#and leaving with just an aspect would be.

[rowie264]

If someone criticizes something, it doesn't mean that they hate it. It also works the other way around. If you like something, it doesn't mean that it's done well from an objective point of view.

I love Jinx. Her design, her story, her personality, her character arc... I was just fascinated by her. Jinx has become one of my favorite characters in media in general. It was the continuation of her story that I was waiting for the most.

Jinx is still my favorite character in season 2. I love almost every scene with her. How she did Sevika's arm and the subsequent fight with the Smeech, the fight with Vi in Act 1, the prison break, search for Vander in the mines, epic appearance during the battle against Noxus.

I got a lot of positive emotions while watching s2 and especially during Jinx's appearance on the screen. But… an emotional response and objective assessment are two different things. And objectively, Jinx's character in season 2 is OOC and poorly written.

Removing very importand part of her story and personality. Her mental issues almost completely disappear. This is a very important aspect of her character. And no, Isha's presence and a "more favorable environment" would not heal her, the whole 2nd act is completely unrealistic and looks stupid, since all her problems with her mental health were magically solved off-screen;

Irrelevant piece of plot. Her arc of "Zaun symbol" passes by her - she becomes a symbol by accident, ignores the consequences and directly encounters all this revolutionary mood only during Isha's saving from Stillwater (at the same time saving her followers - an indirect action, not a purposeful one). So this arc is kinda about her, but she doesn't seem to participate in it herself, and it ends with literally nothing (like the whole Zaun revolution);

Making her more appealing to wider audience. Her hatred of Piltover and Caitlyn just disappeared. Yes, while she was with Vi in the mines she said "piltie goons who murdered mom and dad," but… that's all? Jinx doesn't kill a single enforcer in the entire 2nd season (although, for example, she could have in Stillwater) and tells Caitlyn "I didn't know your mother was there." Let me remind you that Jinx literally giggled in s1 when she killed a dozen enforcers during gemstone kidnapping, killed enforcers on the bridge without any care, she hated Caitlyn fiercely because she "stole" her sister from her, and she couldn't not know that Cassandra was a councilor. It isn't showed how and why she changed her opinion and this is important thing to her character, you can't explain such change with microexpressions or parallels;

Unrealistic happy family reunion. The reunion of Jinx, Vi, and Vander is a spectacular moment from Disney. Do you remember how Jinx reacted when Vi returned? Yes, she was happy but as soon as she spotted Cait she freaked out and immidiately thought that Vi betrayed her. Imagine what would happen if her supposedly dead - bc of her btw - father had returned and now looks like some animal;

Silco mattered much more to Jinx. A very "subtle" replacement of Silco for Vander in the role of father (Jinx calls him father, sniffs Vander's jacket and not Silco's), although Silco played probably a bigger role in this? And Jinx remembers about him like 2 times? Although it's been about 7-10 years since Vi's "death" in season 1, Jinx was still triggered by just a similar appearance. Apparently, Silco wasn't that important to Jinx (which is not true); I could still keep talking about Jinx, but let's leave it at that.

I love Jinx even in season 2. I like watching scenes with her. But my emotional attachment doesn't stop me from seeing that Jinx's character in s2 is not a continuation of Jinx's character of the end of s1. Her image is broken, the arcs are not completed, the relationships with other characters are poorly written.

[windvexer]

I actually do think that doing magic takes a lot of work and is kinda hard and there aren't very many good shortcuts, and many modern shortcuts actually just amount to leaving out steps, which means you either have to be powerful enough to brute-force it or it fizzles.

Look, I know some people are just much better at magic and witchcraft; anything they do works with little effort, and the lengths some of us have to go to accomplish magic seems bizarre to them. Those people are cool and I wish I was like them but I'm not.

But I also think some of the truth of how to work effective sorcery gets paved over by these "witchcraft has no rules, do anything you want" support posts.

Because A) that is not true, I believe that witchcraft has lots and lots of rules (it's just that nobody else can tell you what they are), and B) I think do anything you want is taken to mean anything you do should work, which is also not true.

I feel like I always see advice given that you don't need to do things (like use physical tools, or cast circles, or whatever). But I never see anyone explaining the techniques and paths of power that are supposed to replace them.

Let's just imagine for a moment that clear quartz really is a universal substitute. Discordians would say that it totally is. So does that mean all you have to do to sub out clear quartz is to just put it on the altar and do the ritual as if it's something else?

Or do you have to do something more?

Do you have to consecrate the stone as being something other than what it is? Do you have to ritually birth it into a new life and baptize it like a baby? Do you have to spend weeks or months honing your technique of focus and beliefs so that you can mentally shift from consensus reality to a personal reality where there is literally no difference between clear quartz and sodalite?

Do you have to raise energies of sodalite and imprint them into the quartz crystal, perhaps working over it for an extended period of time? Do you have to use energy work to tie the clear quartz into Ideal Sodalite so that it becomes like an avatar?

No, you don't have to use physical tools if you don't want to. But that shouldn't be taken to imply that tools are useless or can be replaced in a way that matters by just visualizing that you have them.

A witch spends six months propitiating a tree, ingratiating themselves with the land, offerings and acts of fealty to the tree, a week-long branch harvesting ritual, blood offerings at midnight on a holy day, then another year curing the wood and crafting a wand. Big effort, right?

And you don't need to do that. But if you want that power, what are you going to do instead?

Same with circle-casting. Same with magic on the full moon. No, you don't have to wait until the full moon. You don't have to wait until the moon is in Libra. But there's a really good reason people do those things. So if you want those effects, what actions can replace those effects?

You literally could not do the spell while the full moon is in Libra. That's fine. But then what will bridge the gap? Will you have to raise more energy somewhere else? Include a new aspect? Modify the spell for the moon you can work with?

"You don't have to follow the moon phase for magic" doesn't mean the moon phase is irrelevant and some witches just like to inconvenience themselves for no reason. But it does mean that you can probably adapt your working to overcome the moon being in the inopportune phase.

Every time I talk about how much time, energy, and effort magic can be I feel like someone always replies, "well, it's just not that hard for me! I do what I want with what I have when I need it and it always just works, with very little effort."

Which I think is very great for them, but I also don't think that most people can get results with such low effort.

So anyway my entire point is that I think sometimes the reason people struggle with getting witchcraft to work is because they are operating off of out-of-context soundbites that make it sound like you can just completely cut out some of these foundational concepts of witchcraft.

Maybe you don't have to accomplish those steps in traditional ways. Maybe you don't need all of those steps for every spell you're doing.

But if you've just cut out swaths of steps only because you heard someone say you don't need them (not because of your own experiments working with magic and determining what works best for you), then is there enough left to constitute a functional system of magic?

[woodle-isbae]

Ambessa treating reader like a prized pet please please please 😫🙏 and maybe also being very condescending and lowkey mean 🫣

Flaunted like a trophy

Ambessa.M x fem!reader

Warnings: Trophy reader, suggestive(very), Drabble.

There you were, in the bedchambers of the one and only Ambessa Medarda. You stood there, draped in the finest jewelry she could get, the softest fabrics and a personal stylist to meet your demanding fashion choice.

Spoiled rotten.

That's what you were, given everything you wanted on a golden platter- never settled for anything she deemed low quality. You had one job, very easy and simple considering that she made sure you did it every day- dress like a little trophy so she can flaunt you around.

Most people would've given up by now, having to constantly show out- even in private, making sure she liked your outfits. Being put on a strict care routine- all so she can brag about your beauty.

"Stunning."

Her voice rung through the large room, the glint of heavy golds and jewelry around the place partially blinding you at angles. You were posing infront of her, showing off the new outfits she had designed for you to last a month at most.

"Everyone's going to be set on you, my dear."

She stood up, placing her glass down to strut towards you, her rough hands tracing every stitch on the thing gold material. She only stopped when she made it to your breasts, examining you for a brief moment before snapping her fingers.

"It's not pushing them up enough, I want every aspect to be shown."

"I think there should be a deeper cut, they're out enough honestly."

You huffed out, shaking your head in annoyance with how it didn't fit the standard you had set, pouting from the simple mistake.

"We'll get it tailored, don't you worry y'little head off."

"Ugh, make sure it arrives back soon."

She turned to you, a brow raised at your sparky and demanding tone, running her larger hand on your cheek.

"Don't catch an attitude with me."

To anyone else, her voice was calm and hushed, but to you -she was giving you a clear warning, just do as you were required to and it won't be a problem.

