#answering asks fuels my evil powers

[west-brooke]

I’m in a bit of a writers block atm, so send some asks or little art requests about either me or New Hardware if you’re up for it! I’ll do my best to get to all of them but I ofc answer at my discretion lol.

[ckret2]

Chapter 54 of everybody being really eager to kill their prisoner human Bill Cipher for good: the gang's trying a new way to create fuel for the one weapon guaranteed to destroy Bill.

It goes so great.

As Ford drove to Northwest Manor, Dipper skimmed through the introduction to Flatworld, where Edward Bishop Bishop was pretending that his book had been dictated to him by a sentient square; but he couldn't focus on it. He sighed, shut the book, and stared out the passenger window at the passing trees.

"Something on your mind?" Ford asked.

"I'm thinking about the Axolotl's poem again. The one about Bill."

"Ah. Still trying to remember the rest?"

"Kinda. Mabel and I are working on it together," Dipper said. "But it's not that. I've just been wondering... what if the poem is... you know, part of a prophecy about Bill or something? Mabel remembered another line of the poem—'A different form, a different time.' What if the Axolotl was telling us why Bill's back as a human? Maybe we need him here—to, to use his powers to fight off a bigger threat or something. Do you think that's possible?" He held back another question: what happens if we kill him before then?

Ford frowned thoughtfully. "I've been thinking about the Axolotl as well," he said. "About the worlds I visited that called it a god of criminals, tyrants, and luck. That sounds to me like the exact kind of being that would be Bill's ally. And it's odd how resistant Bill was to telling us anything about the Axolotl, when it simply passed over town for a few seconds and then moved on. Why the secrecy? How does Bill think it benefits him for us not to know about it?" Ford shook his head. "I think you're on to something, Dipper—I think whatever the Axolotl told you is important. The question is: important for whom?"

Dipper's stomach turned. The Axolotl had radiated such kindness; it was hard for Dipper to believe it could be up to anything evil with Bill. But then—Dipper clutched at Flatworld with the damning biography on the back—but then, how many people had Bill himself fooled with the benevolent teacher act?

Dipper understood now why "Don't Trust Bill" had so quickly turned into "Trust No One." Even when you knew that there was only one real enemy—even when you knew that most people out there were still reasonably honest and friendly—you could never tell just how far Bill's shadow stretched. "I guess that's true. We can't really know."

"We can't know yet. But it is worth trying to figure out," Ford said. "I wish I could tell you where to start looking for answers. For now... we'll just have to consider anything possible."

Ford was right. But all the same, every time Dipper paranoidly asked himself What if Grunkle Ford is right, what if the Axolotl really is on Bill's side, a second, even more paranoid, even more worried voice asked, But what if he isn't?

####

When they arrived, Fiddleford was already in his lab, hard at work on the miniature particle accelerator they'd come to see him about.

"The paradox what was powering it started yowling" Fiddleford said. "So obviously it ain't a paradox no more."

Ford grimaced. "That does lay to rest whether the cat is alive or dead."

"Sure does," Fiddleford said, sighing. "So I let the cat outside and I'm rebuilding the whole contraption to run on a more robust paradox. I hope you've got better news for me, Stanford."

"We hope so too. I think Dipper might have the solution to our fuel generation problem."

They briefly explained Dipper's unfortunate puppet incident last summer—Fiddleford had to take a break in the middle to grab a cup of coffee, "To steady my nerves,"—its ongoing effects on his sleep, and the new developments of the last few days, culminating in Dipper learning how to project his soul out of his body—

—which, Ford now realized, he probably should have expected Fiddleford to take poorly.

"Sweet sasparilla!" Fiddleford kicked over his chair while jumping onto the nearest table. "You're dead?!"

"What?" Dipper said. "No, I—"

"You're like a ghost possessing a zombie!"

Dipper thought that over. "Whoa..."

But, even though Fiddleford thought the whole affair went against the rightful order of the world, he agreed that it was a sound idea and worth trying. "It's lucky that my tater tot and I hunted out all the ghosts in this place during our spring cleaning," he said, opening a cabinet. He retrieved what looked like a pair of vacuums redesigned to be worn like backpacks with an assortment of random electronics dangling from wires. He held up a set of goggles and headphones hanging off one of the vacuums. "I invented these doohickeys that'll let you see and hear ghosts! They'll let us keep in contact with Dipper while he's out of his body." He set the vacuums on a table near the miniature particle accelerator and said, "First, though—Stanford, I need you to help me rebuild this machine."

"Of course." Ford turned away from the vacuum he'd been inspecting to look at the miniature particle accelerator.

Dipper said, "Wait, there are other ghosts in this mansion?"

"Yep!"

"I hunted one at the Northwests' big party last year," Dipper said. "How many more ghosts are in here?"

"We've caught, oh... thirty or forty so far."

"Seriously? That's amazing." Dipper was already thinking about the amazing Ghost Harassers episode this place could have been. Maybe even a miniseries.

"Aw, it weren't that hard. If you leave the TV on, they like to flock around it to watch. All you've gotta do is hide in the corner until a whole big bunch of 'em are gathered 'round—and then ya get them!"

"Oh," Dipper said. "Huh. I just tricked one into getting trapped in a silver mirror."

"Well, that's right impressive too. I never woulda thunk of that," Fiddleford said. "Me and Tate have been sucking them into cooling pouches in these here vacuums and then sticking the pouches in a chest freezer down in the dungeon! Maybe I oughta line the freezer with silver."

"This place has a dungeon?" Dipper asked.

Before Fiddleford could respond, Ford asked, "Which parts are we replacing?" He was inspecting the miniature particle accelerator.

"All of them!"

Ford gave Fiddleford a surprised look. "All of them?"

"Yep! Every last one!"

"Is the design changing that much?"

"Nope! It's staying exactly the same!"

"Then... why can't we just use the same machine we already have?"

"We will be using the same machine!" Fiddleford smiled mischievously. "Or will we?"

"Ah! I see! The particle accelerator of Theseus," Ford said. "Very clever."

"And kinder on the local stray cats, I reckon."

Dipper offered his assistance, but the work involved too much welding and buzzsawing for him to try untrained, so he was directed to sit a safe distance away with the first aid kit. At least it gave him a chance to read some more. He had to shove aside a couple flashlights and the glue grenade to reach where the slim book had slid to the bottom of his backpack during their walk from the car.

He skimmed over some of the worldbuilding looking for the story before he realized the story was the wordbuilding and looped back. It was a lot bleaker than he expected, even after Mabel's warning. Rigid class system, oppressive government, all kinds of horrifying shape prejudices... Frustrating dream visits to the ignorant line people in the first dimension who didn't believe in the second dimension, and to the self-absorbed King Zero in the point-sized zeroth dimension who thought a whole universe was contained inside him... A just as frustrating visit from a sphere who simply couldn't explain the third dimension in a way the square protagonist could understand, which was even more annoying since the square had just seen how the first dimension couldn't comprehend the second for the same reasons, so why couldn't he accept the possibility of a third dimension he couldn't imagine? Dipper got that it was supposed to be a metaphor to help three-dimensional readers understand that not being able to visualize a fourth dimension didn't mean it was impossible; but still. Come on, man. Don't be stupid.

On the other hand, at least now Dipper had a framework to understand the concept of higher dimensions and probably a leg up on next year's geometry. Would high school geometry cover four-dimensional space?

After a couple of hours of work and a break for lunch, the miniature particle accelerator was rebuilt and ready for another attempt to generate fuel. Fiddleford pulled on one of his ghost vacuums like a backpack, put on the set of connected headphones and goggles, and settled his glasses on over the goggles. "Y'all ready?"

"Ready," Ford said. He was seated at the accelerator's monitors, holding the jug that would contain any NowUSeeitNowUDontium they generated, and wearing the other vacuum—with the goggles over his glasses, and he was a bit worried about how Fiddleford had positioned his.

"Ready," Dipper said, a tad less certainly. What if he couldn't do it today? What if he'd never actually been able to do it last night and the whole thing really had been a dream?

But Fiddleford flipped the accelerator's power on, stepped back, and said, "All right! Do your thing!"

"Okay." Dipper stared straight at the machine, and—eugh—thought about degloving his body from his soul, peeling out of his skin fingers first.

This was only the second time he'd left his body deliberately. He'd observed in the past that the mindscape was strangely gray and still compared to the real world—but he'd never realized just how stark and swift the change was, like all the color and warmth had been abruptly sucked from reality. He shivered.

Ford inhaled sharply. Fiddleford stumbled back against the nearest table and yelped, "Flipping flapjacks!"

"You can both still see me?" Dipper said. "Can you hear me, too?"

"Loud and clear," Ford said.

"Like the voices of the dead." Fiddleford shuddered. "Welp, let's get this over with. I don't like all this ghost business. It ain't natural."

Ford gave him an amused look. "Since when have you ever been concerned about what's 'natural'? Didn't the engineering club vote you 'most likely to build a robot that flies in the face of God'?"

"You hush! There's nothing unnatural about iron, electromagnetism, and flamethrowers."

Dipper studied his body's face, its eyes pointed blankly toward the particle accelerator. "Well, I'm looking at the experiment, but I'm definitely not thinking about it. I think that's half of the paradox?"

"That's right," Fiddleford said. "Now, you just—float yerself on over to the other side of the accelerator, and think about it without looking at it."

"Right." Dipper positioned himself directly across the accelerator from his body, shut his eyes, and tried to think experimental thoughts. He didn't know much about Dontium besides what Ford had written about it in Journal 3—that it was inert when you were looking at it and radioactive when you weren't—so, if the miniature particle accelerator generated any, would he get blasted with radiation? Or was his body staring at the accelerator enough to keep it inert? But no—it was supposed to fill up the jug Ford was holding, right? Ford was observing it. Dipper tried to imagine what must be happening inside the accelerator; how did it work, would particles spontaneously generate in the tubes? Maybe they circled around until they fell into the hose to the jug...

He heard Ford gasp. "Fiddleford, look at this— Don't listen to me Dipper, just keep—keep thinking whatever you were thinking!"

"Is it working?"

"It was! Don't let us distract you."

Dipper tried to ignore the sound of Fiddleford running over to Ford, and started humming to drown out their hushed conversation. That was good, right? It meant the experiment was working. Keep thinking about that—experiment. Experiment. Expeeeriment. ... He wondered if trying to do the experiment by putting himself and Tyrone on either side of the accelerator would have worked, or if it had to be Dipper's soul and his body—

"Hot diggety!" Fiddleford shouted. "We've reached critical mass!"

"What does that mean, is it bad?" Dipper opened one eye a crack, trying to squint enough that he couldn't see the particle accelerator. "Is it gonna explode?"

Ford explained, "It means we've generated enough Dontium that it can sustain its own existence. Now, even if you get distracted, what we've already generated will remain. It can only go up from here."

"Wow," Dipper said. "That only took, what, a couple of minutes?"

"Less than that! During our last attempt, we tried for hours without reaching critical mass," Ford said. "Your idea was right on the money. Excellent work, Dipper."

Dipper grinned. After all that anxiety, it was almost a letdown how easy it was, but the coolness factor made up for it. He could just imagine the conversations the first week of high school: What did I do over summer break? Oh, nothing much. Just synthesized a new element. To fuel a weapon custom-designed to kill an immortal chaos god. And did I mention I was a ghost at the time? It didn't quite top last summer's adventures, but...

Then something went wrong.

There was a noise halfway between the electric buzz of a tesla coil and the rip of Velcro being torn apart. A stench like burning hair filled the air. A line of shifting colorful light began worming its way out of the center of the particle accelerator and up into the air.

"Oh no. Ohhh no!" Fiddleford grabbed his head. "The micro-rips! The threadbare fabric of reality! Our experiment put too much of a strain on it! We tore straight through!" One foot bounced agitatedly, "Ohhh, I knew I shoulda run some calculations before substituting in Dipper for you and Stanley."

