#be way too similar for the power dynamic involved

[em0dog]

(assume its normal / ethical to have ur theriotype as a pet for this)

[forcedhesitation]

why should it just be steve who has all the torturous purgatory realm fun?

[tainbocuailnge]

dolls by design cannot move without someone external to them moving their limbs, so even if a living doll character can move on their own, they still implicitly have this relationship to others where they not only cannot resist being touched (and by extension controlled), they cannot do anything at all otherwise. dynamics of power and control are often eroticised, and doll joints immediately mark a character as slotting into this kind of dynamic, similar to how maid outfits are sexy to some people because of the dynamic of servitude they signify. this is the main point that the vast majority of self proclaimed doll enjoyers seem to latch onto, doll joints as visual shorthand for a dynamic of dependency that may or may not be sexual.

dolls exist to entertain someone and be loved by them, their sole purpose is quite literally to look pretty for their owner. this too is a popular erotic dynamic even when no dolls are involved. dolls are artificial creations, so a doll inherently exists the way it does because someone wanted it to. in some cases this is extended into its reverse: a doll does not exist without someone wanting it to, therefore, the doll is wanted because it exists. the very fact that the doll exists implies a fascination with either the doll itself or the one it's made to look like, because without this fascination it wouldn't exist to begin with. the doll exists to be loved, so you desire it by virtue of its existence, and this gives it a certain power over you despite its powerless nature. the most common cursed doll in media is one that is resentful over being abandoned. the desire for another is inherent to dolls and this is, obviously, erotic.

in my experience this is usually the angle when you're dealing with a sorcerer that made themselves a doll body or something like that. the tension between the doll and the force that moves it is resolved by having these be the same entity, so they're a doll to signify fascination instead, be it from or towards the one inhabiting the doll.

dolls are often associated with being fragile and delicate, especially the ball jointed type that living doll characters will usually invoke. they have to be touched in order to act, but cannot be touched without risk of breaking this precious delicate object. this tension of a body that both invites and discourages being touched is also erotic.

a doll's body is implicitly delicate, but it is also a body that can be repaired or replaced when it breaks. you can completely dismantle a doll without actually harming it, and in fact dismantling it is necessary to fix it in case it does break. a sentient doll's body would logically have to experience itself differently than a human flesh body. since you can open up and pull apart a doll in various ways without actually hurting it, there are naturally various ways to touch it erotically that you could never do with a living person, and because the doll by definition exists for you, this touch can be as painful or pleasurable for the doll as your proclivities dictate. for some reason fucking nobody on pixiv seems to agree with me on this point but this is a big one for me personally, the unique ways of interacting with doll bodies as extension and expression of the way a doll's body inherently has a complex and contradictory relationship with being touched. we're talking about a body made of gaps, go stick something in those for fucks sake.

a doll allowing itself to be taken apart to be repaired (or to have freak sex) is an incredible display of trust similar to that of robots letting you poke around their circuitry. it's an emotional intimacy that's only possible with this kind of artificial partner. the capacity for and necessity of occasionally being completely taken apart and reassembled to continue functioning, of exposing yourself entirely and putting your trust in someone's deft hands, is obviously erotic.

a doll cannot exist independently, and while its purpose is to be loved, it's rare for it to be thought of as an independent actor by anyone other than children. also, if the doll /isn't/ loved it becomes completely helpless, because it needs someone else to move it, be it literally or metaphorically. a living doll character will, sooner or later and thematically if not directly, have to contend with the fact that this is a horrifically stunted existence for a sentient being to have. a doll cannot meaningfully resist anything that is done to it, and its only blessing is that it has a body that can endure this. you can violate dolls both physically and emotionally in ways far more invasive than with a real person, and depending on your angle their very existence as a doll is a violation in itself, something that lends itself well to the overlap between horror and eroticism. this is another favourite of mine that I barely see reflected in what other people are cooking up in my field of vision.

even if a particular doll character doesn't tick any of these boxes regarding characterisation or relationships, the fact that they have doll joints anyway is a constant reminder of these associations, and this contrast is alluring in itself. independence does not come naturally to a doll, so a doll that acts freely is fighting a constant battle against its own nature. this is hot and extremely underutilized.

being denied agency because the material reality of your body makes you dependent on the goodwill of others is an experience many real people can relate to for a wide range of reasons, so living dolls are useful abstractions to explore these experiences and reframe these limitations as something that makes you desirable. unfortunately this leads to most of the dollposting on this site being really boring to me because its all like "what if i was cute and loved and didn't have to think for myself" instead of the horrific violation and unique physical experience parts that i'm personally interested in, but it's undeniably a major contributing factor to general doll enjoyment.

the presence of doll joints on a character invokes a relationship to the body and the people around them that lends itself well to various popular erotic dynamics, and which marks them as object of desire not entirely unlike how a womb tattoo marks someone as primed for fucking except for people who can't get off without metaphors. im sure for a lot of people it's really not any deeper than "it looks nice :)" and that's fair, I'm a pretentious elitist who thinks most people producing doll fetish stuff are boring about it though. stop drawing regular sex with more lines and stick your fingers in there NOW

[tubes-and-dice]

I fucking love the dynamics between the ‘people’ and the ‘avatars’ in NSBU.

G13 is using Usha, because he’s a hacker and a manipulator, and she’s exactly the kind of person who can be easily scammed. Haunting. Spine-chilling. Cool as fuck, truly unbelievable storytelling, and it’s developed so organically!

On the other hand, Vic is mentoring Wendell in a way, and we got to see them really sync up this episode, working together to advance the narrative and protect their people. Wendell totally gets the kind of person that Vic is, and I think that helps him take Vic’s advice as the more experienced person- but also know that he’s not always going to be right.

Paula and Jack are sort of… misaligned. She keeps trying to find guidance from him, but they’re almost too similar? Jack so far that we’ve seen is very hands-off, and doesn’t seem all that worried about Paula- or his own family. Whereas Paula of course cares deeply about Jack’s family already, because she’s much more involved and familial minded than what we’ve seen of Jack.

Liv and Kingskin are, I think, the most compatible duo. Liv has settled nicely into her role in some ways, the control and power it grants her suits her well, and it feels like Kingskin likes her because of that? But at the same time her compassion for others is making such a notable difference in the way that she’s able to interact with people in Kingskin’s circles that it feels like he could learn as much from her as she’s learning from him. They feel like the most balanced pair, with the most mutual respect.

