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emry-stars-art · 9 months

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please can u tell us more of ur thoughts on branding.

can u tell us ALL ur thoughts on branding.

can u tell us all your thoughts.

ANGST ANGST ANGST ANGST

Why yes I CAN tell you my thoughts! but this post will stay pretty much about the branding, even tho there will be other points you can notice below; unfortunately I have limited space and time on these posts. One thing at a time for my brainnn 🙏

Also. This is another “there’s too much going on here for me to cover it all” concept, so this is actually in two parts just to make sure it doesn’t get too ungodly long 😂 and one day there’s a bunch of stuff I want so badly to write about it! For now, I’ll put the link to the second post [here] as well as at the very end for your reading convenience

Find the royal au writing masterpost here 💕

(This was supposed to be for showing the brands; it turned into an explanation of some of the physical effects of things that happened in Evermore and the direct aftermath.)

Ahem. So Riko’s pretty determined to make it as difficult as possible for Abram to sneak away again, blend into other places. The best way to do that, obviously, is to brand him to his court as he had the rest.

Abram expects that. He’s completely prepared to have this done, it’s all but inevitable. He’d been dodging his number III for far too long now. Even Day has the II still on his own cheek - Abram can deal with it. Riko’s too proud not to let it heal nicely. He needs his court to look as neat and uniform as possible.

Still hurts like hell.

But after, when Abram wants nothing more than to be completely alone until he can see properly out of that eye, Riko orders him to strip down. Abram doesn’t - his time in Palmetto and with Prince Andrew took away Abram’s only survival technique. He’s known good people now, he knows how a person is supposed to be treated and he’s learned at least some degree of self-respect. Nathaniel relied on a day-to-day understanding that he could die in any terrible, inhuman way at another’s whim. Abram knows better. (It ruins him.)

Of course, Riko gets his demands met anyway. They have to hold Nathaniel down to get the second brand on him. This one isn’t for show, though perhaps that was a thought in Riko’s mind - branded cattle is hard to steal and easy to identify. Mostly it’s the beginning of pushing onto Abram that he isn’t more than property, he’s a work animal and he’s expected to act like it. And Riko doesn’t care that this one heals as neatly. Since it’s not going to be for the public eye, Riko can let it fester and infect as long as it stays recognizable. As long as Abram can look at it and remember what it is and what it’s there for.

When Abram is brought back, when Day is with him in that cart, it’s another thing he begs for the prince not to see. The muzzle and the brand. At first Day is confused; “The prince will want to see your face, Abram. You know he won’t care. It’s just like mine.”

But Abram shakes his head. Says no. No, the other one. Please don’t let him see.

Maybe Day doesn’t fully realize what that means until he forces that bath on Abram. Abram doesn’t try to hide it; he’s already told Day about it, and if there’s anyone that will take Evermore cruelty in stride it will be Day. (That doesn’t mean Day isn’t enraged to see it. Healed ugly, even still a little inflamed from rough fabrics and no care. He knew Riko was always mad with power; this was something else entirely.)

So Day heeds Abram’s pleas and doesn’t let Andrew see the brand. It’s always covered in bandages. When Andrew begins to help with Abram’s care, Day tells him he shouldn’t remove that bandage. It would cause Abram a lot of pain. Andrew tries to ask about it, but Day gives him the same answer as with the strange little punctures in Abram’s face: he will tell you if and when he wants to. And again, Andrew cannot argue.

By this point I think Andrew and Day have reached an agreement. Abram’s eyesight is getting clearer by the day, and Andrew understands how serious Day is about both his and Abram’s safety. But Day agreed that as long as Abram can confirm he recognizes Andrew, Andrew is allowed to help when Day is unavailable.

So when Andrew is sent for, told that Abram has reopened some wounds or torn some bandages and won’t let any of the medics touch him, Andrew goes.

Abram is calm enough by the time he arrives. He lets the prince check the wounds, nodding allowances between each article of clothing and bandage that Andrew removes. And by then they may as well shower too, while Andrew is there. He’d like to try and do what he can for Abram’s hair.

Even then Andrew doesn’t remove the bandage. It falls off on its own under the stream of water. Andrew feels the slight tensing of Abram’s stomach, the way he pauses. For a second, Andrew can only stare, struck dumb with anger. Then, slowly and very carefully, he pushes the bandage back over the brand. Hardly breathing.

“Abram. What is that.”

And Abram tenses more. He can see enough now to place a good guess as to where Andrew’s eyes would be, himself wide eyed and suddenly fearful. (For a moment, the prince’s apparent calm response made Abram think that he’d somehow already seen the brand, which wasn’t impossible considering the circumstances. But his tone now, the ice in his voice as he confronts Abram on it - it feels like all of Abram’s worst fears have materialized there in front of him. Of course Andrew would be disgusted. Princes deserve better than damaged goods. Andrew deserves better.)

