#but i simply cannot relate to anyone i meet

[bunnihearted]

🍜🍥🥢

[autisticlee]

it kind of sucks when all your friends and family, everyone you know, are all pairing off and getting married and havinf families, except you. you're the only one that doesn't have a partner and probably can/will never get one. especially if one around you has time for you anymore, they never reach out, never get back to you, because they're only focused on their partners and families. you're stuck alone and drift away from everyone through no fault of your own. you have no hope of finding your own partner or no motivation to look for one for whatever reason. the lack of connections while seeing everyone around you having their own can get overwhelmingly lonely at times....

[theriverbeyond]

Ok so a part of the NtN epilogue that has always bugged me is how Alecto very specifically doesn't know who Harrow is until she bites kisses her and tastes her blood

Which on its own wouldn't necessarily mean much, except that Harrow is shown repeatedly to look almost exactly like Anastasia, and Alecto-in-her-aspect-as-Nona is shown to be very observant and aware of physical features. It's not, like, a vision issue, after waking up Alecto immediately recognizes Pyrrha, and knows the general features of Harrow i.e. "black-eyed infant". And in her aspect as Nona, she is keenly observant of physical features. She waxes poetic about all the little ways Honesty and Pyrrha's red hair differs from Kiriona's, and more than that, she immediately recognizes Kiriona's corpse as the girl from her dream. So why doesn't she recognize Harrow?

The other Lyctors recognize Harrow. The first thing Augustine says upon meeting her is: "Harrowhark the First—ninth saint, then, looking at you I can tell that’s appropriate", and then in the same scene he calls her "Anastasia come again." Mercymorn insults her ("You're not as pretty as Anastasia") but in that insult, she again emphasizes the physical similarity between Harrow and Anastasia. These statements are way more significant when you remember in this scene, Harrow has just woken up after travel through the River, and is still wearing a hospital gown. no black vestments, no Ninth Aesthetics, the only things really "Ninth" about her are her physical features.

And the first thing Alecto does after she realizes that Harrow is Anastasia's blood is to apologize about Samael and reiterate her "vow", which she specifically did not remember until after she remembered Anastasia.

So like. What does this mean? I cannot help but have a feeling that this relates to blood wards being broken by the blood of a relative, the Ninth House being the House of the Sewn Tongue, and the established fact that necromancy can fuck with memory and perception. I guess I had always assumed the original "sewn tongue" referred to Anastasia but like what if it referred to Alecto? And the established blood ward (the Tomb) could only be spoofed by a close relative (because John wouldn't program it to let anyone but himself in), but theoretically what is stopping Anastasia from whipping up a theorem for a blood ward that simply requires any kind of direct genetic link? Why would Alecto have forgotten her vows, how does this relate to Samael, why was she swearing allegiance to Anastasia? If she was made to forget because that vow was a secret, who was it kept secret from (John, presumably), and why, and how will this impact Alecto's motivations and actions in the next book? John seemed happy/relieved to see Alecto when she woke him up via sword-to-the-chest, but the Alecto he put to sleep (presumably) didn't remember her vows to Anastasia, and the Alecto who stabs him does, and what could this mean? How does this all connect to Anastasia's bones being nestled by the Rock on the inside of the tomb? Did Anastasia have a long term plan, or was she just hoping that the next time Alecto woke up that things would be Different? What could she possibly have hoped or assumed would have changed in that interim time? How does this connect to Alecto calling out for Anastasia right before John leads her into the Tomb? What HAPPENED between Anastasia and Alecto, and John, and Samael, and—(I am pulled off stage with a large hook)

[mschievousx]

now and then | b.b.

pairing: benedict bridgerton x ofc

summary: loraine silva always knew she was not normal. she loves unusual things. she love her father's guns, horses, boxing, climbing a tree, falling from a tree, engineering, astronomy... oh, and a man eleven years older.

series masterlist

iv. four: you were right for me

"why would you need to go? the hawkins balloon will be tomorrow."

loraine silva finds herself at her father's study, planting her head on her hands above his table in an attempt to act endearing enough and change his mind.

she pouted, whining to him, "i am not interested with the gas laws related to balloons. i have read them enough."

"what is in this scientific convention then?" armand placed his pen down and removed his glasses, fully putting his attention to his daughter.

"chemistry and medicine!" she exclaimed with exciteness in her voice.

"hm? i thought you like engineering."

"i do, but it's not everyday you can practice chemistry and medicine." she argues. although the girl loves engineering above both subjects, the opportunity to witness these two does not come as often, "aside from the difficulty of obtaining chemicals, it also must be supervised closely."

he narrowed his eyes at her, crossing his arms strictly, "you're not helping your case. that means it would be dangerous."

raine pouted at him, her chances of attending continues to decline, "they are professionals and experts, likely recognised by the queen to be able to conduct such a grand expo."

"you have not been doing much of the work of a viscountess." he sternly added.

"papa, it is my very first season." she stood up, rounding the table to her father's side, clasping both hands as if on a prayer, "please? i will surely attend to everything after the season."

her father made no attempt to move or acknowledge whatever she said, forcing her to make more points for consideration.

"it is perhaps a part of being a viscountess. my presence in academic events will highlight our activeness in such field." still with no budge, she sighed heavily before another point entered her mind.

"it's like a ball. a lot of gentlemen will be there, and who knows? perhaps, i will meet a charming one who shares my interests." she reasoned with a dearly smile.

armand growled at the mention of charming boys. he really doubts there is anyone as such these days, "and what of the bridgerton boy?"

"i jest—it is still benedict. however," she moved to unlock his crossed arms and grasped his hands together in hers, which she cannot envelop seeing as her hands are quite smaller in comparison, and gave out a longing smile, "i could use another friend, can't i?"

━━━ ✦ ❘ ☽ 【❖】 ☾ ❘ ✦ ━━━

it is safe to say that the young silva has her father wrapped around her thumb. with warm smiles here and there, she now arrives at the medical convention with unmeasurable elation.

stepping in, she did not know where to look at all. everywhere she turns, she could spend an hour looking at a single specimen—minus the bones. she does not like them at all. but, she knew they're still a sight to see, so she has decided to start with them before she spends most of her time to other subjects.

she walked and walked, simply passing the specimen with a lot of audience like the humerus, the pelvic bone, and the thoracic cavity.

raine would have really loved to observe the thoracic cavity but she thought against it. being in close proximity with a lot of people is not something she enjoys.

upon more walking, a lone skull has managed to grab her attention. she neared to look at it closely. it's crazy, isn't it? to refer to this skull as it when it once housed a brain of a moving, feeling person—one that was referred as he or she.

"the human skull is made up of twenty-two bones, accounting for ten percent of all our bones." an unfamiliar voice joined her side.

she stood up straight from her peering, adding to what the man said, "eight cranial, fourteen facial."