Dang doesn’t match Stocks’ vibe at all. He’s trying to do the cool action movie things, he’s playing into the role really well at times- but who Dang is, really, doesn’t sync up. His morals and priorities are very different from Stocks’- for good and bad alike. There’s very little connection between the two, it feels like- to me it reads as Dang just trying to fill the shoes of this Bond-like character, more than anything. Sometimes he’s really able to pull it off, and sometimes it just… doesn’t work. Stocks isn’t helping him. He’s on his own- which it seems is perhaps a norm for Dang.

Then of course, Russell. Russell and Jennifer are not a team at all- what Russell is learning from this experience, he’s learning from simply being Jennifer, not from communicating with her. He’s a man who we know is used to being attractive, used to being complimented and unused to being told off for the way that he behaves. I love the way that Ally’s taken his character as Jennifer- because he isn’t Jennifer. He’s Russell. He doesn’t want to wear a skin-tight bodysuit, he wants to get a baggy shirt to hide this form that he’s not used to, and work with the new skills that he has.

Idk I just think it’s super super cool that all of the players are working within the mechanic so differently, and I think every single manifestation of this dynamic makes so much sense for the characters that it’s just astounding. This last episode was such a good show of these dynamics and the impact they actually have on the plot.

[skipppppy]

I LOVE Chilchuck x Senshi with all my heart and I am not hating on it IN THE SLIGHTEST however I do think their dynamic is way better if they don’t fuck despite every sign in the universe wanting them to. Chilchuck canonically HATES when party members get romantically involved and goes out of his way to avoid said relationships with his team. Senshi is too hyperfixated on monster food and ecosystems to even CONSIDER that someone would find him attractive, and part of him still infantilises Chilchuck despite them being at a similar maturity.

All this to say that peak Chilshi would be them in increasingly compromising situations and both of them refusing to do anything about it despite wanting to out of sheer spite. One of them loses a bedroll so they have to share. Everytime they fall/get knocked out they wind up landing on one another in sensual positions. One night they get separated from the party and wind up locked in a room with rose petals scattered about the floor and a candlelit dinner on the table with 2 glasses of wine set up for them. They hate this SO MUCH but they keep falling deeper and refusing to admit it. Laios and Marcille are both convinced they’re fucking on the dl. When Falin is revived she assumes Senshi is Chilchuck’s new boyfriend and no one tells her otherwise. They would be the slowest of slow burns due to their sheer concentrated power of not wanting to get involved in each-other’s bullshit

[kyuuumie]

this is just a ramble about billdip/billford since i’ve seen a bunch of posts and want to share my thoughts on it!

i find a lot of the comparisons between billdip and billford to be a bit off the mark. while it’s true they share some surface-level similarities—mainly because they both involve bill cipher and a “smart guy”—their dynamics are vastly different. in billford, ford initially placed an enormous amount of trust in bill. he practically revered him, as seen in the tapestries in his lab and all the one-eyed triangle symbols throughout the mystery shack. ford’s trust was so deep that he allowed bill to lead him down a dark path, ultimately resulting in betrayal. bill has since been shown relishing in taunting ford, making their relationship one of broken trust and regret.

on the other hand, billdip presents a way different dynamic. dipper never trusted bill in the first place. from the very beginning, their relationship was antagonistic. unlike ford, dipper wasn’t lured in by the promise of knowledge or power; he had to be manipulated, and even then, he was extremely hesitant to allow bill to possess him. bill never had dipper’s trust to betray, which sets the stage for a completely different kind of tension. in billford, the conflict stems from a deep betrayal of trust, whereas in billdip, it’s more about the struggle between manipulation and resistance, with dipper trying to outsmart someone he knows he can’t trust.

i want to clarify that i don’t hate or even dislike billford. they have an undeniably interesting dynamic, and under different circumstances, i’d probably be more invested in it. however, my enthusiasm for the ship is dampened by the behavior of some of its shippers. it often feels like many people ship billford not because they genuinely enjoy the dynamic, but rather out of a desire to distance themselves from billdip. it’s as if shipping billford has become a way to proclaim, “at least i don’t ship billdip.” but spite shouldn’t be the driving force behind creating content for a ship. shipping should be about passion, about enjoying the dynamic and wanting to explore it through art, writing, and discussion because it genuinely interests you.

that said, i do wish people would keep the discourse civil and avoid leaving hateful comments about either ship. unfortunately, that might be asking for too much in fandom spaces. but it would be nice to see more respect and understanding for different preferences, even if we don’t all share the same ships ૮꒰ ˶> ༝ <˶꒱ა

[hana-no-seiiki]

Hi! Could I be ✨Anon? (Im not sure whats been taken already) I've been on a big Batfam kick these past few days and have a v indulgent request if it interests you.

Could I request something for a (gn) civilian reader who is friends w/ the Batfam, but recently got superpowers that are magical girl-esque? Neither of the parties knowing of the others Alter Egos. Here are some of my thought, but write the post however you'd like.

Reader was accidentally caught up in some commotion that involved stealing specialty cargo. One of them being an alien artifact, and reader uses it in desperation to save themselves. But now they have these sparkely, pretty, and showy powers that they never asked for. (And maybe a magical animal companion that insist they bring light and justice to Gotham)

Reader is reluctant to be a vigilante, but keeps finding themselves in situations to help people anyways.(Maybe its a side effect of being a magical girl) They end up fighting alongside the Batfam at some point, but they feel embarrassed to interact w/ them. Reader feels completely out of place with their colorful and over-the-top powers when next to the cool and brooding batfam.

Sorry if this idea is a bit out there, but ty for letting me be indulgent in your ask box 💕!!

NO CAUSE I FEEL THIS DYNAMIC SO MUCH.

I either have the friendliest vibe or the bitchiest vibe and no in between. Meaning that people either come to me for everything or think I’m a snob/will bite-

and sure non! i don’t really keep track of my anons nowadays so people can be whatever as long as it’s not listed in my pinned

BAT X MAGIC ✨

IN ANY CASE

I’m gonna mix Sailor Moon, Miraculous Ladybug and Onimai for my inspo with this ask if you don’t mind

Magical Girl/Boy/Person! Reader is really close friends with Tim and Damian. If there was one thing all three could agree on it’s that they loved superheroes in manga/comics.

And Reader? Boy did they adore the Batfam. There was just something about their dark, brooding aesthetic that they couldn’t get enough of.

So it was a tad bit ironic that they stumbled upon the most “girly”and “bright” power ever known to Gotham.

It didn’t help that your abilities had to be activated with cutely yelling things like “Sparkle Blast!” or “Smile Hurricane!”

I like to headcannon that you have a familiar or Kwami like creature that in exchange of keeping your identity magically hidden, absolutely bullies you by making the one above a requirement.

