#and this art demonstrates what i'm talking about pretty well

[al-the-remix]

I know nothing about 911 but seeing all the bucktommy posts makes me really interested, if you don’t mind could you give a short introduction of the ship/which episode(s) to watch for them? Thanks!!

Hi! So the ship is a very new one and they don't have a lot of screen time yet, so their relationship only appears in season seven, episodes: 7x3 to 7x6 and then 7x9 and 7x10. Tommy Kinard as a side character also shows up in episodes 2x9, 2x12, 2x14 (in an off-screen capacity) and 2x16.

As for the introduction, the lore with this show runs sort of deep, but as condensed and simplified as I can give it to you: the decision to introduce bi!Buck and Tommy and his love interest was made very last minute (like as the first few episodes of season seven were coming out kind of last minute...) as the tv show switched networks from FOX to ABC and was working with a protracted season, (10 episodes in stead of 18), so this first season you see them together in has a very "let's see how well this works and if the general audience approves of it" kind of vibe.

Obviously, it worked for me! And the general reception has been good. Personally, I find their dynamic fun and genuine; the show runner was aiming for a non-heavy coming out story with a romcom twist, which I think they succeeded at. Buck (or "Evan" as Tommy calls him) is sort of the obvious favourite of the show in the audience and the writer's eyes, he's gotten a lot of development over the years, but has stagnanted recently on the romance side of things and also in his professional development, (which is partly the fault of the writers and partly just bad luck with maintaining actors). So I think a lot of fans are excited to see him "off the hamster wheel", as they say, in the love department. This opens up the possibility to explore other plot lines with him as a character in his professional life and personal life now that hes in a steady relationship.

Tommy we don't know much about yet, other than he was deeply in the closet when we first see him in the season 2 flash-back episodes. He's not initially a very warm, welcoming, and accepting person, but it's implied that a lot of that behavior was influenced by his environment and poor upbringing, and he is quick to make amends and befriend the main characters when he's shown to be in the wrong. He used to be in the army, and is a fan of cars, martial arts, and rom coms. The way he talks in the season seven episodes makes it clear that he's done a lot of self reflection since we've last seen him (and since he's come out). He's shown to be an open and honest person who does his best to show up for the people he cares for, and once Buck is in his line of sight, all that attention is turned his way.

I think with this ship what people are most excited about is the potential it demonstrates: Buck as a character is someone who's been on an aggressive misson of self discovery and understanding, he's been actively looking for a romantic partner to have a committed, mature relationship with, he's someone who's willing to give a lot of himself away to his partner and is desperately hoping to have that attention and affection mirrored back at him.

What little we know about Tommy so far makes it clear that he's mature and willing enough to be that person for Buck: if it works out and the writers allow him to be. I just really enjoy what little I've seen so far, and with the show being back to its regular 18 episodes next season and Tommy pretty much confirmed to return, I'm interested and invested and hopefully in where they may take this relationship next.

Also I feel like I need to add if you're going to engage with the fandom specifically for this ship, do it through the #bucktommy tag on tumblr, because it's a real mine field out there right now, lol.

[inventors-fair]

Substantial: One-Word Runners-Up ~

Our runners-up this week are @arixordragc, @bergdg, and @helloijustreadyourpost!

@arixordragc — Buck

We live in a funny world where this card does exactly what it says on the tin, and it's a common that does something strangely unique in the world of bite spells. I don't have to talk about what this card is doing for limited or whatever, and I don't have to talk about the intended flavor. Everyone agreed that this card was solid enough to be commendable. The reason I'm putting it here first is because a) we do things alphabetically, and b) it's missing that one final aspect that I want to talk about during commentary. If there was a specific reason not to add flavor text here, I'm curious what it was. Regardless of that choice, I'll stand firm that it was detrimental not to add it.

Here's the problem: does that take away from the mechanics of this card? No, not at all. Does it add anything to a designer's repertoire to be able to write flavor text? Personally, I think so. I also think we're in a niche in the custom design sphere where we're jacks of all trades—and at this point I'm getting a little niche philosophical, so I'll try to cut to the chase with what matters. Every part of a card's presentation for these contests needs to be available at a first glance, not because it would be expected of someone in a professional design setting, but because custom design demands that all aspects be accounted for. This is a general waxing and I hope you don't take it as a lambasting of anything; this card rocks and we on the team were surprised it hadn't been done before. I find it fun and clever and slapsticky and perfectly befitting of the setting. I just wish there was that last little push to make these sensations gallop to life.

@bergdg — Liquidate

I remember when these weird hybrid combos were introduced in Strixhaven, and as someone who had been playing (badly) with hybrid since my first designs in high school, I was pleased as punch to see them back in action. With this card, I think there's no reason to ding it for the mid-hybrid split, and if I was super generous I'd say that the split and the art go together quite well! Even if there was more in-line themed art direction, I think that seeing someone's brain dribbling out as they split apart their mind from Ashiok's whispers... Highly impactful. Great Ashiok callback with both the flavor and the effect.

Dissolution, as it relates to liquidation, isn't as common a definition as one might expect, but you're not the only person to have used it for this contest. And the creature/planeswalker is definitely being turned into liquid here. As a rare it's a perfectly reasonable killspell, and while it might not be the absolute eye-popping card to open from a pack, I'd be happy to run it in a control draft shell. Blue's milling and black's destruction meld together quite nicely here—a liquid blending of effects. Could it have been uncommon? That's a big maybe, but I don't mind it as a rare and especially not as a control sideboard card. "I'm gonna Liquidate your dragon." That tracks, heh. I'm a fan.

@helloijustreadyourpost — Draw!

OW, my ORGANS. You shot me right in the organs! Well, anyway. Red being secondary in fighting is underutilized, I feel. And for moments like this, you have that real competitive sense that feels pretty solidly in-color for it. As the flavor goes we did have the card Quick Draw from OTJ, but this one is a far more in-situational card rather than an explanation of whatever "wild magic" is. Frankly, I wished that OTJ had had something comprehensive going into it, and I know I'm not alone there. The flavor text is by far one of my favorites from you so far. It's punchy with a drawl. It's demonstrably about the situation you're creating, distant from a story but at the same time defining the moment. You are the sharpshooter here in control. I really love it.

I also feel that the grokability of the rules text makes sense. To me. It's a little heavy-handed, I gotta admit, or at least it's a lot of text to do something that only that much text can do. I'm sure that I'm overthinking it more than I am analyzing it at this point, and considering the bar for commons these days, I'm sure it would be fine. That sort of replacement effect that relies on a timing effect is still a little wonky, though, or at least it might be in the brains of newer players. That said, there are other ways that these fight-to-bite effects could be seen on other worlds, and I'm really curious about what could be opened up with this. Maybe it could replace with other triggers, or for types, or whether or not a creature is equipped/enchanted... Lots of options for the mechanical side here! But it starts with this card, with two cowpokes and two thunder pistols. Man, I just think it's awesome. I can picture the wounds already.

Small note on general commentary! I thought I'd get ahead of myself this week and do some commentary in advance. Hooray! Around 40% of them are done, but there are still the remaining 14 cards to write up.

This was a surprisingly popular contest, and the more popular contests get the harder it is to finish commentary on time, what with working Saturdays. I'm just letting y'all know in advance about that, since keeping you informed is important.

Be good, folks! @abelzumi

[blueskittlesart]

hi, correct me if i'm wrong but i seem to remember you saying that you're majoring in illustration! i'm currently in the process of applying to colleges and i plan on majoring in illustration as well, so i was wondering if you had any advice for portfolios. I could really use some tips on the presentation aspect specifically, bc I'm a little lost when it comes to stuff like the arrangement/organization of pieces, how I should crop my pictures, etc. any advice you can give me is greatly appreciated!!

hi yes i can totally help you out with this! i like to think my college portfolio was pretty good bc i got accepted to every school i sent it to lol :) the main pieces of advice that i was given when building it were this:

studies and pieces that show off your technical skill are great, but limit them to around a third of your portfolio at most. art schools DO want to see that you're technically skilled and can like, draw a charcoal still life or a self-portrait, because those ARE important skills to have, but ESPECIALLY if you're applying to a school that's more known for contemporary fields like animation or illustration, it's much more likely that they want to see your creative mind at work. the single best thing you can put in your portfolio is a BODY OF WORK, and specifically a body of work that shows off your own ideas and your own take on whatever you're producing. this means 3+ pieces that are interconnected or related to the same central theme. my portfoilo, for example, consisted of 2 or 3ish traditional, technical pieces which showed that I had a certain level of technical skill, and the ENTIRE rest of it was devoted to a series of original interconnected narrative comics I'd written and drawn. Every reviewer I met with told me that this was what made my portfolio stand out to them--it showed that I was not only technically skilled, but that i had something i wanted to DO with that skill, that I had direction and drive with my art and was able to produce work that reflected that. If you're maybe (definitely) not quite as ambitious as me, something like a series of 3-5 interconnected illustrations or a short comic if you're into that might do the same thing.

as a side note, if you DO have a body of work as the central focus of your portfolio, a lot of colleges will be interested in your process as well! for example with my comic portfolio, i used one slot to demonstrate my process, because I penciled every page traditionally before digitalizing it and i had extensive character and worldbuilding sketches. I wouldn't devote more than one slot to it, but if you have a body of work where the process is important to you it could be worth throwing in!

arrangement is tricky, but the advice I generally heard was "put your best stuff first." whatever you're most excited about, whatever is going to grab someone's attention the fastest, that's what you want to have in your first slot. (I actually don't think I followed this advice on my applications LOL but it's what i was TOLD to do and i think it's solid advice.)

in terms of editing, assuming we're talking about traditional pieces being photographed, you want to make sure your pieces are 1. well-lit, (DO NOT TAKE YOUR PHOTOS WITH OVERHEAD LIGHTING. wait for an overcast day and take them outside trust me) 2. legible, (no weird shadows obscuring parts of the piece, high-quality enough that no details are lost due to digital pixelation, etc) and 3. as color-accurate to real life as you can make them. most of this is just about getting a decent-quality camera (a newer iphone should be fine) and a good location. (outside and overcast, as previously mentioned) you may want to throw your pics into photoshop and play with the balance slightly, but I wouldn't do anything too drastic, try to get the most accurate photo possible without any editing. (if your pieces are small and flat, scanning them in may work better. most public and school libraries have scanners you can use for free.)

finally, cropping. the general rule that I was taught is to crop the piece, not the photograph. if you've got a piece on paper and you're not sure you like how the actual drawing is oriented on the paper, crop the PAPER down to size, and THEN photograph it. your photos should aim to show the ENTIRE piece from edge to edge (unless it's a detail shot obv) and I even like to include a little bit of extra "breathing room" around the piece so that it's clear exactly where the dimensions of it end. here's a piece I used for my college portfolios for reference:

i lowkey do not like this piece now but that's not the point. this is what i mean by breathing room--a few extra inches of space around the actual canvas so it's clear that this isn't a closeup and you can see where the canvas actually ends. the same is true for digital pieces. if it's a full bleed illustration (something with full color all the way to the edges of the canvas) just make sure you like the composition cropped the way it is and submit the full piece as-is. if it's a floating spot or something similar without hard edges, leave a bit of white or transparent breathing room around the edge of your image.

hope this helps! if you have any more specific questions lmk :)

[erabu-san]

hello! im new here, so my apologies if you have already mentioned things im about to ask. also i don't mean to offend you, just curious

you ship cynilou if im not wrong. do you ship them bc you don't think nilou is underage and cyno isn't or do you ship them knowing it but not finding it a problem? why do you like them as a pair? and what's your opinion on hainilou/haikaveh/cynonari?