"Hm."

Your eyes darted to the door, the guards standing there staring seemingly into the distance. Ambessa had lifted her other arm, waving them off so it could be just you two in the room.

"You know...I really like the gold on your skin, it really suits you."

She had led you over to the sofa, signaling for you to lay down besides her as she sat, leaning on the back rest.

"Strip, I..want to see how it would slip off your body."

Her dull attempt at a lie made you giggle, uncliping a few knots and buttons before sliding the dress off your body, Ambessa grabbing the clump of fabrics and tossing it aside.

You leaned back onto the sofa, spreading your legs in anticipation for her next moves, your arousal seeping through the thing lace pair of panties she picked for you.

"Ah...you are really inpatient huh?"

She chuckled, pulling you in my for a kiss by the back of the neck, her tongue slipping into your mouth. Pulling back for some air, she gave you a smug smirk before pulling back and standing at her full height.

"Get ready for tonight, mabye if your lucky...I could finish what we started."

She walked past you, her hand brushing past your shoulder before she left the room. Leaving you alone to cool down before getting redressed.

Oh, how you couldn't wait.!

[letskilltimetogether]

Omg I’m so sorry for leaving you hanging ;-; I can only offer the excuse of crippling school projects, but I’m back!

Dr. Stone Spoilers for most of the story

Okay so your point about him being a good leader actually opened up a can of worms in my brain. This is def kind of off topic? But I think it’s interesting so I want to write it down for my own sanity.

For a while know I’ve been coining Senkuu as a bad leader, or at least not ideal for personal writing purposes, but your comment made me rethink it. Looking at things with a fresh start, I realized Senkuu is a good leader, but not in the way I was originally imagining. (Doing my best to keep it as canon as possible) Senkuu 1. Cares deeply about people, not just his own 2. Is very strategic and thinks of the future 3. Does not want power. These 3 aspects make him a good leader, especially in the setting of Dr. Stone.

To use an analogy, He would be a very good science club leader, which is kind of what he is. He is dedicated to the craft, and can manage a small group of people with similar goals, and rather than excluding others, he encourages and fights for them to join his club of nerds.

However!

For the first part of Dr. Stone, that works fine. It’s just the Kingdom of Science and the Empire of Might. It’s like 140 people, who although need some coaxing, can work together. But once America hits and they have Zenos people how have very different ideas, and all sorts of other civilizations across the globe… people are going to have conflicting ideas. There’s always going to be Tsukasas, misguided people, and Hyogas and Homuras, people who don’t mean well and try to shape the world in their making. This is where I believe Senkuu is no longer the best choice, as I don’t think he could handle managing and keeping peace between all of these people, in addition to perusing and steam heading science projects. Obviously there’s people to help him do these things, but it’s a lot.

Many people instead make Ryusui the main leader, which is not a bad decision. He’s used to leadership and thrives in positions of power, and cares about the people around him, even if they don’t like him(most of this comes from his confidence/arrogance, but still). He is great at planning and managing people, and is decent at working with people who have different views than him. However he doesn’t really understand the differences between what people say/think they want, and what they need, and he could make bad decisions based on that misconception. In addition, Ryusui is pretty disconnected from the people around him as he had a very different upbringing, and can’t always relate to people. This makes him a caring leader, but unable to properly act this way.

Both he and Senkuu are decent leaders on their own, but still not great. In conclusion, I say the best solution is to have the 5 generals, so some other council, in charge. They balance each other’s faults, this sharing of power relieves the pressure of leading the entirety of humanity from 1 person’s shoulders.

Main tangent over lol.

I def agree about Senkuu trying to save everybody, including Tsukasa, with all of the stuff happening at the beginning of Treasure Island Arc being a lot to juggle. This means to me that his decision to give Hyoga and Homura to the “authorities”/legal system is weak evidence for him being lawful.

I feel like we’re running this thread dry, so I pose another question: How do you feel about the ending of the manga, and how would you change it? I have some strong thoughts about those last few arcs lol.

*offers microphone in one hand and a bag of chips in the other*

Also happy holidays!!

Your honor they're homosexuals

[imsobadatnicknames2]

Probably the most interesting experience I've had as a player in any edition of D&D was in a GMless campaign I was playing with my husband in B/X D&D a couple years ago.

I was playing a fighter who, through a combination of a not-so great constitution score and very bad luck in my initial hp roll, started the game with a maximum of 4hp. By contrast, my husband was playing a thief who, thanks to a very lucky roll and having an unusually high constitution score for a thief, started the game with 7hp, almost twice as much as my fighter. And he stayed having more HP than my character for most of the time we spend playing, because im B/X thieves require a lot less XP to level up than fighters, so even though my fighter would have eventually caught up in terms of HP at level 2 or 3, the thief was consistently a couple levels ahead of him.

Us being a party of only two people where the most combat-effective character could easily die in a couple hits (or even one if I was really unlucky) resulted in using a lot of ambush tactics to take advantage of the thief's backstab ability before combat started, and also a lot of avoiding combats and fleeing when I was at 1-2hp.

But also, since we were playing with a pretty common OSR houserule (often called "broken shield rules" or "shields shall be splintered") which essentially says that, if you have a shield, you can use it to block all damage from a successful enemy attack at the cost of your shield being destroyed, this eventually resulted in my character always carrying at least a couple spare shields with him. We decided that my character probably shouldn't be able to just pull out another shield from his pack in the middle of a fight, so it was a trick that I could use to save my ass once per combat.

Which had interesting consequences for the encumbrance and resource management aspect of the game, of course. Because consistently having to buy a couple shields every time we came to town was a significant expense for my character, but also, and most importantly, because in B/X most of your XP comes from the value of treasure that your party is able to gather and carry back to town. And this created an interesting conundrum for me because every extra shield I brought along was a chance for my character to survive a hit that would otherwise kill him, but it also meant possibly being able to carry less loot, and often resulted in us having to leave treasure behind and either accept that we couldn't have it all, or us getting stubborn and making plans to come back for the rest of it later, which resulted in some pretty interesting situations when coming back to dungeons where the denizens were probably prepared to deal with us if we came back.

So anyway. My point being, "annoying" mechanics like high lethality and resource management and carry weight are good and they can take you to amazing and unexpected places if you decide to actually give them a chance to shine instead of immediately excising your game of anything that's mildly inconvenient.

[jmdbjk]

Jungkook telling it like it is...

He did tell Spotify that he'd use the blanket they gave him. Just not the way they probably thought he would: Jungkook's glossy black marble floor shows his bare feet prints on it and he used his Spotify blanket to clean the floor. He says he'll have to always wear socks or slippers. I can see him leaving a pile of toe socks at the door just for him to put on when he's in that room...

He says he briefly and unseriously considered quitting the business to be a full time cook. (JK, you can't do that, you have to make enough money to pay for the utilities and property taxes on your new fortress...) But that's his introvert kicking in, the routine, the comfort zone, the way his job holds his interest enough to make him want to keep doing it. But he is aware and he knows this about himself and knows he has to return to his "spot" as he called it.

He seems to accept the fact his place of residence is going to be known by the fans just like many other aspects of his life such as details of his military service. He seems to take it in stride but he also sets boundaries by asking fans to not come to his house and do not send packages, not only to his house but to his army base. He explains why, that he cannot accept them and that packages containing food are restricted. He clearly instructs to send letters to the company.

How do people know where he lives? Here's the answer, or at least part of it:

We all know if you spend time on Youtube the algorithm will feed you videos and channels similar to what you've watched. If you are restrained enough to limit your viewing to only BangtanTV I applaud you. But if you watch anything else, youtube will serve you similar. We all know that through the anecdotes of Armys talking about being flooded with edited, slo-mo shipping videos.

Personally, I like watching youtube channels that show walking tours of Seoul. The city captured my attention and I've learned so much about it. But because of this interest I have in Seoul and Korea, more "walking tour" and Korean travel type channels are suggested to me. Some are better than others. Some are actually run by K-Army. I am very interested in K-Armys' perspective about life in Seoul so I watch. We get to see the birthday cafe events and such that I'm probably never going to experience.

Inevitably one of these channels is going to walk by the members' homes... because they are Army and can. Streets are public. And this is how other people find out where the members live. The videos show that none of the homes are accessible. They are all behind walls and gates. None of the videos show hoards of fans congregated in front of the homes. The only place you ever see that is in front of the Hybe building.

