#big guy!!!

so i started out with his protectiveness. he's a bodyguard, right (idk if they ever actually say that in-game, but like, he definitely has the whole Looming thing going on). so he will fuck shit up when he needs to. he used to be the boss of the Syndicate, so he knows how to lead (how to read people, how to make decisions, etc). BUT he gave up that power for corbeau, which i take to mean a few things: he's very perceptive (he could tell that corbeau would be a great leader), he sticks to his guns (that decision took guts and also a shit ton of humility), and he is willing to follow someone he sees as worthy.

so then i was like okay, how would he fit in antivenin? to me, he is stability. he's the oldest of them (to me, though i don't think it's that much of a stretch as a headcanon), so he has the life experience on the other two. plus he's kind of made it his role to serve corbeau, so he's used to anticipating and filling needs. and general fanon is that he genuinely enjoys it! Large Person Willingly And Joyfully Submitting To Small Person my beloved.

and then there's stuff that i personally enjoy. i absolutely adore this man as someone who is powered by devotion. you said in a comment that "his devotion burns so hot he could fuel all of lumiose with it" and like. YES. he LOVES so strongly and he will absolutely break down anything with his bare hands in service of his lovers.

i also think he's frequently the mediator between corbeau and paxton, which works well because 1) he's able to keep a cooler head than they are (unless they're in danger, but that's more of an external conflict than an argument between them as partners) and 2) they both trust his experience and opinion. in the beginning of the most recent chapter of keep your apologies, corbeau wanted so so so bad to call paxton on refusing to admit something was wrong, but philippe held him off for a little while because he could tell it wasn't the right time, and corbeau listened because he knows philippe is often right about interpersonal stuff like that. (but also, when corbeau was like okay fuck this it has gone on long enough, philippe didn't hold him back. they have a good give-and-take.)

i think his humility is a really cool character trait, but it can get him into some trouble when he thinks about how brilliant his partners are and then sees himself as dull in comparison. i think he does enjoy service, and he does it willingly, but he puts a little too much emphasis on it--as if his purpose is to serve them, instead of just to love and be loved by them.

one thing i have learned more about him over time is that he's more eloquent than past-me gave him credit for. in the game, he's the one with the overly-formal language, while corbeau has the more irreverent, rough-and-tumble fuck-you-eh vibes. he tends to be a little more collected, which includes his language, though he'll drop that formality with them in relaxed moments to tease them (and just to keep continuity, i've kept it so that he gets overwhelmed and can't find his words sometimes, though to be perfectly honest i could take or leave that as a headcanon).

to me, philippe is like a jawbreaker. lots of layers. like, he is strong, but he submits to them, and he uses his strength in their service. he's perceptive and can read how other people work and what they need, but he doesn't see himself clearly. he will follow corbeau's leadership until he won't (usually in service of corbeau himself).

so, to review: in antivenin as a ship, he's their foundation, their voice of reason, their mediator, and the one who keeps them safest. as a person, he's perceptive, ruthless when he needs to be (to do his job or protect the people he loves) and forgiving to his partners. in terms of dialogue, he has a more formal speaking style and generally has an even keel, though he's absolutely a sniper when it comes to jokes.

oh oh and physically, my guy is Large. he knows his strength, and he's careful with it, but/and he will absolutely use it when he needs to. i made paxton to be the cuddliest one among them, but philippe sees himself as a shield in a way that absolutely includes his body, so he'll put himself between them and any threat, tangible or not. plus like. if you need physical descriptions of him or his actions, his size is always a great go-to.

anyway. i am rotating philippe in my brain. he's devoted, caring, powerful, and an absolute wrecking ball.

and! and! here's a snippet of a half-finished draft that has been languishing in my drive:

Philippe had always been an observant man. He’d had to be, to get where he was. He’d learned early on to take a closer look at his surroundings, to notice spaces behind dumpsters and in narrow alleys where enemies could hide but he couldn’t fit, to size up an opponent and know within a breath who would be an easy target (and who wouldn’t).

People didn’t expect it of him. They took one look at his size and assumed that all he had were his fists. He didn’t mind, really. People underestimating him only ever worked in his favor.

It was a skill that served him well when he was younger. He learned to recognize what the other kids needed and how to either provide it or hold it over their heads—whichever would get them on his side. He had an eye for people, and that combined with the size he’d had even as a teenager had helped him build the gang that would become the Rust Syndicate. 

When he’d gotten old enough to really put his strength to use, his observation had served him well in the ring, too. He quickly made a name for himself as a fighter. The shift in his opponent’s weight, the dart of their eyes, the curve of their mouth when they thought they had his number—all of it was information he could turn to his own purposes. Those new to the underground rings sized him up, visibly quailed, then convinced themselves they could take him.

They quickly learned better.

(the headcanon of him being an underground fighter comes from onigirikita on ao3 / souenkun on tumblr. it's such a delicious idea!!)

anyway i am living my BEST LIFE in my philippe era, so thank you so much for this ask!

and i wanna hear your thoughts! what are his fundamental characteristics to you? anything you see as essential to him that i didn't mention? what are your Tips and Tricks?