#AHA certified

[jerrom]

also hi sorry i haven't posted in 1 Million Years i think i will have the energy to start posting.... Tomorrow

[darling-gemini]

Started writing a new fic. Kinda hate it. Thinking about scrapping it and trying again. Why must I do this to myself

[aeternaluminanoctis]

Can't sleep so I've given in and put on one of those anime ambiances that's like "study with [name]" and then voice lines and calming sounds of writing or rain and it's... really helpful.

I'm not tired yet but at least I'm focused on something soothing. Cringe but free as they say.

[patheticallyinfatuatedwithu]

— satan's spawn ; chapter nineteen!

yu jimin had everything in the palm of her hands. highest grades in the year, promoted as the captain of the dance team, top of the social hierarchy, and close to having the school's hearrthrob— song kang as her boyfriend. everything was sunshine and rainbows, until song kang's supposed sister, kim y/n turned song y/n— a certified hottie pain in the ass steps into frame, no longer the pathetic, crybaby loser jimin knew her as. and the line between hate and love slowly began to blur.

THE SMELL OF CHLORINE AND VANILLA

there was something freeing about becoming one with the water. despite the long years of performing the sport, y/n couldn't help but relish in the way the water grazes her skin and parts its waves for her. she is its sculptor, molding the aqua into her very own city, a city that only she ruled.

as she glided through the water with such haste, she surfaces and reaches for the timer on the ledge of the swimming pool, fumbling to tap the button.

100m freestyle, 52.73. y/n hums, craning her neck to watch as the ripples she created slowly subside, breathing heavily. her eyes trail around the room in a fast motion, checking the time. 5:43 pm. she contemplates staying for a little while longer, before remembering that she was only supposed to stay until 6.

she reckons she'll get a good night's rest.

y/n has always hated crowds. she hates how everyone's packed together like sardines, barely leaving any room to breathe in. everyone's pushing, and loud, and aggressive, and trying to push to get to the front. she stays outside the perimeter of the huddled up crowd.

y/n muttered strings of curses under her breath, slipping the phone in her pocket as she clutches her duffel bag for dear life. she circles around the crowd, trying to look for an entry into the backstage that the crowd hasn't already blocked. aha!

she slips through the barrier with ease, paying no mind to the group dancing to eminem's the real slim shady on the makeshift dancefloor in the middle of the field.

oh, fuck. kang forgot to mention how crowded the backstage is, too. y/n's eyes flick from person to person, scanning the whole room for her step-brother. a job that shouldn't be hard with her height proves to be difficult, raising her chin as she walks past countless teams, gripping the duffel bag's strap tighter as countless of eyes fell on her.

with her eyes too busy scanning the room and legs that walked on autopilot, she was bound for trouble. and that trouble just happened to be bumping into the last person she needed for it to be. yu jimin.

the shorter girl was dressed in a black, oversized shirt that contained a photo of cat on the front, and light green pants. her hair was tied up into two pigtails, with a headband to top the whole outfit off. jimin looked good, and she knew it. she looks at y/n with wide eyes, and the taller girl is suddenly aware of her outfit.

y/n had sported a black, long sleeve compression shirt paired with a black sweatpants, and she gripped the strap of her bag in a vice grip.

jimin's lips struggled to get a response out of her system, her usual "get out the way, nerd!" response met its demise on her tongue. is this even the same person? that kim y/n? now she gets why people go for the nerds.

her eyes meet y/n's and she only realised then how close their proximity was, when the smell of chlorine and vanilla to mask the smell wafts into her nose. jimin hated the smell of chlorine. one of her exes used to be a swimmer, and she'd remember the pungent smell of pool water when she'd meet up with him. yet she doesn't mind it on the girl in front of her. it rather fits her, she thought.

jimin absentmindedly blinks her eyes when she heared go min-si's voice through the open flaps of the tent, and bumped shoulders with y/n as a hurried last minute bitchy move, strutting down the line of competitors.

y/n breathes out a heavy sigh of relief the moment jimim had gone, shoulders slumping as she massaged her temples, relieved that her highschool bully didn't try to stir a pot of drama. "oh my fucking god."

after a hectic amount of time wasted on looking for kang, y/n found herself outside the perimeter of the crowd once again, eyes mindlessly trained on the men the performed gasolina on stage. she was so out of it that she didn't notice yeonjun approach her, placing a wicked hand on her shoulder, successfully earning a shriek from the girl.

"what the fuck, yeonjun?!"

"i thought you weren't coming?"

y/n grumbles, crossing her arms and trying to even her erratic heartbeat from the jumpscare in deep breaths. "kang needed his jacket and i went to drop it off for him. thought i'd stick around to see what the fuss is all about with this whole dance competition thing."

"and how is it so far?"

"shit. i don't get why people would want to sacrifice air and personal space just to see a bunch of people dancing." y/n deadpans, watching as the crowd cheers and the team on stage finishes.

"you know they can breathe, right?" yeonjun raised an eyebrow in amusement, lips lined into a smirk.

"yeah, yeah. whatever. i bumped into jimin on the way to kang too. i was scared shitless." y/n scrunches her nose, glancing at a cackling yeonjun.

"did you- i bet you shit your pants!" he wheezes, continuously landing smacks on the agitated girl.

"you don't get it! she literally stared at me with those laser fucking eyes! i swear to fuck i thought i was about to combust into a pool of blood beneath her gaze!" y/n replies, tugging at her damp hair that danced with the breeze. "i was eye to eye with a demon, yeonjun! it's a miracle that i'm even able to stand beside you right now."

yeonjun loses his composure, using y/n as a wall and leaning all his weight onto her, making unflattering noises and coming to a halt when kang appears on stage again.

