#<- not really a theory but could turn into one

[wakayrd]

More theatre stuff! I've started to put all the theatre doodles I do under a tag called "isat curtain call" because I wanted to be organized lol

MIRABELLE! Mirabelle is kind of a powerhouse at the theatre. She acts in a lot of the plays they put on (and gets really nervous before going on stage). She has lots of folks who are her neighbors or friends who attend shows and always overwhelm her with tons of flowers. She appreciates it but it can be a bit much! She's always around to help- She will show up for set construction, set decor, lighting design... anything- and all on top of acting! She's even the theatre's health and safety rep! (the little bit at the bottom is inspired by true events... yeah...)

Bonnie!! Bonnie started volunteering with the theatre recently after coming to see a pantomime for Peter Pan. They love to help out with the snack bar, and even wear nice clothing for the shows to look all professional. They also usher sometimes! All with adult supervision of course. They are allowed to come help with set decor (painting the set!) but NOT set construction. They sometimes convince their older sister to stop by the theatre when everyone else is working to drop off homemade goodies. They also like to hang out in the sound/light booth, the stage looks so different from up there! They're close with Odile, who shows them a ton of stuff. They hope that sometime they can also start doing the light cues during a show. They don't want to work near Siffrin backstage, even though that's something they could perhaps start doing now.

Sometimes... it feels like there's something in the theatre, hanging out in the catwalks, judging silently. Maybe... someone... But if you turn around to see them, they're gone! The theatre might be haunted, who knows. That seems the most plausible theory... Siffrin tends to spend a lot of time on the catwalks as well. Perhaps he'd know more about this mysterious spirit of the theatre?

The Spirit of the Theatre! (Loop!) They're always around. They're actually convinced that they're not able to leave the theatre. The hat? They stole it from the costume room! It makes hiding that glow ever so easy- Sometimes they steal coats or matching robes from there, just to make hiding easier. They're so knowledgeable in all things theatre, especially the theatre the group operates out of. Sometimes they spend their time alone at the theatre straightening up the props room or making sure all the actor's props and costumes are in their proper places. It really seems like they consider themselves an integral (and invisible) part of the team. They like to watch from afar, that's all. Meeting Siffrin was an accident, one that The Spirit of the Theatre couldn't avoid. Now they have to deal with Siffrin coming to talk to them often, even looking for advice. It's unclear how long they've been there, and when asked for a name, will only say they're the "Spirit of the Theatre."

And that's it from me today I promise I am normal lol I am having fun watching this all form in front of my eyes a little. It's mostly silly goofy stuff and as much as I'd love to stick to canon best I can, I may have to fiddle with it to get it to make sense... especially for Loop :) but if you have any ideas or stuff my inbox is so open I love talking about this- these drawings were stacked up from the last couple of days just me preparing to post... teehee!!

[kashverse]

anything for gojo your majesty🎤🎤

if you are not a nicki minaj fan i'm sorry

gojo being a stay-at-home dad was a double-edged sword. on one hand, babytoru was getting an absurd amount of quality time with her father—on the other hand, that quality time often involved questionable educational choices. you had expected him to teach her something useful. math, maybe. how to read kanji. literally anything that would benefit her future. 

instead, you walked into the living room to find your six-year-old sitting cross-legged in front of the plasma tv, gripping a pink crayon like her life depended on it, while gojo stood in front of the screen, pointing dramatically at an image of nicki minaj like he was delivering a ted talk.

"okay, kid, write this down," he said, flipping the remote in his hand like a mic. "in the beginning, there was mixtape nicki. underground legend. 'playtime is over,' 'sucka free,' 'beam me up scotty'—pure heat. this was when she really started cookin’. had wayne and drake in a chokehold. also, fun fact, this was when she still had the super thick ny accent—"

he glanced down at babytoru's notebook, then did a double take.

"baby, what the hell is this?"

she beamed up at him, proudly holding up a page where she had written, in large, wobbly pink crayon letters: nickee menaj.

gojo let out a long, dramatic sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. "baby, this is unacceptable. you’re taking notes like a casual. like an unserious student."

"but i don’t know how to spell her name," she pouted, fidgeting with her crayon. he crouched down to her level, gripping her tiny shoulders. "listen to me. nicki minaj is a spelling bee champion. do you understand how embarrassing it would be if we couldn't spell her name right?"

babytoru gasped. "she is??"

"not officially, but spiritually," he said solemnly. "now fix it. it's n-i-c-k-i. no ‘e’s in this house."

she quickly erased and rewrote, murmuring under her breath, "n-i-c-k-i… no ‘e’s in this house…"

"good, good," gojo nodded approvingly. "okay, now where were we? ah, yes. pink friday, her debut album. iconic. certified classic. if you ask me, 'roman’s revenge' is the best track—insane flows, legendary bars. ‘did it on 'em’—a cultural reset. but of course, we can’t forget ‘super bass,’ which single-handedly raised a generation of barbz."

babytoru scribbled furiously.

"now, next, we have roman reloaded, where she gave us pop nicki—think ‘starships,’ think ‘pound the alarm.’ polarizing, but the range? undeniable." he paced the living room like a professor mid-lecture. 

"then we enter the pinkprint era. arguably her magnum opus. heartbreak, bars, versatility—this is where we have ‘anaconda,’ ‘only,’ ‘feeling myself’—"

you cleared your throat loudly.

gojo froze. babytoru turned to look at you, her eyes twinkling with excitement. “mama! did you know nicki minaj is a spelling bee champion?”

you stared at your husband, who was now whistling innocently.  "satoru. why is our daughter taking notes on nicki minaj like this is a university lecture?"

"because it is," he said, placing a hand over his heart. "this is the history they don’t teach in school. i’m simply filling in the gaps."

"what about, i don’t know, actual school subjects?"

"she’s learning literacy," he argued, gesturing to her notebook.

"she spelled her name wrong five minutes ago."

"papa taught me how to fix it!" babytoru chirped.

"see? she’s improving already," he grinned. "also, i’d like to point out that this is a music history class, actually. next period is music theory, where we’ll be analyzing nicki’s rhyme schemes and cadence."

you pinched the bridge of your nose. "satoru—"

"babe, come onnnnn. you of all people should understand the importance of culture."

before you could respond, he clapped his hands together. "alright, break’s over! babytoru, let’s talk about queen. underrated era, but still solid. ‘chun-li’ was a moment. oh, and don’t even get me started on ‘good form’—"

you sighed. maybe it wasn’t entirely useless. at least she was learning something.

but when you glanced at her notes again and saw "all these beaches are my suns" written in pink crayon, you decided you needed to intervene.

[capricorn-0mnikorn]

The average prehistoric person could make a nice living in about a fifteen-hour work week. Fifteen hours a week for subsistence leaves a lot of time for other things. So much time that maybe the restless ones who didn’t have a baby around to enliven their life, or skill in making or cooking or singing, or very interesting thoughts to think, decided to slope off and hunt mammoths. The skillful hunters would come staggering back with a load of meat, a lot of ivory, and a story. It wasn’t the meat that made the difference. It was the story. It is hard to tell a really gripping tale of how I wrestled a wild-oat seed from its husk, and then another, and then another, and then another, and then another, and then I scratched my gnat bites, and Ool said something funny, and we went to the creek and got a drink and watched newts for a while, and then I found another patch of oats…

Ursula K. Le Guin, "Carrier Bag Theory of Fiction" (1986 essay). theanarchistlibrary.org. [Retrieved 8 February, 2025]

Why, yes. I am going to drip feed you this essay a paragraph or two at a time, out of order.

____

I absolutely agree that the Story is the vital pivot around which human cultures turn. But I'm not sure I agree with Le Guin's premise, here, that the dominance of the Aggressive, Spear-Throwing, Hero within these stories began around those ancient Paleolithic cooking fires.

According to futurist and social scientist, Riane Eisler (Her official website), before the rise of either the Patriarchy or Matriarchy, the earliest human civilizations were Egalitarian, and the shift to a Dominator culture was probably long and gradual.

Maybe, way back then, there were plenty of stories about the adventures of gathering wild oats. Maybe, sometime in the future, we'll rediscover them.

After all, there's the Irish Proverb: Bíonn siúlach scéalach (Travelers have tales to tell). All you need to gather stories (or oats) is to go for a walk.

As it is now, we have no way of knowing either way.

[wizard-of-interesting-failure]

"I don't understand. Why isn't he getting up?"

"Wh- you killed him!"

"Don't be silly, death isn't real."

"You cast Finger of Death!"

"I cast Lightning Bolt too; they name spells after fake shit all the time."

"Lightning is real too!!"

"Oh come on. Next you'll be telling me color is a thing."

"...have you ever actually been outside this cavern?"

"What's a cavern?"

"It's where we are right now!"

"Odd name for it, but yes, of course I have. Been this way, that way, through there is a lovely group of giant spiders..."

"We, ah. Might have killed those on our way here."

"Don't be silly, death isn't real."

"...right. Where do you think we came from?"

"Eh, somewhere. Weird shit shows up all the time."

"I-"

"Oh! Your friend there startled me and it totally slipped my mind; would you care for some tea? I don't drink it myself, but I keep some on hand for guests."

"...okay, listen. These are the Caverns of Chaos. Everything in here is self-replenishing. The prevailing theory was that they existed to protect a central chamber. We've spent weeks down here slogging through unimaginable horrors to make it there and you're going to, what, play dumb?"

"Okay now you're just being rude. I am not dumb! There might not be much to do around here, but I do my best to keep my mind sharp. I'd like to see you figure out as much as I have about the ever-shifting layout of the world!"

"We did! That's how we got here! Have you never tried scrying the outside?"

"Scrying spells are some sort of prank, best I can tell; they never seem to do anything except give me a headache."

"Cast one up."

"I don't really want to give myself a-"

"Just do it! At least 2000 meters."

"Alright, but I don't see...what..."

"..."

"...colors?"

"Yeah, the whole dungeon is monochrome for some reason, we think-"

"Lightning?"

"Well, if there's a storm, I suppose-"

"Death?"

"...death?"

"There's...more like your friend."

"What do you mean-"

"Why aren't they moving?"

"I don't-"

"I'm moving. I can move. See? They look like me. Why aren't they moving?"

"They're- there are skeletons? We just came from-"

"Am I going to stop moving?"

"No, you-"

"Why isn't your friend moving?"

"..."

