#(they're very erudite)

[fragmentedblade]

I hate that I love both Fu Xuan and her gameplay

[yoursweetwife]

hmmm what about how ratio and ruan mei would act if they were jealous? a bit of a cliche, ratio being him he would probs shout algebraic equations at the guy making a move, but for ruan mei im not sure..

I have a couple of thoughts about these two.

Veritas Ratio considers jealousy to be something unimaginable and primitive, because intelligent and erudite people should not succumb to such base emotions, besides, he is aware of his attractiveness, you need to be a real fool to leave him (he began to change his mind when he fell in love and entered into a REAL relationship) Ratio will immediately understand that he is jealous, but he will stubbornly deny it, saying to himself something like "jealousy is the lot of fools," but he will still continue to look contemptuously at the cause of his indignation.

However, the Veritas is a double-edged sword, everything can end either well or badly (mainly for the one who is bothering you). At best, everything will be limited to just glances that will be hidden behind a plaster head, and rare remarks in the direction of the "opponent". Fortunately, as soon as you start scolding him, he immediately shuts up.

And in the worst case, if a person does not follow words and actions at all, openly showing interest in you, then even the eons themselves will not.

Ratio will lower the interlocutor's self-esteem below zero, regardless of whether there are other people nearby. Because how dare that idiot touch you! And you act like you don't care, even though he sees your annoyance. Once Veritas almost hit someone with a book out of jealousy, he just wasn't used to such feelings.

After that, he can't get rid of the feeling that he became part of this bunch of idiots, fortunately, you were there to calm him down and show him that it's okay to feel like that.

!In no case do not intentionally try to make him jealous, he will definitely not forgive this!

Ruan Mei gives the impression of a person who has only one partner for life, that is, if she falls in love, then she will never look at another, so you will never have a reason to be jealous of her. However, the hermit lifestyle led to Ruan Mei never feeling jealous.

Despite her detachment from people, she can see when people are flirting with you and when they're just being nice. If she doesn't worry about the second, then the first sometimes makes her feel awkward and angry, especially if it happens when you spend time together (few people know that you are dating, because May values privacy).

Her reaction most of the time will be silence, waiting for the conversation with the uninvited guest to end, or if she sees that you are uncomfortable, Ruan Mei will bluntly say that you are not interested and take you away.

If a very persistent fan comes across, then there is no doubt that Ruan Mei will not stand on ceremony and put the person in his place. Few people will want to deal with a famous scientist.

In any case, you will never understand that Ruan Mei is jealous. For her, jealousy will become a kind of object of study, perhaps she will specifically ask you to flirt with other people to see how far things will go.

[genillustrate]

"You'll always advance behind me" "Yes, sir!" "Psh, Sacro is better" "Yes, sir." I'm back. With more medieval times, oh yeah. I'm giving the name Michael to the Templar Knights and Gabriel to Hospitallers, just because they're biblical names, haha. The Knights Hospitaller started in Cyprus, and Cyprus is an island that was under Greek protection since ancient times, and in times of the Cruzades, Cyprus was under the protection of the Bizantine Empire, thus, Greece, that's why I'm giving him an appearence similar to that of my HC of Greece himself, just like Knights Templar looks just like France.

In my HCs, in his youth, France has a much more severe personality than in his adulthood, more similar to his germanic Frankish roots, than the Galloroman ones. It would be not until the Fall of the Bizantine Empire and the Reinassance that the Greek pushed with the enourmous exodus of Greek erudites that the Fall of Constantinople pushed through Europe, that France, and the rest of the continent, would have contact with the almost forgotten Grecoroman culture. And thus, the start of modern history. That's why I draw him all serious and violent in his youth; it's a reflection of the times. And he was always the vanguard of the attacks, because in that time the French were famous for their training, ferocity in battle and direct attacks. They were all about their honor in battle and their strategy were more like battles of brute force instead of strategic calculations; they were so strong they could afford the luxury, ha. Until they couldn't and had to adapt. And yes, Gilbert is very infatuated with Michael. I think it's canon that Templar knights was the one who teached him music, literature, to sing and the one who trained the most with him. And if not, well, now it is. Haha. They're hella cute, and I'm a sucker for first innocent love in baby years. I got sloppy with the colors but please bear with it, my back was killing me.

[gwmingm]

Archons Lore but with HSR Paths because.

Venti — The Remembrance; he took his best friend's form, is a bard who remembers and tells the stories of others so they aren't forgotten, Fuli coded behaviour, clearly has some whacky shit going on with him i.e his voice lines about meeting the traveler.

Zhongli — The Equilibrium; only ever makes fair contracts, a very mysterious man who also seems to know more than he lets on, a background deus ex machine of sorts i.e the chasm interlude quest when he saved Xiao, influencing things just as HooH does.

Ei — The Hunt; So deadset on achieving eternity for her people, caused bad things with the sakoku and vision hunt decrees, as Lan brings both destruction and salvation, a very fierce and powerful warrior.

Nahida — The Erudition/The Abundance; god of wisdom who is the face of a literal tree of knowledge, duh. Rukkhadevata snapping the purest branch of the tree to create her gives heavy Yaoshi vibes a-la Tomie.

Furina — The Preservation; girl kept acting for five hundred years and never once wavered as said by mirror-her, tenacity that would make Qlipoth proud. Their ideal for justice being the continuation of existence, sacrificing both her humanity and divinity for her people. It's plain simple.

Mavuika — The Destruction/Harmony; Initially, war. But knowing Hoyoverse plus the dropped Natlan Teaser, they're probably gonna take her and her nation's themes in the way they did with Penacony's Harmony vs Order subplot. (And from the first two Natlan Archon Quests, I was kinda right.)

The Tsaritsa — The Nihility/Finality(?); Still not 100% because we still don't know her story, probably more attuned to the destruction due to her and the Fatui's goals and actions and "burning away the old world". But I can see her as a Self-Anihilator like Acheron or the Stellaron Hunters.

[fatuismooches]

Your brain for Star Rail!Dottore omg...

I always think he would've been like Ruan Mei, only more extreme... he's will be pathless at first but if he's under genius society then he'd follow nous...Meta/game play wise he'd be 5 star Ice Nihility or Erudition DPS who focus on break and freeze team (So his good team would have Ruan mei on it because they're both my fav).

Also, since Star Rail doesn't have designated weapons, creative liberties could be taken, no?? (Ratio did use a chalk and a book as weapons, so there's many possibilities for him. Hmmm, Dottore fighting with syringes, or chainsaw, or surgery knife would be nice lololol

His lightcone could be of like Boothill's but instead it's just the creations his segments on a lab (does he still need segments in this universe?we'll never know) and his splash art would be so cool if it were lab centric since most star rail splash art focuses more on scenery.

His phone case....it would be plain boring black-grey-blue color that probablyhave blood splatter on it...and his expression when looking at phone could've be like welt. His texts would consist of talking about how expensive it is the equipment to do experiments these days, or asking the trailblazer to hear his new experiments or just him complaining. And when he visits the astral express, he'd be curious about Pom-Pom and the machinery of the astral express.

If Dottore were ever be a genius society member and got invited to simulated universe collab he would get his own Occurrence and Curio (There's this one curio in divergent universe, a new endgame mode which was a syringe that cause you to go auto for the rest of the game and i thought it was funny lol) I think Dottore's Occurrence would be "The Wise Doctor" and it would give you options something along the lines : You are approached by a figure, a charming doctor who need a volunteer for his bext experiment "Are you willing to help this doctor's experiment" And the choices are :

1. Give in and help the doctor (Your party lose 50% of their HP and given one blessing of 2 star rarity)

2. Refuse the doctor (You will lose 99% of your HP and gain a negative curio)

His curio will either be his mask or the wise doctor's pinion with effects, including: Whenever you enter a domain (up to 3 domains), you lose 10% of your HP. After the curio is destroyed, you will lose 1 Blessing of 3 star rarity. (I THINK his curios will mostly have negative effects, lol)

This is a different section if he's with fragile!reader:

1. Dottore definitely would make an appearance in their lightcone and splash art, maybe them running in the field of flowers whilst dottore follow close behind??? Or maybe them dancing with dottore...that would be cute...

