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#fallen claude idea
habibi-holseti · 11 months
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People think hopes Khalid is just a way to justify that he’s a bad person when it’s really just a brown man who bottled up his feelings to the point it drew him to the edge and became the person he hated the most.
Que The Wall, by Pink Floyd, 1979
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anhed-nia · 2 months
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So I'm in the middle of this research project centered on Dario Argento's OPERA, for which I have required myself to watch as many screen adaptations of the Gaston Leroux novel The Phantom of the Opera as I can take. What I have determined so far is that the Phantom of the Opera is a story everyone wants to tell, but not very many people are sure of how to tell it. In fact, it's not that easy to say what it is about archetypally. You know, Wolfman stories are typically about "the beast in man" (with femininity positioned as some sort of cure for this personality split), Frankenstein stories are usually about human nature (i.e. an uncanny creature can have more humanity than vain and bigoted humans), Dracula-type vampire stories are most generally about the problems of being an outsider (queer, foreign, etc). But Phantom of the Opera is like...well, everyone likes the love story part of it, which is more or less modeled on Dracula, with a woman torn between seductive darkness and the safety of square society. But then there are all these other parts that seem to flummox people in the retelling.
I haven't read the Leroux novel YET but the first round of movies have been interesting, and also sort of perplexing. The iteration from 1925 holds up, largely due to Chaney's creation of the Phantom which remains a top tier monster. People don't often talk about the mask though! Which looks like a cross between Peter Lorre and the Devo Boogie Boy, it's disturbing and I like it.
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This Phantom was born in the dungeons during a revolutionary bloodbath and is disfigured from birth, drawing on the antique idea that a mother's trauma is translated in the deformity of her children; also, compellingly, these dungeons lie fathoms beneath the opera house where the bourgeoisie are witlessly dancing on the graves of martyrs and criminals embodied in the Phantom. The ingenue Christine is an interesting figure who breaks up with her boyfriend at the beginning because she wants to give her whole self to her career; when the Phantom starts murmuring to her through the walls it's as if the spirit of opera itself has chosen her to be its avatar, which she seems to find totally rational. It's sort of cool, what other movie of this era has a likeable heroine choosing her potential for greatness over love? This is the element of the story that is the most interesting, but I'll expand on that in a minute.
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The Chaney edition benefits a lot from keeping things simple. The 1943 version with Claude Raines has a little bit too much going on and the story doesn't get a lot of time to congeal between so many long opera sequences; this movie really takes the opera part of the title seriously! Actually they're the best thing about it, mostly because of Nelson Eddy who is extremely beautiful and a real opera singer, and who projects this blazing desire for Susanna Foster that is incredibly convincing. Like I'd normally say they have great chemistry, but I think it's just a lot of power radiating from him specifically.
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Ahem.
Uh anyway. This movie picks up the reoccurring (but not universal) idea that the Phantom is a genteel and sophisticated composer who has just fallen on hard times, who goes mad when his latest concerto is stolen. He is disfigured while struggling with the plagiarist and installs himself under the opera house where he can haunt his former protege Christine, who is already torn between dreamy Nelson Eddy and her stuffy cop boyfriend. One of my favorite things here is that even though this film is extremely quaint and old fashioned, everybody hates cops; this Christine is less a self-determined careerist than someone who is under pressure from her artist friends who find it profoundly repulsive that she is dating a policeman. Meanwhile the Phantom is just way too gentle and sappy, which is extra disappointing because Claude Rains's Invisible Man is so fabulously chaotic and sadistic, it made me really aware of the Phantom that could have been. This one doesn't properly represent the high society vs. underworld dichotomy that Christine should be torn between. So what is this movie about? There's so many guys in it and a few different themes flapping in the breeze. Is it about love? Is it about self-actualizing through art? Is it about the cutthroat world of showbusiness? It doesn't have that much to say, ultimately, and it just seems really unmotivated. Also I don't like this mask, sue me.
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The Hammer edition is even more disappointing, considering the studio's previous successes with Universal Monster remakes. Here Christine is torn between a suave opera producer, the lecherous composer who has plagiarized the Phantom, and yeah the Phantom. Too many guys, it confuses whatever the dynamic and themes are supposed to be. Michael Gough as the plagiarist is so much more evil and threatening than poor Herbert Lom's Phantom that it's hard to stay focused on the main point here. Curiously the Hammer version is rather unromantic, with the Phantom just slapping Christine around until she sings his tunes right; that is kind of refreshing in a way, although it also means that the film lacks tension, which contributes to its being surprisingly anticlimactic. The best guy in the movie is actually Thorley Walters whose character serves almost no narrative purpose at all, he just hulks around with this WTF? look on his face and it is kind of adorable. I guess I like the gross mask in this one, too.
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But the Hammer version has one interesting strength, which is that Christine is singing the lead in a new opera about Joan of Arc. Just like Joan, Christine hears a disembodied voice prophesizing her ascent to power. The best thing about the Phantom lore is the idea that the woman has this latent power that can either be activated by the Phantom, or suppressed by her square boyfriend (the relationship being mutually exclusive with opera stardom in many iterations). She isn't just a love object to be possessed, she herself possesses of some kind of devastating energy that needs to be awakened and channeled--or contained and forgotten, if she decides to get married and stay home or something. This is pretty cool, and it is interestingly realized in Dario Argento's OPERA, in which (spoiler alert I guess) a killer stalks an opera singer with the aim of catalyzing her own latent psychopathy. This idea is at the center of my thesis and I'm looking forward to fleshing it out, although I'm kind of dreading all the other PHANTOMs that I have committed myself to watching. I really don't want to deal with Andrew LLoyd Webber at all, but after I get through at least the Joel Schumacher one of the those I'm going to reward myself with a rewatch of PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE which I'm going to guess right now is the best retelling of this story after the Chaney one. I'm counting on Paul Williams' music to be catchier than Webber's.
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I'm whining about my own decisions, I know, but really the main hardship of this project is that now I keep getting the Vandals' punk theme song from PHANTOM OF THE MALL: ERIC'S REVENGE stuck in my head, and let me tell you that is very unwelcome. Here it is, if you've decided you're done being happy and sane:
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manias-wordcount · 1 year
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Exactly When You Need It (Claude Faustus x Reader)
𝗔/𝗡: 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁 !!
𝙒𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚? ⇒ 𝙈𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩
𝙟𝙤𝙞𝙣 𝙢𝙮 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙘𝙤𝙧𝙙 𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙚𝙧?
𝙗𝙪𝙮 𝙢𝙚 𝙖 𝙘𝙤𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙚?
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It’s always when you least expect it. That’s when it happens. Every single time. Yet somehow…
 …it’s always there exactly when you needed it the most. 
 This time was no different. It happened while you were in one of your private libraries. Distracted as you could be. But naturally, your mind was elsewhere considering how you now stood in one of the most beautiful rooms in your whole manor. The walls were covered with books from floor to ceiling. Dark wood floors and fancy wooden tables for hardcore studying or some light reading. Fancy imported carpets here and there and some of the most comfortable chairs you have ever had the pleasure of sitting in. Completely with a tea spot right near a bay window with the most gorgeous view as well.
 All around you were books. The shelves were full of research logs, medical journals, fairy tales, holy texts, and more. Books you had inherited from your parents and their parents and their parents before them. And a few of your own special books that had fallen into your hands throughout the years. It had everything a reader could ever want. It had everything a reader could ever need. Well, at least it will be now that you were putting a few of your latest finds on the shelf.
 This particular book in your hands was a special one. A leather hardback with intricate etchings and pictures. You recalled it belonged to a collection that was one of your grandfather’s favorites. He never was able to finish that particular collection though. That’s why, with a smile on your face, you took a step back from the shelf and searched for where the newest member of your paper family could find its place to belong. And because you know your library so, so, so very well, you were able to spot its home almost immediately. However, that left you with a small problem…
 “It’s…it’s so high up…” You found yourself murmuring in almost quiet disbelief. The incomplete collection was just a couple of shelves above your head. Sitting pretty with an empty spot that past you must have left just in case this day finally came. Yet still, you felt as though it was staring you right in the face. Mocking you even. Was it always that high up? Perhaps it was. Perhaps it wasn’t. But there was no time to think of that now. So, with a heavy sigh, you began to chew at your lip “Oh, dear.”
 You took a glance to your left. Then you took a glance to your right. An idea popped up in your head. An idea that was unladylike. An idea that was probably bad by nature. An idea that was…quickly being executed because before you knew it- you had already walked over to the nearest table and had grabbed the sturdiest-looking chair you could find. With the book in one hand and the chair in the other, you positioned it in front of the shelf. A deep breath in. A deep breath out. And without a second thought- you stepped onto the chair.
 And not even a second later- you felt something wrap around your waist.
 You couldn’t help the squeak of surprise you let out at the feeling. It happened with no warning. It happened so quickly. In fact, it caught you so off guard, you were sure you were mere seconds away from toppling over and off of your chair. A fate that truly sounded worse than death considering your current position. Though luckily for you, there was a sweet little angel watching over your every move from above. Or rather…
 …a tall, handsome devil observing your foolishness from not too far away.
 “How careless of you, my lady. That is wholly unlike you.” A familiar voice tuts as you suddenly found yourself stabilized once more. Your eyes look around to find the source of the voice but your eyes immediately catch onto the white silk-like substance that was now wrapped around the waist of your dress. A bashful smile overtook your face as you finally caught the gaze of probably the last person you wanted to have seen you in such a situation. But the best person to be watching out for you nonetheless. “Hand me your book- I shall take care of this matter for you lest you get hurt.” 
 Meekly, you hand your new book over to your favorite butler Claude who takes it from you with a gentle grip. His gaze is heavy as it fixes onto yours, but his eyes are soft- at least, softer than they would be whenever turned onto anyone else. You hadn’t even heard him open the door or walk in- much less, get close enough to take the book from your hands. Yet you know better than to complain or to insist that you could do it yourself. Perhaps you weren’t in any real danger beforehand. But Claude does know what’s best for you. He always did. 
 Conveniently (and a bit annoyingly as well) Claude doesn’t require an elevated surface to put your book where it belongs. No, you just step up to your side, and reaches his arm up high, and place the book in the empty spot it was waiting for. You tried to hide it, but it’s next to impossible to stifle the pout that overtakes your face. He does everything with such ease that you can’t help but start to feel a little jealous of his stature- even if you are currently a good twelve or so inches taller than him on this chair. 
 But then he turns to look at you.
 That same frown is on his face. The one you swear you never see him without. And the silk-like substance that attaches him to you is still very much present, despite the fact that he’s right here to catch you if you were to fall. It’s always there when you least expect it. 
 But it’s always there exactly when you need it the most.
 At least, that’s what you like to tell yourself as Claude takes the liberty of having you lean into him with the tug of the silk around your waist before kissing you. Sweetly. Deeply. Perfectly. Just what you needed. 
 And just what you wanted too. 
