#and i'm still getting my headcanons sorted

[beneaththebrim]

...oh no i might start writing fic again

[philomaela]

The Rhaenyra/Laenor marriage is very fun to think about imo, because like it's such a mess of power play and yet it reads as oddly balanced to me?

He's the husband so he should have more power than her, but she's the princess of dragonstone, so she outranks him. He's marrying into her dynasty, but she needs him to keep her inheritance (since her father threatened to disinherit her if she didn't go through with it). He's gay and she's a woman having an affair, both of these things are scandalous and seen as a betrayal of their society's genders norms but their marriage is already a weird betrayal of gender norms?

I personally feel like theres some evidence that their marriage was actually a great success on a personal level, just not at all by the standards of their society and not at all in the way their parents intended. What I mean by that is... Rhaenyra clearly didn't want to marry Laenor but she was forced to by her father. We don't know Laenor's feelings on the matter, and I think in some ways it's easy to not consider his feelings at all. Or to simply consider him some hapless victim, forced into a marriage he didn't want and then equally forced to acknowledge children that weren't his. What I think back to is how when Rhaenyra bestowed her favor on Harwin Strong, Laenor laughed and did the same thing with Joffrey Lonmouth. This is framed as a scandalous little moment in universe, but I feel like it symbolizes how Rhaenyra and Laenor are on the same level with each other. They don't want to be married to each other, they certainly aren't romantically or sexually interested in each other. And strangely... this unites them (will get to that in a little bit).

Laenor remained at High Tide after the wedding while Rhaenyra remained at court (and later Dragonstone, after the situation with Alicent became worse). Certainly I think Laenor had very valid obvious reasons to not want to be at court what with Criston Cole being named the queens protector after killing Joffrey Lonmouth. But again there’s something interesting here where there’s a parallel/understanding with his wife in how they act apart from each other. He takes up with Qarl Correy and Rhaenyra takes up with Harwin Strong. When Rhaenyra starts giving birth to brown haired children, Laenor raises no issue and in fact seems very happy with these children, given how badly he wishes to name one of them Joffrey. Notice too that he's overruled in naming them Joffrey by Corlys, not by Rhaenyra who also seems to love her children fiercely.

I think what I'm getting at in this, is that you could interpret Rhaenyra and Laenor's actions, not as those of a couple who hated each other, but as those of a couple who were actually very united in their goals. Look at it this way, their marriage is arranged by both of their fathers. Rhaenyra is strong armed into the marriage, Laenor is at the very least indifferent to it, though he may have been forced into it as well. Despite both fathers seeming somewhat indulgent, this is a marriage arranged expressly for the benefit/ambition of Viserys and Corlys and their political ambitions, not for the personal comfort of their children. Afterwards, both children remain within their respective fathers homes (under their power) and they carry on affairs under their father's noses, in a way that seems to flout and disrespect the marriage their fathers worked so hard to set up. Point being, there's an interesting lens where Rhaenyra and Laenor living apart and carrying on affairs is actually a mutual "cuckolding" of their fathers rather than each other. Viserys and Corlys express ownership over their children's sexuality by forcibly marrying them, Rhaenrya and Laenor express their agency by taking back ownership of that sexuality and in doing so, actually have a very happy marriage. See again Rhaenyra not only having children with Harwin Strong, but Laenor attempting to name them Joffrey... we're talking about Jacaerys and Lucerys, the future heirs to the Irone Throne and Driftmark. Again, there is this subtle push-pull for control, not between Rhaenrya and Laenor but between Rhaenyra/Laenor and Viserys/Corlys.

To be clear, none of this is saying Viserys and Corlys were just these evil monsters who actually hated their children and only used them for politicking. They were clearly portrayed as men of their time (TM) doing of their time (TM) things. They honestly both appear relatively indulgent, considering they pretty much fall in line with the state of Laenor and Rhaenyra's marriage after the fact. Viserys is certainly very proud of Rhaenyra's children ("one day this will be your seat lad") and Corlys... as much as giving them Velaryon names is a sign of control, it can also be viewed as a sign of pride and he does acquiesce to the third child being named Joffrey. In fact, I think you could argue that this flouting of societal norms could only be done by children who, though strong armed by their fathers in one thing, were ultimately reassured of their position and their fathers love.