Hello ! (First i apologize for my english again hahaha write a lot again)

For me Nilou is a young adult 19 to 23 yrs old. (A bit like Tighnari haha)

I love them as pair because Nilou is like a fresh air for Cyno imo ?? I started to ship them when I learn Cyno's point of view about art, but also how he understands Nilou's passion (in Sumeru society/Akademiya era when art wasn't the best thing).

At first there are their dynamics, cute at the surface : sunshine x unexpressive, sun x moon

Then we learn more ! Cyno can sense Nilou's enthousiasm about dancing. And he understands Nilou pretty well :

Cyno about Nilou : "...It has become integral of her being." // Nilou's Hobbies : "My life is dance or dance is my life ... [....] Anyway, I'll just keep on dancing."

Cyno about Nilou : "I hope she will always be able to use the art she loves to bring happiness to other people." // About Nilou Dance and Wisdom : "... You don't have to understand what you're seeing to enjoy watching it. If I can use my movements to demonstrate the beauty and meaning of dance, then I'm happy."

I would also add that it is pretty cute from Cyno saying that she brings happiness while dancing because Cyno also watched Nilou's performance (in Kaveh's trailer for example). It means that it makes him happy haha !

Nilou (about Cyno) said she doesn't like interacting with people from Akademiya because they don't see art in a kindly way. But by her tone, she was positively surprise to learn that Cyno plays TCG ! There is a parallel between Art and TCG. What a coincidence because Cyno consider TCG like a form of art ! (For Cyno TCG is an art but for other it is just a card game... Nilou's could also understands Cyno's passion, and his point of view about art). Nilou's even did a buffet for Cyno (archon quest, return the post of General Mahamatra).

They were a cute interaction of them i dont remember well but- Nilou's asking Cyno to be more happy. Cyno answered by it is not question of being happy, and he has to work but she asked him to try to smile like her or smth like that and he said he would try. But that was so cute bahaha my cylou's heart was pretty happy 😭 and it is also cute because when you talk to Cyno after this scene when they enjoying all their meal, he said that buffet wasn't bad at all (he was a bit worried before) wHILE MAKING THIS FACE ????

LOOK AT HIM ALL SMILY ENJOYING MEALS WITH NEW FRIENDS HE MADE DURING THE WHOLE ADVENTURE 😢😢😢 And then after Sumeru Archon quest, we can see Cyno being more relaxed, rest, playing more and all. Like.. he is a bit a more accessible ?? I love the idea that, he really tried to be happy like Nilou recommended.

Nilou gives a lot of positive for Cyno, but it is also reciprocate.

In the archon quest, bro showing his biggest green flag : he is SUPPORTIVE. Telling to Nilou's to have more confidence on herself because he knows she has the capacity ! When you read Nilou's voiceline/do her quest, you can easily notice that Nilou is a bit stressed and is not sure about herself. And it is only HC but Cyno understanding how passionate Nilou is, how dedicated she is on her dance, is actually important !

I love seeing Nilou as independant woman (i just love independant woman). I am sure Cyno (also busy as he is) would respect it, but he would also be there for her because this man is caring (he would also assists to all her dance show). Nilou has also positive impact on Cyno, and might help him to improve his social life. Oh gosh I am sure she would gently and genuinely smile and listen Cyno rambling about his hyperfixation bahaha like during the event 😭😭💕

Why I love them as pair, it is because Cyno is my actual comfort character. And him being happy makes me happy ! Cyno can call Cyrus Lisa Tighnari Collei (my HC but Faruzan too) as family, he can call Kaveh Alhaitham Candace Dehya Faruzan Traveler and more as friends, and Nilou as lover sounds romantic in my ears.

About hainilou, it is cute but not appealing for me, I am neutral about it. (If i can add... all Nilou's ship are adorable. Wlw and mlw. Live laugh love Nilou!!!)

About Haikaveh, I enjoy the ship ! (My favorite flavor of haikaveh is a one-sided love alhaitham have for kaveh. Bitter-sweet, miscomprehension, sometime wholesome and funny moments, slow burn)

The romantic ship between Tighnari and Cyno makes me uncomfortable. I would be grateful if people could respect this when I said "don't tag my post as ship". (Thank you for those who are doing it !)

But them being friends/bro-mate is an actual comfort and it helps me to sleep well everyday ! That's why I prefer to use tighnari&cyno than ship name when I am talking about them

Hope it answers your question !! Have a nice day anon, don't forget to drink water ! 💕💕💕

[kaylinalexanderbooks]

Happy STS! What are your characters' favorite fun facts?

Heya! Been holding off on this because I've mainly been trying to understand it. I'm pretty sure it means just what they think is a cool fun fact so I'm going with that, answering what they'd say about "oh here's a fun fact...". Sorry lol. Excuse to post interesting fun facts.

Lexi - would love the psychology behind friendship if she read about it. Like maybe that animals can make friends or that it's one of the first things infants learn. Or she'll give a cool gardening fact like plants reacting to sound

Maddie - stuff like "did you know that you'd need 40 billion Legos to reach the moon" or random things related to a special interest, and her looking up animals facts will also add to that, such as talking about how cheetahs can't retract their claws

Ash - "did you know Viggo Mortenson broke his toe during Two Towers?"

Gwen - I don't think she'd be able to pick a favorite. She loves reading so she'd probably read a fun facts book at some point about specific topics like music or she'd know the publication history of a series. She also loves researching so she may go down a rabbit hole and then discover something like "hey did you know middle fingernails grow the fastest?"

Robbie - he knows the most random shit. Like "With 13 minutes of end credits, The Lego Movie 2 has the longest amount of end credits for a non-Disney animated film. Thus, it is also the first animated film to use that amount of end credits without post-credits scenes." (From IMDb btw also I pull up this fact at random times)

Akash - knows a lot of stuff about sports. Like how numbers 86, 89, and 92 have never been worn in baseball. Or his a dragon obsession led him to know they first appear in Mesopotamian art as snakes

Jedi - he pulled "intangibles can't breathe while they're phasing!" Out of his ass, as well as thinking of at least 8 powers that Gwen could possibly have been demonstrating in chapter 11. Do not ask him a fun fact about the powers, because he will spend ages listing all of them

Carmen - I don't think she would particularly like the term fun fact. Facts aren't fun, they are just facts! However, she genuinely does find theoretical powers fascinating, so she might list a fun fact about why the existence of dragons is so intrinsically connected to Alii powers , and she also definitely knows a lot of fun facts about the plants and animals in the area, such as what to do if you get yourself stuck facing a predatorial deer

Well, I hope I answered this correctly! If not, hope you enjoyed some fun facts!

TSP intro

TSP tag list (ask to be +/-): @thepeculiarbird @illarian-rambling @televisionjester @finchwrites

@nebula--nix @literarynecromancy @honeybewrites @the-golden-comet

[dynmghts]

ykw caps ahead so spoilers ahoy for the new ep bc i cannot go without talking through my feelings on the matter even tho i just spent the past few hrs going through one of the most frustrating dungeons in destiny

AGAIN: anime spoilers!! if you haven't watched the ep and don't want to get spoiled, don't look!!!!

first of all SOMEBODY SAVE HIM ????????

i also forgot that shigafo just kinda. threw it in his face. "you'll be a great present for him" SHUT UPPPP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP KILLING KATSUKI FOR HIM TO BE A "GIFT" FOR IZUKU WHEN HE'S BACK DON'T EVEN

and obviously this is not showing the animation but my guy was struggling to fucking breathe there too. and shigafo being smth like "aren't you just so glad my quirks are erased :)" bro would've legit disintegrated him on the spot. my god. and i think this is also such a brutal contrast to the way tomura tried to approach katsuki during the whole kamino kidnapping thing like...

understated development of "i'm offering you to join us bc i think you get what it's like to be shunned by society for who you are" -> "you as a person don't interest me anymore, i just want to use you to achieve my end goal" (influenced by afo)

these shots tho... i wasn't sure how well they were gonna adapt this bc i thought that the arm being mangled was def censored, but this shit was pretty fucking crazy for me to see.

the tears. the fierce determination in his gaze. the fact that he looks like he's struggling and in pain but he's watching shigafo's every move and examining it and muttering it under his breath, emulating midoriya izuku in this moment, channelling the one person that believes him to be the symbol of victory.

"i have to win... right, izuku?" THE CALLBACK TO DK + BKG VS. ALL MIGHT. THE WAY NOBUHIKO VOICED HIM IN THIS MOMENT.

like. yes, the anime is not one-for-one with the manga. i get that. i understand that. and their choices regarding the adaptation are not everyone's cup of tea - but as someone who has consumed both forms, i view them very separately in their chosen art medium, bc let's be real, horikoshi's art is EXTREMELY hard to replicate. so with what bones is achieving here, i think it's pretty damn impressive. especially during the brief fight scene with shigafo, like...

the animation felt fluid, concise, and each frame had meaning to it. they demonstrated katsuki's quirk in action through his whole body true to the manga, and you could FEEL katsuki's struggle through the entire sequence. like? his arm was shattered. he was IN PAIN. you can tell he's out of breath because he's trying so hard to focus on moving out of shigafo's attacks to land his own, and of course one of his last thoughts are about izuku...

also the contrast of a high-risk and high-danger battle to the gentle, quiet, genuine thoughts in his mind - the way nobuhiko as katsuki speaks so softly, expressing his understanding for what izuku had to do to get where he is with ofa now. the way he reflects on the past year in that instance like "you had to endure pain and predict your opponents too, right? this is what you went through?" almost this sort of... "i finally understand what you had to experience, and there's a deep-seated respect that comes with it". yknow what i mean?

ALSO THIS: HE'S SO FUCKING SOFT HERE. FUCK. END ME RIGHT NOWWWWW I CAN'T DO THIS TODAY

and he's so honest to the vestige all might here too like "i was such a fucking brat back at the start of ua huh"... then him admitting that even when he WAS acting that way, all he truly wanted was that autograph on his card. his CARD. the SAME CARD he got when he AND IZUKU won the cards together. the same one he's taken with him onto that battlefield - and in my humble opinion, the one he keeps on his person as a sort of "good luck" token.

i absolutely adored the contrast of the battlefield darkening and becoming more gloomy (weather change, grass all kicked up and is instead dirt, the dimming of the typical lighting) vs. this brief moment where katsuki was face-to-face with all might. in this quiet and absent white space with nothing but himself and the man in front of him. when i say he knew he was going to die and he walked into death anyway................

and of course, for the final cap i got, which is arguably the most painful one for me to look at:

the dull eyes, discoloured skin, messy hair, the blood all over his face and chest... the fact that jeanist actually went to immediately treat him for the wound, not thinking he was dead, only to look back in shock and horror at this boy on the ground.

bakugou katsuki, the boy who swore he'd win the sports festival.

bakugou katsuki, the boy who visited jeanist's agency for the sake of him being in the top ten, who took away valuable lessons enough to consider interning there again in the winter.

bakugou katsuki, the boy who was kidnapped and thought would turn tail, only to prove everyone wrong by sticking to his morals.

the boy who learned to save, who learned to combat his own weakness, who followed izuku into the fray when he knew something wasn't right during the paranormal liberation war, who fought tooth and nail to find and bring izuku home with a genuine and honest apology, who spent his week leading up to the war strategising and improving and bolstering camaraderie among the class in his own unique way...

everyone on that battlefield knew katsuki had ambitions to be the next number one hero, and to exceed all might. everyone saw this freshly 17 year-old boy walk right into death and knew they wouldn't have been able to stop him, but they all wished they could.

the mood shift in the episode was very well captured to me. i felt that the anime did a great job showcasing how the hope they had before, from shouto's win against touya, had bolstered the confidence in the heroes - and how quickly that hope turned to despair when the team at the floating ua watched a young and hopeful hero-to-be throw his life down, all for the chance of victory.

and then i get to do this all again when the dub drops. :(

[hazel2468]

Okay this is apparently a Magic theory blog now. But I just gotta...