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Imagine you and Soren liking one another but him being worried he can't compete with the other man in your life...your best friend Callum
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You were Callum's best friend and had been as long as you could remember. Your moms were close friends and you were born only 1 month apart so you went through everything together. When Callum's mother married the king and moved to the palace she brought your mother with her they were that good friends. Then when Callum's mom died, your mother tried her best to help keep her memory alive for Callum and Ezran and the King was always grateful for that.
Having grown up at the palace together you were also around Soren from a young age but only really noticed him as a teenager. That's when you realised he was totally hot. That was also when your realised you wanted to be a soldier. You got to participate in Callum's training sessions but quickly surpassed him. You remembered the exact date Soren first complimented your fighting style. You'd been sparring with Callum when Soren happened to be walking by. You decided to go extra hard hoping he was watching and he the was. You knocked Callum into the mud with the force of your strike which Soren found hilarious and he bounded over to tell you. "You should totally come to the intermediate classes I run" Soren said and you nodded "I'll be there!". Once he'd left Callum sighed "I know you fancy him but did you really have to give me a concussion?".
Callum was your best friend so it didn't take him long to realise you were into Soren but the man himself didn't quite get that. You quickly progressed through your classes to the stage where Soren was giving you one on one sessions which you both used as a cunning excuse to be alone together, unaware the other was doing the same thing. You even started staying in the palace as an excuse to bump into Soren more and the chemistry between the two of you felt amazing. However, Soren was worried about your friendship with Callum. Although Claudia assured him there was nothing going on there (she was stunned Soren couldn't see you had fallen for him hook line and sinker) he still couldn't shake away this feeling he was competing with Callum if not for your hand then at least for the first place spot in your heart.
You made it onto the King's Guard after years of work and Soren was determined to finally ask you out...but enter Rayla and her assassins. You were with Callum when he found her and escape with Ezran, Rayla and Callum with the egg. However, Soren had no idea you'd gone willingly and spent weeks pushing himself to the limit so he could rescue you. He promised, the second he saw your beautiful face he'd propose or something! Claudia told him this might be weird considering you'd never dated and so he agreed he'd ask you to be his girlfriend before wife. But then he found out it was all fake! You'd never been kidnapped by an evil elf but had gone willingly and just fed him that story because it was convenient. Soren felt betrayed and to make it all worse, you'd done it for Callum. So when Soren saw you again at the Moon Nexus, after Callum convinced Rayla to let them stay, he had a lot of feelings.
"What's wrong Sorbear?" Claudia asked him "you haven't said a word since Callum showed us to our room". Even Callum's name made him angry and he sighed "nothing". "Okay but it's clearly something so tell me or I'll tickle you until you tell me". Soren sighed "she left me, for him" and all the humour left the room at his tone. "Y/n?" Claudia asked and Soren nodded "I was so worried about her and now I feel so stupid. She always picks him and I don't know what else I was expecting. She became a king's guard for him. She ran away from all that for him! She lied to me and let me think she was kidnapped for him! He's her everything". Claudia frowned "yeah Y/n cares about him but they're best friends! That's all". Soren shook his head "she loves him Clauds, how do I compete with that?". Claudia tried to explain to Soren there were many different ways to love someone and one wasn't superior to another but he was too pouty and wouldn't listen.
When you found out Soren was here you were a mixture of ecstatic and nervous. When you'd left the two of you were close, pretty much an unofficially couple. Soren was training with you every night of the week and then he'd walk you back to your room. You'd go out together on Friday or Saturday evenings and Claudia had started calling you Soren's girl which made both of you blush but neither of you had stopped her. Seeing him again would be awkward to say the least but Callum could be an idiot sometimes and didn't think about this.
"So...Sorens back" Callum said smirking suggestively "you must be happy". "Wait you and that big lug?" Reyla asked. You went to deny it when Callum nodded "oh yeah they've had the hots for each other for ages! They used to train together just as an excuse to get close to each other. They were totally a couple just never made it official. We won't be seeing much of Y/n now with him around" Callum smiled. You shook your head " I don't know, he might be mad at me". "What? That's crazy!" Callum said but you shook your head "then why didn't he come and see me? You didn't force him to go straight to his room right?". Callum paused "well no...". "And you probably told him I was here right? What did he say". Callum frowned "well he didn't comment which I did think was odd but I bet he's just tired". "He's hurt" you frowned and Rayla frowned "why?" she asked in her typical brass way. "I'm guessing it's the whole leaving without telling him, faking a kidnapping and running away from him thing. He's hurt I never trusted him or went to him for help". Callum frowned "then just apologise. There's no way he can stay mad at you". You frowned but decided to give it a go.
So you made your way over to Claudia and Soren's room and just as you were about to walk up the path Claudia appeared. She saw you and smiled "hey y/n great to see you! You here for Soren? Just go on in!". "Are you sure?" you asked and she nodded "yep no need to knock" and walked away. You nodded and walked right in, to find a shirtless Soren. He'd clearly just come from the shower and looked amazing. He'd always been muscular and tall but add that to not seeing him in weeks plus the tension between the two of you and you'd never been more attracted to him.
Soren heard footsteps and turned "Claudia have you seen my..." when he saw it was you. "Oh..." he said and that jolted you back into reality. Soren always smiled when he saw pretty much anyone but especially you, so to see him so serious was upsetting. You nodded "Hi, Callum told me you were here and I just wanted to come and make sure you were okay". Soren shrugged "we're fine" and you nodded "it must've been hard travelling all this way just the two of you". Soren shrugged putting his shirt on "well you do anything when someone you care about is in danger...or maybe they're just lying to you about it". You sighed "Soren I'm so sorry for leaving without telling you. You deserved better than that and I never wanted you to follow me or worry about me. I just didn't get the chance to talk to you because Callum needed my help and I knew he'd had that run-in with Claudia". Soren shook his head "you know I'd worry about you Y/n and I'd always listen to you if you came to me as would Claudia but even if she didn't there's no way I'd just blindly side with her". You nodded "I know, I know, I'm so sorry everything just happened so fast and I was scared. I know I can trust you of course I do. It was you who encouraged me to go out for king's guard. You who got up early to run all those drills with me. You who vouched for me when nobody else would. You meant the world to me Soren and I'd hate for something like this to ruin all that!" you cried tears leaking down your face and Soren caved "hey, hey calm down it's okay!". "So you forgive me?" you asked sniffling and Soren nodded "yes I forgive you" and hugged you. You relaxed against him and it felt like you'd never left. You buried your head in his chest and felt him tighten his arms around you. This was the safest you'd felt since this all started and it was a while before Soren let go of you.
You spent pretty much the whole night together catching up and it felt so good to be back together. Neither of you had said anything so you still weren't technically a couple but Soren kept putting his arm around you and your eyes lingered on one another.
When you saw Soren again in the morning after a brief 2-hour sleep you blushed and Callum smirked "someone's got a boyfriend". You punched him making Rayla laugh. You took a seat next to Soren at the table and he shot you a huge smile that made you want to melt. "Hey Y/n! I saved you some breakfast, Claudia tried to take your bowl because it had more in it and she said you wouldn't notice...". "Did not!" Claudia cried but from her blush, you could tell Soren was telling the truth so nodded "thanks Soren" shooting him a big smile. Soren nearly melted.
However things weren't all sorted, Rayla still didn't trust the duo and with good reason. Although Soren was thrilled to be back with you he did suspect you'd been brainwashed. "I mean come on, what other reason would make Y/n side with an elf?". "Both Callum and Ezren also siding with her?" Claudia pointed out. Soren shook his head "no she's too smart just to get pulled along by them, I'm telling you she's been forced!". "Either way we can't let them leave with the elf that's for sure" Claudia replied.
You were outside the door on your way to go ask Soren if he wanted a walk. You rushed back to the others and sighed "Rayla you were right but I want to create the plan to leave Soren and Claudia behind. Not hurt them". "No problem" Rayla said "I'm just glad someone else has seen the light...or heard the light".
So you put together a plan. You'd make Soren and Claudia thought you were going along with them but it was an illusion. Rayla would lure Soren away and tie him up while you kept Claudia busy. Then you'd both escape on PhiPhi. You felt bad for lying to Soren but this time planned to tell him you were going.
So you did just that. After Rayla had tied Soren to a tree you approached him "Soren I'm doing with Rayla and I'm not brainwashed or being forced. I'm sorry to be leaving you again, I know it might seem weird to you but it's something I need to do and I need you to understand. I don't need your permission but I do want you to know I'm not leaving you and I will come back because I want you...I like you" you said. Soren hadn't looked happy to be tied to a tree but when he heard your explanation he positively grinned.
Soren smiled at you, his bright blue eyes sparkling "I like you too and have been waiting ages to hear you say that...I won't stop you, I mean I can't but you know that means I have to follow you right? As long as you're out here in possible danger I won't leave you". You nodded "I figured you might say that...and there's nothing I can do to deter you?". Soren laughed "not a chance" and you smiled "well it might be quite nice knowing you a few steps behind me". "Not many" Soren replied still smiling"you know I could always outpace you. Plus having you as the goal will certainly increase my motivation". You smirked "you always did like chasing me huh?" enjoying this when Rayla groaned "Y/n are you seriously flirting right now? We have to go!". "Oh yeah right" you nodded "bye Soren" and you rushed away. Soren smiled watching you go, he honestly wasn't even sad. He was just excited and when Claudia found him he was just grinning goofily.
Let the chase begin.
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So in honour of the new season of The Dragon Prince which I am absolutely loving, I had to polish off and post an old Soren imagine because he's just as great in the new season and he's still my favourite character.
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shion-yu · 7 days
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A Safe Place (part 4/4) [day 24]
Cliff’s past experiences in hospitals have all been bad. For @monthofsick day 24: Panic and @badthingshappenbingo Paralyzed by Fear. 3,698 words, original work, TWs emeto (mild x1), hospital/surgical content, child abuse/trauma. If you'd like to skip the first half which is a childhood flashback, control-find the word “eighteen”.
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 - This is the final part! Thanks for sticking with me guys.
Cliff’s fear of hospitals first began when he was three years old. He’d been inside the hospital several times because his dad worked there, but he hadn’t really processed it as anything significant until one day when he went there with his mother, who’d been tasked with watching him because the nanny was off. Cliff had been doing everything “wrong” that day, and Hana Barrows had reached her limit after a spilled glass of orange juice. She dragged him by the wrist to the car and drove to the hospital, swearing loudly all the way there. Cliff was silent because even back then he knew that saying anything would just make things worse.
Hana brought Cliff up to Dr. Claude Barrows’ office without warning, ignoring the secretary shouting after her as she passed without signing in. She yanked Claude’s door open without knocking and found him hunched over a pile of paperwork.
“What in the - Hana! What on earth are you doing here?! Why is Cliff here?”
“I’m not a babysitter!” She shouted as she shoved Cliff towards his father, who would have fallen on his face had Claude not caught him. “You promised me I’d never have to babysit!”
“Keep your voice down,” Claude hissed. He sat Cliff on the chair he’d been sitting on and turned to his irate wife. “It’s one day in his entire life Hana, one goddamn day.”