“I’m sorry,” Abram says automatically, which is the last thing Andrew wants to hear. “I’ll - you don’t have to anymore, just get Day -”

“Abram,” Andrew says again sharply, which is not the right thing because Abram flinches and pushes Andrew’s hands from him. He’s up and away from the hole-riddled bucket that serves as the infirmary’s makeshift shower almost immediately and finds his things half by memory and half blurry sight. Andrew wouldn’t want someone like him around, even as a guard. Especially in this state, when he can’t perform his duties at all.

Abram finds his way to Day’s room. Even with Andrew’s voice after him as he leaves the bath and infirmary altogether. Thankfully, it isn’t long before Day has returned from a routine check of the outer walls - Abram cannot handle being seen by the prince again, he’s shaking and slipping further from reality by the minute. Day takes one look at Abram in the hall and brings him into his room, trying to calm Abram enough to tell him what’s happened. Eventually, he pieces it together when Abram apologizes for making Day’s work for naught. You kept it from him this long time and I ruined it. Don’t let him be angry with you, it was my fault, just let him do what he wants and -

But Day won’t hear it. He figures out what it’s about, he tries to reassure Abram that it was a misunderstanding. Day knows for a fact, like any sane person and then as a person that knows Andrew, that the prince is not angry with Abram for having a brand or anything it was supposed to represent. He had been angry like anyone was angry to see it. Like Day had been. Day had just been much better about hiding it.

Abram isn’t in a state for rational thought or explanations. The panic and crying exhausts him, but nothing Day offers can comfort him. He won’t take the bed or couch or even the chair, too far in his head about Andrew finally seeing him for an animal. He ends up curled on the carpet near the fireplace, asleep by the time Andrew manages to find him. (He’d gone looking out by the gate, along any path Abram might have taken to run. It was either good or very bad that he didn’t find him there.)

Day answers the door and Andrew opens his mouth at the same time he scans the room, then stops. He sees Abram and tries to come in, but Day stands firmly in his way.

“Is he all right?” Andrew asks before he can stop himself. He messed up, this is his fault. He needs to be sure he hasn’t caused any real harm.

“Physically, yes,” Day says tersely. “But he’s asleep, and I will not be waking him yet. Out, in the hall. I need to speak with you.”

[part2 here]

#BIG BROTHER KEVIN DAY #he gave Andrew the wildest most unexpected ‘if you hurt my brother I’ll destroy you’ talk in history #and I love that for everyone involved #(even tho it was mostly Kevin doing some culture translation re: brands)#(and what abram is and isn’t apparently comfortable with and scared of)#I just think usually Andrew would be INCREDIBLY unimpressed and bored with Kevin’s long talks #but when it comes to Abram at this exact moment #he has no choice but to listen to whatever Kevin says #it’s not like Andrew is the person abram first thinks of when he needs comfort about evermore (yet at least)#day still knows better than anyone else in palmetto #hm are my strong emotions about kevin and Neil sibling vibes coming through yet #nah I’d better do more with it #ANYWAY #fan art #my art #aftg #all for the game #neil josten #andrew minyard #kevin day #royal au #asks #anon #my writing #hmm might have to make the brand bigger in consequent drawings #cows beeg #Abram is small

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volivolition · 6 days

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suggestion do you have... any wants? like obviously you do but like? suggestion my guy my ourple boy. both the easiest and hardest to write. you need a skill to say something to move conversation along but it doesn't fit any skill in particular? about 80% of the time you can have suggestion say it and it will make sense. but like actually characterizing him... how do i define you dude... what makes your character tick... urgh. i dont get you yet. im trying to understand but you are difficult.

