he seems like a fun uncle type figure to have. i wonder how much those kids make him grieve for his daughter. OMG CINDER MENTION IT I NEED ERLAND'S REACTION
omg cress' descriptions of earth make me feel like i've been taking it for granted <3 i love her to death and i wish her all the happiness in the world
i LOVE thorne's no nonsense attitude, especially when it conflicts with cress' fantasies. yeah!! shake her!! wilderness survival king
tf??? i've never heard of a green sunset????? i'm assuming that this is a rural thing or i'm just gonna pin it down to random radioactive scifi reasons
thorne you know what OTHER than constellations would rule out australia?? THE SAND WOULD BE FUCKING RED. i would know because i did a 6 week cross country road trip across the desert from east to west and back again. i get that he's blind but surely cress would have noticed and thought to mention it (catch me looking for the southern cross constellation whenever i go to the northern hemisphere since it's the only one i can consistently recognise)
whenever cinder gets glamoured she always snaps out of it immediately. even kai, the few times it's happened to him. it's honestly VERY disturbing to read it from scarlet's perspective where she's completely unable to (also now i'm finding kai sus. does he have the implant against his knowledge?? he got out of it with pain but wolf literally got SHOT and stayed glamoured)
LANDED IN AFRICA OMG THEY'RE GONNA REUNITE WITH CINDER. I BET ERLAND HAS ALREADY HEARD NEWS ABOUT THE DROPPED SAT
cress' backstory is intriguing, ESPECIALLY because idk how she's alive. does experimenting really make her THAT worth keeping before her hacking skills came to light?? why does sybil want to keep shells alive in the first place?? she seems very down with eugenics
holding onto neurodivergent coded cress and defending her with my life. of course some traits overlap with her trauma and being isolated for so long
only just remembered this but i guess now my theory of cress not being fully lunar doesn't hold up now that i know her parents. but with what she's saying about her backstory, makes sense why she doesn't identify with lunars that much
maybe it was thorne that i decided was bi??? just by seeing this line about blackmailing a hot pilot if he were in her position??? now that i think about it he had a similar line about kai or something. anyway with thorne saying he would have blackmailed someone i reckon he's just putting on a facade so no one sees him as a softie. but it's still funny to just make characters queer. it's a coping mechanism
OMG NOW THAT THE SATELLITE HAS CRASHED THE LUNARS ARE EXPOSED. I COMPLETELY FORGOT ABOUT THAT. but the spyware should ALSO be down unless specific feeds went directly to the palace
this read has been such a treat for me!! i mentioned this on a reblog of one of my first cress post, but for those of you who haven't seen it when i was like. 5. my library had this picture book of the biblically accurate grimms brothers rapunzel. BEAUTIFUL illustrations. i was a silly goofy little kid obsessed with morbidity and i LOVED the gory illustrations of the prince's eyes getting stabbed out by thorns and him wandering around the forest all bloody and blind. i tried to find it online but couldn't!! the closest thing to it was rapunzel by sarah gibb which isn't gloriously violent anyway. i want to see if i can hunt it down irl and let you guys know which one it is but i used to frequent three different local libraries + the school library of my primary school was basically my own playground so i can't remember where i used to read it ;-; but yeah all this is to say i'm obsessed with cress as a retelling of rapunzel by far as someone who has a long history and grew up with it <3
@eddisfargo @francforever @winterrhayle @winterpinetrees
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slate-skylar · 6 months
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The day had been intense. He was ready for it to be off of him, off his skin and out of his hair, his teeth, out from under his fingernails. The difficult day, one of many; the middle in a line, not the first nor the last difficult day. Training, the start -- in a room with the other 23, understanding more fully than before the meaning of the word tribute, the word that was meant to refer to a gift, a payment. The gods sitting in their glass box watching over the room. Slate, moving from one thing to the next, flitting between people and stations, unable to alight anywhere lest he become real for the day.
His body ached. It wasn't surprising but it meant that even if his mind could relax, his muscles couldn't. He'd found Cress after all of it was over, the doors had been locked and tributes sent on their way for dinner and bed. "Come with me, I need something," he had said, though he had not known what he needed, nor where he was asking her to come. He'd only known he couldn't be in his bedroom, or the bathroom where she had applied her salves and balms the morning before, where she had suggested their child not be their own. Making sense in a world that was nonsensical meant speaking and accepting nonsense. And yet Hestia had helped him see the necessity of it, even if he didn't want to. But he didn't want to just speak about that, he wanted movement, her. He wanted everything and nothing. He was a frayed cord, sparking electricity with nowhere to send it.
She had suggested the pool. Off limits to tributes but it didn't matter. Cress made doors open. She had made the men who were there, lounging on chairs and laughing about something (their laughter swallowed when Cress and Slate entered, their eyes staring), leave. They had done so with tails between their legs, ashamed and titillated at having been spoken to by her.
He undressed, slid himself into the pool. She locked the door, stuck a bar into the handle. If they want in, they'll have to break it down, she'd said, as the dark set into the city outside the floor to ceiling windows. Slate stood in the shallow end, the water engulfing his tender body, and beckoned to her. "Come here." He couldn't be without her.
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@cress-meadowforge
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impossiblesuitcase · 1 year
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idk how much disney movies u watch but…besides the literal disney movies/stories they are retold on, what disney movie(a) do you associate with each tlc ship?
Wolf and Scarlet - Ratatouille (Disney Pixar counts right?). I mean, hot-tempered French woman? Socially out-of-touch man desperate for her love and approval? C'mon!
Also Beauty and the Beast, but that's a given.
Cress and Thorne ARE Rapunzel and Eugene. I don't think there's any characters that better encapsulate them. But they also fit Ariel and Eric! A great singer, entranced by a world she can't reach, in love with a man she barely knows. He, drawn to her voice, loves setting sail on his 'ship', prefers adventure to responsibility.
Winter and Jacin sort of remind me of Giselle and Robert from Enchanted. Whimsical girl, no-nonsense pragmatic guy that loves her even with her bizarreness. Winter would break out into song. Jacin would not.
Cinder and Kai, ironically, are not that alike their Disney movie counterparts. BUT HAVE YOU SEEN CINDERELLA III A TWIST IN TIME? In this sequel, Prince Charming is sassy, oblivious and iconic, aka, Kai, Kai and Kai.
Cinder does have the awkward nature and determination of Mulan, and the long lost princess side of Mia from the Princess Diaries. But honestly, Cinder has such a specific personality, I don't know if there's a close match.
Anyhow reblog with your associations!
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vahalia-cress-ffxiv · 4 months
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Let the Games Begin
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There had been a time, not all that long ago, when having a conversation with Vahalia Cress had been as common a part of his week as having a drink at the company bar. Some nights they’d tease, some nights maybe they’d flirt, some conversations were serious and business-related, and some were light and occasionally nonsensical if they were feeling playful - some even going late into the evening - when they were the only two left in the bar.
But that felt like a lifetime ago and standing before the grand doors of the Cress manor, those conversations felt like they’d happened between two very different people, and maybe they had. 
Two people who didn’t have the history that Ricard Blythe and Vahalia Cress did, before the events of the last two years had changed them as they had - not that it mattered now, not for what Ricard stood poised to deliver. 
And now a conversation seemed as likely as the snow on the highland was to melt - in that it was not very likely to occur at all. 
But this - this was only business, and he could only hope that she would see it as that as well, and at the very least would be open to hearing what he had to say. 
Ricard tucked the file he held closely against his chest a little tighter against his torso as he reached to brush some of the lightly falling snow from his hair before knocking firmly at the door, his jaw set as he waited for one of the staff to answer - prepared for Bruce and surprised by one of the ladies. “Good afternoon. I’m Ricard Blythe, here to speak with Lady Cress - I sent a missive several days ago about some information that I’ve received that may be of interest to her. I promise I will be brief.” 