Hana let out an angry groan of frustration and slapped her hands on Claude’s chest, grabbing the lapels of his lab coat and pulling him forward. “I never wanted this! I’m not doing it!”
They squabbled for another few minutes, young Cliff staring at his velcro-up shoes and distracting himself trying to remember how the last nanny had taught him how to tie laces. He’d forgotten how after his mom fired her, because Cliff had been too attached to her.
“You can’t leave him here Hana, I’m working,” Claude said finally, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration.
“Well figure it out, because I’m not taking him home with me,” Hana snapped back. With that she stalked out of the office, not stopping despite Claude shouting after her. He followed her out, and Cliff was left alone in his dad’s office, on his big spinny office chair, with no idea what he was supposed to do now. He was old enough to know that his parents didn’t like him, although he didn’t understand why. He didn’t talk much but they still said he was too noisy. His big sister Moira was nice to him, but that was when she was around. Usually she was too busy with her high school friends and sports to be home much.
Cliff tried to climb down from the chair, but it was really tall and he was afraid of falling. Still, he eased his lower half down, stretching his short legs to try and feel for the floor. He felt it all at once when he fell, smacking his forehead on the hard floor. He bit his lip, trying not to cry. His parents hated when he cried. Still, he couldn’t help it as a few little tears rolled down his chubby cheeks.
“Did you fall, honey?”
Cliff looked up to find a young woman kneeling in front of him. He nodded, wiping his face with tiny fists. “Aw, poor thing,” she said.
“He’s my son. Do you like kids?” Dr. Barrows was back, standing in the doorway - without Cliff’s mom.
“Yeah, totally,” the girl said. “Sorry Dr. Barrows, it’s just I heard a kid crying and the door was open so-”
“It’s fine,” Cliff’s father responded. “Actually, I need you to watch him for the rest of the day.”
“M-me? But, um, I’m a medical student, I don’t think...”
“Part of being a doctor is doing what your attending orders, and I’m telling you to babysit my kid until my shift ends at seven,” Dr. Barrows said sharply. “Is that a problem?”
“No - I mean, sort of, my clinical ends at four, and-”
“Great. I don’t care what you do with him, just keep him out of the way. I’ll pay you for your time.” Dr. Barrows ignored any further protest from the student and shoved two hundred-dollar bills in her hand before leaving.
The student shook her head in disbelief. “Alright, Cliff is it?” She asked. Cliff nodded, clutching the hem of his shirt nervously. “Right. Well, Cliff, I guess it’s you and me until seven...”
The student was nice, all things considered, but she clearly had no interest in babysitting. She had long legs and walked so quickly that Cliff had to run to keep up. A lot of times she’d turn a corner before he did and he thought he’d lost her, but she always found him again. They ate lunch in the cafeteria and she let him draw with a pen and a piece of printer paper while she did work. Cliff honestly didn’t understand what was going on, but he went with it because he was taught not to complain and didn't want to be left behind.
It was around 5pm when the student said, “You’d rather be with your dad, right? He has a pretty cool facial reconstruction starting now. Let’s go watch.” She led Cliff to the gallery, a large room with chairs above the surgical theater with a glass window for an audience. Cliff’s dad was scrubbed in, hyper focused and didn’t notice the spectators. “The surgery will last a few hours,” the student told Cliff. “I’m going home, so just stay here and don’t move until your dad comes and gets you.”
Cliff looked at her, confused. She was going to leave him here by himself? “It’s fine,” she said. “Your dad’s right down there. Just stay where you are and whatever you do, don’t move from this room, got it?” Cliff had no other choice but to nod obediently. Then he was alone.
At first, Cliff was excited to see what his dad did for work. A large woman was lying on the table - sleeping, Cliff thought - and everybody was dressed in funny clothes. His dad was wearing a long mint gown, goggles and a puffy scrub cap, which made him laugh. That laughter died in his throat when he saw his father take a long, silver knife and cut into the sleeping woman’s face.
Cliff screamed, but nobody was there to hear him. He started to panic and it felt like there was no air in the room. There was blood and the sound of a drill. Cliff began to cry, but he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the horrible scene. His father seemed to be tearing this lady’s face apart, and he did so for two hours before pulling the skin back up and sewing it all back together.
“Wonderful,” his father said in a confident tone. “Good work gentlemen.” Someone was helping him take off his bloody robes. At this moment, he finally looked up at what should have been an empty gallery, but instead he saw his traumatized three year old son. “What the hell? Is that my son?” Cliff heard him say loudly. Cliff was terrified. What if his father got mad and did the same thing to him? He hid under a chair in the corner of the gallery until his father flew into the room and dragged him out.
“I’m sorry, I stayed like she told me to, I’m sorry,” Cliff sobbed. He was so scared, pushing his father’s face away. He kept thinking of how bloody his dad’s hands had been. “Don’t hit me!”
“Cliff, shut up, you’re embarrassing me,” Claude said angrily. “It’s not your fault though, that stupid medical student - her career is over,” he growled. “Come on. Let’s go home.” He picked Cliff up and carried his crying child out of the hospital, and together they went home. They never talked about what Cliff had seen, but for years he had nightmares about it. He was scared of what his father was capable of, and every time Claude yelled at him or hit him, Cliff wondered if it would go further - if he’d end up on that table being cut up next if he didn’t behave.
By the time Cliff reached middle school, he understood that his father’s job was to be a surgeon and that he actually helped people, even if it was scary - and horrible - to see in person. But when he had his stomach ulcer and had to be hospitalized for a few days, his fear of hospitals was renewed and solidified. His parents were furious at him. Even with a fever and in so much pain, his father yelled at him every step of the way. Every time Cliff cried, or threw up, or panicked because he was afraid of needles, it was made ten times worse by his parents’ obsession with Cliff not spoiling their image of what a perfect son should be like. The pressure they put on him while he was in the hospital just made him sicker. It was a terrible experience, and Cliff vowed never to let himself get sick enough to end up in a hospital again.
Unfortunately, these sorts of decisions are not truly one’s own. Now Cliff was in the hospital with pneumonia, and although he was eighteen and told himself he was an adult who knew better, he was still scared. It was a different hospital, but everything smelled the same. The nurses acted the same - nice, but brisk. He felt the same helpless feeling of being surrounded by people who didn’t understand him, and most of all he was terrified of his father finding out he was here. He was sure he’d be furious if he discovered Cliff had ended up here after disrespecting his mother by leaving home. He thought about ripping the IV tubing out of his arm and making a run for it, but he didn’t think his legs would hold him.
When Elliot was next to him, Cliff felt like he could keep it together. After all, he’d never had someone like Elliot to hold on to during these scary moments before. But now Elliot had gone home for the night and Cliff was alone in a tiny room without windows in the hospital, and he was losing it.
Cliff didn’t realize he was having a panic attack until the nurse came in because his heart monitor was going off. She tried to settle him down, speaking to him in hushed tones and reassuring him that he was safe, but he didn’t believe her. All he could think about was his prior bad experiences in hospitals. His entire chest felt tight and he was crying, which made it difficult to breathe in conjunction with his already junky lungs.
“Cliff, you need to slow down your breathing for me,” the nurse said, but Cliff couldn’t. He couldn’t control it. He was just as scared as the day he’d hid under the chair above the operating room from his father, abandoned and afraid to trust anybody.
The thing that did stop him panicking was the uncontrollable coughing fit that came on. All the tears and snot that came with crying choked him, and then he couldn’t stop. He coughed until he vomited onto his lap, tears and mucus mixing into a horrible puddle that he could feel seeping through the sheets onto his legs. He was so disgusting, he couldn’t stand himself. Elliot was right to leave him here alone.
The nurse called the other nurse for backup, and soon they were changing Cliff’s sheets together, changing his nasal cannula to a simple face mask while he was so snotty from crying, and one of them administered something through his IV that made him feel sleepy. Cliff’s nurse asked him if it would make him feel better to call his boyfriend.
“What time is it?” Cliff asked, his voice hoarse from crying and throwing up.
“Eleven,” she told him.
Cliff shook his head no. He had already woken Elliot up enough times this week. “It’s okay. He’s probably asleep.” They hadn't agreed on a time that Elliot was going to come back, Cliff realized. Elliot had said he’d be back in the morning. The morning could be eight, or it could be as late as noon. That was, if Elliot came back at all. No, he'd come back. Elliot kept his word - usually. Then again, Cliff had never expected Elliot to trick him into coming to the hospital. He understood he was really sick and needed help, he did, but the betrayal still stung.
After his nurse did another albuterol treatment through the mask, she changed Cliff back to a new (not snot-clogged) nasal cannula and left him to get some sleep. Cliff couldn’t rest though. Even with the lights off, all the machines cast a glow that kept the room too bright. The faint beeping of his heart monitor and the drip of his IV fluids reminded him too much of the last time he was in the hospital, and he felt vaguely nauseous despite being sure there was nothing left in his stomach. He curled in a tight ball and held his knees to his chest, trembling. He missed Elliot and wished he was here to make him feel safer right now. Instead, all he had was himself and a very long night ahead of him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Cliff woke up drenched in sweat. He didn’t know where he was and immediately began to panic, but then he felt someone pushing him back down and shushing him.
“Elliot?” Cliff blinked in confusion. He’d finally cried himself to sleep in the wee hours of the morning but he hadn’t expected to sleep long enough that it was already within business hours. “What time is it?” His voice crackled, laden with wetness, and he let out a congested, barking cough. It made his sides ache and he gripped them automatically.
Elliot smiled at him and ran a delicate hand through Cliff’s damp hair. “Hi baby,” he said fondly. “It’s about nine AM.”
“Really?” Cliff glanced around, slowly remembering the details of yesterday. “I’m so hot,” he muttered.
“I think your fever broke,” Elliot said gently. “How do you feel?”
Cliff considered things. He felt significantly less achy than last night and it was easier to breathe. He didn’t feel like his brain was entirely full of sand - maybe just halfway. “Better,” he said. “Can I go home?”
“That’s up to the doctor,” Elliot said. “I ordered you some breakfast though. Do you feel up to eating? I got you oatmeal and toast.”
Cliff grimaced, remembering all the vomiting he’d done yesterday. “I’m not sure.”
“You can see how you feel when it gets here,” Elliot said. “The nurse said your breathing got a lot better after your second steroid injection.”
Only now did Cliff notice the lack of oxygen tubing on his face. He’d fallen asleep with it on and Cliff was shocked he’d really been so passed out that the nurse had been able to give him IV meds, do vitals, and remove his oxygen without waking him up. He must have been truly exhausted.
“Thanks for coming back,” Cliff said suddenly, looking at his hands instead of Elliot’s face.
“Of course I came back,” Elliot responded. “I promised you, didn’t I?”
Promises didn’t always work out, Cliff thought to himself, but he just nodded yes. “Well, I missed you,” was all he responded. “So thanks.”
He was surprised by the quick kiss that Elliot stole from him, even though he hadn’t brushed his teeth since yesterday morning. “E-Elliot,” he stuttered, red faced as he sat back and covered his mouth with his hands in embarrassment.
