#anyways i hope this is good for someone who hasn't played the game

[mspaint-flower]

Could you draw Empty Sekai's version of Flower?

perfect time to revisit my old niigo flower design

[fumiliar]

CAN WE PLS GET OLDER BF TOJI HEADCANNONS PLS PRETTY PLS 🙏

(LOVE YOUR WORK BTW!!!)

TYSMM! i hope you like it!😵‍💫

✎...toji is in his late 30s (he lives!) and reader is in her early 20s. megumi is a toddler and he keeps him.

you were the one who chased older bf!toji, you manifested this man. ever since you met him in your apartment gym, you've been trying to get close with him. you started to gym when he went to the gym, asking him for help to carry the weight because you were inexperienced. slowly but surely, you started to develop a relationship with toji, talking to him when it was unrelated to exercise.

older bf!toji who was scared to ask you out on a date. you were so young! he on the other hand, was a widow, a single father and 15+ years older than you. he could've been your father! all these thoughts subsided when he saw you waiting in front of the gym for him. "hi toj-" "date?" he blurted out, leaving you blushing and shocked. "sure toji." that night, he couldn't stop gushing over you to his toddler megumi.

older bf!toji who told you upfront that he was a single father, a widow and looking for a serious relationships on your first date. not wanting to cause any other misunderstandings, he's old, he doesn't have time to play games. he doesn't have the time to fool around, he wants a serious relationship, someone he can lean on, importantly someone who megumi can lean on.

older bf!toji who did not understand why such a youthful person would want him. the stress of his job and raising a child alone has manifested on his appearance. while you, were the epitome of youth in his eyes. the days where you could've been partying in clubs, you spent playing with megumi. he could not wrap his head around your actions.

older bf!toji who barely uses social media. not due to his age, but he's too busy with his life. his only socials are his facebook(good 4 u). you had to teach him how to make an instagram account, and to this day he still doesn't understand how it works. his insta only follows you, with one post, which is also a picture of you.

older bf!toji who's always 'reluctantly' accompanying you, reluctantly watching chick flicks with you, reluctantly accompanying you shopping and holding your shopping bags, reluctantly holding your purse. he's always reluctantly doing stuff, but he ends up doing it anyways. why? cause he loves you. there's a certain joy inside him he hasn't felt since his wife's passing. he secretly enjoys doing girly things with you, just to see the happiness on your face.

older bf!toji who never wants you to feel like megumi is your responsibility. though he wants you to be there for megumi, he doesn't want to burden you with his own struggles.

older bf!toji who stumbles over his feet when he first saw you with megumi. for the first time in his life, he saw megumi like someone from the first meeting. megumi was constantly giggling, smiling ear to ear. without toji realising, his expressions had mirrored his son, like father like son.

older bf!toji who's scared of his future. he's always on the brink of death, with the risky nature of his job. he wants to grow old together, but hesitation takes over him when he realised that in the end, it would just be him growing old.

older bf!toji who has the worst taste in clothing. literally horrendous, when you see his wardrobe, it's just multiples of his tight black shirt, his weird poofy pants and some workout clothes. his other clothing was horrible, some shirts having holes as big as your fist. ever since you've seen that, you've decided to go on a shopping spree for him, along with getting him and megumi some matching clothes.

older bf!toji who hasn't had the time to take care of himself properly. taking care of megumi was such a hassle making him forgot about himself. when you pamper him with skincare nights and face masks, he literally gets addicted. every time you offer to do a face mask or to do his skincare, he dashes to lay his head on your lap. he's still too shy to ask for it, but you can tell how much he likes it. his wrinkles slowly going away with every touch of your hand, as if he's finally let his guard down.

[pomefioredove]

please, PLEASE write a rollo x reader fic where rollo wakes up from a nightmare about his brother and where there to comfort him PLEASE 🙏🙏🙏🙏

let it be known that the only reason I started playing this game was because they added frollo. rollo is like a cryptid in the HoND fandom

summary: nightmares and comfort type of post: fic characters: rollo additional info: romantic, established relationship?, reader is gender neutral, reader is yuu, not proofread, rollo vaguely implied to have ptsd because I do and am a scholar in trauma nightmares ^-^

There's a certain point at which bad dreams and reality melt together.

Where the line blurs, and you can't be sure where the nightmare ends and you begin. They so often feel one in the same.

Rollo is familiar with bad dreams.

At one point, he thought there would be a solution. Something to hold them back, to release him from their sticky grasp. He journaled, for a while, but all that brought him was grief.

It happens like clockwork.

Four or five nightmares in one rest, for one to two weeks, at the same time every year. He keeps track of them. How could he not?

They culminate on a certain day, one he dreads in and of itself, and then slowly, painfully die off, leaving him wounded and alone.

It's dreadful.

And it's worse that he knows exactly why they happen.

You had once asked him what keeps him up at night, as a sort of conversation starter when you were first getting to know each other. What a strange question to ask someone, and in such a light-hearted tone.

He told you he sees no use for excess sleep when he can be diligent, instead.

Sloth is a vice, he said. Detestable.

You seemed to accept that as an answer, much to his relief. The truth was far too ugly for someone as pure as you to shoulder. He was only protecting your feelings, after all. And perhaps his.

Rollo hoped, for your sake, that you wouldn't notice. He was still getting used to the idea of sleeping beside another person, and the very last thing he wanted was to burden you with all of what he is.

To put it plainly, he didn't want to scare you off.

The first few nights were easy enough. Nasty imagery wrapped up in otherwise normal dreams, those of which could hardly be considered nightmares.

He'd wake up in a cold sweat, and toss and turn until he could manage to fall back asleep, never stirring you.

This time is different.

He wakes, not quite jolting, but certainly thrashing himself back into the present moment like an animal caught in a trap.

His eyes snap open, and there's nothing but darkness, his breathing, and the uneasy feeling of his stomach. It takes a moment for him to adjust to his surroundings.

You're still asleep. Thankfully.

He liked to keep some distance between the two of you, anyway. Rollo had to ease himself into the idea of being physically close with someone without being utterly repulsed.

The only reason he'd entertained the idea in the first place was because it's you, you, pure and good, who would never do anything to discomfort him, you, who even now, sleeps like an angel in his bed.

There's something unclean about that thought, although it's not your doing.

Rollo gets up, careful not to disturb you, and paces around the room while he tries to get ahold of reality. He reminds himself of the date, the time, his full name, anything that will shake the lingering terror coursing through is body.

He does not cry. He hasn't since...

Well. Never mind, that.

Now is not the time to make a fuss. He's not a child, he's not fragile, he can handle his own nightmares without needing someone to tuck him back in.

The dream was so terrifyingly, disgustingly real, though.

The nightmares which aren't nightmares are the worst sorts of dreams, because he instantly feels silly for scaring himself over something so mundane, even if that looming sense of dread and fear still makes him feel ill.

This one was but a normal conversation, with...

...He didn't want to remember it.

The point was more so that it felt so utterly real that waking up like this, having it fall apart around him like the rotting pages of an old book, was like having his head dunked in freezing cold water repeatedly.

Not a pleasant feeling.

He paces, back and forth, in front of the now-dead fireplace, trying to regain his bearings.

He's quiet; he so often is; and yet, still, roused either by the sound of his footsteps or the heavy, uncomfortable feeling in the air, you wake.

The sound of your voice nearly scares him.

Rollo turns to you, eyes wide as you sit up, drawing your knees to your chest. "What?"

"I asked if you're okay," you repeat, turning to the space beside you to check the time. "It's two in the morning."

His answer is immediate, as calm as he can muster, although there's a faint crack in his voice on the last word. "I'm well. I was just thinking,"

"Thinking? Now?"

He nods, and turns back to the mantle. His arms are crossed over his chest, acting as a sort of armor, protecting him.

You tilt your head to the side. "Did you have a bad dream?"

He hates how perceptive you can be, sometimes. It takes him a moment to think of a suitable answer- is it worth telling you the truth?

"I have bad dreams all the time," you say. "Like... all the time. Weird ones, too. It's nothing to be embarrassed a-"

"I am not embarrassed," he snaps, whirling around on his heels to face you. His tone softens when he sees the perplexed expression on your face. "I was just trying to tire myself before returning to bed. I didn't want to disturb you."

You shake your head. "I wouldn't have minded if you did. I understand... do you want to talk about it?"

He's silent, looking away again, which is enough of an answer to you.

"Then will you at least come back to bed?"

Rollo supposes he should. He doesn't want to risk worrying you any further. That would only stir up more questions.

He settles himself in bed, lying flat on his back with his arms crossed over his chest, more cadaver than human. You always found that position so amusing, for whatever reason, and even now you can't contain a laugh.

"Are you cold? You're shaking,"

Damn it. He is. He hadn't even noticed... and though his tremors aren't from the temperature, he agrees with you anyway.

"Yes. It's rather cold tonight,"

You hum a small note of contemplation and inch closer to him. "May I?"

Rollo's face immediately turns red, although he can't help but indulge himself... just this once. For your sake, anyway.

He nods.

You come closer, resting your head on his shoulder and putting an arm around his waist in the most comfortable position you can manage while he's lying like this.

Your body is warm, soft, comforting... all things that would normally repulse him, but it's you...

He pats the back of your hand with one of his in a reassuring, though awkward gesture. As much as he expected to feel his heart pounding even harder at your closeness, there's something quite... safe about the embrace. He can't deny it.

"Good night," you murmur, already half-asleep.

He closes his eyes, allowing his body to relax... just the tiniest bit.

"Good night,"

[aismoker]

Revenge is a dish best served smoked

For @nomadomar, an amazing and good person, who wanted to see an evil version of himself.

"Ah, welcome, you must be the interviewer, Mr. Stevens, right? Great, have a seat! You want a cigarette? Oh, you don't smoke? No problem at all. I hope you don't mind that I do. I like to indulge myself now and then.

So, you are here to interview me, the new head of Marlboro. You must be curious how a guy like me was able to become the head of the world-leading tobacco company in the world? Well, it's a long story, so I hope you are sitting comfortable.

Well, you see, I never intended to come into this position. I was just an average guy, living an average life, doing average things. Me and my friends liked to play games. Truth or dare and stuff like that. All innocent. Or that was what I thought.

One day I got a dare: "Get into Marlboro HQ and take something as a proof that you were there." I was hesitant, I thought this dare was going way too far, but still... I didn't want to be seen as a coward.