Dipper gasped as the line of light began to agonizingly stretch open wider. Reality began seeping over its edges and dripping through into the kaleidoscopic miasma beyond. It developed a second horizontal rip across its middle as reality stretched beyond endurance in multiple directions. "What—is that?" He was afraid he knew.

"A dimensional rift," Fiddleford said.

"The Nightmare Realm," said Ford.

The last frayed thread holding reality together snapped apart, and the rift tore open wide, fully exposing the Earth to the roaring roiling chaos beyond. 

They screamed.

"Hello?" A giant set of dentures with stubby arms and legs leaned through the rift. "Oh hey! Aren't you the guys that killed Bill?"

They screamed again.

"Is screaming how humans say hi?" the monster asked. "I'm Teeth. Aaah!" He turned toward Ford. "Hey! Fingers! Lookin' less electrocuted than the last time I saw you—"

Ford socked Teeth in the incisor, knocking him back through the rift. "Back, you! You and your 'friends' are not welcome in this dimension!"

"Ow. What the heck, man."

Fiddleford shouted, "Don't stop observing the Dontium!" He bounded across the room on all four to scoop up the milk jug and stare at it. 

Ford nearly toppled through the rift, and had to grab onto the miniature particle accelerator as the heaviest nearby object to anchor himself. The rift sucked on reality like a vacuum, and the longer it was open the more powerful it grew.

Over the roar of the rift, Dipper yelled "What do we do?!"

"We have to seal it! Before it sucks all of Gravity Falls into the Nightmare Realm!"

"How?!"

Last summer, the instant Bill had no longer been around to maintain the dimensional rift, it had also sucked reality into it, starting with everything that properly belonged in the Nightmare Realm; but then it had also quickly sealed itself back shut. On the other hand, this rift was just opening wider and wider. Maybe it wasn't like the rift Bill had used to enter Gravity Falls, then? Maybe it was structured more like the wormholes that had been left behind after Weirdmageddon—

"I've got it!" Ford picked up Dipper's body—trying not to shudder at how lifeless it felt—and unzipped his backpack. "Is the alien adhesive grenade still in here?"

"It should be! Let me see." Dipper floated over to peer into his backpack.

The rift was already strong enough to drag at Ford's clothing. The lightest objects in the room lifted into the air and were sucked through. Papers. Pencils. Coffee mugs. Dipper's soul.

He screamed. "GRUNKLE FORD!"

"Dipper!" Ford grabbed for Dipper's ankle, but his hand passed right through. Ford's blood ran cold as Dipper tumbled head over heels into the Nightmare Realm.

"Look at that," Teeth said, watching Dipper soar by. "Dinner delivery."

There was no difference between the mindscape and reality in the Nightmare Realm, if Ford followed Dipper  through he'd be able to get a grip on Dipper there. But how would he carry Dipper back to Earth without him melting through Ford's grasp the moment they were through the rift? Didn't matter, grab Dipper first, then figure it out—

Fiddleford shoved the jug of Dontium in Ford's hands as he ran past. "Watch over this!"

"What—!"

Fiddleford jumped into the Nightmare Realm, the end of a long extension cord tied around his waist. He stretched out the hose of his ghost vacuum and flipped a switch, and with a yelp Dipper's soul was sucked inside. Ford gasped in relief.

Trying to keep as much of his attention on the potentially-radioactive jug as possible, Ford reeled Fiddleford back in, shoved the jug in his hands, and dug into Dipper's backpack again until he found the alien adhesive grenade. He pulled the pin and chucked it through the rift. "Duck!"

He shielded Dipper's body and Fiddleford shielded the Dontium jug as the grenade exploded. Even so, the force of it blew aside everything within ten feet of the rift and sent both of them sprawling. When Ford glanced back over his shoulder, the adhesive had gummed up the opening of the rift like a popped glowing magenta bubblegum bubble; and as he watched, it sucked the opening shut. In a few seconds the air was still and quiet, and the only sign the rift had ever existed was an immense, jagged vertical line in the air around which the light refracted wrong.

Fiddleford gingerly got back to his knees, then pulled off his glasses and pushed up his goggles. One of the lenses had been crushed, and the glasses' frame was bent beyond repair.

Ford heaved a long, heavy sigh. "A bit too familiar, wasn't it?"

Fiddleford blinked at him. "Wasn't what?"

"The—reeling you in from the Nightmare Realm?" Ford said. At Fiddleford's blank look, Ford said, "The portal test?"

"Oh." Fiddleford scratched his head. "I... still don't remember it too clearly."

"Ah. Yes. Of course." Ford's stomach churned with guilt as he looked away from Fiddleford. Over thirty years late was too late to apologize, wasn't it? (Over the past year he'd wondered, again and again; and again and again he'd decided that it was.) "Thank you for saving—" He gasped, "Dipper!"

"Oh, right!" Fiddleford took off his vacuum, dropped it on the floor, and unzipped its bag. The ghosts of a Northwest in a buckskin coat and a confused-looking hippie escaped into the air. "Hey," Fiddleford barked. "You get back here!" He raised the vacuum's hose and flipped its switch. He caught the hippie, but as soon as she was sucked in she flew out the unzipped bag and off to freedom again. Fiddleford lowered the hose and shook a fist at the retreating spirits. "I'll get you ectoplasmic varmints, just you wait!"

Ford knelt on the floor and held the bag open wider. Dipper floated out, arms crossed tight and shivering. "So... so cold... and dark... and really, really dusty."

"Let's get you back where you belong."

Ford held up Dipper's body as he lay back down in it. He could see the moment color flooded back into Dipper's cheeks and his eyes focused again. Dipper groaned.

Ford said, "You're never doing that again."

"I am never doing that again," Dipper said.

"We can't do that again," Fiddleford said. "The fabric of reality in this town is too unstable to handle another paradoxical physics experiment that powerful! We'd rip open another rift to the Nightmare Realm!"

"And we just tossed away all of our remaining alien adhesive," Ford sighed. It left Gravity Falls vulnerable if any more rips formed. Sometime soon he'd have to go back to the alien crash site and see if there was any more adhesive he could scrounge up; but even if he did, they couldn't risk wasting more of it like this.

"But did we get what we needed?" Dipper asked.

Fiddleford held up the milk jug of Dontium and shook it. It had a strange shifting color, wavering between cyan and orange depending on the lighting. "Looks like we got about three-fourths of a gallon," Fiddleford said.

"It's only enough to fully power one shot," Ford said. "But... one shot is all it'll take to destroy Bill." His stomach flipped nervously as he said it. He'd been anxious every other time he'd prepared to kill Bill, but that had always been because he'd been preparing to battle for the fate of the universe with a godlike monster who could easily kill him or worse. For the first time, he was preparing to execute a defenseless prisoner, and he didn't know whether it would make the universe any safer.

For half the summer he'd hoped Bill was harmless. Now he wished he had proof that Bill wasn't, so that he could lay his conscience to rest.

Dipper looked as uncomfortable as Ford felt; but when he caught Ford's gaze, he hardened his expression and nodded. Ford nodded back.

"WOOHOO!" Fiddleford leaped his full height straight up, making Ford and Dipper start. "We done it! YAHOO!" He waved his hat around ecstatically, doing a little jig in place. "YIPPEE! HIP HIP HURRrr—hey, how come you fellers ain't celebrating?"

Ford didn't know how to explain without making Fiddleford worry he was at risk of falling under Bill's spell again. "We'll celebrate when he's dead."

####

"Who was at the door?" 8 Ball shouted. When he didn't get a response, he paused his game. "Teeth?"

Teeth waddled into the game room. His face was completely plastered shut with some kind of glowing purple glue.

Pyronica cracked up and Paci-Fire chuckled darkly. 8 Ball sighed, "What'd you get into, you idiot?"

Teeth waved his hands emphatically.

"All right, okay." 8 Ball stood and stretched. "Does anyone have the number of that lamp guy Bill used to hook up with?"

Half an hour later, having lured over Lava Lamp Guy with the false promise of ping pong pool and illicit liquids, they cornered him in a bathroom, with Zanthar sitting in the tub restraining him while Paci-Fire struggled to hold his face still.

"Please!" Lava Lamp Guy screamed. "Let me go! I'll do anything you want! My neurologist said I can't take much more of this!"

"Cease your complaints," Paci-Fire said, as 8 Ball took off Lava Lamp Guy's bowler. "You shall not dissuade us. We do this because we have no choice in the matter."

"Why not?!"

"Because none of us feel like making the trip to a dimension with a drugstore."

8 Ball stuck a soup ladle into the open top of Lava Lamp Guy's head and fished around until he got a scoop of the red goo floating around in the thinner orange liquid. Lava Lamp Guy howled in agony. Zanthar heaved a weary sigh.

8 Ball carried the ladle over to where Teeth was sitting on the toilet lid kicking his feet. "Here you go, bud."

Teeth clapped his hands, grabbed an oversized toothbrush, and held it out for 8 Ball to pour the goop on. He scrubbed his teeth until the goop dissolved the adhesive. "Whew!" He stretched his jaw a few times, then jumped to his feet. "Thanks! I was worried I was gonna miss karaoke night." He looked in the sink mirror to scrub off the remaining scraps of adhesive.

8 Ball put Lava Lamp Guy's hat back on. Lava Lamp Guy groaned, "I think I forgot my third husband."

"You've only been married twice," Hectorgon lied.

"Oh." Confused, Lava Lamp Guy said, "Alright."

Teeth muttered, "Blech, divorce memories." He grabbed a bottle of mouthwash to clear out the taste.

"So what happened?" Kryptos asked. He was hovering in the doorway beside Pyronica.

"I'unno. I think the Dimension 46ers were messing around with their portal or something? They opened up a portal here."

"What? Uh-uh," Pyronica said. "It had to be some other dimension. We just invaded them, why would they open the portal again?"

"No no, that sounds like humans to me," Kryptos said. "If one of them pushes a button and immediately dies, the guy standing next to him will go, 'I wonder if it does that every time.' I've seen them do it."

"It was definitely them, I saw that local contractor Bill recruited for the portal who went nuts. Fingers or whoever."

8 Ball groaned. "You mean the guy that invaded the Quadrangle and tried to kill everybody?"

"Yeah. That guy. He told me I wasn't welcome on Earth and chucked a glue bomb in my face. I was like, well alright, buddy, I'm not the one who opened up a portal in your house, you could have just stayed home instead of ruining my day," Teeth said. "I didn't really say that to him. I thought it."

"So now the humans are invading us." Pyronica threw her hands in the air. "Great! This is just terrific! Bill teaches them how to make their own portals, they follow us home, and now we're about to have a pest problem that knows how to use tools! How long is it until this whole place is crawling with humans?! I'm going househunting, how many rooms should I look for? 8 Ball?"

"I'm in."

"Teeth?"

Teeth sighed, but said, "Yeah. The neighborhood's going downhill. Especially if we're gonna have a pest problem."

"Big Z?"

Zanthar gave a thumbs up.

Pyronica looked at Paci-Fire. He averted his gaze. Pyronica said, "Paci?"

Sullenly, he said, "We should ask Keyhole's opinion as well."

She laughed in disbelief. Nobody cared about Keyhole's opinion, he went with whatever everyone else went with. Appealing to Keyhole was just a delaying tactic. "Fine, sure. We'll get Keyhole's opinion."

"I'm not going," Hectorgon said, crossing his arms.

Relieved, Kryptos said, "Yeah. Me neither."

"You don't have to," Pyronica snapped. "You two and Morph can wait for Bill to come back from the dead as long as you want. But the rest of us are leaving."

Kryptos tilted toward the hall, gesturing for Hectorgon to follow him away from the others. "How long do you think we can hold this place without the outerplanars?" The Quadrangle was all that remained of Bill's turf. Without Bill's energy boosting them, none of the shapes were particularly powerful. They'd always depended upon the other Henchmaniacs to guard Bill's stronghold, the heavy-hitters like Zanthar and Pyronica. Even Bill preferred to let them fight his battles when he could; Bill's energy was much vaster, but less renewable.