“I missed you too,” Elliot said. His smile was so kind and genuine. It made Cliff feel so much better. “You did incredible staying here overnight by yourself.”
Cliff understood that Elliot was babying him a little, but he also realized that he was unable to stop himself from smiling into his hands. Something inside him felt so content when Elliot was proud of him. He wanted to feel like that over and over.
Breakfast arrived and Cliff picked at the food, trying to get down a few bites mostly because Elliot was staring at him so hopefully. He really wasn’t hungry, but he managed half of a piece of toast and two bites of oatmeal before he couldn’t manage any more. It was difficult to eat when his cough was still so harsh, overtaking him at random moments and leaving him doubled over in bed, his arms clutching his sides in pain. At least he managed to keep the food down, though.
The doctor came by shortly after Cliff finished eating and examined him. He listened to Cliff’s lungs and cough, nodding along with his own conclusions. “I believe it’s safe to send you home, but you have to promise to rest and do nothing else for several more days,” he said finally. “How does that sound to you?”
Cliff nodded in agreement. He’d gladly stay in Elliot’s bed for another week if it meant getting rid of this awful cough - preferably, far away from any hospitals. Elliot awkwardly raised his hand a little before speaking. “Excuse me Doctor, but we start classes back at school in the city on Monday. Will he be okay by then?”
“Hmm. You’ll have to play that by ear, but as long as he gets proper rest and takes his meds, no fevers, then probably. Do you have to walk far to get to class?”
Cliff shrugged. Sometimes, not always. Elliot answered for him though. “I’ll make sure he doesn’t walk too much,” his boyfriend said confidently.
“In that case, I’m not concerned about discharging him,” the doctor said. “I’ll put in the orders and we’ll have you out of here in a few hours. I do recommend you keep using a nebulizer at home for a few days and as needed, do you have one?”
Cliff shook his head no at the same time Elliot said, “We’ll get one for him, we just need the medicine.”
“You’ve got someone taking good care of you, I see,” the doctor chuckled. “I’ll write scripts for that too then. Make sure you follow up with an asthma doctor as soon as you can.”
Elliot thanked the doctor several times, Cliff echoing the sentiment with a simple thank you, and then all they had to do was wait for paperwork. In the meantime the nurse helped Cliff get back into normal clothes, took out his IV and detached him from all the equipment. He had sticky residue on his finger and chest from the oxygen and heart monitoring leeds that didn’t seem to want to come off, but it didn’t matter. He’d have plenty of time to scrub it off later. Cliff was just relieved to be escaping this place without a longer stay or his father finding out and showing up.
At discharge, Elliot bundled Cliff up in a warm jacket and hat even though it was late August. He pushed Cliff in a wheelchair down to the lobby, then ran to get the car. Cliff insisted he could walk, but he wasn’t entirely convinced of his own strength right now so didn’t push the matter much. He waited patiently for Elliot and waited to feel relieved for when they had officially left the premises of the hospital. It had only been one night, but it felt like a long time. The fresh air felt good on his skin and he took a deep breath, appreciating it even as it made him cough.
Elliot pulled up at patient pickup and helped Cliff into the car, settling him in the passenger’s seat. “My mom’s gonna pick up all your meds and find a nebulizer for you at home,” he explained as he drove. “We’re going to follow all the directions to a tee, get you straightened up before we head back to school this weekend.” He sounded confident about this plan, as if it were foolproof. “Do you want to shower when we get home, or go straight to bed?”
“Shower,” Cliff said. He didn’t want to smell like a hospital anymore. “Sorry about all this.”
Elliot shook his head. “It’s okay. I mean... I was really scared. But you’re going to be fine, so...”
“That’s what I mean,” Cliff said, looking at Elliot seriously. “I’m sorry for scaring you. And being a burden and crying and... I guess what I’m really trying to say is thank you for being there.”
Suddenly there were tears running down Elliot’s cheeks and Cliff panicked. “Wait, no, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you cry!”
Elliot pulled over on the curb and wiped his eyes. He sniffled and gave a tiny laugh at the same time, which sounded funny to Cliff. “I’m just really glad you’re okay,” Elliot said, taking Cliff’s hand in his own and squeezing it. “And you’re welcome. But you’re not a burden and it’s okay. I love all of you, Cliff. When you’re sick or scared and lonely... I want to be there for you. Do you understand that?”
Cliff didn’t answer right away, not trusting his own voice not to waver right now. But finally he said, “I’m trying to.” It was more honest than the automatic ‘Yes’ he had very nearly said.
Elliot smiled a little sadly and leaned over to give Cliff a kiss on the cheek. “Okay, as long as you’re trying to,” he said. He looked both fond and sad. “Now let’s get you home and in bed. We’ve got a big school year waiting for us next week and you’re not getting out of that bed until Friday.”
“The nurse said a little exercise is good,” Cliff pointed out.
“Some very light exercise,” Elliot said. “Bed to couch and back is plenty. Got it?”
Cliff smiled. He found it amusing when Elliot got bossy. “Sure,” he said. “You’re in charge, El.”
Elliot grinned and started driving again. “You’re damn right I am.”
Fin.
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misterbardman · 2 months
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Noel’s Lament is such an Apollo/Lester song.
Can’t draw but I kinda have an animatic idea?
Starts with Lester talking to no one in particular about his old life before he had fallen, perhaps talking to the reader?
Once he starts singing ‘a hooker with a heart of black charcoal’ it fades to Ancient Greece as Apollo reminisces on the old days, writing poems by fire light just like the lyrics.
‘Good girls call me the town bicycle’ could be Apollo in a human disguise walking through a town, probably ignoring the comments of those he passes. Then he keeps walking forward while saying ‘don’t knock it ‘til you tried my life of sin.’
For the next line being Claude or however it is spelled, it could cut to Apollo in Ancient Rome with Commodus. ‘Last prick faded quick to black’ well Apollo did kill Commodus so that scene.
‘I have no idea where to find him, officers-‘ part could be Apollo disguised as Narcissus talking to Roman senators or whoever about what happened to Commodus.
‘But if you do I’d like for you to mention-‘ line could cut to Caligula whilst being stabbed in the back. Not necessarily by Apollo but he could be watching from afar or something idk.
For the chorus it could cut between parties and festivals, between his mortal disguise and godly form.
I have more ideas but this is the general gist. Second verses is basically Apollo talking to Meg, then the ending is just a mix of flashbacks between old and new faces alike. This song really suits him imo
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dxmoness · 1 year
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Ah yes it's me again I'm here to request Claude with a daughter and Athy with a older sister
By appearance you may think that reader is like a strong man/woman but actually her heart is very fragile she just trying to be stronger in everyone eyes
And umm- can you make a little bit angst in the plot like when Claude wake up from his coma please? At that time, readers feel relief and burst into tears because they overthinking that their father may not be wake up anymore
So yeah that's my request please take your time to write this!!! And And remember to eat well ^^
(Ehe- Don't mind if you can give a little hint of Lucas and Reader?)
“𝙋𝙍𝙄𝙉𝘾𝙀𝙎𝙎𝙀𝙎 𝘿𝙊𝙉'𝙏 𝘾𝙍𝙔.”
𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓(𝒔): 𝑪𝒍𝒂𝒖𝒅𝒆, 𝑨𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒂𝒔𝒊𝒂, 𝑳𝒖𝒄𝒂𝒔
𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒉𝒘𝒂: 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒎𝒂𝒅𝒆 𝒎𝒆 𝒂 𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔
aight I'd gladly do a WMMAP fic anyday, so here ^^
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Name was the eldest daughter of Claude De Alger Obelia and the possible crowned princess of this kingdom. Yet, never did she feel that right was hers.
Name had a reputation for being a strong person. A lot of people said she took it from her father. Perhaps she did, but never quite noticed it. The truth was she was not as strong as they say. She just hid her feelings from everyone else so that she will not come as "weak".
She was talking with a maid a few days ago when Felix ran into the room, panicking. Her father had gone into another coma. She had gone to her father's bedside that moment. And she had not left since.
No matter how much Felix asked or begged her even to leave and take a rest, she would not budge. She will endure her dropping health until her father wakes up she told him. She stayed by his side there she slept which she barely even did so, she ate on the place near his bedside although she didn't even finish the amount, and even studied there. She could not bear thinking that if she turned away even once he might die without her realizing.
Dreams had haunted her of the death of her father, but she tried her hardest to stay strong.
Today her father seemed even more pale than his usual color. The depressing thoughts started forming when she heard a voice behind her.
Her sister had finally come back to the castle, so she heard from Lily. She wanted to greet her then, but stopped when she remembered Father.
Athy had come a couple of times to see if there were any changes with their father, but was greeted with his state.
Name couldn't stop thinking he'll die at this point. Without Lucas it was impossible to think what was happening and what might happen. Wherever the hell Lucas was he better hurry before her father dies.
"He's not going to die, if that's what you're thinking." Her eyes widen to see Athy and Lucas by the door.
"Athy..." She mumbled as she let go of her father's hand.
Walking towards the magician was a bad idea, for she suddenly collapsed onto him. Her body too weak without sleep and food to manage a single walk.
Lucas just stared at her. "Yes, Name?" He asked, noticing she was giving him a look he could not interpret for the tired eyes seemed to cover its emotions.
"Save....him..." She whispered, before blacking out.
When she had awoken, everyone had told her it had been days since she had fallen asleep. Lily and Felix seemed sk relieved to see her wake. She supposed they had thought she'd end up like father.
The thought struck her like a slap. Father! "Father?! What happened to him?" She asked, panicking. Had he died?
Felix looked at her with a nervous stare. "Princess... Your father is alright, but... Athy has been asleep for a while after saving your father from the dark magic within."
She gasped as she pushed the sheets off her frame. "Where is he? Please take me to him!" Her tears pricked as she could barely hide them.
They found Claude talking with Athy who had just awoken.
Name ran to him, hugging him as relief surged within her. The tears freed themselves now that she was in her father's arms.
Claude hugged his oldest as Athy got up to hug the both of them. They were back together. Name sighed in relief.
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I hope this is as you expected, if not I apologize! This took me the whole day TT
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dadbastiandisaster · 1 year
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First of all, thank you all so much for the nice reblogs on the Claude Headcanons, post, second of all
✨🌸 Hannah and the Triplets Headcanons 🌸✨
Hannah is the only Demon in the show I imagine as being very old and very powerful. She could kill Sebastian and Claude with both hands tied behind her back and it wouldn’t even be difficult for her. I also think she is a fallen Angel, unlike all the other Kuro Demons who I headcanon as humans who went to Hell
Conversely, the Triplets are all fairly young, only a couple of hundred years old, and especially individually they are fairly weak
I read on someone’s headcanons (possibly @eemoo1o-animoo) that they were one Demon broken into three, which I think is really cool, so I guess my other idea would be that they were a human soul that either as punishment or just be happenstance got broken into three
My personal headcanon is Demons can’t have kids, they just start existing, so the Triplets aren’t technically siblings, they just popped into existence in roughly the same region of Hell and have been together ever since.