I headcannon that Damian has the PHATTEST crush on you. Like even moreso than the stalker, otaku Tim. Like he is just head over heels. You’re strong, you’re capable, you’re adorable?? But that mostly extends to just your magic persona rather than your real self. He’s super obvious about it to anyone but you too (similar to the og miraculous ladybug w/ felix instead of chat).

Tim is more interested on who tf you were. Like yes!!! Magical Person Hero!!! You were basically his childhood crushes incarnate!! But his inquisitive mind really needed to know who you were in order to calm himself down.

Jason is honestly a bit overwhelmed by your whole getup, but grows to love you the most in terms of how kind you are and how you help them even in the most dire of situations (not knowing that you were basically forced to)

He’s very much Tuxedo Mask type wherein he’d be very annoying to you when the disguises are off but an absolute Casanova with em on.

You and Dick are the most close when it comes to patrols and fighting. I feel like you, being the big fan you were, would make him look even more flashy and handsome during battle with sparkles and whatnot. I have a feeling he’d be the first to ask you out or fully romance you, as well as be the first to befriend you/contact you as a vigilante.

Bruce is definitely perplexed by how you always evade him in terms of your secret identity. It frustrates him to no end that whenever he gets close to finding out something either gets in his way or his mind just goes blank.

Once you explain how your magical persona works tho he’s pretty quick on the bandwagon, especially since he sees that his boys love you.

Also cause you look way too adorable to really be heinous.

…Right?

Once you break one of your familiar’s rules though, they do share your identity with the bats and well…

All hell breaks loose.

[rayroseu]

I have this theory that Prince Levan and Yuu are similar.

Don't you think their traits so far matches? Kind, patient, able to traverse through adversities (for now its just raging Draconias lol), aspires to resolve conflicts between oppositions, doesn't possess any bias (maybe because they prefer peaceful options).

There is also a scene that matched well with what we know of Prince Levan with Yuu --

• Prince Levan dealing with Malenoa's tantrum safely -> Yuu telling Malleus to calm down and Malleus actually listening (during their trip kn GloMas)

• Prince Levan manages the foreign affairs of Land of Briar, he is negotiating to stop ravaging their land -> Yuu is assigned as the Prefect of NRC, they deal with the trouble ensuing in every dorm and striving to make its members work together.

• Prince Levan is Malenoa's informant and seems to be on the frontlines while Malenoa's the strategist -> Yuu is always tasked as the record keepers or watcher of events (even in main story) by Crowley, and sometimes if there's actual trouble, Yuu tells Crowley about it, providing Crowley some stand-in in dealing with NRC troubles rather than himself.

• If we assume that all Draconias are similar, perhaps its safe to assume that Malenoa was also interested with Levan because he treated her normally (because like Malleus she was also revered too much and didnt experience much normality).

It mirrors similarly to the dynamic of Malleus and Yuu in the present, how Yuu is not afraid of him and in turn, makes Malleus feel like a normal person.

• Lilia mentions him, Malenoa, and Levan are childhood friends. So, it means that Levan and Malenoa probably met when they were children. Malleus is only 178 out of 1000 years adult age, Lilia stated him as a child. Plus, if we refer to the past ages of official Yuu's (Yuuken and Yuuka are 17), they are children -growing up as well. (At least I think so-- 17 is really young for me lol) Anyways, we see that Malleus and Yuu got to know each other in their developing years or something--

• This is kind of a theory but Levan and Yuu have the traits of a beasttamer- Lilia states that Draconias are montrous (but they're still faes.) Yuu was dubbed as beasttamer by Crowley because of how they took care of Grim. Grim is a monster. And, both Yuu and Levan, like stated before, deals with "their monster's rages."

• Both Malleus and Malenoa seems to get attracted by Levan and Yuu because of their compassion to them. (Malenoa views Levan as "he's the only one she can depend on" and he cooked for her so we can believe that Levan was kind to Malenoa.) In contrast, Draconias are always seen as "ruthless villains" "cruel" and "terrifying."

• As the game repeatedly tells us, Draconias exceeds so much from the average. They are seemingly evil, powerful and ruthless to people, even when Malleus was raised by Lilia to be "a gentle fairy" he struggles still. And, because of the normality/kindness of Yuu and Levan, that they are most interesting to Draconias. Since all those traits (being normal) are essentially their unknown and the impossible---

• I think Draconias are also fascinated by the "weakness" and braveness of Yuu/Levan. (Levan was pitiful during the time where he, Lilia and Malenoa got lost while Malenoa just had a fun time out of it). Malleus teases Yuu about is he scary now since we always seem fearless to him- I wonder if Malenoa treated Levan this way as well... (because all Draconias seems to have same personalities lol i.e Malenoa has a habit of being talkative at unusual hours too much like how Malleus visits us to talk in the night)

• This is a reach, but Levan didn't get any silouette despite the fact he was explained many times by Lilia, just like how Yuu never gets revealed in game.

• The fact that Levan seems to be referenced from the two events: Glorious Masquerade and Halloween. These events have involved Yuu importantly instead of them just being on the sidelines-

Glorious Masquerade because it seems like he's Diablo-inspired and Malleus' outfit in that event has feathers of a raven. And, the fact Levan's Name is spelled like Raven. Plus, his outfit was designed to resemble royalty Briar Valley clothing and Levan IS a Briar Valley royalty (the princess' husband.)

Halloween Event because of Levan's title containing Long/Dragon Prince Levan. Malleus' Halloween costume was a Long/Chinese Dragon. Plus, the event highlighted the difference between Western and Eastern Dragon when Malleus info-dumped Vil about it so it holds significance that Eastern Dragons exists.

• There's also this parallel of Levan and Yuu being the one who goes and never returns. It seems that Malenoa sent Levan as her messenger to the Silver Owls to stop ravaging their land-- and now she is searching for him since he hasn't returned. Maybe we can assume Malenoa is regretting it because Levan's abscene is alarming that she is sending Lilia to find him. I think the act of "sending away" can be related to how Malleus accepted immediately that we're leaving to go back home despite his fear of losing us.

In conclusion, Malleyuu is generational OR In every Draconia heir there is a Yuu for them in the Yuuniverse population😂🐉🦐

Also, correct me if any of the info mentioned are amiss 😭 sometimes my mind just rolls and makes stuff up and I'm convinced it was real LOL

sorry if i didnt add sufficient screenshots, i didnt want to reach the photo limit lol and most of the things i mentioned about Malleus (for me) seems to be basic facts in the fandom so i thought it unnecessary.

credits to gasmask01 on YT and @/081314 for the translations

[cyjammy]

Vox and Alastor’s Dynamic is so FUN

Hazbin Hotel Season 1 Episode 2 Spoilers ahead!