[starflungwaddledee]

it's awfully refreshing to see a rise in malevolent galas again, and i'm preeet-ty sure your popularity's playing into it. grrrrrrr yes! let that boy kill! let him scheme and conspire! let him wreak havoc like the true planet-destroying fiend he is!

waaahaaa i'm so delighted to hear it! i will be completely honest, i was extremely nervous to post that very first comic with him in (where he was undeniably malicious) because almost every other headcanon i'd seen of him at that point is that he is Just Misunderstood and Actually A Good Guy or, at the very least, perhaps currently acting out but still Redeemable With A Heart Of Gold

and those are amazing too! not a single piece of shade on those characterisations; they are genuinely cathartic tropes and i love to see them- for him or anyone else. but it made me quite scared to have to just be like... 'anyway he is extraordinarily and wilfully cruel in my headcanons and stories!!'

so it really means a lot to me that you enjoy this characterisation!! and that you think possibly it's having an impact on other folks' characterisations in a positive or refreshing way! that's such an honour! i was scared people would loathe my storytelling or characterisation of their favourite blorbo (i still fear it, ngl) or even think that i like... don't like him. but the thing is that i love him. i love him to bits and pieces and because of how much i love him i've done him the ultimate honour of assigning him Irredeemable All-powerful Villain and allowed him free reign to bite and kill

[maddieandangel]

Had a weird Hollow Knight-related dream a couple days ago, so I decided to draw a major scene I remembered from it dgsgshf

More context will be in the tags, for those interested!

[blackjackkent]

Me> [struggling to unravel a very annoying UI bug]

My brain, entirely unprompted> H E Y. IF JAHEIRA HAD USED SOME MORE MINOR VERSION OF THAT RITE OF THE TIMELESS BODY ON RASAAD TO EXTEND HIS LIFESPAN, IT WOULD RESOLVE THE MORE FINICKY TIMELINE ISSUES ABOUT RION BEING THEIR KID.

Me> ...ok? I didn't ask right now but thank you for working that out I guess.

[audaciiaearchive]

so...thinking...majority of clouds interactions with seph are (likely) when hes asleep/unconscious. or on that weird edge btwn awake and not. bc seph is literally in his brain. he cant escape him even in his own dreams 😀🥹 so hes probably an insomniac too bc of this lmao

[somerandomdutchfangirl]

Hhh,,, might cave and make a fanfic about Them

[kakusu-shipping]

Speed Ran through Mario Galaxy 2 Yesterday while sick because I couldn't remember why I disliked it so much and wanted to see if that was just younger me being biased. It was not.

But I regained my love for Lubba and Dino Piranha, so that's something at least.

[spoonicksmaximus]

Just in time for the holidays!  Thought it’d be fun to take a shot at designing Sonic’s possible mom.  Not so much a “headcanon” as it is fanfiction, but I thought it’d be neat if Sonic had a mom that was a blackbelt martial artist of the fictional skill, “Steel Quill.”  It’s a technique in which you train your mind and body be embody steel, in this case, you train yourself to the point where your quills are like tungsten.  Birn (short for Birnadette- yeah I just changed the spelling) is able to use her quills like knives/projectiles, able to slice through metal like its nothing. The downside? You’re heavier, so Steel Quill folk aren’t great swimmers.

Birn is extremely well-versed in physical fitness, covered head to toe in weighted accessories (to keep sharp, of course). Though while her specialty is weight training, Sonic’s partial to aerobics. .. Running.

[storfulsten]

lol did I just lose 3 followers for mentioning a cool new song? ok

[ducksbyday]

Concerns about Sherrif J.S. Gaming

Dear People of Tumblr,

As mentioned in previous messages I solemnly believe that Sherrif Jimmy Solidarity Gaming is an interdimensional being. From personal experience, I can proudly inform you that the CodFather, The Sherrif of Tumble Town, the prickly gentleman from Afterlife, The most recent MCC Champion, and The Canary from the Life Series are all the same person. His body merely adapts to the environment he is in at that moment.

Adding to this, I think it would be an interesting concept if the current Sherrif is in possession of a necklace containing small charms from each server.

I also believe somewhere in his Empire, hidden away, he has a large glass container with two fish in it. A cod and a salmon. This is because, at the moment of writing, he is still heartbroken and ridden with guilt about the downfall of his previous world. He refuses to believe that he was the cause of it. I believe he is currently recreating the reactor, wanting to attempt it one more time to ensure the reactor wasn't the problem. That the end of the world was not his fault.

