Pleeeeeeas wax lyrical about Ed Straker
I want you to know I showed this ask to my partner and said "this is the most dangerous request I think I've ever received." He found this very funny.
BUT OH BOY WHERE DO I EVEN START??? Ed Straker. Commander Straker. My man my guy my beautiful tormented overworked anime-white-haired prince that has everything wrong with him and half of it's his own fault. I truly have no idea how to articulate why he bewitches me so. Is it the weight of an entire planet's safety on his shoulders? Is it that he must (or feels compelled to) sacrifice his morals and everything good in his life on the altar of humanity? Is it simply that he looks incredibly pretty when he's suffering under The Horrors? It's all three, honestly. What a character.
I am on record saying that I have a very low tolerance for whump. I have to be careful what I read and make sure I'm in a good headspace when I read it, otherwise it could ruin my whole day. This goes COMPLETELY OUT THE WINDOW when it comes to Straker. He's at his most compelling when he's at the brink of what any person could survive. He's at his most fun when he's losing his mind. I NEED to push that man down several flights of stairs. I NEED to cover him in blood. I NEED to drive him insane with long-term bedrest. My love affair with Ed Straker isn't "I can fix him" it's "whatever he's got going on is deeply entertaining and I need to see more of it."
So erm. Yes. Very normal about this character as you can see.