2. Since there's phones and all I really agree with what you said dottore does not care for his phone!! It's reader who teaches him how to use camera and messaging apps and teases how he's a genius but have a hard time keeping up with phone technologies lol

3. If they're playable, meta wise they will have harmony path, wind or ice...their kit would go well with Dottore maybe increasing weakness break efficiency or atk% (kinda like Ruan Mei lol) I would want to make their kit to focus on frozen enemies only but that would make them niche in meta ?? AND THEIR EIDOLONS....oof I imagine if they still have their sickness here it would be them in their comatose state while looking very troubled (like a nightmare) :( but in this happy universe they're just smilling peacefully!!

4. Would see them as the type to be traveling around the cosmos. They love collecting trinkets and gifts from their visit!! Also, they would be a big fan of Robin, me thinks... dragging Dottore to her concerts or just blasting her song in his lab.

5. They would!! Love!! Pom Pom!!! They would much want to take Pom Pom home.

Overall, they're just happy in this universe living their lives to their where they don't have to suffer :((

I have been having the biggest star rail dottore brain rot ever!!! I hope you don't mind me writing it out here!!

(x) YES. He would definitely be more extreme than Ruan Mei (who is also one of my top favs, her and Reader would be besties because I said so! I'm sure Trailblazer would make some catcakes of you and Dottore, which you happily take off their hands. Dottore is unsure of how to feel with the two things constantly stacked on each other and staring at him...)

I also love how unique HSR weapons are - it could quite literally be ANYTHING. I've always imagined Dottore using syringes, for his skill, he'd switch the size, fluid, and quantity of it for an enhanced attack, the mysterious liquid inside anyone's guess. I'm not sure if he could have segments in HSR, just because he was only able to create the segments thanks to having a very good test subject (Scaramouche) so he would need to somehow have an equally good experimentation partner in this universe. If he did though, it'd be amazing - he'd get so much done by sending his other selves to different planets...

His lightcone would be similar to Natasha's - a doctor helping their patient, except in his case, the "doctor" will be doing the opposite. His blood-red eyes would pair well with the blood stains on his hands. For a soft route, Dottore falling asleep on his desk and Reader placing a blanket over him. For an angsty route, Reader being injured and he has to hold your dying body. (Poor Pom-Pom... they'd hide behind a crew member the whole time, in fear Dottore might snatch them up for some experimenting... Even more, they would NOT be amused with you trying to constantly pet them.) And yes! I feel like besides his negative curios, they would be high risk, high reward - you're going to have to prove yourself to him if you want his help!

If you want to be soft, Reader's lightcone would be them flustered as another pair of hands (Dottore) place a carefully woven flower crown on their head. If you want to be angsty, it would be them sickly laying in a bed as Dottore scrambles to do anything to keep them stable. Reader and Dottore's E6 would be like Hanya's and Xueyi's - they hold hands with each other! Except they would be more intimate with each other, they would bring each other's hands closer to their lips for a small kiss. Or perhaps they would have a hand over each other's hearts.

You steal Dottore's phone often. You have like... a dozen games installed on his phone, and although his phone is always on Do Not Disturb, sometimes he scrolls through and just sees tons of notifications from random apps... he texts you as to what the hell you did with his phone and you just beg him to log on and do your dailies. He leaves you on read.

You would love traveling about too. (Kind of like Himeko - she was unable to fulfill her wishes in HI3 but now she can!!) You bring back so many items that you have to use Dottore's storage rooms to fit them all (he's not amused.) You probably even got a Warp Trotter as a pet somehow... OMG AND YOU'RE SO RIGHT ABOUT ROBIN... you have her playlist blasting during research time and he's just... not amused once again!! Reader falls back dramatically into Dottore's arms once they meet her...

I love the pookies dearly...

[bharv]

The Monster, The Portrait, and the Stone

Hey guys! So over the fantastic Gortash Week, I managed to finish my trilogy of Durgetash fics and I wanted to make a collective post about them.

They all sit within my bigger collection of Durgetash stuff, A Jewelled and Bloody Hand, but I think these three fics are the "meat" of that writing and I'm very, very proud of how they all turned out, and I hope you will enjoy them too. They're all rated "M" but mind the tags, these all don't shy away from the darker implications of both characters' pasts.

Part One: Monster, Mine

(art by the impeccable @mooreaux)

There is a beast haunting the city, and there is a tentative reaching of hands across the table. In pre-canon, Enver Gortash tries to find the truth of the Slayer.

Part Two: The Portrait

(Art by the incredible @lokorum)

Lord Gortash requests a portrait of his paramour. The pay is good, the contract legitimate. It seems almost too good to be true... In pre-canon, a young artist takes a job from an upcoming player in Baldur's Gate society.

Part Three: Stonemilker

(art by the infallible @muwitch)

He is always so good with words, erudite and sure. He always knows what to say. She is always so careful with words, until she finds she cannot be. As their relationship becomes more blurred and the lines between friends, companions, colleagues and lovers get ever more difficult to define, Manva Warhelm and Enver Gortash must find new words for each other.

All in all they're about 32,800 words, a little novella's worth, and I have been so thrilled with the response to them and to have been able to both commission and in the case of the final piece to have been gifted art by such incredible creators to bring it to life.

I hope you enjoy them, if you do take the time.

[positivelybeastly]

Love reading through your analyses and I was wondering if you had insight on something I noticed with Hank/Beast and Kurt/Nightcrawler: writers often use both of them in the visible mutation metaphor and emotional cores, but Kurt's approach is more from faith and Hank's is more from curiosity. Often when one or either are gone/dead/changed, things seem to get worse for the Team overall.

Do you think those two would benefit each other's characters? Even just to have spirited philosophical discussion?

So, this actually touches on a funny thing that I've noticed with Beast and Nightcrawler over time - which is that they're almost never on the same team together, probably precisely because they serve an extremely similar function in a team composition, for the reasons you've kind of touched on here.

They are, after all, both heavily visibly mutated individuals who were, or are, considered figures of great integrity and morality, with a strong code of ethics and a depth of feeling that expresses itself in a deeply vivacious personality - romantic, friendly, charming, and erudite.

Therefore, having them both on a team is, unfortunately, somewhat redundant.

That being said! They do still interact, and they're shown to be sources of great comfort and friendship for one another. Their first meetings were - somewhat inauspicious . . .

See, this is the funny thing about old comics - storylines just flow and flow and flow. Comics didn't stop after ten issues and get restarted with a new #1 every few months, they just ran and ran and ran, and the pacing reflected that.

There aren't usually month long gaps where you can assume nothing happened and people just got to hang out, they're working hard! Hank has been working with the Avengers so much that he literally hasn't even had time to meet the new X-Men properly! Wild.

But, eventually, things did slow down, and they got a chance to properly socialise, and, as expected, they got along like a house on fire.

Like, these two are just born to be friends. They have so much in common. Where Hank leans more to the obscure, the erudite, and the scientific, Kurt leans more to the dashing, the swashbuckling, and, of course, the religious, but they're still both fundamentally cut from the same cloth - acrobatic, charming, philosophical, heroic, fun.

But, that same alike quality means you don't get a ton of interaction between them, so I cling to what they do have. One of my favourite interactions between them is in Nightcrawler's 2004 solo series.

