![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rakashavia https://ift.tt/2MBg8GQ
sparklecryptid:
A song for Alma - Vendetta, by UNSECRET. The Chocobros - and, for that matter, the Chocobros 1.0 - have absolutely no fucking idea what they’re dealing with in the form of Alma and/or his mother.
Look. They’re fairly easygoing people, but if you go after them, they will crush you into tiny little pieces and stride off into the sunset without giving their enemy a second thought.
It’s probably a good thing that Alma+his mother - well, basically treated the LC’s Ignoring Them as the dissolution of a business deal. The Lucis Caelums simply didn’t hold of their end, what with the murder of Alma’s grandfather and how Regis simply ignored Alma’s mother. (They’ve also decided that the Best Revenge is to Live Well.) They do not want to make the most powerful power in the Underworld angry.
Alma+his mother don’t get angry, they get even.
hamelin_born
Ohhhh yes! that is a perfect for Alma and Rhea. Because-
Because as you said, they don’t get angry they get even. Which is to say, that they do get angry but its a productive anger. it’s an anger one should fear because it’s hidden and though it seems like still waters there’s a rapid current underneath it. there are cogs turning and the next thing one knows they could be left with nothing. they could be ruined and its only after the fact that they would look back and realize what happened.
that either alma or his mother decided to get even.
and as for the chocobros- they they might have this notion that Alma is a better person that he actually is, that they can change him for the better and Alma- has no interest in that, none whatsoever, he’s happy with what he is. he’s happy with his power and his money. with his pawns and his knights and thieves. and alma probably takes one look at the bros together and knows that they think they can make Alma a better person and he finds it so terribly amusing that he lets them try.
it doesn’t work out too well. because Alma does have morals but they are shifting changing things and he only deems to listen to people he deems as /his/.
meanwhile Regis and Clarus and Cor, those who knew Rhea and remember her as a kind person are. shook. when they meet Alma and realize that he doesn’t hold any loyalty to the throne and that he finds the concept of honor laughable at best.
“there’s no honor in war,” alma croons in a meeting with Regis, “you are just as dishonorable as us common thieves, crystal king.”
#wreckage of stars verse#and ohhhhh those words make clarus burn because how dare alma say that#‘that is your king’ clarus hisses and alma smiles at him#'my king?’ and alma sounds amused 'oh no; i believe you’ve mistaken me for my grandfather. i have no king. i may be a citizen of lucis; but#i will not bow to a line of traitors. i am not my mother nor my grandfather. you would do well to remember that’#submission
sparklecryptid
When Rhea and/or Alma decide to go to war, they go to war. Not a war of pretty treaties and agreed upon codes of honor, they go to ugly war. Where honor is revealed as the meaningless gentleman’s agreement that it is - ‘It’s more of a guideline then a rule’, Rhea taught her son, and Alma has always regarded it as such. As such a - delightful lie that people tell themselves and buy into, an agreed-upon code of conduct - but something that can be tossed out the window as nececssary.
Rhea and Alma wage a war of scorched earth policies. Where the kill the fucker dead, burn down his house, and make him an example. Where they make fucking sure that their enemy will never come back, and that no one will ever seek to avenge them. Theirs is a war of burning cities, of crying victims and pleas for mercy that go unanswered.
…ironically, Alma is. Probably one of the most mentally well-adjusted individuals in the setting. He knows who and what he is, and he’s content with it - that’s a peace of mind, a steadiness, that few achieve in the course of their lifetimes.
Plus, Alma is - coming at their from the viewpoint of knowing that his way of doing things works. It is effective, it is practical, and it gets the job done to everyone’s satisfaction. Why should he mess with something that works?
They knew Rhea. Past tense. They knew her when she was a child, when she was raised, just like them, in safety and wealth and friendship. They even knew her when her father was killed before her eyes for doing the right thing, the thing that their family was supposed to do - call the king out on his bullshit.
They even caught a glimpse of her when Mors almost literally had her thrown out of Insomnia after confiscating her entire family estate, when the only thing he let her take with he was the Protector’s Sword - because it was worthless, or so Mors said to her face.
Thirty years on the anvil, Alma thinks to himself as Regis et al stare at him in horrified incomprehension after he’s made yet another one of his ‘practical’ suggestions. Thirty years on the anvil, you poor bastards. Thirty years of building an empire, of survival in the face of all odds - that’s what you missed. Stupid, really, to think that someone wouldn’t have changed after more than three decades. What did they expect? That his mother would have remained exactly as she was in their childhood memories, crystalized in time until - if - they ever decided to seek her out?