Promptly Ricard had been let in and led through the foyer of the estate. It wasn’t the office he had been brought to or the study, it wasn’t the dining hall or any room, in particular, he might have imagined but instead the small study on the main floor that held a variety of encyclopedias and books typically used for research. Additionally, it was the space in which much of the ledgers had been kept within the estate.
Marion bowed as she often did and introduced the visitor to the Lady of the house.
A name she hadn’t heard in quite some time and even now it being nearly 8 months later it was still far too soon, seeing his name on a missive was far beyond a place of comfort for her, even if it meant she had to receive him if only to play true to her nature of a calculating and careful matriarch of her House, “Blythe.” she spoke his name. Sour to the taste, hot like venom, and a pointed glance came over her shoulder in Ricard’s direction.
Here was a man who had dug into her family and personal life against her asking him not to and he had gone against her wishes and done it anyway. The very same man who used her own sister against her like a piece on a chessboard as a potential ‘win’ in the grand scheme of things against Vahalia – putting her sister’s virtue into question. The very same who had worked under the same man and with the same network that had tried to have Valeria killed – by relation no less to the puppetmaster who pulled the strings.
Vahalia appraised him with silent judgment; a tall stance with her hands at either side of her, “There better be a good reason why you’re in my home and why I shouldn’t mount you on the irons outside. Our contract was dropped months ago, what do you want Blythe?”
The chilly reception did not go unnoticed and was not unexpected - Ricard was not a complete fool. Guard up, gaze neutral, he held up the file in his grasp and met her gaze. “I wouldn’t be here without reason, Lady Cress. I’ve been tasked in recent weeks with tailing Damien Gray. That alone isn’t likely of interest to you. What is - and the reason I’m here - is because I received a report that Damien Gray was spotted with your sister in Tailfeather.”
“A fool you are to think I wouldn't ask why.” She quipped swiftly, “Why you are tailing someone who is a friend to my sister most certainly is an interest to me. Come now, Blythe, you have to be smarter than that, or are you losing your touch at reading people?”
He set the file down on the nearest table for her to review if she chose. “I made a point of trying to steer clear of your business since our arrangement ended. When I took this job I made it known that my men were to go nowhere near this estate and I wanted nothing to do with Cress's business.” He motioned towards the file - “I’m only interested in what Damien is up to, but thought you should be aware. I don’t know or need or want to know what’s going on within your house. I’m just here to provide you with the information and leave. What you do with it, is your own.”
Furrowed brow and spite at the back of her throat, Vahalia glared at the file. Such an odd thing, if the information was as minimal as he just offered, then why the hell was there a file?
It didn't take an overtly intelligent person to put two and two together, not since Cordelia's awkward and randomly placed interest since the two last met. Vahalia was quite cunning “Did Cordelia hire you or did you throw yourself into her necessity because she's ‘interesting’?”
“Lady Gray did hire me, yes.” His jaw clenched for a moment, the only indication of the effect of her words, but he didn’t otherwise take the bait, didn’t respond to the jab. He was only present to deliver the report and he knew what things were likely to devolve to if he said the things that were nagging at the back of his mind. Nothing productive came from that.
His response was met with an arrogant ‘hmph’ and a relatively amused expression found her after noting the tense of his jaw, Vahalia simply shook her head, his lack of response was the additional confirmation she needed. She knew the man well enough and how his overindulgences often caused him to lack foresight.
“The entirety of what was seen at Tailfeather is within the file. If you have any questions or further concerns, you know how to reach me. I will be continuing to watch Lord Gray, as I have been contracted to do, and - as I informed Lady Gray when I took the contract - anything involving your family remains off-limit to my people.”
A snap from fingers sounded out and Vahalia demanded the attention to where she pointed, the file on the small table that sat between them, “And this is your way of showing that my family is off limits? When you come into my home with information about my sister as if to expose her? You do realize how this, in and of it’s nature, is going against what you are claiming. This is not off limits, having information on Valeria such as this isn’t ‘off limits’, this is impeding on her personal life and now I’m involved by default.”
His narrowed gaze shifted from the file up to meet hers. “Expose her? Expose her? I am bringing the information to you, her sister, not to some tabloid, or gossip rag. I wasn’t out there trying to impede on her personal life. I was keeping an eye on the man I was paid to watch. The fact that she was there when she was supposed to be keeping her distance from him is out of my control, Lady Cress. You give me far more power than I actually have.”
Long, heavy skirts shifted when Vahalia took several slow strides towards Ricard, “If you insist on continuing with this then I will be forced to respond Blythe. I’ll say this once and only once, drop the hire and find the means elsewhere to make some gil instead of trying to gain favor with a widow because she’s paranoid by some haughty brother-in-law. It’s not something you will find is worth your life. Make your choice before you leave here today so that we are to understand each other well enough that there is no room for speculation.” she finalized with a casual warning.
“So now you threaten my life because your sister won’t do as you’ve asked her to do? Or is there something you don’t want me to find?” He shrugged easily. “Doesn’t matter. I did what I was paid to do, the information is in your hands now, do with it what you will. I’ll discuss my contract with Lady Gray - I want no part in your family squabbles, whatever they happen to be.” 
"As you claim you have no interest in Cress business, you have a folder on my sister. You should have backed out the moment you saw her knowing she’s not a part of your little job. Furthermore, since when do you have information about her having strict rules not to be out and about, even for what you claim? For a man who says he has no interest to be in our business it sure as hell sounds like that nose of yours is buried deep into it. This shit?" She snatched up the file and snapped it in Ricard’s direction, "-- has exposure all over it. Had you not been here right now with this, no one would have been the wiser. Not even me." Vahalia hissed, arm lashing out as the file made contact with the burning logs and flames within the fireplace adjacent to her.
“Would you have preferred to not know? To find out via surprise? Because that is a direct contradiction to what you told me previously.” He pointed to the fireplace, “A folder, that had you bothered to look inside instead of making assumptions and accusations, contained a single sheet of paper. One report on what was seen at Tailfeather. And yet you hear what you want to hear, see what you want to see. You want to see a file brimming to the rim with weeks of reports, then so be it. It was one report of one incident, Vahalia. No more, no less.”
Of course, he didn't answer her question, Vahalia snerked lightly. Once more he wanted to tell her what she was seeing and never had he looked at anything within the scope of how it was all perceived. It was his words that led one to believe there had been more. How ‘everything she needed to know’ was within the file itself. Some how words were not as efficient to save them both time. She would be better off having to ask Valeria herself when time permitted. An incident, he wanted to call it, yet Valeria looked very well and very whole.
 “I likely would have found out one way or another. Your delivery, as usual, is lacking. I'm not quite sure what deal you think you've cooked up in your head, after the contract was over we were done. If it was a single sheet of paper, then hand me a singlesheetofpaper instead of a file. A simple discussion would have been sufficient. So no, you are the one standing in contradiction." She warned, "My words are a stern suggestion at best, Blythe. I have nothing to hide as you know me well enough by now that I don't go into anything in halves. For someone who is keen on trying to take lives, it’s only frowned upon when yours is on equal field. Play a game all you wish about how 'uninvolved' you are but you certainly sound very involved with how much information you seem to know whether it’s in a file or not. You are entirely missing the point I am making. As a broker, you're terrible at negotiating for your life especially when you are faced with a dangerous gamble, hopefully for your sake, the payout is worth it.”
“I came here only to deliver this information to you as a courtesy - I didn’t have to do it at all. Threaten my life if you like. I've never threatened yours or the lives of those close to you. I’ve certainly never left them bleeding in the front of the company hall, despite what you think. And I’ve no interest in seeing your sister harmed. I’ve no interest in whatever conflict is ongoing. I’ll see to my contract, you see to your business- it’s none of mine. Good day, Lady Cress.”