#chemi chats #there are some skills that i just dont understand yet and that just means i have to work on their character study chapter #im reading his bio and i think suggestion is a good manipulator and it's instinctive and he tries not to feel bad about it?#he's clever!! charming!! friends with savvy and drama. planting seeds in the mind and coaxing them to grow towards him like he's the sun.#a crude oil reservoir lying beneath a carefully laid flower bed. taps into the roots. the plants don't know any better than to drink.#he's great at sensing what makes people tick and uses that to his advantage. he needs goals to look forward to so he knows how to best #pull the strings to get them there. otherwise he's a bit aimless. he likes being useful. and since influencing others is helpful #he just keeps doing it? because it's what he's good at. and he tries to convince himself its fun and cool and just cuz hes charming and #it's his role as a skill and manipulation isnt thaaaat bad because it's helpful to them after all... but he does feel bad sometimes.#oh im listening to his voice lines and i just got to ''brother you should have put me in front of a firing squad'' and im sad about him now #but what do you want for short term little guy?? probably for people to like him. he likes chatting with people. i bet he'd like genuine #conversations with no strings attached but there's always some part of him filing information and tidbits away that he can't turn off #subconsciously figuring out things he can hold over them or how he can nudge them into thinking someth-/wait.../ no. no he's just talking.#he's /supposed/ to just be talking stop analyzing them stop falling back into that just have a normal conversation!! but he can't help it..#hm. this is all really helpful for his chapter. he and empathy are very alike but also different. very interesting...#task: swept up #okay good talk everyone i think i understand him a little better now lmao?? still gotta figure him out some more hes not fully there but ye #also i think he goes by whatever pronoun you think he'd use. just ''oh what do /you/ think i am hm?? what /would/ i use; do you think?? :)'#funny fella. i love you.

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aro-culture-is · 11 months

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quick note - this blog is gonna be sparse again for at least this week. trying new medications and tbh initial side effects are not super pleasant + actual effects build up. as a result: currently as if unmedicated for mental health, with anxiety+ side effect, extra fatigue, dizziness, and fatigue. it's uh, sure something.

totally recognize that most of y'all know we're absent at times due to health things, just wanted to give a heads up that this one is at least anticipated.

#fun fact sometimes condensing meds just means poorer treatment of some conditions #this is a re-expansion + new thing #so that instead of poorly treating my mental health and using an unusually high dose SNRI for another (physical) condition #i will hopefully both be in less pain AND not depressed af AND also have an appetite again #i doubt i will be lucky and not have a fucked stomach due to meds but one can hope that an appetite will allow me to eat foods that upset #my stomach a lot less #my health is forever a massive balancing act #every time a medical thing is like 'so what meds do u take' i'm like here i wrote it down for u #and they're like 'oh. ooookay. let me just...' *five minutes of typing and clicking later*#'so! what did you come in for again? uhuh. you said you experience pain daily? with your chronic pain thing? hm. have you tried yoga?'#/gen #like. straight up every time i say 'i am in pain all the time due to fibromyalgia' they are like 'ooh studies say regular exercise helps'#and like. theoretically yes! but also. i would be lying if i said the fibromyalgia studies i've skimmed don't set off general 'bad science'#alarm bells in my brain #like... cool you performed a fibromyalgia study with... all male lab rats? mhmm? so are you aware fibromyalgia appears to occur #overwhelmingly in women? like. data seems to suggest between 70-85%?#(not that the data can't still indicate things but it certainly makes male rats a poor choice of model for tests on it)#also just... idk i've looked at some metaanalysis and been like 'okay cool theory and for all i know about human bio or bio in general that #sounds more or less correct BUT. you never discussed that one study on this subject that did NOT support your conclusion.#and that's 1) interesting when it was the most diverse group of subjects and the exceptions often teach just as much as the 'rule'#2) just shitty science. tell me how your theory is still credible when some evidence doesn't fit the model.#like... 'given that all other studies were primarily conducted on white american women in their 30s to 40s it is possible that this model #only explains (the early effects of fibro since that's a typical onset period) / (a possible genetic link primarily found in white women) /#(a possible sign of bias in diagnosis that demonstrates the possibility that there are different causes) / combinations of all of those #like... idk a paper that just throws out things that don't support it is a pretty big red flag #it doesn't mean the conclusion is entirely incorrect but it is often important to understand the context in which it applies #like... it's very easy to jump to an incorrect conclusion if you used something in the wrong context #ie: thumbs up is a good job / positive thing in a lot of western civilizations. teenage kee once went to china and discovered it to be #neutral to offensive in many areas outside of major tourist locations that were used to it #anyways i gotta sleep

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cinna-bunnie · 18 days

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why is it always the forbidden fruit that entices me the most (⁠´⁠ ⁠.⁠ ⁠.̫⁠ ⁠.⁠ ⁠`⁠)