"...he's...'dead'. Isn't he. I 'killed' him."

"...listen, just calm down, we can-"

"Oh, yes, of course! I could never figure out what these spells for making 'un-dead' were for, but they must be for fixing this! I'll just-"

"NO!"

"But he's-"

"We're handling it!"

"No you're not! Whatever you're doing, it's not working."

"How can you-"

"You're trying to draw power from something that's not there. I've done it a few times, don't feel bad, it's a common mistake."

"I'm drawing power from my goddess! There's no way she's..."

"What is a goddess? Is it that little symbol you're carrying around? It doesn't seem to have any power in it."

"...it...why can't I feel her?"

"Just let me do it, I can-"

"We're not letting you turn Steve into some kind of undead abomination!"

"Wh- but he wasn't dead before!"

"He was alive, you stupid thing!"

"Right, not dead. Un-dead. I'll just make him un-dead again and then we can..."

"Why has she forsaken me?"

"We can..."

"Why won't she answer??"

"Color...lightning...death..."

audible weeping

"They're like me...why aren't they moving?"

"It's probably just the Caves messing with the divine connection, we should-"

"Should I not be moving?"

extended wailing

"Is un-dead not like 'alive'?"

"Listen, I know we didn't have this problem before, but-"

"Is there something wrong with being un-dead?"

"OF COURSE THERE IS, YOU STUPID UNDEAD THING! STEVE IS DEAD, THE GODDESS WON'T LISTEN TO ME, AND YOU'RE JUST...just..."

"...just what?"

"..."

"What am I?"

"..."

"WHAT AM I???"

the cavern shakes

"Listen, just calm down, we'll-"

"Why is he dead? Why are they all dead?"

"All wh-"

"The ones you made me scry on!"

"Oh my god, we forgot about-"

"Why aren't they moving??"

"We don't know! What else did you see?"

"Colors, lightning, death..."

"What else??"

"Colors, lightning, death..."

the lich collapses into a fetal position, rocking back and forth

"Listen, this is important, you need to-"

someone attempts to shake the lich. A sudden pulse of darkness slams them into the opposite wall.

"Colors, lightning, death..."

"Just calm down, we can-"

"GODDESS? WHERE ARE YOU??"

"Colors, lightning, death..."

the party leader buries her face in her hands. The healer weeps and wails. The lich, seemingly catatonic, continues mumbling to himself. This goes on for a while.

"..."

"Right. Okay. That's enough of this. We're taking Steve's body and leaving. We wouldn't have a chance against a lich in this state anyway. Keep trying to revive him as we go, we'll-"

"...lich?"

"Yes, yes, you don't know anything about anything, it's very funny, har har, we're done here. Go back to giving yourself headaches or whatever it is you do all day."

"I'm coming with you."

"...what?"

"You know what I am. You know about places that aren't 'caverns'. You know about colors, lightning, and death. I need to come with you."

"No offence, buddy, but you don't exactly seem like adventuring material."

"Please! Don't you need to find out why all those people are...'dead'? I can speak with dead, I guess, if it's a real thing."

"..."

"We are not taking this THING that killed Steve with us!"

"...we probably are going to need help with whatever is going on up there."

"He might be lying!"

the party leader gestures at the utterly guileless lich. The healer turns away.

"...fine."

"Thank you."

"Just...keep him away from me."

The party improvises a stretcher as the lich gathers up his meager possessions. A thick silence reigns as the group shuffles out the only exit, the lich awkwardly following at a distance.

"Wait, I forgot my maps-"

"We'll be fine. Just stay back there, okay? You've caused enough trouble for one day."

Nodding hesitantly, the lich steps over the threshold, leaving his cavern for the last time.

It turns out that the lich the adventurers had been hired to slay had never actually killed anyone before until the impulsive paladin of the group swung first. Now, as the healer tries to revive them, the rest have to calm the ancient undead mage down from what is undeniably a panic attack.

[amnayel]

some time since I talked about twst lore but here’s my take:

silver wont ob, but he isn’t leaving unscathed from this

I have seen a lot of people talking about the possibility of silver overblotting but here’s the thing

for ob to occur you need both: using more magic than you should AND accumulated negative emotions

Idia explains this (dont remember if it’s in chapter 6 or 7) put ob only happens when the mage have been accumulating these negative emotions for a long time, and we have seen this is the books: every single ob boy had a very traumatic upbringing

silver doesnt have that

silver is a good person that even the animals in the forest take care of him, he has had a dedicated father a loving brother liege and a best friend/rival for all his life

silver was never alone, he didn’t have absurd expectations put onto him, he wasn’t a servant, he wasn’t bullied, he didn’t had his whole life decided at birth… silver had a pretty good life, normal even

so he doesn’t fit the criteria necessary for a ob, but it’s pretty obvious by now that the boy is not okay

and this is probably a major turning point in the story

I think we were so focused on Lilia that we forgot that the last straw for malleus ob was actually silver

malleus was lost and he didn’t knew what to do, when he saw silver crying he finally lost it and realized what he could do to solve this problem

I think we tend to forget that malleus raised this boy, he brought him food from the palace he sang him to sleep he watch over his training… malleus was there for the entirety of silver’s life

i dare to say that malleus has a soft spot for sebek and silver (Halloween 2024 I’m looking at you) and this is precisely what is going to get him out of his ob: he won’t be able to hurt them

and I’m pretty sure that “silver not being able to wake up” theory will come true in some way

mama shroud said that malleus spell is so fuckin complex that literally only him can indo it, even maleficia wouldn’t be able to, this hints that malleus really won’t be defeated by being overpowered, but by being convinced to undo the magic

and what is more convincing than having the boy you raised, the son of your father, collapsing right in front of you… because of you?

so in the end, the lost (prince)ss that was sleeping in a castle full of thorns is awaken by true love, and the evil dragon is defeated by a silver sword craved onto his heart

malleus being the one to break silvers curse of being constantly sleepy and silver being the reason malleus is freed from the ob monster…

well thats what happens when you learn to love humans I guess lol

[scary-grace]

Guitarist!Tomura actually has me in a chokehold so a gc would be nice I just need to work up the courage LMAO

Guitarist!Tomura also has me in a chokehold, which is why it took me so long to write a follow-up! I really love him in this AU so there may be more to come.

“Okay, now that we’re done laughing at Shigaraki, first things first —”

“Laughing at Tomura-kun is the first thing,” Toga says. Dabi glares at her. “Don’t make that face! If I was singing love duets through the wall with my neighbor, you guys would never let me live it down.”

“Nobody gets to live that down. That is not cool band guy behavior,” Twice announces from behind the drum set. Then, like always, he changes his tune. “Don’t worry, Shigaraki! I think it’s sweet!”

“I think we should never talk about it again,” Tomura mutters. He turns to Dabi. “You were saying something, right?”

“Yeah,” Dabi says. “First things first. Does anybody have any new songs?”

The band always needs new songs, and everyone’s supposed to bring one to practice. In theory they should always have something cooking. In reality, they get a new song maybe every six practices, and only some of those are good. They’d be better if anybody liked taking feedback on their lyrics. But they don’t.

“I have one,” Spinner says, “but —”

“Is it about being a true artist and not whoring yourself out to the Spotify algorithm?” Dabi doesn’t wait for an answer. “No.”

“We could use it if we metaphor it a bit,” Spinner protests. He passes a piece of paper to Tomura. “Look.”

Tomura scans the lyrics. He likes some of Spinner’s phrasing, and the song structure works, but he can see a few too many lines about standing apart from the machine. And Spinner’s not the only one who writes like that. “Why don’t we just do a whole LP around that? Give it some characters and a plotline and then it’s not just an album. It’s a story arc.”

“You think we can pull that off?” Toga looks up, interested. “What about a love story?”

“No.”

“Hey, that could work!” Twice taps the kick drum for emphasis. “Like, think about it! The protagonists are falling in love amidst the machines and then they have to defeat them if they want to be together!”

“There’s no way we can pull that off,” Tomura says. Twice ignores him, and he looks to Dabi for help. “If we’re going to do a concept album, let’s do an album about a concept we actually understand.”

“Nobody’s going to listen to us if we’re just complaining about the system,” Dabi says. “We need a hook. The love story’s a hook.”

“Then one of us had better figure out how to write love songs,” Spinner says. “Because we all kind of suck at it.”

Dabi looks like he’s thinking about it, and Tomura wonders, like he does every so often, why he decided to let Dabi project-manage the band he started. “Okay,” Dabi says finally. “We’re calling practice for today. No more practice until everybody has at least one song to share.”

“Oh, come on —”

“How much of a song do we need to have?” Toga interrupts Tomura.

“At least two verses and a chorus. Instrumentation optional,” Dabi decides. There goes Tomura’s plan to weasel out of this by coming up with a melody and chord progression and calling it good. “Text the group chat when you’ve got something.”

Everybody else starts packing up their instruments, like this is settled or something. Tomura came up with the stupid concept album idea. He’s the one who has to put the brakes on. “We can’t just not practice,” he says. “We have shows booked next month.”

“So you’d better get writing, then.”

“Yeah. More writing, less singing to your neighbor through the wall,” Spinner says. Tomura glares at him. “Maybe you can write a song about that.”

Tomura will write a song about that when hell freezes over. But he needs to write something, or the band’s not going to practice at all before their first gigs of the school year. A concept album about humans falling in love while standing up to the machine or the man or whatever. This is going to be a nightmare.

When Tomura gets home, his neighbors are just as noisy as ever, except for you. You’re quiet. Are you even home? Tomura tries to write, but it’s hard to focus when he’s so busy listening. He’s still not sure if you heard him singing along with you, but what if you did, and you got so embarrassed that you’re never going to sing again? If someone had told Tomura this morning that he’d be upset that one of his neighbors wasn’t making noise, he’d have told them they were out of their mind.

And then he hears it, just past midnight — quiet humming from the other side of the wall, a tune that’s vaguely familiar. This time, when the words pick up, Tomura doesn’t sing along. He just listens as you mumble your way through the first verse of The Last Shadow Puppets’ Miracle Aligner. “Often the humble kind, but he can’t deny he was born to blow your mind — or something along those lines —”

It’s not Tomura’s favorite song from that band, but given that you like the band enough to get their songs stuck in your head, your taste in music is at least decent. Tomura won’t be able to decide if it’s actually good until he hears you sing a few more songs. And speaking of a few more songs — Tomura picks up his pen again and scrawls out a single lyric across the top of the page. Screw a concept album, for now at least. He just has to start somewhere.