"and now, give it up for aespa!"

yeonjun glances at y/n in silence as a remix of sexyback and are you that somebody? played.

ouhhhh something is brewing...🧙‍♀️

masterlist — prev — next

@ilamara @noone-find-me @newhairnewjeans @hwm1hyun @bambisnc @yoontoonwhs @haechansbbg @rinapomu @lostamoeba @impossiblesharkcashrebel @jisooftme @aeriniee @xen248 @blue4hour @nnewjeansstuff @kyuusberry @masuowo @greenniee @limbforalimb @myjaeyunn @staytiny20 @yerisdumbass @myouiiiiiiii @xszn @r4cjh @i3lia @neviegf @yallatalla @thefckghost (TAGLIST OPEN FOR A SHORT TIME!)

[lunicho]

On the other hand I feel like eunseok is a certified meanie. Currently thinking of this: you’re gonna for a sleepover with ur bestie and he just can’t take it ;( he would send u sexy pics and this could go two ways you either whine and tell him to stop OR you send pics back WHICH WOULD GET HIM SO MAD AND RILED UP!!! Like no you’re meant to crumble for him!!! He’d tell u to get his ass to him immediately and if u don’t he’d defo make sure u can’t walk the next day saying things like “did u want me to work for it?” And this just started something else in me aha eunseok working for it 👀👀👀 okay anyways I need to get some sleep girl pls tell me ur craziest eunseok thoughts -🧚‍♀️

(send riize asks to @angeltsan)

needy eunseok.. i like it.. after he sends pics of his cock hard in his boxers he fully expects u to say you're coming over, needing to feel him immediately. thinking about how he'd go crazy the moment a pic of u hits his phone. your face is cut off, getting a full view of your body, you're sitting on your knees, slightly lifting your shirt over your belly, your thighs on full display in your tiny shorts. he'd immediately call you, fully prepared to tell you you're crazy but when you decline his call he's speechless. he'd send you so many messages about how you better get home now and how he's gonna ruin u when he gets his hands on u but u just keep leaving him on seen which makes him even crazier. you'd send him more photos, going into the bathroom and snapping more revealing photos, sending them to him instead of responding. he'd eventually be able to convince u to come to him, atp he's fuming bc like??? ur usually not like this like he doesn't even understand u rn. eunseok working for it has got me going crazy tho like imagine how he'd be if you're still so firm about not giving in to him, he'd just wanna eat you up but you won't let him.

"no no seok.. you made me leave my friends house to let you get your dick wet.. don't cum yet.." his sigh would be frustrated and he'd look down at you with heavy eyelids, grabbing your legs and pushing them further to your chest, his cock rubbing against u. he's extremely turned on by your teasing but he'd never admit it. he'd make you cum so many times, edging himself over and over as per your request. you're absolutely spent by the time he cums.

[iid-smile]

#08 ୨ৎ ⸝⸝ @meidiary ⋆

i think im in luv with u... 😪 mei is a 10/10 guys!! certified cutie ☺️ idk who i was expecting you to pick, but inumaki 😆😆 one of my favs fr! and i was so excited to do 23 for some reason... you're the first one to request it 👏 all of them are headcanons 🙂‍↕️ (tumblr keeps not saving what i put down its stressing me out!!!)

#18 🍓 | protecting you

im sorry, but inumaki can be such a scaredy cat sometimes...

he'd be afraid, but still step up and get in between you and whatever is the threat

doesn't consider his own safety and wellbeing in the process either... he always puts others first, and a little bit of throat pain is much better than you getting hurt

100% mans up against insects because you hate them

gets intimated when he's up against a muscular 6ft guy, but has a eureka moment and uses his cursed speech. easy win

theres also other things he'd protect you from too, like pulling you away from hot oil and flames if you're cooking together. he's got spidey senses (according to him)

the cold is also something he'd protect you from. always makes sure you have a warm coat, scarf, gloves, and everything. i think inumaki really likes earmuffs too, because then he can whisper about how much he loves you and you wouldn't hear a thing

#20 🍦 | love language

physical touch + quality time

a mixture of both

the two of you could lay around for hours, and he'd just listen to you talk as you both cuddle. when you're both into a particular show or series, snuggling in bed when you're both supposed to be sleeping hits different

if you're on public transport or aimlessly walking around, he'll hold your hand, but it's more like he's holding it from behind rather than actual handholding.

silence with him is always comfortable, and you completely tune out from the rest of the world whenever you're with him

gift giving

he gifts you snacks a lot. even better if he specifically gets ones with pink packaging

not the best with fashion but he tries for you. he would buy you a turtleneck just like his but a different colour and patterned

not the best with fashion, but he tries. at first, he'd literally buy you any clothes that are pink, and gets so confused when it's not your style. he gets it eventually, don't worry

matching shoes are a must! not the exact same shoe as you, but the same colour

pranks

not really a love language but aha

he loves it too much when he scares you with bugs, especially ones that fly. craneflies are the worst, because they're relatively easy to pick up and hold compared to flies or other flying creatures

he'll grab it by the leg and chase you around with it. sometimes he'll cup his hands together and pretend he has one because he finds it funny

he doesn't do anything with spiders because you're both scared of them

he actually would love it when you prank him back. scaring him from behind by shaking his shoulders is the best way to get him

#23 🍦 | your romance trope / dynamic

friends to lovers / mutual friends

he wouldn't date anybody he doesn't know well

since you're friends with a lot of people, there's no way he hasn't heard about you, and you happened to meet by chance

maybe coincidentally crossing paths and your extroverted self just had to say hello.

as soon as you both realise you have a mutual friend, the friendship blossoms and grows quick

the way he cares for you is so clear to everyone else except for you, but when somebody points it out, you can tell

sunshine x enthusiastic but silent enabler

inumaki is already a silly guy, and he just gets sillier

the conversations you have are always energetic, engaging and exciting, even with the language barrier, so he's pulling out ingredients that nobody's ever heard him say before. essentially, you're the only two that actually can understand

his energy immediately springs up whenever he gets to hang out with you. he can go from 0 to 100 in a split second, and that needs to be studied

he really doesn't mind how much you talk, since he likes to listen

#24 🍦 | when they're jealous

it's hard to see his face when his mouth and eyebrows are both covered, so you're only depending on the eyes. or if he tells you himself

if he wants to get out of a situation to feel more at ease, he'll tug on your sleeve or fingers