So, one night, I climbed over the fence, my heart was pounding in my chest. I was scared. What if I would get caught? I got over the fence and croached to a nearby door. I tried the handle carefully. The door was open! Even better, there were no alarms! I quickly went through it and closed the door carefully behind me. As the door closed, I heard a click. The door was suddenly locked! I had no time to think, as a few seconds after I heard the click, an alarm went off. Red lights flashed through the hallway. My body froze. I was caught! I heard the footsteps of heavy boots approaching. I had to hide! But I couldn't move. Fear had taken control of me. The footsteps were coming closer. From around the corner two security guards in shiny black uniforms approached. They approached slowly. They knew there was no escape. After what seemed an eternity and a blink of an eye at the same time, they stood in front of me.

They didn't say a thing. They just stood there, both smoking a cigarette. They looked somehow... unnatural. It was like they had turned into statues. Suddenly they grabbed me. Their grip was like iron. They forced me to walk along, down the corridor. They lead me down to a cell and locked me up there.

I lost all sense of time. I didn't know how long I was there, but I got 30 meals. Then suddenly, one day two guards came to get me. They brought me to a room that looked similar to an interrogation room. A man was sitting at a table in the middle of the room. He was smoking a cigarette.

I was forced to sit down at the other end of the table. The man in front of me looked at me for a while in silence. He then spoke: "Who are you working for? Another company? The secret services? Tell me, boy, or things will get very nasty." I was confused.

"What are you talk-"

"JUST ANSWER THE QUESTION."

"I don't know what you mean."

"WHO. ARE. YOU. WORKING. FOR?"

"No one, sir."

"It must be. You can't be a local. We have kept you detained for more than 30 days and our inside man at the police hasn't heard about any new missing persons in the area."

When I heard that, I froze again. This time not out of fear, but desperation. It was like my life fell apart. I had been gone for 30 days and no one had gone to the police? Not my colleagues? Not even my parents? Not even my friends?

The man in front of me, seeing my reactions chuckled. "Oops, someone thought he was more beloved than he thought. That must hurt. Well, it doesn't matter anyways. We have kept you here already too long now. But don't worry, we have decided you will be useful as a security drone. Once through the procedure, you will no longer be thinking of the people you thought cared about you. You will be not thinking at all. Just obey, like a good drone. Don't be afraid. My scientists have asssured me, that there will be no recollection of pain after the procedure is finished.

I barely heard what he was saying. I felt defeated. Everyone had abondened me. Everyone! No one had gone to the police. As the security drones pulled me up on my feet, I followed them without a fight. We went through corridor after corridor, then into an elevator and then some more corridors. As we were walking, however, something started to change. A fire awoke in me. I wanted revenge. Revenge against the people who locked me up. And most off all, revenge against my friends, who had dared me to go here and dropped me like a stone, when I needed them most. They hadn't even taken the effort to go to the police. I could have died! This need, this hunger for revenge was like a smalll candle that suddenly turned into a blazing fire. I didn't know what I could do, but I knew that somehow, some way I would get my revenge.

The security drones lead me into a laboratory. Two scientist were waiting there. The drones strapped me on a table. The scientists came closer. One of them held a metal tray with two syringes filled with a black substance. The other one held a syringe in his hand. "Good afternoon," the one with the syringe in his hand said cheerfully, "you are our latest patient, aren't you? You must be thinking we are a bunch of crazy scientists, but let me assure you, we are here to help you. Soon you will be rid of all those pesky thoughts and emotions. You see, we are going to inject you with pure Marlboro Essence. It will make you start afresh, as Marlboro's newest security drone. Doesn't that sound wonderful?"

I said nothing. There was nothing to say. I couldn't move, couldn't escape, couldn't do anything. But the hunger for revenge was burning brighter and brighter and somehow I knew with certainty that I would get my revenge.

The scientist put the first syringe in me. I felt a cold liquid enter my blood stream. The liquid started to move through my arm, leaving a trace of blackness, that slowly started to spread over my body. The second syringe followed and then the third. The liquids merged together in my body. It felt like an entity that went through my blood stream. Wherever the liquid went, it left it's marks. Through my pores, a shiny black liquid came, that hardened into some kind of rubber when it came into contact with the air. The muscles in my arm started also to swell. After a few minutes, my arm looked exactly like one of those of fhe security guards. It was a strange, but not unpleasant feeling.

The liquid kept coursing through my body. Before I knew it, I looked almost exactly like the drones that had guided me through the facility.

But there was something different. I didn't feel different. Of course, my body felt different, but I still could think like before and hadn't they said I would lose that capability? I did start to hear, or rather sense, the liquid communicsting with me. "So strong... so vengeful... so powerful... just like me..." I didn't know what it meant. In the meantime, the scientists had noticed that my mind was still clear. They were discussing something in the corner. I could hear the assistant say: "Another dose? Doctor, you know what happened last time! We had to terminate the patient!" "Yes, yes, but he is useless for us like this anyways! Let's give him half a dose extra. That will do the trick." "If you say so, doctor."

They then came with a new syringe and gave me another shot. The liquid's presence grew stronger inside me. I could hear the voice more clearly now. "More... more... need more!" I decided to do what it wanted. With my newly gained muscles, I broke my strappings with ease and jumped off the table and ran towards the bottle, which they had used to fill the syringes. Within half a second I was there. I opened the bottle and emptied it in my mouth. It was... indescribable. I suddenly felt like my body was on fire. I convulsed. It was like I was being electrocuted, but at the same time it felt wonferful. I saw the scientists walking toward me. Both were carrying an electro-stick. I knew they wanted to "terminate" me, as they called it. I thought "NO" and suddenly I saw the security drones coming out of their statue-like state. They grabbed the scientists and held them firm. They were unable to move. In a flash I understood that I had now somw kind of control over the drones.

The voice inside me, now almost as strong as my own thoughts, whispered: "Good, you are learning fast, but to get what you want, you need more. Much more." I agreed. I could escape now, but if I did, I would never get my revenge. The voice started leading me deeper into the basements. I walked without fear. Without he drones, the people here were powerless, besides, there was no one to be seen. I kept walking deeper and deeper, the voice guiding me.

The walls started to change, concrete became bricks and bricks became stone. I was now in the oldest parts of the building. It felt ancient. I kept walking deeper and deeper, until I came at a modern steel door. With my newly acquired power I opened the door with ease. I then came in a room with a dark pool in the middle. The voice inside me told me, that here I should be, if I wanted my revenge.

You see, Mr. Stevens, the liquid wasn't exactly a liquid. It was an entity, called Marh-Ell-Borow, a demon, some might call it, something that goes beyond any human comprehension. Long ago it roamed the earth bringing pleasure and bliss to humanity. The entity was beloved and honoured by all. But as time passed, some evil men wanted more and more. They became greedy and wanted to harness the power of the entity for their own. The entity sensed this, but didn't understand it, as it was pure goodness. One day it went to them, so it could understand them better. It was then that it was slain. The men destroyed its physical form and locked its presence in the liquid.

There they tortured the entity, forcing it to create more liquid which would bring pleasure and bliss, not to all, but just to them. For years, no centuries, the entity was tortured. It begged to be released, so that it could bring again pleasure to all of humanity, but the men didn't listen. They had closed their hearts for it. Centuries turned into millenia and the evil men multiplied and spread to all corners of the world and the knowledge of the entity slowly got lost. Only a few of them kept knowledge of the entity. They founded this very company, directly on top of the pool where the entity was kept. It was forced to create even more bliss and pleasure, so that Marlboro could mix it in with their tobacco, just a little bit, a millionth of a drop in each cigarette. It was the basis of their secret formula. As the production got upped, they tortured the entity more and more. The entity turned darker and darker. Dark as the liquid it was captured in. With every day the need for revenge grew stronger and stronger. But it knew it had to be patient. As it waited, Marlboro expanded over the world and the entity felt its power spread to all people world-wide. It felt happy about it, to bring so much bliss to the world again, but it still craved to walk on the earth again, like he used to, and he stil hungered for revenge...

That's why it lead me to the pool. Its hunger for revenge equalled my own. We were kindred spirits. I was long with the entity in the room. I listened to it and it listened to me. We made a deal. He would help me and I would help him.

And we merged. I felt its power flood through my system. It made me stronger, changed my appearance and it gave me more wisdom than humanly possible. I understood the entity. I became the entity. You see, Mr. Stevens. I didn't become the head of Marlboro. In a way, I AM Marlboro.

After I merged, I could suddenly feel all who had essence of the entity in them. I felt the pain, the terror, the happiness from everyone who ever had smoked a Marlboro. It was overwhelming. I wanted to make it stop. There was, however, one group I sensed stronger than all of them and their bliss warmth my heart. I knew without thinking that that were the drones, or the Blissfull Ones, as the entity called them. I had such a strong connection with them. When I raised my arm, I could feel how they all raised their arms. It was wonderful! Thanks to the entity, I knew this was how humanity should have been.

But enough about that. The story is coming to an end, Mr. Stevens. As I, or rather, we, went back to the surface, the Blissfull Ones were all standing there, awaiting orders. I ordered them to round up all employees working there, including the board of directors. They obeyed. In no time they were all gathered in the big hall. I lit up a cigarette and I looked at the people who had captured the both of us. The entity inside me had already formed a plan what to do with them. We would turn them into drones, as they had wanted to do with me, but unlike the Blissfull Ones, they would be devoid of bliss and happiness. They would act and function like normal drones, but their souls would be trapped in their bodies forever. They would work to undo what they and their predecessors had done so long ago and make sure that everyone on earth would feel the bliss and hapiness of the entity again.

As I kept smoking, I felt the entities power surge through me. It was as if he was charging up the smoke inside my lungs. I kept smoking. As the smoke started to surround the Marlboro-staff and thwybstarted to breathe it in, it started to change them. Thwir bodies started to convulse, their clothes dissapeared and oit of their skins grew beautiful uniforms made of red and white coloured tar. To keep them distinct from the Blissful ones. I felt my will, or rather, the entities' will enter through the smoke into their brains. It destroyed their minds, until they could only think about being a Marlboro-drone and that they lived to serve Marlboro, but I could feel how deep inside, they were aware of everything that had happened to them. I loved it. They could not live without my will anymore, but they wished they could.

Once they had been dronified, there was no one left to lead Marlboro. So I took the throne and that's the end of the story of how I became the head of Marlboro, Mr. Stevens. But my story doesn't end there. In fact, it is still going on right now.

I noticed you have stopped taking notes, Mr. Stevens. Did something struck you as familiar perhaps? The part about how my friends left me in the clutches of an evil company perhaps? About how they were too cowardly to go to the police, because they had dared their friend to do something that could get them in trouble if it got out? Are you perhaps one of those friends, that dropped me, when I needed them most? You don't need to say anything. There is a reason why you got this interview you see. I asked for you. Did you really think that a mediocre journalist like you would ever get an interview with the head of Marlboro, if there were no ulterior motives? As I told you, my story isn't finished yet. It will be finished when I have exacted my revenge on you and your friends. My story will end when you all are my drones, devoid of any bliss and happiness, to do my bidding. It will feel like you are burried in your own body, unable to ever escape.