I'm talking with the wifey. About the most recent side story, the Ravnica one. And I simply MUST present my theories about Jace, Vraska, and how Norn is a fucking IDIOT.

Spoilers for March of the Machines, but it's been out for a couple of days now so. If you haven't read it yet, tough tiddies.

Okay. My Theory.

Jace is playing Norn like a fiddle, and he saved Vraska.

Jace ALWAYS has a plan. Always. He doesn't leave things to chance- he's just like that. There's precedence for him preserving his mind in the face of some altering or possessing influence (see what happened with Emrakul, where he created a little mental "safe house" for himself. Also see what happened with Vraska- little mental "safe house" for her). Jace is NOT the kind of person who would go to fight the Phyrexians, knowing he might get Compleated, and not have a plan to preserve his mind. I think that, combined with the fact that he was fucking stabbed with a sword made of fucking HALO, makes a pretty good case for Jace being more himself than Norn would want him to be.

Not to mention the whole bit where he just. Dips before Norn gives him any orders. We see in the chapter that Norn is assuming that he already knows what she wants... But we have also seen that Elesh Norn's biggest weakness is her hubris. The way she is so assured of her own rightness has consistently been her undoing. It cost her Tamiyo, Ixahel is rebellious. Even Atraxa, Norn's own daughter, is not immune to individual thought and feeling (saw art and had an existential crisis there, didn't you, Atraxa?).

So if Jace is himself, if he isn't under Norn's control as much as he should be, or even at all. If Jace is still purely JACE. What do you think this oh-so-smart-but-still-so-stupid lovesick bisexual man is going to do?

The same thing he did before. Go after his fucking girlfriend.

The entire Ravnica story, from Vraska's perspective, demonstrates that some part of her is preserved. Her mind is safe from Norn's corruption (and I am specifically calling it that because I think the idea that phyresis and Phyrexians are inherently corrupting and evil is stupid, tired, and abelist as well). She persists in there and, when she "dies", she is preserved.

So when Jace showed up, at first? Yeah- I thought Vraska was dying, and she was just giving herself the closure she needed. Getting to spend just a little more time with her beloved, even if it wasn't real.

But then shit started jumping out at me. Vraska's mind was in a place that JACE created for her. Everything seemed too real. There was a moment when Vraska experienced their kiss from Jace's perspective- how could a memory in her head do that? The way that Jace reacted to things she said (asking to make it right, a do-over, another chance)....

And then Jace telling her "this part hurts", like he KNOWS. The explosion of white light instead of what I frankly would have expected from her death, a fading into peaceful darkness.

And all of this was purely wishful thinking-

And then her fucking body vanished. Ral fucked up the oil in her, and then her body was GONE.

So, current running theory in this house?

Vraska's mind, her self, was preserved in the mental safe house that Jace made for her. Something we've seen him do in the past for himself in the face of mind-altering forces. Then, Ral fucked up the Phyrexian oil and that really took Vraska apart. But when she went down, she ACTUALLY spoke to Jace. That vision of Jace in her head was the real Jace, communicating with her while he tried to save her. And as for the flash of white light, well, bare with me here...

Halo. Jace was stabbed with a sword made of Halo, and I think its power might have given him the edge he needed to win over Norn's influence. What if he simply did the same thing to her? "This part hurts"- because Jace KNOWS what it feels like for his Phyrexian body to be flooded with Halo.

I could be wrong. I really hope I'm right. Because if WotC gives us this, saves these two, then there is HOPE for Nissa because holy FUCK if they disrespect the fucking gays again with this one... Normally I would say I find it hard to believe that anyone can build up a relationship's significance like Chandra and Nissa's has and then fuck it up, but WotC has done it once.

[utilitycaster]

Someone needs to fight back by drawing Imogen with sharp angle+narrow frame glasses that sit just on the end of her nose so she looks down through them, and they make her seem distant and haughty about everything.

Ok so anon I know this is you joking (and while personally I'm like let's just not do the glasses*, I agree that angular art styles for Imogen are really good and love to see them), but like...frankly, I'm in a hotel for the night for work and have very little going on so I just want to talk about Imogen! I think she has a somewhat elusive personality, especially compared to Laura's past two characters, both of whom were pretty extroverted and I think the fanon is simply so wildly different from reality that despite her central role she at times feels like an unknown quantity.

Imogen is not sweet and retiring. She's not terribly haughty; but she's definitely a little sharp, even from the start. She's frustrated with the administrator at the Starpoint Academy despite asking for what is essentially a significant favor, and doesn't attempt to hide it - and that's in episode 1. The fanon idea of Imogen didn't even get past the half-hour mark of the first episode of the campaign before zoning out, briefly coming to at the word "headache" because the sickfic fodder alarm went off or something, but Imogen is prickly and possessive of a certain ruthlessness from quite early on. Nor is she the innocent - her first thought to cover up the noise in the hotel room is to grab Dorian and unbutton her shirt. The idea of Laudna being the prickly, worldly one and Imogen the sweet ingenue should have been dead before Bertrand.

I think the best way to describe her though is that she is walled off. There's the figurative but extremely real psychic walls, which she's only recently been able to let down, but in general Imogen just doesn't quite mix into groups. There's always a certain amount of distance that she holds. It's an incredible change from Jester, who was famously the one to bridge gaps, or even Vex, whose post-adventuring career is the most openly political of Vox Machina's. I think Orym's leadership pep talk, while a good thought, fails, because Imogen is comfortable playing the leader in a lie, but ultimately she wants to neither lead nor follow.

Anyway, that's the thing about Imogen: I genuinely do not think she consciously believes herself better than other people, certainly not in an "I'm so awesome" manner; but she does hold herself aloof. She has concrete proof of the terrible thoughts that strangers have and I think does not realize the flaws of her own thought patterns as a result. I don't want to say it's a lack of shame or embarrassment but it certainly feels faintly atrophied. It's like the social contract has been just a bit corrupted. I think I described it before as that she sees hypocrisy as "not honestly saying what you're thinking to your allies" rather than being about a discrepancy of word and action. I also wonder if the fact that Imogen spends so much time in people's heads is tied to the fact that it took her until she was 26 and had no other options in order to leave Gelvaan, despite the fact that she wasn't happy there.

I'm really interested to see how it goes because I don't actually see this as a story that can resolve purely because of the power of love and friendship. I suspect Imogen is just starting to realize these things about herself, and I similarly suspect she doesn't really care for them...but I don't think she knows quite how to stop or change nor does she entirely want to.

I think this sense of being caught between so many things - always being the secret third option - is really well demonstrated with her powers. A pretty consistent theme in Critical Role through both Campaign 2 and 3 is regarding the sources of power and their disconnect from any morality - power simply is, the wielder's choices are what matter. Imogen started out wishing to be rid of her abilities, and she's increasingly moving to embrace them, even as she simultaneously has found out that the source of her powers is likely a literal cosmic horror and her mother is much more than a voice in her dreams. It's fascinating to me that the people she tends to be most honest with are the people with the most unknown pasts, and I feel she's moving towards an era of reinventing herself. Which will put that big question of aloofness at the forefront - it is, to be fair, faster to go alone, and easier to reinvent yourself when the people who knew you before aren't around.

Anyway this is a really long way to say "haughty, not really, but she is all angles, in multiple senses of the word."

*tangent here but: I was scrolling the Imogen tag recently and something I noticed that's very telling is that most art of Imogen in glasses (and to be fair a lot of art generally) isn't described, but when it is, the description also almost always leaves out her glasses. Which really puts the kibosh on the idea this was ever about normalizing glasses or uh, any aids for people with visual impairments, but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[caelwynn]

Farmer 2.0 ESWF

I've had a couple of different people asking me through different venues about how to set up the portraits in the mod Farmer 2.0 ESWF.

I'm assuming that the reader knows how to download mods and their dependencies, so I'm going to talk specifically about setting up the file structure within your mod folders. The screenshots are all from Windows 11, and my Stardew is through Steam, so keep that in mind.

If this is something you're curious about/looking for info on, just look under the cut. There are lots of screenshots.

I'm giving Stardrop a spin these days, so the folder path is somewhat different.

My Mods Folder looks like this:

Within the Stardrop Installed Mods folder, it looks like a typical Mods folder setup if you're doing manual installs:

You'll need to go into the folder I have highlighted, "Farmer 2.0 ESWF."

It should look like this:

We're going to need to go into the assets folder that is highlighted there. Inside, you should have a file structure similar to this:

(Note, if you've just installed, you won't have anything like the "Callie" or "Quinn" folders. We're getting ready to set that up.)

Now, for this setup, I'm doing the "Player 1 - No Emotions" because pixel art is not in my wheelhouse and this is a pretty straight-forward set up. This one allows you to set up different portraits for different weather types, as well as different portraits for indoors versus outdoors if you want your character to not have a coat on while inside or whatever.

The first thing you need to do is Copy and Paste the "Player 1 - No Emotions" folder within that same assets folder.

In older versions of Windows, instead of it tacking on a "- Copy" at the end, it oftentimes will add a "(1)" or "(2)" instead. You're going to rename that to the name of your Farmer--not your farm, but your character. Hence why I have a "Callie" and a "Quinn."

For this demonstration, I'm going to use Quinn since I used the No Emotions setup for them.

Inside of your Farmer Folder, you'll see this:

That portrait file? You can replace it with a base portrait. The most important thing is that you A) don't delete it and B) if you do replace it, make sure you keep the same file name of "portrait." Otherwise, the mod will bork hardcore.

You'll notice that it has eleven folders for different seasons/events/locations. For this example, we'll go into "Fall."

Inside are subfolders for different weather conditions. "Sun" is the default portrait that it uses on most days. For this example, however, we're going to go into "Rain," as I actually use different outfits/portraits for indoors and outdoors in those conditions.

The files are pretty straight forward: "portrait" is for when Farmer is outside, and "portrait_indoors" is for when Farmer is inside. (Side note: to make my portraits, I used this portrait creator. When I saved my files, I saved them as either "portrait" or "portrait_indoors" and replaced the original files in that folder. Make sure you download the 64x64 version and not the 256x256.)

But what if you don't want to use a different portrait while indoors?

Just reuse the same image!

Once you have all of your portraits for the various seasons/weather/events set, you're going to want to copy your Farmer's folder to elsewhere on your hard drive. That way, if it gets deleted during an ESWF update, you have a back up and can just copy it back into the assets folder.

This is a quick and dirty tutorial, and I'm sure I've missed something. If you have questions/need clarifications, please ask and I'll do my best to help!