One lyric turns into another, turns into a verse and the start of a chorus. Tomura writes until two am, your voice brushing softly against his ear.

[crowleysgirl56]

Just to go back to @meatballlady’s first reblog for a second regarding the reason for season 2, I actually wrote a theory about that early last year right after Prime confirmed S3 had been green lit. I think the reason for S2 being what it is comes down to how a sequel to the original book was planned. I can’t quite remember what the exact wording of the story for the green lit S3 was now, but it went something along the lines of “The second coming is approaching, there are only two people who can stop it, Crowley and Aziraphale, and they’re not talking”. My theory is this is exactly what the sequel novel’s plot was going to be.

Firstly, we obviously know they’re not taking because of what happened in the final 15. But what if that was the actual premise of the sequel novel? The second coming approaches, only Aziraphale and Crowley can stop it, but they’re not talking.

Secondly, we know the sequel to the book probably had to do with the second coming, because that’s just the obvious next step after the anti-Christ turns up (as per biblical doctrine). Crowley even says “the Big One” in relation to a war between Heaven and Hell. What would be bigger than the second coming of Jesus?

Putting all this together, my theory is something occurred unseen between the two novels that caused Aziraphale and Crowley to fight and stop talking. What that something was, whether it would get revealed slowly in the book via flashbacks, or revealed later during exposition, or maybe not referenced at all and perhaps they just make up instead, I guess we’ll never know.

But as a narrative for a television series, that probably wouldn’t have worked. So season 2 was written literally to give the audience a backstory to why Crowley and Aziraphale aren’t talking when the second coming happens. I don’t think trying to add why they weren’t talking would have worked if they were also trying to tell the story of the second coming at the same time.

Whether that narrative worked seems to be a bit of a debate. I think everyone (including myself) became so obsessed with Crowley and Aziraphale’s relationship and the excellent flashback sequences, and then traumatised by the final 15 and the cliffhanger ending, we’ve not really critically looked at how plain and simple the rest of the story was. Like, it was fine, but it didn’t have that bombastic narrative like the first story. There didn’t seem to be any urgency to the matter. S1 you had the end of the world approaching and the desperate search for the anti-Christ. S2 was merely the mystery around why Gabriel’s memory was wiped, and maybe something bad could possibly be happening. So I can understand why people found it unsatisfying.

I do think S3 will be a lot better (even if it is only 90 minutes), but I think because we will definitely be able to focus in on the narrative of the second coming and the romance between Crowley and Aziraphale.

Anyway that’s my completely rambling thoughts, hope they made sense!

Also @maaikeatthefullmoon you’re Imposter Syndrome on AO3?! Hello! I read Epistolary back when you first wrote it! Excellent work. I’m sorry you feel like you won’t be able to write planned story, it sounds very interesting.

Who else is in the ‘they are speaking - mind-to-mind’ theory camp?

I’ve had to accept that I’m not going to have time to write the fanfic I have all planned out in my mind. Not if I want to Write Seriously™️ and be a functioning human.

I don’t even have the time to write a long-arse meta like I’d love to. I’d love to spend a whole day just delving into my thoughts but…not gonna happen. As it is I’ve got about 10 minutes until someone gets home and I’ll be expected to do useful things.

So.

I think Aziraphale taught Crowley a useful magic trick in 1941. Our Part 3. Which we see during The Kiss in the Final 15 - when Crowley passes something to Az. What does he pass? Dunno. But it’s got something to do with this new communication ability.

This isn’t Crowley realising his feelings. They have both known their feelings for long enough. This is him realising he needs to put plans into action. Spurred by Nina’s words, and other things. They’ve been too conspicuous. It’s too dangerous. He needs to protect his angel.

All of this - a lot of acting for those listening in, but probably also anger and devastation at Crowley for putting into action the emergency plan without Az’s consent? But rather than being angry, I think this “I forgive you” is genuinely meant. Az knows Crowley saw no other way out for them. I think there’s a degree of bodily autonomy this plan takes away, but Az wants him to know that’s ok. He forgives him.

And that means more than “I love you” to me.

So while Crowley drives, he’s (oooh, is it breaking the law? Is it like talking on the phone?? Demon!) talking to his angel. I believe, telling him he’ll be taking his place as the Grand Duke of Hell. Ready to fuck shit up.

As we have Aziraphale (and Michael Sheen, master of microexpressions) joining in the planning.

Ready to fuck shit up.

And so we have our players manoeuvred into place. Head of Staff of Heaven & Hell. Ostensibly.

Not speaking. Verbally.

But mentally…that’s a different story.

[xesnox]

(Post fall) Ancient builder x Illager toxic old man yaoi when

WIP, was planning on doing a ref for every human race but a mutual of mine practically begged me to post these two on their own so you’re probably gonna see this image again. Colors are not yet where I want them to be so I’ll definitely go over it a few more times.

I’d like to take this moment to point out that the way you summon allays in legends, where you play as an ancient builder, is pretty similar to the way evokers summon vexes.

Design / AU rant below cut, as always.

This one’s a little worse written than usual, I’m just rambling.

I practically have an infinite amount of Ancient builder designs because I draw them differently with every piece depending on how I’m feeling, but for this design I got more genuinely speculative and turned on my pattern recognition.

Steve and Alex are canonically 6’2, both of them, and all undead mobs seem to be the same height, if not taller than they are, so I made them average around 6’5. To add to that, all undead builder mobs either don’t have eyes or have solid coloured glowing ones, so I went with the latter.

Minecraft isn’t a stranger to making lifeforms appearances change drastically depending on circumstance, this render is of an Ancient builder post wither attack, around ancient city time, which meant I could adopt the idea the devs mentioned about villagers/illagers, of human skin turning desaturated if they stay out of the sun for long enough, which, if the single generation of Illagers already show signs of I bet the god knows how many decade long underground escapades of the builders probably hit ‘em hard with that trait.

I also for the longest time for some reason forgot cosmetics were very likely a thing, so they’ve got some protection spells and luck enchantments tattooed, both of them do. Doesn’t work very well, as one can probably guess. But they’re superstitious so it felt in character enough.

For the post wither attack Ancient builders I also tend to think of them as more frail, not only because they had no access to their former overworld food supplies and had to rely on the little stuff that did grow in complete lack of sunlight underground, which definitely wasn’t a lot, but also because beyond the military force that did seem to remain from the nether war (ancient city structure name: Barracks, disk 5 marching.) they definitely were no longer strong enough to properly defend themselves against the wither or the warden/mourner on their own accord.

And because they were cowards and skedaddled when the overworld was in danger AND got beat up by the piglin despite being the main kingdom in power which I just find really funny. So think tall and boney but hiding it under a lot of clothing layers to still appear strong. Definitely can’t put on armor anymore though, that back would snap like a twig.

When it comes to the robes I used some of my older armor template designs for reference, made them black and blue to fit the most well known ancient builder sprite as well as vaguely match the one of the evoker. Because, oh well, you caught me, I do believe the cargo cult theory. Got my own interpretation but I’ll leave it at that till the next bestiary entry.

I generally want the villagers to look more varied, and human, while the builders, both neo and ancient, look more unsettling, as if they’re clearly a person, but something just looks, or moves wrong. They’re too symmetrical. Too far removed from what once was flawed but sincerely their own.

A lot of villager beauty standards are inspired by medieval-renaissance era Europe, like for an example having a larger visible forehead and appearing more boxy in shape being seen as more visually appealing, I think despite the illagers trying to subvert that they do still live in a society, so having grown accustomed to it as children they probably still at-least somehow adhere to the beauty standards they know, whether consciously or not.

They perform similar experiments on themselves as the builders, they’re just ever so slightly worse at it, as they haven’t been doing it for as long, so it leaves marks like scarring or visible stitching, though I believe they wear these with pride.

There’s gonna be a dedicated post about them at some point, as I said so I don’t know how much of my design I want to pick apart for now, but I’ll just leave it at that for now.

Here’s some alternative versions.

[jeffrrandell]

Explanation for the connection I made lol 👇

I'm gonna at least slightly explain Tord and Gravy being roommates. I'm not going to lie to you guys, this was a joke made because when my friends and I were watching "Technical Foul" from 8 Crazy Nights we were like "that's like if Tord crashed at Gravys house tbh" and then it turned into "Tord somehow becomes Gravys roommate after he leaves Edds house, for like maybe 2-3 years. And it's almost like a Disney movie. Tords just happy he has a place to stay, and he knows Gravy is just soooooo nice but man is he annoying. So he's not mean to him, he just is autistic and only ever likes Edd anyway basically. But he warms up to em. Gravy works a ton of jobs, and Tord cleans up around the house. And an odd but actually important detail is Gravy smokes weed (because of all of these jobs), and Tord took interest in that. Getting high together kinda made it easier for his nerves to be calmed down, and it made it easier for him to realize "oh Gravy is just a guy". Of course afterwards, Gravy turns back to jumpy goofy Gravy, but Tord learned to appreciate the energy. Tord and Blonzie were already slight acquaintances, actually before Tord met Gravy. Somehow for whatever reason Tord ends up at the auto shop he works at, probably asked about a pile of spare parts that looked like junk and Blonzie said "take em". So they had that for a while. They're mechanically intelligent together. Plus Tord finds his stunts REALLY cool, as he loves destruction too. He'd love to invent little things for him to try out. They also both have "I'm gonna be silent now" autism. Anyway, he never in his life expected for Gravy to be like "meet my boyfriend" and "oh whataya know, it's the guy that calls me Tiny and gives me spare parts". Not sure if it makes sense for Tord to still be living with Gravy when he gets with Blonzie or not, but either way they'd make a really weird fun trio. Gravy definitely opened up Tords weird side for him. Because Tord is just so closeted around everyone, even Edd didn't know a few secrets about him (for probably crush related reasons, intimidation.) But with Gravy, it sorta didn't matter to him what he told him. He'd listen, and I mean it's sad but. Gravys a huge loser who's pushed around EVERYDAY, and for a bit Tords view on that was "well he has it worse than I do so he can't judge me"

But yeah, they're friends lol

In a WTFuture timeline, this was also a joke that turned out to be something that we all kinda liked. I believe in Tord clone theory btw! Basically one day, Not Tord shows up to Gravys house one day. Reminder that if this is a bad timeline, Blonzie is dead sorry. But yeah Gravy notices something is off about him. Very off. Like, somehow this Tord knows Gravy would call him "buddy" buuut.. Tord never called HIM "buddy". Blah blah blah somehow Gravy is in the Red Army. And I don't mean as a soldier, the last thing Tord wants is for him to die actually. As in any timeline, Gravy will work a million jobs. And that's exactly what he does. I'm talking coffee runs and goofy shit like that. Because to me, yeah Red Leader is "WOAAHH crazy leader man scary he's taking over the world" but it's EDDSWORLD, so he's also "aw man. My helmet stinky" "play just dance with me I'm bored" like y'know. Before this concept, I was like "yup. Gravy is the first to die in this timeline" and then it turned into "Tord wants to keep him alive because he'd be dead bored without him"

And I'm serious it's gets so goofy. To a point where THIS Tord also opens up to Gravy, crying about Edd and being like "I'LL JUST GET RID OF ALL THE COKE IN THE WORLD I CANT LOOK AT IT ANYMORE!!" and then he's like "😲💡" and then Gravy talks about his feelings too.