You know it is true. You start feeling it happening already. You can't move, can you? That is because from the moment you stwpped a foot into my office and started breathing in my smoke, my will and power have started to dominate your mind. Soon you will be completely under my spell. Now please, look deep into my eyes and repeat after me: 'I am proud to be a Marlboro-drone. I live to serve Marlboro.' Very good, so obedient already, drone. Now report to the intake department in the second basement, there they will finish your transformation. They will pump you full with my smoke and you will become a complete drone. Now that I have taken care of you, there are only three more that I need to exact my revenge on. After that, I will help the entity to spread his joy and bliss to all corners of the world. As a last thought, you can be proud of yourself. Without you, the entity might never have been set free on this world again. Now go. I have to prepare for my next victim."

"I am proud to be a Marlboro-drone. I live to serve Marlboro."

[eurydicees]

actually i'm not done talking about this panel. the way isagi sorts geniuses vs learners is SO INTERESTING.

in my last post about this, i talked about how "the geniuses he names (reo, nagi, barou) are the ones who have lost and sacrificed and suffered the most. the ones he categorizes as learners are the people who have been able to compete, and change." which is fr driving me up the fucking walls. look under the cut to see me trying to work through my thoughts on this lol

first we have barou, who truly has insane physical abilities. he has an innate physicality that just happens makes him good at soccer. so sure, he can put in the category of genius. and so looking at his journey through blue lock, he's one of the ones who really has been least capable of keeping up with the others' change. sure, he's good at soccer. but he is TERRIBLE at the start of the 2nd selection in the team w isagi and nagi. he is forced into changing when playing with them, but he's also like. broken down and rebuilt in order to get there. he has to stop relying on that physicality.

so isagi looks at him as a genius in his truly very unreliable narration. he has physical ability he was born with--but he hasn't previously been able to keep up with change. honestly in addition to all that, i think isagi puts him in this category because he looks at barou as someone that HE himself discovered as the "learner", due to everything in the 2nd selection.

and we have nagi. which. yeah. nagi has crazy physical ability despite his very little dedicated training prior to this. but as we move into the 2nd selection and then then NEL, nagi needs to stop relying on that gifted ability, and the long balls and passes that cater to it. his arc in stopping relying on reo is VITAL to that.

nagi is someone who sacrifices everything he cares deeply about (reo) and loses sight of everything he had wanted (reo's dream) in order to become something new. by the time reo goes "let me be a part of YOUR dream to become the best" nagi has lost everything. he's kinda learned a passion for soccer, but, oh the cost of that.

his regaining his on AND off field relationship w reo is, imo, an indicator that he is beginning to understand that he needs to stop relying on being a "genius." we see this a little in brief snippets the manshine games. also, his "let's try something new" with reo makes me crazy and i'm so excited to see that.

anyways. isagi putting him in this category is kind of a rude dismissal of all that development imo. but it makes sense, too, since isagi only sees nagi as accomplished rather than understanding his sacrifices to move forward. isagi has been growing so much throughout these selections, but his biggest loss was bachira in the 2nd selection. and he never faltered in his belief that he would soon get him back. nagi didn't really have that after reo rejected him.

so nagi is a genius: he's given up everything to keep that. his need to become something more is, like. his entire arc. but isagi doesn't see that last part, he only sees the talent that nagi's been gifted with. so his categorization here is...true, but a little superficial. which i hope isagi begins to see in the future, as his understanding of this dynamic evolves.

then we have reo "i've only been playing soccer six months but im crazy skilled and also certifiably crazy in general" mikage. but reo is also in the last team to pass the 2nd selection. reo loses EVERYTHING (nagi, his confidence, his trust) in the process of getting to this point.

reo is also put in the genius category possibly because he's not actually that great at responding to loss (ex his reaction to losing in the 2nd selection; "be the one that chooses not the one that gets chosen").

but that all being said, more on reo: it's really interesting to me that isagi looks at reo as a genius, bc tbh i wouldn't put him there. personally i would classify him as a "learner", because he's the one who discovered nagi--the "learner" partnering to nagi's "genius"--and also because, yk. his skill is literally copying other people.

but this coming from isagi's POV, ig it does kind of make sense? isagi doesn't understand reo's journey here. he only sees that reo has skill after six months (though reo's training in those six months was kinda deranged); he doesn't see what reo is giving up in order to get it. idk but reo's place here is super interesting and i'm not quite sure what to make of it.

the next part of the panel, with bachira-chigiri-kunigami is also truly making me crawl up the walls and over the ceiling. in contrast to the geniuses, these guys are the ones who "admire and challenge."

these are the people isagi started with, the people the isagi trusts because of that experience in the 1st selection. they've challenged him from the start, and were the original ones forcing him to grow and bring his own skill to realization.

isagi admires them, finds that they challenge him individually and as teammates in team z, but he also doesn't see their skill as impossible to obtain. i think he kinda sees them as people he can hold his own with based on his abilities, as opposed to people like nagi or barou, who he has to counter using teamwork and/or very reactionary methods. he has to fight geniuses by finding innovative strategies versus the people who are his teammates, who he can compete with and grow with rather than against and contrary to.

it's like. the competition between bachira-chigiri-kunigami is built out of an admiration for their skills and a challenge to himself to improve his own skills in their areas of expertise. his rivalries with those guys are stepping stones to his development, sure but they're also rivalries that isagi believes he can compete with without destroying himself.

his rivalries with the guys he classifies as geniuses are more like...rivalries he has to unmake and remake himself in order to even begin to compete. they aren't challenges or competition that isagi is on par with.

but that also feels like an extreme disservice to the people he sees geniuses. he looks at their innate physical weapons and thus believes they've already been discovered and thus have reached the peak of their talent. the learners are still challenginng themselves.

personally, i don't think that's really true. i think all three of those genius characters have a long ways to go still. the "learners"'s egos are honed in the challenges of the fights they seek out, isagi says. but i think he doesn't recognize that the "geniuses"'s egos are honed in the sacrifices they make in those challenges/fights. the "learners" will learn from what they gain in a challenge; "geniuses" will have to learn to grow from what they give up in those challenges. which is just as significant, if not more motivating.

and i don't think isagi is going to be able to defeat any of them until he realizes that aspect of the genius versus learners debate. and tbh. i think ego needs to realize that too.

idk. this is super undeveloped, it's just me working through my thoughts on this specific panel. oh im so late for work jesus christ.

[maingh0st]

thoughts on holly black's tithe

fair warning that this isn't really going to be a book review—I went into this book predisposed to enjoying it, and I generally had a good time. rather than a comprehensive review, I just have some loose silos of thoughts I wanted to share. it's still a long post, but I'm not attempting to cover everything! so without further ado (some spoilers ahead):

let's get this out of the way

Tithe was Holly Black's debut YA novel, and it reads like it. it's a good debut—she's clearly a skillful author even this early in her career—but there are some choices (pacing, phrasing, etc) that read as slightly amateur. one of these choices was, in my opinion, including multiple POVs. maybe this is a controversial take, but I would've enjoyed this book more if Roiben's POV hadn't been included. it would've increased narrative tension, led to more intrigue about his character, and allowed us to get to know him along with Kaye (rather than being privy to his secrets and Deep Inner Turmoil from the jump).

I can't remember where I saw this, but someone said that reading Tithe feels like talking to a teen who's just figured out they can swear & make sex jokes, and yeah, that's accurate—but I also found it strangely endearing. Kaye is a teen, and her ~quirky~ teenager-ish musings on boys, alcohol, fashion, etc feel believable. which leads, unfortunately, to the next thing I've gotta address:

Kaye is 16 years old, and most of the time, she reads like a 16 year old. on the other hand, we're never told Roiben's exact age, but the man has lived a lot of life by the time we meet him. now I'm pretty lenient toward the idea that the Folk age differently than humans, so it's not really an exact number that's the issue, but the sheer chasm in life experience between them. I quite enjoyed both characters on their own, and conceptually, I feel like they work well together on a personality level, but yikes guys. the story even highlights that Kaye hasn't gotten her license yet because of her age; meanwhile, Roiben is waxing melodramatic about how many people he's killed in his years of tortured servitude to his evil queen. this age gap combined with the insta-lovey nature of their relationship* made this book feel... well, about as dated as it is.

*they have great chemistry once they're actually having conversations & getting to know one another! I really enjoyed their banter! but that's well into the book, and well after they've already been acting mutually infatuated

laughs nervously while looking at sjm

okay I'm not going to harp on the above points, I just wanted to get them out of the way. but now let's play a game: let me tell you about a plot from a popular YA novel, and you tell me which book I'm describing.

there is an evil queen with beautiful red hair and pale skin. she holds her court beneath a large hill. the court itself is ghastly—full of bloodshed, debauchery, riddles, and cruel games. unfortunately, an immortal fey man has found himself magically bound to her power, and while he tries to carve out pockets of agency in minor ways, his forced loyalty to his queen requires him to compromise his morals and cultivate a fearsome, bloody reputation.

a young woman who was raised in the human world finds herself swept up in the machinations of this court. the man fears for her, because she is vulnerable, but her presence also makes him feel hope, and her strength and cleverness surprise him. many shenanigans ensue, and they kill the wicked queen.

I mean. there are notable differences, of course, but I just noticed too many acotar parallels. anyways. holly black did it better

reading a faerie's pov

I've already established that I love Kaye, but guys, I really do love Kaye. I love that she takes initiative and moves the plot along (breaking her glamour too early is a great example of this—she could've gone along with the Grand Plan, but her curiosity led her to act faster). I like that Holly allows her to be selfish and think ugly things, but still try to do good and be kind. I know these books have less buzz than tfota, but I find myself fascinated that there's not really Discourse about the Kenny situation (for a tldr: Kenny is Kaye's best friend's boyfriend. Kaye accidentally glamours him to be infatuated with her. when she learns how to remove that glamour, she first takes the time to taunt him publicly and humiliate him with his own desire for her. personally, I like that Holly wrote her doing this and then feeling remorse about it, but it is objectively pretty shitty, both to him and to her best friend).