"🤬"

that's literally all he sends you over text or shows you on notes, and when you look over at him, it's really obvious that he's upset. (to you, at least)

will have a whole debate with you on why, how and what he's jealous about. small or big, it doesn't matter

when he gets the most jealous is if you're paying too much attention to something else in general

like, if you're sitting a bit too far to each other and you're on your phone, he'd pull you closer so you'd be right by his side, silently asking for you to talk to him a bit

event masterlist

[sunderingstars]

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✩ ‧₊˚ ⌞ NAME & ETYMOLOGY ⌝

sampo analysis m.list

— what the stars reveal: analysis, waxing poetic, theory, interpretation, an ungodly amount of research, elation!sampo, doll!sampo

— word count: 2k

— overview: a deep dive into sampo koski’s name, etymology, and motifs, bringing in cultural and literary symbolism to assess for an elation-centered identity.

— nerd time 😎

— references: the honkai: star rail official wiki, wikipedia, general search results

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✩ ‧₊˚ ⌞ FIRST NAME ⌝

Sampo’s first name is interesting, to say the least. After reading through the Wikipedia page for the Finnish mythological artifact he’s named after, I struggled to make any meaningful connection between him and the Elation writ large. The Sampo, according to Finnish mythology, is a magical device made by the blacksmith Ilmarinen (a god) to bring “riches and good fortune to its holder” (Wikipedia). The Official Honkai: Star Rail Wiki further narrows this down to a magical device “capable of producing infinite gold, salt, and flour.” 

At first glance, this seems to only be about Sampo’s obsession with money. The man does have a penchant for obtaining and selling artifacts, as well as obtaining riches and “good fortune” for himself. However, the Sampo’s function in Finnish mythology is extremely specific. It has no will of its own, merely existing as a dispensary for riches — in other words, it has no agency. It exists only to dispense onto others, never itself. The Finnish epic poem Kalevala even depicts the Sampo as being stolen and later destroyed, which doesn’t match with the full-fledged character we have in HSR. 

(Miscellaneous note: The Sampo has also been widely interpreted as a “world pillar,” or more relevantly for HSR, the Finnish equivalent of a “world tree.” To me, this would suggest godly origins.)

However, there are a few specific theories I feel could fit the bill. For one, an Aha!Sampo that has reduced Their power and taken mortal form for whichever reason may be considered “broken” in a way, or an Aha!Sampo who is still capable of dispensing unending Elation (infectious enthusiasm) onto others may be a strong link to “infinite gold, salt, and flour.” Additionally, Aha might be considered “broken” if They have split Themselves into different beings or consciousnesses.

An Emanator!Sampo may be in a similar position — able to dispense “infinite” Elation at the behest of Aha, but still caught up in a conflict of identity between mortal and god, perhaps eventually leading to a “broken” state of consciousness.

(Alternatively, an Elation!Sampo may be using his mortal form as a kind of “mask,” one that may “break” later in the story when his true identity is revealed.)

The theory I feel fits best with this is my new emerging favorite, though: Doll Theory. In Doll Theory, Sampo is considered to be the direct manifestation of the Aha Stuffed Toy occurrence: a doll, created by Aha in Their own likeness, meant to be broken at Their whim, to bleed Elation and wealth.

The Aha Stuffed Toy occurrence is eerily similar to the function of the Sampo in Finnish mythology. First, the toy was constructed by a higher being (Aha as an Aeon, Ilmarinen as a god) to dispense “riches and good fortune” onto those around it (the Finnish Sampo does this in a more passive way, while the toy needs to be physically beaten in order to grant Cosmic Fragments). In the Elation path for Swarm Disaster, the toy even physically breaks, its head blowing up to award 500 Cosmic Fragments to the player. In my opinion, this would serve as a direct link to the destruction of the Sampo in Finnish mythology. 

For Doll Theory, the name “Sampo” has so many more implications — creation, loss of agency, purpose. Sampo isn’t just a “certified relic agent.” He’s a relic himself, meant to be toyed with at a moment’s notice at the whim of his creator. The riches he tries so desperately to make his own are spilling out of him at a rate faster than he can process, faster than he can bleed, hemorrhaging like ichor for the pleasure of someone who delights in his pain. 

In the Kalevala, no one ever asked the Sampo its feelings. No one ever asked how it felt to be a vehicle for others’ gains, others’ prosperity, all while giving away increasing amounts of its own essence to those it barely knew. No one asked because no one thought to. It was just a relic, just an artifact. Nothing more.

But what if the Sampo felt it all? What if it was sentient throughout everything, feeling the weight of its fortune slip beyond its fingers but being unable to reach out and reclaim it? And what if the others knew? Knew, the entire time, it could feel the pain of being ripped open, of losing everything it was, but continued anyways? Even delighted in the misery? What would that make them? What would that make Them? Where exactly does the line between god and monster blur?

The Sampo would, most likely, begin to become angry, jealous, envious of the others who could so freely live their lives. Hate would take root where there once was gold, blossoming and festering and warping the walls into bone, into the decaying rot of a snake, a fading silhouette that’s been stripped down to nothing. What would be left, after everything else is taken, other than the hate? And where else would that hate direct but at the blacksmith, the one who started it all, the one who had the power to save that bleeding, hemorrhaging soul but chose not to? 

It wouldn’t be revenge, at that point. It would be justice.

✩ ‧₊˚ ⌞ LAST NAME ⌝

“Koski” also has Finnish origins, deriving from the Proto-Finnic Koski, which means “(water) rapids” (Honkai: Star Rail Official Wiki). Again, this seems to be a bit confusing at first glance. With all the dead snake and money imagery present in Sampo’s character, it seems difficult to link water with any deeper meaning. 

However, looking at the symbolism of water in culture and literature may help alleviate this confusion. Across my forays into different websites and articles, I found several main commonalities in cultural understandings of water: life, rebirth, transformation, and purification. The literary use of water also supported this idea, as rebirth and transformation were the two meanings I saw the most.