#🚶🏾‍♀️ not that it impacts the way i feel about anyone else but i actually do fr love my manager and it's crazy bc idk how or when this #happened. like i have fun by myself n i love my friends but i rly am at my happiest when I'm next to her huh (⁠´⁠ ⁠.⁠ ⁠.̫⁠ ⁠.⁠ ⁠`⁠) ♡⁠#and that is a wild way to feel about someone i work with let alone who supervises me akdkaka #i still can't believe how naturally and affirmingly “i love you” jumped out of me the other day without thinking about it #and i do??¿ after thinking about it??¿ i would literally do anything for you #and she said she loves me too 😵‍💫 and we've never articulated that before. and now our talks feel more personal than before but it #was a much bigger conversation for sure (⁠´⁠ ⁠.⁠ ⁠.̫⁠ ⁠.⁠ ⁠`⁠) she's out of work this week though and I'm thinking about her.#🚶🏾‍♀️i wanna show her my knife throwing but idkk...... struggling w where the line between professional and personal needs to be 💀#i treat my work friends and my real friends very differently lol. i don't know (⁠´⁠ ⁠.⁠ ⁠.̫⁠ ⁠.⁠ ⁠`⁠) aaa #now that i said it it's like a dam of feelings burst ૮ – ﻌ–ა girl...#she has a husband. but he's a scrub. but she's my boss. but we're already so sweet to each other. but i shouldn't. but i want to #aaauuugghghfhfghhghkhkjltlskxkvofjw !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!??!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!#ignore me and my pining (⁠.⁠ ⁠❛⁠ ⁠ᴗ⁠ ⁠❛⁠.⁠) ♡⁠ im crazy about that girl. i really am huh.. 🚶🏾‍♀️#if you got to hang out with her u would get it.... i can't believe her man ain't shit... pls let me give u my attention #u don't have to be mine nor am i wanting that but let me take care of you (⁠｡⁠ﾉ⁠ω⁠＼⁠｡⁠) ♡⁠ u work so hard for everyone else #she's fantasizing.... ......... wanting.. contemplating...?..?? no. no....??¿......? ......... 😐 hm #lmao

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theminecraftbee · 2 years

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Joe Hills gets transported into Double Life: How would the person he matches with impact his playing style? Would he focus on building his partner a home? Start making friends right off the bat?

"You know, coal isn't so scarce that you can't afford to lose a few torches," Martyn says idly. "You're really picky about materials, huh."

"It's a small world border!" Joe says, carefully placing more cobblestone onto their walls. "You never know when you'll run out of resources. You don't know where you'll find more! Plus, we can't skip the night, so lighting up our area is super important."

"Yeah, I guess," Martyn says.

Joe continues to carefully spam torches, counting blocks in a way he never would at home. It needs to be bright enough to see and bright enough to stop mobs from spawning in their borders. They have limited resources, so he has to be careful. He can't die exploratory deaths anymore. Not with someone else linked to him like this!

"I just didn't expect you to go about things so... boring? Everything Cleo's said about you always..."

Joe's heart twists for a moment. Cleo. Wonder how she's doing at home. She's probably fine, right?

"Well, you see, doin' something like this while everyone else is runnin' around is sort of weird in its own right," Joe says. "We'll have important things, like food and shelter. Then we can go about weird pranks and stuff! Don't worry, I'll be plenty entertainin' later." He shrugs. "You've just gotta go about things in your own way, you know? And my way is makin' sure I don't get jumpscared by creepers."

"You act like you've done this before," Martyn says. He means it as: I'm the one in our partnership who's done this before.

Joe shrugs. "I have a bit of experience in conquerin' impossible odds."

"Well," Martyn says. "I'm going to the nether to get us supplies."

"Oooh. Good luck! Here, take some armor - wouldn't want you gettin' hurt."

"Yeah, will do. See ya!"

Martyn leaves the walls. Joe looks over them. He wonders if he knows how to build a piston door? The walls need a gate, after all, so everyone else can get in to get food when they need it, and to get shelter in the light of the torches. After all, never know when they'll get more torches. They could always run out again.

#answered #prompt ficlets #joe hills #double life smp #so like. okay. i don't know if i got this concept across well #but i think despite how he acts on hermitcraft streams the answer to 'what would joe do' is 'be overly cautious'#i think he'd fall back on long-lost superhostile roots #but also if you've ever seen joe in a scenario where he's A) not exhausted and B) knows he needs to survive he's actually quite good at it #as well as quite cautious about it #he'd just be more paranoid about supplies than most peopel #anyway he's partnered with martyn here because cleo is. hm. wonder where she is...?

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commsroom · 4 months

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hi there, long time listener first time caller. genuinely i love your blog sm, everything you say about hera brings me so much joy.

anyways, what’s eiffel’s favorite ice cream?

hi, thank you so much! that means a lot to me. ♡

eiffel's favorite ice cream... hm. once zach said eiffel's favorite ice cream would be cotton candy dippin dots, and i love that answer. other than that... i think he likes 1) sugar, and 2) novelty. eiffel's not a same flavor every time guy; he's mixing scoops of bright neon flavors favored by children and then covering them in toppings. he also likes coffee ice cream, of course, and he doesn't think you can go wrong with chocolate. even better, combine those, too. he likes ice cream sandwiches, and the deep fried ice cream you can get at fairs. as long as it isn't trying to be fancy or healthy, i don't think he'll turn it down.