Yes, it is controversial knowing these things but it is also one of those things that is almost unavoidable. What do I do with the information I gain by watching? Nothing. I satisfy my curiosity and move on.

Jungkook knows we are curious. He knows with his position in life there are things he cannot control and he's aware of it. It's pointless for him to pretend he isn't aware of this. That's why he sets boundaries. And he's very kind about it when he does set boundaries.

Are there bad actors out there who will take advantage of the knowledge? Of course. But that's on them. Are there people who will post every detail they learn? Of course. That's how the information spreads to other social media platforms.

Anyway... the Weverse translations are sort of skimming over what he says. There's a little bit of nuance being left out sometimes.

The Weverse English subs say "We'd sing it every day while taking showers." But Jungkook more accurately said: "We always sing together while taking a shower." (begins at 1:00:00)

The Weverse English subs say "Recently, with Jimin, now during our clean up time I finished up in the kitchen and came back up we talked a lot about music and we'd always be humming (he hums) and I'd go far away and sing songs (he gestures away from him). I'll try to practice more when I have time." But more accurately he said: "So these days I'm with Jimin and now when its personal maintenance time I go upstairs after finishing kitchen work. We talk a lot about singing and we're humming along to each other all the time (he hums) like that and we go far away and sing and stuff (he gestures away from him). I'll practice more in my spare time." (begins at 36:48)

The Weverse English subs say "I've been doing well with Jimin in my military life. I've been well." More accurately he said: "I'm/we are working hard and doing well in military life together with Jiminie-hyung. I'm doing well." (at 8:18)

He showed us his entertainment room, he clearly states he can't show us the upstairs but he does not give a reason why but as he talks he explains he has not "organized" his house. Maybe he won't show it because he doesn't want to or maybe he won't show it because in his opinion, its a mess right now. Regardless, its his choice what he wants to show us and we are privileged when he does so. I'd bet that at some point, we'll see his kitchen because he's Jungkook.

He talked about his job as a cook in the Army. He said he prepares many Korean dishes and they are either boiled or braised. He mentions that they cannot grill food. He says its not easy making large amounts of food. He says he does his best to make them tasty. I've noticed on the timeline the accounts that post military menus that on most days, meals include stews and soups so he is definitely learning how to cook a wide variety of dishes.

He sang about 30 songs including several off Golden. He sounded really good singing Standing Next to You, in fact, his off the cuff live singing of all the songs from his album was pretty exquisite even if he didn't sing most of the songs to the end.

He spoke with a slight reverence regarding only singing BTS songs with the rest of the members. It gave me the impression he knows it will be a special moment for them as well as us.

He picked at his lip, bit his cuticles, touched his lips, scratched his head under his beanie and yawned many times before finally telling us good night. Until we see you again soon, Kookie! Be safe and keep practicing with Jimin!

[thewertsearch]

AA: hey what are you doing out here! TA: 0ut where? AA: out of your bubble TA: oh, i dunn0. TA: am i not supp0sed to leave? AA: i just didnt think you could

Sollux’s dream projection can leave the Bubbles, which I didn’t expect to be that noteworthy. Aradia mentioned that it’s easier to move between Bubbles when they naturally intersect, but she never said it was impossible to leave them entirely.

By her surprise, I assume that dream projections, at least, are normally unable to exit bubblespace – so there’s something weird going on with Sollux here.

AA: i guess you must have a foot on either side AA: cant say im surprised!

Aradia seems to be saying that this unusual Dream Bubble interaction is unsurprising to her because it gels in some way with what we already know about Sollux.

Maybe he's employing some sort of Aspect ability? He's a Doom Player, and interpreting his as Aspect as death would imply that he’d have a stronger-than-normal affinity for the afterlife.

AA: i am waiting for friends to arrive [ AA: they will need my help […] AA: first AA: there will be two humans AA: they should be joining us any minute

Wait, shit - I just realized there's a really easy way for Aradia to protect the Derse dreamers from the Sun's destruction. She could simply spirit them away through time, the way I originally thought she'd escaped Perfect Jack.

I know that time is weird in the Ring - but space is weird, too, and that doesn't stop people from physically moving around. This definitely feels like it should work.

[yoursinisforgiven]

GOOD GRACES ──

pairing: isaac x reader (pickel) 

cw: mentions of murder, mentions of blood, non–canon aspects (ivan’s last name, and the name of his acquaintance), asriel & pet appearance, reader gets flirted with(?). episode 7 & 8 of isaac’s series doesn’t have relevance in this fic.

you are responsible for your own media consumption

Nothing was making sense. 

It had been about a week since Christmas, and Isaac's gift to you—a sleek leather notebook with embossed initials—had already been filled with notes from your latest case. You hadn’t expected to dive in so deeply so soon, but the week had passed in a blur. The case itself seemed simple on the surface: one arrogant rich man owed another arrogant rich man money. The problem? The money hadn't been paid, and nearly eight months had passed since the deadline.

You leaned back in your chair, pressing the heels of your palms against your temples as if that might clear the fog in your brain. Why wasn’t this adding up? Every lead seemed to dissolve into nothingness, leaving only more questions behind. 

The desk lamp cast a dim glow over your scattered notes, and you glanced at the name scribbled across the top of the page: Oliver. That was the client. You frowned, flipping through the notebook to a previous page where another name stood out: Ivan. The two men had been acquaintances—close enough for Oliver to lend Ivan a substantial amount of money. It wasn’t just a verbal agreement, either. Oliver had insisted on a formal contract, a safeguard for the sizeable loan. 

You exhaled sharply and skimmed through your notes again. Ivan had started paying the loan back promptly after receiving it. Bank records showed three substantial payments made to Oliver over the span of three months—payments that covered about 70% of the debt. And then… nothing. No payments. No contact. Just silence. 

You tapped the side of your pen against the notebook and stared at the next document in the stack: Ivan's bank statements. Something didn’t sit right. His accounts were practically drained after those payments, but there was an unusual expense that caught your eye—a sudden trip to Tanzania. You squinted at the details, double-checking the timeline. Why would Ivan, who clearly didn’t have the means to pay off his debt in one lump sum, suddenly spend money on an expensive international trip? The timing was suspicious at best.  

The more you thought about it, the stranger it seemed. Ivan had been diligent in making payments. If he intended to disappear, why bother paying 70% of the loan back at all? It would have been easier to cut and run after the first payment—or to never pay anything at all. 

You jotted down the growing list of questions in your notebook:  

- Why did Ivan stop paying after covering most of the debt?  

- What was so urgent or important about the trip to Tanzania?  

- Was there something—or someone—waiting for him there?  

The weight of the case settled heavily on your shoulders. There was something more to this than a simple unpaid loan. Ivan’s actions didn’t align with someone trying to evade their debts. Something—or someone—was interfering.  

You set the pen down and leaned back in your chair, staring at the ceiling. If this was going to make sense, you’d need to dig deeper. Tanzania might hold the answers—or at least the next clue in the puzzle.  

 ──

“Can we go to Tanzania?”  

Isaac didn’t look up from the stack of papers on his desk. Instead, he let out a low chuckle, his amusement barely veiled.  

You pouted, moving further into his study and dropping into the chair directly in front of him. Leaning forward, you rested your elbows on the desk and tried again.  

“Isaac, I’m serious!”  

“I’m sure you are,” he said without looking up, his tone light and teasing. “But what business, pray tell, do you have in Tanzania?”  

You groaned dramatically, throwing your head back in frustration before sitting up straight. “It’s about my case!”  

That got his attention. He set down his pen, finally meeting your gaze with a raised brow. “Go on, then. Explain.”  

You leaned closer, your voice hurried and insistent. “This man—Ivan. He borrowed a huge amount of money from my client, Oliver. He paid most of it back, seventy percent to be exact, but then he just… stopped. No contact, no explanation. Instead, he vanishes and takes a sudden trip to Tanzania.”  

Isaac tilted his head slightly, an unreadable expression on his face. “And?”  

“And,” you said, exhaling sharply, “that’s the last anyone’s heard from him. He hasn’t paid the rest of the debt, hasn’t contacted Oliver, and now I can’t figure out why he’d suddenly drop everything to go there. It doesn’t make sense.”  

Isaac took a slow sip from his glass of whisky, the amber liquid catching the light. When he finally spoke, his voice was calm and matter-of-fact.  

“He’s dead.”  

The words hit you like a freight train. For a moment, you just stared at him, your mind racing to make sense of what you’d just heard.  

“What?” you finally managed, your voice barely above a whisper.  