Potentially as well, since Gravy is trained in medical, he could also technically take care of wounded soldiers and almost act as a doctor but ONLY back at headquarters, he's not allowed to go anywhere he'd be in danger. Anyways. Yup. My sick and twisted mind.

[yall-batman-fanfic]

The Madman’s Dream | Bruce Wayne/Batman x OC!Magician

Synopsis: Inspired by the 1992 Batman the Animated Series episode, Perchance to Dream.

“Why are there dreams and why are there nightmares? And why don’t we always remember what we dreamed about?”

Bruce was caught off guard with the question and turned from his work to Vivian who laid on the couch in his study reading one of the books in his private collection. Getting up from his seat, he approached Vivian, raised her legs so he could sit at that spot and be close to her. 

“What are you reading now?” He asked.

“I saw this on the shelf and I was just drawn to it,” she showed the cover. “Well, Batman? Why are there dreams and nightmares? And why can’t I remember the lottery numbers from that one dream I had the other night.”

She laughed and Bruce took the book to read what it was that got her asking. “Whatever we decide while we are awake, whatever we do, the things around us affects our dreams. It helps us cope with reality, with our trauma or be a constant reminder on why we keep going,” he answered. “Not a scholar’s answer but what I can answer the other part. You can't read in a dream because the part of your brain responsible for language processing, and reading, is significantly less active while you sleep, making it difficult to decipher letters and words on a conscious level.”

“So, it’s not the right-brain, left-brain theory then?” Vivian sat up.

“That’s a myth.”

“So, dreams? Where do they come from?”

“What has gotten you so interested in this anyway?” Bruce tossed the book on the table and pulled Vivian closer to him. “Earlier you were reading Carmilla.”

“I always did prefer Carmilla from Dracula… I don’t know, there was a debate in the faculty office about dreams whether it’s a subconscious thing or not, and why are there instances where people have lucid dreaming. It was an interesting topic.”

“And instead of a science book, you went for texts about Morpheus, the god of Dreams.”

“Well, I got you to explain all that shit to me anyway,” Vivian shrugged. “Did you ever have a dream where you were falling and when you woke up you’re actually still in that dream?”

“I do.”

“Good, that’s means you just watched Inception – ha! Bruce, don’t!” Vivian laughed as he tickled her sides, she tried to get away from him but Bruce had a good hold on her. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry—but seriously, there’s this thing about an endless dream where you’re trapped in some kind of limbo. Some would find it a dream because they’re given their ideal world, others it’s a nightmare because of—well, you get what I mean.”

“And how do you get out of it?”

“In magic, to be trapped in a dream means instant death because there are times when they jump or force their magic to wake them they excerpt so much effort that it could lead to complications in the body. Some just give up and live the dream, others die in it, and then a rare few get to escape.”

Bruce reached for her braided red hair and caressed the strands that got out of the knots. “How did you escape?”

“I had an anchor in the real world. He pulled me out.”

“Constantine?”

“Yes. But there are instances where the only way to get out of it is by understanding the root of the dream. Dreams are made from our time here in the Waking World… It helps us cope with trauma.”

“And nightmares?” He kissed her knee and held her hand.

“It’s to reveal a dreamer's fears, and to help them face it. So, I guess the right question I should be asking is: what are you afraid of, Bruce?”

“What?” He laughed, caught completely off guard with her question.

Vivian sat up straight. “You were having a nightmare last night, and when I asked about it you just shrugged it off. What’s wrong?”

Bruce frowned. “It’s nothing.”

“I know the anniversary is coming.” He remained silent and she sighed, “If you're ready, I’ll be here to listen, okay?”

It wasn’t really an answer but when Bruce laid on her, Vivian saw it as him promising her that he will open up but just not right now. And maybe he should have so he wouldn’t have been trapped that night.

~ * ~

They were amateurs, nothing that Batman can’t capture, and he could easily have done so if he wasn’t curious to know who had them put him in a wild goose chase. They went to a factory, ran across the catwalk, it wasn’t the one where the Joker was born but it looked so much like. It caught him off guard that just a moment of hesitation they got him with a the roof falling over him —

~ * ~

Bruce woke up on his bed, tired and confused. It was one of those sleeps where his body was just too heavy and too tired to move but he knew he needed to wake up and feel his fingers and toes. How did he get there? He thought.

“Viv –”

Strange, she wasn’t there and there weren’t any signs of her ever being there too. Did she head out already? Did they have a fight that Vivian decided to sleep in another room? He couldn’t remember. But he was sure that he was chasing two henchmen to a factory and then he was knocked out.

“Up and ready now, Sir?” Alfred greeted him as he entered the room with tea.

“Alfred, what happened last night? How did I get here?” He asked. 

“I suppose you did have too much to drink last night, Sir,” Alfred chuckled.

He didn’t seem to hear the butler’s comment as he continued to ask, “Was it Robin to took me back? Viv?”

“Robin and Viv?” Alfred raised a brow. “I do hope those are not names of women, Master Bruce.”

Now he was getting even more confused. “Alfred, what are you — where’s Vivian? Did she go to work now?”

“Vivian?” Alfred was astounded. “Sir, I am very much confused — did something happen last night with Ms. Madison?”

“Madison?” Bruce stopped in his tracks. “Julia?”

“Who else? Your fiance, Sir,” Alfred reminded him with a stern tone. “Unless things have changed last night with this mysterious Vivian you keep mentioning.”

“Alfred, I’m the one confused,” Bruce stormed out of his room. Something was wrong, very wrong. Alfred was acting differently and what is this about not knowing about Vivian and Julia! Julia Madison is a name he did not ever think to remember after all this time. And fiance? Yes, he proposed then to Julia but that was a long time ago, they ended the engagement almost immediately when he decided to leave and pursue his mission to be Batman. 

If anyone who Alfred should be mentioning the name next to fiance or the word engaged to him it would be Vivian. He already showed Alfred the ring he had made for her and had been talking to him on how he was going to propose. They even practiced a couple of times! Dick almost caught them one time—he couldn’t let Dick know about it, because if Dick knew then he would tell Vivian and the surprise would be ruined. 

Reaching the clock, Bruce was about open the thing and enter the Cave to figure out what was happening but when he opened the damn thing it only opened the glass that Alfred would open to clean it. 

“Alfred!” Bruce called out.

“Master Bruce, what’s wrong?” Alfred ran to him.

“What happened? Why is the Cave closed off?” 

“A cave?”

“The entrance to the Bat-Cave, what else?”

Alfred had a worried look on him. “Sir, I assure you, for as long as I have been working here, I have never encountered a cave — let alone a bat-cave in under the manor.”

“What is happening, that’s not–”

“Son, is everything alright? You sound upset?” A voice that Bruce never thought of hearing ever again made him freeze. It was older now and wasn’t as deep as it was but Bruce knew the voice of his own father.

Standing at the doorway were who Bruce thought for a moment were ghosts but then if these were ghosts, how come his parents have aged? They looked just as they should have if they were alive now. These were not ghosts, Thomas and Martha Wayne were alive and they were standing right before him.

“No, no, it’s impossible,” Bruce stepped back. “It can’t be you, it can’t be!” He ran past his parents hoping they were just phantoms—he would rather face whatever supernatural entity in the Manor than this—but he didn’t. He brushed shoulders with his father. 

“Son—”

Bruce ran out of the Manor. Everything was different. Where were Vivian’s things? Where were her books? Her diplomas and certificates that he insisted on putting up on the wall than hidden in the storage? Her photos and Dick’s photos too? And her flowers… Vivian asked Alfred then if she could plant some flowers in the garden and she picked the type she liked. She made sure the flowers were always lush there, along with some herbs that she would dry out in the kitchen. In the shed she would have a basket that she would take whenever she would go on a walk so she could pick up some mushrooms around the estate. 

Everything that was Vivian was gone.

With Vivian gone, so was Dick. 

This can’t possibly be happening!

Opening the hose, Bruce tried to wake himself by splashing water on his face, as he did he remembered the time he sprayed water at Vivian’s direction and the sound of her squeal and laughter ran in his mind. He still remembers her vividly, then how come she’s not here? 

And why were his parents alive?

“You okay, son?” Thomas came to see him. He sounded sincere. If this was some kind of simulation trap then he should find a way to get out without raising suspicion. Just like always.

“I’m okay,” Bruce answered. His father had him turn around and checked on his eyes and had him follow the movement of his finger. “I just… I must have partied too hard last night, that’s all.”

“You will be able to make it to the office will you? There’s this stockholders meeting later.”

“Sure. I’ll be there.” 

Maybe he can find answers in Wayne Enterprise.

“Good. Your mother and I have an appointment, too, this morning,” Thomas mimicked he was golfing and winked.

~ * ~

“This would do well for your meeting later, Sir,” Alfred pulled out a suit from his wardrobe. 

Bruce observed the large wardrobe and found it odd to find all of his things there and not just in one side. He and Vivian shared the wardrobe since she moved in to Wayne Manor. She was about to take a different wardrobe to not ruin the system that Alfred made and he’s used to for so long, but he helped her with moving some of his things—not Alfred, but just the two of them—and added hers to the side parallel to his clothes, shoes, and other accessories. 