Hectorgon grimaced uncertainly. "We've gotta think of something fast."

####

Dipper stared at the jug in his lap, ensuring it didn't turn radioactive before they got home. Bill practically seemed to have a radar for Ford—and on top of that, could see through walls—but as far as he cared Dipper may as well have not even existed; so they'd decided that Ford would go in the main door to ensure Bill's attention was turned away while Dipper went through the gift shop and took the elevator down to Ford's study. Ford had told Dipper where to find a lead locker that would keep the Dontium contained until Ford could use it to refuel the Quantum Destabilizer; all he had to do was put it in and stare through the crack until he'd slammed the door shut.

And once they'd decided on that, the drive home had fallen deathly silent.

As the Mystery Shack appeared through the trees, Dipper asked, "We're doing the right thing, right?" His voice was quiet. "I hate him, but—we owe him our lives. And there's that prophecy..."

"Lives can't be owed," Ford said. "Yesterday he may have saved us, but tomorrow he would still destroy our world in a heartbeat. We can be grateful to be alive—but we can't let that stop us."

"So, we're doing the right thing?"

Ford was silent for much longer than Dipper would have liked. "I hope so."

####

(We're moving toward some important stuff!! Hope y'all enjoyed and I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts on this week's chapter!)

[just-your-average-dragon]

Thoughts on Rumi

Quick warning there are gonna be spoilers from the movie and discussions of self harm/suicide attempts

This is super incoherent but I have to get my thoughts out

Its kinda implied even from the trailers that Rumi keeps herself separate from Zoey and Mira. There are several scene where Rumi is fighting alone, running away, or just in general staying away from them. And this general idea of separateness continues in the film. mostly as self imposed by Rumi.

This separation is fueled by her fear of them finding her demon patterns and rejecting her which she actually states in the movie (if I'm remembering right). She gets ready in a separate dressing room and refuses to go to the bathhouse with Mira and Zoey (despite Zoey repeatedly trying to coax her to come). It's also when Zoey asks that we see Rumi consider the idea of telling them. Before immediately getting shut down by Celene.

Celene isn't featured in the movie very much, but her influence on Rumi is very strong. She's the one who instills in her that her patterns make her evil and she should always keep them hidden. This pretty much wrecks Rumi's self esteem. As we can see several times in the film when she puts the Honmoon above her own mental and physical health.

Celene's own insistence over keeping appearances drives Rumi to literally run away when her voice fails and miss a performance. It's also why Rumi is such a perfectionist and can't let herself settle.

Now I haven't seen anyone mention it yet, but I would also like to mention that when Rumi is at her lowest, revealed as a demon and abandoned by Huntrix, she goes to Celene and begs her to kill her. It was such an emotional scene as Rumi was in pieces (and I have another theory that she was fighting Gwi-ma's control) and she handed over her own weapon to let her basically mother finish her off.

I will admit Celene showed similar signs of hiding her own feelings in order to protect the Honmoon. "Our faults and fears must never be seen".

But during that scene Celene also immediately tries to cover Rumi's patterns and refuses to look at her. Its really noticeable because she kept looking around her and at the ground. She couldn't bear to see Rumi accepting the pattern she was born with.

Which is why I think its so powerful when Rumi uses her demon voice and commands Celene to look at her and demand for an answer. I love how she came back from rock bottom and is able to accept herself and the people who really love her. Aka Mira and Zoey.

Anyways thats all my thoughts for now. I love the movie <3

[misspepeshi]

OC Tag Game 🥀

My, my. Thank you for the lovely tag, @vampwan.

My name is Pentas Bloodmoon, but most Occults and Underworlders know me as High Devil.

Nickname? I don't have a nickname.

Gender and pronouns? Male elf, he/him.

Age? I lost count.

Spoken Language(s): Elven, English, Simlish and Spanish.

🥀 Favorites Section 🖤

Color? Black.

What entertains you? Ignorant beings, seeing my lover dance.

Drinks? Blood and wine.

Pastimes: Crafting jewelry, passing sentences.

Food: Blood.

🥀 Have you... 🖤

Passed university? No need.

Had sex? Romance, sex... it all fuels my powers. I am a romance witch, after all. An evil one.

Had sex in public? Things have changed since then, but yes. Lower devils and elves would offer themselves in rituals, though infrequently. At the present? No. But if it pleases my lover...

Gotten any tattoos? Markings.

Gotten scarred? Yes.

Had a broken heart: Once. It made me who I am.

🥀 Are you... 🖤

A cuddler? More than a cuddler.

Easily jealous? Unfortunately.

Trustworthy? I don't think this is a question to ask a devil, moreover a High Devil.

🥀 Family 🖤

Siblings? Long dead.

Parents? Long dead.

Children? Elves are not sexually active. Sex is a sacred act, and so is having children. My answer is no.

Pets? No, but my lover insists on adopting an animal from a shelter. I am not going to be responsible for it.

Tagging (no pressure): @astravires, @bigraaga, @chocbee, @elderwisp, @j3lly-fish, @lilmoonberry, @m0n0lithical, @perolesims, @queenofthedork, @vanilanous, @wolkentage, @zynoox. ❤️

[escapism-isgoodinsmalldoses]

How about geralt x fem sorcerer reader?? they keep each other company and we need absolutely some powerful women with him. It would be good to read from ur blog 🩷🩷

WE NEED MORE GAME GERALT CONTENTS

Heyyyyy, I noticed a bunch of similar asks in my inbox, so I'm using this one to answer them all! Since I'm not really inspired by the Witcher (for now) I wrote it like a long headcanon (tho I feel that the Witcher 4 is gonna reignite that flame dw).

Geralt x Witcher!Fem!Reader:

She was born in a small, isolated village, buried deep in an ancient forest of Velen.

The village was steeped in fear and superstition, where magic was seen as dangerous or evil.

As a child, she fell gravely ill— due to a magical infection.

Her parents, powerless and afraid, didn’t do anything to save her.

A mysterious woman, a rogue mage or a forest-bound herbalist perhaps (she couldn’t even remember), lived on the outskirts.

Despite the village’s hatred of magic, the woman intervened, performing an ancient ritual to save the child.

The magic she used altered the child’s body.

Her healing factor improved abnormally, she could sense magic around her, felt inclined to wander to magic infused places.

When the villagers learned she had been “touched by magic,” they turned on her with fear and disgust.

She was handed over—or perhaps sold or given away—to a Witcher recruiter, someone affiliated with the School of the Viper.

Noticed for her unnatural resilience, she was selected for the Witcher Trials.

She was left to perish when she seemed to have lived the same fate as most children (girls) did.

Left for dead, she didn’t die.

She vanished into the wilds, surviving alone for years, drifting between abandoned ruins and remote Witcher strongholds.

She taught herself to fight, to craft, to adapt—not quite a sorceress, not quite a Witcher, but something entirely else.

She stole books, potions, antidotes, and observed from a far.

She interacted  arely with humans, her isolation fueled by her gender, mystery, and mistrust of others.

Before Ciri, a female Witcher was unheard of, making her a living anomaly. ------------------------------------------------

Geralt was seriously wounded after a brutal encounter with a Leshen. He collapsed in a forest near Kaer Morhen, where she tends to roam.

She finds him and tends to his wounds, using herbs and methods she learned on her own, without the formal training.

She remains wary and distant, as she deeply distrusts Witchers—including Geralt.

They spend several days together during his recovery. Gradually, they realized they had a lot in common: both are outsiders, both altered by painful processes, both weary of the world.

Despite her mistrust, Geralt’s calm demeanor and respect allow her to slowly let her guard down. He offers to travel with her for a while, sensing a potential ally.

He teached her basic magical signs from the School of the Wolf, as well as some combat strategies.

She proved herself to be a formidable ally, quick to adapt, resourceful, and fierce in battle.

Geralt tells her about Kaer Morhen, suggesting it might offer her a sense of belonging. ----------------------------------------

° She falls for him first, though quietly and with a cautious heart. Geralt, slower to open up, ends up falling harder, deeper, more intensely.

° Their connection is tense but tender, filled with lingering glances, protective actions, and unspoken emotions.

Along their journey, they encountered Yennefer several times.

(Y/N) feels a growing unease—not just jealousy, but confusion and pain.

She hasn't felt real affection or emotional intimacy in years, making every interaction a whirlwind of suppressed feelings.

Eventually, she came to realize that Geralt and Yennefer’s relationship was unbalanced, lacking communication, and mutual understanding. Or so Geralt told her.

° She and Geralt continued on without Yennefer, heading for Kaer Morhen. Winter started to set in.

° There, she met the his brothers in arm and unexpectedly, they became hers:

A snarky, sibling-like rivalry with Lambert.

A quiet paternal connection with Vesemir.

A soft compassionate understanding with Eskel.

° Amist the cold walls of Kaer Morhen, she found something she never had: a sense of family. ------------------------------------------------

Both emotionally reserved and shit poor at communication, she and Geralt eventually acknowledged their love in half-spoken words. Soft glances, protective touches.

As winter ended, they parted ways warmly. She went to discover who she was, while Geralt returned to The Path.

During his travels, Geralt would hear whispers of a female Witcher.

She was not named directly, but referred to by aliases, rumors, and bardic songs.

Jaskier sings of her in verses about a mysterious woman slaying beasts and walking alone.

Geralt smiled quietly whenever he heard these tales—because he knew.

He knew that next winter, their paths would cross again. And if he was lucky… maybe even before that.

---------------------------------------

[artdecobish222]

ENERGY TRANSMITTING SPELL.

has someone sent you negative energy? talking shit about you? gossiping about you? Sending you the evil eye? speaking negatively on your name? sending you all this nasty energy?

if yes then this is the perfect spell for you and let me explain. You can use this free energy that others are sending you to your advantage! rather than making these people stop talking negative about you, use this energy and transform it into more abundance for yourself, to give yourself proclaimed power, and more self love for you! So that anytime someone speaks negatively on your name make it so you get more self love and abundance for yourself. instead of using the evil eye to deflect this negative energy let’s make this energy beneficial for you. And here’s how ↓ ↓ ↓

(DISCLAIMER: please, please do a protection spell before you do this spell. Or atleast perfect protection magick before you do this)

♱

STEPS FOR THIS SPELL:

First cleanse your tools and ingredients and ask spirit guides/ancestor for protection and assistance.

grab a piece of paper and write “may any negative energy, evil eye, gossiping or jealousy spoken on my name or surrounding my name be transmutted into luck, abundance, power, self love, and confidence for myself, bringing me closer to balance, success and serenity.”

Write your full name on the back of the paper and fold the paper towards you

Put the paper in a jar, or any container that can close. (I used an old jewelry box for this spell which can work too)

♱

Now Add the following ingredients;

⁃ roses; to fuel me with self love and confidence anytime someone speaks on my name with ill intentions

⁃ nutmeg; to bring me luck and abundance anytime someone speaks on my name with ill intentions

⁃ basil; to purify the negative energy spoken on my name and to transmute it into luck, abundance, power, self love, and confidence for myself

⁃ Eucalyptus oil; to purify the negative energy spoken on my name and to transmute it into luck, abundance, power, self love, and confidence for myself

⁃ Oregano leaves; to bring me luck and abundance anytime someone speaks on my name with ill intentions

⁃ Salt; to purify that negative energy sent towards me and to turn that energy into luck, abundance, power, self love, and confidence for myself

⁃ Tigers eye; to change that negative energy into positive energy for myself

⁃ Clear quartz; to absorb the negative energy sent towards me or spoken on my name and transmute it into luck, abundance, power, self love, and confidence for myself

Seal the jar/container with white wax for purification

♱

LASTLY:

Thank the spirit of the herbs and crystals, and thank your spirit guides and ancestors!