She smirked, ah, so now he was making it personal. The expression she wore said it all and her words came calmly with no infliction, “A smart man would have turned it down, a gentleman would have left well enough alone the moment he noticed his ex-betrothed was involved. Clearly you don't care even about her so let's not pretend to bring it up as if you do, you would have bothered to visit her when she was bedridden but you hadn't, not even a bouquet of flowers for her bedside. I cannot tell if it was the hefty gil calling your name or the throbbing in your loins that caused you to say yes to this but there is one thing I do know, you've done more than enough. I can't imagine how Valeria might feel to hear of this and thankfully she won't have to.”
Lifting her hand Vahalia waved him off, having just about enough of the prattle that had been going on. Business mixed with his personal feelings – how very Ricard of him despite trying to pride himself on being otherwise; she hadn't the patience to contend with semantics. He said he wasn't in their business, she conveyed otherwise – there was little left to discuss. 
Once again, it was only the smallest clench of his jaw that indicated any impact or response to her words, as he fought back the desire to roll his eyes. She had her view of him, nothing he was going to say here, no matter his intent, was going to change that. No bow or nod was offered as he turned on his heel and exited  - he’d breathe easier the further he was away from this place.
Collab w/ @ricard-blythe-ffxiv Mention(s): @promethea-silk - @damien-gray-ffxiv - @spirit-speaking
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a-ghostiee · 8 months
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Everything I found in the new DRDT MV
SPOILERS AFTER THE CUT PLEASE DO NOT READ IF YOU WANT TO DISCOVER THESE THINGS FOR YOURSELF
We’ll start with the footnotes. I found nearly all of them, the exception being [8] which I couldn’t find. I will provide timestamps for each, and try my best to explain what it means.
[1] (1:22) - It is talking about solving the crossword, meaning that J would go by Julia and Xander would be Alexander. It’s also saying that David isn’t in the crossword, yet Teruko is. I will go into more detail on the crossword later.
[2] (3:02) - Arabidopsis is a thale cress plant; Drosophila melanogaster is a fruit-fly; and E. coli is bacteria. I’m not quite sure how these link, though.
[3] (2:18) - Literally a quote from Title 17 of the United States Code; which talks about Copyright.
[4] (1:47) - This footnote is attached to a bit of text in the background that says “subtract 4, add to tetraphobia.”. Tetraphobia is the practice of avoiding the number 4, which is mentioned in the description.
[5] (3:10) - As it says in the description, this part of the song has been mistranslated several times, so there is no reliable translation for it.
[6] (2:02) - The little 6 can be found next to the hands that look like this: 🙏. I assume the previous hand gestures were referencing a specific prayer, but I’m not sure.
[7] (2:41) - I’m gonna be honest, there isn’t much to work with here. The footnote in the description isn’t much help and the little 7 appears to be attached to the word “mind”
[8] - I couldn’t find [8] in the video, however, I googled the quote from the description and it comes from Alice in Wonderland.
[9] (2:08) - Again, the footnote in the description isn’t that helpful. This time, its attached to “sing a degraded copy”. The phrase “degraded copy” is in pink, so it’s probably important (maybe), but I really don’t know.
[10] (2:01) - The bit in the description mentions that “10 in Roman Numerals is X” and footnote 10, can be found on the right of the big, pink X in the background. Maybe the footnote is hinting that only 10 people will die in DRDT, because the pink X is very similar to the dead portrait Xs.
[11] (1:32) - Now, this one is probably the most interesting, because it says that ⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪ ⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪ doesn’t exist. Given that this video centres around David, we can assume that this is most likely talking about his sister that he mentioned in Chapter 2 Episode 10, Diana. She fits the amount of letters perfectly. As for why this footnote is attached to “suspicious gaps”, I’m not quite sure. All I know about the gaps, is that there’s four of them.
[12] (2:02) - This part of the video shows that one person received 16 votes, and no-one else received any. This fits in with the description talking about majority vote (YTTD ref? /hj)
[13] (2:40) - Now this one is definitely next to something that’s been encoded. It seems like it’s been encrypted into Base64, but when I put those letters and numbers into a decoder, I got utter nonsense. It could have been encrypted several times, or it could just not be Base64, I’m still trying to work that out. The symbol in the description appears to mean correct as well, which fits with the placement.
[14] (3:52) - This appears to be at the end of a long chain of numbers, split into several parts. If you look at the equals symbol in the back, you’ll find the little 14. The hint in the description says “word length of 256″, which I could easily link to ASCII. ASCII is a form of character storage which only has 256 possible characters. Again, I’ll figure out what all the numbers mean, and translate it into something readable at some point.
[15] (1:48) - Not quite sure what to say here. The 15 is attached to the word “happiness” and the description talks about “ignorance is bliss”
[16] (2:50) - This is found on several screenshots(?) of a music sheet, which is “Entry of the Gladiators” by Julius Fucik.
[17] (2:01) - Probably the first footnote I spotted, I think I noticed it during my first watch, when it premiered. The description is right though, “Democratic-ly” isn’t a word.
[18] (3:04) - This one can be found with the dandelions (weed). I don’t know what the description is talking about though, the flowers are beautifully drawn ^^
[19] (3:42) - This one’s quite interesting because it’s part of a conversation. Not quite sure what it’s about but I’m pretty sure one of the mystery people is David.
[20] (1:53) - The description mostly explains that the 5 stages of grief are kind of outdated because they can be classed as reductionist, only considering nature.
[21] (3:49) - Again, another pretty simple one that I’m not sure I need to really explain.
[22] - This one is literally on screen for barely a second right at the very end, just before the video stops.
Now, I’ll move on to discuss the YouTube comment type things that appeared on the screen at around 1:09. These are in the order of when the appeared on screen (i think lol).
1.  “ ⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪ is like the byakuya/nagito/kokichi of the cast.” - This is probably talking about David, given the personality he showed during Chapter 2 Episode 11. Also, David has the right amount of letters. 2. “lets play spot the komaeda.” - Again, most likely about David. 3. “I like that  ⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪ is a protagonist who also plays the antag[onist]” 4. This one is likely about Teruko given how she’s our protagonist and can be quite antagonistic at times. (*cough* pulling a knife out on several people during Chapter 2 *cough*) 5. “mm  ⚪⚪⚪⚪ anyone?” - Not sure who this is talking about because there are so many people who have a four-letter name. (Levi, Whit, Arei, Nico, Rose and Eden) 6. “⚪ and  ⚪⚪⚪⚪ totally swapped places” - Ok, this is definitely about the J and Arei swapped theory. 7. “ ⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪ will obviously die in ch5″ - Could be talking about David again, but there’s something later in the video that might suggest otherwise, which I’ll talk about later on. 8. “I just hope ⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪ doesn’t go crazy and kill in chapter 3. That would be way [too] predictable.” - Arturo 100% 9. “Everyone in the comment section is a fucking idiot” - Now this one’s kind of mean, but also very interesting. This could be David telling us we’re all wrong, or the creators.
At about 1:22, a crossword shows up briefly, as mentioned during [1]. I like crossword type things so I took some time to solve it. After this crossword shows up, there are several bits of text, which are matched with a roman numerals, so I matched those phrases up to the roman numerals from the crossword.
Across:
I. Alexander IV. Arei - “Right now, why do you cry?” VI. Arturo - “mind exercises 1234” VIII. Nico - “even if I try to think, idk!!! (lmao)” IX. Levi - “look aside from that, give me the usual medicine” - I wasn’t sure what was going on here XII. Eden - “But you’re in my way, aren’t you?” XIII. Teruko - “or” / “To be or not to be” XV. Whit - “Remaining ignorant, isn’t that “happiness”?” XVI. Hu - “Go and cry.”