First off, absolutely adore Hank in this art style. The fact that the artist decided to include the detail of his fur poking out of the shirt like that is just. It transfixes me. I really want to go over and just. Run my fingers through his side fur. But mostly, I just like their chemistry? Hank's a great supporting character because he's so emotionally intelligent and reflective, and he's great at giving people perspective, usually with a healthy dose of sarcasm and teasing.

That being said, this scene is always the one I point to whenever I say that the X-Men really have no idea what's going on in Hank's head a lot of the time, because this took place after Hank had been psychically brutalised, nearly beaten to death, and one of his best friends had just been murdered - and he's doing a really very good job of hiding that trauma.

So much so that Kurt thinks he's just fine. He's just fine. There's nothing to worry about. But it's not Kurt's fault, and it's nowhere near unique to him, either. He had no way to know, he had his own stuff going on (the subject matter of this solo series, as it happens), and Hank is doing well enough that it isn't interfering with things, so, let him deal with it in peace, I suppose.

At least on this occasion.

Kurt is, after all, an emotionally intelligent and caring individual. You can't stop Nightcrawler from trying to help where he can. And I think that even just the reaching out, just the show of support, can be enough for a character like Hank.

Moments like these matter, in my opinion. It's important to show that teammates and friends care about each other, in the moment to moment stories, otherwise it can all feel very impersonal and like no-one cares about one another. This is how you establish dynamics over years, even between characters who have, technically speaking, never really been on a team together before.

The next big milestone I can think of comes after the X-Men's move to Utopia, where, again, Hank and Kurt don't share a ton of panel time together, but . . .

This is one of the few times you'll ever hear anyone say that Hank was right. And it's not really a surprise that it comes from Kurt, because, again, these men are cut from the same cloth. They come at it from different angles, but they believe in much the same things.

And . . . that's why it hits so hard when Kurt dies.

I don't necessarily agree with the decision to have Hank break from the literal funeral procession to call Scott out for Kurt's death. Some fans of Nightcrawler really appreciate that moment, because it shows how much Kurt's death affected Hank, but I personally just. Don't think it tracks, for Hank to be quite that disrespectful.

After the funeral, or even before, but during it? Nah. Matt Fraction made a good few Hank characterisation choices I don't agree with, and this was one of them.

This felt a bit more apropos.

Remember what I said about how little moments build to dynamics between characters who have never been on teams together? I buy this moment so much more with the context of that moment from Endangered Species, where Kurt is literally positioned as the light trying to pull Hank out of the dark path he's following with obsessive fervour. The fact that he was trying went a long way. Hank felt it, even if he didn't take him up on it at the time. That moment mattered.

And that's why I absolutely buy Hank's reaction when Kurt came back to life.

Hank believes in Kurt. He believes the very best of him. On teams where Hank can often feel alone or isolated, someone like Kurt will reach out, and make him feel connected, and welcome, and pull him back. Temper his scientific pessimism and realism with optimism and belief. Restore his fervour, and remind him of simpler, happier times.

A lot of the best scientists, who have contributed the most to scientific inquiry, were religious, because for a lot of them, there's no real conflict between science and religion, they're both two sides of the same coin, in a way - a belief in a higher power. It's just how they react to that higher power that changes.

And while Hank was explicitly religious for a while, I always interpreted him as losing that faith over the years, becoming bogged down in the real over the sublime as what he went through wore him down. Someone like Kurt was able to spark that in him again. Maybe not his faith, per se, but at the very least belief in the human spirit.

It's important. As you say, massive benefit to each other's characters. Underrated dynamic, these two. Absolutely love 'em.

[wackyharpy]

Solicitude

Eric (Divergent) x Fem! Reader

Summary: Eric takes care of his girlfriend after the hard day.

To find more stories — masterlist

A/N: English isn't my native language. I'm obsessed with this man, oh gods! Needed to write something like this. I'd be very happy for your comments and reblogs. Enjoy :)

Warnings ⚠️

NSFW 18+, fingering, p in v sex, she/her pronouns.

MINORS DO NOT INTERACT

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She enters their shared apartment late in the evening locking the door. Muscles all over the body ache after hard trainings with the squad she's part of. Their commander always keeps them fit.

She finished her initiation taking the third place on the rankings board. Such success for a girl, who was one of the two among other male initiates, ended up with her becoming a part of the squad of the special purpose for secret missions.

Since the day their commander chose her, he has never regretted. It was a right decision. She is smart and witty — former Erudite — calm and placid — a perfect person not to blab plans and inside scoop.

Additionally, she's the youngest leader's girlfriend.

To start relationships with Eric wasn't an easy decision, but two years have already passed and they're still together. Unexpectedly, Eric has turned out to be a simple person to live with. Yes, the character he has, sometimes drives her crazy, although it's not the problem that can't be solved. He's dominant, intimidating and frightening, as he was the first time she met him during the initiation.

Nevertheless, she's discovered much more other facets of his personality. He's not just that cruel leader everybody is used to seeing him. Eric can cook — the first thing that surprised her a lot. He's a good listener and adviser. He motivates her to work and to become a better version of herself — she appreciates time they spend together in the gym where he shares his knowledge of how to obtain skillfulness in fighting, shooting, plotting plans and strategies.

They've learned how to be a leader and a subordinate, a mentor and a student outside the walls of their apartment. But here, they're only Eric and her. Just a boyfriend and his girlfriend.

She walks deeper in the room greeting Eric who is finishing dinner in the kitchen area. Dim lights of lanterns illuminate the space along with the moon whose rays permeate into through the panoramic windows — their apartment is situated on the upper floors of Dauntless compartment.

She rubs red weary eyes with her calloused palms, and sits at the table in the dining area. Exhales heavily. Eric places a plate with baked salmon and veggies in front of her. He constantly pays attention to her diet for her to have energy and be healthy.

"Thanks," she smiles warmly.

Being a leader, he's never provided her with advantages that may assist her easily gain a position in Dauntless. Some people may consider, she got her place in the squad because of Eric, though that's not true. Her efforts are the reason she's there. The only benefits she has is access to products of high-quality, good clothes, domicile and protection.

She eats every now and then looking at sharp features of Eric's face, at his perfect nose and slightly plump lips, at his cheekbones which she adores to contour with the finger. Her eyes go down viewing vividly black tattoos on the neck. She feels how something is tugging in the lower abdomen.

"Eat your meal. Stop gazing at me," she hears his voice's deep timbre. Abruptly, her cheeks turn pink and she chuckles. She sees how a perfect line of Eric's lips twitches in a smirk.

"Salmon is really good," she praises dinner.

"Mhm... received two fresh fish this morning."

***

They finish dinner and clean the table, then do the washing-up together. Eric hides two plates in the shelf above the faucet and turns to her immediately embracing her little petite figure with his strong arms.

"Tired?" The serene tone of his voice soothes her.

She cuddles closer to his chest smelling a pleasant male scent, and just nods. She feels a soft kiss on her forehead, and then Eric rises her from the ground taking to the bathroom.

After brushing their teeth — they've got used to do all this plain routine together, the couple gets ready to take the shower. Eric turns on water and begins to undress her. She yawns finally feeling how much her muscles are strained, in need of rest. Hooded eyes watch how Eric attentively takes off all of her clothes, then undresses himself.

He's not a type of guy to say "love you" and other sweet nothings about his feelings, but she doesn't need that. She's got used to his own tongue of showing love and affection.

Before stepping into the shower cabin, Eric checks the temperature of water, only then leads her inside along with him. She closes her eyes relaxing under warm streams realizing how much her body's got exhausted. Eric massages her shoulders gently once in a while placing kisses on them, her neck, or back. He helps to soothe knots in her strained muscles. She sighs contendetly leaning back on his powerful chest. She feels that Eric is smiling, feels his tender touching on her hips and stomach. She enjoys such moments when he takes a lead, dominates but gently, and looks after her. At times like this, she feels safe and peaceful.