Hannah saved their lives in Hell and they will now do pretty much whatever she says. They were also the first of instance of Hannah just being like ‘I’m your mum now deal with it’ (I’m electing to ignore all the weird shit about Hannah’s boobs - remember, Marie Kondo approach to canon)
She didn’t realise that what she felt for Luka was maternal love, and not hunger for his soul, and she does feel sorrow that she killed him. She had mostly taken contracts with less than pleasant humans that she was always more than happy to dispatch, so she’d never really spent much time around children.
She both wants to protect Alois from Claude for Luka’s sake, and because she felt she lost her chance to raise a child in Luka and so she sought out Alois.
She’d definitely try, but I honestly don’t know if Hannah would do a vastly better job than Claude. Other than anything else, since she barely talks to Alois, so she doesn’t really know him all that well, and he is a very different person to Luka
Also she’s approximately a bajillion years old so she definitely has 0 moral compass, even less of one than Claude or Sebastian.
The Triplets sometimes switch their partings around and pretend to be each other to fuck with Claude. Problem is, Claude doesn’t care which is which as long as things get done, so like, nobody’s winning
I think the Triplets do the ridiculous Cockney accents as a joke.
When they speak to others, they have to speak in turn. They will not speak individually. No one knows why.
Unlike sort of Claude and definitely Sebastian, Hannah has no issues reconciling her maternal feelings with her being a Demon. As previously mentioned, she is a bajillion years old and could probably kill people with her mind so she has absolutely nothing to prove. Also she has experienced all the murder and bloodshed one could ever hope to and maternal love is something relatively new to her.
Basically Hannah is mum and she’s a cool lady who can stab things and she is unfathomably old and powerful with no concept of puny human morals
Hannah is she/her and I think the Triplets are of the ‘whatever pronouns make the joke land’ persuasion.
The Triplets will obviously always side with Hannah, especially if it screws over Claude (Claude is a dick to them because he doesn’t want to deal with them and also he makes them do chores) but they really don’t have much in the way of personal stakes in the whole thing so they’re kind of just vibing
The Triplets don’t like Alois, but in an annoying younger brother way. Plus he stabbed Hannah’s eye out, so they have mild beef with him for that. It’s just as well because combined their forces of chaos would simply be too strong.
It would be cool if they were the Demons of threes, or trios. Since 3 is such a significant number, maybe it has a number, and maybe that’s why the human whose soul they were mad from was split?
Much like Claude, they do what Hannah tells them to but they’re not especially house proud.
Sebastian Michaelis, who lives at the Phantomhive manor & cleans 10,000 floors each day, is an outlier adn should not have been counted
Much like Claude, they just do not get why Sebastian puts so much effort in. Frankly, they think it’s weird.
They definitely fuck about when no-one’s looking
Actually entranced by light switches.
Pretended to be repelled by crosses to Alois until Hannah told them to stop.
Tldr: the Trancy Manor is chaos as well
Might make more of these at some point, but rsi is hitting to so here we are. Hope you enjoyed
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9thwither · 11 months
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Rhea thoughts are back in this noggin, so lemme just outright say that SS Rhealeth is pretty much an archbishop Rhea that goes through the most development is arguably her most overlooked development.
As much as I have my own gripes with how they communicated it (e.g. making Byleth the sole salvation she has as a positive conclusion, whilst somehow forgetting Byleth literally would be dead if she didn't make the transplant) its the timeline where she fully soldifies and respects Byleth as their own being who became strong instead a vessel or amnesiac Sothis.
And as much as I hate how eager IS is in NOT showing Sothis actually care for her or any of her other children, Rhea still alludes to them actually conversing when she was still in the sky, which honestly explains why she was weakly muttering about Mother in the final cutscene. That wasn't her still viewing Byleth as Sothis anymore, she manages to finally see and speak with her.
Even after her moment of despair, she laments about how she survived despite everything she's done and went through. It's her biggest retrospective.
It helps more that Heroes expanded on this further with her fallen unit and forging bond, and frankly I can sum up what I like the most about both with this YT comment.
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A lot of fans just LOVE to simplify Rhea's grief as madness or craziness. It's boring and uninteresting as hell, especially when you consider how common it is for adult women and any religious figure that isn't morally sweet to be associated with madness (religious trauma cos hard, plus if anyone wants to talk about misogny in the fe3h fandom, how about putting the Rhea who's just an insane, control freak woman sterotype in CF as the prime summary as her whole character? Especially considering the genocidal trauma?) but what makes Rhea different is that she mostly comes from a place of despair instead of insanity.
It's more evident when you consider how much the English localisation chooses to absolutely replace her serene, soothing characterisation (btw bless Kikuko Inoue) for a more domineering and dangerous woman feel. Cherami Leigh also portrays it very well, so players would be more convinced that's all she is, unfortunately.
If you approach S-Support Silver Snow Rhea with her original Japanese characterisation in mind, its more in service to her character than the many terrible fanon where the only appeal is "Byleth, Edelgard, Claude and/or Dimitri need to put her down she crazy" or "I'm horny for mad woman even if it reduces the majority of her nuanced character".
Rhea already had plenty of rights alongside her wrongs, and in this ending, she acknowledges her wrongs and is still running her life as archbishop instead of Byleth usually taking her place. There's nothing that could entertain the idea that after everything she's learned, she would ever sink as low as before. Not to mention, her two quality moments as the Immaculate One where she chooses to reveal her dragon form and fight to protect Byleth and those alongside her from the forces puppeteered by the Agarthans, TWICE.
There's also people who respect and worship Rhea for her kindness and represent the good she was already capable of. Saving Cyril from his slavery under House Goneril and giving him a home he feels complete in. Cassandra Ruebens Charon becoming Thunderstrike Catherine instead of the framed fugitive she was in Faerghus and was saved by Rhea herself from dying. Sitri, like the other homunculi she created being allowed to live their lives.
Even Sitri, originally intended to be a vessel became someone much more from Rhea. Having the individuality and choice to fall in love with Jeralt, have a child and sacrifice her own life to save her child.
Byleth and Jeralt as well would never reach a life where they could be more than mercenaries without Rhea. Jeralt was more than saved by Rhea, she gave him her blood, even despite current affairs, he admitted in his own diary that he thought the world of her.
Byleth became a professor where they didn't have to live the dull, black winged life of a mercenary. More importantly and unintentionally, they became a being between humanity and Nabateans. A child born from a homunculus with the Crest of Flames and a human mercenary with a long-lasting dragon's blood. Honestly, saying that out loud makes me double consider how underutilised that aspect is beyond more Rhea demonisation, both in canon and fanon. Anyway, the fandom often talks about how Byleth is unqualified to be both professor and archbishop, yet they still succeed in both. Regardless of much arguing over how one certain character's right all along, its actually Rhea who was right about Byleth being fit for the role of the third Professor of the Officer's Academy and the Archbishop in the Church of Seiros, the Enlightened One and Wandering Flame.. Byleth's whole journey in all 4 routes wouldn't even exist without Rhea and Silver Snow in a sense, acknowledges it the most for its pros and cons.
To summarise, the Rhealeth ending is Rhea at her genuine best. She finds her catharsis in seeing her mother. She treats Byleth as their own person. She's given the moment to free herself from the despair she's had since she lost the vast majority of her kin.
Rhea pretty much is free to become the archbishop that isn't shackled by her trauma.
There's non-believers, people of faith, knights, and others who have been positively affected by Rhea's actions, and her own ending, imo makes it clear that the bad doesn't/shouldn't erase the good. She has made her mistakes and is far from irredeemable, so she was given her chance to better Fodlan more than before.
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imagineanime2022 · 2 years
Text
You're Not Human
Sebastian Michaelis
You’re a Fallen Angel
Bold - You
Normal - Sebastian
🐈‍⬛ Ciel had ordered that he hire you when they spotted you picking pockets and selling information that no one should have had. Sebastian offered you residence and a job and you were probably their most competent worker besides himself. 🐈‍⬛ “(Y/N).” “Mmm.” “The Young Master has an important guest coming I have a list of things that I need done by this evening ready for dinner.” “Yes Sir.” 🐈‍⬛ Sebastian found himself seeking you out when he needed to leave the manor, he asked that you keep an eye on the young master and because of that, you became close with the both of them. 🐈‍⬛ Sebastian knew that there was something different about you but he couldn’t figure out what it was, you seemed human in every way but you were able to keep up with him in most cases which no human could do. 🐈‍⬛ The day that cemented it was when Pluto came back, you had calmed the dog within seconds and he spent most of his time following you around. 🐈‍⬛ “Why does that mutt love you so much?” “I don’t know, he just likes me.” “I don’t think that’s the only reason.” “What are you trying to say Mr Michaelis?” “Nothing at all Milady.”  🐈‍⬛ The day that Ash came to the house was the first time that Sebastian had seen you uneasy “Something is bothering you.” “I don’t trust him.” “He is the Queen’s butler.” “That doesn’t change my opinion.” 🐈‍⬛ You couldn’t keep your secret for very long because Ciel didn’t know how to keep himself out of trouble, your wing coming out to wrap around him protecting him from the shot fired at him, your feather hurtling at the attacker and killing them instantly. 🐈‍⬛ “I knew that there was something different about you. You never said anything.” “I don’t make a point telling people that I fell from grace.” “From what I hear it’s no fun up there anyway.” 
That night you stood in front of Ciel in his study “What are you?” He asked.
“I’m a Fallen Angel.” You answered.
“Fallen?” He asked. “What does that mean?”
“I was cast out for something that I did.” You answered and he looked at you and frowned.
“What did you do?” He asked.
“I interfered with human life.” You answered “saved someone, I showed myself to them and that is something that you aren’t supposed to do. You found me just after I had fallen, I still have the power that I was born with but I wasn’t a very strong angel to begin with.” 
“Mmm.” Ciel hummed.
“I can leave if that is what you prefer.” You offered but Ciel dismissed the idea for the time being telling you to get some rest and be ready in the morning.
“Sebastian, what do you know about angels?” Ciel asked.
“She’ll make a powerful ally and therefore a formidable enemy.” Sebastian explained as he moved to stand in front of Ciel.
“Which is she now?” He asked.
“I don’t believe that she is a threat.” Sebastian said as he glanced back at the door that you had left through.
“She’s not a toy for you to play with.” Ciel warned as he watched his butler.
“She’s worth testing.” Sebastian argued, Ciel rolled his eyes before lacing his fingers together and resting his chin on them.
“Don’t break your new toy.” Ciel warned with a smirk “I have use for it.” 
“Yes My Lord.” Sebastian smiled before leaving himself.