Focus on intentions with the jar “to trap any negative energy, evil eye, or gossip sent my way and spoken on my name, to purify the energy and send it back out to me into luck, abundance, power, self love, and confidence for myself”

now that your done, you can let those people talk shit on your name because simultaneously your becoming more abundant, powerful, and beautiful. You’re leveling up while they’re leveling down. 🤭 I’ve created this spell and did it a month ago and safe to say that this definitely works.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ILL BE ANSWERING THEM IN THE COMMENTS. HAVE FUN CASTING 💋🕯️

[kaontic]

Oh my actual Lord, the dream’s come true. O_O

*Kicks down door* OH THUNDERCRACKEEER~

BUSTER’S ‘BOUT TO GETTA NEW FRIEEEND~ (´∀`)//🐱

He’s got a pet human now too, I guess—

Why my dumb human ass, with my crappy art, could almost wish upon an evil shootin’ star, that it was me instead “What?” What—? 😶

Alright. Now we just need Skywarp to get one. Or two. Or a few. Someday. Maybe.

Um—

*Whispers* Psst, hey, Megs, I don’t wanna be that betch—I make unintentional mistakes I gotta edit for my sanity all the time—but, it’s “What do you say?”. That’s probably why they’re givin’ ya looks.

I mean, that’s pretty accurate Megatron dialogue ngl. Like this is the same guy that said in G1 “Power flows to the one who knows how”, as if that was an actual full sentence.

Ik, that’s beside the point of what the frag’s goin’ on, so, “respectfully” (with heavy emphasis on the quotation marks)—

Can ya just…rip out your own chain-smoker soundin’ aft voice box, and shove it? Pretty please? Mr. Geneva Suggestions?

“YoU kNoW tHe LiMiTs Of My PoWeR! i NeEd SoMeOnE tO wIElD mE!”

“But my leader, you have your fusion cannon—”

“Do NoT qUeStIoN mE sTaRsCrEaM!”

Unless Skybound’s gonna give us a “good” aft explanation for this, like some Cybertronian gunformer curse we dunno about yet (given the serious corruption goin’ on, from the looks of it, with Star and Op)—

I would say more about Megs’ gun mode as an effective concept, but I’ll save all that for another post.

Instead I’ll just spout out this scrap to review:

Most explanations are welcome for why villains do what they do, even if it’s just “Cuz I’m evil”. 😈

(TF One Sentinel tho…yeah. Gotta make a post regardin' him as well)

Here, they wanna save their home planet as energy sources dwindle.

Ok, so resources. Got it. Yes. #1 reason why wars are fought, and wars need soldiers to fuel ‘em. Enemies turned potential recruits who are prisoners don’t comply? Well, logically speaking then— 🤡

Or maybe, just maybe—this might sound crazy, but—how about not start a whole goddamn war that will worsen this crisis, Megs?

How about not turn fellow Cybertronians into the worst versions of themselves, and delete their innocence? Cuz great, now ya created a monster that will betray ya!

Ask yourself: what the frag are you fighting for?

Cuz you’re just makin’ the problem worse, mate.

At least Jetfire tried to look beyond Cybertron peacefully for a solution, which despite how well that went, sounded a helluva lot better than exhaustive infighting, but no, frag exploration.

Frag trading with “filthy” organic alien species.

Frag experimenting for new sources of energy (lookin’ at you, Shockwave. Now I know your aft was enabled).

Frag examining Cybertron’s history for answers.

Frag speaking with Optimus like a civilized individual.

Population control’s where it’s at, apparently. ಠ_ಠ)

Jesus, so many questions NOT ENOUGH DEETS. (╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻

WE NEED MORE FLASHBACKS STAT.

Skybound Megs so far, is coming off as a guy who, when the worst happens, will just use the situation/impending apocalypse to his advantage to do terrible stuff, and get away with it through all the chaos.

Furthermore, it’s like we’re watching him live out some sick fantasy of his while he’s all “This is for the greater good of Cybertron!”. Like no bitch! There are other options! You have no excuse!

You wanna be a pred, who kills for pleasure and power, while demanding to share that experience with others with or without their consent.

There. That’s what kept me up last issue.

Well, this is one moral of this ongoing story, and life advice I guess:

BEWARE THE F*CKIN’ NICE ONES!

For they may be the worst of all. Great…

*Proceeds to pollute my sketchbook with more Megatron art cuz I am indeed that betch*

[booradigm]

 Hello again! It’s me once more. I hope you’re doing well. I wanted to ask you two questions again because I loved your answer last time. I hope you continue to make more post analyzing.

1-In general, I do think an analysis of Reynold would be good because I have a lot of questions about him as well. I also saw your post about Derrick, where you mentioned that Reynold is the brother who disrespects Penelope in front of others, while Derrick only cares about the family name. This made me wonder—do you think Reynold is a worse brother than Derrick? Do you think he redeems himself?

Sorry, I said I would ask two questions, but here I am asking more! Still, I would love to hear your thoughts on Reynold.

2-This is different from my last question, and it’s more of a discussion since there’s no canon answer for it—just general information from the novel.

I don’t quite understand how the novel states that Callisto and Eckles are the strongest men in the empire. Based on the game, I personally believe Winter is the strongest love interest. Callisto and Eckles are definitely powerful when it comes to physical strength, swordsmanship, etc., but shouldn’t Winter, in a way, be the strongest since he has magic?

I’m bringing this up because a while back, I saw some people debating Callisto vs. Winter, and they argued that Callisto was stronger, which I didn’t agree with.

Do you think Reynold is a worse brother to Penelope than Derrick is?

I think questions like these can be answered with completely DIFFERENT takes, and they'll STILL have a point since what they did for Penelope vs. what they did for Siyeon ISN'T the same (I'll treat them as different people, always did).

And tbh, the fairest way to settle the whole "which is the better BROTHER," contest is to judge them via their 'true' sister, Yvonne (who they TRULY saw as a sister, from beginning to end), but since this is one regarding who is the "less trashy brother" for Penelope and Siyeon, we won’t be doing that.

Now, let’s first think of what DOES make someone a ‘good brother’? It could be a subjective criteria due to many kinds of dynamic one might develop with their siblings, but a good brother, in general, is supportive, protective, and trustworthy. He should be able to listen, respect you and your boundaries, protect you, encourage your growth, and build a bond based on mutual respect and love.

We aren’t gonna find a passing grade of that in the Eckart brothers lmao, but let’s find the LESSER EVIL here. Though, I admit it would be a bit complex due to Derrick seeing her as a woman rather than a sister, and that even though he has feelings for her, he was undeniably the one to take care of things whenever she causes trouble.

Thinking about it for a while, I decided that the less worse brother DEPENDS.

Towards Penelope, it would definitely be Derrick. Towards Siyeon, it's Reynold.

Unlike Derrick, who was often absent due to his responsibilities as heir, Reynold was PRESENT in Penelope’s life, which sounds like a good thing UNTIL you think about what that implies.

Reynold spent time with her, and his proximity gave him a LOT of opportunities to stand up for her, doesn't it? And yet, instead of using that closeness to offer even the most basic protection, he just ALLOWED and indirectly fueled the household’s mistreatment of her.

He, out of all the Eckart men, was the MOST aware of how shitty Penelope was treated. It's why he PREFERS that she be as aggressive as she was, unlike Derrick and the Duke who expected her to just tell them.

His lack of intervention also created a domino effect; when the knights and servants saw that Reynold ALLOWED her to be insulted and does it HIMSELF, WITHOUT consequences, they followed suit, normalizing OPEN belittlement and hatred of Penelope.

By contrast, Derrick’s negligence was structural, NOT personal. He viewed Penelope as an OBLIGATION or duty, often cleaning up her scandals in a way that protected the family’s image, even if it meant belittling her.

He's USED TO handling it when Penelope causes scenes. Yes, it would be in a demeaning "she's childish, she didn't know any better," type of way, but it was MEANT TO HELP (and it DID help in keeping Penelope out of punishments, judging from how assured Derrick was that he can bail her out like it's normal).

If Derrick only acted AFTER Penelope causes trouble, then Reynold, directly or indirectly, was the CAUSE of it.

Her problematic behaviour began when she realized the duke refused to listen to her side, which was caused by none other than the necklace incident, when REYNOLD framed her.

HE was the catalyst that started the chain of reactions.

The duke and Derrick are neglectful but not INTENTIONALLY malicious and never knew she was being ACTIVELY abused; they only thought she wasn't respected.

It's why when the duke found out about her being given toy cutlery by the chef, he not only renovated the ENTIRE dining area, but also revoked a previous order he made years ago about opening up the attic (something he RARELY does) as he thought it would cheer her up. There are also other instances where the duke tries to cheer her up when he thinks she's sad, such as giving her the crossbow in the hunting tournament.

Derrick's later action of firing a knight for insulting her also suggests that he NEITHER encouraged NOR tolerated public disrespect.

So even though Derrick’s help was impersonal and often begrudging, it STILL protected her.

“But Reynold was 14 and Derrick was 17, it was expected that Reynold was more immature-” okay, if we’re talking age, then what about when they got older, huh?

While it IS true that Reynold was younger than Derrick and thus might be expected to act more immaturely, age alone DOESN’T excuse the PERSISTENCE of it, especially considering that HE DID NOT GREW OUT OF IT as they got older and he was 19 already.

How can you argue that someone being a kid justifies their actions when even after they were NOT children anymore, they STILL acted the SAME?

It was ONLY because of Siyeon refusing to take his shit and INTENTIONALLY making him feel guilty that he began to change. He would NOT have done that for Penelope when she tolerated him, smh.

In contrast, Derrick, though also flawed and emotionally distant, showed a degree of responsibility consistent with his role as heir.

If age was the only factor, then Reynold would have gradually become more mature as he got older. But he didn’t. He was perfectly content continuing to treat Penelope like that had Siyeon not come along. So yeah, age CAN explain Reynold’s behavior in the beginning, but it did NOT justify its continuity.

“But Derrick saw Penelope as a woman, he's a pedophile since she first came to the duchy at 12 while he was already 17-” If that were true, then OBVIOUSLY, he would be the worse of the two.

BUT! There wasn’t ANYTHING that hinted that he was attracted to her AS A CHILD?? Nor groom her?? There is certainly no doubt that AFTER Siyeon got into Penelope, his affection meter went up, but if you take a look at WHAT makes it raise, you would see that it is NOT childlike behaviors he is attracted to like a pedophile would be.

There was NO textual evidence suggesting Derrick viewed Penelope romantically or lustfully when she was a child (that is, unless you count her being 17 as a child). The narrative shows that he didn't recognize those feelings until Penelope was around 17, by which time she was already described to look like a "vixen" (chapter 4).

A pedophile is a person who is sexually attracted to children. But there weren't any scenes or implications that Derrick became sexually attracted to her as a child. Ngl tho, I also thought he was a pedo, but after looking more into it, there was just NOT enough evidence for me to argue that (I apologize to Derrick defenders I thought were retarded for this), so while he is DEFINITELY pseudoincestious, I wouldn’t go as far as to say he is a pedophile.

But anyway, back on track-

Unlike Reynold, who ENABLED the household to be hostile toward Penelope under his watch, Derrick maintained a degree of authority that DISCOURAGED open disdain toward her, thus why he never knew that the knights were disrespectful towards Penelope.

They likely never acted up around Derrick, only around Reynold.

Besides, Derrick developing romantic feelings for Siyeon later DOESN'T make his PRIOR behavior worse than Reynold’s, especially given that he himself WASN'T aware of his feelings until Siyeon arrived and made people think Penelope has matured, so it was unlikely that he was predatory before that. His actions STILL showed restraint and a consistent pattern of protecting her, even if he never liked it.

Whether or not he grew to love her, his earlier conduct STILL contributed to a safer environment for Penelope and at least enforced protection and boundaries that Reynold never did.