After the shower, he dries her wrapping in the soft towel. Eric takes her face and kisses her affectionately and possessively.

"Fancy sex?" His look is demanding and piercing.

She bites her lower lip that doesn't escape Eric's attention.

She nods, also adding:

"But I'm too tired to be active in bed."

He is silent for several seconds, just rubs her cheeks with the thumbs. Then responds:

"I'll take care of you."

With these words, he leads her to their bed that stands opposite the floor-to-ceiling windows. She sinks in the black linen that smells of them. After coming into contact with the duvet, her head and eyelids suddenly feel heavy. Drowsiness washes over her, foggy curtain falls onto her eyes.

Eric lies beside her and she immediately snuggles her nose into his bicep closing her eyes, giving her whole body to him. He unwraps the towel revealing her steamed, after the shower, body.

His calloused hand creases her breasts, plays with her already hard nipples and then goes down reaching her labia. Eric rubs them leisurely watching her reactions. She's a bit sleepy, though still reacts to his movements gasping quietly. He finds her pulsating clit giving it proper attention until her pussy is wet enough to insert two fingers inside. Her moist insides welcome them and he starts gentle but steady movements back and forth. She breathes out, moans a little, and Eric looms his head over brushing his lips against hers.

"Like it?"

"Mhm," she cuddles closer, still keeping her eyes closed.

"Open your legs wider," he commands whispering.

She obediently does as he orders. His thrusts become faster. She feels hotness rushing to her core, something tugs, then her walls clench, and she releases sticky juices orgasming. She exhales heavily feeling pleasant relief.

Eric takes out his fingers spreading clammy liquid of her pussy all over her entrance and inner labia. He pumps his already hard dick for some time and settles himself comfortably between her lean legs. He rubs pinkish head of the cock against her drenched folds, then starts intruding with his member inside.

Eric bites his lower lip feeling how her enjoyable tightness wraps his member. They both gasp. He looms over her hiding her safely from the world conquering all her senses with only his presence.

"Eric..." sweet moan of hers.

His thrusts are slow and gentle — he's not planning to make rough sex tonight. He wants her to enjoy herself, relax, and ultimately sleep peacefully.

[aconfusedkitten]

the medicore compared to the geniuses

so i'm writing a lot of hsr fic right now, and i noticed something really interesting about the genius society and dr. ratio, who are characterized pretty similarly.

they're both treated as this very cold, very distant kind of thing that a lot of people don't understand, and in a lot of ways, that makes sense! ratio's teaching methods don't make sense (logically or in a meta way), and the genius society is so separate from ordinary people. even with someone like asta, who works with herta, there's a degree of separation in her voicelines.

the really interesting difference to me relates to their paths!

1. play style

herta and ruan mei, the two playable genius society members, follow the erudition and the harmony, and both of them specialize on aoe attack/support. herta does almost all of her damage on her own, aside from triggering her follow up, and ruan mei can fit into any team, since she buffs all damage and break effect, but in the end, all of her skills rely on her. they're amazing in situations where you need to look at the full picture and take on a lot of enemies at once -- like pure fiction, as an example! -- but when it comes to one on one fights?

they definitely don't do as well, coming from someone who's built them both and played them in divergent universe.

on the other hand, ratio follows the path of the hunt. his ability to hit multiple targets is non-existent, regardless of which one of his traces you use. unlike herta and ruan mei, he thrives in one on one combat, and his ability to do so relies on his teammates almost as much as it relies on his own build. while he can trigger his own follow up attacks in his skill, wiseman's folly can only be triggered by other teammates. it isn't hard to trigger it, since all you need to do is attack his target, but ratio interacts a lot more with his teammates, despite what you may think from the hunt.

2. interacting with knowledge

we also see them interact with knowledge in extremely different ways.

the genius society has a very big picture idea of how knowledge works. with both of the examples we're given, their research is just that. their research. there aren't any plans to share this knowledge or to make it widespread, or if there are, they aren't told to us.

herta will occassionally let another genius work on her simulated universe, but it's so the trailblazer -- her only test subject -- can learn more about the aeons and other beings in the universe. in the case of the swarm disaster ruan mei, though she will tell us about her projects, has little regard for the lifeforms themselves. between the cat cakes, who we are left to care for, and the propogation swarm clone in herta's basement, we are given no reason to believe she feels strongly about people.

in many ways, ratio is the exact opposite. i have few good things to say about his teaching methods, based on the information we have from his character stories, but they make all of the difference. ratio is in no way lacking in knowledge, and yet, rather than using it for his own studies, he instead uses it to share knowledge across the universe. a lot can be said about the way he goes about it, but the distinction is still very clear. ratio's overall goal is to share the information he has gained, and he's almost single-minded in this pursuit.

you can even make an arguement about divergent universe, a project ratio is implied to have influenced heavily.

while herta's original simulated universe is meant to provide her with information about the universe -- and the player is reliant on the characters and paths they have built -- ratio's divergent universe practically helps teach the player themselves. we are able to use any character, regardless of their build, and learn how they work, both as an individual and as a team. according to screwllum, ratio's project was intented to focus on 'the every day person,' and it definitely shows.

3. wrapping up

for all of their surface level similarities, ratio's core values are very different from that of the genius society members we know, and (a topic for a different time) why ratio hasn't been acknowledged by nous.

after all, how do you get accepted into a group focused on learning the big picture of the universe when you'd rather spend your time sharing information with any person you meet on the streets?

[thecreaturecodex]

Shobolon

Panels from Bone, © Jeff Smith

[Sponsored by @glarnboudin. Bone is a comic series that I remember reading and loving in undergraduate. And the "Stupid Stupid Rat Creatures" were my favorite characters. They pivot from menacing to comical and back on a dime, and have a very distinctive look. Their culture (or lack of it) has some very interesting world building implications, and they're one of the better riffs on the "evil minion species" in fantasy literature that doesn't go for wholesale deconstruction. However, they don't have much in the way of distinctive abilities in the comic. So I had to do some work to ensure that they were mechanically interesting.

A word about the name. In Bone, they are only known as "rat creatures", which says some alarming things if rats are sapient and seven feet tall. The name I went with was suggested by @abominationimperatrix. It's an Eastern European rat-ogre, but information on it in English is super sparse, to the point where different sources disagree whether it's Romanian or Romani.]

Shobolon CR 2 NE Monstrous Humanoid This shaggy, bulky humanoid has wide red eyes and a wide mouth full of sharp teeth. Its ears rise to a sharp point, and it walks on its knuckles.

Shobolons are voracious monsters that tend to live in large numbers. They are larger, stronger and slightly dimmer relatives of ratfolk, although the two species rarely interact on friendly terms. Their endonym is rarely spoken—most people just refer to shobolons as “rat-creatures”. Shobolons are omnivorous, but greatly prefer meat, and they don’t particularly care if their meat comes from sapient sources. They tend to fight from ambush, using their skill at climbing, swimming and squeezing into tight spaces to attack from unusual angles. They are fond of using the Intimidate skill to demoralize their foes, screeching hideously before moving to set up flanking positions or retreat from a losing battle.

Most shobolons engage in dramatic body modification. Their long scaly tails are docked shortly after birth (shobolon legends tell of these tails being used as handles by a wrestling demigod who humiliated them in the past), and their ears are cropped upon reaching adulthood in order to grant them a more threatening appearance. Shobolons do not have names of their own unless granted by a member of another species, or by their rulers as a reward for meritorious service. Despite their foolishness and lack of material culture, shobolons tend to be erudite, and like using long words in order to sound smarter (“hello, small mammal” is a common greeting/threat). Shobolons tend towards religion, and different hordes often venerate different gods or powerful fiends. Shobolons universally fear and hate dragons.