Isaac swirled the whisky in his glass, his gaze steady but distant. “Ivan. He’s dead. Asriel attempted to cover it up, but clearly, he didn’t do a very good job.”  

“Asriel?” you echoed, your brows furrowing deeply. “Who the hell is Asriel, and what does he have to do with this?”  

Isaac leaned back in his chair, the faintest hint of a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Asriel is a name you’ll want to remember. He’s not the type of man you want involved in something like this. If Ivan’s death is connected to him, you can bet it wasn’t an accident. He’s a colleague of mine.”  

Your stomach churned as the implications settled over you. “So, you’re saying someone killed Ivan? And it wasn’t just some random tragedy in Tanzania?”  

Isaac raised a brow, as if the answer were obvious. “Precisely. Tanzania wasn’t a coincidence. Someone orchestrated this, and Asriel’s involvement suggests it’s much bigger than unpaid debts.”  

You felt a shiver run down your spine. The case had gone from puzzling to dangerous in the span of a single conversation.  

 ──

Asriel had killed Ivan.  

That was the conclusion you’d drawn after hours of pacing in the kitchen, replaying Isaac’s cryptic words over and over in your head. Isaac had left the house for a "business meeting," his tone deliberately casual, but you couldn’t shake the sinking feeling in your stomach. Would he really confront Asriel—or worse, collaborate with him? The idea that Isaac could be protecting a murderer gnawed at you like a persistent itch you couldn’t scratch.  

Your pacing came to an abrupt halt. If Asriel was truly a colleague, wouldn’t Isaac have access to the case files? And if those files existed, they might hold the key to unraveling this entire mess.  

The thought ignited a spark of determination. Without hesitation, you raced up the stairs, taking them two at a time, and headed straight for Isaac’s study. The faint scent of whisky and leather still lingered in the room, and the soft ticking of a clock seemed louder in the silence.  

Your eyes darted to the large mahogany filing cabinet tucked neatly in the corner. You hesitated for a moment, glancing at the door to make sure you were alone. Then, with a deep breath, you crouched in front of the cabinet and began pulling open drawers, fingers flipping through the neatly organized files.  

“Ivan, Ivan, Ivan,” you muttered under your breath as your fingers flew across the labels. “Come on, where are you?”  

Then you found it—a thin folder marked ‘Ivan Volkov’ in Isaac’s clean, precise handwriting. Your heart skipped a beat. You pulled it out and laid it on the desk, your hands trembling slightly as you flipped it open.  

A dossier on a woman named Rhene, complete with a photograph.The photo showed a woman with sharp features, her eyes calculating and intense. The accompanying notes were concise, detailing her connection to Ivan. It seemed Rhene had accompanied him on his trip to Tanzania, though her role remained ambiguous.

A sealed folder labeled "Crime Scene."The label alone made your stomach tighten.

A DNA analysis report.The samples listed weren’t Ivan’s or Rhene’s. Instead, the report highlighted genetic anomalies, with unsettling notes referencing “non-human origins” and “predatory characteristics.”

You stared at the sealed folder, your breath catching in your throat. You knew you shouldn’t open it, but the pull of curiosity—and the need for answers—was stronger than your fear.

With trembling hands, you unfastened the clasp and opened the folder. The first photo hit you like a physical blow.

Mutilated. That was the only word that came to mind. Ivan and the woman, Rhene’s body—or what remained of it—was scattered in grotesque disarray. Limbs had been torn apart, some strewn across the room, others almost unrecognizable. The scene looked more like the work of an animal than anything human.

Your breathing quickened as your eyes darted over the images. Bite marks. They were everywhere, jagged impressions on what was left of Ivan’s torso, arms, and legs. It wasn’t just a random attack—it was targeted, deliberate.

You slammed the folder shut, stumbling backward as nausea clawed at your stomach. Your heart pounded, your vision blurred.

This wasn’t just a murder. It was a massacre.

If Asriel hadn't killed this man, Who—No, what had?

 ──

You had been sitting on the floor of Isaac’s study for exactly 24 minutes, nausea twisting your stomach into knots. The weight of what you’d seen refused to dissipate, the gruesome images replaying in your mind.

Suddenly, your work phone rang. The sharp sound startled you, making your blood run cold. You hesitated, glancing at the screen. Oliver.

For a brief moment, you debated ignoring it—dropping the case entirely and walking away from this madness. But you knew you couldn’t. Not yet.

Alast, you answer on the fifth ring.

“Hello.” You say, trying not to sound uptight. The line crackled faintly before Oliver’s sharp, impatient voice cut through.

"Finally," he snapped. "I was starting to think you’d forgotten about me."

You swallowed, gripping the phone tightly. "No, Oliver. I’ve been working on your case."

"Good" he said curtly. 

"Oliver," you said sharply, unsure if you even wanted to mention the man. "Do you know Asriel?"

Oliver’s silence was immediate, tense.

"Answer me," you pressed.

There was a pause on the line, and when Oliver spoke again, his voice was quieter but no less tense. "Why are you asking about Asriel?"

 "I need to speak with him."

Oliver let out a bitter laugh. "You think you can just speak with Asriel? People like him don’t take calls from nobodies like you."

"Then give me the number of someone who can get me to him," you pressed. "You hired me to solve this, didn’t you? Help me do my job."

Oliver grumbled something under his breath before responding. "Asriel doesn’t deal with most people directly. But I know someone—Vic. He’s Asriel’s right-hand man, and I know him well enough to get you a meeting."

"Vic?!" you said. You curse at yourself, regretting sounding so surprised. Your breath hitched at the mention of Vic, memories of the man rushing back to you. His smooth voice, the way he’d tried to “take you off Isaac’s hands” like you were a burden or a prize—either way, the thought made your skin crawl. "Send me Vic’s number. I’ll handle it from here."

"Fine," Oliver said begrudgingly. "But if this goes south, it’s on you. Don’t expect me to dig you out of any trouble with these people."

"Trust me," you muttered, "I wouldn’t expect you to."

Oliver hung up without another word, leaving you gripping the phone tightly, the tension in your chest refusing to ease. Not a minute after you get a text from Oilver, it was Vic’s number.

The sight of it made your stomach churn, but there was no turning back now.

With a deep breath, you dialed the number, your fingers shaking slightly.

The line barely rang twice before a smooth, lilting voice answered. "Well, well. This is unexpected. To who do I owe the pleasure?"

"Vic," you said, keeping your tone measured. "I need to talk to Asriel."

There was a pause, and then a low chuckle. He recognized your voice. "Straight to business, I see. No pleasantries? No ‘How have you been, Vic?’ I thought we had something special."

You clenched your jaw, resisting the urge to snap at him. "I don’t have time for games. Can you get me to Asriel or not?"

"Tsk, tsk," he said mockingly. "Always so serious. But lucky for you, I’m feeling generous today. Why don’t you tell me why you’re so eager to see him? Did Isaac finally let you off the leash?"

You ignored the jab, your voice cold. "It’s about Ivan Volkov. And if you care about keeping Asriel’s name out of this mess, you’ll help me."

Vic hummed thoughtfully, his voice dripping with amusement. "Ivan, huh? That’s a dangerous name to be throwing around. But you’re in luck. I happen to like danger."

"Vic," you said sharply, your patience wearing thin.

"Alright, alright," he said, his tone turning playful. "I’ll arrange something. But only because I find you endlessly fascinating. Just promise me one thing."

"What?"

"Try not to get yourself killed before the meeting. It’d be such a waste of potential."

The line went dead before you could respond. You stared at the phone, your heart pounding. Vic’s words echoed in your mind, sending a shiver down your spine.

──

Three weeks.

Three weeks of complete radio silence.

The days dragged on, heavy with uncertainty. You told yourself that Vic was playing some twisted game, dangling the promise of a meeting just out of reach. But the longer you waited, the more your mind spiraled.

Isaac had noticed your unease, though you tried to mask it. Every time he asked, you brushed him off with a strained smile. "It’s nothing," you’d say, "just the change of season."

But the lie did little to ease his concern—or yours.

Vic’s words replayed in your head like a broken record: “Try not to get yourself killed before the meeting.”

Was it a warning? A threat? Were you being watched, stalked? Did Vic want you dead? You didn’t know, and the uncertainty gnawed at you. Every creak of the floorboards, every shadow in your periphery felt like a potential danger. Sleep became a luxury you could no longer afford.