Noblesse oblige, Alma would tell them lazily, if they ever bothered to ask. My mother taught me that - it’s a business deal, really. Nobility have titles, positions, wealth, respect - and they pay for it via certain social responsibilities. And if those social responsibilities are not filled, then the entire thing falls apart.
The Royal Line had certain responsibilities to the line of Swords in return for our service. Let’s see, what’s the old oath? Alma stares at the ceiling for a minute before slowly reciting.
“An attendant of the Royal Line swears to shield their back and keep their counsel and give their life for the royal’s if need be. And they swear it by the Six.”
“The Royal Line, in return, vows that the attendant shall always have a place by their hearth, and food and drink at their table. And they pledge to ask no service of the attendant that might bring them dishonor.”
Alma shrugs. “King Mors officially failed to hold up his end of the bargain when it came to my family, and every Lucis Caelum since then’s done the same. We consider the entire thing null and void, and we’ve made our own way ever since.”
Because Regis had never so much as looked for his mother, Alma thinks to himself as he watches the nobles try to justify - everything to themselves. And fail. Despite the friendship that he and his retinue professed to the woman who had long since become Rhea, he’d never sought her out. Never thought to return the properties, the monies, the estate that had belonged to his family for almost two thousand years. His son had only learned of the Royal Swords as a history lesson, in all likelihood - and he’d certainly never sought out Alma or his mother in the future-that-never-was. Had, in fact, only come knocking on Alma’s door when there was something he wanted the seer to do for him.
Keeping that in mind, Alma’s insistence on being paid for his services made perfect sense.
“No, of course I don’t trust you lot.” Alma will cheerfully tell any noble who asks. “You’ve proven thrice over that I can’t believe a word you say. But I don’t particularly have to trust you in order to get paid.”
Rhea would have had every right to hate the Lucis Caelums. Or to hold onto her loyalty despite it all and offer her services regardless.
Instead, she’d simply chosen to walk away and forge her own life. Pursue her own happiness.
Alma is constantly in awe of her.
(Your picture was not posted)
sparklecryptid:
A song for Alma - Vendetta, by UNSECRET. The Chocobros - and, for that matter, the Chocobros 1.0 - have absolutely no fucking idea what they’re dealing with in the form of Alma and/or his mother.
Look. They’re fairly easygoing people, but if you go after them, they will crush you into tiny little pieces and stride off into the sunset without giving their enemy a second thought.
It’s probably a good thing that Alma+his mother - well, basically treated the LC’s Ignoring Them as the dissolution of a business deal. The Lucis Caelums simply didn’t hold of their end, what with the murder of Alma’s grandfather and how Regis simply ignored Alma’s mother. (They’ve also decided that the Best Revenge is to Live Well.) They do not want to make the most powerful power in the Underworld angry.
Alma+his mother don’t get angry, they get even.
hamelin_bornOhhhh yes! that is a perfect for Alma and Rhea. Because-
Because as you said, they don’t get angry they get even. Which is to say, that they do get angry but its a productive anger. it’s an anger one should fear because it’s hidden and though it seems like still waters there’s a rapid current underneath it. there are cogs turning and the next thing one knows they could be left with nothing. they could be ruined and its only after the fact that they would look back and realize what happened.
that either alma or his mother decided to get even.
and as for the chocobros- they they might have this notion that Alma is a better person that he actually is, that they can change him for the better and Alma- has no interest in that, none whatsoever, he’s happy with what he is. he’s happy with his power and his money. with his pawns and his knights and thieves. and alma probably takes one look at the bros together and knows that they think they can make Alma a better person and he finds it so terribly amusing that he lets them try.
it doesn’t work out too well. because Alma does have morals but they are shifting changing things and he only deems to listen to people he deems as /his/.
meanwhile Regis and Clarus and Cor, those who knew Rhea and remember her as a kind person are. shook. when they meet Alma and realize that he doesn’t hold any loyalty to the throne and that he finds the concept of honor laughable at best.
“there’s no honor in war,” alma croons in a meeting with Regis, “you are just as dishonorable as us common thieves, crystal king.”