As he looked at the side where more of his dress shirts were, he couldn’t help but miss the sight of the lingerie and negligee she purposely put there so whenever he was changing he would see those at the reflection of the mirror. Sometimes she would come in and purposely take her time to pick one while he was changing out of his work clothes. 

“What do you think of this?” Vivian would ask him, showing the article of clothing with a teasing glint in her eyes. 

But Vivian wasn’t there and nor were her clothes. The wardrobe didn’t even have a mix of her scent that he liked so much.

“Alfred, I know this is strange, but humor me for a moment,” Bruce began.

“Sir?”

“Can you tell me about my life? What is this life that I have? Please.”

“Very well, Master Bruce. Since your father retired you’ve been head of Wayne Enterprises. Well, Lucius Fox really runs the business—not that you aren’t capable, of course!”

“It’s alright, Alfred, go on.”

“And, um, unless plans have changed since last night, you are—as I said—engaged to Ms. Julia Madison. You proposed to her last week.”

“No, it’s wrong, it’s all wrong,” Bruce shook his head. 

“There are worse lives to have lived.”

He knows. He’s lived it but in that dark nightmare, he found a ray of hope that maybe the life he had isn’t a total nightmare at all. There’s light in it too. There was happiness. Vivian showed him that she lit the way in that dark hole he’s been stuck in for so long, and helped him climb out of it. They were still in the journey out but she was always there to light the way and give him hope.

~ * ~

Sitting in his office at Wayne Enterprises, Bruce couldn’t help but look at the photo he placed down. It was the photo of Julia Madison, not of Vivian. There was supposed to be a photo of Vivian there, it was the one that Dick took while they were going out on a date which Vivian invited Dick to join along. 

The knock on the door pulled Bruce from his reverie, before he could call in the person who knocked a woman walking in. She had red hair 

“Vivian!” Bruce got up but then the woman that came didn’t have her face. This one was different. From the structure, her nose, lips, brows, freckles, the blue eyes, and even the fashion of her clothes was different. It wasn’t Vivian. 

“Julia?” Bruce said.

“Hello, darling,” Julia greeted him. “Your mother called me, telling me you were acting off, and who better to ease the nerves than the woman you’re marrying next week?”

She was about to kiss him in greeting but Bruce turned away and her lips landed on his cheek instead. 

This was wrong.

“Bruce, you really are upset, what’s wrong?” Julia asked.

“It’s nothing.”

“Batman!”

“What?” Bruce turned to the window where she pointed and saw—Batman swinging down the building, chasing a thief and taking them out easily. The sight of the vigilante had Bruce running with Julia chasing after him, calling his name. They arrived just in time when Batman handed the thieves over to the police and grappled away.

“Who is he?” Bruce asked.

“They call him Batman.”

“No, I mean, who is he?”

“No one knows. He just appeared in Gotham a few weeks ago. Bruce, are you okay? You’re beginning to worry me, what’s this all about?”

“I’m losing my mind, that’s what…”

Julia was about to wrap her arm around his but Bruce pulled away and walked ahead of her. 

~ * ~

He first went to Leslie Thompkins to ask about what was happening to him. This wasn’t a simulation, he realized that when he saw Batman. What was the point in showing him Batman a all in this simulation? Her answer struck like a knife to the heart, one he wasn’t ever ready to hear:

“You lived a life where everything is handed to you. Even Wayne Enterprises was handed to you. You don’t feel like you have accomplished anything, it’s all laid out for you. So your unconscious created a life that’s more satisfying for you. You identified with someone whose every deed has great value.”

Batman.

“It’s called disassociation. Once you find pride in your own existence, these delusions will vanish.”

But he wasn’t delusional. He knows that his memories are real, not visions. Vivian was real. That’s why he took the risk. If science can’t help then maybe magic has the answer to his question.

After coming home that night to join his parents for dinner—at their insistence— the following day, instead of going to work, Bruce tried to focus on his mission but the sight of his parents there brought him happiness too. If only they were really complete there. Dick sitting at his usual spot, telling stories about his day and Vivian beside him. The following day, Bruce was parking at the visitor’s lot in Gotham University, Bruce tried to make himself inconspicuous, but like in his real life, upon stepping in its grounds many identified him and started crowding around. One of those who crowded around him was someone he knew would know Vivian too. 

“Professor Justin Kirk, right?” Bruce said.

“That’s right,” Kirk shook his hand. “Anything I can do for you, Mr. Wayne?”

“Yes, I was just wondering if you know where Professor Vivian Pryor is.”

“Via?” Kirk’s smile fell. Even here Kirk is an admirer of her. “Yeah, uh, she’s in class. Symposium—Elliot’s Hall—4B3.” The very same room he would always find her in. “Mind if we ask what you want with her?”

“It’s best if she finds out first before news spreads.”

Bruce walked down the stairs and made the same turns he would whenever he would come to visit her. Entering the classroom, Bruce saw the familiar lecture hall with students writing or typing their notes, the huge white screen showing the projector’s slides, and the woman at the front giving the lecture about the symbolic meaning of Venus and Mars. Aphrodite and Ares. 

The lecture ended right as the last slide showed and the lights turned on, students were already packing while Vivian gave her last reminders.

“Your papers before you go, on my desk! And because Mr. Valdez asked so nicely in his last drunk-email about not giving you guys another paper because you’re already busy af with all the shit you’re doing for the others, I’ll move the test next week to give you guys a buffer.”

Many cheered.

“Make sure to thank Mr. Valdez—he was the only one who had the balls to email me for it,” Vivian laughed. “And, Leo,” she told the kid who handed his paper, who Bruce guessed was the one who emailed her about it. “Tell me what were you drinking that night because I want to get to that level on the weekend.”

Valdez laughed and told Vivian the brand.

In return, she handed him a dollar bill. “Your meal’s on me today, for the hangover.”

“Thanks, Professor!” Valdez accepted the gift and ran up to be the first to get to the cafeteria. Just as he was headed to the door he froze as he identified who was there. “You’re Bruce Wayne!”

The mention of his name had Vivian look up in shock. 

“What’chu doing here, Mr. Wayne?” one of the students asked.

“Wayne finally stepping down from his high-horse and be with the commoners, huh?”

What was happening?

“Hey! Come on, let the guy breathe,” Vivian shooed them away. “Go, or I’ll take back about the test.”

The students left, running.

Vivian sighed and turned to him. “I’m sorry about that… So, what brings Bruce Wayne down here to the basement of Gotham University’s College of Liberal Arts, Social Science and Philosophy?”

“Do you know who I am?”

Vivian raised a brow. “Are you serious right now?”

“It’s just–”

“Listen, Wayne, I know its been a while but you don’t get to act like you’re a fucking Roman Emperor, okay?”

“What? Viv, what did I do?” 

“I have class to go to, so bye. You can see yourself out.”

He watched as Vivian walked away with her things. What did he do to make her hate him so?

~ * ~

Later that night, Julia joined them for dinner, but like before he ignored her. His mind went on, wondering what was happening, why were his parents alive and how were they alive, and why does Vivian hate him? He must have done something for her to hate him like that, right? 

“Bruce, how was your day? Lucius mentioned you left the office early today,” Thomas asked him.

“I did.”

“Any reason, son?” It was Martha this time.

“I-I went to Gotham University.”

“Why?”

Maybe they would know what happened.

“I needed to see someone,” Bruce began. “You know Professor Vivian Pryor, right?”

Thomas and Martha shifted in their seats and glanced at Julia’s way. Julia was a shocked to hear the name.

“Why would you want to see her, Bruce?” Julia questioned.

“I needed to ask about… there was just something about the Foundation. We’d hope to have her as a guest speaker in the next event, since she was supported by the Foundation in her studies.”

“Then why not have her meet you and the members of the Foundation instead? Why go to see her?”

“Julia, it was just a meeting, and I think I owe her to tell her in person, considering…”

“Considering you both were close?” Julia scoffed.

So, have they dated before? Is that it?

The topic was dropped and that was all Bruce got.

~ * ~

Bruce took the chance to see her again, this time outside of Gotham University. He waited at the gates at the time he knew she would get out of work. Right on time she was walking out, wearing her coat and was about to put on her earbuds until he called for her.

Vivian rolled her eyes at the sound of his voice calling her. “Mr. Wayne,” she greeted him. “What is this?”

“I just want to talk to you—a consultation. You’re a Symbologist, Iconologist, and a Historian, maybe you can help me with something?” He shrugged. “We can talk at this cafe not far. I promise, that’s all.”

Vivian thought for a second, thinking against it, but then she sighed again and walked ahead of him, the opposite way of the bus stop. “Well, come on, Wayne?”

They went to a cafe where Bruce ordered their usual. Black coffee then two pastries that they would share. 

“You remember?” Vivian raised a brow.

“Of course, I would.”

“So, what is it, Wayne?”

“I just need your help.”

“Yeah?”

“Recently, I haven’t felt myself. Something’s wrong.”

“Wayne, listen, I came here because you said you want a consultation about something. I’m not a psychiatrist nor am I your fiance. So, if it’s something about your life, best to talk about it with Julia, right?”

“You’re the only one I can trust about this,” he grabbed her wrist before she could leave. “Please, just hear me out. Vivian…”

She must have seen his desperation because Vivian sat back down. Their coffee and pastries came and Bruce offered she take a sip or a bite first, she didn’t move at all.

“Recently, I’ve been feeling like this isn’t the life I know I have. And I know that this isn’t it too. Maybe there’s an explanation for it?”

“I’m not a psychiatrist, Bruce, how would I know?” Vivian took a sip of her coffee.

So, she hasn’t revealed she has magic.

“What happened to us, Vivian? Humor me—please—I have no recollection of what my life is here.”

He saw the quizzical look she had as she looked at him. “You really don’t remember?”

“No, I don’t.”

“Right after my book launch, you asked me out on a date. We went out and, as everyone expected, we slept together. The morning after you left with a word and I was at the front page of a tabloid branded as another conquest of Bruce Wayne. That became my reputation…”

“I’m so sorry.”

“It was a long time ago.”

“You’re still angry.”

“It took me a while to find the respect with my peers again after that. Some started acting like the real assholes they are and tried to…”

“Viv–”

“Doesn’t matter. What else do you want to talk about?”

“Would you believe me that in this life I mentioned we’re together?”

Vivian got up, scratching the chair on the floor. “Thank you for the coffee, Mr. Wayne. I think you had enough pictures you needed for the tabloids again.”