Down:
II. Rose - “Ego cogito ergo (terbatus) sum” III. Charles - “If you doubt brittle things are broken.” V. Ace - “Right now, why do you go insane?” VII. Julia - “Do it like that, let’s live together” X. Min - “Democratic-ly”  XI. Mai - “God is dead” XIV. Veronika - “Things like substance of the arts”
And to finish off this post, I’ll talk about anything extra that couldn’t fit anywhere else. I’ll provide timestamps as well, lol.
(0:37) - Text says “I am a cat” before the word dog quickly covers the word cat. This could be a reference to how MonoTV looks like a cat, but insists they are a dog.
(1:00) - Text that is very briefly on screen says: “I did love you once so you should not have believed me.”
(1:04) - The person on screen looks like she could be Mai? Not really sure here, but she seems important.
(1:05) - Text at the bottom of the screen says “I’m guilty as charged. Sorry, we’re not there yet.” This could be a reference to how David says “I’m guilty as charged” in Chapter 2 Episode 11.
(1:28) - Text in red says “I hate the things that I love, and I love the tings that I hate.” This could be a reference to the photos of Mai and Teruko.
(2:02) - “Voting results: Everyone will be executed. There is no such thing as “victory” in a killing game.” This does not look good for the DRDT cast.
(2:22) - This looks like Xander. It looks like its from before he got his eyepatch, but that could just be the angle. If it is from before, does this mean David knew Xander before the killing game but lost(?) those memories.
(2:38) - “Note to self: put something here” Maybe something will be added to the video later?
(3:00) - “portrait of someone dearly loved” with an arrow pointing to the photo of Mai Akasaki. Maybe David loved Mai before something tragic happened?
(3:00) - “portrait of someone dearly unloved” with an arrow pointing to the photo of Teruko Tawaki. I think Teruko has something to do with whatever happened to Mai and David hates her for it. I think David was the person at the very beginning of the very first episode of DRDT, he’s the only person that I think has a motive. You can also spot a fork in the background of the MV and at the beginning of the prologue.
(3:04) - There’s a QR code on the books to the right. I haven’t been able to scan it so I don’t know what it leads to yet.
(3:06) - The supporting cast list has Mai Akasaki scribbled out and what looks like “Ms Naegi”  cut off underneath it. On the right of the screen, there was faint text that says: “(i.e. these are the only characters who make an appearance.) which could mean that Arei, Hu and Ms Naegi are in the video. This is a stretch but maybe Hu killed Arei. Probably not, though.
(3:10) - It looks like Xander is the one holding the gun here.
(3:20) - No, that’s wrong!
(3:44) - The lyrics here say “I’ll disappear” and David disappears from the chair, leaving what looks like splattered blood. The words “Chapter 3″ flash on the screen, though its cut off. David dies in Chapter 3 maybe?
Thank you for reading this extremely long post; I’ll reblog it anytime I get more information.
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underground-boss-clay · 9 months
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Opinions on your fellow league members?
Not sure if ya mean as of now or includin' those from a coupla years ago. Might as well do both; never hurts ta cover all bases. This is... Pretty damn long, just warnin' y'all.
•The Striaton trio (think their individual names were Cress, Chili an' Cilan) kinda depended too much on each other. Guess that just comes with bein' a triplet, but I'm pretty sure that's a big weakness fer all three of them. They're so confident someone has their back that they ain't got plans for when no one can back them up.
•Honestly I wasn't too sure about Cheren at first; kid was goal-driven when I first met him on his Gym challenge. Which is admirable, and I'd been there, but he was a little too much so. Didn't think much about what he'd do after becomin' Champion; hell, I don't think he even knew why he was goin' for it so hard. Thank goodness for Lenora.
•Speakin' of, she and Hawes are... Wouldn't say close friends, haven't known em as long as I have, say, Joe, but decent enough associates. I've donated fossils to their museum on numerous occasions, and the woman treats each one with care, even before they're revived. Very strong willed and not afraid ta speak her mind or argue her case. Always good ta have someone like that on yer side! And even though he don't count as part of the League, Hawes is a very thorough researcher. Also knows a ridiculous amount of trivial things. Seriously, who needs to know what an aglet is?
•Anyway, Roxie is a bit of an odd one. My first impression of her made me think she was just a loud little punk, but she's actually surprisingly responsible. Thought she'd prioritize her band above Virbank, but girl has no problems wit puttin' that aside until Virbank's problems are solved. Still ain't a big fan of her music, but that's more personal tastes.
•Most creative types tend to be eccentric almost to the point a' hysterics, but Burgh is surprisingly calm. Keeps his cool 'n most situations, an' I can probably count the times I've heard him raise his voice on one hand. His Gym designs are out there, almost to be expected, but hey, least he ain't jumpin' off windmills right?
•Elesa is incredibly no-nonsense, an' with a stubborn streak ta rival Lenora. Very much a good problem solver, and accomplished a lot on her own very quickly. And on top a' that, able to keep succeedin', or at least minimize losses. That's the hardest part 'n businesses like hers (and mine, but different areas entirely).
•Skyla's a good girl--bit airheaded at times, 'f you'll pardon the pun, but loyal and ain't afraid ta help someone through tough times. Livin' as close to the Celestial Tower will probably do that.
•I'll be honest, Brycen was a bit of a strange one fer me. He's not bad, but he could be... Well, pretty damn dramatic. Not that Burgh doesn't sometimes have moments, but Burgh's theatrics are usually... How ta put this, quieter and somewhat predictable? Whereas Brycen could easily jump from one end a' the spectrum to the next quicker 'n you could blink. Made it hard ta really read him.
•Drayden... Is a good mayor, and an intimidatin' Gym Leader. To be expected when ya decide to work wit Dragon types. But there've been times where I don't think he focuses on himself enough. I don't even mean the wrestlin' dragons bit, I'm talkin' about how he tends to ignore his own problems in favor of helpin' others with their own. Which I can admire, he's helped me out of a slump once, but sometimes ya got to give yerself time to address a personal problem before it gets worse.
•Marlon is a good kid. Good heart, even if he ain't the sharpest pick 'n the box. Or the most alert, fer that matter.
•Marshall struck me as a bit compulsive at first, but he's actually got quite the quick-thinkin' head on his shoulders.
•No hard feelings against her, but there are times where Caitlyn can come off as... Uncaring, which irks me. I understand that probably ain't her fault, but it's one a' those things that makes me glad ta not work with her too often.
•Not fond of Grimsley's penchant fer risk, but as long as it ain't my money on the line I won't throw mud on him for it.
•Shauntal's a smart girl, but sometimes she talks too damn fast. Her writing's good according to some of my workers though.
•Alder was a bit too laid back as Champion in my opinion, but then again I do understand his reasoning for travelin' around the region instead a' stayin' cooped up with paperwork. Probably helped him understand folks more, which is a key element in a good Champion.
•And finally, Iris. I think she can be a bit hotheaded and impulsive at times, but that can be said for a lot of kids. And becomin' Champion certainly calmed her down a tad. Yer doin'great so far sweetheart, keep it up.
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dittolicous · 2 years
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Content Warning: Vague Politics. Just for fun: I always read the fish as sort of a politics joke. Red and Blue are often colors that contrast/combat each other, and happened multiple times in the franchise I want to say. (Throw and Sawk are both in gen 5 too!)
But basically Red stripe/Blue stripe=Republican and Democrat Fish, as those are the colors of those political parties. Probably accidental, but it could have been intentional.
So i'm just picturing Cress picking up a White Stripe Basculin and shouting "I FOUND A INDEPENDENT VOTER. "
(Also politics nonsense: In the pokemon ranger games, the third one specifically, there was a evil team of older people who sought immortality. They called themselves the Tea Party. And then immediately at the same time America had a literal political party called the Tea party. They translated this as "The Societea" which is my favorite pun. I don't know if it was to avoid using a literal political party's name, or if someone went "I have an idea.")