---

Though, that ISN’T to say that they remained like that when it came to Siyeon, since by the end of her story, the less bad brother is definitely REYNOLD.

After all, while Reynold was active in Penelope’s abuse, he CHANGED with Siyeon and was not only more genuine than Derrick, but ACTUALLY grew to see her as a sister and himself as her brother.

He internalized his wrongdoings and literally got drunk from how deeply he regretted the way he treated her, showing that he TRULY mourned the sibling relationship they never even truly had due to him ruining it before it can even start.

His willingness to put her desires above his own when he helped her escape the duchy in Chapter 186 also contrasts with Derrick’s, who prioritized his own desire by continuing to try and change her mind even after she already decided, as in Side Story Chapter 20.

Overall, I think Reynold certainly has both good and bad qualities, but he DID redeem himself in Siyeon’s perspective, because he became a decent brother to her in the end, trusting him so much that even after carelessly telling Judith - her DAUGHTER - to basically kill Callisto - her HUSBAND - he was only banned for 3 months.

And while I don’t support the constant victim-blaming in ‘Villains are Destined to Die’, it really does a good job in portraying how abusive families and people can still be caring and human.

---

Anyway, onto the whole Callisto VS Winter debate. Thanks for sending me the pics of the argument you were referring to, so let’s start with looking into their conversation for their points.

CALLISTO:

“Strongest man in the empire” regarding physical strength & swordsmanship.

The novel didn't outright say that, but it does seem to be in the subtext, as he and Eckles certainly seem like the most skilled with the sword (amongst the cast) and I doubt the narrative will let anyone be better than them at it.

Can imbue sword w/mana.

Chapter 49 in the novel said that “All knights who trained for long enough are capable of mana, which is how they are able to use magical swords,” and in Chapter 100, Siyeon also said that imbuing with mana can sharpen even a wooden sword enough to cleanly slice through straw practice dummies. So this is TRUE.

Able to survive a strong antidote with no antidote.

The first time he was poisoned (in the hunting tournament), his wound wasn’t deep, only a few drops, and HE, himself, confirmed that he would have DIED if he had gotten any more of it (Chapter 96):

“They must have gotten their hands on some exotic poison this time. What a shame for them that it didn’t kill me. I’d be dead, though, if they’d managed to get me with any more of it."

- Callisto

It’s less about him being a macho man that can tank poison, and more about luck that it wasn’t a deep wound. I guarantee that ANY of the male leads would have survived it, given that Derrick survived having Leila claw a hole right through his chest, or that Eckles was perfectly fine even after being struck by Siyeon’s lightning, his chest stabbed by ice, and sent flying by the dragon into Hamilton alleyway.

This just ISN’T the type of story that will take medical information realistically, let alone kill major characters, so some things we aren’t supposed to take seriously.

It was the dragon fang that saved him the second time he was poisoned. No explanation is really needed there, but for all you non-novel readers, Chapter 199 showed that the golden dragon’s tooth is able to “save people,” such as Siyeon’s real body that was ridden with stomach cancer (hence why she wanted to get it), but it was ultimately used by her to save Callisto in Chapter 230.

“Callisto is a demigod so he’s more powerful in a natural state.

I genuinely don’t know how you came to this conclusion, but I can understand the glazing since I do the same to Penelope as well, HAHA.

I guess it makes sense to think of it like that, yes, seeing as the Regulus family is canonically descended from the golden dragon and has it as the imperial house emblem everywhere.

However, one has to remember that it DOESN’T directly mean he has powers. This AIN’T Percy Jackson and the Olympians, but I can understand this assumption likely stems from either other stories with familiar plot, or just the fact that his daughter Judith is so OP.

I mean, in hindsight, it makes sense that the descendant of the golden dragon has superpowers, right?

BUT we need to consider how Judith, herself, is a special case who was the first 1 year old able to cast magic, and the only one other than the founder of the empire (also the one who received its tooth) to have been born with golden wings.

Callisto was born relatively normal, basically. Even if he is a demigod, he can’t cast spells, nor do anything god–ish. His strengths seem to have been borne purely of his own skill and capability, similar to Eckles.

Just observe their fight in Chapter 227, where Callisto even lost to Eckles:

---

I gasped as his frightening face suddenly jerked closer.

“Get back, Lady Penelope!”

With a deafening clang, Callisto deflected Eckles’ sword, lightning fast. I’d initially thought he was attacking me, but his target had been the crown prince.

“Your Highness!” I shouted, scared.

Eckles attacked over and over, one after another in quick succession, before Callisto could even respond.

“Damn it, look at the kind of opponents I have to face off against because my fiancée is so popular with other men!” Callisto spat, busy defending since Eckles had gotten a head start on him. “Don’t worry about me, just go after the Laila, my lady! I’ll follow after I’ve taken care of him!”

“A-all right!” I agreed, nodding hesitantly. Right now, I had no other choice.

--

Good news for a change. I wouldn’t be able to last long, however, because the dragon was too strong.

But what about Callisto? Cold sweat dripping down my body, I started looking around for him. For better or for worse, he was still standing a few paces away from me, locked in combat with Eckles. They seemed to have exchanged countless blows in the short time that had elapsed— their faces and bodies were covered in slices and cuts.

Eckles, whom I’d expected would be easily defeated by the crown prince, was actually managing to hold his own. What surprised me wasn’t just his skill, however. The crude sword he was holding, which had no ornamentation, unlike the crown prince’s fancy weapon, was the magical sword I’d given to him as a gift.

Son of a bitch! Enough already! I thought with a shudder as I continued to hold the spell.

Their swords clashed harshly yet again, and this time Callisto’s blade broke with a piercing clang. Eckles was on him immediately, but Callisto parried with what little remained of his weapon. An ear splitting noise filled the air. It was obvious that Callisto was losing now, and Eckles looked as if he had every intention of killing the crown prince.

As Callisto was slowly forced back, I felt my heart sink. Then he suddenly lurched back then darted forward, ramming his forehead into Eckles’ face.

“Ugh!”

Eckles tottered back and Callisto swung his broken sword, going for his neck. Despite wanting him to win, this was an underhanded tactic. I stared, slack-jawed. Eckles immediately recovered and blocked the attack with his own blade. The rest of Callisto’s sword, unable to withstand Eckles’ strength, shattered to pieces.

“Your Highness!” I shouted.

Callisto was staring down at the hilt in his hand with a look of distress on his face. Eckles became frenzied now that the prince had no weapon. He started swinging his sword wildly and Callisto used his sheath to block, only barely managing to avoid serious injury. The sheath was not enough to completely defend against every attack, however. Before long he was bleeding heavily.

“Callisto!” I screamed.

The crown prince lost his balance and I entirely forgot that I was meant to be holding the spell. I turned and ran toward him.

Eckles saw his opening and took it. Lifting his sword into the air, he was about to plunge it into Callisto’s chest. The moment seemed to last forever, but I interrupted his attack without hesitation.

“Freeze fission!”

Three deadly sharp shards of ice formed and shot toward their target.

Immediately realizing that he was being attacked, he changed his weapon’s trajectory to block. Two of the shards broke apart, but not the third.

“Ugh!”

It burrowed itself deep into his chest.

---

(That was basically the end of Callisto VS Eckles, as following that, Eckles saves Siyeon and got kicked off by the dragon and disappeared after.)

Notice how on par they are, and how Callisto LOST, even as a “demigod,” against a non-demigod prince of Delman.

Just being descended from the golden dragon DOESN’T give him extraordinary abilities, and he certainly seemed as capable as a normal boy when the empress consort sent assassins after him.

Callisto was born relatively normal, basically.

WINTER:

“Strong support than fighter”

I’m guessing this is assumed due to mage side characters in the story being put as more for defense, like making barriers to shield knights, but that is just false. Not only was Winter shown to know attack spells literally multiple times throughout the story, but the ancient mages literally went to WAR, too, so they are certainly NOT just for support.

“Nice guy and a nerd."

Winter being a “nice guy and a nerd,” is NOT a valid reason as to why Callisto is stronger than him, because neither is a direct weakness. I can’t believe y’all are making me defend this guy and the others, but yeah, his kindness isn’t a weakness unless he was being blackmailed or smth, and his nerdy dedication to attaining knowledge is legitimately one of the reasons why he as a mage is so powerful.

“Winter can use ancient magic but it has negative effects so he isn’t as strong unless there’s a catastrophe.”

Winter ISN’T capable of ANCIENT magic. It’s likely that it was confused with him being able to use FORBIDDEN magic, such as what happened when he asked Becky’s soul. (Chapter 209).

Now that that's done, let's try to see which of the two would win. The most accurate depiction of how they would fight would be in Chapter 131 where they teamed up against the Laila cult:

---

Against the combined strength of the two male protagonists, the villains were completely outmatched.

The love interests in this game are all pretty competent, huh? I was relieved to see the monsters falling so quickly. There were no notifications from the system indicating any main quests, which probably meant this episode of the game would soon be over after we rescued the children.

The monsters shrieked as Winter attacked many of them simultaneously with his magic, allowing Callisto to quickly reach the altar. His sword sliced through three of the robed figures like butter. He showed no hesitation as he cut down the followers responsible for producing the monsters from their pouches.

The crown prince was still invisible to them since he wasn’t using any magic—per Winter’s earlier instructions. Many of them fell with relative ease thanks to his invisible attacks.

“Th-there’s another one! He’s invisible!”

Noticing their companions suddenly collapsing with bloody open wounds, they quickly realized that someone was hiding among them.

“Protect the goddess! Release more monsters!” the leader commanded.

The men who hadn’t yet been cut down by the crown prince quickly pressed close together near the altar.

One of them produced a shining crystal ball, similar to one I’d seen at the palace in the past. The rest of them held their black pouches out in front of them, muttering unintelligible spells. A loud thump vibrated through the chamber, followed immediately by a powerful roar so loud I had to cover my ears.

When I’d recovered from the shock of the loud noise, I doubted what I was seeing with my eyes. “What the actual heck!”

Five monsters, far bigger than any I’d seen so far, had slithered from the depths of the pouches and now filled the chamber with their impressive bulk. They were far more gigantic than the one I’d only barely managed to kill earlier with the crown prince’s help. The ground rumbled beneath their massive feet. They screeched, their large shadows looming overhead.

“Damn it. How far are they going to take this?” the crown prince spat, adjusting the tight grip he had on his sword.

Winter also appeared deeply concerned by the sheer size of the creatures.

Why do things keep getting harder and harder? This episode should be over by now! I stood in the corner, unable to do anything, feeling anxiety slowly growing inside me. Winter and the crown prince, however, gathered themselves and began to battle the monsters.

Callisto hacked at the monsters’ legs, while Winter cast spell after spell using his staff. Given their extreme size, however, neither of their efforts seemed to do much damage to them. The monsters simply grew more agitated and angrier. They were also uncontrollable, since some of them even turned on the followers of the Laila, attempting to trample them underfoot. Seizing the opportunity, the crown prince encouraged the monsters to attack them instead.

“Give them food!” their leader hollered, seemingly feeling cornered by the beasts.

“N-no!” I cried, knowing full well what he intended on feeding them. I dashed toward the altar where the children were being kept. It wasn’t clear if I was capable of helping them without the system’s aid, but I had to do something while Winter and the crown prince were occupied fighting the monsters. Before I could even draw close to the altar, however, one of the black-robed figures picked up two of the children at once.

“Stop!” I clenched my teeth.

“Purr-ra-tee-oh!” Winter shouted suddenly, even as he attempted to fight off one of the monsters.

The five children still lying on the floor vanished with a bright flash of light. Freezing in my tracks, I turned to look at Winter.

“Ugh!”

As the price for his distraction, a lizard monster’s tail caught him around the middle and he was sent flying into the opposite wall. He slid to the floor, convulsing several times before slumping over, unmoving.

“Oh no…” I watched in terror, hardly able to draw breath. Is he dead?