“Vivian, wait!” Bruce dropped a couple of bills to pay and ran after her. “Vivian! Is it something I said?”

“What do you think? Are you shitting with me right now? You don’t just say something like that!”

“Vivian, listen!” People were starting to watch, curious about the scene. “I know you have magic.”

“What?” She had a look of horror in her eyes. “You’re insane!”

“You have magic. Your mother was a witch, she was murdered by a serial killer who takes his victims’ eyes. You told me these!”

“You’re insane!” Vivian tried to get away but his hold on her was tight.

“Then answer me this one last question. Just one and I’ll leave!” Her struggle stopped. “How do you escape a waking dream? I’m in a dream. I realized it when I couldn’t read any of the words on the menu, on the papers. But I can’t get out, I don’t know how. Just answer me that–how do you escape a waking dream? Then I’ll leave you alone.”

“Dreams are made by our hopes, desires, but it is also a way to warn us and keep us human. Understand what your dream is trying to tell you so you can get out of it.”

“Even if that dream is made by a dreamlord?”

“Yes,” Vivian answered. “The Endless are there to serve mortals. They are the embodiment of what we are.”

He needs to face this himself. He needs to face Batman.

“Thank you,” Bruce released her. He then did something that surprised her and everyone around them. He kissed her then left.

~ * ~

Bruce went back to Wayne Tower that day, he stayed there, locked behind closed doors. Ignoring the calls and knocks about his stunt earlier with Vivian—news spread fast. He could hear his parents, Alfred, Julia banging on the door telling him to open it. To tell them what was going on. Why did he do that? Why was he hurting their family? But reminded himself that this wasn't real. None of this is real. This was just a dream. A endless dream. A nightmare. He needed to wake up. But to do that he needed to understand why this was happening at all. So when night came, he went to the roof, right at the gargoyle he and Vivian liked so much, and waited for him to arrive. 

He came just as the winds started to pick up and the night got colder. Batman grappled up to the top of Wayne Tower and Bruce was waiting for him. 

“You,” Bruce greeted Batman.

The Batman before him had the same physique as him, the armor, the cape, the cowl. Everything. But who was it behind that cowl?

“I know now what you are,” Bruce continued.

“What am I?” Batman asked.

“The consequence of all that has happened that night. A vow I took. But you’re more than just a vow that a ten-year-old boy made to avenge his parents. You are me and I am you—”

Batman chuckled. “I am---as you said---the consequence of that tragic day. Look at this life, Bruce. This is the life you would have had if I was never there.”

“This is all wrong,” Bruce walked up to him but Batman was fast. Batman grabbed Bruce by his collar and headbutted him down. 

“You can't have everything, Bruce. You can only choose---this happy and ideal life you have been looking for or the one that has the cowl? Your parents or Vivian Pryor.”

“It doesn't have to be a choice!” Bruce tackled him down and started punching Batman, but Batman was him, and he was Batman, so every punch, ever kick, every dodge, both anticipated and it was just an exchange of blows.

“Batman is a result of what happened in Crime Alley!” Batman kneed him in his gut. “It was Batman who brought a new age of criminals in Gotham---”

“--Gotham was already what it is now before Batman came!”

“--From organized crime you brought a new age of them---costumed criminals! Batman is the result of all of the chaos!” Batman punched him down. “And Batman is the reason why she is there. He came to save her that day. Without Batman, Deacon Blackfire wouldn't have been inspired to raise his cult. Without Batman, Vivian Pryor would have been dead in that alleyway, raped and killed by those muggers, or she would have been killed right before your eyes on that fateful day. Without Batman, you would never have met her at all. She is one of the results of Batman. Not of Bruce Wayne.”

“You're wrong,” Bruce shook his head. “Y-You're wrong…” but there was hesitation.

Batman has a point. Everything in his life in Gotham was because of Batman… but he refuse to believe that's the case. 

Batman grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. “If your parents have lived, Vivian Pryor wouldn't have come to Gotham. The Martha Wayne Foundation wouldn't exist them, and efforts to help students seeking educational aid would never have come.”

But she did. In this dream, Vivian came to Gotham because she found an opportunity to do so. She and him still met that day, despite the sad ending to their acquaintance. Vivian was and has always been fated to go to Gotham and meet him too. 

Bruce grabbed Batman's wrists and said, “Viv believed, if there's a Bruce Wayne and a Vivian Pryor in any universe, they are always bound to meet, no matter what circumstance. And I want to believe that too!” Bruce flipped Batman over his shoulder and then ran to the top of the gargoyle. 

The words of their last conversation rang in his mind. He's faced the dream's purpose, he knew why he's trapped, and he knew who did all this too. The answers were just right there, he was just distracted all this time. He'll hand it to him, Jarvis Tetch was smart. Now, he needed to get out. The drop won’t kill him, but it will give his body the jolt it needs to wake up—

~ * ~

Bruce woke on a metal table with wires strapped on him and a device around his head. Just as he woke, he heard the voice of Jarvis Tetch, also known as the Mad Hatter, cursing him for breaking the device and for ruining the trap. Getting out of his restraints, not that there were any but for the things latched on him, Bruce walked up to Tetch and grabbed the Mad Hatter by the coat and slammed him to the wall.

“YOU!” Tetch screeched. “I HAD YOU! I HAD YOU IN THAT DREAM! I WAS GIVING YOU WHAT YOU WANTED! I WAS LETTING YOU LIVE WHAT YOUR MIND HAS BEEN SUBCONSCIOUSLY WANTING!”

“You never removed the cowl,” Batman thought out loud.

“I don't care about that fucking cowl!” 

“There was a flaw in your design… my mind is mostly plagued by nightmares. I rarely dream at all, Tetch. And what you gave me was a nightmare, just like the rest!” He punched Tetch across the face and man fell, unconscious, on the ground. 

Gordon and the GCPD appeared at the factory that Tetch kept him right after Batman made the call. He made sure to hand over the man to the GCPD himself.

“Long night?” Gordon said in greeting. 

“How long has it been since our last meeting?” Batman asked.

Gordon raised a brow in confusion. “Four-five hours? Give or take. Why?”

“It felt longer in there.”

“Well, best you get some rest now. We got it from here, Batman.”

“Thanks, Jim.”

~ * ~

Bruce arrived back to the cave just before sunrise. Alfred was frantic when he hasn't responded to his calls but Bruce reassured him that he was alright and asked the Butler to get the day off to rest. climbing back to the manor, out of his armor, Bruce first went to Dick's room. The boy was asleep then, making use of the mandated night off that Vivian told him to give Dick. He was a teenager afterall and teenagers need a lot of sleep. Once he was sure Dick was there, he went straight to the master bedroom. 

Vivian laid in their bed with her hair sprawled around behind her as she slept. Bruce sat right next to her---the dipping of the bed woke her instantly, and she smiled at the sight of him.

“Done with patrol?” She asked.

“Yes.”

“How was it?”

“It was a long night.”

At that, Vivian sat up, fully awake, and asked him, “What happened, Bruce?”

“I'm ready now… to talk about it.” He took her silence as an invitation to continue, so he did. He told her about the dream he had, the one that Tetch put him in to capture Batman, and he also told her what's been plaguing his mind for so long. Whatever he and Batman argued in his dream was what has been plaguing his mind. Was Batman really the cause of all the chaos in Gotham now? Was it better if Batman never existed at all? Without Batman will he still have Vivian? Vivian listened the entire time until he ended his story and waited for his response. 

“First, damn Tetch for putting you through all that. I'll put him in a fucking waking dream myself if I ever see him in the streets again,” Vivian held his hand. “Second, I think you're wrong. Yes, Batman is the consequence of the death of your parents, but it's not just because of him that brought Gotham to its current state now. Bruce, do you really think Joker or Penguin just sprung out one night after seeing the Bat? They have been brewing their plans for so long, it just so happens it all came out when Batman came too. There are some truths to it too, but I want to believe that Batman is still a symbol of hope for Gotham too. Fear and hope.

“And third, I do not believe you'd be some jackass who was handed everything to him from the moment he was born and just take it. You told me who your parents are, and Alfred told me who Thomas and Martha were, I don’t think they'd ever raise a self-centered man. You have a good heart, Bruce. Your mother raised a good and kind man; and your father raised a man who takes action and takes pride on what he does. Even if they were alive, you would still be a good man.”

Bruce held her hands, held them tight and kissed her knuckles. “And what about you? Do I really need to choose between you and them?”

“My love, love is a choice, you choose who you want to be with you –”

“But would we have met if Batman wasn't here at all?”

“It would have taken a while, given our status then, but I believe we would have. Gotham isn't as big as we all think it to be, so I'm sure we'd still find our way bump into each other. And I'm sure I'd find my way here too. My mother was a Gothamite, after all, and I'd still be curious to know about this city and about her.”

Bruce brought her to an embrace and held her tight. “I'd choose you---when it comes to it---I'd choose you.”

“Bruce,” Vivian wiped his tears.

“I love my parents, and I would do almost anything to have them here and see all of this, but if it came to it Viv, I'd choose to be with you. They would understand.”

She didn't realize that tears were falling down her cheeks until a tear dropped on her hands, Vivian wiped them away quickly and leaned in to kiss the man she loved. “Yes, they would. I'd choose you too, Bruce.”

As they laid in bed that morning, Bruce held Vivian in his arm and let her sleep while he stared in the darkness thinking of the velvet box he kept with him at all times, waiting for the right moment to finally ask her.

Soon, he thought. He'll ask her soon.

[the-bee-graveyard]

Yellowjackets S3 theories

I've been wanting to make a post on this for a while so instead of making a bunch of little ones I've decided to just make one big one. I don't necessarily believe all of these to be true but I think they're all very interesting and I wanted to talk about them all. They're in this order:

Queen Card Theory (Alternating Antler Queens)

Pit Girl Theory

Woman In Trailer

Coach Ben is alive

Split Theory

I'd be really interested in discussing these or hearing any other theories!

Queen Card Theory (Alternating Antler Queens)

This is the first theory that really captured my attention when I watched Yellowjackets, and it's basically that there will be four antler queens throughout their time in the wilderness, each representing a different one of the missing queen cards. Natalie is obviously the queen of hearts, but there would also be a queen of spades, queen of diamonds, and queen of clubs.