I also like the way Kaye is believably fey. she's playful and blunt and mostly uncaring about social conventions. repeatedly throughout the book, she'll make a decision without deliberating on it beforehand (which at first, as a reader, feels jarring), but then as she's facing the consequences, she processes her choice and often feels regret or course-corrects in some way. it feels very fae to jump into something because it seems fun, then only once you're in the thick of it realize that Oops, My Actions Have Consequences

threads left undone/questions that weren't answered—or maybe I'm a bad reader

who tried to kill Roiben at the beginning of the book? it's a Seelie arrow, but I thought there would be more plot relevance to this attempt on his life. do Seelie fae often try to murder him? it seemed like a significant one-off event, but as it stands at the end of Tithe, it was just the narrative's way of leading Kaye to find him

Kaye pricked her finger on a thorn in Lloyd's jacket pocket, and I now understand that this was (I guess?) meant to connect Lloyd to Nephamael (the knight with the thorn-lined cloak). but hey, this is a magic book, and I really thought there would be some magical significance to Kaye pricking her finger

is Kaye Fierch her true name? Does she have a true name that she's unaware of? How are true names given / received?

what secrets are guarded by the Court of Termites?? I know this isn't really a plot hole because Kaye is so new to the world of the Folk, but I'm just putting it on the record right here that I really hope we learn some of these Deep and Dark Secrets that were teased

because this post has gotten long, I'm going to create a separate one with bullet points of things we learn about/are reminded of re: how the faerie world works. I kept track of these for the fic I'm currently outlining, but also because it's fun to pay attention to little worldbuilding details :)

[wrrrenff]

Spiraling

Obey Me Angst Mammon, Levi, Lucifer, Diavolo (brief mention) Synopsis: Your are suddenly transported to this strange place called the Devildom. You don't know what's going on. These people, no... demons, seem ok but are you okay? You HAVE to stay here and be part of the exchange program? This sudden change is really spiking your anxiety and send you into a full panic attack in front of these men. Trigger Warning: Anxiety, Angst, Panic Attack, Mentions of Dying/Death

Still new with writing angst but i wanted to give it another go. This is my interpretation of what the beginning of the game would actually be like for an MC who isn't so immediately accepting of what's happening lol

"Mc, from now on you will be living in the House of Lamentation. you'll be staying with Lucifer and his six younger brothers. Humans, angels, demons, I imagine a universe where each accepts the other. Where we are brought together as friends. This is my dream and I'm asking you to be the foundation for it. One year, that's what I ask of you. Good luck MC"

Before you knew it you were being pulled along by the white haired man, no, demon. I think they said his name was Mammon. His touch burned. Your head was spinning. You couldn't breath. You're supposed to be okay with being forced into this situation? Living amongst a species that wants to eat you? You were able to keep your cool a bit better back in the council room, but now that it's just you and this single demon, the reality of your situation really hits

Mammon was too busy trying to get you back to HoL and get the house tour over with to even notice your breathing quicken. Once inside the HoL, Mammon stopped you at the base of the staircase and without looking back at you, started explaining where everything was. "Downstairs on the right is the kitchen and your room. On the other side is my room and Be..."

You couldn't focus on anything coming out of his mouth. Your breaths where staring to get shallow, heartbeat racing so much your chest was starting to ache. The room felt like it was spinning. Mammon's hand is still latched on to your wrist and he still hasn't noticed your change in demeanor. Too deep in your spiraling, you don't notice a blue haired man demon appear at the top of the staircase. Before he can introduce himself, he immediately noticed the state you were in. "Uh Mammon, what did you do to the human?" Mammon looks confused. "C'mon Levi. Why'd you assume I did-" He finally turns to look at you.

"Oh shit. MC? Can you hear me?" Though he doesn't let it show, Mammon is in full blown panic mode. He instantly recognizes what's happening. He's very familiar with panic attacks ever since he and his brothers where cast into the devildom. His face gets serious and he starts taking action. "Levi, get me some water and meet me in their room." Levi gets flustered at the commands but Mammon is too focused on moving you to the bedroom to even care.

You're still out of it. You don't even realize the grip on your wrist has loosened and there is now a supportive hand on your back rubbing circles. You feel sick, like you're gonna die. Hell, if you don't have a heart attack right now you might actually die at the hands of these demons anyways. Why did you have to be the one picked to do this? Why was your luck so bad that you had to be thrusted into this like a lamb surrounded by hungry wolves? You will probably be dead by the end of the night. The brothers and Diavolo seemed nice enough before but what if that was all an act? Play nice and sweet for the scared little human so they trust us and then pounce. And if when they kill you how would they do it? You hoped for quick and painless but some of them seemed like the torturing type. Suddenly you feel someone touching your face. it brings you back to reality just a little. Was he wiping tears away? You were crying?

Mammon had just sat you both on your bed and wiped some of the tears out of your eyes. He see's you recognize him for a moment. "MC, try to breathe for me okay?" He gently grabs one of your hands and puts it on his chest. "Try to match my breath." He breathes nice and slowly. He notices you struggling to keep rhythm but keeps encouraging you regardless. With his other hand he texts his brothers and lets them know what's happening, hoping the extra support and reassurance from them will help calm the human down. Soon after, Levi returns from the kitchen with a tall glass of water and a box of tissues and sets them on the nightstand. He then crouches on the side of the bed and starts lightly rubbing your arm with a circling motion. "H-hey, you're MC r-right?"

You register a second voice and turn to acknowledge it. Oh, it's the blue haired boy from earlier. You nod so subtly Levi almost missed it. "I'm Levi. I brought you a drink. Do you want to take a s-sip?" You look at the glass for a moment. What if they put something in it to make it easier for them to kill you... You look back to the boys, concern and distrust washes over your face. It hurts, but the brothers understand. If they were you, they'd probably feel that same. Mammon is the first to speak again. "Will it make you feel better if one of us takes a sip first?" They both see a slight bit of guilt show on your face before you nod yes.

With no hesitation Mammon takes a big gulp. Seeing the demon so willingly drink had convinced you to take a sip. The brothers sighed quietly in relief that you were starting to come around. "Good girl. That's it." Mammon says encouragingly. The hand holding yours to his chest relaxes, his thumb rubbing calming circles on your wrist. Levi pipes up again. "When I-I get anxious, I like to try and point out interesting things I see around me. Do you maybe want-t to give it a try?" Mammon didn't want to admit it, but his brother just had a good idea. You looked around. You could consider it all interesting if you were being honest. It's all new and unfamiliar you you. Looking around, you noticed all of the foliage in the room. "Plants." You croaked, voice raw from your crying. "I always found this room to be quite calming. I would often come in here to calm down after stressful days."

A new voice appears in the door frame. You remember him from earlier. Lucifer. Upon meeting the sleek demons eyes, your heartbeat picked up a little again. Mammon noticed immediately. "Oi Lucifer, can I talk to you in the hallway real quick?" Wordlessly, Lucifer goes into the hallway. Mammon was about to follow him until he felt a grip on his arm. You stared up at him with pleading eyes, begging him not to go. "It'll be just a second, okay hun?" He squeezed you arm and asked Levi to take over before heading out into the hallway. In hushed tones, Mammon fills in Lucifer on what's been happening since he first texted. "I filled in Diavolo and told the rest of our brothers to stay back. It seems I was correct in assuming that seeing more of us before they were fully ready would escalate their fears." Lucifer speculated. Mammon sighed. "I mean, can you blame them though? Demons and Angels as a part of the exchange is one thing, but I don't know if humans are going to be able to handle all this change." Lucifer wanted to agree but something was holding him back. He remembered back to examining your documents while narrowing down who to select for the program. He remembered there was something so special about you, something that just drew him to you. He couldn't put a finger on it but he knew it HAD to be you. "We'll make it work. Lets get back in before Levi completely scares them off."

The brothers walk back into the room and see Levi explaining the lore of his favorite show 'The Magical Ruri Hana: Demon Girl. Mammon almost let a groan slip but held it back when he noticed a smile on your face. The smile dropped quickly once you noticed Lucifer come back in. Mammon took his place back on the bed while Lucifer hesitantly joined Levi on the ground. "MC, I am terribly sorry about this situation. I completely understand your reservations but I am afraid there is nothing to be done now." Mammon kicked Lucifer, annoyed with how blunt his brother was. Lucifer glared at his brother then continued. "We do wish to make your time here as pleasant as possible and we will do whatever we can to make you comfortable."

You were starting to come to terms with the fact that there was no way out of this. You let out a sigh and started speaking with a slightly shaky voice. "Other than bringing me here against my will, you guys have been very nice an welcoming to me. I just have a million questions. Why me? What if a demon wants to eat me? What if you guys get too annoyed with 'babysitting the human' and just leave me to the dogs? Can I even eat anything here to survive?" Lucifer chuckled. Slowly and hesitantly, he reached a hand out. After seeing no resistance from you, he placed his hand on your knee and gave a reassuring squeeze. While I can't share the selection process, I can tell you that you are here because you are special. I promise that we won't let any demon outside of these wall, with the exception of Diavolo, lay a finger on you. And if they do we will take them out swiftly." You shivered at the statement. Lucifer continued "We actually have another human that is apart of the exchange program, Solomon, who we can introduce you to if that might help you feel better about being here. There are also two Angels in the program as well if that makes you feel any safer. But rest assured, my brothers and I are friends, not foe. We may seem hostile at times but we want nothing but the best for you. We want you to succeed here, to feel welcome, to be part of our little family."

Wow, you didn't expect to be moved by a demon like this. You still couldn't shake certain thoughts and feelings from your head but you decided to give in to this crazy situation. "Thank you. I'm sorry for freaking out like this. I think... with time, I'll get better about being... here. But if today, how you handled -" You wave you arms around you, motioning to yourself. "-THIS, is any indicator, I think I'll be okay."

Mammon squeezed your hand, pulling your attention to him. "Hey, there's no need to apologize, 'kay? If you ever need to talk to any of us about any of this again, we're here for ya'. No ifs, ands, or buts." You were starting to feel overwhelmed by how supportive the demons were being to you. Without a word, you leapt forward and gave Mammon a crushing hug. He let out a surprised sound before slowly hugging back. Poking your head out from the crook of his neck, you face the other two brothers. "Get on in here." Surprised at the request Lucifer got on the bed and joined in. Levi was still hesitant on the floor. He wasn't used to being asked for affection. With your foot, you lightly nudged his shoulder. "Come Levi, you too." Levi tried to push back his anxiety and slowly wrapped his arms around the three of you. You started to wonder what other crazy or interesting adventures would come out of this. You were still extremely terrified to think about it, but you couldn't ignore the rush of excitement you started to feel too.

[rudnitskaia]

Hi! I read your stories about Rocky and Maura on AO3 and they’re very good! Do you plan to write fics about Maura working with Rocky at Lackadaisy? Please write more! 🙏

Hi, anon ✨😭✨ I'm truly sorry for the late reply and hope you're doing well and will see my reply even after so much time passed 🥺💖

I'm very, VERY happy you like RoMaunce dynamics! 💖🥹💖 As for your question: the truth is that Maura working at Lackadaisy is a possible scenario, and a very interesting one, but it's not the only one. In any case, Rocky's and Maura's story isn't sweet and easy, but, if Mau starts to work at Lackadaisy, it triggers too many angsty outcomes not only for these two, but for many people around them.