Cjlfhofhlvjvpuvphvipbojlg
I LOVE THIS JUST BECAUSE OF THE MENTAL IMAGE OF THE GENERALLY SUPER CHILL AND LOWKEY CRESS JUST TEARING INTO THE ROOM WHERE CILAN AND CHILI ARE RELAXING, HOLDING A STUNNED, STILL DRIPPING WET BASCULIN OVER HIS HEAD AS HE SHOUTS THAT.
NO WARNING. JUST FULL TILT 'OH GOD I HAVE THE BEST JOKE I CANT LET THIS MOMENT PASS ME BY' SIBLING SHENANIGANS
Poor Cilan requires the heimlich maneuver after inhale his biscuit whole in shock, which Chili somehow delivers while crying with laughter
(and now I will NEVER unsee this red/blue thing. It's there now, forever. I'm absolutely willing to bet it was on purpose)
(gufuppjgfhpv fucking societea oh pokemon you never let me down!!!!)
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cressjacquine · 2 years
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“chai tea” well I'm about to commit some “fire arson”
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justalittletomato · 1 year
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For the fluff prompt
12. "what's your ideal type?" "you."
With ares and febris, ares would be a orange lad after he hears febris’ answer
There were a variety of people among the rebels. Humans. Twileks. Togrutas. Even rumors of a Lasat!
However Ares grimaced at how loud his family made themselves known. Being a zabrak was difficult enough…
Being the nephew of formerly Darth now just Maul was even more difficult.
“Just remain calm.”
Ares looked to his father Savage shocked, “ Calm? Dad, their making fools of themselves!”
He gestures to his cousins, the dubbed tomato twins wrestling about. Aster is definitely beating Cress. Maul somewhere about with little Danica who needed to ask everyone 100 questions.
His siblings? He didn’t even want to know. Maybe they caused the explosion this morning…
“I’m going to med bay.” Ares grunted.
“Ah Febris is on duty isn’t she?” A bit of a smile on Savages face.
Ares’s cheeks turn orange. “That’s a coincidence…”
Ah Ares is truly his son. A shyness taking over.
——
Ares frowns slightly as how many fellow medics are on duty. Much gossip and laughter heard.
His hearts racing when Febris the lovely Green twilek looks his way.
“So what’s your type?” Someone asks.
Ares moves away from hearing, enough embarrassment for one day…
—-
Ares glanced over at Febris often. Any situation she could think of a solution without a fuss. He admired her talent. And skill and her no nonsense bed side manner.
“Did you hear me Ares?”
He almost drops the bacta patches in his arms.
Febris looking at him, her lekku dancing behind her…
Ares shook his head, so she was going to reject him outright?
“You. The handsome golden zabrak medic who still hasn’t realized I like him.”
His face burns orange. Did she just?
Febris smiles, hee lekku dancing. “ So what’s your type Ares?”
Ares knows he’s bright orange, “ You Febris. You’re my type…”
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thenamesblurrito · 2 years
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speaking of OCs from yesterday have i ever actually... posted this picture??? it’s from awhile ago but. anyway here’s some of SNAP Team Purbl, the crew of absolute ridiculous SIs/sonas that friends and i keep throwing at different canons (mostly SNAP and TFA because of that aforementioned expansive room in the background for nonsense). Cress belongs to @moontruffles and Void belongs to @agatharights, and i never got around to doing the others
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related bonus Buzzard as a jackal buzzard in the fantastic webcomic Brave New World please go read it
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pagesfromthevoid · 2 years
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what grade do you teach? (if ur comfy <3)
Middle school! Specifically 7th and 8th grade
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caliburn-the-sword · 7 months
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final cress thoughts!!!!
i absolutely inhaled that book holy shit lol. got winter at the bookstore today because shipment just arrived and i gotta say it's HELLA chonky. i am EXCITED. of course fairest will have to come first
since the plan has been explained to us the readers, that means it's DEFO gonna go wrong (note: it did - sybil ambushed them)
god why is cress married to everyone. first thorne now wolf
rolling my eyes sighing bile is rising in my throat. i CANNOT take this alpha nonsense. admittedly when cress says it in a brightest star of a constellation way, that's cute. unfortunately the omegaverse connotations cancels it out completely
OMG CINDER AND KAI FINALLY. I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR SO LONG. rip to everyone that was reading these as they came out because i can't imagine how PAINFUL it would have been to wait two years for them to see each other again as opposed to me just binging the books across like 3 weeks max by the time i finish the series
respect for torin holy shit that must have been SUCH a hard choice for him to make to not only let the prince go but to reveal his tracker chip
NO ERLAND IS NOT ALLOWED TO HAVE LETUMOSIS AND HE'S NOT ALLOWED TO DIE AND HE HAS TO REUNITE WITH CRESS. CRESS NEEDS TO KNOW. I AM LITERALLY IN STUDIES OF RELIGION CLASS RN I CAN'T DEAL WITH THIS PAIN
I KNEW IT I KNEW IT I KNEW IT THE PLAGUE IS BIOWARFARE. i'm a genius. but the mutated strain was just genuinely a coincidence judging by levana's reaction LMAO
was absolutely baffled why tf thorne was kissing cress before i remembered the promise he made. i feel sickly and nauseous. get off that minor rn
as much as i hate thorne. gotta admit that the shooting scene was badass
YES SYBIL TAKE THAT, BITCH
wonder who the queen is married to
i respect every ounce of rebellion in erland's bones. yeah piss off the queen!!
grossed out by cress and thorne some more. please man keep pushing her away. literally his responsibility as an adult. ew
holy shit scarlet actually lost her finger
it's nice to properly meet winter
something very strange seems to be going on with winter. master and pet lunar stuff?? weird af. wants to be besties?? girl are you even understanding the situation?? also has she never met a ranga before??? is she HIGH????? and what's with the role playing games??? she's somehow more delulu than cress, acts even YOUNGER than her actual age than cress does
winter seems to THINK that she was friends with cinder. interesting. once again i want cinder to get her memories of pre-fire back real bad
winter is a SIMP for jacin
OH I'M SO DUMB HOW DIDN'T I REALISE THAT SHE WOULD BE DELULU BECAUSE SHE DOESN'T USE HER GLAMOUR. respect for winter has increased. this means that ALL the time scarlet spent thinking about how beautiful winter is was the truth LMAO. gay gay homosexual gay. is it too much to hope for a polycule?? they'd literally be like parks and rec. "i'm wolf andthis is my gf scarlet, this is her gf winter, this is winter's bf jaycin".
ofc a lake on the moon is gonna be called artemisia lake LOL. now we've had one moon titan and one moon goddess reference. chang'e when????
NOT FARAFRAH. i bet you all found it downright HILARIOUS when i went on about how much i love farafrah back in one of the other posts
ngl think it's too early for cinder and kai to be eating each other's faces. kai got over his issues REAL fast lol. idk how i feel about it but willing to see where winter takes us
i didn't even think of the implication because i don't consider kai and levana legitimately engaged so i find it HILARIOUS that the silly family tree of kai being engaged to one woman and then making out with her niece. reminds me of ouat
revolutionary cinder ftw
speculation for fairest:
i did the maths and realised that since levana is like 30 and cinder is 16 then she was about 17 years old when she decided that cinder just had to go. I'M 17. cannot imagine killing a 3 year old. cray z. and then she was even YOUNGER than that when she killed her sister for the throne. ALSO insane. that will be one deeply disturbed mind to dive into in fairest
read the blurb and don't exactly have anymore thoughts other than trying to figure out who the in universe equivalent to her REAL husband would be since we're defo getting backstory on that. since she's the evil queen then it must be winter's father "the good king", however because of the blurb i reckon it's some kind of "mirror mirror on the wall" figure. idk what exactly that would entail. some kind of royal adviser???
speculation for winter, because i don't want to forget everything i'm thinking by the time i'm done reading fairest:
mother reveal for cress - i don't remember if any lunar scientists have been mentioned or named yet, but i WILL be keeping an eye out. i suspect someone who has something to do with the wolf soldier hybrids, she might even know wolf. regardless hope the bitch dies
father reveal for cinder
from the way jacin calls garan linh's device an equaliser, it's DEFINITELY gonna be reproduced in this book, ESPECIALLY with winter going all delulu, and the way cinder is concerned about becoming like levana
jacin pov chapters now that miss marissa doesn't have to make his motivations and loyalties ambiguous
ngl i HATE prequels, ESPECIALLY when they're about the villain of the story, and i often skip them. i'm a bit apprehensive about going into fairest, but i want to have the proper reading experience of tlc, and it's important to the story. putting my personal feelings aside and hoping for the best!!