In my opinion, this means a lot for Elation!Sampo. His last name carrying such heavy themes of not just fluidity (rapid, chaotic fluidity), but of rebirth and transformation is an indicator of something big going on. In an Aeonic sense, this transformation and rebirth is likely literal — a stripping away of Aeonic power or origin for a set amount of time to accomplish a goal. (This could also be a similar situation for a straightforward Emanator!Sampo, as there could be a direct transformation from godly status.) 

Water rapids could also point towards the tumultuous nature of fluid consciousness, whether that be split, dual or collective.

Alternatively, Doll Theory Sampo may see water as a symbol to strive for, a want to be vast and flowing and free. The snake is withering, dying, needing a breath of fresh life to resuscitate it. Water is, in many ways, a nourishing tool. Something to imbibe, to replenish, to free. Perhaps this is what Sampo wants more than anything else — to be able to make his own decisions apart from his design, to flow like a river reaching towards the sea.

Taking into account the likelihood that “Sampo Koski” is an alias in and of itself, it may even be that this is Sampo trying to forge a new identity for himself. The strings of Elation are still there, pulling his first name along with the reminder of what he was made to be, but his own will is beginning to peek through, blue against red, reminding him of his yearning to flow away, to mold a new destiny for himself in the waters of rebirth. Perhaps, if he tries hard enough, if he sacrifices and spends enough of himself on his own terms, he will reach it.

✩ ‧₊˚ ⌞ SNAKE MOTIFS ⌝

The snake, both culturally and in literature, has dual-sided meanings. On one hand, the shedding of snake skin can be seen as rebirth, transformation, immortality, and healing, while snakes as serpents are often seen as representations of temptation, trickery, and deceit. In Finnish culture, snakes were the sacred animals of Akka, the earth goddess, and on the “day of the snakes” they would rise from the soil and dance in her honor; I can’t help but see the similarities between Aha “raising” the Noblesse Worm to Emanator status, something about the imagery just seems similar (but that might just be me). Additionally, in Nordic culture the serpents Jörmungandr and Níðhöggr widely represent a chaos that reaches beyond the gods, the regenerative being of something primal and beyond fate. This is also the case for the ancient symbol of ouroboros, a snake feeding into itself to represent the constant cycle of death and rebirth.

To put it all together, snakes have many different meanings. They can be good or bad, regenerative or decaying, hopeful or spiteful. They can lie, trick, and deceive just as much as they can transform, heal, and be reborn. 

I feel this ties quite neatly into Sampo’s character. From all accounts, he is mysterious and duplicitous — he helps just as much as he hurts, leads us astray in one moment and helps us the next. Everything he does seems to have dual sides, much like the cultural and literary symbol of the snake. This cycle ties him to ouroboros, while his constant changing of appearance links him to regeneration, transformation, and rebirth. 

However, his snake symbolism is quite dead, or at least dying. Something has made it wither, strip itself down to the bone. While the duplicity of his existence is still present, it seems diluted, a far cry from what it could be or once was. The snake, reborn through shed skin, has also been reborn into a lesser version of itself, a version that seems a far cry from the great serpents of old.

Perhaps Aha has found Themself slowly becoming stagnant, restless, fading in Their own concept. If we are going off the idea that They may be “dying” by Their own means of existence, this snake would be deeply symbolic of a falling Aeon — the bones of a once-mighty creature, slowly stripping away under the self-imposed weight of Elation. The deceit, the trickery, the temptation would all slowly dwindle away until only a fraction is left, hidden in venom-tipped fangs.

Perhaps Emanator!Sampo has had his power slowly stripped over time, slowly pulled away from him by an Aeon who is beginning to lose interest in what he has to offer. Alternatively, this may be his state without the mask, without his status or his Aeonhood — a husk of his former self, decayed and rotting but determined not to go back.

And Doll!Sampo? Perhaps there is a sort of rebellion in being a dead thing, something trying to be so devoid of Elation that it slips into the black hole of Nihility. But will it ever truly succeed? Or will it simply snap back at the push of a button, at the twinge of a rubber band reaching too far beyond itself? 

It may even be an emblem of his hollowness, a mark of what was taken. There’s nothing left of him, not anymore. The meat has been stripped from his bones, the soul taken from his chest, and the only thing reminiscent of his past power is the long-dead thing coiling around him, never relinquishing itself even in death. He is trying his hardest to be the snake of rebirth, the snake of transformation and healing, but the warping spine of Elation keeps dragging him back like chains to the snake of deception, trickery, deceit. But bones have to fall away eventually. If not for the passing of time, then by the weathering of water. It’s only a matter of time.

(Bonus fun fact I found while researching: In Norse mythology, dwarves were created by the gods under the Earth, and were described as “maggots” before the gods gave them human understanding. The dwarves even took on the appearance of men! Sounds a bit familiar to the Noblesse Worm in my opinion.)

Overall, the name Sampo Koski (as well as the snake motifs present throughout his character) point towards several different meanings. There are multiple theories it can fit with, but one thing is certain: this man has something bigger going on. (And he is also being constricted and constrained by the dying bones of something far greater than he can handle, but that’s besides the point!)

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.𖥔 ݁ ˖ જ⁀➴ thank you for reading to the end!

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© analysis by sunderingstars. do not copy, repost, translate, modify, or claim my work as your own.

[monicahar]

the wanderer despises the day of love; valentine's, was it? whatever, it's just a foolish mortal event that he swears to never participate on. he finds each nook and cranny of sumeru completely abhorrent when the day comes. sucking each other's faces in public? are you serious? handing each other cheesy flowers and gifts? what? and the irritable songs he'd heard that were sung to people perched on their windows and balconies—not much unlike a pathetic attempt of some animal's mating call? disgusting. absolutely puke worthy material.

which is why you're led to nothing but disappointment when he doesn't even mention the name of the special occasion you've looked forward to.