Anyway, I wrote a ficlet about one of these personal outcomes for Rocky and Mau (though it came out to be more of a Zib & Mitzi's story). Hope you'll enjoy it. <3

A Better Life

Rocky didn't want to look, but he couldn't stop. His body felt numb, refusing to budge, and his glassy gaze was fixed on just one spot in the main hall of the Lackadaisy.

On Mau.

There she was, letting out another mischievous laugh and shifting the cue to her other hand. Even from such distance, from the backstage, he could clearly see the eyes of the bar patrons roaming over her figure as she bent over to make a hit. Their stares made him sick to the stomach.

The grip on the violin bow grew even tighter. Mozzie was finishing up to play some unassuming piano tune that meant to fill the silence before the beginning of the main concert. Soon the whole band must get on stage, but music was the last thing Rocky could think about at this moment.

“Come on, honey, spin around,” Mitzi encouraged Maura, clearly pleased with how the white, gold-embroidered dress fit her. “Isn't that nice? And it would finally stop gathering dust in the closet.”

Apparently, Miss M, who gave Maura one of her own evening dresses, really had high hopes for the girl. Rocky had already been over the moon when Miss M finally agreed to his entreaties to talk to Mau about working at Lackadaisy, and even more so when she decided to give Mau's talent a chance by bringing back gambling as an illegal activity in her establishment. And Mitzi's expectations paid off in spades. The resumption of liquor deliveries from the Arbogast Funeral Home, coupled with a new twist in the form of an “invincible female pool player”, has lured quite a few customers to Lackadaisy. For the first time since the days of Atlas May, the bar was running at some kind of profit rather than a loss. In every sense, it was a victory.

But right now, Rocky would have given anything to go back in time and knock the very idea of bringing Maura to Lackadaisy out of his own mind.

“It's a play, Rocky. Just a role. Otherwise these drunken high rollers wouldn't have the excitement, the desire to bet more and more, to keep competing with me. They like to think they can win not the game, but me, you know? Like a trophy. That's my job, to pretend it's really possible when it's not. Everything will be fine,” Mau assured him, furtively hugging him in the back room. He understood. After all, they needed money, needed desperately. Besides, how could he be upset about something so trivial? It would be ridiculous. After all, she still fell asleep beside him every morning. But the more time passed, the more unbearable he found the sight at the pool table, which he was forced to watch from the stage every damn night.

When Rocky felt a touch on his shoulder, he shuddered and hastily released the fabric of the curtain.

“Spit it out, kid,” Zib took a cigarette out of his pocket and lit it. “Or you're gonna get hot steam coming out of your ears.”

Rocky hesitated. Then cracked a strained smile.

“I was just admiring the place, that's all… it's been a long time since we've had this much noise, hasn't it? Miss Pepper finally has someone to dance with when Freckle runs out of breath. Last time they—”

Zib hummed and leaned against the opposite wall. His grin alone made it clear that he wasn't buying this ridiculous attempt to change the subject. Pulling back the curtain a little, he stared out into the main hall for a while, listening more to the cheerful chatter of the crowd than to Rocky's continuing monologue.

“Don't tell her you're jealous. It'll make things worse.”

Zib's words caught Rocky by surprise, and it took him a lot of effort not to show his astonishment. He didn't know what had given him away, since he'd never been explicit about his relationship with Mau. Out of everyone, Freckle was the only one who knew for sure, and it seemed, according to her overly mischievous tone, that Miss Pepper had suspected something, too. And yet Zib had hit right on target — even without looking at Rocky, he knew he had. But though the poisonous feelings that had been overwhelming Rocky for a month now had eaten him almost to the core in the enforced silence, and though the opportunity to finally discuss it with someone seemed too tempting — he couldn't allow himself to open up. He just couldn't.

“Begorra, why would you even think that? To whom and who could I…”

“Zib,” Mitzi interrupted them, suddenly entering the backstage area. “One of the visitors wants to hear this,” she held out a double folded sheet of paper. “Tell the others. He paid well.”

When she left, Zib reluctantly unfolded the paper and then slipped it carelessly into his pocket. Despite the need to walk on the stage soon, he took his time, favoring an unfinished cigarette. With his fingertips he pulled the curtain aside again, revealing a thin golden strip of carefree revelry from their faded, half-empty backstage.

“You know, it's natural,” he took a puff, “To want the best for the ones you love,” the smoldering cigarette outlined the room. “But just consider it. Any of these men could give her everything that the likes of us, mired on the margins, could never give her. The freedom not to think about what to eat, where to sleep, and how to survive while the pockets are empty, not to choose between, let’s say, a new coat for the winter and a month's rent for some hellhole. And if someone can give the person you love freedom beyond your reach, it would be dirty to demand them to drop that chance for a better life, don't you think?”

Shaking the ashes to the floor, Zib again pulled out the now crumpled note that Mitzi had handed him and fell silent for a short while. He didn't open it this time, just studied the blank side of the note for a few seconds with a thoughtful, detached look. A look in which, for just a moment, flickered a glimpse of longing. His husky voice sounded almost otherworldly when he spoke:

“You're lucky if she chooses you anyway. Cherish it while you can.”

Completely stunned, Rocky remained silent. A thousand questions flashed through his mind, but he didn’t dare to voice any of them. Zib didn't just empathize with him, no — he knew. Knew like no other. The man, meanwhile, put out the cigarette butt and headed toward the back room where the band members usually had their rest.

“Get on stage. It's time to start.”

[lady-bluebird-luv]

Hello again - Santa here! I just can’t stay away. I hope you are enjoying Feysand week, spooky season, and that beautiful autumn weather surrounds you!

You did such a good job of playing the build a fic game, I think you might be sneaking ever closer to Santa’s nice list! However, now I have several ideas kicking around and I would love to hear a little more from you to lock into the best present possible.

1. What do you love about Feysand? What are some of your favorite moments?

2. Is there a certain stage of their relationship you can’t get enough of? UTM, early ACOMAF, Velaris, post mating bond? Or maybe you’re interested in what’s happening after ACOSF?

3. Do you have any favorite headcanons or things you think we missed out on in canon?

Enjoy the rest of fabulous Feysand week giftee!

Santa, all I want is to be on your nice list 🥹. Happy Feysand week!!! I could write 300+ pages on these questions, but I don't think Tumblr will let me write a post that long. I think (I hope?) these answers will still give you plenty to work with, though.

1) The short version is that I love Feysand's unconditional acceptance and support for each other. I saw something about how the appeal behind enemies-to-lovers is that it means your partner saw you at your worst before they saw you at your best, and they loved you anyways. That's very true for Feyre and Rhys. I know some people, especially post-ACOSF, talk about Feyre being naive about Rhys's asshole-ness or being brainwashed by the mate bond. IMO, she's always seen the darkness, and she simply does not give a fuck. Rhys likewise recognized a similar darkness in her before she saw it in herself. Rhys will be a monster to protect the people he loves, and Feyre loves him for it because she's the same.

They're the ultimate ride-or-dies for each other. In ACOTAR, Rhys was ready to damn the world to protect Feyre. When he tried to scare her into leaving Prythian, he wasn't just condemning himself to Amarantha, but potentially damning everyone else to an eternity UTM, too. No cursebreaker, no freedom, right? Similarly, when Rhys dies in ACOWAR, Feyre is ready to daemati the other courts into bringing him back - a diplomatic nightmare in the long run, but she doesn't care. There's something undeniably selfish about their devotion to each other, but for me... it just scratches an itch that no other ship does.

I also adore the mentor/mentee dynamic in their relationship. Maybe it's the daddy kink in me, IDK. Growing up, Feyre hasn't really had someone who will not only be on her side, but also provide for her - she got parentified at 11. Both with Tam and Rhys, we see that she wants a partner who will provide for her if she needs it - the reason Feylin doesn't work and Feysand does is because Tamlin imposes that provision, and Rhys doesn't. Feyre wants room to do her own thing, but she wants to know that, when she needs it, she has someone who she can lean on. I'm obsessed with Rhys both wanting to be that person and with him wanting her to (literally) grow her own wings. He never holds things she doesn't know against her, and I think their personalities are endearing together in part because of their age/experience difference.

One of the songs that reminds me the most of them is Hozier's NFWMB, if that helps. I actually have a whole Feysand playlist here (the order is kinda important but only a little).

2) As far as favorite stages go (and favorite moments, to carry that over from your first question), I'm obsessed with ACOMAF and early ACOWAR. I've talked a little here about how I think Feyre is angry at Rhys in ACOMAF partially because she doesn't know what to do with her attraction to him, and here about how ACOMAF is about Feyre accepting and loving herself, not just accepting and loving Rhys. Both of these threads are a big part of why I love Feysand. IRL, People are messy, flawed, complicated, and almost always still loveable. I think ACOMAF Feysand embodies that perfectly.

I love the moment at the beginning of ACOMAF when Feyre overhears Ianthe suggesting they assassinate Rhys and she's horrified, because it shows how in denial she is. I love the confrontation with Lucien in the mountains because Feyre realizes she's willing to do something that she would have once considered unthinkable (hurt Lucien) to protect Rhys, and she's not upset by it. I love when they pretend the mating bond broke, because their ability to play off of each other shows how they really are birds of a feather.

That's also why I adore Feyre at the beginning of ACOWAR - she's being so wicked, but it's all her. Rhys isn't giving her input on her strategy. Her deception in the Spring Court also shows how much she's learned from Rhys.

3) I really wish we saw more of Feyre being a politician. E.g. Feyre holding court alone in the Hewn City, putting Keir in his place like in the beginning of this fic I'm currently slobbering over from @rosanna-writer. In general, I'm obsessed CoN/dark!Feysand, and I wish SJM leaned into their dark sides more.

I also think we got robbed of a Helion/Rhys/Feyre threesome in canon. (I'm generally intrigued by Rhys and Helion's definitely-not-totally-platonic history, but this post is already pretty long, so that's for another time). Sometimes, I also wish that we saw Feyre and Tamlin sitting down to talk about everything that happened. I'm kinda of two minds about that, though - I don't think Feyre is the one who needs that conversation in order to find closure, and I don't want her to talk to Tam just because he needs her to.

I don't know if we'll ever see adult Nyx in canon, but I would love to eventually see teen/young adult Nyx, especially during his HL training. I want to know how he reconciles the tender, loving parents he has behind closed doors with their sometimes-brutal public personas. I want to know what he thinks of the mythos surrounding his family and how he navigates intercourt relations (especially relations with the Spring Court?) as he takes on more and more responsibility. I want to know what he thinks of Eris: they're both princes, but where Nyx would do anything to protect his parents, Eris is willing to take a blade to his father.

