#ashi theories

[waeirfaahl]

My thoughts about Aku from “Samurai Jack”. The Child of Sorrow in-depth

Monsters are tragic beings. They are born too tall, too strong, too heavy. They are not evil by choice. That is their tragedy. (c) Ishiro Honda As a kid I watched lots of animated films from many countries. Some of them I liked, some of them even stuck in me very deep and had strong influence. Among animated series in my childhood there were several I really enjoyed — one of them is “Samurai Jack”, of course. Unusual visual style, unique atmosphere, memorable characters, feel of threat, epicness and tragedy, humour and horror, mind-blowing setting and locations, the relatable protagonist you respect and... the antagonist, who became my favourite character and inspired me in many senses. Of course, I am talking about Aku, who is genuinely the most underrated and deprived character of the show. Very sad, but true. Here I will talk about exactly what I noticed during watching the show. Some kind of tribute for Aku and the original classic seasons, i.e. true canon. Probably Aku was the first unusual and unique creature for me, when I was a child. He had otherworldly traits, but at the same time he was incredibly relatable, he was a living being with lots of emotions and bright personality, he could be funny and dangerous at the same time. I associated him with a tree, a totem of forest spirit and alien, similar to the ones from “The Thing” (1982 film). Although Aku is a shapeshifter, in his true anthropomorphic form he has traits of a dragon, a cat, a wolf and a bat. The spikes on his head, similar to the crown and spider’s legs, are some kind of ears and vibrissae, since he moves them, raises or lowers them depending on the joyful or sad mood. Aku has a very keen sense of smell, because he easily smelled Jack hiding, and before that, he realized by the smell of blood that Jack was the son of the Emperor. His hearing is also quite acute, because even through his rolling laughter he heard the rustling produced by Jack, albeit belatedly. But with eyesight, not everything is so clear. Despite quite a good reaction speed, because of the squinting, it seems that Aku sees very small objects (especially flying and fast) much worse than large or medium ones (in "Birth of Evil" episodes as an example, when he fought against Jack's father). At the same time, he calmly measures and controls his enormous physical strength at any size (for example, he did not scratch Jack much, although his huge and powerful claws could cut or tear apart Jack easily). He takes forms of animals and insects, very rarely (2 times — Ikra and in 9 episode 4 season) humanoids, what also can hint that he likes (or at least neutral) animals (if they don’t try to attack him) and dislikes sentient beings or specifically humans. Even his army is always demons and robots, so in comparasion with humans, who used animals for battles and wars, Aku is pretty humane, surprisingly. Moving aside from stereotypical “Darkness means evil”, his colors (black, green, red and white) have ambiguous meaning. Green can represent envy and life/immortality, red can represent anger/danger or love, black can represent sadness and mystery, white can represent innocence and death. Surprisingly, but these meanings are parts of his personality (remember this moment), and he always keeps his true colors in every form. It means that he can’t change the structure of his body and he only mimics visually, from another side, it means that he doesn’t hide his true self. His biology, aside of lots magic abilities, is also pretty interesting for analyze. Aku has no inner organs, no bones, no muscules, no skin, no genitals, no dna and so on (hence absolutely no sexual reproduce and no half-breed offspring and no pregnant mortals). Aku is neither male nor female, his species reproduce, using fragmentation or budding (what we can see in “Birth of Evil”), i.e. Aku is genderless creature and genetically he is a sibling to his dead ancestor from “Birth of Evil” (yes, they are two separate creatures — Aku doesn’t know about the alien gods and their weapons, Aku sees only Jack’s sword as the only weapon that can hurt him, Aku doesn’t have memories of his ancestor, only ability to shapeshift). But his blood resembles petroleum and acid, his blood/essense easily melts iron and metal and, how we could see in the classic seasons, is incredibly deadly and poisonous and even devours a mortal to death, if his blood happens to be inside of mortal. That confirms Aku is unable to mate with mortals or other deities at all. But it doesn’t make him the evil — lots of animals from Earth (sea snail, jellyfish, fugu fish, various snakes for example) are deadly poisonous and can kill human, but they are not the evil. Since Aku sleeps at the bottom of his castle in the bowels of the earth, he likes warmth, and temperature of his body is also pretty high and hot, while frosty and cold locations make him sick (I still have no idea, how he got the flu, being immortal and invinsible creature, who can travel in space for visiting Imakandi tribe and oceans — especially considering acidic blood, which is a perfect disinfectant; and I wonder, whether he found out about Jack being infected by his blood or not — probably Aku slept and felt himself as a gamer with Oculus Rift) probably because of changes and decreases in body temperature. Another interesting moment I noticed in “Birth of Evil” and in 1 episode 1 season. I always wondered, why the black lake released new spikes after absorbing drowning beings (humans and animals). As well as I always wondered, why Aku was imprisoned as a stone tree and was free after the solar eclipse (like, Jack’s father didn’t know, what can happen and how to either destroy or seal Aku, and how he can be free again — he knew only that the sword harms and weakens Aku). The only explanation I have about the stone tree is that it was not only Aku’s prison, but also defense mechanism, some kind of cocoon for hibernation and healing after serious wounds and weakening, while the energy of the solar eclipse just helped Aku to be cured faster and be free again (apparently even his ancestor had some connection with stars in the space). Hence logically even if Jack will defeat him, Aku will be in this hibernation stage again and won’t die (although, I wonder, what happen, if Jack will pierce the sword with Aku into himself or any living being instead of ground, or if he will not pierce it into anything). About the black lake and spikes... Logically it is also a defense mechanism and a tool for investigating location, getting information about life around and killing any threat, which wants to attack (partially that can explain, where this entire “Aku (”evil” in Japanese, akuma “demon” in Japanese), Shogun of Sorrow, the Deliverer of Darkness” comes from — some drowning humans could yell these curses during death toward the black lake). Another moment I wondered — what kind of poisons the arrow had, since it somehow gave the life to Aku instead of somehow killing the fragment? Earlier I assumed that Aku was inside the fragment, which was in gestation-like stage (what also can explain lots of spikes as a defense mechanism — it protected Aku and gave basic information for fast adaptation and successful surviving in the world after birth), while the poisoned arrow forced the fragment to birth the creature before the need time, i.e. Aku is kinda premature and underdeveloped. However, what if these spikes are also failed attempts of the fragment to birth the new creature, while Emperor’s poisoned arrow had a mix of materials and substances, which helped the fragment finally to birth the new creature, Aku? (like, after interaction of the poisoned arrow with the black lake we see the two small flames, indicating the life) I.e. literally the forest of corpses, i.e. Aku’s dead siblings, which became the defense tool. Maybe it’s creepy, but very plausible. And Emperor can be called Aku’s father literally (creator is the correct word for this, but you got my point). And exactly here is the starting point of Aku’s tragedy and Jack’s tragedy (yep, when your enemy is your brother). Despite acting like a ruthless tyrant in some episodes, Aku never gave impression of absolute villain. He was a cynical, asexual and always lonely trickster, a mirror opposite of Jack (Ying and Yang thing), but they both had the same problems — suffering because of ancestral mistakes (Emperor’s mistake specifically), deprivation of free will, they were abandoned, lost and lonely in the cruel world. Since my childhood I felt bad for Aku for many reasons. Several episodes gave some hints about his past and his personality and reason for fixation on Jack, but after “Birth of Evil” episodes the puzzles finally became the single picture. In "Birth of Evil” episode, we see the ancient cosmic entity, and how the three creepy alien gods kill it (my thoughts about what this entity is and about three alien gods and about weird aspects of Jack’s sword you can read here — better if Jack and Aku finally became allies and fought together against these gods, who are the true villains, that would be awesome and epic ending). But one tiny shred of the dead entity falls on Earth, causing extinction of dinosaurs, it eats and grows. Obviously, all human generations considered the shred/fragment/black lake as pure evil and wanted to kill it. Jack's father wanted to destroy the fragment of the cosmic dead entity, but instead he accidentally created Aku and rejected him, attacking him and causing his aggressiveness and the events we see later in the story. I guess, Emperor has pretty low IQ, since he thinks it is a good idea to insult and to provoke the large and unpredictable supernatural being, which even wasn’t aggressive to him (I’d say, Aku was pretty friendly), and to tell that he wanted to kill the being. Lots of people say “If Aku was not the pure evil, he would ignore Emperor and go away. I wouldn’t conquer the entire world because of one dude who insulted me”. I guess, these people think and judge from perspective of mentally and psychologically healthy person with normal childhood and normal life. They don’t realize that it is almost impossible to meet an adequate human in the Middle Ages for such a creature — nobody would simply accept Aku, all would consider him a monster and the evil that needs to be killed (might I remind you, in ancient times some people believed that swamps and bitumen pits are den of evil spirits, while solar eclipses symbolize the arriving of evil). Under such pressure, he would have done what he has done in “Birth of Evil” anyway. The only chance for Aku to become normal member of human/mortal society in Middle Ages and further — if Jack’s father accepted him, when Aku was born. But Jack’s father subtly said to Aku “You are an accident that should never have existed and lived. You should have died. My intention was to not give life and freedom to you, I wanted to kill you” and started to attack him with arrows and sword, confirming his intentions, where the battle and imprisoning strengthened hatred within Aku toward humans, mortals and especially toward Jack’s father and later Jack (who took responsibility without knowing the origin of the conflict). And we got unwanted, abandoned, rejected and embittered creature, who never got a chance to be loved and accepted. Aku is the result of humans’ fear of unknown, prejustice, ignorance, disregard and indifference, where the one human could undo this, but in noble desire to save his family and kingdom he himself created the monster, who punishes and shares his eternal pain with all. When Aku looks at arrows in his hand and then looks at Jack’s father, for few seconds you can notice resentment, sadness and disappointment on his face before anger. Plus, Emperor’s words and deeds could be interpreted by Aku as not only insulting and rejecting, but also as “You and other world think that I am the evil from the beginning and even without knowing about me. Very well, I will be the evil, because there is no point to be anything else". Aku was born innocent, but death surrounded him before birth and became his companion, he could learn to trust and love, but anger and hatred replaced them, hence he sees it as forbidden weakness and disgrace of worthless mortals, immortal life was corrupted with envy especially toward Jack, formidable foe and the son of the fool, who created Aku. Aku is the true child of sorrow, the painful grief, deeply rooted within Aku like the poisoned arrow of the human, who could become a father to him. (I still think that the arrow is still inside of Aku — plus, in some cultures arrows symbolize war or life, so it makes sense) After this, his lines about "Once again I am free to smite the world as in the long past" and "Now, my formidable foe, you will pay for my pain in the past with your pain in the future!" toward Jack get deeper shades. The line about “to smite the world” is literally "to punish humankind” (how it happened in “Birth of Evil” episodes). The line about “my past pain and your future pain” also partially explains, why Aku didn't try to kill Jack in some episodes, but only destroyed or stole time portals, mocking on Jack. And it gets even more deep shades in episode, where saddened Jack finds his destroyed kingdom and remembers his happy childhood — like, similar feelings of pain and loneliness of someone, who was abandoned in cruel and unknown world. Aku’s line from comics “You will always be alone, samurai. But as long as I have you, I will never be alone!” is another perfect explanation. Aku sees Jack as his equal and as someone, who probably could understand him. Also I think, Aku sees in Jack not only the enemy, who can ruin his plans etc, but also he sees in Jack his father, what strenghtens his hatred toward Jack, and Aku probably feels... envy. Because Jack was a wanted child for his family, because Jack is open for world and can find friends, because Jack never gives up and stays kind person, he helps to everyone and has a hope to return home, where his family and friends loved him, and where Jack was happy. He has something Aku was deprived of (and even never had). I always wondered, why Aku calls himself a wizard instead of demon or some supernatural being. Can it be self-hatred because of unability to accept and let go the past? I don’t know, but Aku needs therapy. Aku created the multicultural society with technological progress instead of killing entire life, he didn't harm kids from the fairy tale episode (I assume, his first fairy tale can represent his hidden desire to be a hero in kids’ eyes — if he didn’t care, he’d just ignore/kill them or whatever), he used only robots and demons as his army and policy. (for some reason I recall lines from the song from Moana "Far from the ones who abandoned, you're chasing the love of these humans, who made you feel wanted").