... there's also a non-zero chance that cigarette candy put the possibility of cigarette ice cream in his brain. that guy's taste buds are broken. love him so much.

#thank you so much really!!#i definitely see you in my notes all the time + please know that i am always happy to talk about hera whenever <3 #speaking of hera i know i've said this before but #i think eiffel would hype up junk food and if hera could actually eat she'd be like. hm. it's not good actually #hera's favorite ice cream would be like. kulfi.#minkowski of course is a big fan of ice cream. more of an ice cream enthusiast than eiffel who is just a general sugar enthusiast #and she wants like. the really decadent rich kind with cake bits and stuff in it. but she absolutely refuses to indulge #except on scheduled cheat days and this drives eiffel out of his mind. she's like despondently looking at a milkshake place and he's like #why do you torture yourself. and gets one for both of them. even if she complains about it she won't turn it down #like he knows it's giving her an excuse.#asks

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pocketramblr · 8 days

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Ask Game AU: Where Nao grow suspicious of her husbands "friend" and his constant need to involve himself in their lives so she does her own investigation of the man.

1- Nao was glad, at first, that Kotaro was befriending people at work. He's always been slow to trust. With this friend, though, he wasn't. Kotaro ended up working later, and when he wasn't, going out to dinner or drinks with his coworker. Nao didn't want to bring anything up, didn't want to discourage him, and it wasn't like she had been abandoned to watch Hana all day by herself- her parents were there, and Kotaro wasn't out every single night. Just a lot of them.

2- Still, she doesn't say anything, until one night, Kotaro is back and in bed next to her, only a bit of wine left on his lips, when he brings up trying for a second child. She stares at him, and he withdraws, but she tells him it wasn't a bad thing- just, she had no idea he was thinking about it. They were both only children, and Kotaro had spent some years in a home with many other kids and didn't speak fondly of the experience. Kotaro tells her his friend brought it up, is all, and Nao nods, but is more worried.

3- Kotaro's office is hardly difficult to find things in. She discovers that he was the one to hire his friend, which she notes is weird, because he never mentions that detail. The address on record for him doesn't seem to be a place someone lives. The numbers on his bank account are... fine. But she doesn't find any trace of him online. She asks a few questions to Kotaro here and there, what his friends qualifications were, where he went to school. He's not even found there, on any list of graduates or alum forums. It's odd. but maybe he is just very private.

4- Hana brings up having a little sibling. Nao asks her if her father said anything, and she says no, they had a substitute teacher that day who'd told some stories and said he used to have a little brother. When Kotaro comes home late from work, he's unaware of what his daughter said when Nao asks if he's been thinking about it still. He says he has, and she says she still doesn't know. Two kids after all is a lot of work. and he's not home very often anymore.

5- Nao looks at the package of pills, the last row of seven, and opens her next box instead. She's done it before, once, for a vacation to the beach. She'd spotted a little then, but this time its more. Her birth control's been tampered with. Kotaro couldn't have done it, she'd just gotten the new box the day before she'd opened it and what'd he know anyway about it? What had that pharmacist looked like? Perhaps it was a defect, something she should notify the manufacturer about. She resolves to do so. Kotaro doesn't eat dinner with them that night, and when she asks how it went, he tells her that his friend told him such a funny story about his little brother, listen, he'll tell her and she'll laugh. She asks about the brother, Kotaro goes quiet and says his friend talked about him in the past tense. He's got enough dead family of his own to not press more than that. But really, the story was funny. Nao thinks about Hana's substitute- but clearly, Kotaro's friend was at work that day, must be another coincidence. In a line of many bad ones. Kotaro asks her if she'd like a second child. Nao thinks she might have, before all this. Now, she isn't sure what she'd like. Instead, she tells him that he barely sees Hana. is he really sure that he wants another kid? Kotaro goes quiet again, realizes she's right. He offers to take the next day off. Nao tells him she just wants him home on time for dinner.

+1- Kotaro agrees, and the next day Nao's parents watch Hana for an hour while she meets with her friend Shirota Akiho at the park. Akiho gives Nao a hug, and an unopened box of birth control. She tells her that her sister Beru's bridal shower is in a few weeks, and she can give her another box then. She agrees everything sounds weird- but Kotaro probably isn't to blame. Nao goes home. Kotaro on time for dinner that day. But he realizes when he reacts to Hana telling him she is playing heroes before bed (and Nao and Hana react to his reaction) that maybe he should spend more time at home before welcoming someone else into it.