Shobolon Rulers Shobolons are very long lived, and display indeterminate growth. One that lives for hundreds of years and feeds well may grow to immense size and power. This growth is somewhat disproportionate, as their arms do not grow to scale with the rest of their bodies. A shobolon ruler often uses titles like King or Queen, regardless of how many shobolons they rule over. Such creatures are Large in size with 12 racial HD. A shobolon ruler has improved grab and swallow whole with its bite attack, gains frightful presence as a special attack and has undersized weapons as an SQ. A shobolon ruler is at least a CR 8 creature—many of them have levels in fighter or cleric beyond their racial HD.

Shobolon CR 2 XP 600 NE Medium monstrous humanoid (ratfolk) Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, Perception +4 Defense AC 14, touch 11, flat-footed 13 (+1 Dex, +3 natural) hp 19 (3d10+3) Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +2 Defensive Abilities tight fit Offense Speed 30 ft. Melee 2 claws +4 (1d4+1), bite +4 (1d6+1) Special Attacks startle Statistics Str 13, Dex 12, Con 13, Int 10, Wis 9, Cha 10 Base Atk +3; CMB +4; CMD 15 Feats Improved Initiative,Skill Focus (Intimidate) Skills Climb +10, Escape Artist +7, Intimidate +8, Perception +4, Stealth +6, Swim +10; Racial Modifiers +4 Climb, +4 Escape Artist, +4 Swim Languages Common Ecology Environment temperate forests and hills Organization solitary, pair, troop (3-8), army (9-24 plus 1 2nd-4th level fighter per 20 individuals) or horde (25-200 plus 1 2nd-4th level fighter per 20 individuals and 1 ruler) Treasure standard Special Abilities Startle (Ex) A shobolon can make an Intimidate check to demoralize an opponent as a move action. An opponent intimidated by a shobolon cannot make attacks of opportunity as long as it suffers from a fear effect. Tight Fit (Ex) A shobolon suffers only half the usual penalty to Armor Class and attack rolls when squeezing. Two shobolons can fit in the same space and fight without penalty.

[sea-salted-wolverine]

Ooh can you share some of the elite team olympics drama 👀

The us men's nordic team is comprised entirely of very sweet fairly erudite upstanding young men who also happen to be melodramatic meatheads. It does not help that everyone has known each other since elementary school and as a result knows everyone's family, significant others, dogs, wax techs, coaches, baby sitters, landlords, fishing buddies, and every other social connection you can think of. And in true small town fashion, all these connections are constantly in a churn, because somebody's ex is somebody else's wax tech is baby sitting for somebody else's coach who is also pet sitting for someone else's hunting buddy who's going to make gluten free caribou sausage for the first guy's roommate. (Actually its more complicated than that but I'll paraphrase)

The thing about the Olympic team selection is that they're fairly subjective, which means there's room to argue about who deserves to go. There are lots of elite level races throughout the year all across the world, some of which get scored based on how racers place. But there are thousands of variables to consider, and it's very possible to have a shitty season with a handful of bad races that reflect badly on a racer who would have been faster than a guy who got better race conditions. Because the community is so tightly knit and everyone trains together and is constantly up in each other's business its not actually that hard to have a better informed opinion than the guys making the Olympic team selections.

[jymwahuwu]

So I came up with this conclusion after analyzing jingrenheng trio in your writing, which include unconventional darlings that might suit them.

Dan Feng: I honestly can see a scholar!darling suiting him. Historical-wise the women around Chinese emperors were more than pretty faces, they're smart because the selection requires virtue and knowledge of philosophies as well. So a scholar darling will be good for his image, and you're also less likely to be bullied by high-ranking vidyadharas because you're educated. It's also more likely that Dan Feng will listen to your input because of your education, but he's the one making the final decision duh.

Blade: I've seen Blade with darling who are on the victim side, like him kidnapping Dan Heng's darling and so on. But considering how he's a Stellaron Hunter I can see him with a darling who's powerful BUT is seen as a weapon by people. As in powerful enough to destroy but doesn't exactly rebel a lot; being used to be directed by powerful people. Maybe you're a powerful thing fully controlled by a planet's government that the Stellaron Hunters happened to have a mission on and Kafka offered for you to join the hunters because your powers are too good to waste.

Jingyuan: I've also seen Jingyuan with a darling who's more vulnerable than him, so how about a darling who's a financially powerful ally to him? Imagine that during a long expedition to defeat barbaric enemies that are a threat to the Luofu, one of the stops was this planet under the Luofu enemies' occupation; your planet. You, knowing how barbaric those enemies were and how the weaker cloud knights would definitely be brutally harmed took in a lot of members of the cloud knights inside your estate. That also included an injured Jingyuan. So this kind of darling has the upper hand because Jingyuan owed her the lives of the cloud knights, he can't just do as he likes.

never thought that someone would use the word "analysis" for my hsr stuff, thank you very much!! these are indeed the types of readers I have not considered👀

Dan Feng: If you were a scholar before you met him, Dan Feng would have heard about your reputation from people. Dancing on the path of "Erudition", you pursue knowledge and strategy. Maybe you’ve published some research?

Dan Feng is just traditional, which definitely does not mean that he cannot accept his spouse being smart and accomplished. He appreciates your wisdom and discusses history, culture, and Aeons with you. It's like discovering a treasure, he always finds surprises. In this case, Dan Feng respects your opinion and imagines how smart the dragon cub will be.

Blade: The companion type Darling is an equal to Blade. He is the type of person who respects his companions. Even in a state of mental breakdown, Blade could observe Kafka's sadness. From his first comment on Kafka, we can tell that Blade has a soft and gentle heart.

"Listen, Bladie, loosen up." "Listen, don't think about anything at all." He nodded. The woman walked to his side, smiling. Yet he thought her smile looked very sad. "Maybe someone left her before they could listen to everything she had to say," he thought.

But if you have been abused as a "weapon" before, Blade will treat you more gently and carefully. If those who have abused you are not on the script, Blade will support some… more extreme plans to destroy those people.

Jing Yuan: 😹Oh, you can see what a painful experience this is for Jing Yuan. He is grateful to you for saving those Cloud Knights and for being an ally. You are too sweet for him. General sometimes wanted to pull you into his lap, but those favors stopped him. He can't do this to you…at least not yet. That would be very ungrateful of him. He's pursuing you in a decent way - you might think it's still too pushy though.

[silvernyxchariot]

I can take him.

In a fight. And not in a fight. ( ͡°ω ͡°)

How my Genshin break and HSR binge is going:

This fight was easy. I'm a little sad I had to change up from my first team comp because I took out Ratio and Tingyun, but Harmony Trailblazer had to be added. This team still got the job done, just not as quickly. (Honestly, HSR is easy to play, but people just actively choose not to read. 😑 Or be patient. The hints, tips, and weaknesses are right there.) My Himeko and Serval were barely built during this fight too. Ma boi, Aventurine though✨; E1 with his signature light cone, ofc. . . Don't look at me like that; my Gepard would have been just as useful as the sustain if an Ice type was needed in this fight.

Funny enough though, I started playing HSR thinking I would be an Erudition main because I liked Serval so much, but Gepard came swinging in as my first 5 star like, "Yeah, no. My sister can't handle that kind of responsibility." So, I decided to become a "sustain main," though that probably doesn't exist in this fandom or they're just very rare, meaning if my "friends" need a Preservation or Abundance character to support, I have some ready on standby. Unlike the 10,000 DPS units out there. Build your DPS units right and you won't have so many problems, Susie! I'm working on Gallagher right now, but I made the mistake of raising my Equilibrium level today when my characters aren't ready. So, farming is taking longer than necessary. (My process is chara.level > light cone > relics > traces, because I forget traces exist most of the time💀)

Don't be mistaken, I do have damage dealers/DPS and other units built, i.e. Himeko, Dr. Ratio, Dest.Trailblazer, and even little Herta. But I've dedicated myself to the "You're not allowed to die without my permission" curse. My Bleach Brave Souls main is Seinosuke Yamada, a healer. I didn't even mean to have him as my best character.