What I noticed — Jack’s father even didn't tell to Jack about how he accidentally created Aku, he only mentioned "This evil demonic wizard attacked my kingdom, I heroically fought and defeated him" or whatever (here is more detailed post about this moment). Hence Emperor didn’t realize what he has done. Remember the short scene in 7 episode 2 season, where Jack’s parents clung to each other, and the shadow of Aku's head towered over them — just imagine, how furious Aku was after sending Jack to the future, how he cruelly punishes Jack's parents and all those enslaved and for minutes freed people. That would be really dark and emotionally powerful scene — especiallly if Emperor finally realized his mistake and begged Aku to mercy Empress and other people, since it is only his fault, but without avail. Aku’s hatred toward Jack’s father was also hinted in two scenes — in 1 episode 1 season, where all enslaved people worked together, while exhausted Emperor worked alone and was tortured by demonic servants, and in 4 episode 3 season Aku refers to him as “your worthless father” during confrontation with Jack. Interesting... can Aku be called a mononoke (vengeful spirit, corrupted with negative emotions, caused by human)? This tragic and dark aspect of the character stuck with me for many years. The theme, where the one is a bitter "mistake" of one ignorant human, the another one was destined to destroy his father's "mistake" only 'cause of its dark origin, i.e. both were deprived of choice and free will. And there really could be awesome and dramatic epic, where the two lone characters understand each other's tragedies and through some events change. The theme, where exactly the choice is important, not origin or prejustice, i.e. something more deep and mature than banal "White savior defeats black wizard" thing. Because if to have absolutist one-dimensional worldview and to consider Aku as irredeemable pure evil, there is a chance to meet or hypocritically ignore uncomfortable question “Wait, by this logic, Aku was born that way, so he never asked to be born that way and can’t change, he is doomed from the start of his existence to be the evil and be killed only because of his origin. Isn’t that the tragedy?! He is the victim of either his nature or humans’ sins”. So yes, the best option would be exactly giving to Aku his arc “from antagonist to antihero and hero’s ally”, where Jack helps to overcome his inner conflict, healing him, and they do some heroic thing together. Surprisingly, this “kids show” from early 2000s and made me to think about pretty dark and dramatic themes.

But 5 season happened, and my emotions were “Look at how they massacred my boy!”... Here I already discussed that the father of Ashi and her sisters is unstated. Since her dad is unstated, I prefer to think that he was a random human (probably killed by her mother), while Ashi (similar to Blade from 1998 film) was only one in her litter, who got infected by Aku’s blood and survived (very rare type of horizontal gene transfer or whatever — maybe ‘cause Ashi was the weakest, so also we see some kind of sudden and unusual symbiotic relationship or whatever, ‘cause apparently exactly Aku’s blood saved her life in 3-4-5 episodes, and she didn’t die after falling from height or electricity — it reminds me the moment from “Princess Mononoke”, where Nago’s hatred curse devoured Ashitaka from inside, but saved Ashitaka’s life, when one of the women shot at him and he had serious blood loss). That’s the only reasonable explanation I have. Since I don’t consider 5 season as canon, I have some own thoughts about how 5 season and the true ending of the show should be and about characters’ arcs in it, but I’ll make a separate post about it later. 

This post is a tribute to Aku, who deserved really great story and ending, but was ruined and killed by own creator/author, who cared only about the monkey girl Mary Sue, a thief, a parasite and an impostor, who stole Jack’s and Aku’s arcs and backstories. Rest in peace, magnificent boy, and drink tasty tea with uncle Iroh and Mako, looking at sunset in valley.

[morurui]

CHAOS THEORY SPOILER

Was it just me or did Ben’s lip color keep fading as the show went on like it was a nice coral at the beginning and by the end it was pale.

[eyesofthetrees]

2 faces behind the mask

[kitano-ren]

WHO IS ASHITO AND SHUN'S FATHER?

Answer:

No one knows. But it is not Fukuda. That's for sure.

Until now, (volume 30), the author didn't mentioned him once. Maybe he's not planning on writing him, but knowing Kobayashi sensei, I wouldn't be surprised if he's gonna give us another bomb of an info in the future.

Here are some theories regarding Ashito and Shun's father

Maybe their father is already dead, and the author is not planning on writing him anymore because it's not really important. Afterall, sports series doesn't normally include character's backstories or families.

But we all know Ao Ashi is different. The author cherishes family and cares about character's backstories and family backgrounds especially for the main character Ashito Aoi, and he's not the type to leave something unanswered. So it's intriguing how he's not showing nor mentioning him at all.

Maybe the author has another surprise in his sleeve?

And that results to another theory.

This one is what I really like in all the theory: Ashito and Shun's father is a former football player or an experienced football player.

Noriko, their mother, doesn't know anything about football, nor interested in football. But surprisingly, Shun and Ashito are both very talented and passionate in football since they were young. So maybe they inherited these characteristics from their father. I'm also guessing, Ashito's bird's eye view ability and Shun's left foot is somewhat related to the existence of their father.

But unfortunately, maybe he left when Ashito was born (Shun is 1 year older than Ashito) to pursue his professional career in football. Maybe that's also why Noriko is very hesitant to let Ashito go to Esperion and play professionally because she feel like football is stealing one of her love ones again. She feel like Ashito is going to choose football and forgot about her later on like what their father did.

What we don't know though if their father is alive or not. And we don't know if Noriko and their father is in good terms or not. We don't know if they really broke up, or just lost contact to each other.

But seriously, I want him alive. I want a family reunion. Just imagine Ashito's father being also a very talented football player and showing up... isn't that awesome! I really hope the author wrote it like this.

I'm hoping!

BUT THESE ARE ALL JUST THEORIES

Maybe were just overthinking things. Maybe it's not that complicated. Maybe their father is just a simple man.

We're not sure, nobody knows what's gonna happen in the future. Only the author can decide about that.

But from the fact that Shun and Noriko have come this far in the story, dead or alive, I'm sure that their father's existence is also definitely meaningful.

DON'T YOU JUST LOVE THEM? SO PRECIOUS🥰❤️

[creatingblackcharacters]

Someone mentioned their story in my tags, and it riled me up so I'm going to say this to whoever needs to hear it:

You are not in the wrong when asking for Black characters to be drawn more respectfully!