"a fan of the skull?"

raine turned to him at that question. she fought all her facial muscles that was aching to grimace. on another note, the man is quite handsome. of distinguished upbringing too, it seems.

she puffed out lightly as she turned back to the skull, "i dislike bones."

he chuckled at her strong statement, quite ironic that he finds her curiously looking at one, "what are you here for?"

"muscles, cardio, and neuro." she answered, walking away towards other specimen this time.

"ah, interesting choice of subjects. although, i must say, bones are as important." the man followed closely, which she did not mind but she would have loved to look around with none bothering her.

she let out a sarcastic chuckle, looking around as if disregarding his person, "i did not say otherwise."

"you dislike it."

the young lady turned to him with a crossed brows, "i do not have to like it for it to be as significant."

"you are shrugging at its importance." he stubbornly argued.

raine fired back, "i am shrugging at you."

"with the use of your scapula, which are in fact bones." he held up his right index finger, as if to highlight a point—a point she chose not to take.

"with the use of my muscles who initiate the movement sent by motor neurons." she completely turned to him, her voice quite increasing in volume.

his mouth is slightly ajar as raine waited for his retort. he settled with an astonished smile, offering a hand forward, "astley cooper, lady silva."

she let out a small scoff, her annoyance being covered by the very familiar name, "ah, and another day i do not get to introduce myself."

"you must understand. your family is celebrated," they continued to converse in a calmer manner, both accepting the arguments of each other, "and you cause an uproar everywhere you go."

the young silva lightly laughed at the mention of her antics, stopping in front of the humerus that was crowded earlier, "i like to leave my mark."

"i do not doubt it." mr. cooper affirmed.

"you are the son of sir cooper?" she inquired with indifference.

"i am." he shows no sign of surprise that the lady knows of the name. if she is indeed an academic, his father's name is always mentioned on the textbooks.

she simply hummed at that, proceeding to walk to another specimen, "well, this is your forte after all."

"conceding so easily, lady silva?" astley retorted with a hint of smugness. she turned to him, voice laced with friendly annoyance.

"i doubt you would argue with me about guns, would you?"

he laughed at her point as he replied, "never."

and for the first time of the day, she was reminded; she would have loved for him to be the one with her right now. granted, he does not know a lot about these, and granted, she prefers to look around in solitude in these events, but she would have seriously loved his presence. to him, she would never say never."

noticing her zoning out, the man coughed lightly and asked, "what part of the body do you most like?"

she turned to him, completely caught, "oh, hands."

"you surprise me. i thought you would be a lover of eyes. why the hands?"

she smiled at that, raising her hand from the arm near him, as if showing it to him, "they are fascinating; their ability to grip things."

she would have loved to mention the real reason. they can hold on to things. they can let things go. raine thought it too poetic for an academe like him to understand.

"incredible. i'm afraid mine is not as well-thought as yours."

she returned the question, certainly feeling the man's own urge to share his, "what's yours?"

"a femur. it's the hardest bone."

raine did not think twice to laugh. he was being honest after all. it was indeed not as well-thought.

they reach a hall where a live amputation is going on. most audiences were of the academy, she can tell. the daily man would have no appetite for such thing that these young men were watching closely.

she whispered to astley in a hushed voice, "how do you convince them to do it live?"

"he is from our school. he understands the importance of live discussions. sadly, he met an unfortunate accident, and here we are."

raine nodded in understanding, eyes watching the procedure attentively. it is quite harsh to look at, of course. after all, it is an amputation.

after the left mid-forearm was severed, the use of burnt wool was executed. the man has been administered with a bit of anaesthetic, but only enough for until the severing is done. a higher dose than that would prove to be risky for the patient. and so, the application of burnt wool can be felt by the man, gradually increasing in intensity.

as the procedure is ongoing, the surgeon performing it offered information and explanations here and there. the ligature, she could understand, but surely there's an alternative for burnt wool that is less painful.

"how about hydrogen peroxide, sir?" she offered, the surgeon and the students turning to her.

"what do you mean?" he asked, returning to his patient and continuing post-operative care.

"it may be able stop the bleeding more effectively than a burnt wool, which can cause more damage."

the surgeon chuckled, finding the fault on her argument, "it causes irritation to skin, actually the harmful one."

raine stepped forward, laying her case more directly, "yes, but in the right concentration, it has oxidative properties and is a reactive oxygen species. by this, it can cause vasoconstriction upon the dysfunction of the endothelial cells."

the surgeon turned to her, now understanding her train of thought, "it can close the source of the bleeding, achieving hemostasis."

"impressive. we will study such activity of the said chemical, lady?" he inquired, genuinely amazed by her case and how she has thought of it.

raine smiled inwardly, letting out the most prideful smirk she could muster, "silva. viscountess silva."

━━━ ✦ ❘ ☽ 【❖】 ☾ ❘ ✦ ━━━

just as the clock hits ten before two in the afternoon, the young lady has decided she's satisfied enough of the things she were able to witness and learn. that and the fact that her stomach is now growling.

as she stepped out of the building that housed the convention, she's met with a familiar back of a person across the street.

"ben!" she called, waving overly that some people have spared her a look. the said man turned to her and immediately placed a hand on his forehead at her loudness.

she eagerly crossed the street to him, bridgerton inquiring with a confused face, "what are you doing here?"

upon reaching him, she hugged his right arm with pure excitement as they continue to walk forwards. he could do nothing but let her, "there's a medical convention near. it was awesome!"

"really? i did not know." he feigned ignorance at that, the girl not minding anything as she was overcame with exhilaration.

"you're not an avid follower. that's alright. anyways—"

she proceeded to tell him what happened to her day, from the part she was begging her father to let her go until before the amputation. she also highlighted the specimen she has seen, throwing information about them with elation. she was about to continue when benedict interposed.

"i would have went with you, you know." he said before setting his eyes back on where the pair is walking towards, now with a smaller voice, "if you just asked."

she heard it. of course, she heard it. he could whisper meters away and she would certainly hear it with ease. and, no matter how high up on cloud nine she was, she had no problem jumping off it just to hear him.

raine giggled at his offer, "it's not fun for you. you would find the contents of it boring."

"i would not," he replied at once, seeming as if he does not even need to think twice of the reason, "you were there."

she stopped walking instantly, pulling benedict back by the act without warning. he turned to her for the second time today and all he can see is her widest grin. she was not doing anything but grin, which is what making him so confused as of the moment.

and, just as raine was utterly clueless of what her words were doing to him, he was just as clueless of his words to her.

with confusion, he raised a brow at her, "what? did you have lunch?"

she simply nodded her head sidewards, grin still present, "i have not."

he nudged her as they begin walking again, "what say you for a late lunch together?"

her answer was apparent, "yes!"

they entered an eating house nearby, raine continuing her stories of the day as the food is served.

in the middle of eating, she asked out of the blue, "what part of the body do you most like, ben?"

"mine? let me think," he settled both his hands on the table, looking afar in thinking.