Then, just as you began to consider calling Vic again—perhaps to demand answers, perhaps just to scream at him—your phone buzzed.

You froze, the device trembling in your hand as you checked the screen. It was an unknown number.

Your pulse raced. It had to be him.

With a deep breath, you answered. With a deep breath, you answered. "Vic. You arrogant son of a bitc—"

"Well, that’s not how you answer the phone now, is it?"

The voice was smooth, like silk over glass, and utterly unfamiliar. Not Vic.

Your heart sped up, a cold wave of fear washing over you. This wasn’t Vic.

"Who is this?" you demanded, your voice sharper than you intended.

The man on the other end chuckled, the sound low and rich, reverberating in a way that made your skin crawl. "Why, I believe you already know who I am. You’ve been asking around for me, haven’t you?"

The breath caught in your throat. Asriel.

“What did you use to kill Ivan?" you asked, forcing strength into your voice. "Whatever it was, it’s clearly inhumane. Something that shouldn’t be in the hands of someone like—"

The chuckle came again, softer this time, almost indulgent. "Careful now," Asriel interrupted smoothly. "They don’t like being referred to as ‘it.’ If you want to meet them, it’s important you learn a little respect."

Them?

“Has Isaac taught his own pet no manners?”

You were about to respond when a voice murmured faintly in the background. It was low, guttural, and laced with irritation. You couldn’t make out the words, but it sent a shiver down your spine.

"Asriel," they said, sharper now.

"Ah," Asriel drawled, the faintest edge of amusement in his tone. "Pet, come here. Come say hello to our curious little friend."

There was a pause, a rustling sound that could have been movement, and then a new voice entered the line. This one was different—softer but no less chilling.

The single word hit you like a cold blade to the spine.

"Hello."

──

author's note: this may be one of my personal favorites, i know many are a fan of the pet x pickle duo so i wanted to write an interaction a little more realistic.

[mochinomnoms]

How do you think explaining Christmas would go down with the boys? I'm specifically looking at Krampus, cause the holiday is all about joy and hope and lights and and giving, and then there's just this half goat demon man that will stuff you in a sack and torture you for Your Sins.

The story of Krampus is actually really metal tbh. There was this evil butcher that killed, chopped, and salted these three kids that were hanging outside his shop, and then St. Nicholas came along and uses the Power Of God to commit actual fucking necromancy to bring the kids back to life. God then cursed this butcher to follow around St. Nich as a punisher that comes around every December 5. The French call him "the whipping father" it's fucking insane actually.

Some of the holiday is also a little weird when you put it into perspective, like: oh yeah, there's this red guy that you write letters to and then he breaks into your house and you leave an offering of milk and cookies for him in exchange for candy and gifts :D! He also has flying reindeer with very cute names btw! But we're not going to talk about that actually cause now we have to decorate this whole ass pine tree that I brought into ramshackle :D it's gonna be great! :D

Bro imagine giving them advent calendars! Those little ones with the small toys or chocolates- give one to Riddle he needs one. Lots of sugar intake to catch up on

🦩

To be real, I was raised very Catholic (ew) and traditionally Mexican so my Christmas stuff is very different from what you see on TV and like in Hallmark movies.

So like, we celebrated it as a religious holiday, so the Santa stuff is kinnda foreign to me, I only heard about it from school. We still got presents and stuff, but I remember doing Posadas, which is children reenacting the Mary and Joseph seeking shelter by going to houses and singing and asking for shelter. At the end we go to one of the parents' houses or to the church and have a little party! We also didn't really decorate like I've seen in American homes, we had like a cute tree usually, but mostly decorated the altars to La Virgen and the Nativity scene.

The biggest difference I've found is that we celebrated Christmas on Christmas Eve instead; we had Nochebuena, so we'd go to midnight mass, have dinner, and at midnight we open presents. Technically, kids didn't get presents because of Santa or anything like that, we got it cause kids get gifts like how the three kings gave baby Jesus presents. Though that also is a different winter holiday in January or February, not sure. When I got older my family started getting more Americanized, and my brothers got the whole Santa deal, but we still did a lot of the church stuff.

Considering that there is no mention of any sort of religious institution in Twisted Wonderland, I imagine my explanation of Christmas would be very foreign. Though Noble Bell College basically being Notre Dame in the Masquerade event and Rollo practically inventing Catholic guilt in a world without Catholics has some implications? I actually don't think there is any mention of any deities that the cast or world in general worship, though perhaps it's implied with Hades? He's not referred to as God of the Underworld though, he's King so maybe??

This got off-topic, but I like to think any explanation of traditions from back home is fascinating to the boys! And there's a lot of winter holidays besides Christmas and Las Posadas, I mean Hanukkah is big and Yule is reemerging as people learn more about where traditions from Christmas comes from.

If you're like me and have a religious aspect to your winter holidays, I think they're curious about it and asking all sorts of questions! If you had the more traditional American Christmas, then they're super curious about the whole Santa deal! Like, they thought you said your world didn't have magic, so what's with this magically man in a red suit and white beard?

(Also, I don't know what advent calendars are, they have candy I'm guessing? If it's a calendar, then I'm safe to assume it's like a count-down to Christmas day?)

[radical-revolution]

In Memory

After I got the call that Ram Dass had died yesterday, I closed my eyes.

He is still here.

I could feel the vast field of love that was shining from Ram Dass when Trudy and I taught with him just a couple of weeks ago. And I always will.

On the final day of this last retreat, called “Open Your Heart in Paradise,” Ram Dass was frail and didn’t have access to many words. But he was there in the most powerful way. He swam delightedly with the group in the ocean, chanting “Oh Joy, Oh Joy.”

And on the retreat’s last morning, he put his hands on a basket of 350 wrist malas, each tied with a thread of his guru’s blanket, to tenderly bless them. Then, as participants came by slowly to receive their malas, he silently looked into each face, offering to all what is sometimes called “the glance of mercy,” a gaze so full of love that it left many of us speechless and weeping, drunk with blessing.

I have known Ram Dass for 48 years, as master teacher and inspiration and role model, as a dear friend and benefactor who helped me begin to teach, as a companion on the path, as a truth teller and prankster, as a profound healer and whisperer of souls, as a kind of prophet for a generation. Out in public with him across the years, over and over people would come up to him and speak lovingly, tentatively, urgently, offering thanks, “Ram Dass, I just want to let you know you changed my life!” And he did… for so many of us.

Yes, his book “Be Here Now” changed countless lives. Yes, his work with Seva Foundation cured 5 million people of blindness. Yes, he taught almost nonstop for 50 years, spreading wisdom and humor, wild devotion and love and a vast timeless mystical perspective across the world. His obituaries will be filled with his many other accomplishments.

For me he is family and Sangha, even now still spreading his playful, tough, delicious love everywhere, connecting with our hearts. “Yum, yum,” as he would say.

He was so ready to leave the wheelchair and skinny and broken body, to go home.

Home is not somewhere else.

It is here, in life and death, in the eternal dance of consciousness, weaving together form and the formless mystery from which it all comes.

Ram Dass is the vastness reminding us that in the end, there is only love.

~ Jack Kornfield, two years ago🙏

Be Here Now

Please read aloud, pause in-between, and listen to the poetic heart-words of a Great Teacher...a Beloved Guru, and a true inspiration for so many of us throughout this life.

_________________________________________

We're fascinated by the words--but where we meet is in the silence behind them.

The quieter you become, the more you can hear.

It is important to expect nothing, to take every experience, including the negative ones, as merely steps on the path, and to proceed.

The most exquisite paradox… as soon as you give it all up, you can have it all. As long as you want power, you can't have it. The minute you don't want power, you'll have more than you ever dreamed possible.

I would like my life to be a statement of love and compassion - and where it isn't, that's where my work lies.

In most of our human relationships, we spend much of our time reassuring one another that our costumes of identity are on straight.

The heart surrenders everything to the moment. The mind judges and holds back.

Your problem is you are too busy holding on to your unworthiness.

As long as you have certain desires about how it ought to be you can't see how it is.

Treat everyone you meet like God in drag.

The most important aspect of love is not in giving or the receiving: it's in the being. When I need love from others, or need to give love to others, I'm caught in an unstable situation. Being in love, rather than giving or taking love, is the only thing that provides stability. Being in love means seeing the Beloved all around me.

Suffering is part of our training program for becoming wise.

What you meet in another being is the projection of your own level of evolution.

The spiritual journey is individual, highly personal. It can't be organized or regulated. It isn't true that everyone should follow one path. Listen to your own truth.