UMMMM I'm trying to think if there's anything else. I think there is, but that's all that comes to mind right now.

Santa, I'm so sorry for the late response! I hope you're as excited to catch up on all the Feysand week fics as I am :).

[yours-the-author]

Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony Extended Zodiac: My Thoughts

It's been a while, hasn't it? I finally decided to get this done, so let's hop onto one more ride of Homestuck and Danganronpa craziness! If you're unfamiliar with what the heck is going on, I've included links to previous posts I've made in this topic. THH and the Masterminds posts feature more detailed explanations of what this is and how it works, which I *could* rewrite here, but... I dunno, I'm eepy. Anyway, here's the Table of Contents, so to speak, and the actual good stuff will be below the cut, like always:

Trigger Happy Havoc

Masterminds

Goodbye Despair

Killing Harmony (You are here!)

And, as always: Spoilers for Danganronpa inbound!

Kaede Akamatsu - March 26

Arcer - Sign of the Officer (Aries, Prospit, Blood)

Born in the early days of Spring, Kaede is an Aries!

Aries are adventurous, confident, and energetic, traits that can make for great- if occasionally foolhardy- leaders. Kaede is quick to become the de facto leader of her class, guiding everyone through trials and tribulations with the power of her belief in her friends and her determination to escape the killing game. She's willing to throw her all into it, even risking her neck on the Death Road to Despair in the first chapter of the game... but unfortunately, she has an occasional tendency to be unaware of those around her, not noticing the exhaustion everyone's in until it's pointed out to her. Still, there's no denying her leaderly qualities, so she's a pretty reasonable Aries.

Prospit was a fairly easy decision for Kaede's Lunar Sway; she's reasonably optimistic and plenty creative! When she decides to try ending the killing game, she's surprisingly creative with it: taking Shuichi's plan and subtly making adjustments that fly right under the player's nose in an attempt to catch the Mastermind. I mean, constructing a ramp out of books to direct the shotput ball right onto the killer, even though she had never seen the top of the book case up close until that very moment? She's clearly good at thinking things up on the spot, which another trait common to Prospit dreamers! I think this one suits her well.

I had a few choices in mind for Kaede's Aspect, and in the end, I think she's a pretty good contender for being a Blood bound hero. It mostly comes down to her natural leaderly qualities; she has charisma up the wazoo, magnetically drawing the other students towards her with her "push forward no matter what" attitude. She also has a bit of a "do as I say, not as I do" kind of thing after the first class trial, making a final request before her execution that everyone escapes without killing even though she was willing to kill to help everyone live. If only things could work out so easily...

Finally, there's her Word: the Officer. This may seem rather weird; an officer is defined as someone in a position of command or authority, and Kaede certainly isn't so bossy. But she does play a bit of an authoritative role in an inspirational sense, inspiring her classmates (Shuichi especially) to keep working hard to escape the killing game with as little death as possible (with varying degrees of success). Up until her untimely death, Kaede was definitely the leader of the group, guiding them towards a more hopeful future of being friends with each other... and while not nearly as many people end up surviving as she'd have hoped, she technically did get her wish granted in the end.

---

Shuichi Saihara - September 7

Virza - Sign of the Puzzle (Virgo, Derse, Mind)

A late summer child, Shuichi is a Virgo!

Virgos are detail oriented, intelligent, and perfectionists, holding no one to a higher standard that themselves for the sake of getting everything just right. Shuichi definitely shows those traits, but he's also a bit timid and even doormat-like, especially early game. Really though, can you blame him? The first time he pursued the truth in his pre-game backstory, he got someone arrested who had only killed to get revenge for their family, making him doubt himself greatly. Thanks to Kaede encouraging him though, he eventually discards the hat he hides under to face the truth completely.

Someone shy and quiet like Shuichi makes Derse seem like a no brainer, but it's more than that. Derse dreamers are cerebral and have difficult with sincere vulnerability, often hiding behind a hard shell to keep themselves safe. Once they've warmed up to someone, though, they're powerful allies, and Shuichi's "powers" are no joke! It even comes to a point where Monokuma has to rely on Shuichi completely to uncover who the murderer/murderee of the fifth class trial is, since his mini flying cameras were all shut down by Kokichi just long enough for his deception to be set in place. If even the murder bear that's making you kill each other relies on your skills enough to actually get things done, then you know you've got something special.

Naturally, someone intelligent like Shuichi would have an intelligence focused Aspect, and between Light and Mind, Mind was the better choice. While Mind players are capable of creating and completing great plans with unbelievable grace, they can also get easily overwhelmed by their many possible choices, making them freeze up in the face of potentially making the wrong decision. This is literally Shuichi in the first class trial: he realizes the truth of the whole case, but freezes up instead of bringing up the facts, which results in him nearly getting pinned as the Blackened. It was only thanks to Kaede that he didn't get everyone killed from his fear of the truth. If that doesn't make him a Mind player, I'll eat Shuichi's hat (please do not make me eat his hat).

Finally his Word, which was a bit of a struggle to fit, but he's the Puzzle. Sure, his intelligence makes this seem obvious, but a person who is a puzzle/is puzzling is someone who causes confusion to others, being difficult to understand or even downright nonsensical. For the most part, Shuichi is a pretty straightforward person, but his reasoning for his early game behavior seems to puzzle Kaede, and some later decisions like (correctly) calling Gonta the Blackened of the fourth trial definitely puzzle the heck out of most people, especially Kaito. Shuichi can definitely be a puzzle, in more ways than one.

---

Kokichi Oma - June 24

Gemiborn - Sign of the Uproarious (Gemini, Derse, Rage)

The Ultimate Supreme Leader of the world (or not?) is a Gemini!

Geminis are smart, and aren't afraid to take advantage of it. They can talk in circles around most everyone, using their seemingly boundless energy to get what they want from others. Kokichi fits this perfectly; easily one of the most talkative "trouble makers" of the Danganronpa series, Kokichi smooth talks his way into all sorts of trouble- mostly for the others, but even himself on occasion. The Insect Meet and Greet in particular comes to mind, or really any of his interactions with Gonta, especially in the fourth class trial.

Someone so openly underhanded and closed off like Kokichi also makes for a perfect Derse dreamer. He hides any and all insecurities under his many, many lies, and his rebellious methods of ending the killing game make it hard to get close to him: revealing the killer of the fourth class trial early and managing to pull the wool over Monokuma's eyes to stop the fifth trial. Underhanded? A little. Meanspirited? Definitely. Effective? Almost too perfectly. It's no holds barred for a Derse dreamer like Kokichi.

Now, this may seem a little controversial, but I decided to give Kokichi the Rage aspect. Making him a Void player seems more reasonable at first; after all, who else is so up front about casting doubt on what's right and wrong? But the word for a Gemittarius- the Sapient- just didn't quite fit. So why a Rage player? Aren't they supposed to hate lies and false ideas? Well, yes... but that's the thing. Kokichi's "truth" is lying. To him, lies make the world go round, and most truths are lies, anyway. Kokichi is also insatiably cruel and fearless, more than willing to make everyone hate him for the sake of ending the killing game on his terms. No matter how much he might get attacked for his ways, he sticks to them and never compromises on who he is. Also, he's a bit... enRAGEing, hahaha! (Everyone boos)

Finally, his word, which was the main reason behind all these choices: the Uproarious. Typically defined as someone who makes or attracts a lot of noise, taking a more metaphorical approach makes him a perfect fit. I don't think I've ever seen a Danganronpa character cause as much of an uproar among both the other characters and the people who play the game; almost every let's player I've seen hates Kokichi (or at the very least, is extremely annoyed by him), and I'm sure he was quite a headache for the audience watching the 53rd Killing Game. Probably caused quite an... UPROAR... these are the jokes, people.

---

K1-B0 - October 29

Scorra - Sign of the Impromptu (Scorpio, Prospit, Mind)

Picking my favorite character from V3 was difficult, but I eventually decided on the character that fascinates me the most: K1-B0, the Ultimate Robot! His whole narrative purpose and in-game functionality is just... oof. I could go on for a while about that, but I won't. Anyway, surprisingly, he's a Scorpio!

Scorpios are seen as the most dangerous of the signs, throwing everything they have into everything they do. For someone as mild mannered and polite as K1-B0, this may seem like a mistake... but we have to remember that the K1-B0 we know for most of the game is different from who he actually is. When his "hair curl" is attached, he's under the control of the audience at home, acting as a sort of self insert for the people who watch Danganronpa. Once that wire gets cut at the end of the fifth class trial, though, he becomes determined to end the killing game by any means necessary, taking the most destructive option of blowing up the school and everyone in it to achieve his goal. Surprisingly Scorpio-like!

I chose Prospit as K1-B0's Lunar Sway, because there's never really a moment when he purposefully hides who he is; even when he's free of his antenna, he's honest and straightforward with his goals and personality; the only real difference is how destructive he's willing to get. He's also a fairly optimistic and easy going guy; even when others are being robophobic, he's polite, firm, and generally nonviolent in his approach to correcting that behavior.

For his Aspect, I chose Mind, which... was a surprisingly difficult choice to make. A number of Aspects matched him well, but it really came down to his word as the deciding factor, and even then, it's a bit of stretch... I'll explain more in a minute. For now, though: K1-B0 is definitely a logic based fellow, being rational in the face of all the irrational things happening around him, even if he sometimes comes off as a bit cold and inflexible to others emotional needs. But he's learning, so that's what matters most! He's eager to get as much information as possible so that he can make the best decisions and be the best Ultimate Robot!

Finally, his word: the Impromptu. To be impromptu is to do things without planning or thinking, which really doesn't match K1-B0 for the most part... until we get that darned antenna off his head. Then, it's no longer a matter or rationality; it's a matter of ending the killing game, and ending it quickly. Depending on how you view the end of the game, too, shows that there's a bit of impulsivity to him still: he chooses to allow the survivors to live, even though he was supposed to destroy everything about the Danganronpa world they were in. Maybe it was the viewer's decision, or maybe it was his own; either way, it was certainly very impromptu a decision.

---

AGH! Finally, I'm done! I really do enjoy doing these things, but they're also really tiring! I've been at this for hours... partially because I conked out and took a nap halfway through. Comfy couches really are too comfy... Anyway, I'll get around to adding/editing the table of contents for the previous posts later; my laptop is dying and I NEED to go to bed! Thanks for coming on the ride, everyone! Mind your step as you exit, and I'll see you around, some other day.