I've gone away from this theory for the most part since the season 3 trailer, since there's obviously been a significant time jump and I'm not sure if they have enough time in the woods left for there to be three more different antler queens. I do however think the remaining three queen cards will become a significant plot point at some point in the show, and that they will be uncovered.

Pit Girl Theory

I don't have much to say on this one, other then I think that the Pit Girl will be there last kill in the wilderness. I do believe in to be Mari, and I don't think they're hunting her in the scenes from the trailer. The parallels in those scenes though confirmed it for me.

For side characters I think will die this season, I think because Melissa is getting a larger role in the trailer, she's most likely to die. Which brings me to my next theory.

Woman in Trailer

I know a lot of people think that the woman in the trailer is adult Melissa, I personally do not think this. I don't think she's any of the Yellowjackets, really based on one line she says "you really are crazy" (or something like that). If it was one of the Yellowjackets I feel like she would know this.

More likely I think she's a private investigator, or a family member of one of the deceased Yellowjackets, poking around in the Yellowjackets investigation. I think both Travis and Natalie's death happening in such close proximity to each other would seem highly suspicious to anyone who's been following the Yellowjackets, and could get them some attention.

I saw a really interesting theory on tiktok that she's hired by Paul, who is trying to find out what happened to Ben, which I'm not going to cover in this post but I thought it was really compelling and would love to explore more.

I do believe all of the living Yellowjackets have been revealed. In the trailer Van says, "everyone who knows about this is us or dead", which could be said after the eighth survivor is revealed, but I don't think so. I think the eighth survivor is either already dead in the adult timeline or...

Coach Ben Is Alive

This one is a longshot I know but I've been obsessed with it for a while. I originally was a Javi is alive truther, but since that obviously is not the case, I've turned my attention to Coach Ben being the eighth survivor. I just feel like him dying is too obvious.

It's assumed from the trailer that Natalie is protecting Coach Ben from the Yellowjackets, maybe even helping him. I think the trial shown in the trailer is not for him, but for Natalie, for helping him.

Somehow Ben makes it back, whether he is rescued with the girls or on his own. For whatever reason the girls either do not know he was rescued, or believe him to be dead.

The "somebody wants us dead" in the trailer in this case would be referring to Ben, who, after learning about Travis and Natalie's deaths, could believe the Yellowjackets are up to their old tricks again.

Split Theory

This theory follows the Lord of the Flies parallels in Yellowjackets, which I simply had to talk about because I love the book. Basically sometime during their time in the wilderness, the girls split into two separate factions.

Based on the path the end of season two and season three seem to be following, I believe the group will split in half, half of them following Natalie (who represents Ralph in Lord of the Flies, righteous, "chosen leader") and Shauna (who represents Jack in LOTF, more violent and careless)

I believe the groups will split like this

Natalie's group: Travis (obvious reasons), Lottie (she believes Natalie is the rightful leader), Mari (follows Lottie loyally, also if she's Pit Girl her death could represent Piggy's in LOTF)

Shauna's group: Taissa (follows Shauna, pictured with her a few times in the S3 trailer), Van (follows Tai), Akilah (again, close with Tai, not very invested in Lottie's spiritual stuff)

Unsure: Melissa, Gen, any new characters

I'm also on the fence with Misty. Although she does seem very devoted to Natalie in the adult timeline, if we're following Lord of the Flies imagery, I could see Misty falling into the role of Roger, who does side with Jack. I also believe Misty could possibly switch sides to protect herself if she sees Natalie losing support.

Either way I think the groups come together at some point before the death of the pit girl.

[randomfoggytiger]

in reading the anons idea that Diana didn't pose much of a threat, I started to review my initial assessment of her.

While I agree that we are not seen a lot of Diana on screen, I think her threat is of the unknown. It's almost like not knowing your spouse's exes but still having a sting because you get all the crazy "what-ifs" running through your head: what if I am not as interesting, what if they were funnier, what if my spouse is not with the other because they were dumped and still have feelings, what if. What if. What if. I think that is her threat and for a moment we see the what if. If Scully had not called Mulder to go find Cassandra, Mulder would have gone with Diana and then what? Then, there is Mulder's dream of "what if" he had a life with Diana. I m a little fuzzy with the why he dreamt of her. Was she or CSM controlling the dream or was it Mulder's own dream? These what ifs for me are what make her a threat.

I wanted more of a resolution with scenes like when Gibson says that Mulder is thinking about one of the girls and one of the girls was thinking about him. Maybe I am weird and it's an unpopular opinion, but showing Mulder and Scully have some (just some) real conversations to resolve that "what if" would have been enticing. We somewhat see Scully's emotions especially when she goes to TLG.

Last note: the scene in which Scully is trying to give Mulder some results on Gibson and Mulder refuses to take it and says " are you asking me to choose" and Scully says "I'm asking you to trust my judgement" deserved Scully turning her back on him and walking out. There was a missed chance of some good tension that could be nicely resolved, but NO she let's Mulder off the hook too easily. Why? Did we ever see Mulder really have to worry about Scully having enough of him and walking away just for herself? Other than being abducted or dying of cancer, he didn't worry that she would leave.

The dream, as far as i'm aware via the scripts, was meant to come from Mulder's head; but it had to have been influenced a bit by reality-- CSM and Diana's presence pop up here and there when the two are right next to him, for example. Mulder, in essence, felt "doomed" to live this normal life, felt he should be happy he finally got a normal life... but knew, deep-down, that it was a hollow, shallow, selfish, cowardly existence. When Scully's presence nearby drew her into his subconscious, he dreamed about her acting as his moral voice: "Get up and fight." The life he has with her, he realized, is worth the danger that she chooses to place herself in-- he can't martyr his freedom to secure her safety. They are each other's touchstones.

Diana definitely disguises her motivations to Mulder, appearing upfront and honest and as boots-on-the-ground-to-find-the-truth as he is. That would have been a particularly juicy bit of character work to mine into; but, alas, she only shows up here or there, and is barely mentioned (once) outside of mytharc episodes. My favorite bits of character work were her manipulation in The End and her conversations with CSM in Amor Fati-- wish we'd had more.

The scene in The Beginning is a bit more... complicated. I don't believe it should have resolved with Scully walking away from Mulder: it was a follow-up to Scully not trusting him in front of the FBI board, despite their five year partnership's trust and her own experiences in Antarctica. She could have stalled for time, could have thrown up solidarity even if the proof wasn't in her hands right then... but she didn't; because she wasn't ready to wholly accept the truth-- not until her experience in Africa, almost a year later. Mulder felt betrayed-- and he wasn't completely wrong, but also not completely right-- and his feelings were partially justified when Scully did find the evidence at the end when it no longer mattered. She didn't apologize for not backing his theory up; and he didn't apologize for not trusting her new set of answers. Both were in the wrong, to varying though comparable degrees; and both decided to wordlessly move on rather than address the problem. (That problem, by the way, is brought up and finally addressed in Field Trip.) That's why Season 6 is less intense than previous seasons: they jockey back-and-forth from being in the wrong to smoothly sailing over each fumble to grappling onto the next case or piece of evidence.

@agent-troi's Season 6 observations here really hits the nail on the head: "...in some ways they’re more joined at the hip than ever before. . this season has the highest concentration of shippy episodes.... the only times they really don’t get along are when diana actually appears in the episode (side note: diana only gets mentioned once in the episodes in which she doesn’t appear, a fact which intrigues me to no end. it’s like when she’s not there she doesn’t even exist, and in fact i have actually forgotten she existed while watching some of these episodes lol). ...i think their schism in the beginning is partly due to mulder being petulant because scully couldn’t/wouldn’t back him up at the opr hearing after he put himself way out there earnestly insisting with his whole chest she was about to present proof of alien life. it’s not that he suddenly doesn’t trust her anymore, he just feels (somewhat irrationally) like he was let down. ...but in the very next episode (drive) they’re a team again, using his intuition combined with her science to figure out what’s going on with crump. the fact that they couldn’t save him wasn’t their fault, and is almost incidental to what this episode really illustrates, which is not only how well they work together, but that they still can work together, and the past five years between them haven’t been erased just because diana’s back in town. ...i think people sometimes overestimate the impact diana had on their relationship. i think she was definitely a catalyst for them to examine some of their feelings more closely, but she was never gonna drive a permanent wedge between them. the closest she came was in one son, and even then they manage to pull back from the brink of destruction. scully asks for mulder’s trust, and he gives it by going to look for proof that diana really has betrayed him. if it had been the other way around, if diana had accused scully of working for the syndicate, he would have dismissed the idea immediately and never even bothered to consider it...." The entire post is mandatory reading, in my opinion. XDDDD

Also! There are many, many incredible Diana metas out there-- a few of which are @scullysflannel's thoughts here, @agent-troi and @actual-changling and @waxworkdaughter and my collaborative thoughts here-- and follow-up, with @baronessblixen's input, here; @deathsbestgirl's thoughts here; @limnsaber's tags here; @iconicscullyoutfits's thoughts here); and @welsharcher's deleted scene proving Diana's a one-trick pony here. I've also tried my hand at a few posts (here, here, here, here, and here), including a musical edit here, heheheh.

Thank you for your patience if you read this far, anon. XDDDD Thoroughly enjoyed pouring over your thoughts-- thanks again for sharing!

[crowleysgirl56]

Good Omens season 3/finale thought of the day:

So today’s thought is to discuss a potential confirmed filming location. Due to the nature of this as a possible spoiler (because understandably there are some out there who wish to remain completely unspoilt until the finale airs) I shall place all my thoughts under the cut!

We’ve seen a couple of filming locations pop up on the socials but the one I wanted to focus on is Tills bookshop and cafe in Edinburgh (photo credit taken from a Google search).

First things first, this is a super cute bookshop and goddamn I wish I was in the UK just so I could pop over and visit it regardless of the fact that it’s a possible filming location for Good Omens. I love me a cute bookshop especially if it’s also a cafe.

Now that’s out of the way OMG WHY IS THERE ANOTHER SUPER CUTE BOOKSHOP?! WHY HAS THE FANDOM NOT BEEN GOING OUT OF THEIR GOD DAMN MINDS ABOUT THIS YET?! WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?!

Speculation time! What is the significance of this bookshop? I have thoughts and theories below each more outlandish than the next!:

- Aziraphale has opened another bookshop that no one, not even Heaven or Crowley is aware of.