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Claude Faustus
You’re A Reaper
Bold - You 
Normal - Claude
Italic - Alois
🕷 You were a lazy Reaper and that was why Claude even got close to Alois before you did, if you were doing your job properly Alois would have been resting by now, instead you allowed the Demon to take the child and watched as he grew into a sadistic spoiled brat. 🕷 “Are we regretting our choices?” “What are you doing here Reaper?” “Just watching what happens to humans after they have a near death experience.” “You were supposed to take him?” “You got there first.” “You don’t seem to disappointed.” “I don’t do my job.”  🕷 Eventually Alois saw you hanging around the manor and after Claude explained what you were, he ordered that you were brought back to the mansion. You again were far too lazy to fight him and ended up being brought back to the mansion. 🕷 “What are you doing here?” “I’m just slacking off on work.” “Work?” “I’m sure your demon butler has told you everything about me, I might be lazy but I’m not stupid.” “Alright Claude we’re keeping this one.” “I don’t think that’s how that works.”  🕷 You broke out within a couple of days and Alois threw a huge tantrum about it but Claude was happier with you out of the house, he often caught himself worrying about when Alois finally decided that it was time to put you to work. 🕷 The next time that he saw you was when you saved him from what would have been a fatal attack from Sebastian, your Scythe dripping with his blood, you got Claude out of harms way “never really motivated for much.” “So I’ve noticed, what are you doing here?” “I wasn’t really ready to see your story end.” “My story has ended, I lost everything.” “There is still so much that you could do.”
You were laying across the roof arm dangling off of the roof “It’s dangerous to lay around like that, lesser creatures would take advantage.” Claude said as he appeared over you.
“Your blocking the sun.” You mumbled as you moved slightly to get out of his shadow.
“I see your work ethic hasn’t changed.” He mumbled and you looked at him before shrugging.
“When you think about how humans get to be Reapers then it’s not surprising that I have no motivation.” You answered and he looked at you and for a second he regretted that he wasn’t there to make a deal with you instead of Alois.
“Well I wanted to thank you.” He said before moving away from you.
“For what?” You asked.
“You saved me.” He answered “I may be a demon but I’m not above admitting that you saved my life.” 
“Well I appreciate that.” You said before closing your eyes again.
“Now I owe you a debt.” He informed you and you opened one eyes as you looked over at him.
“Just make sure I don’t die alright?” You asked.
“Is that a deal?” He asked a small smirk on his face.
“Nice try but I no longer have a soul to sell.” You reminded him.
“But you do have a rather appetising body.” He reminded you before disappearing.
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Grelle Sutcliffe
You’re a Reaper (Deserter)
Bold - You
Normal - Grelle
✂ Grelle was known to get in a lot of trouble when no one was keeping an eye on them but the trouble they found came in the form of the girl that they met at the Undertakers shop, you were sitting on a coffin, arm resting on your knee as you picked at your nails, tinted glasses obscuring your eyes. ✂ Grelle took interest in you the moment that you looked at them, your eyes connected and you mouthed one sentence ‘I know what you are.’ ✂ It was later that you showed your true nature, Grelle was fighting Sebastian and you appeared out of nowhere to save the Phantomhive kid “Now who are you?” “I could ask you the same question.” “Grelle Sutcliffe at your service.” They gave a wide smile tongue sticking out of his mouth. “(Y/N) (L/N).”  ✂ Madam Red turned her attention to you, as she shot and tried to kill you, you rolled your eyes as your scythe materialised “Shoot at me again and I’ll kill you.” She still lifted her gun but before she could actually shoot Grelle put they’re chainsaw through her chest. “Well that ends that.”  ✂ Grelle came looking for you after he was taken back and reprimanded “There you are. I’ve been looking for you.” “Thought you would have gone looking for your dear demon.” “Bassy is fun to play with but he doesn’t want me.” “And I do?” “If you didn’t you wouldn’t still be here.” ✂ Grelle took every opportunity to find and talk to you but the next time that they really saw you was when they went back to headquarters with Sebastian looking for a way to save Ciel, you were with the Undertaker as he threw books that he wanted at you while putting back ones that he had taken before. You took a step back in total enjoyment as they found out that the Undertaker was a reaper. ✂ “You live with that Hunk?” “Honestly he’s more like a weird uncle at this point your more than welcome to persue that if you want.” “I have no intention of pursuing him.” “Good because he’s insane.” “What about you?” “Me? Some would say I’m crazier.” “So a challenge then.” 
The Phantomhive kid was throwing around orders like you worked for him and honestly you were getting sick of it, the only reason that you were still there was that The Undertaker had ask you keep him safe “I am going to remind you for the last time that I don’t work for you, ask me to do something, don’t order me.” You warned him as you balanced the scythe on your shoulders looping your arms around it to balance it there.
“Your here because someone asked you to be, it doesn’t matter what happens you aren’t going anywhere.” Ciel reminded you and you glared at him.
“Well aren’t you an unlikely pair.” A voice spoke from the shadows somewhere and there was a blur of red before someone had wrapped an arm around you resting their chin on your head.
“Grelle.” Ciel greeted the reaper behind you.
“I adore the colour you’ve chosen for your scythe.” He mumbled softly, this was the first time that he was able to see it properly and see the red glint in the moonlight.
“Not the time.” You mumbled as you looked at the tiny child in front of you pulling a face as he pointed towards the tower that Elizabeth had supposedly been taken to.
“We don’t have time for this.” He reminded you.
“How about I help you out with your child issue and then you give me a little bit of your time.” Grelle suggested and you narrowed your eyes.
“You better actually help.” You warned them as they let you step forward towards the tower “and you stay out of trouble.” You looked at Ciel, the look of disgust on his face made you crack a small smile as you turned to walk into the creepy tower.
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William T. Spears
You’re a Demon
Bold - You
Normal - William
Italic - Prisoner
👓 William hated Demons and you could see it the moment that he looked at you but you didn’t seem bothered by the sharp looks that he aimed at you, you just sat on the roof of one of the only intact buildings in the middle of the war zone, thumb running against you lip, you were thinking about something. 👓 “What are you doing here Demon?” He pointed his Death Scythe at you “Please don’t point that thing at me it’s dangerous.” “What are you doing here?” “Places like this are the best place to find a meal.” 👓 William honestly hated you, until maybe you 5th or 6th meeting when he realised that as much as you talked about meals you never made a deal with anyone that you deemed worthy enough to live unhindered. 👓 He took the time to watch you, there was a man who was to be executed for crimes better left unnamed but you crouched in front of his chained body “I could get you out of here all you have to do is ask.” “Ask?” “Make a deal with me and I’ll get you out of here, you won’t have to worry about execution.” “A deal?” “What do you say?” 👓 William watched as you broke him out of the tower but the moment that the man stepped out of the building he doubled over “What is happening to me?” “You made a deal with a demon take a guess.” “You tricked me!” “Occupational hazard.”  👓 “You can’t keep doing this.” “Really? I mean where I come from is where people like him belong.” “That is not for you to decide.” “Because it’s for you to decide.” 
William didn’t know what to do with you but you were rather distracting, he would find that his mind wondered back to you at the most inopportune moments and this was one of those moments, with Sebastian trying to kill him. His distraction cost him as he missed Sebastian gearing up for another attack, it was blocked and Sebastian was kicked away from him as you landed crouched on the balls of your feet “Cutlery? Really?” You asked.
“I use what is available to me.” Sebastian said with a smirk as he looked you over. “This one is a demon, Young Master.” 
“Can you kill her?” Your eyes moved to the child wrapped in what looked like the suit coat that Sebastian was wearing.
“Unfortunately it would seem that she is one of the stronger greater demons.” Sebastian answered. “Why are you protecting the Reaper?”
“Well he’s my favourite reaper.” You answered with a shrug.
“You barely know me.” William answered.
“You aren’t that hard to read, Reaper.” You explained.
“I don’t need your help.” He glared and you shrugged.
“One day you’ll appreciate me William.” You winked as you stood up “until next time Sebastian.” 
“You’d be a fool to let her go, it’s rare for Demons like her to show interest in anything other than food.” Sebastian said before grabbing Ciel and leaving, William looked in the direction that you had gone off in before he shook his head, you were a demon there was no reason for him to hold on to you.
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Ronald Knox
You’re a Guardian Angel
Bold - You
Normal - Ronald
🕚 The first time that Ronald saw you, you were leaning over his shoulder literally erasing names from the To Die list, he frowned as he watched name after name disappear, eventually he shocked himself out of it and put some distance between you both. 🕚 “What are you?” “A Guardian Angel. You’re a new one aren’t you.” Ronald went back to William and asked him about you, while William didn’t like the subject of conversation he was happy that Ronald was actually interested in his work so he gave him the answers that he wanted. 🕚 Ronald wanted to go back to the place that he had first seen you but the To Die list took him somewhere else, although that never stopped him from taking a detour in the hopes that he would see you again (which was why he was late all the time). 🕚 The next time that you showed up was a day that he actually took one of your charges before you could protect them, he recognised the name but he couldn’t remember why until he heard you speak. 🕚 “Damn! Looks like you got here before I did this time.” You mumbled as you jumped down to the body as he looked through the Cinematic Record, he could hear you comforting the human in their last moments before he made his decision and they died. “Sorry.” He didn’t know why he said it but he did and you smiled before you were gone. 🕚 Years later, he had settled into his role as a Reaper and became accustom to you appearing to take half his work load from him, not that he minded much “why do you only ever bother me?” He asked one day. “Well it’s rare to find a Grim Reaper as Handsome as you.” “No need to flatter me.” “No flattery needed, angels only tell the truth.”  🕚 Ronald took the time to get to know you and when it really counted you were there, you knew of the Phantomhive kid but you had never met him or his demon until the demon tried to kill Ronald on the kids order. Your wings appeared out of nowhere protecting him from the Demon “Y-you have wings?” “I remember telling you I’m a Guardian Angel.” “Won’t you get hurt?” “They’re stronger than they look.”  🕚 From there on your relationship took a more flirty tone, while you both still did your job it became a game to see who was better, sparing matches and flirty back and forths became to tone for everything that you did.
“Hey Ron you know what would be nice?” You asked as you dodge yet another attack before throwing a few feathers and pinning him to the wall behind him. 
“What?” He asked as he tried to pull his arm free.
“To not have to fight you every time that I see you.” You said softly as you appeared in front of him, you face inches from his and he smirked before leaning forward in attempts to connect you lips.
“No, no, no.” You shook your head putting your finger to his lips and moving away from him, you lean forward quickly pressing a kiss with the side of his lips before winking and taking his list from his breast pocket as you started erasing names, you tucked the list back where you found it before smiling “you’ll have to pin me down if you really want to kiss me.” 
“Trust me I will.” He winked as he blew you a kiss with his free hand as you head to the edge of the roof that you were both on.
“Until next time pretty boy.” You said as you disappeared.
“Until next time Angel.” He said softly as he finally pulled his arm free before sighing “there goes another suit.”
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Request Here!
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alicehattera03 · 2 years
Note
Hmhm I saw your Yandere Ijekiel Post where Claude c*ckblocked him (as the Asker nicely put it haha) and got an Idea:
Ijekiel succeeds and gets her Highness Athanasia in his gilded cage. She cannot flee, cannot use her mana to escape and the Empire breaks a bit underneath Claudes (and Lucas if you wanna include him) fury and wrath. For a long time, nobody notices where her Highness is. Ijekiel gets kinda carried away . . . He binds her legs so tight they break under the pressure. After refusing to sing for him he takes her voice away until she gave in.