[enrogued]

@themckaytriarchy sent These are the last good days of summer--the last good days before Genosha. They still have time for "trivial" things like team politics and figuring out how to get through to Magneto during disagreements without banging your head into the wall. Tess... has not been doing a great job of getting through to Erik, even if she's persistent. Every day is the same: 'we need arts programs for mutant kids outside Genosha. Like an outreach.' And 'Erik, I'm not giving up." And, 'Every mutant kid should have the opportunity to dread their piano lessons!' Followed by the inevitable, 'Fine, let's table it.' On. And on. At this point, Morph's probably regretting telling Tess their parents couldn't find anyone to teach them to play... whatever instrument they tried to force them into playing as a child. Because Morph didn't pass. So she paces, and she grumbles, and she considers her options. Then she goes, 'well, I might as well.' 'Might as well' involves plopping down in a chair across from Rogue, bracing her hands on her own knees as she leans forward. She doesn't blink as she studies her, gaze speculative. "I'm trying to get something done. Community work." Blunt and to the point. "But Xavier's not here anymore, and I don't know if I can swing it without Erik's help. 'Well. If Rogue kills me, at least I'll get to die in a dramatic fight.' "How do I work him?"

there's a crispness to the air that's a good indication that summer is almost over, that pretty soon all the trees across the state will be turning orange and dropping their leaves. rogue's always torn between preferring the cooler temperatures because they make it easier to wear full body coverage outfits and missing the heat of the sun that reminds her of home.

but right now the sun is shining and she's settled like a cat in a sunbeam, chair underneath one of many floor to ceiling windows, book in her lap. relaxed. or as relaxed as anyone ever gets around here, especially with the new boss on their tails.

she's not too worried about it. there's no scolding on earth could move her from this spot right now. (she'll move for an emergency, but nothing less than the mansion being on fire).

so she takes a long moment to actually look up from her book when someone sits in the chair opposite. rogue places a gloved finger between the pages to hold her place and raises her head, only to be startled by the intensity of tess' gaze.

it's not intense like angry, it's just piercing. feels like she's trying to see her soul. " ya good, hon? " she asks, as tess launches into her spiel about trying to get some community work done. mutant outreach, she assumes. or something similar. come to think of it she's heard someone mention tess's music and arts programme.

so it strikes rogue as strange that erik hasn't signed off on it yet. her brow scrunches slightly- and then even more as tess asks the most obvious of questions that rogue doesn't want to answer.

how do i work him? as if there's any one way that will work. more worrying is that she's come to rogue, like she knows that it's easier for her than anyone else. is it that obvious? has she been that obvious? that careless?

she ignores the question. " woah, slow down, sugah, is this about your arts programme? " she already knows the answer is yes. " you wanna put together a music and arts outreach, right? " so why hasn't erik said yes? rogue has fond memories of him teaching her about the importance of the arts, talking about a culture of mutant led activities, exactly like what tess is trying to put in place.

is the new magneto so far removed from the erik she knew in the savage land? " i don't understand, erik- magneto should want to put together a mutant arts program, he- " used to talk about it all the time. used to demonstrate how much the arts meant to him by painting me? c'mon rogue, think before you speak. " i don't know why he wouldn't sign off on that. it don't make a lick o' sense. 'less he can't see the forest for the trees. " or he just hates other people trying to explain his own ideas to him (heaven forbid) and so he's deliberately ignoring tess' idea so he can follow through on his own.

" maybe it's a control thing and he won't give ya what ya want because he wants it to come from him. either way, i've got nothin' for ya, sugah. i wouldn't know where ta start. " a lie, because she does know where to start, but it requires a far more in depth explanation of what is going on between her and erik than rogue is willing to give. she wants to say leave it with me, i'll make sure ya get it. but that seems far more suspicious than she wants to be. it's disclosing a little too much. and it's implying she has some sort of sway over their new boss, which she's pretty sure she doesn't. right?

[heretichromia]

A (mediocre) defense of Shining and Hoshiguma.

Narrow use cases in the advanced metagame don't equate to low power.

I think we sometimes forget the purpose of tier lists, and the kind of people who most need them. Especially in a game like Arknights, where "best in slot" is an extremely loaded question compared to most other games, it's hard to really properly convey unit power.

That isn't to say that tier lists aren't helpful. There is a significant difference between the power levels of characters like Młynar and Ebenholz, and people who don't want to (or don't have the game knowledge required to) read and compare kits and try to navigate the mess that is showcase videos (which are typically not good demonstrations of an operator's utility) get pretty good information from a website generally telling them "build Pozyomka if you want a good sniper" and "don't build Vigil if you want a good vanguard."

...But come the fuck on, man. I promise this isn't just a Gamepress rant. This is a community perception issue. Gamepress's tier list is just an illustrative example of how bad the community at large is at evaluating anything but the absolute top tier of obvious meta threat.

If you're not seeing the problem with the above, then consider this: what unit would actually be best for the kind of person who needs a tier list to build?

The tankiest non-limited operator in the game, perfectly serviceable for almost every map with good performance, who still sees routine usage in many high-difficulty maps and even the occasional Contingency Contract?

One of two units that are mediocre blockers, are significantly squishier, and have extremely few optimal use cases outside of dedicated Contingency Contract strategies that aren't realistically applicable to normal gameplay?

Why on earth is Hoshiguma ranked below Liskarm and Blemishine? Why is Hoshiguma in roughly the same tier as Croissant and Bubble? Why is Shining rated just above two units that are pretty much never used?

I feel like this is the sort of thing that happens when you let Reddit-brained "analysis" get to your head, and you forget how to evaluate units entirely. This isn't even the new player tier list! It's supposedly for endgame, trying to evaluate operators "for all game modes."

I hope they're not trying to include Contingency Contract in there, where Liskarm and especially Blemishine are in fact extremely valuable, because CC is a game mode where Cliffheart is considerably more impactful than Thorns. You just can't take into account CC in a tier list like this without having the list make no sense at all.

None of this means that these units aren't...dated, or that they don't have problems in the modern game. They are, and they do. But this is a pretty poor way of reflecting that. I could see an argument that neither of them belong in any sort of S-tier, even on Gamepress's dumb list where there's four separate grades above A+. But...if that's the case, then we still need to be honest about where the alternatives fall, because the problem with Shining and Hoshiguma isn't that they're bad at their jobs.

———

What are they good at?

If you understand their kits, just skip this section. That said, so many people don't. I see people talking about how Sussurro does Shining's job better than her all the time, which is true if you're only looking at raw healing numbers and not actual damage mitigation.

...Tanking. Specifically, physical tanking, though Hoshiguma's large HP pool means she's pretty decent at absorbing Arts damage too (just not as well as someone like Saria with built-in RES).

—

Hoshiguma has a big slab of DEF, the highest persistent value on any operator. She's good at standing there, taking damage, and reflecting damage back to enemies that hit her. That last bit is why she sees continued high-end usage today. While she can get almost 2,350 DEF with her S1 (the highest possible DEF in the game attainable by a single character, if I'm not mistaken), she's mostly used for her S2's reflect, where she can still get nearly 1,700 DEF (Mod-Y). That, combined with her 25% chance to just...completely ignore damage means she is a hilariously tanky unit compared to her competition.

If what you're looking for is someone who can stare down as much physical damage as possible and live to tell the tale, Hoshiguma is going to be one of your best options, if not your best.

—

Shining, meanwhile, is the best single-target ground unit healer in the game. While her effectiveness spikes when healing high-DEF targets like Saria, Hoshiguma, etc., she's simply good and effective in all scenarios where she's healing ground units taking a sufficient amount of physical damage. I've done...an embarrassing amount of math for this subject, so if any of this is wrong, I'll cry (but also please let me know).

Here's the conclusions:

With her Mod-X, Shining S2 will more or less always outpace the best-in-slot persistent healing (Lumen) in actual total mitigation, even on relatively low-DEF units.

On high-DEF units (Saria, Nian, Hoshiguma), Shining S2 can outpace Sussurro S2 in effective mitigation—on a persistent uptime skill.

Shining S2 loses a lot of value if Shining has to heal anyone but the main tank, because she could waste her shield on someone else. This can be effectively mitigated in most circumstances by proper unit placement, or drawing fire with fast-redeploys, Nightingale cages, etc., but it's something to keep in mind.

Shining S3 is completely incomparable to anything else in the game. Nothing comes remotely close when it comes to mitigating incoming physical damage.

Shining is far and away the best unit in her class at her job. Again, nobody comes remotely close.

———

But, yes, they do have one big issue.

...This is pretty obvious, but physical tanking isn't the premium role it used to be.

It is not useless, and for many players represents a much simpler strategy to dealing with several powerful enemies than the "canonical" strategies you'll find in video guides. It's also an almost universal utility. Surviving physical damage is something you have to do in almost every map, so bringing someone like Hoshiguma who's good at doing that is never bad. At worst, there's a small number of better options, like Saria, who can in many cases reduce Hoshiguma + Medic to a single unit, but...I don't really think we should be implying that a unit is barely better than a vanilla 4* because they're sometimes (and not always!) outshone by one of the most powerful operators in the game that not everyone is guaranteed to have.

...But I do have to emphasize that the role isn't premium anymore.

A sizable handful of modern bosses these days have ways of getting around walls. And they should. It'd be very boring if the best strategy to every encounter was to wall up and watch the enemy bash its head against your units until it dies. But between all the methods of crowd control, debuffs, teleporting, or simply walking through your operators that bosses are doing these days, you'll find that there's frequently better tools for the job than getting a really tanky guy.

Some frequently used options:

Bursting the motherfucker to high heaven before they can ever touch your operators or the blue box.

Straight-up immortality, a la Specter or Specter the Unchained.

Utilizing crowd control, be it through outright stuns, Suzuran slows, Gnosis freezes, various sources of bind (Gladiia, Rosa, etc.), or even shifting from Weedy on low-weight bosses.

We have such expansive toolkits at our disposal nowadays that we don't need to rely on operators who are "just" good. Hoshiguma and Shining are very good operators at their jobs! Their jobs are just sometimes not the best fit for any scenario, and in many cases, the worse options will still suffice, while bringing something more to the table. If you can get by with Saria + Ptilopsis, why wouldn't you opt for the higher SP generation? If Mudrock works and you don't need a healer at all, why substitute one operator for two that do considerably less damage? This won't be true all the time, especially since enemy stats have been on a steady increase—even my level 90, Mod-Y, S1M3 Saria isn't enough sometimes. Still, tankiness is definitely something that, if it's in excess, just...goes to waste.

—

But...

...why are we evaluating operators under the assumption that everyone has every other operator at their disposal? Yes—if you have literally every operator in the game, and can use them proficiently, then you're likely only going to use Hoshiguma when you need her reflect. If you have Saria, then you're likely to use Hoshiguma only sometimes as opposed to almost every map.

I feel like we fall into this trap really often. If a unit isn't the absolute best in every circumstance or doesn't do something hilariously overpowered they're unplayably awful, on the same level as 4*s, and shouldn't be built. Yeah, of course, you shouldn't prioritize getting E2 Hoshiguma if you're sitting on E1 Thorns, Pozyomka, or some first-rate DPS unit, but you cannot look at Hoshiguma's numbers, then look me in the eye and tell me she's a marginal improvement at best over fucking Bubble.

It's a problem that's worse with lower rarity units, especially 5* units, as the current memetic thought is that 5*s are barely better than 4*s, despite that being demonstrably untrue in many circumstances. (Can I blame SUPAH for that?) That said, I wanted to focus on Hoshiguma and Shining here, because they're victims of the same thinking that are actually still optimal in some situations, with no one who does their job better than them.

[creature-wizard]

So I'm in a group of people online, and they're pretty harsh when it comes to UPG's, they're telling me I have to follow exactly what the grimoires and textbooks/attestations/stories say about demons, deities, and other spirits. They also are telling me to 100% rely on history for my practice too, while telling me the Lilith myth in Judaism was a lie created to discredit women, and that she's really a goddess from ancient syria???? Is what they're talking to me about with 100% rely on what grimoires and every attestation written down wrong though? And is Lilith a goddess? (I tried to question them on that but they screamed at me over it)

Lilith was never regarded as a goddess until the 20th century. All this stuff you hear about her being a demonized/discredited goddess is basically a conspiracy theory. Here's an article on Lilith's origins and development. If you want more in-depth information, Justin Sledge at ESOTERICA has a couple of videos here and here. Worth noting, Lilith is regarded as a closed entity by Jewish people, so it's pretty sketchy that they're working with her at all.