I have to talk about Vox and Alastor’s “rivalry”. I love how Alastor just couldn’t care less, he’s witty, he’s emotionless and that makes him all the more powerful.

Well, not emotionless since he does express outward disgust towards anything digital, but the fact he can keep himself composed because he knows he is the shit and that’s what makes him my absolute favorite.

That showed through in the pilot and the show didn’t fail to deliver. I love how he’s handled. Viv’s characterization is wonderful.

Most fics I have read with Alastor have shown him as vunerable despite the story never alluding to that and it’s such a breath of fresh air to have canon content of Alastor being his authentic self.

My god do I love a character that’s strong and not swayed by emotion, but they can be handled well too. I.E. VOX oh my god. Every fanon had him pegged down as the victim to Val’s wrath, but he’s the mastermind behind the scenes. A complete subversion of everyone’s expectations. And that’s for another post I’m about to go crazy on, but I digress.

Vox is a man up in his ivory electronic tower with villainous intentions, but he falls short because of emotion!

Handling Velvet’s demands to get Val together? A quick pep talk with himself and he’s got it.

Addressing unforeseen circumstances with concerned sinners? Easy.

But Alastor?

He sees RED. He let Valentino have it when he even thought about going on a rampage over a sinner under his thumb.

When it comes to Alastor, Vox goes on a hate campaign and makes a fool of himself.

Meanwhile, Alastor was minding his business, and Vox couldn’t deal with that.

So much so he causes a blackout in the Wrath ring!

Why? Because of his rejection sensitivity.

He is this all powerful overlord with companions in his rule and when he asks someone of similar station to become his equal he gets rejected.

It’s unheard of for him. He cannot fathom it.

Because that makes Alastor a factor he cannot control.

Val says that Alastor “almost beat him”. Val may not have witnessed that fight and Vox spun it around to claim he came out on top.

But if he did, he definitely wouldn’t let Alastor get away.

Valentino and Vox have known each other for a long time, as shown in a photo in the background in the episode.

So either this spat began before they had met and Vox lied or Valentino witnessed it. I'm excited to see which way that goes.

In terms of influence, Alastor seems to win that battle. Vox is in charge of electrical currents and anything in the digital space.

Alastor is so far removed from that Vox has no influence over him. He refuses to be involved with new technology.

But with Vox having an army of sinners under his wing through subliminal messaging, he had security and power.

With Alastor’s return he brings CHARISMA and he’s doing it SO FUCKING WELL.

This is not a battle, it’s a slaughter, and Alastor is WINNING. With television there are so many ways to captivate a viewer but with radio all the host has is their voice and personality. It all has to be shown in a medium that doesn’t have many options for uniqueness.

Alastor defends himself with grace. He throws out compliments to his fellow overlords while still having it be a slight to the man who began the fight.

THE Vs ARE PREENING AT HIS PRAISE. THIS MAN IS GOATED.

It's night and day, but that's probably because Valentino and Velvet are tired of Vox's shit. I love this parallel so much!

Vox needed to be the person he was with Valentino at all times if this is a battle he wants to win, but he’s so bitter he will never see that.

He’s stubborn and that’s his main flaw.

And I fucking love it.

Alastor knows what he’s thinking and how to avoid it.

Always a step ahead. And their duet showcases that perfectly.

Alastor uses his opponent’s power against them, seeing the slanderous TV campaign and immediately going on air.

He does that in the pilot as well and seeing that this has become a habit for him is so fun to see.

Alastor is not to be messed with and I feel like people decided to gloss over that. But it’s so in your face you cannot deny it.

Alastor is TERRIFYING with a chilling deposition that will give you nightmares if you dare cross him.

Give him the respect he fucking deserves.

And the music and the visuals of the song — A whole fucking masterpiece.

I’m in love with their dynamic so far and I can’t wait to see where it goes.

So far Vox is the obsessed fanatic that couldn’t handle rejection.

There has to be more than that.

[mya-valentine]

Headcanon: Dottore with a S/O Who’s Also a High-Ranking Harbinger

Dottore values intellect and cunning above all else, so his S/O being a high-ranking Harbinger means they are not only powerful but also capable of matching his sharp mind. He enjoys having someone who can keep up with his complex experiments and plans, finding it refreshing to be around someone who challenges him intellectually.

Their relationship is anything but ordinary. Instead of sweet gestures and affection, their connection thrives on mutual ambition, shared goals, and a desire for power. They understand each other’s ruthlessness and drive, which makes them a formidable duo within the Fatui ranks. Their conversations are often more like strategic discussions, as they constantly plot and scheme, whether against their enemies or the political landscape of the Fatui.

Both being brilliant minds, their relationship often involves a lot of competition. If Dottore is working on a new experiment or theory, his S/O will eagerly throw themselves into the same project—either to assist or prove they can do it better. They push each other to the extremes of their capabilities, which leads to impressive (and sometimes destructive) results. Dottore might smirk and say, “You think you can surpass me? Prove it,” and his S/O would gladly accept the challenge.

In the Fatui, they’re seen as a power couple—cold, calculating, and feared by most. They work together efficiently, but neither lets the other get too comfortable in their position. There’s an unspoken understanding that their love doesn’t make them any less dangerous to each other’s ambitions. Both are aware that, in the ruthless world of the Fatui, love doesn’t shield them from betrayal, but instead makes their relationship even more fascinating.

Their banter is filled with dark humor and sarcastic remarks. Dottore’s S/O enjoys teasing him, often poking fun at his obsessions with his experiments or his clones. Dottore, while usually serious, finds himself loosening up around them, enjoying the rare moments where they can laugh at the absurdity of their work. Their humor often revolves around the chaos and destruction they cause, with Dottore’s S/O saying things like, “How many clones did you lose this time, love?” and Dottore smirking in response, “Only the weak ones.”

Dottore respects his S/O’s ruthlessness and ambition, much like his own. He admires how they can be as cold and unfeeling as him when dealing with enemies or even other Harbingers. They aren’t afraid to make hard decisions or sacrifice others to achieve their goals, and Dottore finds that quality immensely attractive. It’s one of the reasons he respects them as both a partner and a rival.

While they present themselves as calculating and merciless in public, behind closed doors, they share an understanding that goes beyond words. Their form of affection is more subtle—like sharing insights on experiments, leaving small hints that would benefit the other in their plans, or occasionally stealing a rare moment of quiet together in the midst of their chaotic lives. They don’t need grand gestures; their respect for each other’s minds and power is their way of showing love.