And then the Emperor finds his daughter.
DARLING you've been in my notes so often these days, as a treat, I shall do this for you mwah mwah!!! (Also cause i LOVE myself some yandere ijekiel MMM)
CW/TW: yandere behavior, injury, mentions of pain, etc.
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Ijekiel heaves a sigh at his finished masterpiece, the perfect painting- her highness, the untouchable, unreachable flower, Princess Athanasia.
After so many years of pining, watching her gaze fall onto that wizard- he had finally broken under the pressure, and he thinks- she should have chosen him.
He has her in his grasp, everyone frantic in their search for the missing princess because there was no need for her to run away this time. His Majesty is beyond furious, reports of chandeliers falling from the ceiling and fires scorching the walls reach Ijekiel's ears by the week until finally, it's by the hour.
He stifles a smile as he watches her highness squirm under his devoted gaze, and he reaches out- he wanted to touch her- to know she was alive, she was his- and she slaps his hand away.
She still doesn't speak.
It was his punishment.
He stares at his stinging hand, crestfallen, and looks at her with teary eyes, something that had worked many times before, but she is unshaken.
His eyes harden and he stands up, walking over to the table that held many an instrument and she shuffles over to the corner of the cage. He can see her try to use her mana, her eyes becoming a blazing blue, gold sparks flickering in those depths he had fallen in love with- and soon enough, they die down.
Of course, they did, he had spent a fortune on them.
He kneels before her and gives her a calming smile, her walls wavering in that split second- he strikes.
She's scratching him with her nails, kicking out with her feet, but he grabs her by the knees and begins winding swaths of beautiful gold ribbon around and around and around-
There was a cracking sound.
She's flailing in his arms, letting her voice finally be heard with her pained screaming, backhanding him across the face but he worked through the pain until he finishes with a big bow around two twisted legs.
She's sobbing, but she quickly bites her lip to quiet herself when he pushes his face right in front of hers, about to let their lips meet when the walls of the mansion shake.
Ijekiel's head turns just in time to see his expensive room crumbling right in front of his eyes and without a second thought, he dives to hunch over the princess, shielding her from falling debris- or so he thought.
The next second, he looks up to see a shining gold dome over their heads, just over her head actually - had he not thought to cover her with his body, he would have been crushed entirely.
And then?
He's flung into the air, his back hitting some bricks, the air getting knocked out of his lungs and right before his vision goes dark- he sees a black and gold uniform cross the room.
The figure that was so obviously the emperor, falls to his knees. Ijekiel closes his eyes, feeling himself getting carried away by guards, and bites down on his cheek.
He was going to lose her- what could he do but not resist and patiently wait for his next chance? Should he ever get one.
"Athanasia!" It was her father's voice in her ears, she raises a hand, groping blindly and it's caught in a warm hand, her shoulders being held by the other.
"What did that bastard do to you-!"
She wanted to say thank you for coming to save her, but....her legs hurt. She tugs her father closer, whispering, "Papa, my legs- please, please-"
He's clumsy in his movement but he unravels the ribbon, and she wails, clutching his front as he panics.
"What is it?! Athanasia, why are you-?! Atha-!" She breaths in shallow breaths as he assesses the damage, and the rumble of thunder overhead makes her perk up with a faint smile.
She'll be alright now. She was safe.
"Let's go home, papa..." Her head lolls against his arm as he lifts her up. She's unable to see his gritted teeth, his eyes so dark they were like onyx instead of their sapphire, and he bites out an order to a horrified Felix.
"Lock that Alpheus bastard in the Imperial dungeons. I'll see to him personally when Athanasia is taken care of."
Felix takes one look at the rumbling skies and the electricity that practically crackled off his liege's skin, knowing Ijekiel Alpheus would face the worst of torture and punishment- if not death- and bows.
"Blessings and glory to the Sun of Obelia."
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imaginefodlan · 10 months
Note
After the snow tempest, the heat wave. The lions are dead. Seriously, they are fallen in the three's shadow and in their room and they barely move. Ferdinand screams that the lions will die if nothing is done. Caspar believes it and panicks. Lysithéa is like "fiinne" and throw ice magic on them. They end hidding in Abyss. Meanwhile Seteth runs after Claude "PUT BACK YOUR SHIRT"
Where the Blue Lions thrive in winter, they positively cannot stand the heat in the dead of summer. Ingrid pretends she's fine, but after a half hour passes, she's turning pink and is ready to collapse in the heat. Even shirtless, Dimitri, Felix, Ashe and Sylvain are all overheating and probably all roasty-toasty with a side of sunburn. After whatever summertime activities they may get up to, they without a doubt collapse in a heap once they're back indoors, and they probably won't be back at it until at least another day or two afterward. The best off of the four is Felix, who at least tans out after the fact once his burn has healed, instead of turning bright red and burnt, and then immediately pale again.
When Ferdinand and Caspar find them in a common area, collapsed in a puddle of sweat and sunburns, they nearly panic, thinking they've all passed out from sun sickness. Lysithea and Marianne are called over to help the most heat-intolerant Lions recover from their fatigue and sunburns, although not without a much needed lecture on the importance of knowing your limits in the heat and taking precautions in advance to prevent overheating.
Dedue and Mercie don't seem to mind the heat as much. Mercie is entirely as prepared as possible for the heat, decked out with her parasol and clothes that drape over her modestly yet remain lightweight and breathable, and Dedue has more of a tolerance to heat in short bursts, and can even endure it over hours at a time without too much trouble thanks to his exposure to the constant extreme heat of the workshops as the child of a blacksmith. Being exposed to the heat of the kilns has its benefits for his heat tolerance, but the longer they're both out in the heat without relief, the more they start to feel the heat waves beating against their skin. However slowly it creeps up on them comparatively to the rest, they both eventually need a break from the heat.
For all Annette's warmth of personality and her love of a warm fireplace in winter, she's probably the worst off in the heat of the summertime. She burns to a crisp in a matter of minutes, it seems, and she absolutely cannot be out in it for very long because of it.
Overall, most of the Deer are enjoying their time in the summer sun, basking in its warmth with little issue. Marianne and Lysithea have the most experience with accidental sunburns from being out in the heat, but they've also learned how to protect themselves from the heat so they don't get burnt anymore. Still, they sympathize with the Lions' plight in the heat.
Hilda, smart girl that she is, is well prepared to stay indoors throughout the summertime, but when she does have to go into the heat, she is not above roping some unsuspecting gentleman into helping her stay cool by bringing her water, providing shade for her, or otherwise taking over whatever duties that would require this "fragile flower" to go into the sun for anything but sunbathing.
Lysithea will be in the same boat as Hilda, but is more likely to hole herself up in the library to avoid going outdoors whenever possible, using research and homework as an excuse to stay indoors with little exception. Lorenz is typically there with her, barring some social outings which require his presence out in the heat, lest he disappoint his public (aka the other Golden Deer). He is somehow the first one to come up with the idea of using Lysithea's frost magic to cool everyone down after a long day in the heat, an innovative plan that ultimately ends in disaster because someone (probably Claude) pissed Lysithea off by calling her short, leading to a more targeted spell chilling them to the bone.
Leonie is the queen of warm weather, although she tends to survive the heat better in wooded areas that have plenty of shade than out in an open field like Gronder. She tends to spend a lot of time outdoors at any time of year, but summertime is when she thrives, both as a hunter and in general.
Raphael handles the heat very well, used to working outdoors in the heat and cold, rain or shine, due to his sheer stature and strength - and in summer, it's not uncommon to see him entirely shirtless while he works, enjoying the warmth of the sun on as much skin as he can get away with. Ignatz, on the other hand, while he tolerates it well, still ends up with the bridge of his nose turning a dusty shade of pink in the summer sun and needs salve to help ease the discomfort of the mild burn.
Of all people, Claude is the first to rip off his shirt at the earliest signs of summertime, from the first day the weather turns toward warmth and the sun blazes high in the sky. On his wyvern? Shirtless, and probably barely wearing pants as well. In the greenhouse? Ditto. In the classroom? Yeah, still barely dressed, at least until Byleth pulls Seteth into the classroom and he's threatened with expulsion from the monastery for behavior improper of a noble during class time. This man thrives on the warmth of summer, and will absolutely get his comeuppance when winter comes around, as he sits wrapped in five hundred blankets, sneezing and sniffling like crazy while he plots revenge on the weather.
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midnight-battiness · 4 months
Text
...Hello. I was threatened told by my teammates to explain what had happened from the time I was gone, up to now.
I... I needed a break. Even if it was just a few minutes to myself. Originally, that was my purpose of leaving the school. That was why I left in the middle of the night. I knew my team would say something if I had left earlier.
But then, I had saw someone familiar. Yveltal.
I didn't like the idea of them knowing where I lived. So I ran away from the school, trying to lead him away from it. After I got far enough, making my way back to the forest I had originally fallen in, I chose to start following him instead... A stupid move in hindsight. As it turned out, Yveltal most likely understood my plan, so he led me into a trap.
Out of nowhere, I was flanked by three Pokemon, one of which I recognized as the Glaceon that he had worked with. The other two were unfamiliar, though...
It was a hard fight, and I realized pretty quickly that there was no way I was winning that kind of battle, as long as Arceus stood strong. So I ran even further into the forest, and tried to catch my breath.
I had to stay in that forest for the remainder of the night, because I was scared I'd get caught if I went back to the school at the time. It happened anyway, but still.
Morning came along, and I snuck in through one of the school's windows.
...And it turned out to be one of the windows in the main lobby. I was told that I had to go to Mr. Nidoking's office, and I was met with the rest of my team there.
We all were given expulsion papers, and we were all devastated. I had to say something about this, right? I had to.
I had to tell Mr. Nidoking that I was really just a human. Which, mind you, not even my team knew yet, and they were all... Now that I think about it, I couldn't read any of their expressions.
Long story short, Mr. Nidoking is letting us stay in the school. But I overheard him say that we're going to be the "problem children" of this year, "just like Hanson and Claude", apparently.
...Do we really sound like problem children?
And, now I have... quite a lot, to explain to my teammates. About something not even I understand very well.
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indigowallbreaker · 2 years
Note
many blessings to you on this day! I humbly lay a request for fByleth/sylvain “i missed you”/surprised/kiss at dusk for GD Professor Byleth after the millennium bandit fight meetup where all the deers show up, but sylvain doesn’t and By finds herself worried sick over if he could have died in the 5 years she was gone, but he arrives just as the sun is setting 😳🤭 thank you 🥺
(I have little to no idea why I let this idea sit around so long, seeing as you wrote an entire outline for me 0_o Sorry about that. Onward! To Sylvain kissing!)