Regarding grimoires and old texts involving demons, it's important to note that the concept of demons and the art of demonic magic has always been evolving and changing. Every book is quite demonstrably a product of its environment in some way, rather than demonstrating any sort of higher (or lower) origins. Furthermore, many books contradict each other on key details. ESOTERICA has an entire playlist on demonology. It's a lot of material, but it does demonstrate what I'm talking about pretty well, and should hopefully put to rest any notion that these people actually know what they're talking about.

So yeah, this group is definitely overestimating their knowledge here, and you shouldn't take anything they say too seriously.

[pillarsalt]

Anon worried about her trans-identified friend again, I wish I had the words to express how much I appreciate your kind words!!! (Maybe admitting it made me tear up would help? haha) Your response was just as thoughtful and considerate as I thought it would be, but I never expected you'd write so much for a stranger talking about another stranger, let alone throw compliments my way. You're a truly special person and everyone on here, including me, is so lucky we get to hear what you have to say and chat with you :) (And see your wonderful art to boot!! Finding another bug-lover is such a lovely surprise!)

I'll keep your kind thoughts in mind whenever the rare friction comes up again between my friend and me. It was such a quick process for me to desist and become gender critical that I think it's easy for me to forget how much harder it is for people to change their minds on the trans topic when they're so much more invested in it than I was. (Feel the same way about religion too, even as a little kid I was asking questions about why certain things bothered me in the Bible and getting frustrated when I got shame instead of answers. Maybe being annoying and asking too many questions is just in my DNA haha. But all the more reason why it's important to help those who aren't naturally critical: they're the ones falling for unreality the hardest because of that fact.)

Ultimately I will keep being me and see what happens, like I've done before. If nothing comes of it, then there was nothing else I could've done differently anyway. I've asked her if she'd like to do gift exchange for the holidays. We're planning on getting each other a few embarrassingly nerdy collectibles we've been eyeing for a while :)

Thank you again for your help, I'll cherish your words always!!! Hope you have a blast on your trip and get to see all the little guys you could dream of!!!

I'm very glad to hear from you, anon! :) and thank you so much for the kind words! it makes me very happy to be able to help in any way. ❤️

It's funny that you mention questioning the bible as a kid. I went to catholic school and I remember being taught in first grade that we were supposed to love god more than anything. More than we loved our parents or even our dogs, and I just couldn't get past the notion that I had to somehow love the kinda mean, angry, invisible flying grandpa*, who never says a damn thing when I pray, over the actual people who had raised me. I stayed in catholic school until graduation despite opposing catholicism, argued a LOT. I think my point is that I've also kind of been primed for voicing unpopular opinions, so I'm biased when it comes to people who are more hesitant to take any position on the matters at hand.

*sidenote, around this time I obsessively read My Book of Bible Stories (1978) which was given to me by JW doorknockers. This is a bit uncanny, I haven't seen this since I was about 8. It was a treasured book to me, it's full of old testament stories and pretty brutal:

To demonstrate how young I was while reading this: the book refers to god as Jehovah, but I was still learning to read and thought he was called Joseph. So all the adults I told all these Joseph stories to were confused as to why I thought Jesus's stepdad was so OP. Anyway yes, Joseph was a scary guy in my mind, I mean look what he made abraham do before he said sike:

which really didn't give me much faith in him. Kind of a questionable thing to do to a guy tbh. Finally here's the illustration that basically inspired my URL:

Sorry to hijack your ask anon, for some reason your message sent me down memory lane. Finding that pdf was crazy.

ANYWAY: you made my night with yoir nice message, so thanks for that, hope you stay well. I'm happy that it's chill for the time being, and the gift exchange sounds like fun. Come around to chat anytime.✌️

[souglias]

I see there's still a slot left for foul legacy: raging tide so I hope I'm not too late to request something 👀

Three things about me:

As I said in my other ask, I love to draw and write and I try to do that as much as I can during my free time between hw and class. Although it's been much harder to find time during college and I am often plagued with art/ writer's block 😔

I'm a bio major and I have no problem with handling bugs and other little critters that most people get queasy about. Once you've dissected sheep brains and whole squids, grabbing a spider isn't such a big deal lol

It generally takes me a while to start seeing someone as a close friend rather than a friendly acquaintance that I sometimes see in class. In the same vein it also takes me a while to begin considering someone as a possible romantic partner bc I only start to feel attraction after I've known them for a while and established an emotional connection

I'm a big fan of the star student/delinquent trope and even though I'm not really the type that only cares about studying, I do generally prioritize that over other things

Thank you in advance!! I can't wait to see the rest of this event unfold :D

The Delinquent [Childe]

c/w: mentions and implications of rumours, implication of bad school culture, Biology dissection (not described in detail)

Note: Hello!! I'm so so sorry this fic took so long! I wasn't particularly inspired for this fic so I was holding it off, then school came in the way for quite a bit. I don't know much about dissections, but I did a quick Google search and I hope I've written it such that it's not too difficult to believe. I hope that you enjoy this!

word count: 1.5k

--

Sun and moon. Both you and Childe live worlds apart. The two of you are only in each other’s orbit, seeing each other from a distance. The closest that you’ll ever get is being a few seats away in biology class. However, even though you only share one class with him, you know him all too well.

Childe is the infamous sporty kid in school. He’s also one who often wins academic competitions for the school. The student body doesn’t necessarily dislike him either. In fact, the girls adore him. They think that he’s hot and charming. But outside of his friend group, everyone is mostly too intimidated by his aura to approach him. 

You can also always count on Childe to constantly talk back to teachers and staff. Now and then, you would catch him breaking school rules by exploiting their loopholes. The school hasn’t expelled him, given that he’s not causing harm or trouble to anyone. On top of that, he largely excels in many areas. Though… There are rumours of him beating other students up. But no one has actually seen him do so.

You, on the other hand, keep to your group of friends. That’s how you decided you were going to spend the rest of your school life. Comfortable with a group of friends that you cherish deeply, out of the spotlight. 

That is until Childe decides to collide into your world for a reason you cannot bring yourself to turn down. Okay, you could have, but you don't dare to.

As a short breather from studying in the library, you doodle a little. Childe walks up to your side while you’re doing so. 

With a volume lower than usual, he greets you. “Hey, [name]- Oh these look pretty cute.”

You dropped your pencil on your notebook, taken aback that the Childe is talking to you. 

“What’s up, Childe?” you ask as your hand subtly shifts above the doodles in your notebook. Honestly, you want nothing to do with him. But, at the same time, you are courteous enough not to shut someone out the first time they speak to you.

He smiles sheepishly as he requests, “Sorry to bother you, but could you give me a demonstration on the dissection of a sheep’s brain?”

You only blink at him in response. You asked him to repeat, making sure you didn’t mishear him. Assuming you couldn’t hear him, he raises his volume. Only slightly, so as not to disturb other students. 

“I need some help on dissecting a sheep’s brain and I’d like you to show me a demonstration. Would that be okay for you?”

Fumbling over your words a little, you agree to help him with his dissection. “Great! Thank you so much, [name]. Will tomorrow after our biology lesson be good?”

“Yeah, sure…”

With that, he walks off with a slight skip in his steps. But you, on the other hand, are highly preoccupied with your thoughts. You think you got a little too nervous around him. They say you shouldn’t show fear in front of what you are afraid of. Wait, since when were you afraid of him?

On top of that worry, you aren’t sure if you should be proud that Childe thinks highly enough of you to ask you for help, or if you should be concerned that you are now responsible for tutoring the infamous school delinquent instead. 

Do you really know the dissection like the back of your hand? What if he asks you about the details that you've thrown to the back of your mind? As an extra precaution, you start to relook at your notes on the dissection. Before you sleep at night, you give your notes one last read too.

The next day, you realise during lessons that you forgot to check if there was a supervising teacher present after school. For students to use the laboratory after school, there is a rule stating that a teacher has to be present. Childe probably wouldn’t heed that rule in normal circumstances. But since your last lesson is Biology in the laboratory with him, your teacher would definitely know both of you are staying back. If there was no one around, your teacher wouldn’t permit you two to use the room and kick the both of you out. 

So, you pray. You pray that there wouldn’t be any supervising teacher, so you’d get to slip out on Childe. But unfortunately, when class ends, you find out that your teacher is on duty today.

Sighing internally, you resign yourself to helping Childe. As you prepare your workbench, you catch your teacher's eyes darting between the two of you. Likely surprised that both of you speak to each other, you suppose. You'd be surprised too.

When all the preparation is done, you try to hide your disappointment and ask, “So, how do you want me to teach this to you?” 

“You can do a step-by-step demonstration, then I’ll try to follow along.”

After every step, you check on the steps that he executes. While doing so, you notice how slender his hands are and the little faded scars on them. 

“[Name]? We can continue.”

You snap out of your daze and mutter an apology, continuing the dissection. At some point, you stop him. “Hold on, you’re about to cut the wrong part.”

He shifts his gaze over to your scalpel, trying to assess the exact point to cut. Before he does anything, you move over to his side as you always do when you teach your friends. You wrap your hand around his that holds the scalpel and you guide his hand.

Childe becomes momentarily distracted by your touch on his. He tries to ignore the feeling of his skin tingling and regain his focus. 

(But it is for nought because all he can think of is how cool you are for being so good at Biology. Heck, not just Biology, but other subjects too. Words of your consistently stellar grades don’t escape him.)

You only realise the proximity between the two of you after you let go of his hand. Taking a step back, your leg bumps into the stool. You stumble for a bit. Childe’s hand reaches out to your arm and it hovers right above your skin, ready to catch you. But you don’t fall and a few moments pass.

Inside, you beat yourself up a little for almost falling onto the ground in front of someone you’ve barely spoken to before. You straighten yourself and Childe withdraws his hand back to his side. 

You clear your throat in an attempt to dissipate the tension in the air. “There’s only one more step left to go. I can show that to you and if you’re good, we can pack up.”

You note how hot your face feels and hope he doesn’t tell this to his friend circle. You don’t particularly like them, given the amount of drama they attract. 

You try to concentrate, though the incident earlier remains at the front of your mind. Soon, he ends the procedure without a hitch, so you assume that you’ve taught him the right step despite your lack of focus. With that, both of you clean up the workbench. 

Childe finishes cleaning up faster than you. He always packs up quickly after class, and you chalk up his speed to his desire to leave class early. You think he’s about to leave when he comes over to help you. When he does, he thanks you.

“Thanks for the tutoring session, [name].”

A few seconds of silence lapse. You’re not sure if you should thank him for helping you. But before you say anything, he asks, “Say… could I ask you for more help next time? I struggle quite a bit with Biology.”

Immediately, you nod. It'll just be more tutoring sessions that'll benefit you too. Though, you ask, “Don’t you have friends who do Biology?”

Childe’s face sours a little, a smile still plastered on his face. He whispers, “Let’s just say that while I do hang out with them, I don’t like to stay around them more than I need to.”

Your eyes widen slightly. The two of you have more in common than you thought.

As the two of you walk down the hallways to the exit, he exchanges contacts with you. Childe does a tiny fist pump in the air. “Nice! Now, we can easily arrange study sessions!”

He turns to look at you and offers, “If you need anything too, you can always ask me!”

Childe flashes you a smile. He’s really not so bad.

When the two of you part ways at the school gate, you wave to him. He returns one with that annoyingly vibrant smile of his. But, maybe you could get used to this.

Only then do you realise, oh, you are in so much danger. The moon is reaching its orbit closest to the sun now.