#wreckage of stars verse#and ohhhhh those words make clarus burn because how dare alma say that#‘that is your king’ clarus hisses and alma smiles at him#'my king?’ and alma sounds amused 'oh no; i believe you’ve mistaken me for my grandfather. i have no king. i may be a citizen of lucis; but#i will not bow to a line of traitors. i am not my mother nor my grandfather. you would do well to remember that’#submission
sparklecryptidWhen Rhea and/or Alma decide to go to war, they go to war. Not a war of pretty treaties and agreed upon codes of honor, they go to ugly war. Where honor is revealed as the meaningless gentleman’s agreement that it is - ‘It’s more of a guideline then a rule’, Rhea taught her son, and Alma has always regarded it as such. As such a - delightful lie that people tell themselves and buy into, an agreed-upon code of conduct - but something that can be tossed out the window as nececssary.
Rhea and Alma wage a war of scorched earth policies. Where the kill the fucker dead, burn down his house, and make him an example. Where they make fucking sure that their enemy will never come back, and that no one will ever seek to avenge them. Theirs is a war of burning cities, of crying victims and pleas for mercy that go unanswered.
…ironically, Alma is. Probably one of the most mentally well-adjusted individuals in the setting. He knows who and what he is, and he’s content with it - that’s a peace of mind, a steadiness, that few achieve in the course of their lifetimes.
Plus, Alma is - coming at their from the viewpoint of knowing that his way of doing things works. It is effective, it is practical, and it gets the job done to everyone’s satisfaction. Why should he mess with something that works?
They knew Rhea. Past tense. They knew her when she was a child, when she was raised, just like them, in safety and wealth and friendship. They even knew her when her father was killed before her eyes for doing the right thing, the thing that their family was supposed to do - call the king out on his bullshit.
They even caught a glimpse of her when Mors almost literally had her thrown out of Insomnia after confiscating her entire family estate, when the only thing he let her take with he was the Protector’s Sword - because it was worthless, or so Mors said to her face.
Thirty years on the anvil, Alma thinks to himself as Regis et al stare at him in horrified incomprehension after he’s made yet another one of his ‘practical’ suggestions. Thirty years on the anvil, you poor bastards. Thirty years of building an empire, of survival in the face of all odds - that’s what you missed. Stupid, really, to think that someone wouldn’t have changed after more than three decades. What did they expect? That his mother would have remained exactly as she was in their childhood memories, crystalized in time until - if - they ever decided to seek her out?
Noblesse oblige, Alma would tell them lazily, if they ever bothered to ask. My mother taught me that - it’s a business deal, really. Nobility have titles, positions, wealth, respect - and they pay for it via certain social responsibilities. And if those social responsibilities are not filled, then the entire thing falls apart.
The Royal Line had certain responsibilities to the line of Swords in return for our service. Let’s see, what’s the old oath? Alma stares at the ceiling for a minute before slowly reciting.
“An attendant of the Royal Line swears to shield their back and keep their counsel and give their life for the royal’s if need be. And they swear it by the Six.”
“The Royal Line, in return, vows that the attendant shall always have a place by their hearth, and food and drink at their table. And they pledge to ask no service of the attendant that might bring them dishonor.”
Alma shrugs. “King Mors officially failed to hold up his end of the bargain when it came to my family, and every Lucis Caelum since then’s done the same. We consider the entire thing null and void, and we’ve made our own way ever since.”
Because Regis had never so much as looked for his mother, Alma thinks to himself as he watches the nobles try to justify - everything to themselves. And fail. Despite the friendship that he and his retinue professed to the woman who had long since become Rhea, he’d never sought her out. Never thought to return the properties, the monies, the estate that had belonged to his family for almost two thousand years. His son had only learned of the Royal Swords as a history lesson, in all likelihood - and he’d certainly never sought out Alma or his mother in the future-that-never-was. Had, in fact, only come knocking on Alma’s door when there was something he wanted the seer to do for him.
Keeping that in mind, Alma’s insistence on being paid for his services made perfect sense.
“No, of course I don’t trust you lot.” Alma will cheerfully tell any noble who asks. “You’ve proven thrice over that I can’t believe a word you say. But I don’t particularly have to trust you in order to get paid.”
Rhea would have had every right to hate the Lucis Caelums. Or to hold onto her loyalty despite it all and offer her services regardless.
Instead, she’d simply chosen to walk away and forge her own life. Pursue her own happiness.
Alma is constantly in awe of her.
(Your picture was not posted)