“I missed you” kiss + Surprised + Kiss at Dusk
It didn’t take long for the Golden Deer to set to work. Once Claude declared Garreg Mach the seat from which they would drive back the Empire, everyone seemed eager to do their part. Byleth watched with pride as her students ran around the monastery-- divvying up tasks and securing food for the next few days. At times they seemed so different from the kids she had taught. And then Raphael would give his booming laugh or Lysithea would snap at Claude and it would feel like no time had passed. 
As the day progressed, more and more former students arrived, each apologizing profusely for being late to the millennium reunion. Amusingly, no one seemed terribly surprised to see Byleth. They greeted her with hugs or beaming smiles, sometimes with awe and excitement, but none of them seemed shocked. As if they’d always known she would appear as promised. 
It was all a whirlwind to Byleth. She spoke little, mostly absorbing as much information as she could get. The status of the war and the Empire, what her students had been up to, where the Church of Seiros and Seteth had relocated.
All the while, Byleth kept looking over her shoulder. Kept racing to the gate when someone new showed up. Kept unconsciously leaving room beside her when sitting for meals or meetings. Her chest constricted at any mention of the Kingdom, listening for one name in particular.
But by dinner, Sylvain still hadn’t returned to Garreg Mach.
Byleth found herself against a wall by the main gate, lost in thought as she watched the shadows grow long across the broken cobblestone road leading into the monastery. Sylvain had told her at the Goddess Tower that he would work to become the kind of man he could trust. She wanted to meet that man. She wanted to see him come riding up to the gates with his fiery hair and blazing grin.
Were things so bad in the north that he couldn’t make it to the reunion? Had he been waylaid by the Empire or bandits? Could he have simply forgotten?
Or... Five years was a long time. A long war. Was it possible Sylvain had...  fallen? 
Byleth’s fist tightened on her sword hilt. No. She pushed those thoughts away. Standing around staring at the road was ridiculous enough, she didn’t need to dwell on depressing thoughts while she was at it. 
After another few minutes of listening for the sound of hooves on cobblestone, Byleth decided she was suitably disheartened, and turned to go back inside Garreg Mach.
But she hadn’t gone more than a few paces when someone raced around the abandoned blacksmith’s stall towards her. Byleth put a hand to her sword, tensing for another bandit.
Sylvain’s wide eyes found hers. He grinned, wide and unguarded. “Hey, Professor.” His hair was a little wilder, his chin a little stubbly, and his clothes a little different. But it was Sylvain all the same. 
After thinking about him all evening-- all day, really-- Byleth couldn’t help but close the distance between them and hug Sylvain around the middle. “You’re safe,” she said, more to herself than to Sylvain.
He tensed in her arms. Likely he was startled-- Byleth wasn’t exactly known for physical expressions of affection. But it only took a beat of him to relax and hold her back, resting his chin atop her head and exhaling as if able to put down a burden for the first time in years. “Were you waiting for me here?” He asked with a note of amusement.
“How did you get in?”
“North gate. It was closer.”
That did make sense. Byleth made to step back but Sylvain held fast. “Little longer?” he pleaded. Byleth thought he was just teasing her, but then Sylvain ducked his head to her shoulder, his heartbeat thundering through her chest as his arms tightened ever so slightly.
It was comfortable. Soothing after an afternoon standing by a gate and counting cobblestones. Byleth got the feeling the hug has gone on longer than it should but she didn’t mind. Just let her eyes slip shut and lost herself in the feel of his breath against her neck, his fingers pressing into the small of her back. 
Eventually, sunset colored the sky. Sylvain didn’t protest when Byleth pulled her head back, arms still around each other. “I’m glad you’re okay,” she said in the space between them, red now with the setting sun. “I didn’t like the idea of facing this war without you.”
She heard his sharp intake of breath but it wasn’t enough warning. Something in her chest tightened again when Sylvain kissed her. That same thing didn’t relax when he jerked back just as quickly. 
“Sorry, I-- Sorry.” Sylvain let her go. His honey eyes had turned gold in the sun’s glare, filled with guilt and fear. “I just... missed you.”
Then it hit Byleth. The same worry, the same tangle of anxiety that she had felt all day waiting for him to return-- Sylvain had felt that for the past five years. It explained a few things. Like why he was avoiding her gaze and shifting uncomfortably, but had yet to make an excuse to run away. 
Byleth smiled. He had promised her years ago to become a man she could trust. She would love to see his progress.
Taking Sylvain’s hand, Byleth began pulling him away from the front gates. “Come on. Let’s get you settled in. Have you eaten yet?”
“Is there something to eat around here?” Sylvain threaded their fingers together and let her take the lead. “Hasn’t this place been abandoned for years?”
“Dinner first, then.” Byleth asked Sylvain questions about the Kingdom as they walked and let his voice wash over her, let his hand tighten in hers, let them both soak in the fact that the other was alive and well.
And let herself wonder how to get another kiss.
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faroreswinds · 1 year
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In every FE: Warrior post on Twitter I see tons of comments asking for DLC for Hopes. Despite the negative feedback on the story, this does not justify the lack of DLC, especially in comparison to the first FE: Warrior, which introduced four waves of DLC of characters, outfits, weapons, and maps.
Personally, I don't care for Musou's playing style, but I understand people like you wanting to play more of it, especially for the poor church guys to be playable. However, in terms of the story, 20% I want DLC, 80% I don't. I have no trust in the writers, they ruined the story irrevocably, unless they write a bad ending where everyone dies. I'm sorry, I know there are things you enjoyed at Hopes, and I know I may be in the minority here.
Regarding "how Shez became Arval's vessel", here too I find the writers could mess things up more, because Arval in particular is fuck up the lore, (Well…he's the most redundant character in the entire story). I even wonder at people who want Shez in Engage, because having Shez in the main series means acknowledging all the Hopes bullshit officially (I'm sorry again).
I personally didn't have any problem with Shez at first, but later on I hated them because of some people who say they're better because they talk, without even noticing the glaring inconsistencies in their revenge story. The same contradictions exist even in AG; Where at the end of Chapter 5, Shez says that they don't know if their problem with Jeralt's Mercenaries is revenge or rivalry, then Dimitri says he see them, and adds that he would like to avoid crossing blades with Jeralt's Mercenaries as much as can. However, in chapter 6, they give us a scene where Dimitri tries to support Shez in continuing their revenge, and Shez says "Not really. Death kinda just comes with the territory when you're a merc. And your friends one day can just as easily become your targets the next. Now, not getting my money, or having a client betray me… Yeah, that'll get me upset. But I can't go around seeking vengeance for every last fallen ally. It would consume my whole life." Some people say this is one of the best scenes that shows how deeply Shez writes, but I find it to be the worst because it shows how contradictory, ridiculous their writing is, because one-sided revenge is no different from one-sided rivalry, and the biggest example of this is what happened with their friends in the prologue. I know you enjoyed that scene in Chapter 6 due to showing Dimitri's difference from Edelgard and Claude by suggestion himself the idea of recruiting Jeralt and Byleth, but I find it bad because of Shez. But I also think the recruiting proposal would have been better if Dimitri had proposed in front of everyone gathered together, rather than in a solo scene with Shez, because that would have at least mitigated an awkward situation while recruiting Jeralt and Byleth.
And sorry for the inconvenience if you don't agree with most of what I'm saying. Thank you for your feedback and reviews, and I look forward to you finishing up your GW review.
Anon. You get me.
I've been saying for a while that Shez... isn't a good avatar. Yes, they speak. Whoopie-do. But they suffer in dialogue the exact same way Edelgard does- says whatever sounds good in the moment, or says something the writers needed them to say because they wanted the plot to go a certain way.
I can't give brownie points to a character that speaks if they aren't actually given like... a consistent personality and motivations. To add to another example with the one you shared, Shez in one support says he speaks whatever is on his mind. But in another support, he says that he actually never knows what to say, so he just copies what he read in books that seems to work in the context of the conversation.
Like.... ?! What?! Come on, son.
And in regards to DLC... I've seen fans, both English and Japanese alike, ask for DLC. I'm among them. Normally, I dislike the concept of DLC because I feel it encourages bad practices. But man, Hopes just... needs more.
Why was Shez a vessel? What happened to his mother? WHO was his mother? What is his past? What happened in the ancient past? What are the Slithers up to?
Etc.
Now my personal tin-foil hat theory is that they refuse to answer these questions because it will lend to fans favoring one route over the rest from a moral stand-point. As the games stand now, the past offers very little insight into who is "more right". I have a suspicion that by giving us more information on the ancient past, people will start to lean towards favoring a specific route more than ever. And I don't think IS or KT wants that. I think they like the fans fighting over who is right. I think they also want to be able to sell waifus without any stigma about their antagonism.
As to my review... I'm so sorry. :( I need to finish it, I know. I've been bad.
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francis-writes · 11 months
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CW: Death mentioned.
This is a very weird thought but I have been thinking about Watcher AU Claude Frollo.
So Watchers are essentially a demi-god like creature within Minecraft fan lore, more specifically Minecraft Youtuber fan lore, stemming from Grian. It’s also interesting that Watchers’ Biblical reference implies that Watcher!Frollo is a sort of fallen angel.
Watchers created a world in which people have three lives. (Yes this is a 3rd Life SMP series AU lol) When people are on their last life, they become bloodthirsty and hostile. Watchers created the world to prey on the anguish from all the betrayals and all the bloodshed. Watcher!Frollo, craving human connection, decided to go against Watchers’ code and joined the world himself (watchers are forbidden to interfere their own creation).
So in my little Minecraft YouTube series rip-off AU, Frollo met other Disney villains there. The villains have no magical powers other than anything Minecraft mechanics grant them (including Frollo, who was one of the creators of this cursed world). Frollo accidentally shot Jafar (on his 1st life) to death when Jafar was chased down by a pack of skeletons. He felt guilty over this, deciding to “serve his life” to Jafar until Frollo loses his first life as well.
……then Jafar accidentally jumped off an cliff and there goes his second life. Frollo is forced to become a mercenary of rampaging Jafar (last life curse), thinking to himself every day that creating this cursed world and joining it himself is the worst idea ever while doing all the killing, torturing, and burning with Jafar. The duo is chaotic and unstoppable despite Jafar foolishly threw his first two lives and Frollo is basically his reluctant sidekick and they secretly hate each other and it’s toxic relationship at it finest but they can’t leave each other.
When Frollo eventually lost his own first life with an arrow to his heart at a worldwide war, his first reaction is not “screw it, I finally lost my first life so by my own promise, I am FREE from Jafar”……NOPE he goes straight back to their base in the desert for another mayhem and more tnt minecarts.
Thank you again for my weird fan fic idea. I know your blog normally don’t do non-romantic ideas here, but still want to share with you.
Thanks for sharing! It's very interesting, even though I am not a specialist in terms on Minecraft (I'm more a sims person and recently I made Frollo a serial killer in my little sims world but nvm)
Also... Frollo and Jafar is literally my favourite duo. I have them both on my wallpaper. I don't know what do they have in common (old evil men?) but I always like to think about them working together... or just annoying each other
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