Let's trade in all our judging for appreciating. Let's lay down our righteousness and just be together.

Only that in you which is me can hear what I'm saying.

Everything changes once we identify with being the witness to the story, instead of the actor in it.

We are all affecting the world every moment, whether we mean to or not. Our actions and states of mind matter, because we are so deeply interconnected with one another.

A feeling of aversion or attachment toward something is your clue that there's work to be done.

The next message you need is always right where you are.

I would say that the thrust of my life has been initially about getting free, and then realizing that my freedom is not independent of everybody else. Then I am arriving at that circle where one works on oneself as a gift to other people so that one doesn't create more suffering. I help people as a work on myself and I work on myself to help people.

I'm not interested in being a "lover." I'm interested in only being love.

The game is not about becoming somebody, it's about becoming nobody.

Learn to watch your drama unfold while at the same time knowing you are more than your drama.

If you think you're free, there's no escape possible.

Every religion is the product of the conceptual mind attempting to describe the mystery.

It's only when caterpillarness is done that one becomes a butterfly. That again is part of this paradox. You cannot rip away caterpillarness. The whole trip occurs in an unfolding process of which we have no control.

We're here to awaken from the illusion of separateness

We're all just walking each other home.

~ Ram Dass now, just as before,

at home with Divinity

[achillesuwu]

(hehehehehe thank u ♥️

Ok that take a completely different turn but I can still cook *put my hat on* So, Merlin knew Arthur was his soulmate in canon era but decided to hide it (I always love to put cultural aspect to soulmate in soulmate au! Like Soulmate have many the rights, like if Arthur or Guinevere find their soulmate post being married they could terminate their marriage,... Which mean that Merlin revealing he is Arthur soulmate would destroy any marriage alliance of Uther so that's why he decided to hide it at first. Then he didn't want to break Gwen's heart) BUT he kind of started to put a spell around him 👀 so he would "half" forget that Arthur is his soulmate

By that I mean that Merlin didn't really think about their bond but thought about it enough that he would not get naked in front of Arthur

BUT the spell he did was an uncompleted amnesiac spell that he would need to destroy and refresh often (so he would stay at that balanced state of remembering without remembering) HOWEVER 👀 when Arthur died Merlin was far too gone to even think about it. It went beyond the tipping point and the spell fully took. (if Merlin came back to Camelot, Gaius just didn't have the heart to tell him and break his heart even more)

Also I see that I haven't wrote this part of the au on tumblr but in this au sorcerer have the capacity to bring their soulmark to life when they start doing magic 👀 Merlin always had a blue little (at first) blue dragon following him (and living in Camelot's forest) and no long after Arthur died an even smaller red dragon appeared too 👀 so actually when Merlin arrives Arthur see an gigantic (like vaghar sized if you watch House of the dragon) version of his soulmark blow the trees as it lands and then see a smaller figure approach as (still gigantic but way smaller) red dragon start landings too.

So Arthur is at first like : omfg

Then : Merlin!!! ✨😍

Then : Wait MY SOULMATE IS MERLIN 😲😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫

Then he is 25% crying inside because Merlin doesn't remember him 15% worried at Merlin amnesia 10% glad Merlin seems to still have his sassiness 🥺♥️ 50% weak in the knee because that's the first time he actually see Merlin being the greatest 😵‍💫 and He is his soulmate omg omg *Arthur using all his training to stay standing when Merlin's eyes glow as he strips him and turn him with magic to see his soulmark without a by your leave✋*

The social magical worker is sure as hell not pay enough to deal with all of this so they leave to deal with that "kid who drank a purpling potion" (there is, in fact, no kid)

Au where merthur have soulmate identifying mark but merlin is the only one who know they are because if Arthur knew he would find out about his magic 👀 (arthur's mark being a beautiful dragon mainly on on his back but its tall is draped on his torso, a wing stretch on his right shoulder, another end on his hip and its head rest upon his stomach. As if it were jealousy protecting him. its scale are of a blue so dark it nearly look black. It has golden eye and tread of gold on is horn, gold shimmer on its body highlighting its scale at some place.

It screams powerful sorcerer.)

And thus it doesn't change anything from the show. Merlin doesn't tell him not even at the very end (Merlin's mark is a smaller red dragon with its head on his shoulder and who is is holding itself on his shoulder)

It would be very angsty but also SO FUNNY if in a post return futur where arthur (Gwen, the knights) are very confuse and lost but luckily for them there exist multiple center for "People who got Teleported at the wrong place/Bought back from the dead? We are here to help!/ your five yo drank a weird potion? No problem! Etc" basically Magic help center.

Just imagine basic social worker sorcerers who tries to do their job at 3 am and see THE Emrys mark ™ on a random dude and they are like *gasp*.

Them : what the fuck

Arthur :???

Them :WHAT THE FUCK

the others :????

Them : we are calling your soulmate RIGHT NOW. WHAT THE FUCK should I call the government too???? I'M NOT PAY ENOUGH FOR THIS.

Arthur : my???

Them : YOU. DO NOT MOVE IF I LOSE YOU I'M DEAD. DEAD.

You can imagine arthur pendragon pacing like a 13 years old stressed before an oral presentation because even if he was afraid then thought he globally didn't really care about his soulmate. He realised that it wasn't so much that he didn't care but he thought it would simply never be so he just... Kinda forgot about it. Now he just can not put it away because is soulmate IS coming and WHERE IS MERLIN WHEN HE NEEDS HIM (he is blocking any thoughts about Merlin potential dead thank you very much)

(Gwen is currently finding the situation extremely funny because she figured out in 5x13 and she is 80 yo (in a younger body but still) . And she is waaaayyyyyy to old to see her former husband stay in his denial.

Leon is 78 years old and he is slowly recognising the dragon in question that look very much like Merlin's family crest. He is looking at his wife in a very conspiracy way.

Gwaine is currently not really giving a damn about the whole soulmate thing. What do you MEAN you can send messages to people in less that a second?!?!?

Elyan would usually not give a damn but he is very much not happy ™ to find out that his sister (first) husband had a soulmate mark who isn't dead and he is glaring at Arthur but he is also getting a hug from gwen so it doesn't look menacing at all.

Perceval (57) is right behind Gwaine but he is currently watching himself in the mirror because seeing his younger self again is weird asf

Meanwhile Lancelot is talking with the assistant (on the verge of a break down because they are going to see the GOD OF MAGIC OH MY GOD) about magical history

[anonymousewrites]

Lavender for Royalty; Sage for Wisdom Christmas Special

Kyoya Ootori x Reader

Christmas Special

            “Is this place really so new to Tamaki? Don’t rich people have Christmas events?” said Haruhi.

            Tamaki had insisted on bringing the Host Club to a commoner’s Christmas Market, so there they were. The lights were dazzling, sweet scents wafted from every corner, and couples and families were walking around together as far as the eye could see. Stalls were set up for every type of gift and cultural holiday food imaginable, and Tamaki was intent on experiencing every single aspect of the market.

            “Christmas events are times for networking,” said (Y/N). “Businesses getting togehtr for goodwill. Gifts show off their wealth and are all tailor-made for each person. They’re not bought where there’s stuff for random people like a place like this.”

            “That’s…impersonal,” said Haruhi.

            “It’s not necessarily impersonal,” said (Y/N). “People can get individualized gifts that their loved ones appreciate. However, Tamakis family…falls on the impersonal.” They smiled. “That’s why he wants to do this with all of us.”

            “Oh,” said Haruhi, looking at Tamaki as he showed off two hats to the twins and shoved them on their heads to “tell the difference.”

            “Takashi, help me reach the tree,” said Honey.

            Mori lifted him up so he could put the star on a small tree.

            “Haruhi, come and look at the gingerbread houses! Teach me how to make one!” said Tamaki.

            “We’re going to make a castle,” said Hikaru and Kaoru.

            Tamaki suddenly looked alarmed. “We have to beat them, Haruhi!” He grabbed her arm. “Come on, come on!” He dragged her over towards the stalls while Haruhi flailed and reached towards (Y/N) for help.

            (Y/N) just chuckled and waved. “Bye, Haruhi.”

            “Wait, no, senpai, help!”

            “Merry Christmas,” sang (Y/N) playfully.

            “Leaving her to fend for herself against Tamaki, how cruel,” said Kyoya.