Hereby I ask you to keep a close eye on this man. He is a very dangerous individual and should be put in containment if the situation turns out to be a reality. I will be waiting on your response.

With Glowing Regards,

a concerned citizen

[anderwhohn]

Isabela is technically a registered biotic, though she lacks the combat proficiency necessary to have classed as an adept, vanguard, or sentinal (of the three, she would likely have been a sentinal, given her tech skills). Her biotics are a result of secondary exposure to element zero at the age of 14 (2168 CE (ie a year after L2 biotic implants were developed) - which is canonical, but never properly gets addressed in the mainline series, so it's easily missed and most people quite understandably assume only those classically trained in biotics is capable of them).

Since she also wasn't detected as even being biotic until she's 17 (2171 CE - again, this is canonical), she receives an L3 biotic implant as opposed to the L2s when the latter prove to be dangerous and so L3s were developed a year prior (2170 CE), which is later subsequently upgraded to an L5x by Cerberus in 2185 CE when they successfully rebuild and revive her (meaning that in AUs where that much doesn't happen, she remains an L3, and thus doesn't gain as much control as she does over her biotics themselves by ME3, at least not without wilfully undergoing the procedure for the upgrade herself).

Ignoring game mechanics so that it's possible to use prior to it being available in game, Izzy is only really capable of using her biotics in a Flare (bonus power learned from Aria in the ME3 Omega DLC - though until ME2/ME3 timeline, she has lacks any real finesse with it that she gains from the L5x implant and Aria's input), as well as minor things that come up when her biotics react to her emotions (think that conversation between Sara and Cora in Andromeda and Cora's biotics act up because she's frustrated and so her kicking a box has biotic energy behind it), so she'll end up with biotics flickering around her hands or entire body - which she uses to her advantage as an intimidation tactic as well (paragade with strong renegade tendencies - it's only because her galaxy changing decisions are more often paragon-aligned that she ends up more paragade than renegon in most cases, and even then she's often exceptionally close to being 50/50 through most of the overarching missions until the end which pushes her closer to 60/40 in favour of paragade).

Izzy definitely isn't capable of precision work with her biotics - she struggles even to use them to deliberately move things no matter their size, her attempts at barriers are as weak as wet tissue paper, etc. - and yet she still ends up with the weakness of human biotics where she has a higher metabolism and easily burns out much factor than a non-biotic operative would. As a result, she always carries a handful of high protein ration bars with her (mostly levo, though after bringing Garrus and Tali aboard, she starts carrying a couple dextro ones as well, for emergencies), but even that doesn't guarantee she won't end up burning herself out, or overcharging her amp and needing help getting back to the ship or even outright extraction if they're overwhelmed.

Most people don't assume Izzy is a biotic at all, thanks to her being in infiltration saboteur and engineer, and that she doesn't resort to them often unless overwhelmed in the field, at least prior to the Reaper Invasion, at which point she relies on them heavily when fighting reaper ground forces (further adding to her exhaustion during the war), and as that gives her an active advantage in combat, she likes to keep it that way as much as possible. So typically only those she brings out into the field on a regular basis enough to either witness her biotics, or that she's comfortable enough with to talk about them herself, ever actually realise, especially when she doesn't always seek to eat a biotic's rations (much to Chakwas's chagrin when it inevitably leads to Izzy burning herself out more frequently).

[the-reblogger-of-headcanons]

Me watching the discourse unfolding by the FE Engage leaks on my hill of absolutely zero fucks

[quietlyblooms]

more tired rambling about chiyo in veilguard -- there's minor spoilers, mainly concerning the veil jumper origin. and major brainrot uvu lots of that uvu

i'm soooo sleepy, but i just keep thinking of the interaction between veil jumper rook and strife when the party's in arlathan at the beginning of the game, and it makes me!!! aaahhh!!! bc i said before that chiyo's pointed in the direction of the veil jumpers by her grandmother, and!! what if strife is the old friend she had!! what if there's a bit of a mentor/fatherly dynamic with chiyo, and his disapproval and anger are ultimately what makes it easy for chiyo to leave with varric and harding!!