#the pharmaceutical company like. tests her packages and is like 'hm yeah must have been an error in manufacturing with that sorry would you #like to settle this out of court' and then they can take another lovely little vacay #and maybe Tenko still comes around just... later #....... maybe two years later. sort of third year age while izuku's a freshman. maybe-#ok post is long enough and im sure afo is going to be plotting more anyway when he realizes his plan backfired #and nao isn't suddenly getting pregnant planned or unplanned and also kotaro is slowly warming up to the idea of his daughter having #fancies of being a hero. she's so young after all its no harm. they can talk more seriously when she's older. he wants to protect that #innocence longer than his own was protected #maybe afo can be fuming about kotaro not dropping everything to go on a date with him that he goes to kill some people to work out his ange #and that leads All Might right to him years early or something #that'd be nice ig #pocket talks to people #anon #ask game #hm. not sure what the warning for garaki tampering with nao's meds should be but if you know let me know #ask to tag

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softquietsteadylove · 4 months

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A newly arrived stallion arrives and Thena watches how Gil and that said stallion forming a bond

Something wholesome and cute? For the dressage AU

It was huge. Stallions were fairly large breeds, of course--well muscled and meant to be strong. But even with all that being said, there was no denying the horse was massive. It was all black, with quite a mean expression. Its long mane had yet to be trimmed or groomed because the beast wouldn't let anyone near it, let alone with shears.

Only one had been brave enough to even try.

Thena watched from around Olympia's shoulder. She had only seen the new arrival a few times, now. He had been purchased by the club for what an asset he could be, but first they needed someone willing to tame him. From what she had heard, Ikaris had tried, maybe even Eros - only the most egotistical riders, of course - but to no avail.

"Easy, boy, eyes on me."

Gil had a tight hold on the rope in his leather gloved hand. He let the horse trot in circles around him. The line was taut, the horse maintaining a distance from Gil but at his own pace. Gil walked in circles as he was led by his companion.

"That's right, it's okay," he spoke softly to the monstrous horse, keeping his eyes on it. He was the only one strong enough to compete with the horse's pull on the reins, of course. "No one's here to hurt you, pal. Just try to take it easy."

The horse glared at him, pulling back and trying to get up on his back legs.

"Ah--hey!" Gil tugged again, pulling him forward. "None of that!"

Thena watched, astonished as the stallion seemed to listen. She knew Gil had a way with the creatures, but she had never quite seen it to this degree. Maybe a way with a stubborn or fickle horse, but never taming an actual wild stallion. It was like something out of a romance novel.

Olympia bumped her shoulder.

"Hey!" Thena hissed at her impetuous horse, who flicked her ears at her. Olympia wanted to know more about the new horse as well, obviously. "Stop it!"

"Thena?"

Thena froze, nearly blushing at being caught spying on him (again). She pulled her hands behind her back to disguise her fingers fidgeting with the sleeves of her white buttoned shirt. "I-I see the new recruit is in good hands."

Gil looked at the stallion, who eyed Thena with a new level of wariness. Gil snapped the rope faintly, just enough to remind the horse of the bridle in its mouth. "Be nice."

His tail flicked, but the horse didn't exactly stomp or kick up his feet at her.

"I heard he was unworkable," she murmured, eyeing the creature keeping its distance from them.

Gil also kept his eyes on the young steed, like a coach eyeing a stubborn athlete. "No horse is unworkable, some are just more stubborn than others. But I think we're coming to understand each other."

The stallion attempted to rear up again, voicing his disagreement with that.

"Hey!" Gil barked at him, moving in front of Thena to keep the horse's eyes on him. "Don't make trouble for her!"

The young horse snorted but planted his hooves down again.

Gil wound the rope around his forearm to shorten the leash, walking forward again. "Listen, buddy, I get it, okay? You don't wanna be here?--tough. But it'll be fine if you give it a chance."

Thena watched as, once again, Gil the horse whisperer approached the unsocialised steed and spoke with him on even ground. She could imagine that if they dealt with canines that the unruly new creature would be seating itself before him.

"You think I got into this business because you smell great?" Gil snorted right back at the horse, who turned its face away from the joke about horse smell in general. "I used to just make horseshoes. But I met one horse, just like you, that was way too full of itself."

The horse whinnied again, complaining about its lecture.

"Shut up and listen," Gil sighed, loosening his grip on the rope. "I had to get some horseshoes on this thing, so I spent a whole month winning it over. And do you know what happened?"

The stallion just stared at him.

Thena felt the familiar and uncomfortably moist breath of a horse leaning over her shoulder. She nudged her nose away from her ear, "sh, just listen."