Especially if you are paying someone real whole ass money!!! If their skin is ashy or greenish, or their hair is not the afro texture you asked for, or they blatantly drew a white person and filled them in, you have every right to say so. "It's just color theory" it is not color theory to be racist. Please. Even if it makes you uncomfortable to confront, I want you to know that if you choose to do so, you are not in the wrong to ask to be depicted like the human being you are. That's on the artist!

That being said, I'll say it again: make sure you are looking at artists' portfolios beforehand! You can avoid this situation altogether. Just because they have a gorgeous art style, does not mean they'll draw you well in said style! If there is no one Black amongst their work, or even in the content that they share... You are taking a higher risk! Some artists will listen to constructive criticism and grow, and were worth it. Others... 😬🤷🏾‍♀️ But you certainly don't have to settle for demeaning work!

[serawis]

- SERAWIS - Alive (skin undertones)

Tired of sims looking ashy, especially when choosing cooler skin tones? Me too! So I made this. It's a colour theory used by many artists and is vital in 3D texturing to make skin look alive. You only need a very subtle touch to breathe some life into them, so multiple swatches are available.

Compatible with all skin tones

Compatible with all skin overlays and defaults

HQ Compatible

Colour Slider Compatible (highly recommended so that you can bring the opacity way down if you need to)

All ages and genders

Disabled for random

Enjoy ♥

Download under the cut! (free, no ads)

⁺₊⋆ ☾ Patreon || CF ||💸 tip :  Payhip

@maxismatchccworld @mmoutfitters @emilyccfinds @coffee-cc-finds @public-ccfinds  

[starrclown]

Silly little double post cause I thought of this SECONDS after my original post bitching about the Hotel.

I have a theory on why people don't complain about the black characters designs of Hazbin Hotel. (I'll talk about it at the end)

Let's talk about the 4 black characters of Hazbin Hotel that people defend the designs with their LIFE.

First up:

ALASTOR

Alastor has been confirmed to be a mixed Creole man from Louisiana. Does he look like it? No. No he doesn't. If you told me this man has the whitest parents this side of hell then I would believe you. There I nothing visually that gives away he may have black features. Nose shape, lips, not ashy grey skin (something well see just you wait), thy couldn't even be dammned to give him curly hair or nothing! He doesn't have no black features and it's really off putting.

People argue that he has a white parent, a part that could play in him not having black features. I will remind you all again that I am not mixed. I am white. Mixed people can look any way. There is no specific way for mixed people to look. But cmon. No black features at all? Nothing? Personally I believe that Alastor want designed to be black. I believe that Vivziepop only made him black to justify him using voodoo. This is only speculation but to each their own.

Side note but the way yall attack people, mostly on Tiktok, about redesigns or re imagines is actually depressing. Could make a whole rant on that in general.

Next up:

VELVETTE

Thir is similar issues with Alastor and Velvette. No textured hair, no nose shape, no difference in her lips, ashy grey skin. While I like that Velvette changes hair styles every episode, personally I think that Velvette should have more black hairstyles. Like Velvette with braids or dreadlocks would be so cool. To this shows credit, Velvette did have a afro in episode 8. Honestly that should be her starter hair before she changes it. That would be so cute. Manifesting Velvette with a afro.

3rd:

Sera

Sera I would argue is the best designed black character. She actually has more pigmented brown skin and her hair I think is supposed to resemble dreadlocks. Personally I think their is room for improvement. She could be browner, less ashy looking, since she actually had a nose it could be a different shape then just straight, their could be more detail for her hair. While she's the best designed character, their is room to grow.

Side note: Y'all hating Sera too much. I see fanart and animatics of her being this blood thirsty killer that is jus destroying hell. Yall she is actively shown in the first 2 minutes of Hazbin not agreeing with the exterminations and actively frowning at the idea of murder. Sera is great I don't know what yall are on.

Last and certainly least because oh my god:

Emily

This is not a black woman. No I don't care that Viv said she's or that her Bible page says she is. Where is any black features? Her skin is gray, she has pencil thin lips like me, a white boy, she has stringy straight hair, and no nose at all.

This goes along with Sera as well but people say that they are angel's and don't have to look like black women because their angels and don't have a race. Which 1. Is wrong because Emily's Bible page said she was a youthful 20 something black woman and 2. If their angel's that dont have races then that fine. But.

DON'T SAY THEIR BLACK WOMAN AND THEN NOT DESIGN THEM LIKE IT.

If Viv just left them raceless then the would have been fine. But that not what she did. She made them black and then back peddled when people said that they didn't look like black woman. She tried to have her cake and eat it too. No, I don't care their angel's, if your going to give them a race then commit to it.

Let's get on to my conspiracy theory. I've noticed something in the Hazbin Hotel fandom that I think is the reason for the dismissal of the black characters no having black features.

Fanart.

I'm going somewhere with this is swear.

Go to Tumblr or Tiktok and see the art people create of Hazbin Hotel. You'll notice that people give Alastor and Velvette brown skin, they give Emily curly hair, they give Velvette full lips and different black hairstyles.

People make their art of the black characters looking black so when people see it they associate it with the show.

This is of course just a theory but I've noticed it alot and I think it's a pretty damn good explanation.

Sorry if this isn't as good as my other rants, I tried to get this out quickly because my theory was bothering me.

Asks are always open, art is always here, commissions are open, black lives matter.

- ⭐️StarClown⭐️

[zoetheneko]

Now that the new Avatar movie has been announced and that concept arts were dropped along with it, i will now throw on how these artwork on the new Na'vi tribe we'll be seeing may have confirmed my assumtions skin tone wise.

I took a sample of that one Fire Na'vi woman's skin tone (on the first image) as well as the Omaticaya and Metkayina clans' for comparision (i could be incorrect on the first two and if yes my bad i tried to pick up midtone colours).

I theorised to myself, with the little help of outside opinions, that the blue skin tone of these Na'vi would be a ashy/desaturated shade of blue. The sample i took resemble a dark blue gray (or it might be lighter because there's a bit of shadow on where i picked the colour), so this theory could be most likely be true.

[fangirl-dot-com]

Update

hey guys - so i got back to uni and it seems like this semester is going to kick my butt.

normally i try to write the next chapters when im at work since i sit at a desk - but i haven’t worked since early monday and i have a bunch of project due at the beginning of next week (my teachers hate me)

and like i said at the very beginning - i am a student first and then a (hopefully) beloved tumblr writer

so - i apologize for the lack of updates and thank you all for your patience :D please do not worry, chapters 19 and 20 are in the making!

my inbox is also open so pls message me there as well if you’d like too!! i love reading the comments and possible fan theories ☺️☺️

love you all! (here’s a lestappen picture to keep the people happy)

they’re so cutie patootie

TAG LIST: @fionaschicken @glitterquadricorn @laura-naruto-fan1998 @treehouse-mouse @sam-is-lost @kagatinkita @fangirl125reader @megatrilss1885 @myxticmoon @angsthology @cmleitora @agent-curt-mega @graciewrote @ashy-kit @slutofmultifandom @aexitizen-ln4 @sugarvibez @vellicora @thatgirlthatreadswattpad @cashtons-wife @hoetel-manager @xcharlottemikaelsonx @jayda12 @cassie0sstuff @ilove-tswizzle @justme2042 @itsjustkhaos @nikfigueiredo @stopeatread @cha-hot @sadg3 @iloveyou3000morgan @s4turnsl0ver @alessioayla @torchbearerkyle @leptitlu @awekbachira @shreks-sugar-daddy @v1naco @stan-josie @mellowarcadefun @badassturtle13 @beskardroids @callisposts @poppyalice2001 @juniper-july19

[olderthannetfic]

I really dislike those "How to draw (insert poc)" and then it's a guide telling you DON'T EVER DRAW THESE FEATURES! And then they make a figure with those features and label it "Bad." But the features are normal fucking features, but they made them "extra bad" for the art in some way, maybe by making the skin tone really bad. (Ashy, too saturated, etc.) or by drawing the features in an ugly style.

Maybe if you, on purpose have to make something extra ridiculous and uglified to make a point, then those features aren't actually that ridiculous on a poc? Maybe you just don't like them or are focusing on a very small pool of features you prefer?

Or they completely go off the rails and freak out about artistic shit like "If you draw a black character with blonde (still coily) hair, you're whitewashing them and implying that white traits are more desirable." As if black people can't dye their hair, or straight for that matter... OR WIGS??? Or like "Poc are never this pale." and then just ignore that people can be super pale and still poc. Pale=/=White. You also get hair tutorial posts that will straight up say that the only hair type a black character should have is on the spectrum of complete coily, 4ABC, maybe at most 3C.

Many of these posts don't even consider mixed features, or they ignore varying features because they forgot that poc features exist across a spectrum, especially where a lot of travel happened. A lot of "How to draw Asian (features)" are really hyper focused on East Asian features, which makes the title a lie. How about labelling it "How to draw East Asian (features.)" instead. Then acknowledge that you're still only guiding for a very specific set of features in most cases. (The amount of times these guides have basically completely excluded SEA features, or in other ways said that those features don't exist in Asians. Come tf on.)