there's clearly still tension between rook and strife bc rook didn't listen to him and made their own call regarding the " invaluable map " and their fellow veil jumpers. placing chiyo in rook's role, she would definitely feel justified in her actions -- no way she's going to take a chance with innocent lives, even if that map was important. its value doesn't outweigh someone's life. being reprimanded and resented for prioritizing lives over an artifact, especially by someone she respected and cared for, would definitely push her away.

this situation also makes me think of a line you can tell solas!! i can't possibly remember the exact dialogue rn, but it's something to the effect of, " i don't care what they call me as long as they're safe in the end, " implying that there's a lot you would do to keep people safe. and considering the veil jumper background, i feel like that suits chiyo really well in this scenario. she gave up valuable knowledge and who knows what else to save her peers and friends. she'd do it again, and there's more she'd be willing to give up. what exactly that might be moving forward with the story, i'm not sure!! but boy i'm excited to see!!

[gojorgeous]

arranged marriage! gojo heacanons

pairing: gojo x fem!reader synopsis: just some headcanons about arranged marriage gojo! headcanons do follow a linear plot content: MDNI (18+ONLY), nsfw & sfw content, arranged marriage, p->v, oral (fem!receiving), pregnancy, breeding, not proofread because i'm lazy!!! a/n: i had a request to do a sort of expansion/sequel/prequel (?) on my business or pleasure fic, so... this is that. enjoy! and remember AGELESS BLOGS WILL BE BLOCKED!! divider credit to: @cafekitsune wc: 2k (that's so much headcanon lmao)

Arranged Marriage! Gojo who reluctantly agrees to an arranged marriage when the clan decides it’s time to secure the lineage and make a new heir.

Arranged Marriage! Gojo whose jaw nearly drops when he sees you for the first time as you’re walking down the aisle. No way you’re that hot… 

Arranged Marriage! Gojo who’s practically rocking on his feet waiting for the minister to give him permission to kiss you. 

Arranged Marriage! Gojo who drags said kiss on a little (a lot) longer than he needed to and spends the rest of the night wishing he’d dragged it on even longer.

Arranged Marriage! Gojo who’s actually really pissed that there are so many damned guests at his wedding. All of them want to talk to him when all he really wants to do is talk to you!!! 

Arranged Marriage! Gojo who only gets about three words into you the whole night and feels like pouting every time someone pulls him away from your arm. 

Arranged Marriage! Gojo who finally relaxes a bit when the party’s over and he finally gets you alone. 

Arranged Marriage! Gojo who has a hard time keeping his hands to himself on the drive home. 

Arranged Marriage! Gojo who can’t help but stare at your lips as you answer his silly little questions about your favorite color and your favorite food.

Arranged Marriage! Gojo who has to restrain himself from literally pulling you out of the car and up to his penthouse. 

Arranged Marriage! Gojo who suddenly finds himself a little nervous when he finally has you to himself. It’s his wedding night and he has to please his wife, right? 

Arranged Marriage! Gojo who revels in tearing away your dress until he sees the lacy little white set you have on underneath.

Arranged Marriage! Gojo who pins your wrists to the bed just so he can admire the way you look beneath him. 

Arranged Marriage! Gojo who nearly comes with no warning the first time he hears you moan his name. He decides it’s his sole purpose in life to make you moan like that as much as possible. 

Arranged Marriage! Gojo who is somehow both gentle and rough, who peppers you with kisses but rocks into you so good he has you seeing stars. 

Arranged Marriage! Gojo who thinks he ascends when you come around his cock and then ascends again when he remembers he married you and gets to see it for the rest of his life. 

Arranged Marriage! Gojo who makes sure to cum inside you and give you every last drop. After all, you have to make a new little Gojo heir, right?

Arranged Marriage! Gojo who holds you tightly to his chest until you drift off to sleep with your head atop his heart. 

Arranged Marriage! Gojo who takes the next two hours to be able to fall asleep himself, too hyped up on all the endorphins he’s feeling.

Arranged Marriage! Gojo whose brow furrows and stomach drops when he wakes the next morning to you not in his arms. 

Arranged Marriage! Gojo who scours the house for you and finds you in the living room reading, already having been up for hours. 

Arranged Marriage! Gojo whose heart fractures a little bit when you greet him soooooo formally and tell him that there’s some breakfast in the fridge. 

Arranged Marriage! Gojo who spends far too long in the shower, letting the water run over him and trying to figure out where he went wrong. 