Dottore enjoys involving his S/O in his experiments, knowing they have the intellect to contribute to his projects. Sometimes, they conduct joint experiments, where they work together to push the limits of scientific discovery. Other times, they work separately but always keep an eye on each other’s progress, constantly learning from and improving upon what the other has done.

Despite their shared goals and similar ambitions, power struggles are inevitable. There are times when Dottore and his S/O clash, especially when their personal ambitions conflict. These moments often lead to intense arguments or even battles of wits, where neither backs down easily. Yet, their fights only seem to fuel their dynamic, as they respect the strength it takes to stand up to one another.

In a twisted way, their relationship thrives on the knowledge that either one could betray the other if it came down to their personal ambitions. This keeps them on their toes, as neither gets complacent, knowing that the other is as dangerous as they are. It’s this underlying tension that makes their bond unique—they trust each other precisely because they know what the other is capable of.

Dottore is always curious about his S/O’s approach to their Harbinger duties, and vice versa. They exchange knowledge not just to help one another, but also out of genuine fascination with how the other’s mind works. They might deconstruct battle strategies, analyze experiments, or critique each other’s methods with a mix of admiration and constructive rivalry.

Their love is not the romanticized version most would hope. It’s laced with danger, ambition, and even a bit of madness. They find beauty in chaos and power in destruction, often reveling in the havoc they wreak together. Their version of “romance” might involve watching an experiment succeed in the most catastrophic way or witnessing their plans unfold perfectly with devastating consequences for others.

While their relationship is built on mutual respect, intelligence, and ambition, there’s also an element of loyalty between them. They know that, as powerful as they are individually, they’re even more unstoppable as a team. This understanding makes their bond strong, as they know they can achieve far more together than apart. They would protect each other not out of love alone, but because they see the other as an essential part of their future power.

In the end, Dottore and his high-ranking Harbinger S/O are a dangerous, brilliant, and unpredictable pair—constantly challenging and complementing each other in equal measure, their love forged through power, intellect, and an unspoken understanding that in their world, respect is the ultimate form of affection.

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Masterlist

[jesuistrestriste]

The other posts before just kink shaming people. Calling people weirdos and creeps and that the authorities should be called and some how writing men squirting, "because its not biologically possible" is in the same category as well like damn have abit of whimsy

helloo !

so i guess a user who follows me, or used to follow me, is posting on their acc snippets of my work and talking about how im weird and gross (as well as some other unspecified challengers writers) bc i wrote about ‘puppy’ stuff and ‘men squirting’. they blurred out my user but my writing was directly referenced.

they basically likened the puppy play stuff to sexualizing real animals, and said that it was also creepy to write about men squirting bc it’s not ‘biologically possible’

i don’t wanna make this into a big deal, bc it’s genuinely not, but i’m responding to it to hopefully give this individual some clarification and also to defend the users who actually enjoy this type of kink content (bc i do too)

so. first of all — puppy play. i, for one, in the particular drabble they screenshotted, do not have the reader treating art like an actual dog. the reader only calls art ‘puppy’ and he is submissive. those are literally the only two things involved that are similar to puppy play. however, many people enjoy/write about other more direct aspects of puppy play, like collaring and leashing and etc, and that does NOT mean they like sexualizing real animals. it is NOT bestiality. i’m going to assume that the user in question who likened it to bestiality is not informed on what puppy play actually is/represents, and just took the concept of calling someone ‘puppy’ = sexualizing dogs and ran with it. that’s definitely not what it is, and i certainly was not writing it that way. for many, puppy play is simply about the power dynamics of it all. do i enjoy puppy play in its entirety? no, not really (i like certain bits and pieces), but i respect those who do. it also goes without saying that i do not advocate for or support the sexualization of real animals in any way shape or form ..? that’s disgusting.

— more info below the cut —

second of all — squirting. men squirting is possible, just the same as how women squirting is possible. if you don’t believe me, look it up on pornhub lol; it’s definitely possible. to my knowledge, the anatomical/bodily processes that allow someone to squirt are the exact same ones involved in. well. peeing. like. if you can pee, you have the anatomy necessary to be able to squirt. i’m mid-writing this and i can’t believe im talking in depth about what squirting is and how it works. help. but yea, is squirting = pee ? no. no, it’s not (controversial lol). but even if it was, some people are into that. no need to yuck someone else’s yum. you’re entitled to your opinion though. if you don’t enjoy it/understand it and think it’s ‘creepy’, that’s cool too ! idc—it’s your life! do what you want !

third of all — i read their post and they also talked about how it’s weird to write about puppy!stuff because some users (i don’t know if they were talking about me in this instance or just some writers on challengers tumblr in general) are writing about ‘real men’ and that these men should be ‘calling the authorities’. i know for me, im not writing about mike faist in a puppy play context. im writing about art donaldson. a fictional man. and i promise you, art donaldson will not be reading my stuff. and for that matter, neither will mike faist. that man wants nothing to do with social media, let alone tumblr (rip to his tumblr era though).

bottom line, kink shaming is not cool. it’s not fun, it’s not kind, it’s not cute, it’s not very demure.

some people use kinks as an escape from harsh aspects of their reality like past trauma, etc. or to process those traumas. that being said, you are 1000% allowed to not like something. that is your business ! but posting about someone’s work and making grotesque claims about their character and what they stand for based on smut writing is very odd. i do not appreciate it !

i am in no way trying to attack/hate on the person who made the posts, but i think it’s important to try to address stuff like this and educate those who may be confused or misinterpreting. to the user who made the posts: i hope you have a good day, and i hope this clears things up ! if you see this and want to talk more about it, my dms are open. all love.

UPDATE: i was just informed that the user in question used to write for (tw) school shooters and apparently cleared all evidence of it from their account except for some lingering tags.

i take it all back ! ! as someone who has experienced the effects of a school shooting + has been in a uni community targeted and affected by an act of gun violence, that is absolutely disgusting, and you can rot ! seek therapy ! :)

[basilthesnakingthing]

I love how the book of bill turns Letting The Triangle Into Your Dimension into more of a moral dilemma than it was in the show, or even Journal 3. “To Bill this is only a game, but to us, it would mean the end of the world.” Except that actually, to Bill it’s his home, and it’s the ragtag gang of scrappy orphan rascals that he took charge of, gave purpose to, and became the protector/leader of, and all of their lives at stake. He tried to brush it off, but it seems like he genuinely feels responsible for them. They’re scared. Of course, they’re still criminals. If you did let them in, they would wreck your home and end/ruin lots of people’s lives, and that would be wrong. But just leaving them to die feels messed up.