"hands," he replied, placing the fork on the dish to steady it as he slice, "you can tell a lot from a person's hands—the softness, the roughness, its shaking..."

raine smiled serenely at that. he would never fail to do poetic justice to the mere existence of things. and, perhaps, she should have really asked him to go with her earlier, so that the contents of the convention would feel alive once more by his words alone.

he knew her so well that his words spoke to her on their own. she could not remember clearly, but she was sure. it was a moment like this when she first realised she liked benedict. it was one of those moments where she realised that he was the right person for her.

"how about you? what were you doing around here?" she asked, turning to her own plate.

"oh, i was just walking around." he shrugged off easily, which just made her suspicious of it.

"oh my—right," she began, causing the man across her to look at her, "there is a pleasure house nearby."

he should have really noted already not to intake anything if the girl is present. but, he did not. and so, he finds himself choking once again, on food this time, at what the girl accused him of.

"what are you insinuating? how do you even know there is such a house here?!" he whisper-yelled, controlling his volume to not attract other listeners.

raine laughed at his reaction and gave a sarcastic, understanding smile, "ben, do not worry. i have known your activities since i was a child. i still like you."

"i did not go to a brothel!"

taglist: @aadu2173 @imgondeletedis @pumkiinpasties @rebleforkicks

[justporo]

Fluffy relationship headcanons for Astarion and Tav

No one asked but I have to get out some headcanons I have for Astarion (and some for his relationship with Tav (based on my female Tav)) or rather some ideas I have in my head for how it'd be after the ending of the game's events. Bear in mind, I am not done with my first playthrough yet.

We know he can handle a thread and a needle very well. Imagine he would get a dress for her, knowing she's not used to this kind of finery and would add custom embroidery relating to stuff she likes and then giving it to her on her birthday or their anniversary. And Tav just completely loses it, breaking down crying, because neither has anyone ever done something so sweet for her nor could she bear all the care and effort her soulmate put into it.

They bicker - a lot. They swing between old married couple that call each other names and piss each other off and being the sweetest, most diabetes-inducing, just recently gotten into a relationship-y lovebirds.

Laying in bed naked and sharing a bottle of wine while talking about their relationship, their pasts, whatever state the world is in is their favourite hobby.

They have datenights showing each other their favourite spots around town - also working through their collective trauma.

Maybe Tav convinces him to start journaling and slowly working through his past, maybe he finds out he has a knack for poetry doing that, so he starts randomly writing sweet little poems for Tav and leaves them around their place for her to find.

Astarion making a habit out of doing Tav's hair and making sure she takes better care of herself, because she's lived most of her life like a streetcat and didn't care so much about how she looked. Hair? Yeah, I've put half of it in braids and haven't touched them for a year. Make-up? Sure, I've been wearing this smoky eye for a week. Also, why do you think I have this tattoo?

Okay, enough for now. I will most probably put some of these moments in fictions because I simply cannot contain myself. Meet my Tav btw:

[psychelis-new]

pick a pile: "It's about timing"

take a breath, close your eyes and ask yourself a time-related question. then, open your eyes and choose the photo or number that calls you the most to find out about the possible amount of time needed for/time span in which the subject you're enquiring about may manifest or start manifesting for you. reminder timing can change according on different factors: this reading mainly wants to provide some kind of general advice/have a calming effect.

don’t take the reading too seriously. only take what resonates with you and leave the rest. if you're not called by any pile, let this reading slid as it may not hold messages for you. if you're called by more than one pile, there may be messages in each of those piles. remember that is a general reading and some things may not resonate with you. energies can change and readings are based on present ones (as you read); you're always in charge of your life.

(photos found on unsplash)

- ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ -

1 2 3 4 5 6

- ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ -

pile 1

timing: present time, short time, imminent (2 months max.) it depends also on your ability to focus on what you can control/yourself (keep your mind in check as it may sabotage you through insecurities and similar)/stay grounded. you're attracting your blessings anyway, just try to stay as calm as you can and keep working.

song: still life | dawn golden

- ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ -

pile 2

timing: next year, more likely end of the year or late autumn. I heard july too (could be specific for some or a confirmation -eg. a birth month). it may be also when you are near to close a cycle in your life (end of self insecurities)/divine timing. you'll balancing out something in your life too, either your inner/outer self or two endeavours or simply two energies.

song: dynamite | bts

- ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ -

pile 3

timing: in 10 months-2 years. march could be a favorable month or a confirmation of some kind (eg. birth month). go slow, keep working on your happiness and be determined. If this is really what you want and what really makes you happy too, it will be (check within during these months).

song: i like | kut klose

- ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ -

pile 4

timing: 8 months or 2-4 years. something needs to be changed within you or your approach to this matter. even if you cannot see it well yet and it feels so far away, be hopeful and more determined. you may meet help on the way. "a pinch of belief" (dunno what it means or if it resonates with anyone... maybe somebody wants to cook something?)

song: easy | danileigh, chris brown

- ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ -

pile 5

timing: it's a surprise! keep working on healing your heart, especially from negative past experiences/emotions you may still carry within and find a hard time to free yourself from. try to not overworry if you can. take good care of you and be kind with yourself if it's taking a while: it's okay, even if it seems unbearable at times. be patient.

song: heart to heart | mac demarco

- ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ - ’ -

pile 6

timing: when you start a new cycle or you are in a moment of reflection/pause. divine timing. might happen suddenly and shake things up a bit. try to close that hurtful chapter and take time for yourself. grow your confidence. let the Universe work for you behind the scenes.

song: butterfly | crazy town

[mostlyghostlyy]

How possessive do you think Kobble is? I think he has to be at least a bit, but like him being a more passive pining stalker it might look a little weird on him. Less telling you off and more desperate, maybe.

I think he definitely has a possessive side during a relationship. Before, he would be mostly just passive pining and stalking. When you’re finally his, he doesn't want to lose that and will take drastic measures to keep your affections.

I don't think he would ever outright tell you off in any way. Any criticism would be masked in light-hearted passive aggressive comments. Dale seems more like the type to try to be coy about things, and would prefer to sulk instead of addressing any concerns with you. Deciding instead to hint at things and hope you’ll notice. If you don't understand what he's lamenting about, it will only make his mood worse. Rough sex usually follows. He would be huge into guilt tripping. He likes the attention it affords him, even if it's negative.

Jealousy is a big component of his possessiveness. He is very sensitive to the feeling of envy. If he ever feels slighted or ignored at all while you are in someone else's company, you would never hear the end of it. His hands would be all over you, and Dale being shameless would start talking over the conversation. He commands your attention, whether you are finished or not. He will say anything to get you to leave the conversation, even if it embarasses you. Throwing a smug grin at the individual while you tote Dale off to somewhere more private.

I don't think he would be controlling enough to keep you hidden away from friends and family all the time, but he definitely wants most of your free time spent with him. And if you do have plans with anyone, he will make sure that they know you belong to him. Dale would be fixing you up with hickies, bites, bruises. Any kind of sexual related markings so they cannot be misconstrued. He does this when you go out together, making you sport a shirt that has a plunging neckline so everyone can see his trophy (you).