For future teams, I want Jing Yuan and Robin. An upgraded Serval with FuA and the newest Harmony unit? Yes, please. If Sunday ever becomes playable, I'm definitely pulling for him though. I just added a new birb man to my harem. I can see him as the "opposite" of Robin. So, a Quantum or Imaginary element with the Nihility or Erudition path; I also went off of the vibes his Boss fight gave. On Sunday's note, I don't think becoming a Stellaron Hunter should be a part of his character development. No, I will not elaborate.

[ask-obt]

Who was the guardian that was meant to be in charge of the Treeshroud time gear?

Anonymous asked: Erudite, why does the treeshround forest time gear have no guardian?

Anonymous asked: You mentioned that all of the guardians know of Treeshroud Forest's Time Gear ("Without," you called it? Do each of them have names like that?) being stolen... Does - Or, perhaps Did is more appropriate in these circumstances - that one also have a guardian like you? I don't think I remember anyone mentioning them, if there is - Or, was. Though my memory's never been the best, so maybe I'm just misremembering. I suppose you're used to folks coming and going with holes in their memories, huh? :p

Erudite: The lack of guardian was intended from the start. The Treeshroud gear serves as a bit of a decoy- it's the easiest to collect, and it gives us guardians a heads-up that someone will likely come collect the others. It can take Time's champion years to even start collecting the Time Gears, and we can't very well sit around at our lakes unmoving during that wait. Or, more accurately, my siblings can't. They're prone to wandering. I'm perfectly content staying put and working on reading my backlog of recorded knowledge.

[a-small-batch-of-dragons]

Erudite | Support Network

Watching Logan clips and "you just don't understand love" "I understand that it's making you act pathetic" is a banger line but also very aro coded lol Anyways this is partially I wanted to share the quote and also partially aro Logan please and thank you? – anon

Read on Ao3 Masterlist

Warnings: internalized arophobia ish

Pairings: none

Word Count: 2604

Roman answers his door and doesn't even hesitate before he's pulling Logan inside and into a hug. "Hey, Erudite, what's going on?"

"I'm very stressed for no reason and it's troubling me."

He blinks. "Yeah, that sounds like it's not a good thing to be. Can I help?"

"I don't know."

"Okay, do you want me to keep asking questions about it or do you just need to…exist for a few minutes?"

Logan sighs, shaking his hands as his arms start to cramp from being crossed for so long. "I think I—forgive me, but I don't think I know what I need."

"…well, you're doing the thing of being a little extra formal because you're freaking out—"

"I'm aware."

"Okay, okay. Uh—" Roman glances around and picks up one of the stuffed whales from his bed— "here. Hold onto that for a little while."

Logan gratefully accepts the plush and plants his chin right about where the blowhole would be, closing his eyes and breathing in the soft scent of fresh breeze lingering on the plush. Roman must've had his windows open this morning; he recognizes the smell of some of the Imagination's flower fields and the slight chill means it must've been recently. Reconstructing the timeline in his head does wonders to undo the worst of the tangled knot of stress and his shoulders sag. Roman comes up beside him and plants his chin on his shoulder, another grounding point of contact.

"Hi," he says, head bobbing awkwardly as his chin moves up and down, "you feel any better?"

"I think so. Thank you."

"Sure. You wanna come cuddle for a second while you figure stuff out?"

"…if you're busy, then—"

"Shush, Erudite," Roman says fondly, pushing him over to the bed and making him sit, "come cuddle. You look like you need it."

Logan doesn't protest as Roman slides his glasses from his face, letting him lie him on his side and scooting behind him, the whale still nestled in his arms. He closes his eyes and breathes in the scent again. Soft bird calls and wind chimes come from Roman's closet—that's right, he was supposed to work in the Imagination this morning, perhaps he just got back. The memory of Roman's joke about the door being in his closet makes his mouth turn up just slightly and he huffs a laugh. Roman snuggles into his side and nudges him.

"What's funny?"

"I was remembering your jokes about the closet door."

"That's a good thing to remember, I'm hilarious."

"You are."

"You want a blanket or something?"

"No, I'm okay." He lets out a long breath. "I think it's just…hard today."

"What's hard today?" Logan makes a vague gesture toward Roman's door and Roman makes an ah sound. "The others?"

"It's not their fault and there's nothing I would have them do about it—they can't do anything about it, it's not something for them to be worried about—"

"And it's not your fault for being affected by it either," Roman breaks in gently, "don't beat yourself up for having a reaction to something, Erudite."

"But shouldn't I be happy for them? That they're happy and everything? I know, I know," he says before Roman can say anything, "we've been over that too. It's a complicated situation and there will be periods where it's more challenging due to the nature of human emotions and the nuances therein."

"Took the words right out of my mouth."

He laughs again. "I know, Roman, I do, it's just…hard."

"Well, as we've also discussed, you can't think your way out of being in pain, so…"

The next sigh is tinged with frustration. "I know that. I'm just…frustrated with myself. I know it's not like I have a right to be—no, no, that's a poor choice of words. I'm frustrated that I'm frustrated, and at how there is not a way to resolve the frustration and instead I have to…ride it out, as Virgil would put it."

Roman's quiet for a second, just resting his head on Logan's shoulder when he rolls onto his back, still holding the whale. Then he too lets out a sigh. "Yeah, I get that. It's a very annoying sort of being annoyed because the fact that you're annoyed is making you more annoyed."

"Exactly."

"And I'm guessing that pointing out the ridiculousness of it or the justifications for it doesn't help? Because then it just makes you more annoyed that you got into the situation in the first place?"

"You're as insightful as ever and the others don't give you enough credit for it."

He lets out a surprised bark of laughter. "Well, I wouldn't say that, but the sentiment is appreciated."

Logan lets his eyes fall closed, taking comfort in the solid heft and weight of the whale plushie against his chest. If he doesn't think about it too much—which is enough of a challenge for him at the best of times—he can almost imagine the whale wriggling around slightly to make itself more comfortable in his hold, its tail brushing the undersides of his arms as it rolls over to—

He lets out a yelp and scrambles upright, staring at the definitely moving whale plush on his chest.

"Oh, shit," Roman mutters, quickly scooping it up and petting it until it stills again, "I'm sorry, Erudite, I didn't know that would happen. I was working on a type of stuffed animal that would come alive in the Imagination as like, an animal companion sort of thing? But it was only supposed to come alive once we were in there or if…"

He glances up at Logan. Logan's still recovering from the shock of having a stuffed animal move, thank you very much, but manages to hold eye contact. "If what?"

"…it's dumb and more of an unintended side effect than a feature of the thing, okay?"

"Alright, so what is it?"

Roman sighs, ducking his head as a small blush spreads over his cheeks. "If it senses that you're someone I care about and worry about, okay? You were holding it and you were upset and it could tell that I was upset for you and…yeah, okay? It's not like I meant for it to happen or anything."

The whale moves a little and Roman presses a kiss to the top of its head.

"Yeah, I know, buddy, everything's okay. You just go on back to sleep, okay?"

"I didn't mind."

"You what?"

"I didn't mind," Logan admits, holding his arms out again, "it just startled me. Besides, that's sweet."

"Sweet? What's sweet? The fact that it just randomly comes alive when it's not supposed to?" The whale bumps its snout against his chin and he kisses it in apology. "I didn't mean it like that, buddy."