            “Says our resident Scrooge,” said (Y/N). “At least I went along with Tamaki’s Santa-hat theme.” They smiled. “If you don’t go along with him this year, he’ll put you in a Grinch costume.”

            Kyoya smiled coldly. “He wouldn’t dare.”

            Okay, maybe not, thought (Y/N), a shiver going down their spine. “Well, I plan to enjoy myself. My aunt and uncle love these things. We have a ton of ornaments from people we know because of these stalls, and it means our tree is filled with memories. I want to find another one to remember today with the Host Club.”

            “I’ll accompany you,” said Kyoya. He had no reason to follow Tamaki—he had enough people for his hijinks—so he would go with (Y/N) into the market.

            The pair walked in together, and (Y/N) led the way to the craft stalls filled with ornaments.

            “What would fit us all? A giant heart for flirting with girls?” joked (Y/N).

            “What about money if you’re going in that direction?” said Kyoya.

            “Okay, maybe not,” said (Y/N), chuckling.

            “What if you got an ornament for each host?” said Kyoya.

            “I don’t have the money for that,” said (Y/N) casually. “That’s for gifts.”

            “I’ll pay for them,” said Kyoya.

            “And I pay you back with interest?” said (Y/N).

            Kyoya smiled “innocently.” “That would hardly be in the Christmas spirit.”

            “And you’re embracing it now?” said (Y/N), amused.

            “Why not?” said Kyoya. His smile turned slightly more genuine. “It’s not my tree they’re going on.”

            “Okay, then.” (Y/N) smiled. “If you’re going to help pay, then you have to help pick. That’s the rule.”

            “Very well,” said Kyoya, oddly endeared.

            “Now, Tamaki first,” said (Y/N).

            “Obviously the crown,” said Kyoya. “He insists on calling himself the ‘King.’ ”

            “He does,” chuckled (Y/N), picking up the ornament. “Oh, here’s a piece of cake.”

            “Honey, undoubtedly,” said Kyoya.

            “His is the most obvious,” said (Y/N). “And a katana for Mori. I’ll hang them together.”

            “How about the comedy and tragedy masks for the twins?” said Kyoya.

            “I like it,” said (Y/N), adding to the small pile. “I think the vase for Haruhi.”

            Kyoya smirked. “Very appropriate.”

            (Y/N) chuckled. “Now it’s you…Hm…Glasses or journal. Both are just so you. Or how about a snake? You are the Shadow King, and everyone knows you plant all of the ideas for Tamaki.”

            “Amusing. Should you be the seventies disco ball based on your style, then?” said Kyoya with the same smile of innocence.

            “You joke, but I like it,” said (Y/N). “And I’m choosing the snake for you.”

            “I certainly can’t stop you,” said Kyoya. Except he could. He was paying, after all. But he wouldn’t.

            “You can’t because it’s Christmas,” said (Y/N), smiling.

            “I guess I did get into the spirit somewhat,” said Kyoya, handing them the disco ball ornament. His hand brushed theirs. “Merry Christmas, (Y/N).”

            “Merry Christmas, Kyoya. Thanks for going around with me,” said (Y/N).

            “Of course. Anytime.” Strangely enough, Kyoya meant it.

Taglist:

@roo024

@jmclouds

@yappydoo

@ramblingsoftheill

@girgal73

@rockerica

@nosoyyo1213

@ritzes28

@grippledee-galaxy

@rory-cakes

@neenieweenie

@k03ume

@constellationguy

@paastaboi

@introvertathome

@chaseyui

[demonslushh]

HMS design sketches!

My mind Design has changed a bit since last time, if you remember my last post. But I would like to say, I have lots of explainations as to why I designed these guys the way I did.

I'll explain below the cut! Consider this a mini-analysis, especially regarding soul. If you guys are interested more in my breakdowns of lyrics and like this analysis, let me know so I can post my takes more, haha. I have lots to say about this album, but having some feedback might help me feel motivated to actually post my analyses!

Alright, so here we are. I'd like to say that, first off, Heart and Mind's designs are pretty self-explanitory — And mostly based off of personal headcanon. Albeit, there are a couple little details I want to highlight.

First, the angel/fallen angel imagery. I talked about this in a past post when I posted my previous mind design, and I really wanted to keep it. Something I noticed in fandom designs is that Heart would have a lot of Angelic traits and Mind didn't, which is totally fair, but I liked the idea of playing with the concept of a fallen angel/"dark" angel theming with him since they're represented as opposites in every other way.

I also do like the idea of Mind being a fallen angel based on a few themes through his story — Particularly in Be Born when he states that he once was in control. The prospect of him being pushed out of power at some point feeds well into this theming.

The other aspect I'd like to highlight is regarding Heart's "Face" and Mind's Chest.

Heart does not have a head in my design, and Mind's chest is completely hollow. I thought that it would be interesting to remove the other's main attribute from each of their designs — So heart does not have a head and, therefore no sort of physical brain, and Mind has no heart in his chest. Again, this was moreso just a headcanon choice, I think it plays into their stark divide during cocophany more. It was fun.

Now, for my favorite aspect: Soul.

My choices for his design do require a bit of explaination based on my analysis of lyrics throughout songs, so I will do just that.

I believe that soul is not a unique entity. Soul is not a third part of the whole — Rather, he is a "hallowed" out version of Whole, and only really exists when Heart and Mind are split, because they split out of him, not just from eachother.

Here's why I think this:

The way that Soul is discussed as opposed to the other three is different in many instances, which is why I've vnever really seen him as a unique Third part, but just a husk of whole.

In the first instance, Mind is saying that he and heart split into "two parts". (of course this could just be the matter of how early on Be Born was written, but ... Shhh.) To me, this says that Soul never "split" into a part — So then, what did happen? This line makes a lot more since when you consider the idea of Mind and Heart splitting off and leaving Soul as a product, rather than a third full party.

Second and Third refer to how Soul describes himself/Is described by others. The second example, from Storm and a Spring, I think is the most compelling evidence that made me really commit to this idea of Soul — "And Oath formed from us both that it would stay whole." This essentially directly states that Soul would be Whole, if not for Mind and Heart's split. And the third example says that Heart and Mind reside within him, which is just another supporting example to the other two points.

So for that reason, My Soul design is essentially "hollowed" — The open void in his chest has no heart or anything resembling it inside, and his mask is half cracked open to show Mind's vacancy as well. He still maintains a few traits from each of them, like one broken wing and one whole wing, having each of their halos, and two sets of arms — one organic and one robotic.

And yeah, that's sort of it. Hope you guys like them :D!

(I may render these later, too. Depends on where motivation takes me, haha.)

[noxsspace]

Pretty Gift for a Pretty Lady

merry christmas y’all! hope you enjoy this little piece☺️ i just know that Arthur is the sweetest with gift giving.

summary: Arthur puts together a gift and gives it to you. just sweet romantic fluff basically.

It’s almost Christmas and Arthur is determined to give you the greatest gift he could possibly find. He’d start out by browsing the sections in the store you had an interest in, noting down what you’d commented the beauty of, sure of himself he’d create the most gorgeous gift you’d ever laid eyes on.

Picking out some articles of clothing you’d liked, and bringing them back to camp discreetly in order to embroider tasteful flowers (that were your favorite) into the cloth, before setting out to hunt for feathers and eye-catching flowers he would arrange for a headpiece.

He’d admit while he wasn’t creative in the aspect of structuring what he had in mind, he tried nonetheless, pinning flower petals to a clip with feathers shifted for flair.

The night of christmas eve, he brought you into his tent, closing the cloth curtains, then sat you down with him.

“Now, you know I ain’t talented in a sense of…well, what you often do,” He started, watching your face contort in confusion. He then handed over a neatly wrapped box, tied with a small bow made with string. You blinked in shock, eyeing the gift, and then back up at Arthur. He smiled a bit, proud of his endeavors, then gestured for you to open, and so you did.

The blouse that emerged from the box had you almost in tears, a smile forming when the realization of his hard work had hit you, your fingers delicately running over the stitches of color. “Oh, Arthur,” you began, almost speechless. “This is beautiful! You did this?” You asked, mouth agape while he bashfully looked away, his hand reaching to the back of his neck. You turned back to the blouse and hugged it, continuously commenting on the placement and stitches of the flowers, each and every single one leaving you in awe. That was more than enough for him, he’d never felt more content.

“Oh, there’s one more, darlin,” He said a bit quietly, ushering you to look further into the box. The gasp you had made in result of seeing the gorgeous piece before you made him smile yet again. You took in every inch of the piece, examining the feathers and petals with such care that made him felt warm.