Then there's thing like completely misunderstanding undertones, so they completely remove that tone from the colorwheel. Yellow, purple, red, are undertones poc can have, you need to know how to use them, not say "They're racist, never use." Learn undertones, no, no one is bright purple, red or yellow, but you have undertones. That's also how color correcting make-up works, it's about the undertones and then you negate them; color theory. Black people can have purple or red undertone, but they're not "purple" 💜 or "red" 🟥(I question if these people have weird colors on their device, so they might not see it?) Maybe their drawing ends up good, but the advice some give can really handicap a lot of artists with a different method of coloring.

--

[waeirfaahl]

The design of the cursed Ashi issue

Let's compare the designs of all characters, who were infected by Aku's blood. Jack in 4 episode of 4 season.

Jack's allies in 10 episode of 5 season had similar traits — animalistic copies of Aku. Moreover, they got infected with even more Aku's blood than Jack, so, yes, they are not alive anymore.

Like, they even merged with Aku in the next scenes. So, they are dead. From another side, pretty weird that Jack wasn't infected by his blood again during his attempt to free Ashi. But what we have with Ashi, who was infected by his blood too, but inside her mother's womb? She for some reason has different design.

And it is not the case with the design of the lambs from 7 episode of 5 season (their early design was much better, as well as presentation of the scene). She looks the same in animatic version.

Plus, her design in the cursed form is incredibly similar to the blind archers' design.

Like, really. And although I earlier discussed about the huge contradiction between the classic seasons and 5 season, in every version of events you choose, the archers weren't infected by Aku's blood. They were under the spell of either the wishing well (in the classic seasons) or Aku (in 5 season).

So, Ashi was cursed by her mother since embryo stage, while Aku just activated the spell and hence the infection or what? I mean, there's no acts and movements with own blood and/or remains of the black essense he did in "Birth of Evil" and in "The Ultra-Robots" episode, for example. He just makes this white eye shining he did toward the lambs in 7 episode of 5 season.

Same in animatic.

In the classic seasons his eyes had this white glowing, when he awakened zombies and moved the twig.

[danpuff-ao3]

SNARRY FOR BEGINNERS

Are you a bit Snarry curious, but also sorta wary and unsure where to start? Good news: I have some recs for you!

Snarry is a tricky ship for some folks. All of its most problematic themes are what draw me in personally, but that's not to say there aren't some safe places to start for a newcomer!

What I've chosen are:

Nothing too long, so you can get a little taste to see how you feel. So I'm looking at 50k or under.

Nothing "problematic" or as few "problematic" themes as I can get. No underage. No power imbalance. No consent issues. (...or at least nothing egregious haha.)

Works that also maintain some integrity to Harry and Severus' individual characters, and the tension between them. If I play it too safe it won't feel properly Snarry to me! Half the fun is the tension between them, so we must keep that!

So...If you wanna check some out, keep reading!

An Awkward Customer

by AnyaElizabeth. Rated: E. Words: 10,768. Postwar. EWE. Romance. Humor.

Snape can't figure out why Potter is hanging around his shop.

Why Read? A nice rom-com based on the prompt: "Harry makes a bet with someone that he could seduce anyone if he put his mind to it, and that someone selected for him is Snape, naturally." Severus owns an apothecary so we get some nice flirting at the workplace!

a scratch for every itch

by bleedcolor (@bleedcolor.) Rated: T. Words: 11,478. Fluff & humor. Magical maladies. Friends to idiots in love. Romance.

Severus Snape is an itch that Harry just can't scratch.

Why Read? Surely fluff is a safe place to start! And as a person who isn't often drawn to fluff, this is one I love, and is a comfort read of mine. Very sweet and silly and a great place to dip your toes in!

Dumbledore's Folly

by Dementordelta. Rated: M. Words: 47,446. Romance. Courtship. Oldie but a goodie!

Snape must court Harry according to wizarding traditions.

Why Read? I've reread this fic countless times over the years and it's still such a fun read. If you like arranged marriage/courtship fics, this is the one for you!

The Interrupted Kiss

by emynn. Rated: E. Words: 24,291. Postwar. Romance. Hurt/comfort. Mystery.

Once upon a time, Severus Snape shared a kiss with Harry Potter. Then Harry had disappeared after killing the Dark Lord, leaving Severus the reluctant darling of the Wizarding world. When Dumbledore insists on throwing a ball in Severus’s honour, Severus is convinced the world has gone completely mad. But when he comes across an ashy-faced young man whose half-answers about his identity haunt his every thought, Severus realizes that a ball might be the least of his worries.

Why Read? What safer place to start than a fairytale? If we ignore that most original fairytales are pretty effed up, actually. This is a Cinderella-inspired work. Severus is the Prince (naturally), and Harry is the wandmaker (cool career, right??) who attracts many cute animals! (He does not sing to them, though; what a shame!)

This Time of Ours

by emynn. Rated: E. Words: 35,442. Time travel. Hurt/comfort. Romance & drama.

Severus Snape wasn’t supposed to die. Neither was Harry Potter.

Why Read? Emynn has plenty of great Snarry fics, which is why you're getting 2 recs! We start with some fun snarking, move onto sweet bonding, and then...second chances! Very light, enjoyable read.

On the Deficencies of Translation Spells

by LilaDiurne (@liladiurne.) Rated: E. Words: 41,130. Getting together. Magical theory. Professor Potter & Professor Snape. Beaubatons. Pining. Light angst. Minor Harry/others.

Divorced, single, and free, Harry lives a completely unapologetic life in Paris. Between casual hook-ups and an easy, comfortable job, he likes to think he is as close to happiness as he'll ever be. And when he gets offered a teaching job at the prestigious Académie Beauxbâtons, he thinks he may have found exactly what was missing. But Harry is thoroughly unprepared for what he finds there - a familiar face that's been haunting his dreams for six years.

Why read? It's very Harry-centric. It's Harry's POV, and very about Harry and his journey as he moves to a new place, in a new phase of his life, and settles in. There's an existing connection and attraction between Harry and Severus, and one that unfolds so sensually and beautifully. Harry's very much an adult and mature and has lived a lot of life when he and Severus reunite.

Rapture

by mia_ugly (@mia-ugly.) Rated: E. Words: 48,123. Time travel. Romance.

Snape sees the man, for the first time, on his twenty-fifth birthday.

Why Read? It's a classic! It is very beloved in the community for good reason. Gorgeous writing. The relationship develops so naturally, and the pure emotion will knock your socks off. Potentially the best place to start for Snarry. I'm not a big fan of time travel, but I love this fic!

Revealed, Gently

by sarkysue. Rated: T. Words: 22,243. Postwar. Romance. Humor.

Snape isn’t dead, he’s back at Hogwarts and in need of an assistant. Coincidently, Harry is hanging around Hogwarts, reluctant to move on with his life. Cue sniping and snarking, tears and laughter and, possibly, love.

Why Read? It's fun. It's cute. It's a bit silly. It makes great use of how not easy it would be for these two, and having a blast with it! There is arguably a power imbalance what with Harry being Snape's teaching assistant, but it doesn't really feel like much of one. It's only a great opportunity to force these 2 to hang out long enough to fall in love!

The Sleeping Prince

by who_la_hoop. Rated: T. Words: 42,758. Postwar. Deaging. 8th year.

It's hard to ignore your past — and impossible to do so when you can't remember your future. But a meddlesome portrait, a dragon with an ancient grudge and true love's kiss teach an unlikely Prince that a regrettable past doesn't have to mean an unhappy ending.

Why Read? While probably the most questionable on the list, it's still fairly tame. Student Harry and his developing feelings for Student Severus, who is deaged postwar. It feels very much like a feel good teenage romance, wherein the characters very much act their age, awkwardness and all! The only caveat being things change a bit at the end, but there's no underage and it is rated Teen, to be fair!

The Beating of This Fragile Heart

by Writcraft (@writcraft.) Rated: E. Words: 33,146. Hurt/comfort. Fluff & angst. Serious Injury. Romance.

After the war, the last thing Severus Snape needs is the memory of a fleeting wartime kiss and a very persistent Harry Potter thwarting his plans to live a peaceful and solitary life. It’s only when Harry’s life is endangered that Severus is finally forced to confront his feelings head on.

Why Read? If you're coming from Drarry, you might be familiar with Writ's works! They've written plenty for drarry and some rare pair works, and they are a fantastic storyteller. This fic in particular is very romantic. Full of hesitancy and insecurity, and seeing how the relationship begins and how it unfolds and changes (for the better) when Severus is forced to deal with his issues. It's quite a journey but so full of love from start to finish and it's just so lovely and full of feels and one I return to again and again.