“it's today, huh?” he says airily to no one in particular, as if he could care less when his eye catches onto the fact that there were more flowers and bouquets around than usual, and there's a lot of those heart stuff around, much to his dismay and unfortunately keen observation.

red ceramic mugs, heart shaped candies, heart balloons, tulips and other florals with much more vibrant colours than the normalcy of contrast he's used to seeing around the city. it grates his nerves.

he hates this. all of this.

“hey—wanderer!”

[name].

he says the sacrilegious name in his mind, turning around to meet your approaching form whilst struggling to keep his lips from creeping up a smile.

his solemn and hate-filled day is immediately better with your appearance, but he'll never mention that outloud.

“and what's got you here, pipsqueak?” the former harbinger eyes you up and down, finding the whole conversation immediately suspicious with that nervous smile on your face. he'd also be an idiot not to notice the slight shake in your voice when you called out to him. fortunately for him, he's far from one.

although, all that ferocity and harshness of his—gone in an instant.

a bouqet messily bunched up with pink and red flowers is shoved onto his face before he could even add another insult to his less-than accomodating greeting—his eyes widening as he stares at the petals that seem to somehow also stare back with how small the proximity is.

wait, don't these colours mean...ugh! the power you hold against him is demeaning! he curses mentally as he tries to pull down his hat to quickly hide the rising of temperature that would show on his pale face.

in a split second, meeting your bashful face behind the main focus of his line of vision, which is hilariously slowly turning into the same hue of the flowers you're gripping. he wants to laugh at something—your face, the whole ordeal of foolish gift giving, the evident and embarrassing romanticism laced in your actions—but instead, he finds himself utterly speechless. unfathomably impossible to let out words at the moment.

no one had ever done this before, and he had never expected anything from anyone at anything at all.

muttering a near silent gratitude towards you, he gently accepts your generous gift, his first instinct being to put the flowers onto his face to have a small whiff. he deliberately ignores the cute and expectant look you have on your face, probably trying to search for a new reaction from him.

aha, as expected. he smirks against the flowers, hiding his smile in the bouquet. they're fake and scented, that much he could pick up, but he couldn't bring himself to return it to you and complain. he knows it's within your capability to get real flowers, but you probably got these fake ones because you both know that he'd just forget to water them.

it's the thought behind it that counts, even if he preferred something real. i mean...it's not like he'd water it everyday for your sake or something, right? pfft. who does that anyway? haha...

...?

staring at the bouqet for a second and then back to you—he promptly pats your head gently. once, twice, before he runs off once again, leaving you to melt in a puddle after his small act of affection.

he's a certified and avid hater of this type of love and whatnot but perhaps...valentine's isn't so bad after all when it's with someone he cherishes.

just a short drabble for my man lel happy valentines everyone!

[live-laugh-lenney]

Really love the George clarkey headcanons the recent one✨️

Also, recently, i watched the George vlog, where he did a cook-off between Arthur and chris. What if his s/o participate and a certified chef 👩‍🍳

please, i loved that video. chris and arthur were great, as always, aha. :')) but i love this idea...

-> george would definitely make it a series on his channel. -> without a doubt... as long as his girlfriend was up for it, of course. -> 'professional chef vs youtubers'

-> each week he would get a different one of his friends to take part against her in the same challenge; he starts with arthurtv, then chris, then arthur hill and so on until he builds up a little something that all his followers want more and more of. -> his introduction of her, in the very first episode of the youtube series, is very him and it shows just what they're like as a couple but she knows he means it as a joke and never really takes it offensively. much softer as opposed to how he introduces whoever the current week guest is for that week. -> 'the prettiest chef who puts me in a food coma almost every single night. the sweetest chef who makes the sweetest treats and shoves them all in my gob. the loveliest chef who is no match to gordon ramsey's anger issues. and quite honestly, the greatest chef i've ever managed to get into my bed. it's my girlfriend!' -> and he's obsessed with her throughout each and every video. -> and he's made it very clear to her how he loves to see her in her chef whites and her apron. loves to tell her how sexy she looks when she has flour smeared across her cheeks and egg whites on her fingers. never holds back in letting his eyes wander up and down her body as he watches her whisk ingredients together or kneads some dough on the countertop.

-> of course, arthur has to pick up on the fact that george is biased to one side of the competition. -> 'yn, if i tell you that you look exceptionally hot in your toque today then do i get some extra help from you and an extra bonus point to get the challenge started?' -> 'as much as i appreciate the compliment, i'm here to win this thing, mister television.' -> and george would always get a little defensive even though arthur would never mean anything of it. -> 'excuse me, television. only i can tell her how hot she looks in her toque today.'

[sleepingelvhen]

Work-Study Pt.1

Wriothesley/Reader NSFW

Minors DO NOT interact

MASTERLIST PART 1 PART 2

Working part-time as a Sigewinne's assistant, you find yourself enamored by the Duke of Meropide. One day when helping Sigewinne gather medicines, you discover on of the Duke's secrets and end up helping him in ways you never imagined.

The sounds of gears turning and clicking into place was all that filled the silence once the elevator descended below the ocean’s surface. Another day where you came down from the overworld of Fontaine to retrieve more medical supplies for Sigewinne and you still hadn’t quite gotten used to just how strange the change was. Going from bright scenery with the scent of the ocean upon the wind to being surrounded by cogs and mechanics and the ominous sound of being beneath the surface. It was almost like muted waves or bubbles surrounding your ears and pressuring your head.

Thankfully the ride down had gotten shorter in feeling from how often you did this for Sigewinne, so often that you felt your body relaxed when the doors opened to the underground mechanical world, the soft puff of metal and dust filling your nose now comforting than it was when you first stepped foot here. It had all become so…familiar…in a homey sense.

You made your way confidently to the infirmary, greeting the stark and silent guards as you went, trying to ignore the fact that they never once greeted you back. They treated everyone like a prisoner here, even guests, and especially you. A student from Sumeru, studying and taking notes upon the living conditions of the Fortress of Meropide, you had assumed it would make them less hostile. On the contrary, they seemed more peeved by your presence than some of the more violent denizens. 

