So this came up in a discussion but does Ardyn's "defy fate" actually make him more powerful or not? Cause in the DLC, it didn't change the outcome at all. Accepting it or not, he daemonified people and spread the scourge like Bahamut ordained. Is Bahamut just pulling shit out his ass to justify to Luna why he's doing things differently now?
I think the implication is that an Ardyn who accepted his fate would merely prepare himself for the final battle with Noctis, while, at least in the novel, an Ardyn who refuses fate absorbs as much daemonic energy as he possibly can, with an aim of killing Noctis and then the Gods themselves.
(Which does not make a whole lot of sense since killing Ardyn seems to equal killing all of the Starscourge in Eos whether he absorbed it or not… but perhaps we should just accept that the Starscourge never really made sense. Also perhaps that weird line where Bahamut orders Ardyn to spread the Starscourge is an attempt by the writers to fix this issue- i.e. a rebellious Ardyn ignores the command to spread the scourge and instead absorbs it.)
Given that the book version of Episode Ardyn ends with Lunafreya walking into the throne room instead of Noctis, I think it’s likely that some plot threads were cut when the DLC was cancelled, thus making Ardyn’s choice totally meaningless in the context of the game.
EDIT: Gentiana confirms that Ardyn’s rebellion against the Gods did “change people’s fate”, when she warns Luna not to trust Bahamut and tells her about Teraflare.
Skate Canada's page says Ladies SP and Pair SP start before the actual ceremonies? Why is that? Kinda seems odd (and alienating?).
It’s just how the competition is scheduled. Many skating events hold the opening ceremonies after the competition has actually started, if they even have opening ceremonies at all. (To tell the truth, the opening ceremonies aren’t even aired on TV sometimes, few people pay much attention to them. The skaters themselves rarely participate in them.)
I read your post about Yuuri and AvPD and while I think it's plausible, what do you think about a counter argument with the base that Japanese culture is just vastly different when it comes to physical contact and outward behavior?
First thing first, thank you for this ask, I have spent a lot of time thinking about it. I even brought in some outside opinions.
Now, that being said, I believe the counter argument you presented is a completely valid one, and who knows, that may be the case.
As I said in the AvPD post, he might have this disorder, there is evidence that suggests it. However, he could just be uncomfortable with physical contact because of his home country.
I personally don’t think that that is the only thing though. You have to remember, Yuuri hasn’t lived in Japan for five years, and if he doesn’t have AvPD or is at least an introvert in some way, living with and around other people would have made him less uncomfortable with contact, but a bit more uncomfortable with seeing another guy naked.
There is evidence that does point to that too, for example, in the episode four Osen scene, he makes sure to avoid looking a Viktor at all.
What I posted is just a theory that I came up with given what I have seen so far. That is what is so fun about theories, they aren’t 100% definite until something becomes cannon. They can be disproven or argued, and that is okay. It makes for healthy discussion in the fandom and brings us closer together, and giving birth to even better theories.
I hope this was a good answer, because I did spend a lot of time thinking it over, and I feel like this is the best answer I can give you.
Aah I shouldn't, I've already asked. I just love your writing tho. But...how do you think Kurogane would act if Fai came down with bad pneumonia, just like his mom use to years ago? ;3;
Don’t worry about whether or not you’ve sent me prompts/asks already! I love getting to write stuff out with the prompts that are sent me, so don’t hold back :)
okay but this headcanon is just... it hits deep because like my headcanon is that Fai will die before Kurogane because hitsuzen is a bitch, and the headcanon within that headcanon is that he’ll get sick like Kurogane’s mother and it’s sad and I hate myself. BUT even if he doesn’t DIE, Kurogane can’t stop himself from worrying because... well, we all know. BUT I’LL WRITE ABOUT IT ANYWAY
“Where is that idiot priest?” Kurogane asked, roaming the halls of their manor in Suwa in search of Fai. A sudden storm had moved over Suwa, dropping the temperatures and blowing strong winds across the province, and Kurogane couldn’t find Fai anywhere.
“He went to the market,” A young servant said, having walked by just as Kurogane had asked the question.
“Now?” Kurogane asked, stopping to look at her.
“He left an hour ago, my lord,” The girl said. “Before the storm came.”
Kurogane cursed, thanked her, and then went to the entrance of their manor so that he could go out and find Fai himself. He stepped out onto the wooden deck that surrounded the manor, and stopped, finding Fai standing at the bottom of the steps, looking as if he were a child that just got caught stealing a piece of candy.
“You idiot,” Kurogane said, stepping out into the rain to pull Fai up the steps and under the protection of the manor’s roof. Blond hair was plastered to a pale face, cheeks flushed from the cold, and Fai’s clothes were dripping rainwater onto the wood. “What were you thinking?” Kurogane asked.