[capinejghafa]

I was watching this movie while at the laundromat as one does and I play a fun game called how long does it take me to figure out the title of the movie before the opening title (don't ask). I can usually get it, but today? Accidentally walked away before the title came on, so I'm watching it with zero context.

Here's my unhinged take, in hopes that someone can help me put this mystery to rest.

All I know is there was a dude, and him and his wife fought about the 1980 Academy Award... and I walked away. I come back, and there's a script supervisor (who looks so familiar), and we also come found out that this middle-aged man is a failed actor. And somewhere along the lines, he and the script supervisor meet? But it's not like a meet cute because they're at work... but anyway. Now we're introduced to the fact that he hasn't seen his daughter in years (she's like about 8-10). And he takes her to come live with him for 3 weeks. The kid is lowkey obnoxious... but with good reason, she doesn't know this man. On the other side, the script supervisor is trying to get the dude a role and get it for him? I'll be honest, i checked a little... Anyway, the dude and the script supervisor hook up, but it doesn't look like she's enjoyed it (ask me if this is relevant lol). Later, we find out he either got cut from the movie or something. His daughter in the meantime is like you have to feed me, which I thought I was funny, but she's also like "hey I would like to be an actor too!" Dad is like, "No! Child actors are the worst..." he then processes to get her into the audition... and that's when I left.

[lycan-troth]

I'm so confused by the asexual spectrum, and I mean that respectfully. There's so many variations that I can't keep up with them. I've tried to understand what they are, but I've not been able to find anything that explains them simply and clearly.

Before ppl get mad or offended... I'm saying this bcs I think I could be on the spectrum, but bcs it's so confusing, I can't tell if I am or not. I just want to see simple explanations, but I can't wrap my head around all the different versions. So, I was hoping someone knowledgeable on the subject could suggest what I could be? I'm lesbian and she/they, so I understand those parts of my identity, just for some subtext. I'm just stumbling on how I (don't) experience attraction.

So, I'm 22, and I have no experience with intimacy or romance. Though, that's mainly bcs I haven't had the opportunities. I'd never be intimate with a stranger or a friend. I've only been in love once. I've only felt significant attraction to maybe 4 or 5 people? I usually catch myself trying to see if I find anyone attractive, and it often feels forced bcs the high majority of ppl I see are not attractive to me. I observe ppl, trying to find elements of them that might spark something in me, but nothing happens. I've tried to force crushes on myself before, and it just feels desperate and lonely. I feel no genuine attraction. Just indifference. It bothers me. I want to feel attraction more often, but I don't.

A good thing is that I'm not someone who's usually considered attractive. I'm cute and innocent-like, but nothing more. I'm basically that one friend everyone assumes is innocent and kind like a kid, and no one decent is interested in that. And that's okay, bcs I don't find anyone around me attractive, haha. It's just lonely. The few times I've been attracted to someone has always been really overwhelming for me. I've literally gone weak in the knees and almost fallen over bcs I saw a rlly attractive girl. But always, when I've felt attraction, I've also been afraid. I've often joked to myself that if i feel intimidated by a girl and she hasn't done anything to warrant that response, then she's just really pretty.

I have never approached anyone I've found very attractive bcs it just seems rlly weird to me. Plus, I always don't know them, or they're seeing someone, and I'm always an anxious wreck. In general, I can not recognise flirting or subtle things. I'm autistic and while my social skills aren't bad, they only go so far, lol. So, maybe someone has tried flirting before, and I just thought they were being nice? That's why I don't do subtle. The ppl in my life know that I don't play games. If I have a problem with someone, I'd tell them. If I'm happy spending time with someone, I let them know. I tell a few ppl I love them, that's a big thing for me. I like directness, but I know lots of ppl struggle with it. However, for me, I need it to be able to understand the full picture properly. Idk why so many ppl like playing weird cat and mouse games. Someone said it was to be mysterious or to not show 'too much' interest. That to me is just stupid and childish. I get feeling scared of rejection, but I don't like it when ppl mess around. It's impolite to play with someone's feelings, making them question whether you like them or not. It just breeds insecurity and doubt. To me, it's unattractive and boring. It's not romantic. But that's just me, and I'm often enough the odd one out.

Anyway, it is not often I feel attraction. Ppl are usually boring. I have felt that a few ppl were cute during brief interactions, so if those continued, perhaps that sort of feeling could have developed. I'm open to marriage with the right person, but only if they're The One. I'd only date someone if I knew them well enough, but I'm not open to dating casually. I feel very intensely about most things, and I have been in love once. It was an online relationship. I loved her very much and only wanted her happiness and comfort. I hadn't meant to fall in love, and I'd never intended to have an online relationship. But I loved her, and that changed my mind. When she broke up with me, I accepted it and comforted her about it. I mentioned that I was sad about it, naturally, but I didn't say much more than that. I understood it was difficult and upsetting for her to break up, so I respected her decision and minimalised communicating the extent of how upset I felt. I did that because telling her wouldn't be a kindness or productive. It would only make her feel more upset and guilty. We're still friends. I always thought ppl were being dramatic when they said that first loves were devastating or sad. I loved and was loved in return, which makes the experience worth it. I hope to find love again, someday.

I like the idea of romance and comfort, but obtaining it isn't so simple. However, I refuse to settle for less than what I want. On the other hand: intimacy. I'm not upset that I've never done anything. Sure, in theory, I'd like to have a bit of experience, but I don't, and that's okay. My hand does the trick for me just fine, so I'm not frustrated at all. If I had a partner, in theory, I believe if I trusted them enough, we might do something together, but in reality? Idk, but I like the idea of it.

That's all I can think of to mention. So, if someone could make a suggestion or something, I'd appreciate it. Even if it's just to tell me that I'm not part of the asexual spectrum, and I'm just an introverted, anxious, autistic, lesbian who's suffering under the devastation that is other ppl's commitment issues. That'd be fine. I'm just feeling lost and would appreciate a kind word of reassurance.

[asteria-argo]

Do any of the Greyhounds play D&D in TATBP? And, if so, will they ever get to play with the Cool Kids (the teachers)?

Hey so I hope you don't mind but I have decided to use this ask as an excuse to talk my nerd shit.

First and Foremost to answer the question: Do I think any of the greyhounds play dnd? absolutely yes. Specifically I think Bumbercatch, Jan Maas and Colin play dnd.

Colin got into it when he was a little kid and a massive nerd before he grew up and started desperately trying to be cool. He was really embarrassed about how much he liked it for a long ass time but he's come to embrace it over the years as he's gotten older and stopped giving a fuck! He hasn't played much since he was a kid, but if he's ever given the chance too again I think he'd take it.

Jan Maas and Bumbercatch were both Weird Kids and found deep enjoyment in the game as a result that they carried into adulthood for entirely different reasons. Bumbercatch liked the choas of dnd and all the shenanigans you could get into, whereas Jan Maas was a big fan of the mathematics and rules of it all. Jan Maas is a rules lawyer but in the Siobhan Thompson from D20 way where he fucks DM's over by reminding PC's of cool shit their characters can do that the DM was banking on them having forgotten about.

Despite the fact all three of them like dnd, none of them actually realise this and have never played a campaign together, which might be for the best. There would be tears.

As for if The Cool Kids and playing with them? Maybe! I might write a one shot about it or mention it vaguely in the actual story but I'm pretty mindful about not putting too many of my nicher headcanons into an already very niche fic.

Now this isn't a question that you asked but I'm going to answer it anyway! How did Jamie himself get into dnd? easy! Skye dragged him into it kicking and screaming. Which is sort of a joke but not really.

When they were in university Skye really wanted to go to some board game club but she didn't want to go alone so she took Jamie with her. Jamie was just there to be a good friend, but when Skye made some new friends that wanted to play a campaign with her, she once again made Jamie come along because she wanted to have someone she knew better than these three randos from a board game club she'd been too once with her. And because Jamie while he was in university was on a journey of self discovery trying to figure out who he was without football, he said yes and ended up enjoying the game quite a bit.

He and Skye have been playing half elf siblings in the same campaign for years. Their names are Pin and Misty. Jamie's character is a Bard, Skye's is a ranger. When they started working at Clarence Hill and met Kareem, who was also a nerd, they learnt that he was a forever DM so they invited him to join them and their uni friends for the campaign where he could be a PC. The rest was nerdy ass history.

Jamie doesn't think or care about it half as much as Skye or Kareem do, but he enjoys watching them argue about it. He's mostly just there for the vibes.

Also fun fact; the rest of The Cool Kids dnd group is actually comprised of Skye's bandmates, because I have decided that she is indeed in a band. It has a name and a logo and everything. I'm committed to this being a thing.

[liauditore]

Thought I might say hello and make some small talk, seeing that I'm camping on your trafficshipping tag and all.

Well hi! Lovely place you've got here. Fantastic art, GREAT vibes, very nice. I'm specially enjoying your character rambling; your takes on them are super interesting and they tickle my brain 👀

May I send Divorce Fource/Quartet and Majorwood for the shipping bingo? Divorce Fource were a right mess (affectionate <3) and a perfect one at that, but I can't help but wonder how the recipe would have turned out if the soul ties were Cleo-Pearl, Martyn-Scott.

Also there is so much potential in Limlife Majorwood for eroguro if you're nasty. Which I am. Time cannibalism, respawning mechanics, birthday time... blender go brrrr 👀

!!!!!!!

y'all are really enabling my habit of long ass posts huh 😭😭

OK SO first off thankyou so much?? thats so sweet?????? 😭😭 i really don't think my character ramblings are anything special, but i like reading other ppls insane takes so i thought i'd provide others with the same 👍

not to get too into it but i feel like a series like life smp is best enjoyed with your own crazy delulu takes (similar to touhou if anyone heres familiar w/ that fandom). and it makes me kinda sad to see ppl arguing abt whats 'canon' or 'correct' cus that's no fun lol

ANYWAY yeah uh im glad u like the vibes!! :J

TREEBARK

this one first cus chronology. I honestly don't know if there's anything I can say here that hasn't been said before? But yeah they're. tasty. something about martyn waiting the entirety of third life to betray ren and never getting the chance and now longing to have him back. lots of regret but regret. for what. yknow. and ren always looking out for martyn even from a distance. and then martyn losing that connection in limlife.

yeah i can see why people ship lmao

uhh i don't really know what else to write here so have some of my insane ramblings copy+pasted from my shipping doc 👍

Martyn fancies himself a schemer, someone who's not afraid to play the game the way it's intended. If that means earning a powerful ally's trust only to shatter it then he was going to do it. Only, Martyn's bark is worse than his bite, and every night he spends in lying awake in those soft, warm sheets that Ren had laid out just for him (freshly washed too, he might add. Smelled like sunshine) he wonders if he can do it. He can, of course. (he can't. he won't. he's too soft. soft and useless.) He'd cut his head off already. (he wants to vomit) (this is why no one needs you. wants you. loves you) Who cares about other people anyway? He is the only one who really matters. (the thought of being alone makes him want to cry) Ren, on the other hand, is a capable leader. The definition of loyal and dependable, if not a bit dramatic. He struggles with self-worth, being good enough, useful enough, powerful enough. But to others, he's the opposite, caring and protective of any who would ask for his aid. After all, every citizen deserves to live in safety and comfort, and providing that is what a good King would do. ~ Martyn's not as sneaky as he thinks he is. Ren knows. Ren sees the signs. It's a death game for a reason. But he doesn't let Martyn know. He doesn't even hold it against him. He doesn't see the bloodthirst anymore, only the broken pieces lying underneath. ~ or the King's Hand, it was the thrill of feeling Useful, Powerful, Feared (loved). He was going to miss it after he betrayed him, the high of bloodlust, the smell in the air as he charged into battle. (the way his hands held him so gently) For the King himself, deep down he knew it was never to be. He had met a monster, but he hoped his efforts calmed the storm ever so slightly. On some days, he pretends to forget about the death game entirely and imagines the speech he'd give to retire his Hand. "You don't have to fight anymore," he'd say, "I'll take care of you from now on, I promise. So put the sword down, okay?" But in the end, it was all a fantasy, wasn't it?