I love that the book humanizes Bill without trying to convince you that anything he did wasn’t as bad as we thought. (Well, Bill is constantly trying to tell you that, but we’re all very well aware that he’s an unreliable narrator.) But he doesn’t know how the Edge of the Nightmare Realm came about. He gets defensive. (this was touched on in weirdmageddon, but I don’t see nearly enough people talking about how he can’t take what he dishes.) He’s not some master manipulator who knows you inside and out, better than you could ever know yourself or him, he just scans some of your memories for some stuff you might care about and runs with it. The only reason it worked so well with Ford was because they already had similar trauma and compatible personalities. I honestly think that if Bill had just told the truth about the true purpose of the portal that they would have been great friends. Ford -knowing what would happen this time- wouldn’t have ever tried to build the portal, but he would help Bill problem-solve to find a way to not be eaten by the Edge. Bill could get him all the information, and the context, and the what the living there was like without ever getting interdimensional travel involved, because you know he could, and then nothing bad would’ve happened, and how it really went was fucking tragic.

I love that we get even more psychological horror journal pages, even more intense than Journal 3 had. And I love that it shows us that Bill made a mistake and the consequences of it were so traumatic that his memories of that day are repressed. He’s just . . a guy. Who has too much power how ill adjusted he is.

But I am deeply annoyed at how Bill all but told us that his relationship to Ford was romantic in nature. I maintain that Ford never thought of Bill in a romantic way, because he is aroace. It’s very clear in the show, but especially in Journal 3. Anyone who tells you otherwise either has no reading comprehension skills or is retconning something. But I can’t deny that Bill clearly outlined how he would court someone, and that he has done those things to Ford. Can I pretend that was just him screwing with us because he knew we would come to that conclusion? *deep dramatic sigh* Probably not because of how how he acted when he was drunk. To yoose guys this is delightful, I know, but to me all the stuff above that I said I did like were enough to make this a fascinating dynamic. The romance part is just kind of there. All inconveniently. Making it feel less interesting and meaningful.

Will definitely do an essay on what the book of Bill implies about Billy’s home world at some point. Might make a comic about The Good Timeline where Bill was honest to begin with.

[lookingthroughmirrors]

Opinion on how annabeth punches and pushes percy, the judo flip and percy being reduced to a himbo malewife in hoo (can't make his way out of a paper bag without annabeth).

(Please note most of knowledge comes from PJO and HOO as I have not read much of the later series, but I do know the main points and events that happened and have read certain pages *cough* judo flip *cough*

I’ll start with the first part, Annabeth punching Percy (which happens the first time long before HOO) and the infamous Judo flip, which is for some reason very controversial.

Most of the arguments I see are one of these few things.

1. Annabeth was worried and did it out love

2. They were raised as demigods (child soldiers) so it’s not the same/ they are used to violence therefore it excuses her actions

3. There is nothing wrong with her hitting because it wasn’t like

First off, all of these arguments and any other ones I’ve seen when it comes to this topic and defending Annabeth are bullshit. Why? Because there is no excuse to hitting a partner. Slapping someone’s shoulder while joking or something in a similar context is miles different to what was happening here. Annabeth hit Percy hard, and she did it with the intention of making it hurt. There is no excuse for that. Sure, they were raised as Demigods and violence has always been a large part of their lives, but then shouldn’t Percy also lash out and hit Annabeth if that’s the case? And shouldn’t that be fine too? You don’t hit someone out of worry or concern either, not hard enough for an army to believe you to be a threat. Annabeth has never been nice to Percy, she canonically say in TLT that she doesn’t care if he dies, only that she can go on the quest. And ok, maybe that could be written off as an immature twelve year old, if her actions in later books didn’t continually prove that she hadn’t changed or developed. I think another fundamental issue in her relationship with Percy is that she can never be wrong, Luke being the biggest example of this.

Percy, even with his history and past friendship with Luke, was able to look at things objectively to an extent. He says multiple times that Luke had a point. I honestly think if it had’ve just been Luke, if titans hadn’t of been involved, that Percy would’ve joined Luke. But that’s a whole other thing. I only bring it up because I think Luke particularly is the best example of Percy having far better judgement than Annabeth, who refuses to be wrong. Something that again is addressed within BOTL, when she challenges the Sphynx because of her pride, and is an asshole to Rachel because she doesn’t want to rely on another person and is jealous. She likes being the leader, she wants to be the person people rely on, but that has always comes naturally to Percy despite how much he himself hates it.

I personally would’ve far preferred Perachel to be canon than Percab*th. Percy is always stressed about Annabeth, about doing the wrong thing where with Rachel feels like he can be himself, not like he has to live up to some invisible standard he can’t ever hope to meet.

I also, as I’ve written about before when discussing Percab*th is that Annabeth is not an essential character to HOO, and that she could’ve easily been interchanged for someone more interesting and dynamically different. I think Percy was sidelined to try and give Annabeth more purpose in the story. I also think Percy is consistently put down, berated and underestimated. He literally has people thinking he’s a god when he first meets them, that isn’t someone who lacks power. I also think Annabeth has always been a little bit scared of Percy to certain degree. Or at least acutely aware that she would not be able to put a fight if Percy turned on her and he put in a tiny bit of effort.

I also Percy is never given enough or really any recognition of everything he did. That he took the prophecy so it wouldn’t go to Nico. That he turned down immortality, not for Annabeth, but because of a promise he made to Luke and his years long stance that nothing is worth living forever for. I think the nuance of Percy as a character, and his ability to connect with and understand characters like Like and Ethan is severely underdeveloped. He has never been blind to the gods faults, he didn’t do what he did in the name of the gods. He did it for the campers, for the demigods who’d carry out their parents burdens simply because they had the audacity to be born. Demigods doomed to die from the moment they’re born because of their parents, like him. I particularly think Percy is too far often used as a scapegoat for Nico’s issues and often either villainised or dumbed down into a himbo.

It’s ridiculous, since Percy has repeatedly shown himself to have both better judgment and better strategising skills than Annabeth. Percy is better than Annabeth, and he has far more power than she ever will.

Percy is such an amazing and nuanced character with so much room to explore different characteristics he’s shown at different times and he is too often sidelined to boost another character (most often Annabeth and Nico)

Overall I don’t really like Annabeth, and I’ve yet to hear a viable reason as to why what she did should be ok. And I truly believe HOO did a disservice to Percy by dumbing him down, and making him reliant on Annabeth.