“It didn’t look like it would rain when I left,” Fai said sheepishly. “I hurried back as soon as it started raining.”
Kurogane shook his head and grabbed Fai’s elbow. “Come on, you have to get warmed up before you get sick.”
“I won’t get sick!” Fai said with a laugh, as if it were the most absurd thing he had heard. His laughter was interrupted though when he sneezed, and Kurogane looked at him with a raised brow. “That was bad timing!” Fai cried as Kurogane continued to drag him to the baths.
Despite Kurogane’s best efforts, Fai continued to sneeze the rest of the day. By the time the sun was beginning to set, he was coughing and when it was their usual time to sit outside with a bottle of sake and relax, he was instead lying in bed with a harsh fever.
Kurogane swallowed thickly as he covered Fai with yet another blanket to help quell the way Fai’s body shivered, despite the heat of his skin or the sweat that was collecting on his forehead. Kurogane had been able to help Fai eat a small bowl of soup, but now Fai didn’t have much energy to do much more than sleep and groan occasionally over the ache in his bones.
“Kuro-sama,” Fai asked in the middle of the night, reaching out towards Kurogane, who was sitting at his side, as he had when he was a child and his mother fell ill. “You should sleep.”
Fai’s voice was scratchy, his eyes heavily lidded with exhaustion, and Kurogane just shook his head. “You should go back to sleep. I’m fine,” He said.
Fai frowned and opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off with a fit of coughs. Kurogane’s stomach went cold when he heard the wet, hacking sounds of Fai’s coughs, too reminiscent of way his mother would cough. Suddenly, Kurogane’s arms were around Fai, and he was pulling the blond close to him.
“Kuro-sama?” Fai whispered into Kurogane’s shoulder. “I’m fine.” But even as he said it, he gave a few more wet coughs into the fabric of Kurogane’s kimono.
“You’re not,” Kurogane said, shaking his head. “But you’ll get better.”
Fai nodded and sighed, shutting his eyes. “You’re warm,” he whispered, his voice raspy. “Will you lie with me?”
Kurogane nodded and helped Fai lie back down, feeling a bit bad about pulling him up when he heard Fai whimper at the pain in his body. Kurogane slipped under the blankets next to Fai, holding him close to help ease the shivering even though he began sweating from the heat under the many blankets piled on top of them.
Clinging to him, Fai fell into a fitful sleep. Kurogane was happy he was getting any rest at all, but worry tugged at him each time Fai woke up coughing uncontrollably into the pillow. Kurogane held him through the night though, only letting go when he eventually had to get up and take care of his duties around Suwa and the manor, returning to check on him anytime he could and climbing right back into bed as soon as his day was over so he could hold Fai close again.
Kurogane did that for a week, until Fai’s fever finally broke and his coughing began to lighten up. Kurogane returned to their room one day, finding Fai sitting on the small deck outside their room with a cup of hot tea in his hand and a thin blanket over his shoulders.
“So you’re healthy enough to get up and move around now?” Kurogane asked as he sat next to Fai.
“Mmm,” Fai hummed. “I’m feeling much better now.”
“And now you know not to get stuck in the rain?” Kurogane asked, and Fai laughed.
“Yes, Kuro-sama,” Fai said. He looked down at the tea in his hand and then over at Kurogane. “I’m sorry I worried you.”
“Just don’t get sick again,” Kurogane said, looking up at the sky, which was tinted red and purple with the setting sun.
Fai smiled and nodded, leaning against Kurogane. “I’m sure if I did, you’d probably punch me.”
Kurogane snorted and shook his head. “Probably,” He agreed. He blinked when he felt warm lips against his cheek and looked at Fai, who was smiling up at him.
“Thank you for taking such good care of me,” Fai said.
Kurogane nodded and let Fai lean against him. He didn’t bring up the fact that he was used to watching diligently over someone with a fever, didn’t mention how hard it was to watch Fai go through the same thing. He knew that Fai already knew all of those things away.
So Kurogane pushed Fai’s hair out of his face and kissed the mage’s forehead, and Fai blinked wide eyes before smiling softly. Kurogane just wrapped an arm around Fai and pulled him closer in response.
@pacaprincessholly replied to your post “i’m stupid and went on the blog of the person who screwed me up and...”
It's fine to feel this way. I've stalked past abusers before, wanting to see if they suffer, and to rub it in if they were. But by not doing so, you're being a better person than they ever could hope to be. C:
Neuro Poke art reminds me of my old Poke AU where Yako is just a beginner trainer and Neuro's this weird guy who tags along without asking and eats her food. But honestly he's just the region's champion who just got bored at the Pokemon league and wanted to bug potential rivals.
He probably also gives bad advices to her like “Omg you have a masterball, you should TOTALLY use it on that Magikarp”