You would have no privacy with this man. He would always want to know where you are at all times. Even if you simply stepped outside for the mail he would be at the door, pestering you with questions when you returned. Dale is clingy, and that mixed with insecure is a toxic mix. He would need to do everything with you, and would act as if he can't function without you by his side 24/7. Dale has no boundaries, so he would expect you not to have any either. I think he would be personally offended if you ever asked for space, and might even break down in tears. Expecting you to comfort him. On this note, I think he would want to know what you’re thinking at all times. Constantly looking for validation that you’re happy and that he is secure in trusting you.

A cute little hc that i have (which is i guess only slightly possessive, but still applies) is that he NEEDS to be the one to drive you places. You need to get to work? Dale will drive you there, and pick you up. Something from the store? Dale loves errands! Meeting a friend? Dale will also be meeting the friend because he’ll transport you! You will never have to touch the wheel of a (personal) car again, because he will take you anywhere you want to go. He will not take no for an answer either.

[metatronhateblog]

As you all know by now

Metatron is sus af. And if you haven't noticed, or you live under a rock (no judgement here) I'm here to add some interesting things I have noticed as someone so obsessed with this show I can only see in the colors and outlines of Good Omens at any given moment.

Fair warning, the only theories or analysies I see are sent to me by my sister, or appear on my dash (and I don't follow many Good Omens blogs that theorize.) So if any of this has been stated or pointed out before, apologies. I'm trapped in tunnel vision mixed with an aching brain.

This one's a doozy and a conglomeration of stuff that I have noticed that I'm not sure actually hold any significance so hang in there, it's worth it.

SO. Let's dive in.

First things first, lots of different theories going around, not sure I believe a lot of them but am fully willing to indulge, and admire the effort people put it. I'm not a huge fan of the 'Metatron poisoned Aziraphale theory' but I have a feeling this post might possibly give those girlies a little 'W.' We'll see, I have various points to touch on.

Something fucked is going on with Metatron. For starters it's very uncomfortable to me, and hits very strangely that no one recognizes him (except Crowley.) Which is so strange because we previously see Michael, Uriel, Gabriel, and Saraqael all in a meeting with the Metratron about....oh maybe ten minutes prior, not to mention Muriel and Crowley were there witnessing it also??? Hello? Why does only Crowley recognize this person that this group of people have seen (Saraqael and Muriel only moments before at the same time as Crowley.)

So how come Crowley is the only one who recognized him??? Sus to me. Any thoughts as to why cause I have none....

But then things to me seem to get a little weirder. I enjoy playing with audio, cutting out background audio and emphasizing little things that might sounds strange to me. And I went through checking all of episode 6 for any weirdly placed miracle noises or waving of hands, and I came up with three things (one of them was actually from episode 5 though).

1.) There's a miracle noise after Aziraphale asks Metatron what they'll be doing in heaven and Metatron responds with 'It's something we call the Second Coming.' This one, with a lot of back tracking and examining other scenes, I've come to the conclusion is simply the elevator being summoned, though I do find it strange to hear the noise yet not see that miracle happen.

2.) In episode 5, during The Ball ™️, Maggie walks up to Nina who is sitting in a chair and offers a hand to dance. Aziraphale, my beloved, is watching so happily and excitedly from the side while holding a tray of hors d'oeuvres. Right when Nina grabs Maggie's hand there's a miracle noise. I'm not sure if it's part of the overall thing Aziraphale has cast over the bookshop, or if it's him from the side and we once again don't see it...(which feels weird) but it's there. And if it is because of the overall miracle cast over the shop then why don't we hear that sound every time something happens that is effected by said miracle. Something is weird about that one to me, but that's not Metatron related sorry. (Here's a screenshot from the exact moment if anyone is wanting to go looking for it.)

And 3.) My big one. This noise is...so unsettling to me. The first time I heard it I flinched. I still cannot figure out if it's part of the soundtrack or if it is a separate noise that segues into the soundtrack or not. But this one. So when Metatron originally enters the bookshop there is obviously a commotion and then once he gets everyone to leave, he looks at Aziraphale and tells him he wants to speak with him or have 'a chinwag' (weirdly Earth term if you ask me) and then offers Aziraphale a coffee who then takes it and sips it blah blah blah we all know that part. But then Metatron says something...weirder. He mentions that he's also consumed things before...which...makes something about him feel all the weirder. He then again asks Aziraphale to chat with him. Aziraphale hesitates and looks to Crowley who is lounging behind him who tells him to go ahead because the 'day can't get any weirder.'

Immediately following that is where I am horribly sus. Aziraphale looks at Metatron who gives him this kind smile and ushers him forward, and once Aziraphale can't see them anymore, Metatron turns a glare onto Crowley, who I'm not sure if we see him acknowledge this sudden cold change.

But that's not the sus part. In my opinion the sus part is the audio. THE MOMENT his demeanor changes to glare at Crowley. We get this little....noise that sounds like a deep kinda dark little twinkle of some sort (and holy shit I'm screaming over this noise because upon checking the official soundtrack the noise is not there) that sounds like magic is happening. And it just. I have listened to the dark way the soundtrack picks up and listened to it through over and over searching for any more signs of that out of place noise and I CAN'T FIND IT. So because I care deeply and am not going to make you people go hunting for this one, I have a screen recording of the audio clip. I kinda took the audio of an actual miracle noise first (I was using it as my reference) and then all the audio surrounding that noise and reduced it, but kept that noise kinda emphasized by not touching it at all. (My apologies now because my editing audio isn't the greatest, I'm no professional, and I did get the first notes of the soundtrack starting in there too.)

HOLY SHIT????? HELLO???? What was that dark little sound there??? I don't know if anyone else has pointed it out but if you have you're amazing and I love you.

BUT WHAT THE FUCK???? I'm sitting here trying to figure out what that strange little audio blip is right there because if I'm correct and when Metatron tells Aziraphale 'the Second Coming' followed by the miracle noise I believe to be summoning the elevator???? Then what is that sinister little???? Almost miracle sounding noise there???? My goodness.

That being said, I did check through the audio in other places, trying to listen real close (and if anyone else is good with audio and can actually find it, then please share I wanna know) and I heard no miracle noises during their kiss scene or when Crowley gets in the Bentley and the Nightingale starts playing. (Disclaimer that could just be because of my hearing loss, so if it is there and you can isolate it, I'd love to hear.) I tried, I searched endlessly to try and help you guys with your theories but I found nothing. I will say though, a bell tolls very frequently in the show when something significant happens and there's a bell toll right as our beloved angelic beings pull away from their kiss.

Now that I've pointed out the strange little audio things I personally have noticed, I want to move on to more colloquial audio and less background noises.

I wanna talk more along the lines of this post by @meatballlady (sorry for tagging you I wanted to give you credit where it's due.)

After seeing this post and doing a rewatch of the show, I have been working more at trying not to make assumptions and trying to think of the ways different things can be taken.