[sevenpoyo]

school headcanons for because i only got 3 more weeks

margo’s is so long even tho she got like 2 minutes of screen time bc i love her so much and she’s my gf

Margo Kess, 1610Miles, 42Miles, Gwen Stacy, Pavitr Prabhakar

margo kess / spiderbyte

ain’t shorty on zoom in the movie?

my girl dont attend class, she once shut down the entire blocks power so she would have an excuse to not be in class

eats in class all class everyday, only shares with you

takes really good notes and never studies them

like???? ma’am??? share???

all her electives are programming related and she pretends to busy while playing centipede all day

sends you 50 links to stuff you might like while ur in math

she got papers that let her opt out of gym

no matter how much you beg ur gonna be alone in gym and she doesn’t feel bad about it

popular with no friends type

like everyday 50 ppl stop you both and say hi

she only knows like 5 of their names she can’t stand half of them niggas

empty ass backpack like she got one notebook and one binder

all a’s and b’s like bitch how

her memory is absolutely ass but she can remember every story you told her or stuff that happened when y’all hang out

don’t ask her what she did in her class

don’t ask her if her class also has a history test

she don’t know

she don’t care

but she do know that when you were 8 your cousin burned ur thigh while y’all were playing iron vs knife fight

(u were dumb as hell for picking knife everyone knows iron always wins)

i looked it up on her word everybody uses those virtual avatars

she’ll shit on your class choices so damn hard

she just likes making fun of your choices fr

like half of ur conversation go;

damn i’m tired

u was up doing stupid shit last night you don’t get to complain

stfu that’s why ur a bitmoji

that’s why ur granny beat ur ass for something your brother did when you were 9

i hate telling u shit

then stop telling me shit

(i have no clue how accurate this is to her character but i need to write about her i’m in love but damn it’s long)

1610 miles / spider-man 2 lmao

book bag full locker full but never has a pencil

writes notes assignments and homework in paint pen ink don’t ask this nigga for notes

(he gets nigga treatment but not my queen margo bc i got favorites)

he miss mad classes but somehow still solid attendance record???

somehow always present in the record he miss 40 days and get caught on like 6 of them

unless his mom make breakfast and lunch on her day off for him he eating the most random shit from the bodega closest to visions

like what do you mean you got a cosmic brownie and a cold chopped cheese from last night ? it’s literally 7 in the morning no i don’t want none

makes you hype him up every time he slap boxes people and he’s so ass at it

he be ashy with no lotion atleast 5 times every month it’s embarrassing

he calls visions his white people school to his parents and his friends

once he said it to gwen and they sat in literal complete silence for like 10 minutes

prolly took music theory because he thought it would be easy and switched out of that shit so fast

i’d be so mean to him for enjoying physics

like this nigga trying to make something of him self

lil einstein ass nigga

he understands color theory but can’t explain it

12 half full sketchbooks but at school he literally draw on computer paper he don’t let the sketch book leave his bag

i know he’s ass at watercolor, he always spills shit, the colors always end up brown

try’s to be interested in your class choices bc he wants to know stuff he can talk about with you

when you first meet he can’t take meaner jokes bc he thinks that you mean them

but one day he’s gets comfortable, and brutal

no one in your life is safe when he looses a video game

except your mom

rio taught him better than that

42 miles / the prowler

comes to school with no school related supplies in his bag unless you count art stuff

finds a pencil on his way to class

has a change of clothes, rat tail comb, 3 bottles of water, a camera, a flashlight, lotion and cocoa butter.

like bro ur going to Ap Art not a camping trip

once he pulled out a griddle and and pancake mix and y’all started making pancakes in class

forgets his metro pass every day and gets so pissed ab it

runs into people in the hallway bc he’s never paying attention

idk if he goes to visions but if he does he calls it his white people school with his full chest to anybody even if they’re white

he be leaving halfway through the day all the time like bro you miss algebra 2 every damn day

uncle arron always talking him out of school with some bullshit reason

bro’s had his tonsils out 8 times on the school’s records

He will get ur parents to put his uncle on ur pickup list and you will be out of there with him

he will YELL if someone step on his shoes no matter what the situation like the school could be on fire and he fighting in the burning building

also his uniform is so pristine

his pants stiff

that button down is bleached ironed pressed and allat

this mfer is an online shopping addict u just know he be on amazon in class

will offer you the weirdest food combos like no i don’t want to put tajin mangoes on my beef patty i’m sick of you nigga

not school related but he’s super good with kids (both miles fr) but he’s the #1 little cousin defender and apologists

he ride for them always one of ur little cousins could sucker punch u and he be like

‘they just want u to play with them’

he takes a preforming arts class for fun prolly

loves sports but doesn’t play one understands the stats well and would help if you played one

wakes up at the asscrack of dawn on weekends

SICK ASS COSTUME FOR HOLLOWEEN IK THIS NIGGA LOVE HOLLOWEEN

plans costumes for school spirit weeks but always checks to seen if he’s gonna be the only one wearing a costume for it

never eats lunch unless his mom makes it he be hungry all day and be complaining

his socks are never in uniform (yes some uniform schools have sock rules)

gwen stacy / spider woman / ghost spider

idk what to call her

she has every snack you could ever want in her lunch bag

hates her music theory teacher

she literally has the most pristine locker with a calendar and a mirror and all that shit will write down test for you and important dates for the both of you

goes to school plays and shits on the story, like she ain’t pay 5 dollars to be there

some of her teachers hate her

like ma’am ur beefing with a whole 16 year old rn

she hate english teachers but love creative writing teachers

she keeps all her books in her locker never brings them home never brings them to class

always comes through with an extra pad no matter what

she also always has hand sanitizer

in like 4 extracurricular after school things and complains so bad

ur starting to hate that shit to ur sick of hearing it like girl quit then

10/10 cameraman she has every fight and every drama in 10khd and she will share them if you ask

she chews her pens and nails

has her drumsticks out always teachers have banned her from taking them to their classes

can watch tv on her phone but look focused you think she’s paying attention but then you look over and she’s watching good luck charlie

pavitr prabhakar / spider-man india

always late for class never in trouble

always eating and sharing food and never in trouble

how is he blessed like this? it ain’t fair

eats from the school vending machines or begs other ppl to share

will always have and share the homework answers no matter what he’s an angel

his sock always have holes in them like sir please get that shit together

gym try hard ik goes insane in football/soccer

very encouraging for shit u don’t wanna do he believes in you

you him and Gayatri talk so much shit but are somehow all well liked

he tells you what teachers are dating (he can just tell)

he has toothpaste in his bag for some reason?? i can just feel this one

his aunt will let you come over after school she’s so sweet to you.

always got a job at school assemblies

he’s reading poems or shaking hand or leading in the school pledge or something

Pav’s is short because i have no fucking clue if school in India is different form america and Barbados

[touchlikethesun]

i’ve been thinking about haikyuu name meanings again, so i thought i’d share two of the name meanings that make me smile a lot :)))

木　boku - tree 兎　to - rabbit (?) 光　kou - shining, glory, pride 太郎　tarou - “great” son or first son 赤　aka - red, communism (??) 葦　ashi - reed (?) 京　kei - ten quadrillion; other readings (kyou, tokyo), capital city 治　ji - govern, regulate

so i’ve purposefully kept the direct kanji meanings, even tho most of them are simple and/or non sensical when applied to bokuto and akaashi’s character. but i've done so to replicate my own confusion and (hopefully) eventual satisfaction when i’d worked tho the many layers of word play.

so the first character of bokuto’s name 木 (tree) i originally thought was supposed to tie him to owls, yknow bc owls are often sitting in trees, and that might be part of it, but when 木 is used in adjectival constructions (so instead of ‘tree’ it might mean more ‘wooden’) and applied to people it often carries pejorative connotations of stupidity, close to the english ‘blockheaded’ - which i have to admit. did make me chuckle. (note: i thought there might be some connection between boku and boke the insult kags is always launching at hinata but they seem to be unrelated go figure)

兎 (to) was another confusing one, since ordinarily 兎 is the character for usagi (rabit), but when read as to there didn't seem to be any real mean associated with it, which is funny because most of the names in hq!! have more thought put into them then that. i was just about to write it off, when i looked up the two kanji together on wiktionary and-

木兎　mimizuko - alt. spelling for eagle/horned owl

see above: eagle owl and bokuto koutarou for comparaison.

so basically in bokuto's name there is both a pun calling him a bit thick and a pun with the type of owl that inspired him how fucking incredible is that??? i personally love it

光太郎 (koutarou) seems to be a bit more of a traditional name, and we also have a very clear in-universe explanation for it's meaning. bokuto is the youngest of three with two older sisters, and it seems mr and mrs bokuto were very proud to finally have a son (ehhh patriarchy sucks sorry it is what it is) and wanted to give him a name that reflected their feelings. however, i do also think that 光 can also be taken to represent bokuto's presence in the series as a whole.

the first meaning of 光 being 'shining' obviously makes me think of the most bokuaka line in all of canon "we are the stars of the world" (ik some translations use protagonists in place of stars but shhh i'm being symbolic plus the vers i read used "stars"), because bokuto is such a star, he shines so brightly, and motivates so many people (the least of whom being akaashi and the rest of fukurodani). bokuto was always destined for glory and stardom in volleyball, but i think he's also just. so bright of a person. like yes, ofc he has his moods and his caprices, but that doesn't change how much he just, well, shines, brightens up a room. i don't know how much of this was intentional or accidental, but i like it.