I hope you like my answer! Thank you so much for asking I absolutely love getting questions and I also love a chat so please feel free to keep it coming!

[kagoutiss]

So I am having SO MANY thoughts about the twinrova and how they’re a couple centuries old and so would’ve lived through multiple rulers before “serving” ganondorf.

Like they raised him, what was their agenda? Did they have plans spanning multiple sovereigns to secure their power over the gerudo? Did they have the Omni man “what’s another century we’ll just raise the next one” kind of feelings towards him if he didn’t become their puppet or weapon?

So much thot not enough brain space this rot is taking over me

ooooooogh twinrova brainrot is strong in me too…..yeah because if they’re ~400 years old and OoT ganondorf was still just in his twenties at the time, and a male gerudo child is born every century, then presumably they could’ve been in the position of raising said children multiple times? i think i remember seeing a take somewhere that considered the idea of twinrova’s role in the gerudo being similar to that of impa serving as an attendant/mentor to zelda, and i think that’s a really cool idea. there’s probably also a lot of potential angst to be found in these little old witches who may have cared for previous gerudo princes, and would have had the incredible responsibility of keeping them safe in childhood, while also training them in witchcraft and war strategy, and advising them in their kingship as adults. because if that’s the case, they would’ve seen those princes live and die multiple times too

it kinda makes you wonder if their love for ganondorf is so obsessive in part because they know firsthand how painful it is to lose a child, to live long enough to outlive to your children multiple times. tbh, i feel like them using ganondorf as their proxy for everything, and trying to make him an all-powerful being at any cost, is more a product of their love for him, than it is a litmus test of whether they‘ll love him or not? and by this i don’t mean they’re like,,, a healthy family by any means, like you can still easily apply terms like abuse and trauma-bonding to parts of their dynamic, imo. i think kotake & koume love ganondorf genuinely, and always have, and that the sentiment is mutual. it’s just that they’re willing to go to very extreme lengths to protect/empower ganon in the ways they believe are necessary, because they are very aware of how important he is, to them and the gerudo as a whole. and ironically, a lot of the time, this desperation ends up being not at all conducive to his safety, or sanity, or happiness

like…raising him with expectations and standards that are completely unreasonable for any human being, that turn him into an ambition-driven nutjob who invents lightning magic & masters all types of weaponry & plays a pipe organ, while also having virtually no ability to form genuine relationships with people other than his mothers. or them trying to make him into an impervious, all-powerful being by trying to take divine power, which sometimes inadvertently turns the rational parts of his brain into soup and sets them on fire. or them trying to revive him after death in the downfall timeline by sacrificing themselves, inadvertently bringing him back wrong, and sentencing him to an existence he never would’ve originally wanted

idk. they’re really fun and also heartbreaking to think about. he engraves their names into his weapons, they willfully die just for the possibility of allowing him to live again. their familial relationship seems to be the most important bond in the lives of everyone involved in it, at the expense of any other kind of connections in their lives. he’s their figurative puppet in a few ways, and will break himself over and over if it means meeting their expectations, but i doubt any of them see it that way. everyone involved gets extremely hurt in one way or another, no matter what, often in an attempt to do the opposite, out of love and fear. little fucked up witch fambly……it’s so much

[sparklycharmy]

Neuvillette, Zhongli, and Yin-Yang.

zhongli is fairly complex and looks to be an equal blend of both (with more reverence to yang should his connections to the heavens prevail over earthly connections/symbolisms). earth in general symbolizes yin (with regard to solely the heavens vs earth context in chinese philosophy), however, his undeniable associations with the sun and his celestial origins introduce very potent yang elements in equal measure.

Zhongli

Yin characteristics:

1. stability and reliability: as an earth-associated figure, zhongli embodies stability, always presenting a dependable, supportive, and firm presence.

2. connection to the material: earth represents the tangible, material world, reflecting zhongli’s role as the god responsible for the creation of mora and economic stability in the earthly realm.

3. his geo element: he regularly controls an element associated with the earthly realm: yin!

4. philosophical and reflective: he often displays deep philosophical thought, engaging in teachings and reflections about order and the general world. he’s calm and gently supportive to those he looks after and is usually never the aggressor.

5. his other form is part qilin: the qilin represents yin! or at least leans more toward it.

Yang characteristics:

1. celestial authority: as a figure who came from the heavens (not earth) and is still a leading god (no longer an archon, but i say leader because 1) xiao wouldn't still have to go to him for permission to do certain things and 2) zhongli says he still as a duty to care for humanity), zhongli embodies celestial authority and control, which are hallmarks of yang energy.

2. guiding light: just like the sun, he serves as a guiding light for liyue, directing its people towards prosperity and self-sufficiency. his role as a celestial being involves watching over and actively protecting liyue. his prominent, guiding influence continues to preside over liyue, even in his absence (yang).

3. dynamic influence: his lines and lore in cn refer a lot more to the heavens, one example being the phrase "heavens move, earth follows", aligning with yang qualities of authority over the earth and guiding its element(s).

4. intimidating presence: even when disguised as a human, others are too intimidated to talk to him. despite that, his strong reputation has most of the people he interacts with regard him with reverence.

5. he represents the eastern dragon (and directly refers to himself as a dragon, even after retiring and no longer interacting with humans as a god): the eastern dragon is an embodiment of yang. they're gentle in nature yes, but embody yang according to sources (especially heavenly dragons).

6. power: zhongli is notoriously known for being a ruthless warrior of formidable strength and a daunting reputation. he is extremely assertive when it comes to contracts and impartially enforcing them (which he prioritizes over all else when involved).

- as a minor detail, adeptal energy is also more ethereal in nature than elemental (so yang affiliated), and zhongli is noted to be their ancestor on top of not being from the earthly realm.

In conclusion, he is a perfect blend of both, with a slight lean to yang.

Neuvillette:

neuvillette is similar to zhongli but remains oh so different. unlike zhongli, neuvillette’s element(s) are solely associated with yin; he does not hold heavenly (yang) ties in the same way zhongli does.

Yang characteristics

1. leadership: as a sovereign, his leadership and authority over fontaine demonstrate yang characteristics of control and assertiveness. his unwavering commitment to his role as chief justice, ensuring justice and order, is a yang trait.

2. opposition to the heavenly principles: his proactive stance against the usurpation of authority by the heavenly principles shows a decisive, yang-like purpose and he intends to go through with that purpose with action...we don’t know when, but soon.

3. he’s supposed to represent a western dragon. these dragons are more aggressive and arrogant in comparison to their eastern counterparts.

4. commanding presence: despite reaching out for amiable interactions, he holds a somewhat intimidating presence at first impressions.