Well the Metatron says something that I think maybe we should focus more on the different things if could mean???

This thing is said (i believe during Aziraphale's retelling of what the Metatron said to him) but also right after another one of those moments of misinterpreting the meaning of what someone's being said. This happens after Muriel interprets Crowley's 'Us time' to include them.

The line I'm thinking of here is

"I've been idling back on a number of your...previous exploits, and I've seen that in quite a few of them you've formed a de facto partnership with the Demon Crowley. Now if you wanted to work with him again, that might be considered irregular, but it would certainly be within your jurisdiction to restore your friend...Crowley...to full angelic status."

Holy shit there's a lot to unpack in that, both for Aziraphale and us. this whole thing could be interpreted multiple ways, I think, and that's why I've included this whole quote rather than just the specific line. It's a lot said in one go with multiple things that are....worded interesting. For a start.

Exploits -

Several different meanings both in the words form as a verb and a noun, and Metatron puts an emphasis on 'previous exploits.' So how is he using the word? Noun meaning bold and daring? Probably not a software tool. What about a verb? 'derive benefit from' is an interesting way to put it. 'Use a situation or person in an unfair or selfish way.' There's plenty of options here. And to say that he is using one specific meaning of the word would be assuming that you know for sure what he's saying. And when it comes down to it, we don't. After all doesn't this season play a lot with the misinterpreting of what someone is saying?

Let's continue.

de facto partnership - is technically an informal arrangement generally for business, formed by two or more parties.

Which is cool, but that's not the emphasized word here. The word Metatron seems to hang on is 'partnership.'

Partnership -

At this point it feels like an almost sterile way to talk about their very clear relationship together. But strange that he hesitates on the word.

The thing I really wanna talk about is

"...restore your friend...Crowley...to full angelic status."

Restore -

Now everyone, Aziraphale included seemed to interpret this as 'reinstate' your friend Crowley. And again it would be very presumptuous to think that it could ONLY mean giving Crowley a position in Heaven next to Aziraphale.

One of those meanings in there says something along the lines of 'to return it to its original condition.' And we all immediately go 'well that would be an angel of course.' But we forget to take the time to realize that...as an angel, Crowley wasn't a demon. He didn't have all the memories and experiences as such. In fact, it feels hinted at throughout this season that Crowley doesn't have all his memory from his time as an angel. And who's to say that if he was restored to angelic status that wouldn't mean wiping him of his memory of his time on Earth? Who's to say that the Metatron isn't implying here that this is another way to make Aziraphale compliant while also keeping him separated from Crowley.

We all know as a team those two will 'raise Earth' for lack of a better term against Heaven and Hell to prevent Armageddon. They are their own side. And I think Metatron knows he has no chance of the Second Coming if those two are still working together.

Who's to say that Metatron wouldn't put limitations or a status quo on the allowances of Crowley returning to Heaven. He can't ensure that Crowley wouldn't cause problems, he can't ensure his trust.

Sorry if all of this has already been said and pointed out, but I personally haven't seen any of it and needed to get it off my chest before I exploded.

[ominoose]

hello ! what do you think about anselm vogelweide x asexual! reader ??

���𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐦 𝐱 𝐀𝐬𝐞𝐱𝐮𝐚𝐥!𝐆𝐍!𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

Summary: HC's about the above! Warnings: Non-graphic references to jerking it. WC: 434

Hiya ! I am no @reallyrallyauthor, but I took a shot :) Kisses to all my ace followers :*

He's intrigued. In his mind sexual pleasure is one of the basic forms of pleasure as a whole, its like ice cream without milk, how is such a thing possible? This leads to him wanting to find out and further experience what type of pleasures you engage with to satisfy yourself in place of the "void".

If you mention that you have a hobby that brings you lots of fulfillment he'd simply nod, a small hum in acknowledgment before the conversation moves on. A week later and he's balls deep in said hobby, sending you letters. "Dearest birdie, I cannot truthfully agree that crocheting satisfies me as carnally as the satanic orgies of my younger years. However, it does seem to simmer down my twitching trigger finger." "My devoted love, why on Earth would you pick scrapbooking as a hobby? If I wanted my fingers coated in sticky substances and my desk to look an absolute array I'd simply fuck or kill. I cannot say we are on the same page here."

After he's tested your habits to a decent extent, he's content and moves on. Your asexuality is neither here nor there anymore. He's had it explained, he's dabbled in it (as much as he could, asking him to actually abstain from sex is akin to asking him to become a Eunuch) and that's all there need's be. It's on par with your hair colour now; perhaps the topic of small talk over tea ("Did you know, it's often speculated that Nikola Tesla was asexual?").

Shoots anyone that makes rude remarks or grimaces about it. Partly because you're his and he shall not tolerate such disrespect, partially because its such a stupid thing to care about and if they're wasting mental capacity remarking over it then they clearly aren't thinking enough of their job.

He will obviously still feel sexual attraction to you, but you'd rarely know. Anselm would never dream of burdening his beloved with the "nuisances" of the physical body. It's only when he wakes up beside you with morning wood and looks down with a "Oh, I see I have an early morning meeting I must attend. Stay in your Egyptian silk cocoon, my love, I shall be back in but a minute."

Any time he does feel horny, after some 'self care', he goes online and purchases something related to your hobby, e,g a large lego set, an instrument, fancy cookware. Him explaining this to you after 50 packages arrived for you in the span of one week was fun.

Pronounces it "a-thex-ual", like how he says "de-lith-ous".

[anneapocalypse]

Why Vivienne Needs the Inquisition

No one 'winds up' at Court, my dear. It takes a great deal of effort to arrive there.

–Enchanter Vivienne to the Inquisitor

An ask I received (referring, I think, to something I said in this post, though I've alluded to it at other points as well):

How/why is Vivienne's position at court shakier than it seems? (Please publish this anonymously.)

Thank you for asking! I’ve wanted to write something on this subject for a while, so I appreciate the push to get it all down. It’s something I find really interesting about Vivienne, because it's something she doesn't want the Inquisitor, or anyone, to know, so it's all subtext in the game. Vivienne is a character who always holds the player character at arms' length--a bit less so when she likes them, but there is always some distance there. As such, she's a difficult character to get to know.

And while I do have some issues with the way Vivienne is handled in the game, particularly with narrative and quest design, I won’t be touching on those heavily here. For this post I want to focus on what can be determined about her motivations from the character as written.

Vivienne can be recruited to the Inquisition after the Inquisitor's first trip to Val Royeaux. Notably, she seeks out the Inquisitor's attention herself, inviting them to a gala at the Duke of Ghislain's estate, and also notably, once recruited she will not leave the Inquisition and cannot be forced to leave, no matter how low her approval of the Inquisitor. This is also something I have seen people question: why can't you kick Vivienne out, and why won't she simply leave if she disapproves of your choices? I hope this post will answer that question as well.