"I think it's sweet that it can sense when you're worried and tries to help. Though that does seem to be a feature of most of the Imagination's creations."

"Yeah, yeah, just call me a sap out loud, why don't you," Roman grumbles, but Logan can see the pleased tilt to his smile as he passes the plush back over. "If you're sure it won't bother you?"

"I'm sure. Hello," Logan mumbles as the plush squirms happily in his grip and he holds onto it again. It shifts so its tail is nestled against the crook of his arms, its snout against the crook of his neck. "It almost feels as though it's breathing, did you design that too?"

"Huh? No, I think it's…well, it's probably trying to calm you down and so it's mimicking a breathing cycle as like, a comfort thing?"

"Fascinating." He runs his hand up and down the whale's back, feeling the pulses every so often. The more he thinks about it, the more it feels like a pulse than a strict inhale-exhale, which is, as Roman says, actually doing wonders to help calm him down. "Is this what you've been working on?"

"Yeah, one of them."

"It's lovely. Who is the whale for?"

"Well, that one wasn't gonna be for anyone specifically, but I think it'd be quite upset if I didn't let it see you anymore." Roman reaches out and tweaks its fin gently. It brushes its tail against his hand before curling up with Logan again. "So it might be yours. Yeah? That sound good? Oh, god, look at it, it's really snuggling with you now, isn't it?"

Indeed, the whale plush seems to have taken on the affection of a sleepy cat, lazing across Logan's chest with a contented sort of air that comes from something right on the verge of sleep. The drowsiness is contagious; as the plush lounges in his arms, he feels himself slipping closer and closer to the edge of sleep as Roman scoots close enough to rest their heads together. The smell of the Imagination's flower fields helps tremendously. He takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly.

"I think it's just difficult when I hear them talk in absolutes about it," he admits into the gentle quiet of the room, "when they say thinks like 'of course I love you, who wouldn't,' or things about the inevitability of falling in love with each other."

"Like it's not a choice to commit to that sort of relationship and just kinda something everyone's expected to do?"

"I believe so, yes. Not everyone will end up in a romantic relationship, not everyone will choose to stay in or maintain a romantic relationship, and it's not—it's not as though the romantic attraction itself sustains a healthy relationship."

"God no. Not in the slightest."

"And then to just…make a statement like that, where it's an assumption that this is just something that everyone does, like it's a facet of being alive, it…grates on me."

Roman doesn't bother with empty platitudes. Instead, he shifts closer and lets Logan cuddle into his side, the plush still nestled in his arms. Here in this moment, he doesn't have to worry about being judged or ostracized, he can just feel the emotions that he needs to in the time and space he needs to process them properly. And just that small action, in and of itself, makes everything a little more bearable.

"For what it's worth," Roman says after a while of them lying together in the quiet, "if at any point you just need to come in here and be away from all of that, you have permission to."

"You'd—you'd just let me come into your room whenever? What if you're not here?"

"If it's me specifically you're after, then either I'm gonna be in here or in there." He indicates the closet. "Off in Narnia or some other fantastical realm."

"Are you inviting me to get back in the closet?"

"Hey, we all know there's nothing wrong with being in the closet," Roman jokes, "but yeah, it'll be open to signify that's where I am. If you need to find me, just come in and it should take you right to me. I just mean that I get it, Erudite, I have to get away from it every so often too."

"Is that why you're up here instead of downstairs while they're making cookies?"

"No comment."

"That's a 'yes.'"

Roman lightly kicks his ankle and chuckles. "The answer is yes, you can come in here if you need to. Whenever you need to. I care for the others, really, I do, but I…just because I'm Romance doesn't mean that I'm immune to the aro need to get away from all of it every once in a while."

"I appreciate that, Roman."

"Of course. I—" he lets out a slightly self-deprecating laugh—"believe me, I've learned the importance of giving myself time to like, recover from stuff before I get to the point where I feel like I'm gonna explode about it."

Logan frowns, looking over at him. Roman's still staring up at the ceiling, his expression calm, but there's something slightly frantic about the way he's looking at the edge of the canopy. He shuffles a little closer and waits. Sure enough, after a few moment, Roman sighs.

"I'm sure you remember how difficult it was for us when Thomas was coming to terms with the fact that he wasn't straight."

"Yes."

"It was extra difficult for me because it made sense that Thomas didn't like girls, but when Patton and Janus were asking me why he liked boys, why he couldn't like girls and had to like boys, I…didn't have an answer. Like, I could explain to them the ways in which it made sense in Thomas's brain, not that they would've really understood it, but when it came down to like, me understanding it?" He shakes his head and his hair rustles against the pillows. "It was like someone asking me why the light was pink instead of purple and I didn't get why it was on in the first place, I just knew that it was. That it…had to be."

Logan makes a quiet noise of reassurance. The whale moves its tail over to brush Roman's hands. He huffs a laugh and starts stroking its soft plush back again.

"It was a lot of coming to terms with the fact that I just…didn't have the same lights that everyone else did. Ironically enough, that was actually really helpful in getting everyone to be okay with the fact that Thomas was gay. To me, it wasn't really very different from if he liked girls versus boys. It's what made him happy, and who were we to say he couldn't be happy?"

"And if it was possible to be happy with the lights in one color versus another…"

"Then it was also possible to be happy with no light. Or a different set of lights." Roman cracks a smile. "Besides, it's my head, it's my party, I can have whatever lights I want."

Logan chuckles. "Thank you, Roman, that…that helps."

"That's me, happy to help you out."

"You…you know I'm here for you too, right?"

"Aww, of course I do, Erudite," Roman murmurs, turning on his side properly so he can ruffle Logan's hair, "but this is about you right now."

"Yes, well, reassuring you that you know I'm part of your support network is helping me."

"This sounds suspiciously like your 'it makes me less stressed if I help you do something right' translating into you doing it for them."

"Look, there's a difference between telling you I'm here for you and actually making sure Virgil doesn't use salt instead of sugar, so—"

Roman bursts out laughing. "I forgot about that!"

"I envy you. My tastebuds still haven't forgiven it."

"I grew up with Remus, you remember. I think I got burnt out of reacting to weird-tasting stuff fairly young."

"Ah, yes, how could I forget?"

"Trust me," Roman says, making a face, "I wish he would've just messed up the salt and the sugar."

"I'm torn between wanting to know and desperately wanting to preserve some of my appetite for dinner."

"Take your time to decide, Erudite, we've got all afternoon."

"Thank you, Roman," Logan murmurs as the three of them drift slowly towards a pleasant mid-afternoon nap, "really."

"Of course, Erudite. In your own time, that's how everything's gotta go."

In his own time.

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[circinuus]

two people caught in silence, one kills the hush.

ayatsuji yukito x gn! reader. 1.6k words

as another agent assigned to monitor the special first-class dangerous ability user, you sure are an odd duck.

[this loosely follows the gaiden LN]

❥ my contribution to the ayatsuji enjoyers community. i lack sleep, rip. this isn't the best. but at this point i'm just desperate to write something for this man ('A`) no beta we die like my sleeping hours 👍

In this world, there are two types of people.

One is those who aren't fortunate enough, or perhaps haven't worked their brain hard enough to match the lines of thoughts of people like Ayatsuji Yukito. That much, The Homicide Detective knows well. Sometimes, these people's naivety and simple-mindedness can serve as his harmless amusement. While some other times they genuinely irate his thinning patience. Ayatsuji has met many of these kinds of people.

The other type is those who do not ask stupid questions and are apt enough to follow simple observations and deductions from people like Ayatsuji Yukito. The detective, unfortunately, has only met (mostly heard) very few of these kinds of people; they comprise terrorists, murder instigators, criminals, and what seems to be only one or two actual detectives.