~

like with bokuto's name, i ran into a bit of trouble with 赤葦 (akaashi) at first. literally, it means red reed, which didn't really seem significant. although 赤 (aka) also means 'red' as in 'communist' so now even tho it is certainly not at all the intended meaning i now and forever will headcanon akaashi as being a communist or someone at the very least well versed in communist theory. however, like with bokuto, akaashi's name is actually a reference to アカアシフクロウ (akaashi-fukuro) or アカアシモリフクロウ (akaashi-mori-fukuro), so another type of owl

i've already talked about what i find so amusing about 京治 (keiji) in this post, but to summarise here (actually maybe this counts as an expansion?), the most relevant part to akaashi's character is the second kanji 治, meaning to govern or to regulate. 治 is sometimes used on it's own, but it is also often used in compounds related to peace, healing, (and politics, my commie akaashi headcanon wins again hahaha).

i think akaashi's character evolves from what it was intended to be, and i'm not sure how accurate this meaning is by the time we reach the end of canon (or maybe i've just been reading to much bokuaka fic and it's skewing my perception of him), but akaashi started out a bit like bokuto's external emotional regulator. for someone with as insane mood swings as bokuto, mood swings that other people struggled to understand and react to, he must have had quite a hard time, and indeed we're shown that his difficulties managing his emotions seriously and negatively affects his performance on the court. enter akaashi. akaashi, who through careful observation, quickly learns to not just react to bokuto's mood swings, but to understand them, their causes, and even eventually to anticipate them, effectively giving bokuto the tools he needs to learn to control his emotions and continue giving his all like akaashi knows he can.

i think it's relevant that 治 is also used to talk about healing and peace, (and not just governing which has rather unfortunate implications of control and coercion that i don't particularly like) because that is what akaashi's presence in bokuto's life ultimately provides, as evidenced by bokuto's growth by the end of the series ("hey look guys i'm just a normal ace!" meaning he's learned to manage his emotions by himself, something that i think would have been a much longer and harder journey without akaashi's influence).

when i said i'm not sure how accurate 治 is when applied to akaashi's character by the end of the series, i mean that i think it downplays the reciprocal nature of bokuto and akaashi's relationship, because for as much as akaashi helps bokuto manage his mood swings, bokuto also provides a lot of emotional support and motivation to akaashi. and i'm not sure this was something that furudate had already taken into account when first coming up with these characters.

i think there might be smaller symbolic meaning relating to akaashi's position as a setter, but that's really only a minor detail i think...

anyways, there you have it! bokuaka kanji meanings and thoughts!! do let me know if you have different interpretations, or if i've missed something, i really really reallyyyyy like talking about things like this but for now brb i am going to go read like a dozen bokuaka oneshots xx

[mewmewpercy]

I think this week will go down in video game history as one of the worst weeks for a single company.

We had the absolute whitewashing tragedy that was the Natlan trailer.

Then we get the tragedy that was another ashy black king in the Star Rail Stonehearts video

Then we get the leaks for the Natlan npcs being white girls with braids????(Meiquisha is that u omg) And the black npc with three hair picks in his fro and some fuckin Js.

Then Star Rail decides to hire Christopher Niosi of all people

And this doesn't even cover how Zachary Gordon is being accused of deleting pro Palestinian messages or how Sean Chiplock was outed again.

This also doesn't cover that leakers are also making my conspiracy theory about certain banner characters being chosen for......reasons seem more likely but that's another post.

And the only thing this company fixed was a shitty little bug they gave a 10 pull for because a certain group of fans were threatening to report them to the fucking government?????????

Get it together hoyoverse Jesus fuck this is embarrassing as hell.....

[crypt-tids]

A Gift Unto the King

CW: illness, nausea, fainting, pregnancy loss, abortion discussion, medical procedure

25

In Sickness

Carmilla awoke to the cold chill of the hard, wood floor against her dewy skin. Her heart pounded heavily in her chest, pulsing rapidly through her temple. She tried to collect herself, but her vision was blurred and doubled. With a series of hasty blinks, it slowly returned to its proper focus—a process that took a bit longer than she cared for. Cautiously, she shuffled her arm to prop herself up, peeling her sweat-stuck cheek away from the floorboards. Her skull rattled with painful throbs, the ringing in her ears nearly deafening. She felt lost and disoriented, panic threading through her as she tried to bring herself out of the fainting spell. Taking a few deep, calming breaths, the ringing grew dull and began to subside. With more force, she pushed herself up further, grunting from the strain on her groggy body. Carmilla’s arm shook beneath her slightly, a fierce aura piercing through her eyes as a sharp pain ricocheted through her skull. Instinctively, she pressed the heel of her palm against her forehead, letting out a harsh hiss.

Once the pain had lessened into a more tolerable ache, she glanced around through squinted eyes, finding herself alone in her chambers, uncertain of exactly how much time had elapsed in her involuntary absence. Drawing a deep breath, she pushed herself up from the floor, another sharp throb plunging into her forehead.

“Nn-” She squoze her eyes shut, keeping them clenched until she’d firmly righted herself. Lightheaded, she attempted to stand still, her body wobbling as her equilibrium stabilized. She had half a mind to grip the bed, lest the dizziness force her to the ground again, at least then she’d know where she’d land.

“Your highness?” A small, muffled, voice spoke through the closed chamber door, following a soft knock.

“Y-yes,” Carmilla grunted, opening her eyes, and pushing her body upright from the mattress, “come in.”

The door clicked against the squeaking hinges as it swung open. A small framed woman quickly slipped into the room, shutting the door firmly behind her. The ginger-haired maid glanced towards the queen, her eyes finding Carmilla in a dreadful state—something she had grown accustomed to in the passing weeks, though this time seemed to be the worst of it.

“Your highness, are you alright?” Aoife asked, her voice calm, but laden with concern.

“Mm.” Carmilla forced through a brief wave of nausea, “I’m fine, thank you.”

The queen felt a gentle hand squeeze her arm, and she glanced over to meet the hazel gaze of her maid, who’s brows had now upturned, forming a strong crease over the bridge of her nose.

“You look quite unwell, your highness.”

“More than usual?” Carmilla joked lightly, however, Aoife didn’t find the humor in it.

She did look more unwell than usual. Far more unwell. Her ashy skin glistened with sweat, her coils matting down against her damp forehead. The pale colored chemise no longer loosely draped over her body, but rather clung to it heavily, sticking to her chest and thighs. Aoife detected a slight tremble in the queen’s limbs, and she couldn’t be certain, but she felt a touch feverish.

“Please, sit down, I will get you some water.” The ginger guided the elf towards the chair, gripping her firmly as she lowered her into it.

Carmilla’s forehead felt dewy and her heart raced uncomfortably. The waves of nausea would ebb and flow, though thankfully not growing any further than a severe annoyance. Her head still furiously ached, and she wondered if perhaps she had hit it on the floor when she’d fainted, a theory confirmed by the tender soreness of her temple when her fingers lightly brushed across it.

Aoife held out a glass of fresh water to the queen, which she graciously accepted, before taking a cautious sip. The cool water settled in her stomach, a shiver running up her spine. Carmilla’s body jolted with tight trembles as her unease whittled away at her.

As her coils bounced aside, Aoife noticed an irritated, red mark near her temple, appearing a bit like a small scuff. Leaning down, she impulsively brushed the curls aside to get a better look. It wasn’t until Carmilla jerked away that she had realized she’d acted improperly.

“My apologies, your highness.” Aoife spoke timidly, pulling herself back.

Carmilla shrunk, letting out a long sigh.

“It’s fine.” The elf replied breathily.

“You hit your head.” Aoife persisted, her voice cautious.

“I’m fine.” Carmilla returned flatly.

“Your majesty, I-”

“I’m fine.” The queen shot sharply, taking the young maid by surprise.

Aoife stood silently, her worried eyes still fixed on the queen, but daring not to speak any further. Carmilla took another sip of water, shuddering as it settled into her nauseous stomach.

Glancing up, Carmilla’s eyes met Aoife’s—glossy green, shadowed by furrowed, ginger brows. Her cheeks were flushed light pink against her pale, freckled skin. Anxiously, she gnawed at her lower lip, now red and chapped.

The elf extended her hand towards Aoife. With a moment’s hesitation, the maid placed her hand in Carmilla’s, the warmth of her touch radiating up her arm, into her fluttering chest.

“I appreciate your concern, but please,” Carmilla gave Aoife’s hand a gentle squeeze, “do not worry too much. I promise, I’m fine.” She gave a soft smile that she hoped would look more convincing than it felt.

“It’s my job to worry about you, your highness.” Aoife stated calmly.

“I know.” Carmilla sighed. “But I assure you, there is nothing to worry about.”

Aoife frowned, and Carmilla shifted subjects.

“Help me get ready, yes? I think I would like to stroll through the garden today.” Though she most certainly did not feel in any right state to be strolling anywhere, she had hoped that Aoife’s anxiety would be eased by the idea of it.

Nodding, the ginger woman guided the queen to her feet, gathered her clothes, and helped her slip them on. The bodice of her dress fit snugly over her middle, despite her thin frame, and Aoife made an effort to loosen the laces down her back to compensate. Her fingers brushed over the wrinkles and folds of the fabric, smoothing them out. Grabbing a pair of gem adorned, leather shoes, she carefully slid them onto Carmilla’s feet, securing the laces around her slender ankle. Aoife couldn’t help but notice how sharp and angular her body had become. The softened roundness of her form had all but disappeared in the wake of her violent morning sickness, and the sight of this drastic change only made the young maid grow more concerned.

Once properly fitted, Aoife returned to her feet, draping a long cloak over her shoulders, and securely tying it in place. She reached up to tame a few wild coils, then stood back, hands tightly clasped in front of her.

“You look lovely, your highness.” The ginger woman spoke softly.

Carmilla smiled warmly.

“Would you care to escort me to the garden?” Asked the queen, extending a hand towards Aoife.