“Allow me, my pretty lady,” He said, taking the clip from your hands and brushing your hair back gently, adjusting the piece to flatter your features. “Beautiful.” You smiled, touching the decorative piece and then Arthur’s cheek, a reminder of the love you felt for him.

Nothing else could be said at that moment, however, you wrapped your arms around him, the tightness of your warm embrace, your head resting gently against his chest, that was the best part of it all.

He laughed a bit when you began to thank him endlessly, his arms never wanting to let go, though his mind begged to see your expressions once more. He pulled away and kissed your forehead, then your lips with utmost care, a hand placed lightly under your chin, while the light worked in his favor to portray the gleam of happiness in your eyes.

“So, I take it I did okay?” Arthur then spoke, resulting in a light hearted laugh. “More than so, Arthur.” Once more, a light kiss to seal the night ensued.

[ripplestitchskein]

I’ve been mulling it over and I think where the Octavia storyline falls apart a bit for me when it comes to understanding and empathizing with her character is that the valid reasons for her to be upset aren’t what she’s upset about and we have no indication that the major reason she would be in the frame of mind she’s in during the final confrontation ever came into play.

Stella and Andrealphus haven’t really hidden how they feel about Stolas. Octavia knows his punishment, all of hell does. She knows that he’s been trying to reach out to her, Stella takes her phone and then loudly and for a very long time laughs about how he’s been repeatedly trying to reach her for a month. Like it would make more sense if that had been hidden from her, but it wasn’t, she has been shown that he is trying to reach her. They could have taken the thread that she was mad that he took awhile to reach out to her, Andrealphus even comments on it in the scene, and we the audience saw Stolas too caught up on his own shit and then realizing “oh shit I need to call Via. “. A perfectly logical route to take, we’ve seen it on screen several times that Stolas’s first impulse is to act and then remember he has responsibilities after. But Via doesn’t seem to be mad about that aspect.

And this isn’t a misunderstanding where we the audience see Stolas trying to contact her and she doesn’t know he is. She did see him calling, she heard that he was repeatedly trying for a month, so I don’t see how her major issue is him leaving her when he kept trying to get in contact with her and then showed up at her house putting himself in extreme danger to do so.

I could see her being mad that he got himself banished because of his choices, not knowing the reason it was brought into court was because of her Mother and Andrealphus. Stolas did break the law for Blitz, and doing so resulted in his exile, but she doesn’t mention that in her final speech either.

The episode talks about the cheating and the broken family aspect but Octavia doesn’t even mention that, we see it in her song, her house crumbling around her, but that doesn’t seem to be the issue when she confronts him. She doesn’t mention that he destroyed their home. It’s heavily implied she’s upset he destroyed the image he built up but because of the addition of the antidepressants it comes off as being more about that than the actual cheating and divorce.

We see Stolas being willing to die for Blitz and leaving her that way, he doesn’t in the end, but she would still be understandably hurt by him just being willing to make that choice. I thought for sure that was going to be the crux of her issue after Mastermind. But she doesn’t really even focus on that aspect of the situation. She never really mentions it at all outside of the same nebulous you promised you wouldn’t leave me, you chose him that has been her issue since LooLoo Land. A “You were willing to die and break your promise to not leave me” would have made more sense to me than “You faked your way through a relationship with my mother and lied about being happy all these years”.

Like Stolas’s actual issues we’ve seen are NOT what Octavia seems to be ultimately upset about. And they could have been if we leaned into the precautionary heir aspect of it but they really haven’t.

I know she’s a teenager, but I have a hard time believing the impulse to learn that someone you love was so unhappy for so many years they just faked their way through it and had to be medicated to cope, and then be mad at them for that? Like, isn’t that a very obvious act of love? Like someone being willing to make themselves unhappy for you for so many years is at its crux a sacrifice. I understand what they were trying to convey, that she feels like he had to use medication to carry out the obligation of being her dad, that she believes that the whole time he was just putting on a show of loving her like he put on a show of loving her mother, but without the tie in of her being a duty he had to perform and “get through” it falls a bit flat when she never mentions that detail, when we’re not even sure if she knows that is why she exists. It would have been a much stronger motivation if she did. If Octavia had found out that Stolas didn’t necessarily want to have a wife or a child, that he was forced to by duty and obligation, and that he had been medicating himself and faking it the whole time and as soon as he had an out he took it, would be a far stronger case for her rage than what actually happened: her finding a box of medicine bottles.

I think we had a strong setup in a variety of directions but in the end they didn’t really commit to any of them. I’ve seen a ton of “I relate to Octavia because I too come from a home where a partner cheated.” Or. “My parents also divorced and that sucked”. And the show was heavily implying that was her issue, with the client having a parallel to their situation, but in the actual confrontation it’s more about the idea that someone taking medication is using that medication to create emotion and feeling where otherwise it wouldn’t exist, but why that fails for me as a reasoning is that just the act and willingness to do that, to force yourself into a loveless marriage and to do everything you can to maintain that facade implies love and care from the outset.

Maybe I’m just too old and being a parent with a now adult child skews my perception, but there were a number of much better reasons than what they ultimately went with, imo.

[noodle-is-unstable]

Hey, just a question but why were you fine with the abusive power dynamics between Sukuna and Uraume (Ume being so devoted to Sukuna and Sukuna only that they killed themself and Sukuna being fine with this blind devotion + Sukuna, a curse/cursed user, making Uraume, a human, cook human meat, including children, for him) so far but the moment he might have met them as a kid/teen you aren't fine? It was a "problematic" ship from the start, idk why everyone is acting horrified that the villains do villain things. But also meeting as a kid and dating as a kid is soooo different, they're both thousands years old in current days so like...

So first of all, you're more than welcome to ask questions and have a discussion but the tone in which this is written is coming off as agressive in my opinion. I don't appreciate that. Perhaps I'm reading into it wrong and that wasn't your intent, but it still has an unnecessary agressive tone to me. Especially in how you chose to end it with "so like..."

I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume I'm misinterpreting the tone because it's very possible I am.

Now onto the actual question.

So unless something happened in the epilogue I missed I don't agree with your assessment of their relationship at all. If this context is given in the epilogue the point is moot because it was still something I wasn't privy to.

So I'm going off the manga for my knowledge of their relationship.

I think it's possible and valid that this is the interpretation you got from this, but it's simply not the same one I have.

I don't see their relationship as an abusive dynamic. (this can change with the new knowledge or context in the epilogue but we're taking about my perspective and why I wrote about it before this)

I saw Uraume as a very loyal servant, but not an abused or manipulated one. I didn't see Sukuna forcing things onto Uraume, I saw them choosing to do these things. (Remember this is in the context where we didn't know how Uraume and Sukuna met). I saw Uraume as choosing to follow Sukuna, choosing to cook humans, choosing to be devoted to Sukuna. They chose to follow him. They chose to be reincarnated to stay by his side. Uraume isn't some innocent little lamb being tricked by a wolf. They killed many people too. Also I think you forget Sukuna was a human too. Sukuna was a human eating humans and Uraume was a human cooking humans. They both participated in fucked up activities. Uraume isn't innocent and being forced to do anything. If they were I doubt they would have worked so hard to bring him back rather than just leaving and living their reincarnated life without him.

Simply put I saw Uraume as a very willing participant in everything that happened. I don't see their dynamic as abusive. You do and you have every right to, but I don't.

I also don't agree with your logic that their villains and do villian things so I should be okay with everything. Stealing is against the law, but so is murder. They're both bad, but they aren't equal. There is so much nuance to situations like this it's not realistic to just make it all equal.

Not to mention there is zero feelings that aren't platonic shown in the manga, that's all headcannons. It's not actually apart of the series at all. This is something fans have put onto the characters. This whole argument is in a fan made concept.

I am uncomfortable with pushing a romantic relationship on them when the situation is that he took Uraume in as a kid. I don't like it, it gives me the ick. So shocking, but if I don't like or agree with something, I'm not going to write about it.

Like I said in my last post I don't give a shit about the argument they're 1000 years old now, I don't like it.

He met Uraume as a child

He helped raise them

I'm not going to push a romantic aspect to that situation

You're allowed to disagree. You're allowed to not have a problem with that dynamic. You're allowed to see their dynamic differently than I do. But at the end of the day this is my page and I'm allowed to decide what I do and don't want to write for. And I don't want to write for that dynamic