And yet, the person sitting in front of him appears to possess the worst traits of both categories. Ironic, considering they're as obedient and agreeable as a doll—the one thing he finds more intriguing than people.

Case Report One: Ayatsuji Detective Office/ Morning/ Overcast

"This is not bad," The titular detective hums against the warm rim of his coffee-filled cup. "Have you ever considered being a maid?"

If one looks at the window, one will see how the day shows its aquamarine bleakness. Spring is already peeking from the horizon, but the remnants of winter still render the air frigid and the sky cloudy.

Your eager presence—another Special Divisions Agent—is as misplaced as a fully-bloomed spring flower at the quarter end of winter. Much less when your supposed 'target' is trying to trick you into making a cup of morning coffee. Two brown sugars, and no milk.

"Sure, if the costume's cute," you merely give him a derpy smile. "Regardless, I don't mind. It's just a cup of coffee."

Two people, strangers by then, share a moment of silence. Ayatsuji eventually deigns to look up from his erudite-looking book. Golden eyes meet your undeterred stare.

"What're you looking at me for? If so, then go change. Your outfit's over there."

Case Report Two: Marshland/ Afternoon/ Partly Cloudy

Four bamboo leaves and six purple stones.

Two people on the side of an old well by a small river

Ayatsuji Yukito normally couldn't care less for any poor agent sent to accompany his investigation excursions. After all, he's the government's lap dog forced to work with nothing less than obedience, and whoever is sent to him is only the leash that is supposed to keep him at bay.

But his eyes inevitably deadpan at your crouching self. He exhales a long sigh on his kiseru as he watches you observe the base of "the well that grants evil."

(Ayatsuji has clearly underestimated your dedication to displaying your lack of dignity. Your sleek dress suit is a contrast against the frilly maid costume you wore—as you made him coffee and whatnot. As much as he finds amusement in your nonsense, the Homicide Detective had to put the buffoonery to an end before he gets another off look from Tsujimura, or before words about him being an unsightly creep begin to circulate).

"Hm. This reminds me of that 'curse' thingy from Kojiki."

"What a surprise," said he, "You have the capacity to use your head."

And yet as always, Ayatsuji only sighs when you respond to his quip with a proud thumbs up. Perhaps you're just that much of a fool, regardless of the quick observation.

"Like the green bamboo leaves that’ll wither," your voice starts to ebb along the steady stream of the quaint river, chanting the passage from the olden literature. "May you also be green then wither someday. Like the salt tide that surges and ebbs later, may you also surge then ebb away. Like these stones that sink in the water, may you also sink down all the way..right?"

"Excellent work. Now you just have to look for the salt."

Two people, acquaintances by then, exchange empty glances. You look hesitant, attention pacing back and forth between the muddy bamboo and Ayatsuji's orange lenses. The detective is quick to break the silence.

"Go on. What good is your tongue for? Lick it.”

Case Report Three: Ministry of Justice Main Building/ Morning / Clear Skies

Ayatsuji Yukito is convinced something is wrong with your head.

Your nose had scrunched up when you bit the bullet and taste for any existing sodium chloride on that muddy—clearly full of bacteria—bamboo leaves. With a spry motion, Ayatsuji's gloved hand was quick to reach for your shoulder before you can go for another inspection.

"It is salty. Let's just have the forensics examine it to make sure."

"... Are you stupid?"

Your head snaps in his direction, right before you reach for a water bottle to rinse your mouth.

"But Ayatsuji-sensei was the one who told me to taste it!"

Ayatsuji Yukito is convinced something is clearly wrong with your head. On the bright side, fools can't catch colds.

"Sensei," your voice cuts through the detective's solemn reverie, taking him back to the present. "This 'Sorcerer,'... What if he appears alongside 'The Engineer' we're trying to capture?"

"Don't worry," with relaxed shoulders, Ayatsuji assures. "Kyogoku is the instigator who's closely related to this series of murder cases. We definitely won't deal with him soon."

For once, the detective feels retaliation oozing from your being. From the corner of his eyes did he catch your silent protest, mouth slightly taut and eyebrows creasing at his sarcastic remark.

Though it was short-lived as you soon nod to yourself, muttering a determined, almost relieved, 'Roger that.'

Two people, colleagues by then, are now drowned in their own's mullings.

"Good grief," Ayatsuji breaks the silence for the nth time. "I'm starting to wonder whether they made a good decision to station you in this case."

Case Report Four: Ayatsuji Detective Office/ Morning/ Sunny

"What are you doing?" Ayatsuji eyes you sharply.

The case wasn't completely closed, per se. But the dust had settled, and with it, you are back to your usual routine as the watchdog for another dog of the government.

"Making myself a cup of coffee of course," you chirp.

Ayatsuji didn't bother to point out how you arbitrarily used his kitchen supply to make yourself comfortable. Instead, his expression slightly winces as he gets a taste of the beverage you handed to him.

"Four cubes of sugar? I'm surprised you haven't caught diabetes."

"Oh! That one must've been mine!"

His black cat, like a slinking dark shadow meows against your ankle; his calico cat blinking languidly as if its judging your mistake. You make careful steps to set down their master's supposedly correct cup, before deflating like a balloon to the chair in front of Ayatsuji's working table.

"Sorry about that, sensei," your laugh is sheepish, gingerly pushing his untouched no-milk and three-brown-sugar coffee. "But you're right. I'll consider laying off the sugar since you're already sweeter than any-"

"... Go on."

"... No." you solemnly close your eyes as you reach for your overly sweet coffee from his hands. "I have sensed I made a mistake of some kind."

The smell of pleasant coffee beans and cream wafts to your senses, promising a warm and energizing wake-up call from the haze of the morning and the remnants of your fading painkillers. What you have are mere grazes on the leg and a couple of broken bones, really. It doesn't matter as long as your responsibility is safe and sound.

"Ah. (Name)-kun, that's-"

"Whoa there! Wasn't that an indirect- AH that burns!-"

Ayatsuji, once again, sighs into the warm rim of his cup - the correct one, this time.

Translucent rays of the morning sun peek through the blinds of the well-decorated room. You're no longer in a maid dress, nor are you currently, stupidly doing whatever absurd request Ayatsuji dares you to do.

But you do resemble a doll, like this. dust particles floating around your eyelashes, you sitting prettily with a teacup in your hands. Have you been this pristine in appearance? Ayatsuji finally took the time to observe your features, curious as to why this slipped his attention for the weeks you stepped into his agency.

What prompted him to start looking, however, was the miscellaneous gauze littering your face, bandages slightly peeking from your sleeves.

His face ever so subtly sours.

"(Name)."

"Yes?"

"Look at the person you're talking to when they're speaking."

"Says you," your empty cup lands with a gentle thud against the wooden table, attention now transferred to the stacks of reports Ayatsuji should be doing for the day. "Say, do you need help with anything? I need your reports done by this afternoon so-"

The sensation of cold steel presses against your skin, startling your speech into silence. It tilts your chin up as it commands attention.

You know Ayatsuji's trusty kiseru too well. But not with this.. almost demanding gesture. Have you not looked longer, the Homicide Detective's sharp gaze will be reminiscent of the deadly one he procured when he faces those he condemned. But,

"You're awfully obedient and trusting towards me," he iterates, emphasis slow and tone deep—as if reciting the 'curse' you once sang to him beside the well.

"Agent (Name), have I perhaps attracted you in some way?"

"And so devoted," said he, turning your head as to appraise the 'battle wounds' —as you like to say it— that you took in his stead.

Two people, now unsure of what they are, are caught in silence. One decides to kill the hush. With the same derpy smile, you took the chance before Ayatsuji could open his mouth.

"Well, you are the detective here, Ayatsuji-sensei."

GOODNIGHT EVERYONE

♡ @ashthemadwriter