The most critical aspect of Vivienne's character to understand, I think, is that she has no stable institutional power. She is not a noble. She has no familial connections of the sort that can help even a mage to keep their head above water. She is a woman who was taken from her family at a young age and raised in an institution, and who has used all her wit and charisma to make the very best of that situation for herself.

Vivienne's position as First Enchanter of Montsimmard is mostly an achievement within the Circle itself. Montsimmard itself, however, was also a stepping stone to influence outside the Circle. Personally, I think the fact that Vivienne declined to join any fraternity when she became a full Enchanter, a shocking move at the time, indicates that she held ambitions outside the Circle from a young age. And Montsimmard was the perfect proving ground for her, a major Orlesian city whose ruling family maintain close relations with the Circle. In The Masked Empire, the Marquise de Montsimmard boasts about dining at the Circle, and she and her husband wear masks adorned with lyrium crystals which we are told were a gift from the First Enchanter. It seems likely, though not confirmed, that this was Vivienne herself.

(Incidentally, it is a real shame that Vivienne’s character seems to have solidified so late in the game’s development, because in retrospect I really feel her absence in the novels. She gets a brief mention in The Masked Empire as Madame de Fer, and absolutely nothing in Asunder, which we'll come back to.)

It seems that the Montsimmard mages were called upon with some regularity to entertain the court, and this is how Vivienne first caught the attention of Duke Bastien in 9:16 Dragon. Within a year, she had moved into a suite in his estate. Her position came under attack for the next few years, but nonetheless, after a single meeting with Empress Celene in 9:20 Dragon, she became the newly-crowned Empress's Court Enchanter.

(Edited to add: It seems to be sometime after this that Vivienne became First Enchanter of Montsimmard, at "an age young enough to cause scandal," though the date is never confirmed that I can find. Incidentally, as @shrovetidecat brought to my attention in the notes, Fiona is also supposed to have been Grand Enchanter of Montsimmard, which given that may be a lore inconsistency, unless Vivienne is only meant to have taken the position after Fiona rose to Grand Enchanter—and I'm not sure why a 40-year-old First Enchanter would be scandalous.)

By the time she meets the Inquisitor, she is likely somewhere in her 40s, and has been the Enchanter to the Imperial Court and the Mistress to the Duke de Ghislain for twenty years. She regularly mingles with the court and has built a practically unprecedented influence for herself in Orlesian high society.

And it's all about to fall apart, for three critical reasons.

First, the obvious: the mage rebellion. One cannot be First Enchanter of a Circle that no longer exists, though Vivienne certainly tries. A majority of mages, even if by a razor-thin margin, have declared that they do not recognize the Circle's authority—and therefore Vivienne's authority as a loyal Enchanter within that system.

I think Vivienne's dialogue with the Inquisitor and her remarks if taken to Redcliffe reveal a deep frustration and resentment of Grand Enchanter Fiona, who called for the vote to leave the Circle and now leads the rebel mages. Vivienne of course handles this in the manner to which she is accustomed, the culture of the Imperial Court, in which trading in verbal jabs and barely-veiled insults is a standard matter of social one-upsmanship. Outside of that environment, she comes across as petty and rude, which is an interesting point of characterization in itself: Vivienne has thrived in the court environment, but she does seem to have a bit of trouble adapting her manner to different circumstances, where that sort of thing might not benefit her. But what she's trying to do is frame herself before the Inquisitor as the reasonable and respectable mage, and Fiona as misguided and pitiable. How well this goes for her, of course, depends on who the Inquisitor is. But the effort itself kind of reveals the shaky ground she's standing on.

In her dialogue with the Inquisitor, Vivienne claims that as the rebel mages follow Fiona, the loyal mages follow her. But where are these loyal mages? There's maybe one or two mages we meet in the game (Enchanter Ellendra comes to mind) who seem to respect Vivienne's word. But if the loyal mages look to her as a leader, why is Ellendra alone in a cave in the Hinterlands to begin with? Why doesn't Vivienne bring a group of these loyal mages with her to Skyhold?

I think it's because Vivienne doesn't truly have followers among the mages, the way Fiona does. This is the story she's telling the Inquisitor, to capitalize on the idea that the rebel position is not a consensus, and also that she still has influence among a significant number of mages. The truth is, she doesn't. She’s spent most of her life courting influence outside the Circle, not in it. She has presided over a Circle where she doesn’t even live day-to-day. I can’t imagine that has particularly endeared her to many of her fellow mages, even the ones who are loyalists or moderates.

Contrast this with Wynne, a pro-Circle Aequitarian who is deeply involved in Circle life despite undertaking sanctioned work outside the tower, and is also deeply involved in the events leading up to the vote for independence. Whatever the Doylist reasons for Vivienne's absense from Asunder, the fact remains: she's just not there. She has no presence in the events leading up to the rebellion. When speaking critically of Fiona's vote, she discusses it in the context of Anders' attack on the Kirkwall Chantry, and says nothing of the circumstances surrounding Fiona's push for a vote—not the revelations about Tranquility, not the conclave (no not that Conclave, the conclave of mages at which Fiona called for the vote for independence), not the subsequent massacre by the templars and the remaining mages' decision to stand and fight. And perhaps most notably, no one mentions Vivienne, positively or negatively, during the events of Asunder. Not once. We are left with the conclusion that Vivienne is simply not heavily involved in Circle politics, no matter what impression she may wish to give the Inquisitor. Her influence does not lie within the Circle.

And I think Vivienne knows this, and realizes that it's suddenly become a big problem for her.

The second big problem is Morrigan.

Vivienne has had the favor of the Empress herself for twenty years. She has, by others' accounts, managed to turn the position of Court Enchanter from "little more than court jester" to a position of influence and respect. And then the Grand Duke attempts a coup, and the Empress's elven lover runs away with a dangerous secret, and suddenly the Empress is enlisting the services of some unwashed swamp witch while Vivienne is standing right there!

Like I cannot overstate what a absolutely galling slap in the face it would be to Vivienne that even as she is attempting to uphold the legitimacy of the Circle and thus of her own authority within it, Celene effectively creates the "Arcane Advisor" position as "Court Mage 2: Apostate Boogaloo" just so she can get advice on non-Circle-approved magics. Advice that Vivienne could not give even if she wanted to, even if the Empress asked, because she has no knowledge of eluvians and ancient elven magic.

Both Dorian and Cole needle Vivienne about her jealousy of Morrigan, and I think quite accurately, no matter how quick Vivienne is to deny it.

Her influence over the Empress is fast eroding. She has been replaced in all but name.

And the third and most personal big problem is Bastien's illness.

Vivienne has enjoyed a romance with one of the empire's most influential nobles for twenty years. She has lived in his home and been on good terms with his wife until her passing. Her influence in the Imperial Court owes a lot to Bastien's affections. Bastien is not only a Duke but a member of the Council of Heralds, the political body responsible for overseeing matters of titles and inheritance in Orlais. They are quite literally the most powerful group in the country; even the Empress rules at their favor, without which she would never have gained the throne in the first place.