--

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[darkdevasofdestruction]

Chapter 3 - Sweet Perfume

"Finally, some new, fresh faces around here, and how wonderful it is, seeing something other than demons around. It was seriously beginning to get old and boring." the teacher for this class was a beautiful woman with long, ebony hair, slightly wavy, with blue eyes like a gargoyle, penetrating your soul with a single gaze; and her lips were plump, red and shiny. Her make up was done bold and dark, making that deadly shade of blue-grey stand out even more. "Let's see... You must be Kitsune... And my, what a gorgeous lady we have. I was lucky enough to have Solomon in my class too, and he's quite the excellent student. As to be expected of someone who bonded with none other than Asmo~." the woman giggled lowly, leaning back on the teacher's desk.

"The pleasure is all mine." though having good intentions behind her response, Kitsune didn't realise the implication, or the way demons think, thus, not comprehending the reason behind the woman's devious smirk.  "Oh, I'm sure it is~." a low, seductive hum resounded through the place, making some of the lower demons sigh and lean forward on their desk. "Yikes. That's a succubus for ya. She's really scary." Mammon whispered in the fox girl's ear. "What's a... Su-... Bus? Whatever you said." she discreetly eyes the Greed Avatar from the corner of her eyes. "It's a Lust demon. They can charm and seduce anyone. Well - I guess it matters whatever power level they and their victim have, but it's still scary. Ye may be immortal, but you're still an earthling and stand no chance. Careful of Asmo too, he's the most powerful charmer. One look in his eyes and ye'r under his spell!" his agitated warning made Kitsune realise that all demons have their own abilities their are proficient in, and that somehow, she has to understand them all... And learn their undoing. "You see, Mammon... That is just my luck. I have the aid of all of you, yet nobody knows anything about me or my abilities. The way I see it, the advantage is solely mine own." subtly, the Greed demon saw the corner of her mouth turning upwards - If he thought succubi looked stunning and devious, Kitsune looked other-worldly and enigmatic.  "Oh, how naughty of you, Kitsune. For a new comer, you have the guts to be whispering in class, thinking I wouldn't be noticing? How adorable. And you, Mammon, though you are attractive, you fail at seducing anyone with that goofiness of yours, yet you dare disturb the class. Should you have been cutipie Asmo, then... That wouldn't have been such a problem. What have you to say, in your defense? Or, perhaps you are ready for a demonstration in front of the class? Do you wish to be seducing the new student?" the teasing from the teacher only made Mammon yelp and blush furiously, trickling down from his chair, and under the table. "Oh, so you're more of a hands-on, tongue-out type, hmm~? How shameless of you, in front of all your classmates, to show such exhibitionism --" the more she talked, Mammon must have jolted up in his skin, for the desk was hit roughly with his head, and it was set up in the air. "So you say, should I be successful in this class, I will be getting certain... Privileges? Then... Asmodeus, would you like to... Teach me... What this class entails?" raising up from her chair, she prowled in front of the Avatar of Lust, who looked up at the girl with the fakest sweet smile there was. "Wait, Kitsune, don't--" Mammon tried to warn the girl, but was silenced by the teacher. "Ohhh, how daring, I already like you, Kitsune! I have to admit, you're rather pretty - Though, not nearly as pretty as me, obviously. So, you want me to teach you? I'd just love to teach you everything there is to be taught about the art of charming." he hummed, raising his hands and slowly reaching towards her face, cupping and caressing her soft cheeks. "Your skins is so delicate, it is as if I am touching Ranunculus flowers. Did you know they are said to have the softest flower petals? I think you're putting even that to shame." the more he spoke his honeyed words, the closer his face got to her own, and his amber eyes that shone like gems were staring deep into her soul.

"What a lovely attempt at trying to charm me. Unfortunately, I am not touched in the least. I wonder if it is because of my age, or because..." eagerly pushing his hands away, Kitsune allowed her spiritual form to take over and she grabbed his face - Her eyes flashed green, and she brought his lips so close to her own, that he could feel the silky plumpness of her rose-like petals.

"You're not my type." from the shock of not only his pristine clean record of seducing being splattered with blots of dirt, but also being rejected and having a tiny bit of his life energy taken away, he jolted away from her, watching as she let out a rather amused laugh. "What is it, Asmo~? Were you shocked? You see... Silly enchantments like seducing and charming will never work on me... For, I am a Fox Spirit." her hand was raised up, hiding that annoyingly attractive taunting giggle of hers.

"You see, Asmo... I think that... You rely on physical beauty far too much, and you fail to realise that there is more to life and beings than their appearance. Or... Mayhaps is that... All you have is your outer beauty, and you cling onto it so desperately? Is it that... You secretly wish to be recognised for more than the pretty face that you are? You want to prove that your inner beauty is just as profound as your exterior one? Do you wish to be praised and exalted for your kindness? Or... Is that beneath you, demons?" though she would brush her fingers over his fringe, just like a ghost, or the tip of her pointer finger nail would leave traces down his face like a phantasm, it only made the demon get angrier and angrier. He started making a fuss, and with a childish stomp of his foot, he stormed out of the classroom furiously.

"I've never seen that cutiepie Asmo get so angry before. I'm not sure whether or not you're a master or a complete failure at Seductive Speechcraft, but at the end of the day, I suppose I can conclude that I am rather impressed... In an odd way." the teacher let out a scoff of disbelief, turning back to her seat and beginning to go over the introductory lesson of the day.

Were all lessons going to be problematic, Kitsune wondered, amused at how immature some demons can be. Though, the easier it is to annoy them, the better - They sure are fun to tease, and Asmodeus was such an easy target, with that awfully fake high self-esteem facade of his. Satan is adorable to fluster, and Mammon... He's an easy victim, and whilst the vixen would like to tease the life out of him... He's already mocked by everyone, so she feels protective over him. Though he tries very hard to be cool, he's just a child looking for praise and validation. What a darling.

Before the class ended, the door to the room was opened, and Diavolo himself stepped inside, a large, cheerful grin on his face.  "L-Lord D-D-Diavolo, what are you doing here?" the succubus teacher widened her eyes in surprise upon seeing the Prince. "I was just passing by and I remembered Kitsune has this class now. I wanted to see how she was enjoying her first classes at RAD." just as he explained, the sound that called for the end of the class rang, and the fox girl chuckled. Kitsune was the first to get up, and stepping next to Diavolo, she reached out to grab his chin, pulling him down to her level. "I am enjoying this new environment very much, thank you." with a wink, she walked right past him, and out of the classroom, hearing his mirthful laughter in the background.

The last class before lunch was Magical Potions, luckily enough, it was very close to the other classroom. Unfortunately, Mammon wasn't in the same class that day, and neither were Satan or Asmodeus. By the time she arrived and saw the placard above the door, she entered - There weren't many students present, save for three that were garbed in a completely different kind of uniform, and their silver haired friend - One of them felt like a human that possessed great magical powers, while the others held a warm and kind, white and bright aura around them. They must be the transfer students, the woman concluded, as she made her way towards them.

"Hello. May I deduce that you are the other new students? It is our first class together, I am honoured. You may call me Kitsune." though she bowed to no one, she offered a brief nod of her head and a pleasant smile. "Sound deduction, and I have to say, I am the honoured one. Though I am hundreds of years old, I never met any of your kind. I am Solomon, a wizard, and these are Simeon and Luke - They are Angels from the Celestial Realm." the wizard nodded his head back, all of them greeting her with warmth and friendliness. "Celestial Realm, huh? Well, I'm glad I'm not the only one who doesn't conform to the uniform rules anymore. Is it safe to assume you are more familiar to the subjects? Because I am honestly clueless, though interested." the girl explained, smiling lightly at the trio. "Wow! Are you really a human? I've never seen humans with fluffy ears before!" the little one had wide eyes from shock and surprise. He looked up at those ears as though he wanted desperately to feel them up. "A human? Hm... Am I, now~?" Kitsune hummed, amused at the naivite of the little angel. "I suppose I should say that I, at least, do count as a representative of the human realm - Although I have been born as a kit, and grew as fox-kin. Naturally living for as long as I have, afflicted naught by growing old  and wary, nor of the humanly diseases - So, am I really fit to serve as a human standard? Well... I would say that is for everyone to decide for their own." 

"...So... You're a non-human living in the human world, yes?" Kitsune nodded. "How did Lord Diavolo manage to choose two immortal non-humans as human representatives, out of the billions of normal humans on Earth?!" the boy gasped in disbelief. "That, little one, is something for you to ask him." Luke looked up at the taller woman and stared in awe at that calm, passive smile of hers - It felt as serene and heavenly as Simeon's. He deduced she must be a good-hearted woman - Yes, she had to be! He feels no ill-will from her either! Thrown in the deepest pits of hell, he must protect her and bring her to the warm, Celestial light! "Now, now, Luke, stop staring at the poor girl, you're going to give her the creeps." Simeon chuckled softly, patting the boy's head. Kitsune took this brief moment of silence to analyse the three. She felt absolutely no malice from the little one, though, she could see the silly innocence, born out of ignorance and indoctrination - Maybe even some prejudice and anger issues. Simeon, on the other hand, was the exact opposite - Devious and easy-going, with a tint of treachery, but good-will overall. Angels were a weird race, Kitsune concluded - From her brief interlude, she picked up that Angels were supposed to be the ultimate good, while Demons were sitting on the exact opposite end of the spectrum, the ultimate evil... Yet it seemed not that way, from what her esper feelings gathered. It was... Peculiar.

And then, there was the sorcerer before her. She could barely read him - It had never happened before. It was almost as though he had put some kind of barrier to keep out any thing that might penetrate his heart and mind. How intriguing, yes, very interesting indeed  - For a human turned sorcerer, that is a fantastic feat to accomplish, how impressive.

But the problem was - No matter how intriguing the silver haired man before her eyes seemed to be... There was something about that Demon Lord with that silver tongue and sweet smile, all those which they harbour an endless void of rage. For what reason? What is it that he is suppressing to dearly? Shackled with magical chains, away from even his own knowledge?

The teacher then entered the room, and the four exchange students had to scatter to their desks - Luke, surprisingly, wanted to sit with Kitsune, under the pretext of 'protecting' her from the evil demon, thus, Simeon paired up with Solomon. It was a complete disaster, as they had to brew a potent poison, and Luke would only speak of cooking analogies. Kitsune turned back to her two fellows, staring at them with a pleading look, to get some aid at what the hell they were supposed to do. Stirring clockwise and anti- clockwise, in zig-zag, up and down, left and right, and on each diagonal. At certain intervals, they had to add minced herbs of some kind, crushed powder made by them, and some juice made out of flowers and beans. All these words were completely foreign to Kitsune and all the knowledge that she held paled in comparison to everything that was written on the textbook laying innocently on the desk, almost taunting her.

And the teacher did little to explain the basics of potion-making to the single newbie of the class. 