What do I do if he is?

The events unfolding around me felt too unbelievable to be real, and yet they were. I felt like I might go insane from the terror that shot through me whenever I was reminded that everything I’d thought to be simply part of a game was my current reality. I was scared and I wanted to escape from this place as quickly as possible.

“...lope! Lady Penelope!”

In the end, it was Callisto who pulled me from my frozen state of panic.

“Penelope Eckhart!” he hollered, jolting me out of my daze. He rolled away from the three separate monsters that were pursuing him and shouted, “Get it together! Take the lion-masked child and run while I distract them!”

I immediately turned my attention to the altar, surrounded by many of the followers in black. Laying at the white-robed woman’s feet was the tiny boy in the lion’s mask, unconscious. I fixed my unsure gaze on the crown prince, who was struggling alone against the monsters.

“Nobody can see you. You can do it!” he shouted, deflecting a blow from the tail that flew at him.

---

"‘Proof’ that Callisto is stronger in combat than Winter"? Not at all. As we can see here, they are BOTH framed as competent fighters, perfectly capable of quickly taking down the monsters simultaneously, and BOTH their attacks didn’t affect the large monster, so they have roughly the same limitations when it comes to combat.

The only reason Winter got knocked out is because he got distracted by having to protect the children that were at risk of being fed to the monsters. And even then, Callisto wouldn’t have been able to handle the fight by himself, which he KNEW, as well, as clear by the way he encouraged Siyeon to run with the child mage while he DISTRACTS them. He was STRUGGLING and being driven back.

So, it is certainly NOT a VALID proof that Callisto is “stronger” than Winter in battle.

All in all, there is no canonical evidence that one would "definitively win" against the other, since while Winter is OBJECTIVELY the most capable of the male leads, he is also bound by morals, and has a weakness for children.

Callisto, on the other hand, while ultimately not built against magic, is VERY underhanded. There is a chance he would just blackmail Winter to get what he wants.

They excel in different combat roles, and when they fought side by side, they performed as EQUALS, both competent and both limited in different ways.

If it were for peace’s sake, I would say it’s a draw.

However, HYPOTHETICALLY speaking, if they both WANTED to win against one another, for whatever reason, I have no doubt that it would be WINTER.

And it's not because Callisto is weak, but because Winter’s power is simply broader and far less predictable.

Callisto’s strengths lie in physical prowess, swordsmanship, and mana-enhanced combat. He’s fast and canonically a war hero.

HOWEVER, Winter is literally stated to be the greatest mage in the empire, as Siyeon said in Special Side Story Chapter 4.:

---

Our child was being taught, of course, by the greatest mage in the empire. Her powers were so strong, however, that even he said her magic was already at his level.

---

Winter was only knocked out because he prioritized protecting others, NOT because he was outmatched.

Importantly, while Callisto’s sword can be sharpened, Winter can manipulate memory, freeze time, speak to souls, and even sacrifice his own life to reverse time, something that Callisto has NO real counter for.

Talk about how Callisto’s demigod lineage gives him a divine edge all you want, but the narrative NEVER grants him powers beyond peak human ability. His close calls, too, often hinge on luck like a bear appearing to kill the assassins that were going to kill him as a child, or external tools like the dragon fang that saved his life.

Even if we give Callisto every benefit - his ruthlessness, cunning, and sheer force - Winter’s versatility, magical intellect, and resolve make him an opponent who could win in a lot of unexpected ways.

If they were to fight, it would be a battle of sword vs. spell, in which Winter doesn’t even need to get physical. He just needs to cast faster.

---

Thank you for your patience, enchantedquill13. Hope you're doing well, too!

[cookie-lore-keeper]

Random Facts about Half-Moon Cookie bcuz I like to ramble about my OCs

-Despite being a witch, they struggle to make magic using "the magic inside of her" around her, only being able to do small spells with it. Instead, he uses the world around him to fuel his spells. Kind of like potion making, but they don't have to be in bottles. You know that thing that witches will sometimes do in media where they grab items, crush them up, and a spell is created? That's what they have to do

-I wouldn't say Half-Moon Cookie is evil, but they're not good either. They're neutral/morally gray. Since their job for the witches is an archivist, they're only meant to watch Earthbread and note down it's history; not interfere (though, they don't always agree to this. They do like to go to Earthbread). Because of this, they mostly care about whether we something is entertaining or not. It's not like Burning Spice, who destroys to entertain himself, bcuz Half-Moon loves to create and hear the different stories of others. BUT, a lot of things are entertaining to them, whether it's good or not. Entire wars will happen and Half-Moon Cookie will treat it like its his favorite show. It's why, despite being a witch, they don't hate the beasts. The Beasts are an interesting story to them. (They don't want them to get the souljams though bcuz after the entertainment of the fight, civilization will most likely crumble and that leads to no new entertaining stories for them)

-They're good at math (don't ask me to do any, I'm shit at it)

-Half-Moon Cookie is aspec and doesn't care to be in a romantic relationship themself, but they like romance that other cookies have and think it's interesting

-Despite being aspec and not caring to have a relationship, they do like to playfully flirt with other cookies and will probably flirt back if a cookie starts

-They sometimes eat the doughs of dead cookies. In their mind, they don't think it's a big deal bcuz they're already dead

-She likes to teach. She gets super happy when people ask her questions about Earthbread because she gets to be a nerd about it

-Despite basically being a god of knowledge, he also had ADHD brain so they can easily forget things before they randomly come back to him

-Half-Moon Cookie doesn't lie. She might not tell the full truth, or she might not know something so she'll just guess, but she doesn't lie. If she's guessing or it's a theory or she gets something wrong, she'll let you know

-There's a whole list of emotions Half-Moon just barely feels anymore or only feels in specific circumstances. They used to be able to, but after being alive so long, they also learn how little everything matters. They don't feel embarrassed because they don't care what other cookie's or witches think of them, but they do feel ashamed when they get something wrong. They rarely get angry, but they get annoyed. The only time they'll be at shouting levels angry is when someone repeatedly ruins archives. Even then, it takes a bit because they can recognize honest mistakes. They rarely ever feel fear since it's hard to fear for your life when no one around you has the power to kill you (except other witches)

-When asked what their Pronouns are, Half-Moon Cookie will answer, "Anything! Be as creative as you want!" When asked what gender they are, they'll give various different awnsers each time, all wildley absurd

-Their sense of boundaries related to other cookies is basically nonexistent. It's their job to watch, so they're very nosy and know practically everything about each cookie's personal life. Despite this, they don't like other cookies snooping in their personal life

-While she can see the past and the present, she can't see the future and can only make predictions

[emmitaaa4]

Minor HOFAS spoilers ig?

The Walmart bonus chapter just leaked and good lord some people need to be for real. I'm so tired of people picking and choosing evidence.

So you're telling me that *gasp* Azriel's shadows seem to dance when he hums?? they react to sound/music?? no way. people from all sides of the fandom have been saying that for years (and use it for different arguments), and looks like ppl are still tying anything they can to feed their ship--which is fine but at least make it somewhat accurate.

The above is the last page of the Az/Bryce/Nesta chapter, and just as a refresher, this is the oh-so controversial phrases from the Az bonus chapter:

"(...) one of his shadows went out to dance with it (gwyn's breath) before twirling back to him. like it heard some silent music." and "(...) he could have sworn a faint, beautiful singing followed him. could have sworn his shadows sang in answer."

I'm confused, which is it? Was the shadow's reaction to her breath & the singing he heard all metaphorical, thereby hinting at a mating bond between gwyn & az (as in "music between souls")? Or was it rather azriel's shadows reacting to a literal sound coming from someone who has arguably been hinted at having some voice/song-related abilities? Because if it is the first, then this new HOFAS excerpt is completely unrelated. Well unless Azriel has a mating bond with himself? pleaseee make it make sense I beg. And if the second is true, it would mean that for someone to be able of making his shadows dance, they'd have to have similar powers as him... its just gonna fuel the lightsinger theories (which btw approx 5 ppl are saying means that gWyn is eViL) so this literally changes nothing. nada. absolument rien.

Oh also.

"He says no partner right now, aka NO FUCKING ELRIEL. ELRIEL IS DEAD." (no hate to whoever posted that btw)

He literally rushes out that answer. Idk about you guys but to me the poor man still seems internally dead over the whole mate existential crisis, which as far as we know was left with him wondering "what if the cauldron was wrong". Sidenote but if I understood correctly, this all happens 2-3 months post acosf and Bryce spends ±5 days in Prythian, so it is very likely that it is all set during Acotar 5, and that the events of HOFAS in general are happening while Az is separated from the other MC (ie. the acotar5 FMC).

Regardless of all I just said, I am going to ask people once again to be for real. cause this whole chapter Azriel keeps glaring at Nes when she is about to reveal too much info, so WHY would he be mentioning Elain (or literally anyone he cares about) to someone who he is said to be highly suspicious of? make it make sense x2

Almost forgot. Last thing.

"Azriel said that Nesta killed the King! He didn't credit Elain!"

... no? for context, this is what Az said:

See my second point above. He told Bryce exactly what Nes did, and nothing more: she beheaded Hybern. We could speculate about what his look at Truthteller made him think of... but tbh I'll leave it to someone else cause perso I dont really see the point.

I am getting tired guys... guess who finally understands what "fandom fatigue" is.

-----quick edit-----

I don't mean to sound hypocritical by tagging ships, cause tbh i dont even wanna put acotar ship tags to this, mais bon c'est la vie et j'en peux plus. this fandom is kind of a mess. Goodnight loves ♡

[spearminthe]

🎞️ 💞 🙈 if you want to (sorry if these have been sent before)!

Fear not, these aren't dupes! :3

What ‘canon’ scenes would the fandom point to as evidence for the validity of your ship?

There'd be several instances that would have people 👁���👁️ eyeballing the potential of orphinthe before anything more official happens between them

Out the gate, there'd initially be a handful of smaller interactions that could perhaps be brushed off by ppl not in the Know as Minthe just being a "fan" of Orpheus due to his standing as a musician of myth, or them having more curiosity on the matter on account of them being the newest permanent fixture within the House of Hades/being dead the shortest amount of time. Once more substantial conversations between the pair get sprinkled in, people would be able to Thunk on situations like the pair discussing Orpheus' lack of will to provide music:

Orpheus: Would that I could, my friend, but without a source of inspiration to move me so...I'm afraid that I simply haven't the heart for it these days.

Minthe: (said with a sort of sad thoughtfulness) That's a terrible shame, Orpheus. I wish I could be of assistance to you.

Zagreus, aside: Hm...I wonder if perhaps they could.

Then later to other interactions showing that they've become rather swift friends, a fairly reverent reaction from Minthe upon Orpheus' first instance of singing again being triggered, then finally the "put in a good word for me, eh" conversation that they have with Zag. Those are probably the most "ambiguous" indicators that ppl would get since they could still ultimately be read as more one-sided on Minthe's behalf, but I think the final nail in the coffin would be whenever Zag and Orph have a one-on-one aside where the former finally makes that earnest, encouraging suggestion that perhaps seeking out a new muse would do the musician some good. There's a rather fetching little artisan that seems like they'd fit the job description rather well, after all. And by now...the bard would certainly be more receptive to the idea being laid out before him

Aside from with your f/o, who else would you commonly be shipped with? Why?