"I finally got the horse shoes on," Gil put his hands on his hips (the rope almost totally slack in his hand). "And he took a dump on me as soon as I did."

The stallion didn't even attempt to hide how much it enjoyed hearing that.

"Olympia," Thena whispered again, nudging her horse, who was also chortling behind her shoulder.

"But his hooves were in good condition for the rest of the season," Gil finished with a huff. He crossed his arms, "because he didn't have to like me, but we did have to work together."

The stallion turned its head somewhat, not wanting to concede.

"So," Gil held his hands up, dropping the rope tethering the horse to him, "I'm gonna let you think about what you want to do."

"Gil?" Thena frowned, watching the rope fall between him and the horse. She moved closer to Olympia subconsciously, and Gil took a few steps back from the horse and closer to her.

Gil stayed still in front of her, watching as the hose kicked and bucked and neighed at the top of his lungs. "He just has to get it out of his system."

Thena wasn't sure if there would be an end in sight to that. But Gil knew what he was doing, maybe more than any equestrian club member in the building. Although she had to admit that the sheer size and display put her on edge.

Gil didn't say anything - very kindly - about her clutching at his sleeve.

The stallion glared at him, panting from its display of protest. It stalked over to him slowly.

"Gil," Thena repeated, tugging at him more. The horse truly was huge, standing much, much taller than Olympia. She moved somewhat more behind him, "Gil!"

"It's okay," he said calmly, whether to her or the horse staring them down. He raised his hands openly, "you ready to give this another try?"

Thena held her breath, nearly hiding her eyes as Gil reached out to the stallion's nose. But she let it go as he actually let Gil pet him. It was slight, and after just a few pats he was sick of it, turning away and flicking his tail again. But Gil had done it, in a sense.

"It's okay," he chuckled, watching his stubborn new stablemate stomp around petulantly. "I think he's done with his temper tantrum, at least for now."

"Hm," Thena mused, unable to match his level of surety. But she did her best to pretend she hadn't been clinging to him. "I'm sure the riders will be eager to think that they can have a go at him, now."

"Well, I think he'll be reluctant to let anyone that close to him yet," Gil ruffled his hair, letting out a tense breath. He turned back to her properly, "sorry you had to get caught up in that."

She tilted her head at him, "was it true?--about you and taming that horse?"

"It is true," he rolled his eyes, "not that it's a nice story or anything. But that is how I started caring for horses and not just making horse shoes. So I guess I know how to deal with colts like him."

The stallion bellowed at him from across the pen, just to complain about being called a young colt.

"Save it, buddy," Gil chuckled back at the horse.

"You make an interesting pair, that is certain," Thena smiled, gravitating back to the side of her own lovely mare. "Should I look forward to watching you mount in the future?"

"Hm?" Gil blinked at her. "Oh, I'm no rider, I'll leave that to you guys."

Gil laughed it off, but Thena watched as he smacked the outside of his thigh, clad in blue jeans to emphasize that he wasn't a rider. But she wasn't sure about that, because he was definitely strong enough to ride if he wanted to.

Not that she had noticed such things.

"Come on," Thena murmured to Olympia as Gil went back to the steed, the boys bonding over whatever males bonded over. She tickled the nose of her prim white horse, "let's leave the men to their work."

#Thenamesh Dressage AU #Gil and a stallion #I don't know much about horses #but the one in that movie sure seemed like he didn't want to be ridden #the animation in that movie is stunning #even if I wasn't a horsegirl growing up #but Gil would know how to handle an unruly young horse trying to give him trouble #Gil is like oh I'm just a sweet mild mannered horse caretaker #but he's actually ranch daddy in blue jeans leading a horse with one arm and 'owen grady-ing' it with the other #Thena watching like hm does he always wear jeans that tight?#Olympia: yet again I am forced to witness this in front of my hay #also that new stallion is just the new kid at school #he'll be okay #Gil gets him a little more used to being here #Olympia: so what's your deal #Stallion: no one understands me

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kicktwine · 7 months

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So how was stormblood? I know it's very hit or miss for people, so what're your thoughts?