Yin Characteristics

1. judicial purpose: as chief justice, neuvillette embodies the yin quality of receptivity by focusing on balance and fairness in the system.

2. care for the melusines: his protective and nurturing attitude towards the melusines aligns with the yin aspects of care and empathy. his soft nature is referred to several times.

3. contemplative nature: neuvillette holds an introspective approach to just about everything. his duties and his thoughtfulness are rooted in trying to understand humanity to better understand himself (a major yin trait, his foundational purpose is associated with introspection). this reasoning is highly reflective, aligning with yin.

4. preference for subtle simplicities and sensitivity: his taste. his sensitive nature is noted by sigewienne and himself.

5. emotional depth: the care he shows for fontainians and his role connect to his emotional depth and feelings for others, core yin qualities. emotional depth is shown to be an overarching part of his character again and again; his emotions have a direct influence over the entirety of fontaine and its weather for example.

6. his element. water represents depth, fluidity, intuition, and the capacity to flow and adapt, all of which align with yin characteristics. in most sources, water is solely referred to as a yin element.

- as a minor detail, his sq has yin written all over it! literally everything about it is sourced back to neuvillette’s own internal conflict/introspection (wriothesley helps in pointing this out, too). it is one of the only major quests/sqs that do not have us fighting a big bad, the main resolution ultimately lies in assuaging neuvillette’s internal conflict that paints his perspective of the world around him.

- the primordial sea, which he rules over and is of him, is referred to as “amniotic fluid” (the fluid that only exists to support a fetus) which undeniably connects to womb symbolism (supporting this is the fact the sea is the source of all terrestrial life on the planet!).

in conclusion, neuvillette embodies a nuanced mix of both yin and yang qualities, while leaning slightly more to yin.

PS: i almost forgot about his voiceline detailing the intimate connection himself and his vishaps have with the moon, a yin figure!

PPS: just a funny detail: he detests the sun.

[thequeensjester]

The opening credits are so dynamic and summarizes the season.

I briefly wrote speculation on this new title card before but didn't really have a fleshed out idea. Now I have more concrete thoughts and so much of it has to do with the opening credits.

But first! Please see and support these two gifsets as their work helped it all click for me:

Opening Credits by fukutomichi & Red Costuming by leotanaka

So, this green title card so far only appears in ep1. Now in s1 ep1, the title card is covered in frost because that's where the present day story begins and iirc, the title card is gold for rest of the series.

Here, I think this green title card is foreshadowing. It's rust, specifically verdigris because we see traces of red alloy, which I think is copper. Verdigris is rust derived from copper and it's toxic.

That seems strange that veridigris is used here (and I'm definitely inspired by Elden Ring lore) because in ROP, that emerald green is linked with the Elves. I believe it's a flip on that and instead, it's showing Sauron infiltrating and poisoning different factions of Middle Earth. This is backed by costuming and cinematography.

The show isn't always trying to be subtle with its foreshadowing and that's okay. It should and needs to pay off. In ROP, Sauron is coded with red; we see that in his prologue look. Red can also double for bloodshed or danger like we see here in the S1 ep1 prologue and the Celebrimbor premonition.

So with all that said, let's break down the updated title sequence!

(caps are slightly adjusted for contrast and visibility. Apparently, the show is too dark on some screens?

I think this is obvious; starting with Sauron at his lowest. Then, the red grain worms its way into the gold patterns. In fact, it sort of resembles:

In the prologue, we see veins erupt on Sauron's face for a brief moment during his tantrum. I *think* we see something similar when Sauron gets rejected by Galadriel.

(Thanks Charlie Vickers and Jack Lowden for all the face! Love when actors aren't afraid to just go for it.)

With the Dwarves, it's fascinating because both father and son are already wearing red before meeting Annatar.

Danger comes to the Dwarves as a result of Mt. Doom erupting so this is something Annatar exploits. Durin IV was right to be suspicious and called Annatar's lies but the fear of doom and trying to be proactive to stop it is much louder. Reconciliation with his dad goes hand-in-hand with giving up their stubbornness to try and work together for their people.

However, this is exactly what makes the Dwarves vulnerable to Sauron. A tragedy.

I see a lot talk about the writers going in circles with Sauron leaving Eregion but only to come back. I think he fled because he's not sure how the elves will react when they find Galadriel in the pond so better leave for self-preservation. He goes to Mordor to scope out the place and manages to plant further doubt.

He asked Adar in s1 if he remembers him and Adar asked him who is he? Sauron already sank his claws in Adar long ago with red wine and his presence here triggers an old memory. Now he's nudging Adar to pursue his doubts and hoping Adar will make that mistake.

Celebrimbor's forge is already tainted by Sauron. His new forge (right) burns redder than the previous one. He may not have been involved in making the three rings for the Elves but his effect on Celebrimbor is there.

Aside from Celebrimbor reciting "not power of the flesh but over flesh," he's wearing red in that exact scene. I looked and tried to find if he's worn red at any other time in s1 but I think this is the only instance. He's usually dressed in blue and green. Celebrimbor's costume change is so subtle because together with the other elves, they are dressed in harmony: gold, blue, and green.

Even when he forged the Elven rings, he wore blue but when he made rings for the Dwarves, well... what a difference. He's also too happy to lie to Gil-Galad.

Red costuming goes into full force in Numenor.

I originally thought this orb was an eye and it still could be. Then thanks to leotanaka's gifset, I realize it could be the icon on Pharazon's chest and foreshadowing the Great Wave.

Galadriel's presence shook up Numenor. Sauron didn't need to do too much because Galadriel's relentless pursuit did the work for him. He saw the Numenoreans' disdain for elves and just needed to gently steer her in the right direction.

I definitely think Sauron takes a lot gambles but actually learned to read the room to NOT get crowned again. He can't know how Numenor will react to their losses in the Southlands. Instead, he just scams them by talking with enough ambiguity for people to fill in the blanks for him. This gives him enough resources to work with.

Now with the elves, here is where things diverge. So Sauron hasn't physically touched the rings but he did affect Celebrimbor and Galadriel, who were both directly involved in making the rings. The golden tree we see in the title sequences is still gold but it's hue is different, slightly warmer as an indirect result of Sauron.

Compare these two titles:

S1 (left) title card uses a bright, radiant yellow gold. S2 (right) uses a burnt gold. I do think current one refers to fire and a forge at work but it's also implying a decline due to Sauron's influence.

I'm curious if the title sequence will continue to evolve throughout the season but if not, I look forward to what the s3 title sequence transforms into.

credit: cap-that.com