"It's alright, Kitsune, I only know because that is what I've been doing my whole life, after all. Your kin is known for their remedy-making, antidotes and poisons, with a sprinkle of magic - But there are certain peculiarities that only happen with Demon magic." Solomon smiled gracefully at the girl, and the two pair become one. They united the two desks and started working on their potions. First, the sorcerer showed Kitsune how to properly crush the Nightlock berries under the knife, and mix its juice with the Deadly Nightshade fermented wine - The Fox Spirit mimicked his actions with careful movement. "That's very good, Kitsune. Now, let's cut the Angel's Temptation flowers. As you can see, they all are in various shades of the rainbow, and we must add them in the exact order shown in the recipe." as Solomon explained, the red haired woman reached out to pick the flower up, only to have her hand held by the brunet Angel, who looked at her with concern, yet also, a kind of brotherly kindness.  "Kitsune, don't touch that flower. It's incredibly poisonous to the touch, even for us, angels, and demons alike. I don't want to imagine what it could do to your delicate hands." he said, caressing it dearly.  "A beautiful flower such as this, poisonous to mere touching? How can that be?" her green eyes widened, looking forlorn at the gorgeous plant sitting lonely on the desk. "Everything can be dangerous, one way or another. That's why it's called the Devildom. Even the things you least expect can harm you. That's why you should exercise caution. But don't worry, I'm sure the demon brothers are taking good care of you." contrary to the previous worry, he now seemed almost shady, speaking of the demons, almost as if there was some kind of undertone she wasn't quite picking on. "Then, how are we supposed to cut it and add it to the potion?" Simeon, once again, smiled brightly and after gingerly letting go of her smaller hand, picked up a scalpel and a pair of tweezers, and proceeded to demonstrate with perfect accuracy and delicacy how and where to cut each of the flowers, then guided her own hands to do just as well. "You're doing great, Kitsune. Now, that the flowers are added, we should stir in the cauldron - Five times horizontally, ten times anti-clockwise, 3 clockwise, once vertically and twenty times on each diagonal, starting from top left to bottom right, and vice-versa." "It's easy, just like in cooking! Let's do it together!" Luke's cheerful voice boomed, urging the fox lady to put her hands on the large ladle and stir as instructed - He had such a focused, yet happy expression that Kitsune simply let him do most of the stirring, as she gazed at the beautiful pearl-like sheen of the potion, iridescent - Once they stopped and allowed the liquid to rest, it started glowing powerfully, and changing colours. A glittery, thin thread of smoke was coming up from the potion, and it emanated a sweet perfume, inciting, almost encouraging you to drink it whole, like the most luxurious dessert there was. "I must thank you dearly for all the aid that you have given me for this lesson. Without you, I would have been entirely lost. Is there any way for me to express my gratitude properly? A simple invitation to tea simply cannot do justice for the amount of help that you have offered." her hand was over her heart, nodding her head in thanks. "No need to be so formal with us, Kitsune, it's alright, we're all friends here. Us, exchange students especially, must stick together. How about you come over to the Purgatory Hall when you have the time? It's where we stay." Solomon suggested, and the others were in agreement. "Maybe I can cook something for you!" in an instant, the two angels had alarmed, horrified looks - There must be something wrong with the sorcerer's cooking... But how could such a talented man be so atrocious at something so similar to potion-making?

In the end, they were quite literally saved by the bell, and also, by some kind of sound that her cellphone made, followed by the faint vibration that she felt coming from her sleeve. With the help of Solomon, she realised that she had received a text, from Diavolo himself, asking her to come to his office at RAD once her classes were over. Surely, he must know this was her last subject for the day, otherwise he wouldn't send this text at the exact second that the bell had rung - Yes?

With a mischievous smirk on her face, Kitsune picked up the cauldron, and although heavy, she wanted to show the very curious man what she had been up to. It was already enough that he checked on her barely two hours prior - It was no wonder, with such a child-like curiosity - It was adorable and amusing, and of course, she was going to indulge him.

She minded naught the weird looks she was being given, nor the amount of times she had to ask for directions... Or when she was on the verge of being attacked, under the pretext of attempting to kill the Prince. Ha - As if Diavolo could get himself killed with something as silly as a poison brought in a cauldron. After a long journey through the maze-like Academy - Why was everything a maze in this Realm anyway? - She ended up in front of the large, deep black ebony massive wood door. Though she was unable to properly knock and announce her presence, she summoned one of her tails to reach inside her sleeve and lightly tap the phone on the door frame. Once the Prince allowed her entrance, Kitsune used another tail to open the door. And another. And another. In total, seven tails, and her own back pushing against the door.

"Forgive me, Little Prince - Alas, for my human strength, this door is far too heavy to open by natural means. Could it be that demons naturally possess strength far above that of the average human, then, if you can afford such a continuous workout everywhere you go?" the red haired woman stepped inside, demonstrating her struggles as she pushed herself against the door, this time, to close it.  Diavolo, in turn, blinked crestfallen for a few seconds, only to burst into laughter. "My, Kitsune, do forgive me - I, and everyone here, is so used to these things that we didn't realise it took more effort to other races. On a lighter note, it's only my office door that is made of the most massive wood in Devildom - I wanted it to be shiny and black. I always thought it's a beautiful colour, and it helps me relax and think in peace." he rose from his desk, walking from behind it. "I am glad that you could come over on such a short notice - I hope there was no urgency though. I simply wanted to ask your impressions on your first day of school here." he gestured over for her to on the comfortable arm chair, made out of burgundy wine-coloured velvet and it had a black and gold cushion. In front of it, another black, wooden tea table, and its armchair twin just opposite of it. "Prince, you are far too generous, thinking of someone like me. Though it is you who has come up with the scholar-program, your benevolence is above that which most demons have the reputation of having. In fact - I have figured out your intentions, thus why I have gone through the hilarity of this situation, to bring the potion we have made - Myself and the other three exchange students, in fact. I found it to be rather beautiful, though most deadly. Is that not completely fascinating? Its colours, the glow, the glittery twinkle of the fine smoke, and even this scent." she spoke as she comfortably sat down, placing the cauldron on the table and motioning for the Lord to follow. "Oh, I see! To think that you would start with a poison, of all things. I haven't changed the schedule to accommodate the exchange students. I apologise, I didn't realise the curriculum wasn't beginner-friendly. I will have to make adjustments immediately, thank you for bringing that up to my attention --" but the woman raised her hand up, in a motion as to stop him from speaking any further. "Us, 'humans', as you so silly call me, have a saying - When in Rome, do as the Romans do - Which means, of course, that one must adapt to the living conditions of the parent home where you take temporary residence at. It was not my intention to make you feel guilty or reproach you, by any means. Considering that I have had at least one of the brothers, or the other exchange students with me in every class so far, I was guided, very patiently, might I add, on the right path. I have nothing to complain about, thus, there is nothing to be changed." those shining, molten gold eyes of his peered with interest into her own. For a few seconds there, they shared deep looks. "There's no need to be so formal with me, Kitsune. I may be the Prince of this realm, but I'd like for us to have a friendly relationship. And, above all, I wish for you to have a comfortable stay here, but also, learn something new from us. If there is anything I can change to the way this school works to accommodate you and make you feel at home, I would gladly do anything in my power to achieve that. I just hope we can work together for the betterment of this exchange program and all the participants involved." he explained with a serious tone - Determined, but also kind and understanding. "Adaptability is one thing, but you are not alone here. The brothers and the other three exchange students are there to help you... And, of course, you have chosen me as your guide. Let me do my job, please."

Kitsune blinked at him slowly. The Prince could see her pupils dilating just a little bit. She seemed intrigued, but judging by the way the corner of her mouth twitched upwards, exposing one of her elongated canines, it seemed she had some kind of mischievous, playful thought running through her head. "Could it be that you wish to... Tame me, Little Prince~?" the man was taken aback, and he straightened his back instinctually.

"Tame you? Kitsune, you are not an animal to be tamed. I wish to befriend you, not tame you." he immediately defended himself. "Forgive me, there might be some kind of conversational barrier that I cannot understand. I only hope my feelings and intentions are received."

The Fox Spirit smiled, her eyes closed as she looked away, shielding her mouth with her sleeve. "It is you who should forgive my manners, Little Prince - I have come to love teasing you, for whatever reason unknown even to me. I suppose it was a fault in my logic, however, to think that you might have been able to not only acquire, but also, finish reading the book that I have mentioned before." a lightbulb seemed to appear above that red hair of his, and he grinned widely.

"In fact - I have! Barbatos is fantastic when it comes to these things. He was able to get to the Human World and get this book just before the bookstore closed! I tried to have some light reading, but I haven't been able to finish it yet." surprising the vixen, Diavolo rose to his feet and went back to his desk, and from one of the drawers, he revealed the book itself, winking at her playfully.

"I'm supposed to do work here only, but sometimes, a little break, a little reading with some tea, can up the productivity levels. But don't tell Barbatos that, he'll scold me again."

"What a naughty, naughty boy you are, Little Prince." the woman let out an amused hum, leaning forwards and pouring some tea into both their tea cups. "I recommend Chapter 21 especially. It ties well into our conversation. And, to answer your previous concern - There is no misunderstanding - Once again, it is a fault on my part. I have been rude to my host, teasing him too much. You will have to forgive me on that... And, should you wish to... Tame me... I shalt not be opposed to it." the questioning look on his face was answered by a nod of her head towards the book - He needn't any more hints. Now, he understood, and he was even more eager to finish reading said book, just to get into the game she weaved for him. Somehow, he felt caught in the web of a spider, and he didn't want to struggle at all.

"Mind if we have some tea tomorrow as well? Surely, I will be done with the book, and we can discuss it properly." he watched the way she casually nodded her head, that beautifully luscious, crimson hair dancing softly around her with every move. He has seen many females before, so why was she any special? There are plenty of beautiful women with red hair and green eyes... But somehow, none can match her glow. Why? Why was that taunting spark in her eyes so attractive, and why was that hue so out of this world? Why were the features so graceful, and visage, flawless? Every expression was calculated to with perfect accuracy, and each wave of her hand was changing the rhythm of his heart beat.

"Forgive me, Little Prince, it seems that I have cause you a great disservice. Tachycardia is a nuisance, I would know. Allow me to alleviate the damage I have caused." though she apologised, there was no trace of truth on that smile playing on those pink, wet lips. She took the smallest sip of tea. Diavolo's mind was a complete mess - Though he wouldn't allow himself to show weakness so easily, he wondered, how can a being so much younger than himself, thousands of years his junior, be capable such calculated schemes that work even on him?

There were hundreds of witches with far more experience, and even lust demons - Asmodeus's disciples even - And none succeeded in getting his attention quite so easily, like the fox lady before him. Not only that, but she so easily teased him, without fearing any consequence or repercussion.

Does she not know how dangerous demons can be? Monsters, beast - All of them falling prey to sin and temptation. She may have some powers and years of knowledge, above the average human, but she knows nothing of his own kin, or the atrocities he is capable of. Burning the three realms with a flick of his hand is measly. 

But then - He realised, what it was that attracted him from the very first second that Kitsune appeared before him - It was her pure soul. No - It wasn't innocent by any means - It was broken, and lonely, and in desperate need of mending and sewing together all the shattered parts. It was in need of protection and analgesic treatments... But underneath all that pain, loss and sorrow that accompanies every being that has roamed the world for so long, there was a certain bright light, desperately flickering through the cracks, begging to be dragged out to the surface. It was calling for him, just like a crash survivor reaching out to the single thread of hope that is nothing more than a spider's web.

"Were you listening, Little Prince~?" by the way he blinked and showed a guilty smile, she needn't an answer. "My, my, have I bored you so already? How awful of me, do forgive me... Allow me to wipe away the sleepiness from your lashes." before he could blink, Kitsune was towering over him, her hands daring to cup his face, as her thumbs traced gently the smooth skin from underneath his eyes. The Prince was breathless, unable to break eye-contact with her. Was this how all victims of Asmodeus felt? "Feeling any better, Little Prince~?"

Oh, how he craved her warm touch on his skin, more and more... And more. "Yes, in fact, I am already feeling refreshed for the day, thank you, Kitsune." he gave her a sweet smile, leaning into her touch and kissing the inside of her wrist so shamelessly. "If I may be so bold, I would also like to request you to continue calling me Your Little Prince. It is quite endearing." though surprised at the way he so easily regained composure, and even retaliated, she couldn't help but grin.