- Crowley opened his own bookshop to feel close to his angel (that’s where he was driving off to at the conclusion of the final 15).

- Aziraphale falls, has his memory wiped, and ends up working in this bookshop, thinking he’s human and Crowley finds him here! (Cue this thought of the day).

- it belongs to another angel and is also an embassy for Heaven. Turns out a bunch of angels started opening up embassies and modelled them after Aziraphale’s because that’s what they thought they should be. Aziraphale had no idea this was happening.

- it will have something to do with the book of life. Perhaps Aziraphale hides it in this bookshop. Or Aziraphale/Crowley/Muriel needs to go find it because it’s missing and there’s a rumour it might be here (or any bookshop and this is one of the ones they visit).

- there’s no real significance to it. Characters happen to be in Edinburgh (or perhaps anywhere) and they happen upon this shop and just go in for mundane reasons. Crowley might even give a bored quip about another bookshop.

- the fact that it also doubles as a coffee shop is interesting. Could it be somewhere the Metatron like to hang out?

- does something happen to Aziraphale’s bookshop? Do they cast a miracle to change it, perhaps disguise it maybe, and this is what it now looks like?

- perhaps it’s an alternate universe? (I know I’m starting to reach here)

- maybe Aziraphale and Crowley really do become humans in the end with no memories of their past and Aziraphale works in this bookshop and Crowley finds him here (HAHA! I choose violence!)

So what are your thoughts? Please let me know your theories and headcanons. I’d love to speculate more!

[staarriezz]

HIII I LOVE YOUR LAST DOTTIE FIC. can i pls. request. akademiya zandik smut? he’s a huge loser.. like… huge nerd, he doesn’t talk to anyone, has never felt the touch of a woman…. soooooo when he gets a massive crush, his feelings for them are so intense, poor baby doesn’t know what to do the first time he gets a big ol boner thinking about her :( and so he experiments… rubs one out to the thought of her… and has like a whole epiphany

thank uuu!!

YAYAYA I LUV THIS REQUEST!! akademiya zandik rots my brain ughghghgh he’s such a loser i love him

i luv how this is turning into a zandik blog LOLS

dottore x reader — an unexpected discovery

pairing: dottore x reader

genre: smut

warnings: nsfw! 18+ content! minors dni

word count: ~1.4k

zandik had never been one for distractions.

his life revolved around progress— an endless pursuit of knowledge that left no room for frivolous indulgences. while others at the akademiya wasted time socializing, he remained fixated on his research, on theories and experiments that would one day revolutionize the world.

but lately, something had disrupted his focus.

you.

it had started subtly. a lingering glance when you passed him in the halls, an unfamiliar warmth spreading through his chest when you sat beside him in lectures, an annoying awareness of your presence even when he was supposed to be concentrating on something else.

at first, he dismissed it. It was nothing. a mere anomaly, one that would pass with time.

except it didn't.

he had never spoken much to his peers— most either feared him or ridiculed him— and he didn’t really like any of them anyways. but you were different. you weren't afraid of him, nor did you mock his work.

instead, you seemed genuinely intrigued by his research, asking questions, challenging his theories, engaging him in discussions that left his mind buzzing long after you had walked away.

and then, the worst of it happened.

the first time he had felt it, he had been in his dorm, seated at his desk, deep into his notes on biomodification. it had been a long night, his only company the soft flicker of candlelight and the sound of his pen scratching against parchment.

but his thoughts had drifted.

to you.

your voice echoed in his mind, that smooth, inquisitive tone that always sent a strange shiver down his spine. he imagined the way you leaned in when listening intently, the way your lips curled into that sweet smile when you praised his work, the warmth of your breath when you spoke too close-

his grip on his pen tightened.

a sudden heat coiled in his gut, unfamiliar yet insistent. his body tensed, and before he even realized what was happening, he was painfully, achingly hard.

he inhaled sharply, his hand tightening further around his pen— until it snapped in half.

strings of curses escaped his mouth, grumbling and rising to his feet to fetch a towel.

what the hell?

he knew what this was. he was a scientist, not an imbecile. but this— this sudden, overwhelming reaction— was unlike anything he had experienced before. it wasn't just arousal; it was something deeper, something all-consuming.

his pulse pounded in his ears. a logical man would ignore it. suppress it. focus on something else.

as he ran his hands under the cold water of the sink, wiping the ink off with a soft towel, he tried his best to ignore the throbbing of his hardness.

but the pressure was unbearable.

he returned to his desk with a defeated sigh, groaning in frustration as he sank into his seat.

he exhaled shakily, his grip tightening against the edge of his desk. every rational thought told him to stop, to push these intrusive emotions away before they became something dangerous.

yet, as his mind conjured the image of you— your fingers brushing against his as you passed him a book, your gaze lingering just a second too long, the ghost of your touch against his wrist— his restraint snapped.

before he could second-guess himself, his hand moved, hesitant at first, then firmer, more certain. the moment he made contact, a sharp gasp tore from his throat, his entire body jerking at the sensation.

archons.

a shudder ran down his spine, his breath unsteady as he let his mind wander further.

he imagined your touch instead of his own, your lips grazing his jaw, whispering his name in that soft, knowing tone. would you tease him? would you smile that infuriating, enchanting smile as he unraveled beneath you?

he felt trapped in his own boxers, an ache forming the longer he was so unbelievably hard.

his hands shook and fumbled with his boxers, slowly slipping them down, and letting his deliciously hard cock free,

he swallowed hard, his fingers wrapping around himself, then tightening, his movements becoming more desperate.

the pleasure was overwhelming. he had always believed himself above such primal urges, but this was more than simple need. it was you.

and you were intoxicating.

his breathing turned ragged, his stomach tightening as he chased that unbearable high. his thoughts spiraled, lost in fantasy, in the imagined feel of your warmth, your softness, the way he might gasp if you touched him here—

your name slipped from his lips.

the realization sent a jolt through him, but it was too late. the pleasure crashed over him like a tidal wave, the pleasure overwhelming him as his body tensed and his mind went blank. he had never felt anything so intense, so overwhelming, as he came for the first time, his body shaking uncontrollably.

for several moments, he was utterly still.

the only sounds in the room were his own harsh breaths, the erratic thump of his heartbeat against his ribs. his body trembled slightly, oversensitive and spent, but his mind was reeling.

he had never experienced anything like that.

and worse— far worse— was the fact that it hadn't been just a physical reaction.

it had been you.

slowly, he forced himself to fully sit up, running a shaky hand through his disheveled blue hair.

his skin was still warm, his pulse gradually settling, but the weight in his chest only grew heavier.

this was a problem.

an obsession, even.

his mind, usually so sharp and disciplined, had betrayed him in the most humiliating way possible. all because of you— your voice, your laugh, your presence that lingered in his thoughts long after you were gone.

he scowled at the realization.

he needed to get this under control.

because if just thinking of you could reduce him to this, he could only imagine what more of you would do to him.

and that was a dangerous thought indeed.

[miri-tiazan]

Taking this WAY too seriously BUT. Some theories.

1) Belle’s house is some kind of space time anomaly

2) This is some kind of weird multilevel floor plan situation like my college dorm where one year I lived on the 3rd and 1/2 floor. (No, really.) The ground floor level behind the staircase is lower than the floor level of the room Belle and Gaston are currently standing in (it could even be a cellar? Maybe the room where Belle’s dad has his workshop?) and the upper story above and behind the staircase does in fact have its floor level with the top stair visible in the screen cap. Directly above the room Belle and Gaston, therefore, there is either a) no upper floor at all, just a roof (would need to examine outside of the structure and I don’t have the executive function right now to dig out my dvd copy of this movie and look) or b) there is another, perhaps smaller staircase with fewer steps that leads to a separate, higher upper story whose floor level is just above the ceiling of the room where Belle and Gaston are standing.

Please enjoy this shitty diagram to illustrate my explanation, where room 2 is the room Belle and Gaston are standing in, room 1 is the hypothesized workshop, and the green things are the respective staircases connecting the room Belle and Gaston are in to the room above the workshop, and connecting the room above the workshop to the room above Belle and Gaston:

3) (most boring) Landing????? Where the stairs end is not any kind of upper floor at all, the staircase simply turns a corner and continues upward.

That concludes my theories! Occam’s Razor perhaps suggests Theory 3, but my personal favorite number 2, because I feel like it is fitting and in character for Belle and her father to live in a weird house with a weird floor plan.

Studies of the exterior could narrow it down! Very interested in your further analysis/observations, OP.

you're all probably sick to death of my belle house posting but what is going on with the stairs. the top stair is level with the doorframe. this would mean the ceiling of the next room must be level with the door frame (and if it was we would be able to see it) so it can be the second floor. but the wall keeps going up another step's worth before meeting the ceiling of this room. there should be another step.

i feel like disney park imagineers must go through something like this.

[hollyrogerbay]

anyone else notice how Deltarune seems to be getting more advanced each chapter, diegetically?

chapter 2 introduces the Recruits system, and updates save points to show all 3 slots in-game. chapter 1 was not retroactively updated to include the feature - it's an in-universe change. (although i believe chapter 1 npcs are automatically recruited once the system is introduced.)

and is it just me, or does it almost sound like the soundtrack is getting more advanced, too?

chapter 1's soundtrack was almost all soundfonts, chiptune, more retro synths, etc. - and the same goes for chapter 2, mostly. (mostly except for Susie, notably. her and her maybe-synth, maybe-live distorted guitars.)

we don't have much to work with, so this may not be anything worth mentioning, but the three songs for chapter 3-5 we've gotten sound noticeably more "real," i'd say?

"Hometown Day" is definitely the least notable of the three in terms of this, but still sounds relatively "realistic"/live

"My Funky Town" was what gave me this thought in the first place. the more live-sounding guitar in the left ear, something about the drums i can't quite describe accurately, the electric piano being played/recorded live. of course, it's not entirely "live" sounding, notably the saxophone being straight from the Touhou soundfont. but still much more than anything in chapter 1 and most in chapter 2.

"Green Room" is an odd case in general, considering it's pretty much just a remix of "Hip Shop," unlike any other song i can recall. but, yet again, it does sound a lot less "digital," would you agree? more effects on pretty much everything, the spacey drums and electirc pianos, everything.

this may not go anywhere, but i figured it was worth noting. the idea of chapters becoming more and more advanced as each one is added could also definitely be theory-crafting material methinks