Arranged Marriage! Gojo who comes to the conclusion that he just needs to win you over a little more slowly, who smiles and thinks he knows exactly how to do it. 

Arranged Marriage! Gojo who finds you still reading on the couch and tells you to get ready to go out– you’re going shopping. 

Arranged Marriage! Gojo who takes you to every designer shop he can think of and buys everything your eyes so much as graze over. Even if you tell him you don’t want it– he doesn’t care. You’re getting it. 

Arranged Marriage! Gojo whose heart flutters in his chest when you smile at a pretty little necklace he buys you. It’s not the most expensive thing he’s bought you by far, but it makes you the happiest nonetheless. 

Arranged Marriage! Gojo who’s confused as to why you keep thanking him so profusely on the way home. His money is your money now… do you not know that? 

Arranged Marriage! Gojo who makes a stop at the bank on the way home and gets you a flashy black credit card with your name (and new last name hehe) printed at the bottom. He loves the way your eyes widen and your lips part when he tells you there’s no limit. 

Arranged Marriage! Gojo who asks you what you want to do that night. Fly to Paris for dinner? Pack for a vacation to Bali? Maybe just a fancy meal at Tokyo’s most exclusive restaurant? He’s shocked when you say you’d prefer takeout and a movie on the couch, but all too happy to oblige.

Arranged Marriage! Gojo who orders half the menu at your favorite ramen restaurant that he’s never heard of. 

Arranged Marriage! Gojo whose eyes go wide when he takes the first bite and tells you it’s the best thing he’s ever eaten. 

Arranged Marriage! Gojo who stares at your lips when you laugh and ask him, “really? The best?” 

Arranged Marriage! Gojo who’s suddenly tugging your skirt down your thighs and burying his face between your legs. He takes one long lick and moans, saying that the ramen is now only second-best. 

Arranged Marriage! Gojo who thinks he could fuck you for hours on his couch, but stops after just a few rounds. He doesn’t want to tire his little baby out. 

Arranged Marriage! Gojo who savors the way you let him hold you after sex. Why couldn’t he hold you like this all day? So what if you’d just met– you’re his wife??? 

Arranged Marriage! Gojo who buries his face in your neck to memorize the moment, dreading the second you pull away from him. 

Arranged Marriage! Gojo who almost protests when you wrap a blanket around your body and pad off, saying you’re going to take a shower.

Arranged Marriage! Gojo who debates cornering you in the bathroom for another round, if only so he can hold you again, but thinks better of it and cleans up your forgotten ramen instead.

Arranged Marriage! Gojo who is completely exasperated when you never return to finish the movie. He finds you sitting in your shared bed, reading again. 

Arranged Marriage! Gojo whose heart drops when you only look up long enough to give him a small smile instead of tumbling straight into his arms. 

Arranged Marriage! Gojo who finds himself once again in the shower contemplating his existence. 

Arranged Marriage! Gojo who decides he’ll win you over one way or another, even if it takes longer than he originally intended… 

Arranged Marriage! Gojo who climbs into bed next to you and slings an arm around your waist casually, like his heart isn’t hammering in his chest when he buries his face in his pillow. 

Arranged Marriage! Gojo who doesn’t truly fall asleep until you turn off your bedside lamp and lie down beside him. His heart does little skips when you don’t wiggle out from under his arm. 

Arranged Marriage! Gojo who wakes first in the morning this time to find you curled so tightly into his chest he’s sure his pounding heart is going to wake you. 

Arranged Marriage! Gojo whose eyes turn into little hearts when you wake blushing after you realize how closely you’ve curled into him. 

Arranged Marriage! Gojo who tells you it’s okay and pulls you back into him and smirks when you can't see his face.

Arranged Marriage! Gojo who spends the next few weeks buying you every knick and knack, every snack and meal, and bending you every surface in the house. 

Arranged Marriage! Gojo whose eyes light up whenever he sees you wearing that little necklace he bought you on that very first shopping trip. 

Arranged Marriage! Gojo who buys you another necklace… this one with his initials dangling from the chain. 

Arranged Marriage! Gojo who makes you ride him so he can see his letters swaying from your neck as you come on his cock. 

Arranged Marriage! Gojo who spends every waking moment with you on his mind, who gets in a sticky situation while fighting more than once because he’s waiting for you to text him back or remembering all the nasty things he did to you last night. 