@eddisfargo @francforever @winterrhayle @winterpinetrees @shellyseashell
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osric-giroux-ffxiv · 1 year
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A Meeting of the Minds
Rumors. They crossed her desk every day. It was part of her job to sort through them, to decide which ones were worth following up on, which ones were to be discarded, and which were simply utter nonsense. 
Most of the rumors that came from the gossipmongers after the masquerade were nothing to get excited over. The ramblings of groups of old women with too much alcohol and not nearly enough to discuss who were attempting to make something of nothing. 
Lord so-and-so’s daughter was seen dancing with the son of Lord such-and-such.
Lady what’s her face was seen kissing multiple Lords throughout the night and was even seen leaving with two different gentlemen!
Most of the population seemed to have a generally good time and while a few got up to a bit of mischief, none of the rumors seemed to stand out too much…save one.
One that involved her brother and the rather attractive woman who left the party on his arm.
A bit of digging led to a name, and a name led to an address, which in turn led to Edalene standing before the Cress estate. A quick adjust of her coat, a glance around as she made her way up the steps, and a quick firm knock at the door, clasping her hands behind her back as she waited for someone to answer. 
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She tilted her head as the door was cracked open offering a small smile. “Good afternoon. Lady Edalene Slater. I was hoping for an audience with Lady Vahalia Cress, if she’s available.”
The door to the manor opened wider and Bruce welcomed the woman inside. It didn't take long for Edalene to be escorted through the foyer of the manor house and through the stretches of corridors of the Cress household. Ever curious, Edalene let her gaze drift as she followed the Roegadyn down the halls but stayed close to her guide…it wouldn’t do to be nosy.
The pair stopped at a particular room and the double doors opened, the breath of a study came to view, Vahalia pausing at the large bay window with book in hand as Bruce made his presence known.
"Lady Edalene Slater is here to call upon you, Miss."
"Come." She motioned her free hand to Bruce and the woman behind him. The Hellsguard stepped to the side and allowed Edalene in at her leisure.
Vahalia took in the woman's appearance, appraising her as she often did with people, "It's quite alright, you can leave us Bruce."
After a quick glance around the study Edalene’s gaze shifted to the Roegadyn for a moment as he exited the room and then to the woman by the window. She tilted her head before giving a small curtsey before straightening up and offering a small smile. “Lady Cress, I presume?”
“Yes.” Vahalia offered.
Edalene didn’t flinch away from the appraisal, dressed in a dark blue dress, hands clasped in front of her as she met the gaze of the other woman. “I’ve heard your name in passing at a few gatherings recently, but it is good to put a face to the name. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” The book in Vahalia’s hand remained and her eyes took in the woman before her, a roving pair of gold and curiosity but she knew enough about the woman by sheer conversation with another that she already had brimming questions,”Likewise though I can’t say I’ve heard of you from mere word-of-mouth but rather enough of your brother.” The woman in black lace and lavender closed the book and settled it down at the small desk between she and Edalene. The desk was a relic really, something quite old that her father had wrote many missives from, these days, the piece merely worked as a suitable holding for books that seemed to interest the Lady Cress.
“Oh, I would hope you haven’t heard of me through word-of-mouth. I do my best avoid the attention of the gossipmongers if I can manage it.”
“To what do I owe the pleasure today Miss Slater?” 
Sharp blue eyes shifted over to meet gold. “To be quite frank, mostly my curiosity. My brother has attended an event or two at my request in the last year or so, but this is the first time I’ve heard of him leaving with someone on his arm. I’m not one to meddle, Lady Cress, but I can’t help but be a bit intrigued. That, and as I said, I have heard you name in passing at quite a few social events as of late. You are garnering quite a bit of attention.”
A hand rested to the book she had been holding previously and Vahalia lofted a brow, “He walked me home. I would hope you’re a smart enough woman to not come into someone’s home and insinuate anything?” the raven haired woman simply smiled at that, “Fear not on the novelty of my name, it will wear off soon enough when the newer face arrives for people to gawk at.”
It was Edalene’s turn to quirk an eyebrow. “I simply stated that he left with you on his arm. I know my brother well enough to know that nothing untoward would follow, and you’re correct, I certainly wouldn’t visit someone’s home just to insinuate that such a thing had occurred. That would be incredibly rude and inappropriate. Not to mention unproductive.” “Forgive me, but I don’t know you and how you might think of something such as that. It’s natural for people to assume that is what is on the mind of another when they approach with vague comments.” slowly and rhythmically Vahalia’s nails drummed at the face of the book under the heel of her palm and in a short stint they eventually ceased, “Be as it may, you’d be surprised the things people will say if only to think they are above others catching on. I’m not a meek woman who would grin and bear such out and about let alone in my own home. It was merely a general comment and not one to dampen your intent or aimed to insult. I’m very candid Miss Slater.”
“So I’ve gathered. A trait I tend to appreciate in an individual.” Edalene reached up, brushing her bangs away from her face quickly before shifting and clasping her hands behind her back as she met Vahalia’s gaze once again with an easy smile. “And to be quite frank, I’m rarely surprised by what people will say or do when they believe they can get away with it as I spend a majority of my time sorting through the mess left behind, but that isn’t why I’m here. I’m here because as I said earlier, I’m a terribly curious creature and rumors of my brother leaving the masquerade with a wonderfully attractive woman on his arm just begged for investigation. But, even beyond that, when I discovered the name of the ‘wonderfully attractive woman’ seen with my brother and connected her to the name I’d been hearing so often at events I couldn’t help but wonder if perhaps we might be able to assist one another.” 
"Go on." Vahalia motioned to the woman to continue.
“Connections are a necessity in any city, but particularly in Ishgard. They are especially important for those like you an I - women who are attempting to lead or perhaps progress their houses forward or up the social ladder. For some, and I consider myself fortunate in this regard, these connections were quite well established prior to the house coming into my hands. That being said, since that time I’ve had to foster several new connections and would be quite happy to help point you in the direction of some of the more beneficial connections or individuals who may be in line with your interests if that is of interest to you.” 
“That depends. Your brother happened to let it slip that you have your nose in with the Blythe’s, I’d wager a guess that Ricard Blythe falls in somewhere around there and since you like connections by your own word, I’m not entirely sure I’d be eager to dive into those interests and connections. I’m looking to sever myself from the Blythe name as much as possible and I certainly don’t need Ricard Blythe knowing my business because you happen to be in bed with him and what he does when it suits the lot.” she folded her hands primly infront of her, once more her gaze looked over the woman before her and she finally decided to venture further and eventually stood within an arms reach of Edalene.
“It’s good to know that, as ever, my brother is completely oblivious to the inner workings of my business dealings. I’ve had dealings with Blythe yes, out of necessity, but to say that I’m ‘in bed’ with the man or that I have my ‘nose in’ with the family is a stretch. I interact with him because I must, no more, no less.” 
“They are a figure of speech, Miss Slater.”
“I’m aware, Lady Cress.”