"O, but Diavolo, my dear, you are mistaken - You are not mine, and nor am I yours. For now, you are simply that - A little prince, just like a thousand others little princes that have existed, and will exist, and still exist even to this day." the man frowned at her enigmatic, harsh words. "I have not tamed you, nor have you tamed me. I am, for you, just another human, like a hundred thousand other humans alike - And for me, you are just that, a demon, from a hundred thousand other demons alike. You are not special to me, and nor am I, to you. It is familiarity that makes one special - Thus, once we have tamed each other, the next time I gaze upon a field of wheat, shining in the burning sun like gold, I will be reminded of yours eyes. Do you understand what I am trying to say... Little Prince~?"

"I see walking through my flower garden will be a delight." he grinned, alluding to the beautiful glow of the red flowers growing in intricate flower beds and arches. 

"Then, will you be responsible for that single rose that you have tamed? You become responsible forever for the rose that you have tamed." she explained softly, only to feel herself being pulled to sit on his leg, a cheeky grin on his face. 

"And if you tame me, will I become unique to you? Will you be responsible for me, as I am for you?" the red haired maiden scoffed in amusement.

"You have grown bold, little lordling. Bold, yet not unwise." the proximity allowed Kitsune to smell the sweet perfume of the Demon Lord - It was strong, yet not unpleasant, and it drunkened your whole senses. She suddenly felt her own heart arrhythmic, and her body was warming up.

What was she feeling? It was a feeling akin to no other. It has been almost five centuries since she last felt her body so tense and hot, yet never from something as mere as sniffing this particular scent. What was it? Something that seemed like an intricate floral mix, with hints of wood fragrance? Diavolo couldn't hide his grin for long, as he felt her own heart beat rising in count, and thanked his heightened senses for that - It was then that Kitsune realised the type of rich perfume the Lord was wearing.

Similar, yet more masculine than the scent she felt from Asmodeus. In stead of roses and vanilla, Diavolo wore more cinnamon and sandalwood, with some Jasmine and chocolate. It was the sweet scent of an aphrodisiac.

"I will change the curses professor and disallow practicing on unwilling participants to the class. I will make sure the seductive speechcraft lesson goes without any rude comments that might lead to misunderstandings... Though, I am impressed with the way you made Asmodeus run away like that. Also, I will make sure that all potions and ingredients are revised beforehand, to reduce the risk of accidents occurring. As well as that, of course, I will make sure to have the freshest human ingredients delivered to the House of Lamentation every morning. Are these solutions to your liking, Kitsune?" her otherwise enticing expression changed to surprise. "Yes, I was listening to you just before, to answer your previous question. I was taking some time to deliberate on the right course of action." that roguish side grin of his only made her chuckle, looking away in amusement.

"Very well, Little Prince, you impress me so. I dearly hope you continue doing so in the near future also." Kitsune jumped to her feet, twirling playfully back to her seat. "Though, I have a curiosity! Do humour me, will you?" 

"Why, of course! What is it?" the giddy way in which he responded almost made the fox lady feel a swell of her heart.

"What would happen if the most powerful demon in the realm drinks a sip from this potion?" she asked, taking her own tea cup and crouching besides the table, dipping the small cup carefully into the cauldron. "The sweet smell, the pretty colour, the pearly sheen, the sparkly fumes -- They're so attractive, and I feel like a child once more. I feel compelled to drink a sip of this rainbow coloured potion... But I fear the consequences. I fear the unknown. I was poisoned this morning by a simple salad - I am afraid of pretty things now."

"Do you know what this potion does, Kitsune?" the man asked, stepping next to her.

"I know all ingredients are highly poisonous. Three poisons must make for quite the potent killing liquor, yes?" she guessed, slowly raising up, handing the tea cup over to the man.

"I have to say, I am impressed - This potion is masterfully made. For your first try, you did wonderfully, Kitsune. Well done. Even the scent is sweeter than I remember." he said as he put his large hands over her own and brought the cup to his lips. "If I promise you that it will not harm you, will you drink it with me?"

"Wh-What...?" for the first time, Diavolo saw the playful vixen break her composure from sheer surprise. 

"Do you trust me, Little Fox?" his voice was low and alluring, sweet and captivating. Asmodeus cried over being denied yet another conquest, yet he failed to realise that there was one far above him in skill and speech. One single devilish look from those amber eyes, and she felt herself grow faint.

"It is you that I have chosen, Little Prince. If I do not trust you, then who will I trust in this realm?" those attractive plump lips of his stretched into a gorgeous, confident smile as he sipped from the potion, not once breaking eye contact. Then, he slowly brought the cup to her own lips, feeling no fear nor reticence from her decision - And it really smelled sweet. "So... If three poisons do not make a whole poison... Then what are its effects?" the girl asked after a while.

Instead of answering, Diavolo grinned and took out his phone - Then made it so that Kitsune could see herself. She gasped at her reflection, her hands slapping over her mouth. "Wh-What trickery is this?!" she asked, seeing her hair change colours every minute - Then looked up at the man towering over her, and started laughing. "Y-Yours, also!"

The Lord forgot all kind of formalities, the same as the Priestess, and he let out a mirthful guffaw that echoed through the place. "Don't worry, it will only have effect for about two hours at most, it was just a small sip after all." he said, yet he didn't take his hands away from her own.

He remembers the shy way in which she behaved once he asked her for a dance, and expected the same reaction - He had heard a story once from Barbatos, about some marriage rituals which include drinking from the same cup - Surely, she must be aware of that, judging from the soft pink painting her pale cheeks. He wanted to see more of it. Wanted to be the cause of it.

To think that the perfume alone was enough to make her heart beat like that... Like his own, in fact. He wondered what it would be like, what he would do to her - He wanted to see her starstruck expression after he claims those kissable lips of hers, or when he whispers words of hell into her ears, his warm breath on her skin, devoiding her of her own inhaling. "Did you have fun, Kitsune?"

She hummed in approval. "Most fun I have had for the past many centuries, in fact. I must thank you for that." slowly, she looked down and stepped backwards, placing the tea cup back on the table. Diavolo frowned for a split second - His hands felt cold and empty now, without her own to hold onto. "I must take my leave now. I wish to stall you from your work no further. I, also, must prepare for lunch, and a good rest. These new academic endeavours have made be grow weary and tired. It will take a while until I get used to a never-rising Sun, or this educational schedule filled with studying - But it will be quite the interesting journey. Thank you once again, Little Prince. I shall be seeing you again... Soon." though she had some difficulty opening the massive door, she looked no less graceful, lazily wiggling her fingers goodbye at him.

"...What is it that you're hiding, little fox?" Diavolo asked himself in a low voice as soon as the door was closed, and he was left wondering, aimlessly reaching for the enigmatic book, and continuing his lecture. "So lonely, so filled with sorrow... Kitsune, are we more alike than we care to admit? Or is it that an immortal among mortals is doomed to a plagued eternity embellished with misfortune alone? Would you not feel more at home here, among those like you, who would not fall prey to deathly illnesses, nor wither away from the passing of the years? What is the life of a Priestess?" the Lord sighed, hitting his head with the book - How can he concentrate on the simplistic words that hold such complex metaphors, when his own heart is swimming in the dark abyss that Kitsune's void-like feelings succumbed him to. 

He remembers when she said good night to him - She avoided his question. Did she know he can smell lies? Even if she did, it didn't take away from the uneasiness that he can sense on her as soon as he approaches. He wanted her to feel good around him - Warm, welcomed, maybe even to the extreme of love, if it made her feel more comfortable - But there was always that uneasiness that plagued her, a reticence akin to... Fear, even. Is he truly that intimidating? If he were, he thinks, why would she be so daring as to tease and taunt him like that? Surely, it cannot be from his royal rank. So... Is it his appearance? Did he not smile enough? Did he frown at her? He felt guilty, yet unless she confesses, there is nothing that he can do to right the wrong that he had done against her.

Perhaps, the little fox that guided the little prince for a whole chapter would be able to also light the path to his own understanding...

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[danpuff-ao3]

Krissy, our sweet sugareey (@sugareey-makes-stuff) is one of the loveliest humans in fandom, I promise. Genuinely, such a sweetheart.

Also...quite the busy bean! A jellybean. To stay on the "sugary sweet" theme. A busy jellybean, our Krissy! She runs the Wizarding Creator's Den server, and never fails to do bi-monthly check-ins about what folks are up to, which I always look forward to! How are my monthly goals?? Why thank you for asking! It's a good place to hangout with fellow creators, and I've found so much support and comfort not only about creative subjects, but others as well. During my worst fandom experience, that's the place I went. And there I found the strength to get out of a bad situation. I am very grateful for that place, and to Krissy for running it, and being there, and being such an active and caring mod.

Krissy also runs various challenges. @wood-you-rather-challenge and @hp-flowers, at least! And let me tell you, I am thrilled HP Flowers exists! Combining my love of HP and flowers?? Yes please and thank you. In fact, these challenges inspired the little graphic I made for her! I thought "I need wood...and also flowers." So: ta da! (I think it turned out pretty cute, not to toot my own horn or anything.)

She was also one of those special souls that helped me stay sane when writing Contempt last year. In my hour of need, with that most desperate cry for help, Krissy was one of those who answered the call! I don't know what I would have done without her and my other beloved cheer readers. Contempt might not exist today!

Krissy is also a lady of varied and excellent taste. But also varies and excellent skill. I so admire her creativity and enthusiasm for fandom. Her love shines so brightly, I couldn't help but be intrigued by what Krissy was doing, and what she was loving. Perciver?? Not a ship I usually look for on its own, but boy did Krissy sell me on them! Her trip into the Teen Wolf fandom has me pretty tempted, too, not gonna lie. Which is pretty big, because I so rarely watch shows!

Not to mention just how unique and incredible Krissy's art is. I'd know her work from a mile away! It's so different and cool and there's so much feeling in every piece! I'm forever blown away by her talent.

Anyway, enough of my jabbering...you're here for the Krissy goods, aren't you? I've selected a few of my favorites, so here they are! (Under a cut cuz wow can I talk!)

Art

Blooming

Neville. Tattoos. Flowers. Rated G.

It's a fascinating surprise when people find out the owner of Asclepius’ Apothecary: Purveyors of Fine Teas and Herbs is none other than Neville Longbottom.

Practice Makes Perfect

Cho/Ginny. Rated E.

When class is over at the local yoga studio and the room empties out, Cho has Ginny show her some moves. Ginny obliges by demonstrating her own modified version of the Puppy Pose.

Stay Close to Me

Marcus/Oliver. Rated T. Biting. Morning cuddles.

When they wake up in the morning, their first instinct is to press their bodies against each other and savour the feeling.

You Should See Me In a Crown

Hermione/Pansy. Rated T.

When they decided to participate in a game of Truth and Dare at a themed house party, Hermione and Pansy didn't expect things to get this interesting (or to be this attracted to each other).

Fics:

So Little Time

Hermione/Pansy. Rated: E. Words: 200. Boss/Employee. Semi-public sex.

Hermione uses her break between meetings to let her secretary take care of her.

Things I Never Knew

Marcus/Oliver. Rated: E. Words: 1,500. Enemies to lovers. UST. Clubbing. Quickies. Wood You Rather 2022.

Oliver knew he should have walked away the moment their eyes met. He didn’t want or need anything from Marcus Flint.

Yet, he couldn’t explain how (or why) he found himself currently pressed up against the door of a cramped stall in the men’s loo.

Trails of Heat

Ginny/Luna. Rated: E. Words: 143. Waxplay. Friends to lovers. Shipuary 2022.

Luna lets Ginny stimulate and decorate her in a new way.

for an explanation about Mutuals March, or to figure out why i wrote you a thing, please check out this post.