Arranged Marriage! Gojo who finally takes a look at the pages of those books you like so much and realizes the pure filth his dirty little wife reads right beside him every night. 

Arranged Marriage! Gojo who’s not angry or put off, but rather excited. He uses it as a manual the next he has you under him and when he repeats a line verbatim from your book he laughs so loud at your shocked little blush that he’s sure you’re both getting a noise complaint in the morning. 

Arranged Marriage! Gojo who makes every effort to find out what you like (beyond reading smut) and buys you front row tickets to a concert for a band that you both happen to love. 

Arranged Marriage! Gojo who finds out your favorite movie series and takes three (unapproved) days off of work just to have a marathon with you. 

Arranged Marriage! Gojo who is having his morning coffee (full of cream and sugar and caramel sauce, of course) when you make your way into the kitchen with your lip pulled between your teeth. 

Arranged Marriage! Gojo whose eyes blow wide when he sees a stick with two little pink lines and realizes he’s managed to knock you up on the first try.

Arranged Marriage! Gojo who simply has to have you right then and there, bending you over the counter and groaning your name when he slides inside your cunt. He’s gentler this time, though. Can’t be too rough when his wife is pregnant, right? 

Arranged Marriage! Gojo who goes overboard with his excitement and buys a new car the same day he finds out you’re pregnant. It’s practically a tank with all its safety features. He says you’re only allowed in that specific vehicle for the foreseeable future. Get used to it. 

Arranged Marriage! Gojo who’s all over you now. Whatever restraint he had before is gone now that you’re carrying his baby. He touches you… everywhere. All the time. It’s like it pains him to not have at least a smidgen of his skin on yours. 

Arranged Marriage! Gojo who keeps trying to win you over in the following weeks. He needs you. Not just your body, but your mind and your soul, too!

Arranged Marriage! Gojo who just lets it slip that he loves you when he’s balls deep in your cunt. Doesn’t even get embarrassed or flustered about it, just keeps pounding into you and whining about how much he loves you over and over again while he’s filling you up. 

Arranged Marriage! Gojo who lets the floodgates open after that. He tells you he loves you at every opportunity. It gets to the point where those three little words don’t even fluster you anymore, but you haven’t said them back. Not yet. 

Arranged Marriage! Gojo who waits patiently. He knows he’s getting to you, little by little. He’s sure he’ll hear you say it back soon. 

Arranged Marriage! Gojo who’s blindsided despite having convinced himself he’d be able to play it cool. He’s got you on the couch, wrapped up in his arms with his head on your tummy (he gets to hold you as much as he wants now hehe). You’re braiding his hair when you tell him that you love him. 

Arranged Marriage! Gojo who flushes the deepest shade of pink you’ve ever seen and pulls down his blindfold like he needs to see you say it again.

Arranged Marriage! Gojo who begs to hear it again and again and again until he’s smiling so wide it's literally blinding. 

Arranged Marriage! Gojo who thinks his arranged marriage was definitely the best thing to ever happen to him <3

taglist (DM me to be added!): @lacheri, @la-undercover-latina

please consider leaving a comment, sending an ask, or reblogging! interacting with authors is the best way to support them! thanks for reading ♡

[herrscherofmagic]

First of all: this is absolutely amazing and I can't thank you enough for this analysis of Acheron!!

Second: I just wanted to add a mention of Honkai World Diva, which is Mei's signature song from the GGZ days when Mihoyo was literally a smol indie company; a cover of it was used in Lament of the Fallen in HI3rd!

"Crimson moon shines upon a town that is smeared in blood…" Cried the diva given into lament All those sweet little dreams buried deep in memories until the very end -Honkai World Diva lyrics

I'm really far behind on the story and haven't even started Penacony nor seen most of the promo material, so all the little glimpses I've caught of Acheron & Black Swan content have confused me, and in general I've been losing interest in HSR's main story and have been trying to get back

but with all the context you've given in this analysis, plus the lyrics of Honkai World Diva, it feels like Acheron is a totally different character for me now

like, Mei never truly "lost" Kiana in most versions of their story. Yes in GGZ when God Kiana ended the world at the end of the Retrospective arc, but otherwise they managed to hold on and fight together for most of the time. and in HI3rd ditto, Mei never truly "lost" Kiana. She was close, yes, but Kiana endured and they reunited eventually.