But you kept yourself up, ignored the feeling of being watched and happily entered the infirmary where Sigewinne was patching up someone who looked like they went a little too hard in the boxing ring. She patted the man's arm and gestured for him to leave as you set the herbs and other ingredients onto her side table for organizing later.

“Good, you’re back! Thank you for taking care of that, I prefer to be available as often as I can.” Her voice was as sweet as her personality, the little Melusine smiling softly and swinging her little body to the sides in joy. Sigewinne skipped over to the table, looking through everything, often humming with consideration as she pulled some items aside.

“Aha! There’s one more thing I’d like you to do,” she wasn’t looking at you. In fact she had piled some small herbs into a mortar and pestle and began grinding away, her face strewn in a small focused face. 

“What else do you—”

“Give me a second!” She cut you off before you could speak and continued grinding and adding some liquids until she had a small vial of some sort of greenish liquid in her little palm.

“There! Alright, take this to Wriothesley.”

“Uhm…why?” You quickly regretted the dismissive tone you spoke in as Sigewinne shot you a sharp look, her face soon returned to her sweet smile.

“Because, it's to help him with an injury. Can’t keep himself out of trouble,” she sighed as she spoke and pushed the vial into your hands before shooing you out of the infirmary, shutting the door behind you.

With nothing else to do, you headed to Duke Wriothesley’s office. That was something you had definitely found unique about the Fortress of Meropide. Where most prisons simply had a warden who was basically a glorified guard, the warden here was a certified Duke and a previously convicted criminal. Everything about this place was interesting, you noted. Every day was similar and yet something new was happening all around. Not to mention the people you found company in were lovely, especially the Duke. 

Your face flushed as you thought about it, quickly shaking away your feelings as you knocked on Wriothesley’s office door.

“Come in.” His voice was gruff and forced, like he was in pain. 

His office was fairly neat and, of course, had a likeness to most rooms within the Fortress, the only difference being his was a little larger and he had a fairly nice desk. One he was sitting at, hunched over a bit with his fingers pressed into his temples.

“If this is about another fight breaking out, I’ll handle it–” He stopped once he noticed it was you and smiled softly, trying to mask his irritation and pain.

“Oh, sorry, I thought you were another guard. Come on in.”

You softly shut the door behind you and stepped up to his desk, setting the small vial of medicine in front of him.

“Order up from Sigewinne, pain medication for someone who ‘can’t stay out of trouble’. Her words, not mine.” 

Wriothesley chuckled and took the medicine like a shot, grimacing as it went down.

“Ugh, she….certainly knows how to make a tasty drink.” His sarcastic tone was one of the things you found endearing about him and you giggled a bit from the little joke. Wriothesley leaned back in his chair, looking a little proud of himself for getting you to laugh.

“So…how goes your research? I’ve heard much talk of our curious little ‘Sumeru mouse’.”

You froze at that and blushed, “Sumeru mouse? Is that what everyone is calling me?”

He chuckled, looking at you with his eyebrows cocked. 

“Indeed. Did you not know? Well, you’ve been the talk of the Fortress since you arrived, little mouse.”

That didn’t help your blush. Now he was giving you nicknames, and now your heart was fluttering.

“What kinds of things are they saying?” The question was just to try distracting yourself from the way his arms flex as he changes his sitting position. This time he leaned forward, elbows on his knees and…that was simply a little hotter than leaning back.

“Nothing bad, I assure you. If you were doing anything illegal, you’d be here in handcuffs.”

It was irritating how just the mention of something so small could make you shiver at the thought. Just the mention of ‘handcuffs’ had your mind whirling like some of the gears that spun around to make this place work. It was…difficult to hold the naughty thoughts and images at bay.

“You alright? You’re as quiet as a…mouse. A cute little mouse,” he laughed at his own little play on words, his mouth curved into a mischievous smirk.

“I’m fine…it’s just a little hot in here…I believe I’m more suited for the cold.” Your smile was unconvincing. You watched as he raised an eyebrow at that.

“Aren’t you from Sumeru?”

Shit. You slowly nodded and looked to the side, trying to think of something to say to get yourself out of this situation before you said anything stupid.

“A-anyways, I should probably get going–” You started to step away when Wriothesley growled in pain, wrapping his arm around his chest and doubling over. Only a second was wasted until you were at his side, kneeling so you were level with where he seemed to be injured.

“Wriothesley! What’s wrong?”

He grunted, choking back a cough as he rolled his neck, the sound of his bones cracking loud in the empty room. It didn’t seem like there was an obvious injury, but he looked like he had been in a lot of pain.

“Wriothesley.” Your voice lowered, almost like Sigewinne’s when talking to her patients. You had absolutely started mimicking some of her tendencies as a doctor.

“I’m fine…just some old pains…it’s what the medicine is for…you can leave,” he looked away, his face flushing a soft pink, obviously avoiding looking at you. But that wasn’t a good answer, you needed to know more.

“Something that has you doubling over in pain isn’t just something to brush off, tell me what it is.”

Wriothesley huffed, putting an arm in front of his face and taking a deep breath, almost like he was smelling the air. His breath was shaky and uncertain, his body shivering with a phantom chill.

“I…have a condition…and the medicine helps lessen it.”

“I’m going to need more than that.” You watch as he sighs, still keeping his face turned away from you.

“It’s something that comes and goes…you know like monthly…and usually the medicine helps but…it hasn’t started working so you should definitely leave right now.”

You reached out to touch his arm. “Wriothesley–”

A loud squeak escaped your mouth as you found yourself suddenly pushed down onto Wriothesley’s desk, one of his large hands holding your wrists together above your head, his body looming over your own.

He was panting deeply, his face a crimson red. You could hear the air as he sucked it in between clenched teeth. You noted the sharpness of his canines before turning to face him and his darkened eyes, his pupils blown wide.

“What…kind of condition?” Your voice was small but he cocked his head to the side. He heard you and he definitely ignored your question as he leaned in slowly, pushing his face into the crook of your neck. He breathed in deeply through his mouth, the heat of his breath against your throat making your body quiver in sudden pleasure.