“Glad we could clear that up, you didn’t sound like you were certain. As it stands right now, I’ve been doing well on my own with private council. So as you sit here and offer connections and direction, what is it you’re hoping to gain from such? I was under the impression neither you nor Osric had an interest in your House beyond what it does for you right now.”
“You are correct. At the moment my house serves a purpose and I see no reason to progress further up the ladder because I can accomplish what I need to where I am. Should that no longer be true, then I know what needs to be done in order to progress and can take the steps to see that happen. However, I’m very much aware of my brother’s preference that our house fade to nothingness, and the name be forgotten. Those truths don’t change the fact that I am still required to play the game.” Edalene shifted, fully facing the other woman. “I did not come with a set…goal in mind, so much as to assess if there is the potential for a possible alliance should our goals align.”
“How could they?” Vahalia moved her hands to fold behind her back and speaking further about goals, “Aside from both being women I do not see that you and I have much of anything in common beyond that and having nobility in our blood. My goals differ from yours greatly as you’ve just said you have no interest in furthering your House and name. I have a large interest in keeping the Cress name going and furthering the family. Longevity is my goal. However; I’m sure if you decided not to be recgonized as a noble house bad enough there are more than a few ways for that to be undone. You wouldn’t have to play a game anymore, Miss Slater.”
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“If I were to decide to take that step, yes, there are several ways that could be achieved. But I’ve no intention of taking that step. I require that the house remain. The game, for all it’s frustrations, still has it’s uses. My brother’s desires and mine diverge on that particular issue.” Edalene tilted her head slightly to the side. “They’re not insignificant things to have in common, both being women responsible for their houses. And if we were to be able to find common ground, well, I have a vested interest in seeing my friends succeed. That being said, there are challenges and situations unique to our situations. It does lead to a rather significant question, Lady Cress…you mention this goal of longevity, of continuing your name, something that can be a challenge even when a male heir is present.”  She straightened up appearing genuinely interested, hands clasped infront of her, “How exactly do you plan to continue your name? As the female head of your house with no male heirs it does seem as though you have limited options.”
Skepticism wore heavy to Vahalia’s expression and she eventually turned on her heel every so slightly, piercing eyes gazing over her shoulder to Edalene, “How perplexing.” the witch-woman mused sardonically and she cut her attention away, making for one of the small trolleys near the fireplace. The trail of lace over lavender satin paused at the floor and the glass stopper of a bottle was grasped between her fingers, “Are you a bourbon drinker Miss Slater?” once more she gazed over her shoulder towards the woman who didn’t budge from the moment she arrived.
“I am.” Mindful to keep her expression carefully neutral, Edalene kept a watchful eye on Vahalia’s movements before shifting over towards a nearby seat. “Do you mind if I sit? It was quite a walk from home to your lovely estate.”
“As far as you are aware, there are no male heirs but there could be for all you know. Considering you only just found out who I am outside of a name, I don’t suspect you know much of me and the condition of my house.” Vahalia pointed out. She poured a drink for herself and another into a second glass for her guest, “For women such as us there is only one of two answers we know would likely bring the lesser of issues. I would have a gentleman willing to take my name of course. As limited as my options are; they are options. Which I am entirely okay with, mind you, I just prefer to be careful in my choice to avoid unnecessary pushback.”
“Understandable. Certain calculations are necessary. And once again, you are correct, I am only aware of what is listed of your house in public record which isn’t much and what has been spread by word-of-mouth in recent days. There could be some hidden male heir that I’m unaware of. That would be quite the twist.” 
The corner of Edalene’s mouth quirked up as her gaze shifted to the fireplace, one could almost see the wheels turning in her head. “It’s rare to find a gentleman, particularly in this city who would be willing to take the name of another. Most have an ego the size of a dragon but there are…particularly if they’ve signed away…hm.” Blue eyes snapped back to Vahalia. “My apologies, an errant thought. But if we come back to this goal of longevity of your house one would think that you’d have a preference for someone with knowledge of if not the game then at the very least the system in which it is played and how to…adjust it to work in your favor.”
“One would think.” Vahalia parroted and sipped from her glass, taking a few strides to offer one to Edalene, “I had considered someone once for the task but evidently, as it turned out, I cannot trust them with my business. I’ve since resigned myself to the fact that it might be the reality with just about every man I meet. However if I’m aware of how things work here within every circle for myself then I won’t need a partner for such. I suspect it would help but I expect my partner to style themselves in a fashion that is befitting of myself. And I’m not talking about clothing.”
Vahalia turned slightly on the spot and she looked over the study, “Whit, cunning, charm – I suppose they’d have to have some sense of those words and to be able to execute such things. I expect who I’m with to be unrelenting and know when to take a stand or put a foot down. I require an equal in every sense of the word. I don’t need a man trying to one-up me because his ego becomes bruised and I don’t need a puppy that will follow my every whim. I would hire a butler for something such as that. I need bold. I need someone not afraid to take on leadership when it is necessary. I need someone who is familiar with expectations – and like me – would fall in line with trying to meet them for the betterment of the Household.”
With a blink, honeyed eyes cut back to Edalene, “Those are my preferences. However I have come to terms with the fact that beggars cannot be choosers and to find all qualities in someone is damn near impossible.”
There was a hum as Edalene took a sip from her glass, her gaze following Vahalia as she moved. “High expectations. And while yes, I imagine there will need to be compromises in certain areas or in regards to certain traits, there’s also nothing wrong with having such expectations for one who is going to play such an intimate roll in one’s life.” She swirled the contents of her glass before taking another sip, moving over towards the other woman slowly. “You’re looking for a partner…and I’m not referring to ‘life partner’, but in a business sense, the business being the success of your house.”  Her fingers drummed against the edge of her glass as blue eyes shifted to meet gold. “And what if, Lady Cress…I could offer you someone who meets perhaps not all of your preferences, but a few, while also offering access to one who is intimately ingrained within the system and can make it work for you at their will?”
“I’m not looking to undermine people around me in society and I’ve had my fill of making arrangements with people and only ending up contending with the wrong sorts.” Vahalia tucked an arm under her bust, “Color me curious however. Proceed.” her fingers lifted from the side of her glass to Edalene for her to continue as she wished.
“You wouldn’t be undermining anyone, I assure you, not in a way that would be causing anyone harm. It would be navigating around those who have set up barriers to new individuals progressing upwards. But I digress.” Edalene shook her head to the side, quickly reaching up and brushing her bangs away from her face. “There are those who would do almost anything to keep newcomers, or those, like yourself, who are returning to Ishgard from progressing upward. I see it as mixing things up, keeping things interesting…there needs to be a bit of ‘new blood’ in the upper rungs of the ladder.”
“I was born and raised here, there isn’t anything in this city I’m unfamiliar with let alone the scene of noble figures. I’m not entirely sure why people seem to think I might be incapable of wading my way through the nonsense or knowing what I should be doing to leave my mark.” Vahalia looked up from her glass, “Seems like people need me on their side more these days then I’ve ever needed other people. Funny how that works out.” she mused with a hum and she took a few steps to the trolly to place her glass down and refill it.
“I will admit, I did a bit of research before arriving so I do know the name is not entirely new, but nothing cements a new up and coming name like a tie to an old military one…such as Slater. And it just so happens my brother, who signed over the house to me before his departure from Ishgard several years ago, has experience in taking on leadership roles and making choices for the betterment of a household. He also has no issue checking his ego at the door and would be perfectly content to release the Slater name in favor of another, while you’d still get the tie to the house and all that it would entail.”  Vahalia ceased her pour as she looked across to Edalene, “I’ve worked with your brother. Well – as one in my role can for someone in his role.” she continued the pour of her drink and returned the stopper, “Osric by any means isn’t hard on the eyes but he seems….meek? Perhaps in his own bubble from what I’ve observed. I can’t quite put my finger on what it is aside from him being someone that hovers. Some ambition would work in his favor if he tried to embrace such.”