So Honkai World Diva always fit Mei but in a sorta loose way, it always felt almost like a parody of Mei's actual story, y'know?

BUT NOW WITH ACHERON??? HELLO?????

Like at first in Genshin with Raiden Ei I thought her story sorta fit HWD as well because of the loss of Makoto, and the whole "red moon" thing from the Khaenri'ah cataclysm. But with Acheron it's so painfully clear in that teaser image and with all the other context you've given.

If Acheron lost her "Kiana" then all the lyrics would fit her story nearly perfectly!

O your smile is tainted and your face is cold There's no more comfort in your lips and cheeks The whirling noise is pulling me within The tainted carcass of this world

[Pre-Chorus] All the incandescent stars of heaven will die at the end of days Your gentle soul given to damnation

The death of the person closest to Acheron and the disaster in which it happened. (also... "your gentle soul given to damnation" is such a powerful line and I pray to Da Wei that we get something like that in HSR's story!!)

[Chorus] "Crimson moon shines upon a town that is smeared in blood..." Cried the diva given into lament All those sweet little dreams buried deep in memories until the very end

[Verse 2] Lost and faded truth of bygone memories Hiddеn deep in my corrupt body

Imagery of the disaster and Acheron's despair, along with the memories being "buried away" with Acheron seemingly unable to remember neither the good nor bad of her past life; also the "corrupt body" of her white-and-red form

[Pre-Chorus] I can hear the voices of the people I miss in this final song I would tremble just to hold them once more

[Chorus] "Florid moon shines upon a world that is doomed to die..." Wailed the diva given into lament All our pale, fleeting dreams are where the truths are hidden Until they fade away

"Crimson moon shines upon the town that is smeared in blood..." Cried the diva given into lament All those sweet little dreams buried deep in memories until the very end

The mention of the truth being "hidden" in fleeting dreams, paired with the teaser when Black Swan was diving into Acheron's memories to find the "truth" about whatever happened w/ the Annihilation Gang...

obligatory post before acheron's release

obviously, it's established that acheron is a variant of raiden mei. her real name is not actually acheron (confirmed through the livestream, but...come on, we all already knew that). specifically, there's loads of similarities in her design to the herrscher of thunder above all else

similar hair structure, hair part, n hairpiece (n obviously the color, too),

sword structure, patterns, n nearly identical handles,

one "red" arm,

the bust/halter,

and of course, the color scheme as shown in acheron's "emanator" form, n the horns shown in the livestream

with all that in mind, i imagine acheron is a variant of mei who failed to save the person closest to her (her kiana, to simplify it), n/or watched them die, or even killed them herself. it's shown during her dance with black swan that there was obviously someone important to her in her past, conflict arose in a setting much like the one featured in the livestream, n there's even imagery of her walking alone with only the moon in the sky to keep her company

kiana has been associated with the moon n moon imagery since the flyme2themoon days; her origin was quite literally a game about blasting off to the moon

this teaser resembles thunders over nagazora to me, as well as mei watching kiana's end in honkai gakuen

there's also the fact that the type of emanator acheron is, an emanator of nihility, is classified as a self-annihilator; those who have felt the pull of nihility n been unable to escape drowning in it. self-annihilator's take the meaning of nihility to heart, so much so that it erodes their bodies n memories

acheron has been confirmed as the self-annihilator type in her character introduction posted recently. what really strikes me about this line is the phrasing of "existence is nothing"

sounds familiar, doesn't it?

mei is characterized by the tragedies in her life, n how they impact her. growing up isolated, a kidnapping at a young age, bullying at school, suicidal tendencies, n the constant reminder that the girl she loves more than anything in the world will always put the overall well being of humanity over herself

to me, acheron is a mei shaped by loss. the mei we remember from hi3 had the chance to grow n change; to learn from her mistakes, n to fight for a better world, bc she had the support of her friends n her most important person. acheron doesn't seem to have that level of support from anyone, at least not anyone still in her life currently

which brings me to my next point. she HAD a "kiana," but ultimately lost her. n this is the result

acheron is incredibly powerful, but her power seems incredibly volatile. she carries this innate sadness with her wherever she goes, n the very path she walks n the very aeon she became an avatar of strips life of all meaning, all the beauty from the world

it's a far cry from the mei we know, bc clearly, there was a very pivotal change in her development that i can only attribute to the loss of her world's "kiana"