With an agreeing nod, the maid took her outstretched hand, and led her to the garden.

The air carried a crisp chill, but not overly unpleasant. Most of the leaves had turned by now, the distant mountains covered in brilliant yellows and fiery reds. Despite the changing of the seasons, the enchanted garden remained unphased, blooming even still as though it were freshly spring. The sweet scent of peonies wafted strongly on the breeze.

“Lovely, isn’t it?” Carmilla broke the silence, her voice light.

“It is.” Aoife agreed, her eyes fixed on Carmilla.

The corners of her cherry lips upturned into a soft smile, and her eyes dazzled brilliantly in the midday sun. Everything about her glowed so warmly here in the garden, as though it was where she belonged—as if she were a part of it. The radiance of Carmilla’s aura extended well beyond her, and Aoife found it difficult to look away.

She watched as the elf lowered herself to the ground, kneeling in the dirt, before a large rose bush. Then, she noticed, Carmilla’s smile begin to fade.

“What is it, your majesty?” Aoife asked, lowering herself down beside the queen.

“Elvenwood had such beautiful roses.” She quietly replied, her fingers lightly brushing over the petals of a freshly unfurled flower.

“I’ve heard that Elvenwood is quite lovely.”

“It is.” Carmilla confirmed with a sigh. “On the outside, at least.”

“Do you miss it?” Aoife spoke sincerely.

“That depends.” Carmilla replied, her face scrunching for a brief moment as she thought, before finally continuing with a melancholic tone. “I miss its beauty.”

“Only its beauty?” The young maid inquired.

“It’s complicated, I suppose.” Carmilla huffed through her nose. “You know that feeling of missing something because it was all you knew, but growing to realize how utterly wrong so much of it was?” The queen’s eyes shifted towards the ginger, a dewy shimmer at their corners.

Aoife’s brows upturned, a small frown tugging at the edges of her mouth, but she didn’t speak.

Carmilla’s eyes fell to the flowers before her, gently bobbing in the breeze. Shoulders drooped, she curled her fingers around the fabric of her dress, pressing her palms firmly against her thighs.

“I had to put up with so much, without ever being granted a place to speak my mind.” The elf shook her head lightly, her ringlets bobbing against her jaw. “Not a single decision in my life was one that I, myself, had made. I was ordered to do as I was told, and never go against my family’s wishes—that their will was for the best, even if I couldn’t see it.”

Aoife watched the queen shrink into herself. She felt herself leaning towards her, as if the diminishing energy around Carmilla was somehow pulling her closer.

“I held my tongue, even when I desperately wished not to. I agreed to every plan and order they placed upon me.” Carmilla’s voice began to tremble as her tone elevated. “I allowed myself to be shipped off to a foreign land because it was in the best interest of my country, and I promised an elven heir to the house of Valke because my father willed it!” She spat sharply, ripping a rose from the bush and crushing it in her fist, Aoife flinching in surprise. With a huff, Carmilla settled the aggravated twitching of her lip, letting the tension slowly leave her body, as she released the crumpled petals from her palm. “Not marrying the king was the only decision I have ever made for myself, and it’s one that doesn’t even matter.”

“I think…” Aoife added cautiously, “that you’re wrong, your highness.”

Carmilla glanced up at the fiery haired woman, the breeze gently tussling her loose curls. Sunlight shimmered against her freckled skin, casting a pale glow around her, soft and warm.

“I think that decision mattered more than anything.” Aoife finished with a modest smile.

“How?” Carmilla asked, straightening her posture, wincing from a small pain in her side. “Marriage matters little when we are still bound by a forged bloodline.” Her voice shook slightly, distress still heavily lining her face.

“Perhaps… and, forgive me if I overstep, but… by refusing to wed, you established yourself as, well, you. A person, and not a pawn. It may not seem like much, your highness, but truly, it is everything.”

Carmilla’s chin quivered for a quick moment, before giving a small smile.

“Do you really think that my decision…” She forced down a wave of nausea, “mattered that much?”

Aoife leaned closer, despite every fiber of her being telling her to clam up, and act properly. Her hand shuffled over the dirt, brushing against small blades of grass and weeds. She could hardly stop herself. The radiant, glowing aura of the queen tugged at her, drawing her in, even in such a dreadful state.

Stop yourself, for the love of all things, stop yourself! But her heart, already pounding loud enough to hear, wouldn’t listen.

“I do.” Aoife replied, her voice hardly more than a shaken whisper.

“I hope you’re right.” Carmilla returned, her words brushing against Aoife’s lips.

Her heart pounded furiously in her chest, a mixture of excited nerves and exhaustion competing desperately within her. Aoife’s hand slipped closer, their fingertips nearly touching. So dreadfully she wished to close the gap, but her body fought against it. Carmilla felt cold sweat dampen her body, nausea catching in her throat. Aches plunged through her back and sides, her vision beginning to tunnel.

Suddenly, a sharp pain ripped through Carmilla’s abdomen, buckling her over. She hissed, drawing a staggered breath, clutching her stomach. Hazy, black clouds crept over her eyes, pulsing with her heartbeat.

“Carmilla?!” Aoife lunged forward, catching the queen in her arms. “What’s wrong?!”

“Hah- nngh!” Carmilla grunted, sweat rolling down her temples.

“Carmilla!” The maid pulled the elf close, her tone becoming increasingly more panicked as her heart pounded furiously in her chest. “HELP! SOMEONE, PLEASE! HELP!”

Carmilla’s body trembled, hot acid burning in her throat. Cold chills ran over her limbs, her palms clammy and tingling. She could hear Aoife’s frantic calls growing faint in her mind as the blackness consumed her and she slowly lost consciousness.

Vin paced the length of the solar, his fingers mindlessly stroking his chin as he thought. Lucas sat in the chair by the window, his hand resting delicately over his middle. The werewolf’s eyes followed the king closely.

“Is it possible we’re overthinking it?” Lucas asked with a sigh.

“Or we aren’t thinking enough.” Vin returned.

“I doubt that highly.”

“If you have any ideas, I’m all ears.” Vin leaned against the wall, his arms folded and ankles crossed.

Lucas clicked his tongue, before nibbling his lower lip. The baby fluttered softly, and he lightly drummed his fingers over his belly in response, catching Vin’s eye.

“They are just humans-”

“Which many of our citizens are.” Vin added.

“Right,” Lucas continued, “but, I mean, by comparison, curse-borns have the advantage of strength, and elves… well, they’re just assholes all around.”

“Not completely unfounded.” The vampire jokingly confirmed with a nod.

Lucas sighed, awkwardly pushing himself up from the chair, earning a small giggle from his husband to be. Once fully upright, he pressed a hand to his lower back, hoping to ease some of the soreness residing there to little avail.

“Vin, there hasn’t been an attack in over a month. You’ve secured our border, and Elvenwood has secured their’s. Your plan is working.”

“What if it stops working?” Vin interjected.

“Then we’ll deal with it.” Lucas stepped towards the king, his fingers reaching towards Vin’s tightly folded arms. “Recruitment has been going well and so has training. We’ll be ready for anything that comes our way, I know it.”

Vin shook his head, resting his hand over the werewolf’s, lightly stroking his knuckles with his thumb.

“I’m just a little on edge. I don’t trust the silence.”

“I know.” Lucas agreed on a long exhale. “But what else are we supposed to do? If we rush in, we risk losing every advantage we are working so diligently to build.”

Vin huffed through his nose, sharply.

“I’m not suggesting we be reckless.”

“Of course not.” Lucas replied.

Vin let his arms unfold, leaning his body towards Lucas, resting his head against the muscular man’s shoulder.

“I just want to put this war behind us.” Vin mumbled, wrapping his arms around the large man.

“I do, too.” Lucas spoke softly, “But, all things in their own time.”

Vin slid his head off of Lucas’s shoulder, his eyes wandering up to meet the lycan’s golden gaze. A reassuring smile graced his stubbled face, warm sunlight casting a radiant halo around him.

“I wish this war hadn’t had to happen in our time.” Vin spoke defeatedly.

“As do I.” The lycan agreed. “As does everyone faced with such hardships.” He gently pushed a strand of hair behind Vin’s ear. “But it did, and all we can do is get through it. Ideally, in one piece.” Lucas joked to lighten the mood.

“Yeah…” The vampire replied mindlessly, his hands sliding over the sides of Lucas’s rounded belly, and resting there.

His mind drifted, and Lucas quickly noticed the growing distance. The king’s brows creased as his crimson eyes remained fixed on the swell in his grasp. A tiny flutter bumped against his palm, but Vin didn’t smile like Lucas had expected him to, and he suddenly understood the real reason his lover was so on edge.

“We’ll be okay, you know.” Lucas broke the silence, snapping Vin from his daze. “I promise.”

“I want to meet him.” Vin whispered with a crack. “I want to watch him grow up. I need to be able to do that.”

“You will, Vin. I’ll make sure of it.”

“How?” Vin huffed incredulously. “I don’t think will and prayer will be enough to keep me alive out there.”

“No,” Lucas returned, confidently, “but I will be.”

Vin snapped his gaze to Lucas’s face, his brows furrowed tensely. Crimson eyes flashed as the vampire pieced together his lover’s implication.

“No.” The king snapped. “Lucas, no.”