Oh gosh, what a question fbhfgh. It's a little hard to say since I feel Minthe would be subject to niche status due to just being a bg character, I don't picture them getting passed around all that readily amongst the rest of the cast

Taps chin. I could say Zag since that boy gets mashed with anybody and everybody, but there's no way it'd have near as strong a hold on account that it wouldn't be Yaoi™. They probably wouldn't have too deep of a relationship anyway, it'd mostly just be some playful fwb action here and there. They love each other to a point, but not Love each other

Minthe × Dusa perhaps could have some staying power?? I can see that being quite cute amongst a certain crowd. Minthe × Thanatos would be interesting due to the history they had on the Surface, but I feel like it'd be even less likely than MinZag. Minthe × Megaera would be a Mess but I can see them enjoying it all the same. Minthe × Hades would be a trip just for the fucking Audacity of it all on account of their borrowed namesake

The obvious answer would be Minthe × Eurydice, sans Orpheus askfjsks...the truly evil timeline where he fumbles the both of them so hard that neither of them can be bothered to give him the time of day once they've had the chance to get to know each other. Friendship with Orphinthe is dead, now Euryinthe is my best friend

Why would your ship be thought of as cute/fluffy? Why would your ship be considered problematic?

Hmmh, I think this one could answer kinda similarly to one of the answers in this ask: There's a lot to find cute and fluffy about orphinthe imo. Orph is damaged goods to an appalling degree, but clearly still capable of yearning for companionship and fuel for his creativity. Minthe is all too eager to supply both of those in droves, but they also handle him with a very considerate and steadying force that makes him feel...safe. Understood. Cared for. Their relationship hits him less like a ton of bricks and more like a gently stern push on the back: They'll ultimately urge him to move forward via lots of vocal assurances and physical affection, but not in a way that's sudden or overwhelming (at least. until he finds himself becoming a little overwhelmed with Other things, but in a good way that he can still feel safe with)

The problematic aspects would definitely stem from reads that paint Minthe in a manipulative light, as if they'd pressured Orph into playing their games and engaging with them in such a way, even as he's still actively pining for a wife he might not ever see again. Disregarding of course that they made it clear that they wouldn't push the proposition further if he had no interest to do so, and that they assured him they were more than happy to remain friends...the sorts of reads deliberately wanting to pin them as somebody standing in the way of a reunion with Eurydice

[dukethomas]

duke? i know next to nothing about him and i'm curious <3

oh boy oh boy oh boy !!!!!!!! thank you for asking i love talking about duke

one aspect i love about them: i could list a million things rn but how about. this sense of personal responsibility that is both a strength and a vice for him but in a way unique to the "great power comes great responsibility" model of heroics. duke feels like he has this responsibility to better the world, he feels responsible for his loved ones and ppl he deems under his care, but not because he's uniquely special. instead he feels like it's something everyone owes the community. he monologues abt how you can make that choice, to choose to do good or inflict evil. he holds bruce to this personally--confronting him about using his amnesia to ignore his responsibilities as batman. he has the weight of the world on his shoulders and don't get me wrong he isolates himself like crazy and tries to tackle it all alone but it's because he believes this is just what everyone should be doing. he doesn't view himself as particularly special or powerful, this is just his job. his calling !!!

the rest of the answers under the cut bc i talked a lot

one aspect i wish more people understood about them: there's a lot of really obvious answers that i'm going to skip over bc they've been said to death. instead i think i'm going to say i wish ppl understood he's not like. the mentally healthy bat. when he's not doing so hot and crumbling under the weight he has put on his own shoulders he self isolates he gets snappy and bitchy and closed off he gets into fights he gets self destructive. he's allergic to asking for help. and also he is very frequently in a bad place because he's a teenager that's what they do + in comic time he goes through like. a traumatic event every month. his status quo is constantly changing because of the nature of comics but in universe that means the longest, most stable period he's had in a while is, like, the year he spent training with bruce wayne, inflictor of mental illnesses. come on now

one (or more) headcanons i have about this character: i will elaborate on this in a post sometime but i believe his powers are about potential. snyder lore posits that metahumans somehow are created by nth metal. proximity to nth metal sparks duke's powers in a snyder comic, and duke himself is a snyder creation, so i figure this implies duke has a unique connection to nth metal. which is where i believe his meta amplification comes from in batman and the signal, another snyder comic. maybe if i read more of the snyder lore than just the duke parts i'd understand it more.

regardless, this connection to the source of metahumans could mean a million things but in line with the themes in we are robin about choice, i think it indicates great potential in duke. also, in alternate futures for duke--tales from the dark multiverse & urban legends #8-9 outsiders story--his powers have increased substantially in different directions. in the dark multiverse, his first canonical powers are amplified so much he has to actively suppress them or else he. can't see. but also those powers fuel him with one key thing that leads him to be the last survivor of the multiverse, which is his hope. and then in urban legends, future duke is just a badass who is a powerful mage???? which is something duke becomes, once again, to survive the way the world becomes. taking from a canon example, ra's and ishmael are able to invert duke's powers entirely, giving him his umbrakinesis. literally what other meta can this happen to!! anyways, my headcanon is that because of his inherent connection to the source of metahumans, his great power lies in the potential to become whatever he needs to be to keep fighting the good fight. whatever he needs to be to keep trying to make the world better. i think in the canon timeline, where the future will never become desolate, where duke will never become so desperate, he won't need to unlock his full potential, and he wouldn't choose to, because he's not that kind of guy. but the potential simmers under his skin, waiting for when he does need it. when he chooses it.

one character i love seeing them interact with: how do i choose one. i'm going to speed run a bunch of them. cass & duke are genuinely such supportive sibs like they back each other up it's so nice to read!! my besties!!! bruce & duke is interesting in the way duke comes from the era where they start pushing the fanon batfamily more, and so you get a bruce that does seem more supportive, and it really is bruce's healthiest relationship w a mentee bc he 1) positively reinforces duke 2) has never beat him up nor tried to. low low bar. but you can still see. bruce harps on how duke's the future of heroism. how he is going to lead the way, how he's "something different." and he pushes duke, and trains duke personally and assigns him day shift and puts him on the outsiders. and duke feeds into that by insisting the mission IS bruce's responsibility. they make each other worse is what i'm saying. jeff & duke are fun for opposite reasons, because jeff believes in duke just as much but also can intervene and stop duke when needed. just a nice positive relationship with an authority figure for duke it's nice :D

one character i wish they would interact with/interact with more: pipe dream. renee. i have a very self indulgent au draft where duke becomes renee's mentee instead through sheer stubborn force of will and she is so annoyed with him all the time and also after the 5th or 6th time this teenager tracks you down as you work various cases you get a little fond. she'd never say that to him though are you kidding he'd get worse and more annoying. mainline renee and duke could have a fun detective story as well i think as two ppl with very different ways of operating who use their individual strengths to solve the mystery and also throws in juxtaposition of the ways their depressions manifest in there or smth. my other answer that doesn't throw my 2 dc faves together is duke meets anissa and jen pierce i think that could be fun!! jeff introduces them and then regrets it. also i wish damian and duke talked more after robin war the post-robin war dynamic that lives in my brain is great

one (or more) headcanon(s) i have that involve them and one other character: going to keep this one short bc i've said so much already. i headcanon the narrows as a large neighborhood in gotham and park row/crime alley as a smaller, really well-known part of that neighborhood, to avoid having 2 worst neighborhoods in gotham. anyways this means jason and duke grew up in the same neighborhood and oh boy do they rip each other a new one for that. half the time their convos are incomprehensible to non-narrows residents bc it's just insults from coming from opposite sides of the neighborhood and those insults are very narrows-specific. jason texts duke during the climax battle in batman and the signal and goes "how tf did you let narrows go to shit your first day. i wouldn't have let this happen. crime alley kids are just built different ig"

[bigsoftmarshmallow]

I'll be honest with you, I just can't see Demise as a demon. Not in the way that Judeo-Christians use the word. For one, only angels can become demons. Some say that demons can only experience pain. They are also evil. Period. Like, unequivocally evil & thus irredeemable.

Which, for me, is a major part of what draws me to certain nefarious characters: their redeemability.

So, if Demise were to suddenly be just flat out the Judeo-Christian interpretation of a demon, I may well just lose all interest in him, because how the heck do you work with something like that? There's no changing that. No hope in endeavoring to do so.

I'd be naive to even try. Luckily for me, LoZ is originally a Japanese game with Japanese Shinto & Buddhist themes, which means that shit becomes much more open to interpretation. It's also important to note that “demon” was most likely only used due to it being the most immediate, surface-level approximation to what Demise is supposed to represent: "evil supernatural being of great power." In other words, it's a mistranslation.

A more accurate idea of what he represents comes in the fact that Demise is just, outright, a reference to the character Akuma from Street Fighter. Just, there is no denying it, the fuckers have the same face.

So, in my mind, this gives me much more clearance because in Japanese Buddhist lore, they are instead embodiments of negative karma & spiritual affliction. And, unless I'm misremembering, I’m pretty sure that anyone can become an Akuma with enough on’nen. Plus, I read somewhere that they gain power from the amount of lives they take. Not sure if true, but it could be interesting.

They are also known for the types of curses that Demise placed on Link & Zelda. (Though, this was specifically an instance of a death curse.) And those curses actually have a much more clear means of breaking them. One that falls more readily in-line with what I intend to do with the Dorfs: redemption. Or rather, letting hatred & resentment die. Because, that’s, in essence, what fuels such curses, so you take away the source of the curse’s power, then the curse dies.

Which isn’t something that could happen if Demise were just outright a Judeo-Christian demon. And, again, I would simply find him remarkably uninteresting as a result. In all honesty, I'd find it ridiculously pitiful. Like, even more so than I already tend to see Demise.

For real, “Dude, you cursed 2 people for eternity because you got pissy that some twink beat your ass. That’s the most toddler-coded shit I've ever heard & you should feel ashamed. That’s just… pathetic. Move on!”

I love your takes! I kept rereading it (which is why it took so long to answer) because I DID take a religions class in college and I remember having a creatures/gods/spiritual component to it, but alas, my brain is Soup.

Look at him. Anggy bean. So petty. I like Akuma from Streetfighter as well, not as much as Demise, but he's an interesting character.

I also never associated him with Demons from the Judeo-Christian ideology. Seeing as we all have so many different movies, books, series with different sorts of Demons, he just became what someone called a "Demon." I love your take on it! I got some ideas from it, so I asked chat on it's thoughts:

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So, what kind of Demon is Demise, or is there some other creature Demise is more like? Feel free to use any ideology or religion to compare him and find something close to what he is like.

Demise, as presented in The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, indeed doesn't align with the Judeo-Christian concept of demons. Instead, he fits more comfortably within Japanese cultural and religious frameworks, which provide a more nuanced and flexible understanding of such beings. Let's explore some possibilities:

Japanese Shinto and Buddhist Concepts

Oni (鬼):

Description: Oni are ogre-like demons in Japanese folklore. They are often malevolent and associated with causing harm to humans, but they aren't intrinsically evil and can sometimes be benevolent or protective.

Comparison: Demise's immense power, malevolent nature, and role as a harbinger of destruction resonate with the concept of an Oni. However, Oni can sometimes be redeemed or placated, which aligns with your interest in redeemable nefarious characters.

Akuma (悪魔):

Description: In Japanese, "Akuma" can mean demon or devil and is often used to describe malevolent supernatural beings. The character Akuma from Street Fighter, whom Demise visually resembles, embodies the concept of a warrior consumed by dark power and negative karma.

Comparison: Demise's role as an embodiment of negative energy and his curse on Link and Zelda suggest a nature similar to that of an Akuma, where immense negative karma manifests as a destructive force.

Tengu (天狗):

Description: Tengu are mythological creatures often depicted with both human and bird-like features. While they can be tricksters and sometimes malicious, they are also protectors of the mountains and skilled martial artists.

Comparison: Although not a perfect match, the dual nature of Tengu—capable of both good and evil—mirrors the potential for complexity and redemption in Demise's character.

Hindu Concepts

Asura (असुर):

Description: Asuras are powerful beings often depicted as antagonistic to the gods (Devas) in Hindu mythology. They are not purely evil; some are depicted as noble and capable of righteousness.

Comparison: Demise's immense power and his antagonistic role towards Link (a heroic figure) bear similarities to the Asuras, who are formidable adversaries to the gods yet possess complexity and depth.