“Fuck,” his voice shook as he took another deep breath of you. “You smell so damn good.”

“Wriothesley?”

He grunted and slowly pulled away, obviously fighting an urge to keep sniffing you. His hand stayed gripping your wrists, tighter than handcuffs could ever be.

“It’s like a…heat,” he growled it out, his voice quiet as if he were ashamed of it. “Like I’m a damn animal.”

Your face flushed a bright red upon realizing what he meant. You did always kind of think of him as a likeness to a wolf, minus the tail and ears. Though his hair sometimes made it look like he had ears.

“I…I never knew humans could…”

“Well I guess I’m an outlier,” he murmured under his breath, grunting in pain again as his free hand gripped his stomach. “You–you should leave…the medicine isn't working…so you should—should leave.”

But he wasn’t letting you go, his hand almost tightening again. You couldn’t exactly move, not like you wanted to. You had to admit, you were entranced by his eyes, how dark they were, how he looked at you with this…heat in them. 

“I guess I should…but…”

Wriothesley’s head shot up, his jaw tight from gritting his teeth, from holding back these urges he must have. Just how pent up is he from this condition? You were curious and absolutely interested in him more than ever now.

“We were talking about rumors earlier…well, I heard a rumor that you like someone..”

You were lying…you just wanted to know if you stayed because he liked you back and not just because he needed to put his cock into something.

Another growl escaped his throat, more primal than before but he nodded. Taking another sharp breath, the sound almost like a hiss.

“I do. What does this have to do with anything?”

“Who is it?” 

He seemed a bit taken aback and he looked at you incredulously.

“What?”

“Who is it?” You stared him dead in the eyes, determined to know if this would stand to be more than just ‘relieving stress’, if you had any reason at all to actually stay.

He lowered his head, pressing his brow against yours so his eyes bore into you. 

“Isn’t it obvious, little mouse?”

You couldn’t help the blush that dusted your cheeks. Despite the entire situation being what it was, your heart beat hard against your chest upon finally hearing what you had wanted for so long now. There was no denying you had an attraction to him since the beginning of your work studies here and now…now there was proof he felt it too.

“Then I think I’ll stay, if it’s all the same to you, my lord.”

A soft puff of laughter left his mouth and he licked his lips, his eyes roving your face, your lips, then down to see your body still caged beneath him.

“You sure?” His free hand traveled up one of your legs, lifting it to his waist by the crook of your knee. His body now slotted between your thighs, forcing them to spread to compensate for his larger frame. You nodded, assured of this, though a little intimidated.

Wriothesley leaned back a bit, looking down at you as if considering even though you knew how hard it was for him to hold himself back from simply lunging at the opportunity. His smirk turned into a wicked smile that matched his lust-filled eyes.

“Good.”

[selfship-confession-box]

AHA! CONFESSION BOX IS OPEN AGAIN! MEOW FUCK OUT THE WAY! I WANNA KISS THAT CORE SO BAD IT MAKES ME LOOK STUPID! I ACTIVELY LOSE BRAIN CELLS SEEING HIM! STIRLING MAKES ME SO MUCH DUMBER. /VPOS

I don't have much confession - already got most my screaming out last night - just that. My boyfriend makes me feel like a certified lovestruck dumbass. :]

- Nigel "🍊⚙️" [LastNameRedacted]; Testing Associate and Professional Coworker Kisser (PhD. (Pretty homosexual Dude.))

.

[merakiui]

hi mera!! i hope this message find you well, i just wanted to come here and share some fanart i made shortly after reading death row undertow

sorry if theres any inaccuracies </3 i hope u like it

aha thats all, baiiiii!! ^_^

OMG OMG Σ>―(〃°ω°〃)♡→

I LOVE THIS SO MUCH AAAAAAAAAAAAA I AM SO OVERWHELMED WITH JOY OMG!!!!! OTL the way you've drawn Jade!!!!!!!! It's so lovely to behold!!!! The lighting and shading... certified masterpiece. *chef's kiss* I'm in love with your art style!!! <3 Jade looks so sinister and scary!!!! You captured the energy from that scene so perfectly!! And then the scene where Reader's begging to be spared omg,,,, he's just a little hungry guy. 🥺 someone feed him. I absolutely adore the framed fungi portraits as well!! The little faces on mushrooms are too adorable and the one with the "now yk how we feel 😒" written beside it. LOL and the dead body in the bathtub... >_< scary murder eel strikes again. ;;;

ALSO JADE'S APRON WAAAAAAA o( > ᗜ < )o ₊˚⊹♡ "kiss the chef" it's so so so cute!!!!! Thank you so much for reading DRU and for drawing such fantastic art!!!! I'm squealing with excitement; this is just so wonderful!!!!

[golgothaskterror]

You're named English? Like Jade English?? The renowed scientist and founder of Skaianet???

JAKE: Oh, gosh, isnt that a doozy!

JAKE: Youd be quite right, though, it IS jake english as in jade english, renowned scientist and founder of skaianet.

JAKE: Im sure youve heard of her many exploits and her reputation as a certified BADASS, bright as all get out, one of the most brilliant minds of her generation. She near taught me everything i know.

JAKE: She was always just grandma to me, though, aha. JAKE: ... JAKE: I miss her. :(

[karniss-bg3]

Something I think about an bit is spiders are cold blooded so are driders and if so how dose kar’niss del with winter or the shadow lands they look quite cold and last question could you ever tell me how you think an drider book lung works (aha sorry that’s all and I love your posts)

I had to go down some wacky rabbit holes to really hash this one out. One thing I will say for this blog, it’s made me more educated about topics I never would’ve considered before. I expect by the time my tenure is finished I’ll walk away a certified genius.

...Or just as goofy as I’ve always been. Either way it’s a net positive.