“If you think I’m letting you run into battle without me, you’re sorely mistaken-”

“You’re pregnant!”

“And in a few months, I won’t be!”

The pair fell silent, the only sound, their huffy breaths. Vin clenched his jaw, and Lucas studied him warily, waiting for his lover to speak. Finally, the vampire let out a sigh, his features softening, despite his aura still maintaining a disapproving intensity.

“Even if this war doesn’t progress until after our child’s arrival, you’ll still need time to heal and rest.” Vin’s voice was flat and matter-of-fact.

“And I will.” Lucas pressed. “But I’m not going to sit around being useless-”

“You will do as you’re told!” Vin spat with a harshness that he hadn’t entirely intended.

Lucas jolted, his body retreating slightly. Vin hadn’t spoken to him that way in a long time, and it made him feel small and inconsequential—like he was nothing. Vin, regretting his outburst immediately, reached out to grab his lover’s hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

“Please, Lucas,” the vampire begged, “please don’t follow me into battle so blindly.”

“It’s my job-”

“Your job is to raise our son—to ensure that he still has at least one father at the end of this.”

“If I go with you, he will have both-”

“Or he will lose both.” Vin interjected sternly.

Lucas did not reply at first, instead, stewing in the hypothetical torment of his mind’s making. After a few moments, he pushed those dreadful thoughts aside, and opened his mouth to speak.

“Why do you sound so committed to dying in this war?”

“I’m not!” Vin retorted. “But there is an entire nation that wants to serve my head up on a silver platter to its king! Forgive me for being realistic.”

“Your highness-” A voice rang out from the doorway.

“What?!” Vin snapped unconsciously, turning his gaze to the intruder.

“P-pardon the intrusion, but, it’s the queen. Queen Carmilla has taken ill, she’s in the infirmary.” An older maid, with frizzy gray hair, rushed out, her voice shaken and uneasy.

Lucas and Vin exchanged worried glances, the tension of their previous disagreement rapidly disappearing. With hardly a thought, the pair took off after the maid, tailing her down the hall. Vin’s heart pounded in his ears as his mind raced, each foot falling faster than the last. He hadn’t even noticed that Lucas and the maid had fallen behind as he soared into the lead by a considerable distance.

Please, be okay! For the love of the gods, PLEASE BE OKAY!

Footsteps pounded loudly against the wood floor, thumping down the stairs, and clacking against the tile towards the infirmary. A small congregation of people had collected outside of the door, daring not to press through. As the king approached, they quickly cleared a path for him to enter.

Gasping for breath, Vin was met with the sight of a panicked Aoife, clasping Carmilla’s hand firmly, while the sibling healers raced around collecting supplies. Bowls, linen towels, fresh water, all set purposefully on the table to the side of the bed. Angelique hastily placed a jar of herbs and a pair of forceps down on the tabletop beside them, turning just in time to relieve the maid behind her of a freshly heated tea kettle.

“What’s going on? Is she alright?” Vin asked frantically, his eyes darting between the unconscious Carmilla, and Angelique, who now appeared to be brewing some kind of tea with the herbs from the jar.

Alistair skirted around the infirmary bed, rushing towards Vin. Quickly, he pulled the king’s attention, his face firmly set and unemotional, putting Vin further on edge.

“We need to make a decision quickly, your highness.” Alistair’s voice was low.

“What’s going on, what’s wrong with her?” Vin peeked at the queen over Alistair’s shoulder, his brows threatening to merge with the bridge of his nose.

“Her body… it’s failing.” Alistair stated with a hushed softness that he hoped wouldn’t carry into the hall.

“Failing? Y-you mean, what, she’s dying?” Vin’s heart thumped in his throat, his voice cracking.

“Yes.” Alistair confirmed quickly. “Our options are limited, as is our time. If we’re going to save the child, we need to act swiftly and precisely.” He explained.

“What about Carmilla? Will she be alright?”

“If we’re successful.”

“And if you aren’t?”

“They both die.” Alistair somberly answered on a breathy exhale.

Vin glanced back and forth between Carmilla and Alistair. His mouth felt dry and gravity tugged on his limbs. Every sound around him felt both dull and deafening as they sawed into his eardrums. It took everything in him to stay present and focused.

“How do I ensure she survives?” Vin asked, watching Aoife dab the dewy sweat from the elf’s brow with a damp cloth.

Alistair sighed heavily, giving the queen a quick glance before returning his gaze to the king.

“We terminate the pregnancy.”

Vin’s eyes remained fixed on the queen. So limp and fragile, she hardly seemed alive as it was. Alistair was right, there wasn’t much time, and he knew, deep in his soul, that she would never come out of this alive if he took the risk. No matter how fiercely it burned in his chest to lose the child, he would never be able to live with the guilt of losing her.

“Your majesty, it’s your decision. Please, make it quickly.” Alistair’s tone was firm, yet pleading.

Vin swallowed hard.

“End it.” He answered quietly, his voice shaken and wispy.

Alistair nodded, rushing over to Angelique’s side, instructing her to proceed. They worked together quickly, spinning around each other with the grace and speed of a choreographed dance. As their motions blurred, Vin’s mind went blank, his jaw unconsciously clenched, brows twitching. He watched Alistair shuffle Aoife aside, her fingers reluctantly slipping away from the queen’s. Everyone, with the exception of Vin and Aoife, were ushered from the room. Briefly, the king and the young maid locked eyes, the dread in each other’s gaze evenly matched, and Vin suddenly understood the depth of her heart, and his own began to break with it.

“Miss Aoife!” Angelique called, beckoning her over to aid in the procedure.

With a quick jolt, she rushed over, nearly tripping over her own feet as she moved into position.

The ginger held Carmilla’s leg, standing opposite Angelique, Alistair quickly preparing between them. Giving Vin a glance, Aoife nodded to him, silently relieving him of his presence in the room.

Vin stood still for a moment, blankly staring at the crowded bed, before shuffling out of the infirmary, and into the hall, the heavy, wooden door thumping shut behind him. The corridor had nearly emptied, with the exception of Lucas and Marion, who stood tensely apart, but anxiously awaiting Vin’s emergence.

“What is it, darling? Is Carmilla alright?” Marion asked, quickly approaching her son, reaching out to grab his hand.

His palms were sweaty, and his hands trembled furiously with nerves and adrenaline. He couldn’t find it in himself to meet his mother’s gaze as the gravity of the current events began thoroughly sinking in.

“No.” Vin finally answered, his voice hollow and broken. “They’re… trying to save her.”

“Save her? A-and the baby?” Marion pressed, her grip tightening.

Vin shook his head, and Lucas swallowed hard, his fingers tightly curling around the loose, shirt fabric draped over his belly.

Marion’s eyes flickered, but she refrained from inquiring further, sensing her son’s distress, instead extending an offer to get a drink and some food to take his mind off of it. Vin declined, insisting that he should stay behind until the procedure was finished. She pressed her lips thin, giving her son a quick hug, and a soft, but heavy, smile, before turning away from him. For a brief moment, she locked eyes with Lucas, glancing down to his middle, barely hidden beneath his blouse, her brows creasing slightly, before shuffling off towards her chambers.

Lucas’s heart pounded harshly, butterflies swirling in his stomach. He had a feeling that things were going to become much more complicated, much sooner than he had anticipated. But now was hardly the time to worry about himself. Shaking off his own nerves, he stretched a comforting hand to his lover, withdrawing when Vin recoiled.

“I’m sorry.” The lycan whispered, his tone broken.

“I put her life at risk.” Vin murmured, more to himself than to Lucas.

“You didn’t know this would happen-”

“She could’ve died!” Vin’s eyes snapped up to Lucas’s, tears gathering at his waterline. “She still might…” With exhaustion and defeat, Vin leaned over, pressing his head against Lucas’s chest.

Instinctively, Lucas wrapped his arms around the shrunken vampire, his hands comfortingly stroking his back.

“I made her suffer so much, and it was all for nothing.” Vin’s muffled voice rumbled against Lucas’s body.

“Everything is gonna be okay.” Lucas whispered, pressing a soft kiss to the top of Vin’s head. It was the only thing he could think to say. He wasn’t even sure if he believed it, but it was all he had to offer to hold their world together.

Slowly, Vin pulled back, his hair shrouding his face.

“You should head home.”

“I don’t mind waiting with you-” Lucas started.

“No, I…” Vin sighed, his eyes glued to the tile floor, “you should get some rest. I’m going to be here for a while.”

“I can stay-”

“Lucas,” Vin’s voice was weak and pleading, and Lucas’s heart fell.

“You… want to be alone.” The lycan spoke in a whisper.

Vin nodded slowly.

Lucas drew a deep breath, a melancholic frown tugging at the corner of his mouth. He leaned forward, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of his lover’s head.

“I’ll be home if you need me.” The knight assured, giving Vin’s arm a comforting squeeze, before turning away, and heading down the hall.

Once the sound of Lucas’s footsteps had faded away, Vin lifted his gaze, finding himself alone. He could hear light shuffling and voices coming from the infirmary, muffled by the thick, wooden door. He couldn’t quite make any of it out, and part of him was thankful for that. But even still, his mind remained weighted and troubled. With a sigh, he pressed his back into the cold, stone wall, sliding down to the floor.

All he could do now was wait.