And now Bastien is dying, something Vivienne takes care not to mention to the Inquisitor at first. It's not until after the ball at the Winter Palace that Vivienne asks the Inquisitor for help with her potion in a last-ditch attempt to prolong his life—and even then she does not reveal her true purpose until after the Inquisitor has returned with the wyvern's heart. And while it's possible to interpret multiple ways, I personally believe from her response to his death that she did care for Bastien. She didn't need to bring the Inquisitor to his deathbed at all, if she wanted to continue concealing his illness, something she's taken care to do up until that point. It bespeaks a measure of trust that she allows the Inquisitor to see her so—in her grief, as well as in her loss of position.

Because Bastien's death is a terrible loss for Vivienne socially as well as personally. Bastien's son will inherit his estate, and whether Vivienne is allowed to go on living there will be entirely at his discretion. Perhaps he will permit her to stay, but she cannot count upon his grace, nor upon the protection she enjoyed with Bastien any longer; and furthermore if she is allowed to stay, it will be a favor to her, making her beholden rather than granting her greater influence. She won't have the dignity of being Bastien's widow; she is his mistress, and respected as that position may be in the Orlesian court, it gives her no true claim to his family.

Vivienne is about to lose everything she has built for herself.

Without Bastien, without Celene, she will be left with… what? The position of First Enchanter to a Circle that no longer exists? If her own best-case scenario occurs and the rebellion is halted and the Circles are reinstated, then she still loses all the freedom she has gained and is forced to return to a Circle tower herself—a sphere in which, as previously discussed, she holds less influence than she would like the Inquisitor to believe. Even if she remains First Enchanter, it's hard to see this as anything but a massive step down in the social hierarchy, the beginning of a long slide into what the Fade reveals as her greatest fear: irrelevance.

It's a humiliation that Vivienne cannot bear.

This is why she won't leave the Inquisition, no matter how much she may despise the Inquisitor. Vivienne needs the Inquisition far more than she lets on. This even puts the petty low-approval furniture-moving scene into context. Yes, she’s doing it to snub the Inquisitor, but that doesn’t actually gain her anything. I think it’s deeper than that. The Inquisition was Vivienne’s fallback plan, and it’s not going well. The Inquisitor is making her look bad, she is finding no avenue to further advancement here, but she can’t leave. So, her response is to try to reclaim some sense of control over her life, asserting a kind of power she had at Bastien’s estate and was likely denied in the Circle: control over her own space.

Even if Bastien were to live a bit longer, Vivienne really has nowhere higher she can climb in the Imperial Court. She can't become a noble herself. She can't marry Bastien, or any other noble for that matter, because she is a mage. And I'm sure she's highly aware of this fact. Bastien is several years a widower himself; it is not his former marriage that prevents him from marrying her, now. It is her status as a mage which bars her from entering a noble family, legally, socially, politically. That Bastien never seems to have raised the question at all speaks to the fact that no matter how much he may have stuck his neck out for Vivienne, there was a line even he was not interested in crossing.

So where does she have to go from here?

Along comes the nascent Inquisition. Shaking things up. If any organization could rattle the gilded walls of the Chantry, it's this one.

Why not take a stab at the Chantry, at this point? What does she have to lose?

It didn’t really sink in for me for several playthroughs because she isn't wearing cleric's garb, but Bastien's sister Marcelline, who visits Skyhold after his death with Bastien’s son? She's a grand cleric. One of the surviving grand clerics who will decide the next Divine. Vivienne involves the Inquisitor in her plan to save Bastien, a plan she likely knows will fail—but she puts in the effort. She then introduces the Inquisitor to Grand Cleric Marcelline, having told her how the Inquisitor came to her aid. Marcelline expresses gratitude: “Madame de Fer has told us what great trials you faced, trying to save my poor brother’s life.” Bastien’s son Laurent is a powerful ally in his own right, now a member of the Council of Heralds, but also likely the one who will decide whether Vivienne keeps her suite in the Ghislain estate.

And if the conversation goes well, Vivienne tells the Inquisitor that it was "quite the triumph." If the Inquisitor expresses confusion, she patiently explains the influence that both Laurent and Marcelline wield, and that they have now secured the trust of both. If Vivienne becomes Divine, Marcelline’s favor no doubt goes a long way in getting her there.

Of course Vivienne will continue to take a conservative position on the mage question. A mage looking to insinuate herself into the Chantry hierarchy would have to, just as a mage seeking the freedom to consort with the court would have to. In the same way that a Hawke with aspirations of seizing the vacant seat of Kirkwall's Viscount must side with the templars at the end to show the nobility that they represent stability and order, the Chantry's first mage cleric must be pro-Circle, pro-templar, conservative to the bone. Vivienne seems to recognize this as far more important than actually appearing devout. It's also fascinating to me how little she bothers to make any pretense of a personal faith, instead always discussing the Chantry as an important social institution and political body. And this attitude doesn't seem to impede her chances at the Sunburst Throne very much, no more so than being a mage already would.

Vivienne knows exactly what she's doing. She always has.

Vivienne comes to the Inquisition seeking power and influence in the Chantry because her position among the nobility is falling apart. Whether she comes in with the intention to reach for the Sunburst throne itself is debatable, and I personally think it might have been the intent that she does have that ambition but seeks to let the Inquisitor think it was their own idea, though I'm iffy on how successful that is if it was the intent. Nonetheless, I do believe that Vivienne comes to the Inquisition with the intent to seek influence within the Chantry, realizing that the recent upheaval may offer her a unique opportunity to do so. And depending on how closely the Inquisitor aligns with her goals, she may succeed quite dramatically.

References

Codex Entry: Madame de Fer

Talking with Vivienne at Haven and Skyhold

Vivienne's high disapproval scene

After Bastien's death

Banter with Cole

Banter with Dorian

The World of Thedas vol. 2, pp. 235-239 (hardcover edition)

Dragon Age: The Masked Empire, p. 31 (paperback edition)

[iamnmbr3]

honestly why did jkr choose DUMBLEDORE as arbitrary gay 'rep'. Besides the not even there stuff he is an awful person.

(And you could pretty easily read him as that sort of Creep. Like I know that's not the sort of grooming people mean but that's always what I think :( )

I know. She really went 'diversity win! the serial liar and manipulator of children who is weirdly fixated on the attractiveness of an 11 year old is gay!'

Now I am absolutely NOT saying that a gay character cannot be flawed or even downright evil. Being gay doesn't make someone inherently bad - or inherently good. Gay people are humans - and just like any other group of humans are capable of the full range of human complexity. However, when the ONLY gay character is like this it feels like their negative personality traits are tied to their gayness. (Just like if Dumbledore was the only straight character it might feel like the author was was casting aspersions on the morality of straight people - even if that wasn't her intent).