I understand why it’s hit or miss! It — to get to the point i would be straight up lying if I said I was an unbiased consumer because I’m not, I’m a coastal American mid 20s rando with a Lot of very current cultural baggage around concepts like patriotism and freedom. And Hamilton references. It all has a sweet and strong and very anti-occupation message (along with themes I very much enjoy dissecting like the constant assertion that it Doesn’t Have To Be This Way, or the expansion into You may not understand this person but you must be able to accept them,) but when combined with Stormblood’s shakier coherence in writing and dialogue and pacing, it comes off as A Bit Off. to me. And I think it missed ever so slightly just due to how it was all structured and set up with the characters we have and motivations we have because the stuff OUTSIDE or Adjacent to the main story, despite how out of place it could feel, was structured great!! Like the Kojin and the Ananta trial and the Kugane mishaps and trying to murder Zenos twice and the ghost ship. Could the main structure have come across very well yes absolutely! It does it on and off it succeeds in there often! But sometimes it doesn’t. I can see a lot of where concepts were promised and not fully delivered, pacing was a bit off, things just happened without really belonging there (despite how much I loved Susano, he could have been better structured. same with many instances and also I feel like the unethical science should have been MORE IMPORTANT THAN IT — maybe it comes back. Who is that scientist.), sometimes dialogue felt somewhat canned. I feel like in a consequences-heavy expansion, many things just didn’t have important consequences, which was very strange

HOWEVER! I cannot give the new gameplay features abd dungeons any crap they are all SO GOOD. And so PRETTYYYYY. And there were so many solo duties that ruled! Every dungeon in this expansion was like whoa this is a PLACE im in you know what I mean??? I’m in a place that’s big and there’s people and there’s NEW MECHANICS and active time maneuvers (??!!!!!!!) and unique fights! I can jump on the roofs in Kugane! And, mind you, when the dialogue was good, it was good. Lyse has a fantastic voice actor. Alisaie is my favorite girl elf creature in thw world. Estinien is like the best p- the guy ever. also m’naago is my new friend. The tower was a great part of sb to me despite my singular gripe. I think Zenos’— I know it’s controversial to some people because he does assume your wol to be a bit more murderous than some people would prefer their characters be and doesn’t take no for an answer, but his um speech did something to my brain a little bit

ON that note the ending was very fast?????? Or like — not FAST, but I wasn’t expecting Zenos or Shinryu to go down in one fight. Two co-op fights, right next to each other. I kind of wanted to beat him up myself. And when Zenos was so impossible to beat before. I was expecting both of them to be WAY harder. Though Shinryu is a COOL fight I’d do the royal menagerie again in a second. I was kind of expecting a three stage trial? Like Nidhogg? I love going into space hiiii big dragon where were you this whole time… u were shafted… but u could not be suffered to live so. Maybe if we’d gotten an instance of fighting the dragon alone after beating the trial?? Could have been Themes. I don’t know

anyways no I can’t quite pin it down, but I’ve said it before I think they had the outline for the story and then built it and went oh this is too much and not enough at the same time and got stuck writing the whole thing after getting stuck in the story they already had. A COMMENDABLE job for getting turned around like that, way better than a lot of video games stories out there, good gameplay and areas that didn’t feel too empty. glances at coerthas falcons nest area. I think the ways they did the exploration thing was good, having us venture further into occupied territory etc, but so much exploration stuff felt oneoff and not there to do much for someone who has been skipping almost all of the side content except stuff I’ve been told is good. It almost felt like they were Trying New Stuff a lot, and some of it succeeded some of it failed. Such is trying stuff!! Such is trying to imitate what you had while making something new and exciting! And I can’t fault them for that

so like — putting aside the fact that I haven’t done post-sb which is like missing 40% of the Thing according to past expansions and my thoughts very well might change, i would 100% do the fights again, maybe watch some cutscenes, but I don’t think I’d NG+ this one. where is that lady selling buuz it is a CRIME i did not get to have any buuz let me buy one yoshi p

#hi Zenos I’m not going to go get tea with you but would you like to drown in a swamp with our antlers locked until someone’s head gets #ripped off and the other guy has to carry it staring at him for the rest of his miserable existence #play game #I can’t stand you as a horrible person or cancerous political presence. I bet you want to rip my throat out about it #u want me to fight you so bad it makes you look stupid #stormblood spoilers #maaah I don’t want to put my thoughts in main tags I’m writing a 30 minute high school English essay. Just grabbing thoughts and going #the more I think about it the more I think shinryu NEEDED a second one player fight #every other final fight has been multiple tri- wait well. Hm. Nidhogg was a patch quest.#no I stand by it the final HW fight was a cliffhanger so u knew a bigger fight was coming. Shinryu needed a second stage you had to fight #alone with your teeth and claws. Kill the eikon yourself; eikon-slayer. what else could you do. Nothing #nothing but kill it #This was always meant for you #maybe with Zenos inside losing control of it? maybe with him snarling at us the whole time. idk idk #I am starting to feel embarrassed for typing so much and having raw unrefined thoughts so that means I have to hit post #AND SHINRYU WAS SUPPOSED TO BE STRONGER THAN BAHAMUT I don’t know

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