Her finger lifted from her glass to casually point at Edalene, “And what do you stand to gain from such an arrangement? Do try to spare me the: ‘I love my sibling’ dribble. Sure, we all love our family but there is always something just beneath that.”
“I get exactly what I stated. New blood in the upper rungs of the social ladder.” Edalene took a long swig from her glass. “And in addition to that, there’d be the added satisfaction of knowing that while any children that came from this little union, should it happen, would have the Cress name they would have ties to the Slater family. It wouldn’t continue the house but it would simply gall some of the other families and that alone makes it worth attempting.” 
There was a pause before Edalene finished off what remained in her glass. “Who he is outside of the household and who he is when he was responsible for the household do feel as though they were very different people, that I will acknowledge. Why that is, you’d have to ask my brother. All I know is that he is capable of being that person. Certainly with the right motivation. And I can find the right motivation.”
“Maybe I fail to understand what you’re getting at when it comes to motivation. I don’t need pretenders.” Vahalia expelled a breath and her fingertip found the rim of her glass, “My interest in spurring a reaction from other families does not exist. So long as people leave me to my business and that of my family then there is no quarrel. An offer to think on, at the very least since right now it is my only offer; well, one that has been suitable enough.”
There was a shake of her head as Edalene turned her now empty glass between her hands. “I wouldn’t expect you to accept a pretender, Lady Cress, and I’m not calling my brother one. I’m simply stating that I know he is capable of being more than a simple mercenary, the state of our house when it was left to me would indicate such.” Her hands paused as she smiled over at the other woman. “But as you said, it is an offer to be considered. I certainly wasn’t expecting an answer right this moment.”
"Of course not." Vahalia replied and she finished off the contents of her glass, setting it aside, "I do expect whoever I settle with to take the household as seriously as I do and important. Essentially I – we – would be very important people to keep things afloat."
“A reasonable expectation to have. It is the future of your house that you are working towards, afterall. Maintaining one’s house is an arduous enough task. To truely see it grow and prosper is a task that takes no small amount of effort, as you are clearly aware I’m not hear to tell you what you already know. I simply say this to reinforce that I would not put forth a candidate that would waste your time in this regard. Again, simply something to consider. If part of what you’re looking for is someone who will take the household and the steps needed to keep things afloat as seriously as you do, then someone who already has experience in such an arena is not a bad individual for consideration.” Edalene set her empty glass to the side as well. “But once again, just things to consider, and surely there is no rush to make such a decision.”
“Well since we’re being open and uncontrived…” Vahalia began, “ – I’m curious how someone who was good at leading things suddenly signed it all over? I get it, he doesn’t like his Surname or whatever is connected to it. Usually if people are good at something they never do it for free. Or in this case, sign it away?”
“The decision to sign over everything came with the decision to leave Ishgard.” Edalene turned to look towards the fireplace for a long moment. “Shortly after completing his training Osric was assigned to a remote village in the western highlands, Bleakpoint. During his time there there was a ‘heretic’ attack on the village, one that it was later discovered was orchestrated by the villagers themselves. Osric killed the attackers and barely made it out himself, and in the aftermath he uncovered certain…truths. Truths we now know are related to those behind the beginning and the continuation of the Dragonsong War.”
Slowly Edalene turned her gaze back towards Vahalia. “He never told me what pushed him to it, but I know he had a meeting with a superior, and when he returned he announced his intention to sign the house over to me and that he was leaving Ishgard. I do know that our father’s plan…” the word father was said with significant disdain, “-- had always been for Osric to enlist and die in the war, and the house to end up in my hands. And I still have my suspicions about what happened at Bleakpoint and what occurred during that last meeting -- but what’s done is done. What I do know is that things within the house could have run themselves for the first several months which was good, because I needed the assistance in those first few months.”
"I see." Vahalia replied, giving Edalene room to continue if she had more to share.
“Ultimately, if your curious about the details of his decision you’d have to ask Osric himself. That being said, I do believe that he’d been taking steps since being made the head of the house by our parents untimely demise to make sure that the house would continue to stand should anything happen to him…until I could manage it on my own. His…negative feelings towards the house and the name came a bit later.”
With a quiet exhale Edalene glanced down for a moment, lacing her hands together gathering her thoughts. “You asked earlier what I would get out of such an arrangement, Lady Cress. And I was quite honest, the upper rungs do need to be shaken up with new names, new houses….” She glanced across Vahalia, “But Osric is more than a simple mercenary. And in the right situation, with the right…catalyst, well - a pair could do more than just shake things up. But once again, I realize that your interest is the preservation and progress of your house, not shaking things up.” She smiled gently. “There have been…offers before, in the last year or so, since news got out of Osric’s return to Ishgard, however brief the stints have been. None that I ever bothered to pay a mind to, but they’ve been there. That being said, you are the first that I have reached out to. But you’re also the first the Osric has left a gathering with. As stated earlier, it’s simply something to consider.”
"Perhaps. Something tells me the night would have turned out differently had he of not known who I was. But as you said, things to consider. Some time would do me well to simply get to know him better."
“Oh? And how do you think the night may have ended had he not known who you were?”
“A little less familiar for starters. I suspect he would have walked me home regardless since that seems to be in his nature. But people tend to act differently around people they know rather than people that they do not. It’s merely an observation and not some withstanding mystery that needs solving.”
“A valid point.” Once again, Edalene glanced across and met the other woman’s gaze. “Well, to an extent I suppose as you two know each other, but do you really know each other. As you mentioned before, perhaps some time to get to know him a bit better would be beneficial.”
“Know each other intimately? Oh, no we don’t come close to knowing enough. However, not many people know me anyways so I don’t suspect he’ll be a first. But yes, if the opportunity presents itself.”
“Understandable. There are a myriad of benefits to having only a few people truly know you.” Edalene adjusted her hands before lacing her fingers together once again. “But you certainly seem like an interesting woman, Lady Cress, and if my brother is half as intelligent as I think he is, then I’d think he’ll take the opportunity if given the chance. And opportunities are funny things…sometimes we happen upon them, sometimes we make them. Personally, I’m rather fond of making opportunities happen. I get the sense that you are…cut of the same cloth, so to speak.” 
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Vahalia laughed, “Was it the reading that gave me away? Mayhap the partaking of a rather popular drink?” her expression shifted easily from a jovial smile into a well-pinned smirk that caused a dimple to form in her cheek, “I suppose time will tell.”
“I suppose it will.” Edalene smiled easily. “And no, nothing like that. Just what you’re working to do takes drive…ambition. I can appreciate that in another woman.” Once again, one corner of her mouth quirked up, her eyes shining brightly. “Now, I would hate to overstay my welcome…so thank you for taking the time to speak with me this afternoon, Lady Cress. I do hope we’ll speak again soon, perhaps next time at the Slater estate…”
“Where ever opportunity presents itself, I’m sure we will soon.” Vahalia watched the woman and eventually she walked to the doors of the study with the other woman, opening them and Bruce maintained his duty, seemingly quite pleased to be able to escort the lady Slater on her way, at her leisure.
Edalene followed, offering a quick nod towards Vahalia before exiting the study. “Until next time, Lady Cress.” She then turned her attention to Bruce with an easy grin. “After you, good sir…”
The Slater woman followed the Hellsguard back through the halls to the entrance of the estate and once she was outside turned and gave the building a thoughtful look as she gathered her innermost musings. She worked with rumors, spent her days sorting through and dissecting rumors, and in the short time she’d spent within the Cress estate she could decisively say that the rumors she’d heard had not done Vahalia Cress justice. 
With a low hum and a grin she turned and started moving in the direction of home, the wheels in her head turning as they often were. An offer had been made, a discussion had been had, and now all she could do was wait and see what happened next.
Collaborative writing with @umbral-flare-ffxiv
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