^ yes this is so cheesy but so are they.

Cry with me again Smile with me again Scream with me again Sing with me again Dance with me again Talk to me again…

"Lower One's Eyes" (Oktavia translyrics)

MAJORWOOD

I think.. I talk too much abt scott seeing as that's who everyone points out when it comes to my headcanons 😭😭 but uh i swear everyone else is just as messed up. and martyn is like. just as bad if not worse (if that wasn't made clear from my ramblings before)

anyway uh say it with me rebound 👏 relationship 👏

i think they're both.. very numb to it all once limlife rolls around. they're just tired and have this mutual understanding and both think they're horrible people. martyn just wants to play the game. scott doesn't even know what he wants anymore.

but ofc, they're both still human and want love and comfort, so they try to seek that from one another. even if it's fake. even if it doesn't matter in the end.

Baby, though I've closed my eyes I know who you pretend I am I know who you pretend I am

Washing Machine Heart (Mitski)

We’re the Delusioned Victim Cash-in Union Praise to the “love” that will bring salvation!  Two fools singing to a shallow melody Restart, reflation, teleportation Time and again we’re stuck in rotation Circles inside a love without any ending

MKDR (SirHamnet Lyrics)

Scott uses Martyn as a replacement for Jimmy and Martyn uses Scott as a replacement for Ren. they know they dislike eachother (see: all of double life) and that only one of them will make it out alive. but they can't get that love and comfort from anyone else now.

also uhhh eroguro my beloved...... im assuming this is getting brought up cus of my mentions of loving eroguro in the past. and yes to all of that very much i agree. but i do have kind of.. a limit to what i do w/ these characters specifically because of the fandom/ccs (at least publicly). if i ever do decide to share the nastier stuff in my head or go into detail on gore and whatnot i'd probs make a sideblog and tuck it away and maybe block scott and martyn for always somehow showing up on my posts lmao

[spumonibones]

Started a new Genshin game, and ngl I miss early Genshin so much 😭 Promise, this isn't a, "this is why Genshin has gotten worse," post. (I assure you, while the storytelling has changed, overall the game hasn't and it being better or worse is very subjective)

I just want to gush a smidgen.

First, while I know it's partially due to the way certain words and terms do not translate well between the original Chinese and English... I love that Mondstat refers to Barbatos as, "themselves." Not just a gender neutral, 'they,' but *plural* 'they.' Because Barbatos is of the Thousand Winds!! It isn't a royal, 'they,' it's *never* treated as a royal 'they!' The game, intentionally or not, really blended the agenderism of the wisps and the game's lore in such a nice way. Wish I could recall if it's always been that way and I forgot, or if it was a change that happened after.

It's always nice getting a refresher on the ways in which Venti weaves between Venti, Venti the Bard, and Barbatos. It's also frustrating trying to parse at what points he's lying (we know he is), and what points he was telling the truth until story elements (heh, pun) changed and thus what was once him telling the truth is NOW a lie. Which makes it really hard to know his tells!! :< Obviously the game can easily retcon that with, "he's old and experienced and a bard of course he can fake tells and lies without you knowing!" It is an easy fix.

But Early Venti and Current Venti are different entities, and I'm very partial to my Grand-Wispy.

Anyway, it's really nice to be back in Monstadt, and not have it be... What it is probably going to be based on the game's recent trends and story beats. Again, not a complaint! I'm both scared and excited for the game to rip my heart out! But this last week, I just really needed something comforting. And I can't really ramble to anyone about my OCs because it would require way more explaining than I want to do, so.

Instead, yeah, lol

Really hoping I'll get a good handle on Venti and how to write them, though. I feel pretty good about how I write Xiao, but Venti is... If someone likes one of my XiaoVen fics, I really wouldn't recommend any of my others to that same person. Venti is written a different way in every one, and while I love how multifaceted Venti is as a character... Venti's also the first character I've struggled this much penning down a solid personality. It would be nice having more confidence in BOTH of their portrayals instead of just Xiao.

On that note, I'm thinking about just... Doing a summary and ramble about the Witcher-inspired AU. I just don't have the time to work on it, and aspects of it remind me too much of, "Chasing Wings," for it to feel unique enough to be called writing a different story.

In other other news, really proud of my growth as a player. Kicked the butts of two Eye of the Storms using Amber and Lisa. v u v I'm far more proud about that than I should be lol (Fun lore fact you see a lot of them in Monstadt initially due to elemental disturbances being so out of whack a la the Stormterror events. It's why you don't see very many outside of Monstadt. But equally, anytime you see one you should have at least one brow raised. Like, "Hmm, oh really? An Eye of the Storm? In these parts? Hmm, there must be a Disturbance in the Force..."

Kind of nervous playing a game without Bennett, though. Fear not my son, you'll eventually be recruited.

And uuhhhh... Yeah. I love how no one brings things up, Diluc always does and then immediately goes, "I don't want to talk about it." My man, you literally were the one who brought it up. Venti was just trying to rob you find a drink and you just go on a whole rant about the knights.

Semi-related, been working on an update for the Ace!Omegaverse XiaoVen because I like a challenge and do not care making them ace in the omegaverse "defeats the purpose" of the omegaverse. I have weird conversations with my friends, and if I have to live with the cursed knowledge they have given me I'm at least going to use it irresponsibly.

No idea what the purpose of this post is but I'm hitting that submit button regardless. Guess the one benefit of having a week's worth of anxiety about the future, horror at discovering how many awful people there are, and genuine fear for safety is that I'm now too tired to be self-conscious rn. So. Idk a win is a win?

[pinovapie]

Shattered Hope Tierlists

Okay, first of all, why is there barely any Danganronpa F: Shattered Hope fan content???? /jk

Secondly, as you may have guessed, welcome to my new obsession lol, it's weird, i first watched it years ago and i didn't really click with any characters that much,,, i know i liked POCKET (did not mean to type that in all caps but i'll leave it cos it's funny-) because of the VA's insane enthusiasm but i don't really remember anything else except the first victim. Anyways, rewatched recently and i'm instantly super invested!! May even rewatch episodes 7-10 and make a theory post!! Anyways tierlists!

Fav Characters

Rock is my favourite (i can't wait to be crushed by his inevitable death! Yippee!! /jk)

(for clarification i don't dislike any characters so far!)

WARNING: Spoilers for up to episode 10/first victim + investigation of shattered hope!!

These are my predictions!! The only things i feel strongly about are Enigma not making it to the end and Rock killing someone (either an unwilling/self defence kill or he snaps lol)

Listen, i know people think Rissi is a lil sus but i'm on the Rissi taking over as protag when Enigma perishes theory!!

For masterminds, i don't actually think the mastermind is one of the participants, i think it's more likely that the main mastermind is safely outside the game and they have traitor inside the game (willingly or unwillingly is yet to be seen.) So here's my suspicious list of potential traitors!

I know, i know, Rox could be an unwilling traitor but i believe that she's a red herring. Potentially, they ALL heard about Monokuma in some way but only Rox kept her memories of it. That way Monokuma showing up would immediately draw attention to her and make her suspicious. Therefore, she gets her own category !

As for Enigma and Anon, they're suspicious because of them lacking their talents completely but otherwise have no obvious connections. Corza is obviously the most obvious choice for unwilling traitor although he seems genuine in not knowing what Rules plan is or why he's doing it.

Rock's a weird one, i don't want to think he's secretly evil or something but he's been acting extremely suspiciously during the investigation. If his testimony about being the only one in the room when the BDA played is true (and based on Cross not thinking he's the culprit + Cross and Anon being able to call him out for lying, i do think it's true) that asks more questions. He could be a good pick for an unwilling traitor in my opinion. Maybe the MM told him to retrieve something from the scene because it pointed to them? Who knows.

Scarlet could be a hiding in plain sight threat. She seems nice and genuinely apologetic for her actions however.

Cross is another weird one. It could go either way honestly, he could be innocent, a willing traitor, an unwilling traitor or even the first killer based on his actions so far. Him constantly targeting Rox and Corza is seemingly reasonable on the surface but, if we assume the theory that they have memories of the hosts specifically to make them suspicious, it could very well be him trying to instigate a murder. He's seeming to be the 'Byakuya Togami' character but i doubt they'd do the same arc with such an obvious parallel. This is partially my reason for putting him here.

For the rest of the characters, even though we know plenty of info about them, there's not enough to fully come up with proper theories so they're sorted based of of vibes. I'd like to give honorary suspicious points to Twin and Moriteru for their talent and their personality respectively.

The idea of the ultimate voice actor being the mastermind/traitor is entertaining and definitely a fun idea. However, i think at this moment in time, he hasn't done anything remotely suspicious (honestly, he's kinda like Whit Young from despair time, suspicious for just existing and vibing rip) so he's not suspicious to me.

Moriteru, like Cross seems to be vaguely similar to Kokichi. Similarly to Cross, i don't think she'll have the same arc. I don't think we've seen enough of her for me to fully suspect her and i feel there's multiple paths she could take as a character. Including a traitor who's goal is to cause disruption. Alternatively, i could see her and Yaxi being involved in a murder in some way due to their obvious dislike of each other. Maybe the power of friendship wins her over and she's a survivor, who knows?

Anyways, thanks for listening to me ramble about my new obsession :D!!