Here is the problem I run into when trying to work out the intricacies of fantasy creatures...I don’t know what rules to use. By that I mean there are nuances to consider when asking “How does Kar’niss _____?” Am I basing this off of real world examples or examples from the world in which they are from? If so how does that impact the overall conclusion I come to? Is it fair to compare a drider to an animal from our planet without knowing the physics of Faerun? Is their gravity the same, the climate, the oxygen distribution, the atmosphere? It’s the classic “Adrian overthinks bullshit because he doesn’t know how to do otherwise” story hour. That isn’t even taking into consideration how magic may impact the answer especially considering magic is intangible and a made up concept whose rules change from medium to medium. This is the world’s most frustrating fun house where every mirror reflects a different outcome and I’m too derpy to consider them all.

Now that I’ve got the long winded non-sense out of the way, here is the best assessment I could cobble together.

The problem with Kar’niss’ anatomy is it’s unclear how the two halves work together. Spiders in our world do have lungs but they do not have active breathing mechanisms like a diaphragm in humans. However, Kar’niss has the ability to speak, ragged as it may be. This leaves me with the assumption that the lungs in his torso still function, giving him the ability to inhale and exhale in order to talk. But Kar’niss’ heart and lungs would be far too small and pathetic to maintain the spider half with as large as it is. So I have to conclude that even if the two halves of them are attached, the only thing shared between them is a digestive tract. The blood he consumes has to go somewhere and he can’t nourish only one half and neglect the other. I believe all of his digestion is done in the spider half and the stomach in his drow torso is basically non-functional as a result.

Where we run into a bit of a hitch more stems from how big Kar’niss is. Even if his spider body doesn’t have to worry about maintaining the drow torso via heart and lungs, it has another issue; Available oxygen. Prehistoric insects from the Carboniferous period were huge, far larger than anything we see today. This is because of how dense our air was with oxygen which allowed them to increase in size without side-effects. So I have to ask, how high is the oxygen content in Faerun? Does it matter? Probably not! It does make me wonder how an arachnid body that large, whether drider or giant spider, survives if the oxygen in the air is low. Humans, giants, demons, driders and all manner of creatures can co-exist in a fantasy realm where the rules are made up and the points don’t matter.

While I could go into detail about the difference between human lungs and spider lungs I think I’d be splitting hairs at that point. When it comes to Kar’niss I think both bodies have working organs that are suited to the body they are in, which is the only reason this macabre union works at all.

As for how Kar’niss survives the cold that is also an interesting question to answer. Driders don’t usually wear armor but they can if so inclined, which means they aren’t worried about being naked as a jay bird. This question is a bit compounded by the fact that most driders don’t leave the Underdark, an area notorious for lack of sunlight. So I had to tap dance my way back to real world spiders to find a reasonable answer for this.

The first step in how spiders survive the winter is by adapting to the cold temperatures. They do this by increasing their metabolic rate, which helps them generate more heat. This allows them to stay warm even in the coldest temperatures. They also produce antifreeze proteins, which help them survive in temperatures as low as -10°C. Another strategy spiders use to survive the winter is by avoiding freezing. When temperatures drop too low, spiders can start to freeze with the water particles surrounding them. To prevent this, spiders produce cryoprotectants, which help them survive in sub-zero temperatures. These cryoprotectants act like antifreeze, preventing the spider’s cells from freezing and allowing them to survive even in the coldest temperatures.

While I am not sure if this is the same thing driders would do, I imagine they must come with some way to contend with ambient temperatures to keep themselves from freezing. I vote slapping a striped scarf on him and hand him a cup of hot cocoa. It’ll taste like ass to him, but it should do the trick all the same. Just don’t let him spit out the hot liquid onto your face, I am not responsible for any burn related injuries that may occur.

I hope even a fraction of this made sense. It was the long way of saying “RANDOM BULLSHIT, GO!” Eh, close enough.

Thanks for the ask!

(Side note: I just learned drider vampires exist. As if things weren't already fucked up enough for the poor bastards.)

[casperatu]

AHA I GOT YOU TO OPEN YOUR ASKS IM SUCH A GREAT SCHEMER ( ｡ •̀ ꒳ •́ ｡)

1, 11, 13, 24, and 29 for casper? <3

LMAOOOO honestly i forgot you have to manually turn on asks until this so thank you

1. casper is my little baby nossie! it shows through extreme bodily emaciation that definitely makes her uncomfortable to look at for humans and can’t quite be concealed even with mask of 1000 faces, along with some animal features — most lean heavy into snake themes (slit nose, patches of scales all over her skin, etc.) but she’s also got the classique bat ears and oops all canines.

11. casper was embraced in the fall of 2004 while taking a road trip with her best friends. they made a stop in a little town in rural alaska, camped in the wrong spot, bim bam boom, you end up locked away in an abandoned ski lodge for several years with the elder prince of what was essentially the camarilla’s psych ward. weird how all those friends vanished and she never really thought about them again until super recently.

13. was her embrace painful? enough to force her mind to memory hole any conscious memory of it. she knows it took about two weeks to finish, that it was horrifically painful, and that whatever happened in the room she was kept in during her change she came out refusing to eat anything but bagged blood (which was complicated with her advanced generation, but hey, prep her a nice capri sun, drop a little elder vitae and certified tremere bullshit in without telling her, nobody’s gonna know).

24. casper is a one dot in strength girlie and should *not* be trusted with corpse disposal. her ghoul is an expert if she needed one though and may in fact have already hidden an incredible number of corpses on her behalf. :^)

29. she didn’t used to be mobile! her first fifteen-ish years of unlife were spent right where she was turned, in a little alaskan sled dog town. the domain may have fallen to tremere bullshit and gargoyle crimes recently though, so she had to flee from her cushy nepo baby life and is now stuck in new mexico with all but a few of the survivors.

[ghostsbimbo]

we as a fandom need more bimbo!reader. as a certified bimbo (i have a button to prove it!!!!) no matter what, the cod men are just so protective and smitten towards their lil one brain celled significant other. they love correcting them, and their cute pink outfits. will totally spend money for them to get their nails done specifically so they have the claws to dig into their backs bc aha getting marked up by their cute lil thing!!! they love it!!!!

[ p.s. i am a trans masc individual. i happily call myself a bimbo. ]