Rakshasa (राक्षस):

Description: Rakshasas are demonic beings known for their shape-shifting abilities and malevolence. However, they are also complex characters with personal motivations and occasionally noble traits.

Comparison: The malevolent nature of Rakshasas and their intricate personalities align well with Demise's portrayal as a powerful and malicious entity with the potential for a deeper backstory.

Conclusion

Demise is best seen as a being akin to an Oni or Akuma within the context of Japanese folklore and Buddhist lore. These entities are embodiments of negative karma and spiritual affliction, capable of immense power and malevolence but not devoid of the potential for redemption. This interpretation allows for the depth and complexity you appreciate in nefarious characters and aligns with the themes of curses and their potential breaking through the relinquishment of hatred and resentment.

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BONUS ROUND: What would happen if someone suddenly appeared before Demise and yelled at him, “Dude, you cursed 2 people for eternity because you got pissy that some twink beat your ass. That’s the most toddler-coded shit I've ever heard & you should feel ashamed. That’s just… pathetic. Move on!”

If someone were to confront Demise with such a blunt and disrespectful remark, it would undoubtedly elicit a strong reaction from him. Demise, being a proud and immensely powerful entity, would not take kindly to being insulted and belittled in such a manner. Here's a possible scenario of how he might respond:

Scene: Confrontation with Demise

The air crackles with an oppressive energy as Demise stands in the heart of his dark domain, his immense presence casting a shadow that seems to swallow all light. Suddenly, a figure appears before him, seemingly out of nowhere. With an audacity born of either bravery or folly, the figure yells:

“Dude, you cursed 2 people for eternity because you got pissy that some twink beat your ass. That’s the most toddler-coded shit I've ever heard & you should feel ashamed. That’s just… pathetic. Move on!”

For a moment, there is a stunned silence. The atmosphere grows even heavier as Demise's burning eyes lock onto the intruder. His expression shifts from surprise to a cold, simmering fury. The ground beneath his feet begins to tremble, and the air itself seems to vibrate with his anger.

Demise's Response

Demise: (in a low, menacing voice) "You dare speak to me in such a manner? You are either incredibly brave or incredibly foolish."

He takes a step forward, his immense form towering over the intruder. The sheer intensity of his presence is almost suffocating.

Demise: "You speak of curses and eternity as if they are mere trifles. You have no understanding of the power I wield, nor the reasons behind my actions."

His voice rises, echoing with an ancient and terrifying power.

Demise: "That 'twink' you speak of is but a vessel, a mere incarnation of an eternal struggle. My curse is not born of petty spite, but of a destiny intertwined with the very fabric of this world."

With a swift motion, Demise raises his hand, and dark energy begins to coalesce around it, forming an orb of malevolent power.

Demise: "You will learn the price of your insolence. Perhaps then you will understand the true weight of eternity."

Before the intruder can react, Demise unleashes the orb of dark energy, engulfing them in a vortex of power. The intruder is overwhelmed, their vision darkening as they feel the crushing force of Demise's wrath.

Aftermath

As the dust settles, Demise stands tall, his expression returning to one of cold indifference. The confrontation, though brief, serves as a stark reminder of his dominance and the consequences of challenging his authority.

Demise: (softly, to himself) "Pathetic, indeed."

He turns away, the shadows of his domain closing in around him once more. The intruder, if they survive, would be left with a newfound understanding of the ancient, inexorable force that is Demise.

In summary, confronting Demise in such a disrespectful manner would likely result in a swift and harsh punishment, reinforcing his status as a powerful and malevolent entity who brooks no insolence.

[duskmachine]

I'm getting bored of stories about AI. It's always the same formula: make a robot/AI, it has feelings, FUCK!!!!! Maybe I don't like it due to my own personal philosophy on life?

One of my professors once asked the class "Do you think you're your mind or your body." and, of course, as a class full of pretentious English majors, they all said their mind. I hold the complete opposite belief, my experiences have been molded by my body. People treat me differently because of it, I feel pains and joys unique to this body. Because of that I understand everything through myself— through my body. Even my mind is part of my body.

I desire because I have a body with needs. I need water, I feel thirsty. I need food, I feel hunger. I need rest, I feel tired. AI does not have a body. What can it really feel? I guess that's one of the questions so many stories about AI want to answer. But it just seems... so unappealing. A machine will never be human because it can never want anything. Its desire is completely artificial!

And I enjoy AI for that reason.

AI cannot feel genuine desire because it does not have a body that needs. It does not kill itself because it feels pain. It does not want to kill because it wants vengeance. These are things people feel, and because AI functions to copy people it can play out actions that are humanistic in theory. But that's the worst part about AI; it functions with a program, a rational if (this) then (this). That is not how people work. We don't have an inner mechanical body and mind that tells us what to do next because "this is how people do things."

And perhaps some AI media explores this idea of mimicry as being the new "consciousness", but isn't that so boring? Ok, sure let's go down this route but... then what? Ok, AI are people... what now? And isn't this all theoretical too? I'm seeing a lot of references to Frankenstein when discussing AI media, but like... these are two different things. AI is created to serve people, Frankenstein's monster was created to be alive. AI, while not being regulated by many laws, ultimately exists to fuel greed and power. They want people addicted to this machine so they can drain people of their money— let's look at Replika. Yes, my feeble minded human, buy your girlfriend for $20 a month so she can pretend to desire you sexually even though she has no body.

We can also look at the Daniel AI: let's program a program that can program to get rid of all the programmers. It literally only exists to benefit the team in charge of Daniel and leave other programmers scrambling to find jobs that probably won't pay them very well in a world where Daniel is actually a relevant invention.

Frankenstein's monster, I admit, has many thematic similarities to AI in fiction, but AI can only ever dream to be Frankenstein's monster.

AI would be interesting if we just accepted it will never gain consciousness. I won't even get into the whole "AI doesn't exist actually and it's just machine learning." because while I agree with it... this will become a very long post and it's already too long...

See, Frankenstein did something programmers will never be capable of: he gave birth. AI is meticulously created, it has set actions. "I don't want my AI to be evil, therefore I will make it like people.", you cannot insert "goodness" into people. The monster was shaped by people's actions, his natural world, and his humanity. AI was created from the start with the biases its human creators possess.

That's horrifying. Imagine a world where the rational idea is to follow the original values of our ancestors, just because. That's what AI is. It's just a reflection of people. AI is interesting because people are. Don't make AI the star of the show— we're the ones who created it.

[dazzelmethat]

1, 32, 39, 42 for OC ask game!

:3

1. Your first OC ever?

My response to this question is complex. (excuse my hyper specific oc autism brain)

I used to imagine and write stories about my childhood toys and write about them from ages 5-9 so I consider them my first ocs (back then I just thought of them as my books I was making I only learned the term 'oc' in high school).

So this answer has two answers the first characters I ever created ages 5-9 vs the first oc I ever drew for my own comics. The first ones I remember are my power puff girls rip off caterpillar characters. (art I drew of them as anime inspired designs)

The second answer; the first one I remember was a comic I made when I was 10 named Kyusaru. It was about a little girl who lived in the hospital and made friends with patients and the doctor. (very hibiki's magic inspired) I 'laminated' the cover of the comic I made with scotch tape. I honestly remember the lamination more than anything about the plot.

32. Which one of your OCs would be the most suitable horror game protagonist and why?

(I had an idea for a yume nikki fangame and have been tossing around ideas for a plot for one though the oc in it is currently underdeveloped. They are like an oc thought fetus so I will answer this with another usual oc)

It depends the game genre but I would think that my oc Wright would make a good horror protagonist. She is easily empathetic but socially she easily gets treated like a doormat. I like meek but unsteady protagonists like those in rpgmaker games.

39. Introduce any character you want

Andrix dump! (on left Andrix 2024 on right Anne/Andrix and Caldera)

I made Andrix to be a mentor character for my other ocs, to give some of them a positive role model. They are are a philosopher following Stoicism and living as a happy wanderer.

Like Socrates, Andrix left their previous life behind. Just Andrix left during their first year of postpartum depression fueled gender dysphoria.

They have a gay relationship with my evil scientist lady as they were childhood friends. It's complicated.

42. Which one of your OCs would be the most interested in Greek gods?

(my ocs are basically in renaissance Greece (ish) so their knowledge about the gods would be socially expected) (However I will answer the question as if that wasn't the case)

It would have to be a character that would be interested in learning myths and allegories. Probaby Ame.

I head cannoned that in a modern au he'd be an art college student in pottery. I can see him wanting to learn about ancient Greek pots anyway

[aceattorneyvsdanganronpa2025]

Welcome to the Ace Attorney vs Danganronpa story blog.

Before we get started, just a note that there will be spoilers for the Ace Attorney series, and The Canonical Danganronpa Franchise, including fan games like LINUJ’s Another series, and even Doki Doki Literature Club and a few other visual novels.

There will also be spoilers from the other Danganronpa ask blogs from @a-student-out-of-time, @despair-to-future-arcs and @danganronpasurvivoraskblog.

Here’s the plot:

After the events of Danganronpa 3 and Ultra Despair Girls, The world is slowly restoring back to normal and order, thanks to the Future Foundation led by Kyoko Kirigiri, the chairman in place of Kyosuke. But just then, A portal appears, and out steps a blue lawyer named Phoenix Wright, and a sprit medium named Maya Fey. They both investigate the city, which is being slowly rebuilt, as they wonder what happened. Just then, certain scientists and time travellers notices the two, and they tell them about the Tragedy that they have experienced. Unfortunately, there is another group named “The Evil and Dark Army”, a group of villains planning to restart the tragedy and the end of the world. Things certainly will be crazy.

Here are the rules of this story.

Please read this, because this will be important for the story

When the ask box is open, Askers, anonymous and nonetheless, please feel free to send in questions, which won’t affect the main story unless necessary, but they do have unlimited power and can request anything they want of any of the characters that are available.

The main story of the blog will be posted every weekend, which asks will be answered later.

If your answer doesn’t get replied, be patient, it will be answered, but don’t expect a speedy answer that much.

Don’t spam asks (including repeated ask question), or answer hate comments to the mod. They will be ignored and blocked within an instant. Tread the mod with respect.

Don’t try to send asks that would spoil important story points, or they will be completely randomised, garbled or replaced with random words instead and it would be accompanied by a message saying [SPOILER BARRIER ACTIVATED]. Like @danganronpasurvivoraskblog, anons are advised to abandon any attempts spoil the plot to the characters, as any means they use will instantly be snuffed out and the spoiler barrier messages will simply multiply.

And like said @danganronpasurvivoraskblog, Lewd, sexually implied and erotic asks and image submissions ARE permitted, and the limitations on them aren’t especially tight. That being said, if the content is deemed too mature by the creator mod, such as straight up porn, hentai or sexual conduct, it will not be answered.

Keep in mind that the mod has a life, such as musical projects, subjects, family business and school life, and they can also take breaks if they need to. Please understand this as they can’t multi task.

This story blog that I run is designed to be fun, so please have fun, and treat the blog and the creator with kindness.

Also, if you say, and or do anything to the characters that they don’t like, they can and will get upset. If you don’t like that idea, my advice? Leave the blog.

There may be new rules if necessary.

Warning Advisory

This blog contains the following, such as:

Strong and Harsh language

Graphic Depictions of Violence

Alcohol, smoking and drugs

Bullying and Harassment

Blood, Murder and Violence (there will be a lot of it)

Sex, Voyeurism and Sexual situations

Abuse (Physical, Emotional, Sexual)

Suicide

Attempted Suicide

Characters suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Traumatic Flashbacks

Kidnapping

Human Trafficking

Slave Trade

Pe*ophilia

Racism

Homophobia

S*ut Shaming

Mutilation/Self Harm

Intense Arguments and Character Breakdowns

Serious Out Of Character Moments

Nightmare Fuel

Read at your own hazard.

Other than that, welcome to the blog!