Also it's so weird because there were so many other characters that are very frequently read as queer - including Tonks, Lupin, Draco, and Sirius. Not to mention HARRY POTTER himself. But nope. JKR was extremely resistant to anyone even suggesting these characters might not be straight (lol joke's on her - she might not have meant to write these characters as not straight but she did. be mad about it jkr). Only the character who had one queer romance which was extremely destructive and then swore himself to a life of celibacy where he spends all his time manipulated children is allowed to be gay apparently. smh.

And yeah. As for Dumbledore coming across kinda creepy, I definitely think it wasn't JKR's intention but it is a very valid reading based on what she wrote. I mean Dumbledore literally is out there saying 'oh yeah one of the only reasons adults liked this 11 year old child was because he was hot' without any awareness of how incredibly messed up a thing that is to say.

Like if that's something he's comfortable admitting publicly what thoughts doesn't he admit to? This is just an incredibly bizarre thing to say and really says a lot about how he perceives the world.

Why does he assume that all adult teachers pay attention to how attractive the children they are responsible for are? Why does he assume that teachers' treatment of their UNDERAGE STUDENTS is affected by attractive they find each child? That is not how an adult should ever be relating to or thinking about a child.

And it's specifically attractiveness he highlights - not cuteness or charm or literally anything even slightly more appropriate to favor a child for (even though it would still be wrong to favor a student). No. It's the same way he talks about Tom later. He suggests that Tom used his looks in some sort of evil seductor routine to victimize Hepzibah Smith - even though what we actually see is HER creeping on Tom, so it comes across very much as a "he was asking for it" and "he was to blame because he was being a temptation simply by existing" type perspective which is absolutely repellent. And seemingly Dumbledore was thinking about Tom in that way right from the beginning.

In addition, I will say it's notable that in the Hepzibah Smith memory Dumbledore seems to sympathize with the person who is acting as a predator. (I mean she literally touches Tom without his consent and tries to hit on him multiple times while he tries to change the subject and seems super uncomfortable; she is the aggressor in that interaction).

It's also notable that Dumbledore seems to take Tom rejection of him at their first meeting very personally which is odd. Tom's reaction to Dumbledore is not that surprising but Albus seems to take great offense at the fact that Tom does not trust or look up to or like him and does not want to spend time with him or accept his friendship. It's a rather unusual way for an adult to react.

And more generally he doesn't treat children as children. He talks about child!Tom the same as he does adult!Tom and doesn't seem to view him as ever having been fundamentally different. He happily sends Harry and his friends into danger.

He also has a nasty habit of reading people's minds without their consent. I don't think it's a coincidence that nothing about the topic of Occlumency is taught at Hogwarts. It seems that he's been frequently reading the minds of the Golden Trio (and probably other students) for years - probably since book 1; and the mind is a very intimate and scared part of a person that shouldn't just be violated. Characters having a blank or closed look is often used as a descriptor to suggest that that character is employing Occlumency. We know Tom's mind powers were quite developed and I think he successfully blocked Dumbledore from his mind during their first encounter (after Dumbledore read his mind to find out about the things he stole) as right after that scene he is described in similar ways to scenes where characters use Occlumency. And this denial and rejection may been part of what particularly irritated Dumbledore.

His interactions with kids - and especially his fixation on Tom - are very weird. And you could definitely read it as him having some sort of repressed (or not repressed) attraction/fixation that he's probably in denial about (or does mental gymnastics to justify). 100 percent not JKR's intent. But yeah. The way she wrote him is kinda off.

[blood-n-candy]

Concept: Exterminator Mode on Pressure (Part 1)

Are you struggling hard on Pressure like an idiot? (don't worry I'm also an idiot)

Are you tired of getting MINIGAMED at the worst possible times, like right after Sebastian's Shop or in the Ridge?

Do you have a desire for... REVENGE?

Well, this concept will surely catch your eye! In this post I will explain how you'd unlock this mode and its gameplay, I will have a follow-up post with badges related to the mode and post-mode consequencies.

CW: mention of guns, lots of beloved characters die

How to unlock Exterminator Mode

On your 100th death, instead of meeting Sebastian you'll be face to face with Mr. Lopee himself. He will show the document of what killed you like usual, but as he closes it, he says something... Peculiar:

"Your eyes... They reveal a long-harbored hatred for this place. I think you have now earned the right to act out your revenge. Next time you come here, go to the door on the far right, and with a "small" fee you'll be free to kill them."

You have now the ability to start Exterminator Mode!

To activate it, go to the door where the Evil Mode button was during the 2024 April Fools update, pay 500 Kroner (the first time, 50 Kroner from the second time onwards) to open the door, and pick up the backpack in front of you: that is you Exterminator Kit.

If you have second thoughts, you can leave the kit there and play normally! The door will remain unlocked until you initiate an Exterminator Mode run.

Note: Exterminator Mode is only available to teams up to 4 players. Teams of 5 or higher cannot activate Exterminator Mode, it might be too chaotic for the server to process. (A 50-player Ext. Mode would be insane tho ngl)

Exterminator Mode gameplay in a nutshell

Congratulations, you now have acquired the kit! Here's what gets added to your inventory:

A harpoon shooter with 10 ammo units (You will need to recharge by finding harpoons as you go)

A gun, similar to Sebastian's

A crowbar

A list to keep track of your remaning targets

In order to successfully complete an Exterminator Mode run, you must kill the following targets before you arrive to the Ridge. Should you skip even one targeted entity, once you're in the Ridge you will be killed by Mr. Lopee (the door will remain unlocked as if you played a normal run). Some voicelines you might hear when arriving to the Ridge with at least one target skipped:

"Don't think you can just sweep the dust under the rug!" "Coward!" *Mr. Lopee laughing like a villain* (If Sebastian is spared)"You had to get your own "friend" too, you know!" (If you haven't killed anyone) "Is this how you act when you're offered a helping hand?" (If you haven't killed anyone) "How dare you waste the gift I've given you!"

Now that you know that skipping targets is not good, it's time to know who do you have to kill in order to appease Mr. Lopee!

Here's the complete list, with reccommended methods:

Angler, its variants and Pandemonium: simply stand in the way with the harpoon shooter and kill them as they run towards you. A visual cue will be displayed to help you face the correct direction

Eyefestation: on the side it appears, you will find a couple of cracked spots. Use the harpoon gun to break the spot, enter the ocean and shoot Eyefestation like usual

Good People: With the harpoon gun equipped, walk towards the fake door as usual. A small animation will be triggered, where you'll automatically shoot the Good People, breaking the mask on impact. You will hear p.A.I.nter freak out and hurriedly lock the door

Imaginary Friend: the remote will spawn somewhere very visible. With the crowbar equipped, interact with the remote: a small animation where you smash the remote will play. If you've summoned the Imaginary Friend prior to breaking the remote, she will scream in pain and disappear for the rest of the run.

p.A.I.nter: p.A.I.nter's room will spawn somewhere after the death of the Good People. Since its cell's keycard port is unusable, use the crowbar to break in. Once you're done, an animation will play where you grab p.A.I.nter by its monitor and violently throw it on the floor, killing it on impact. You will not get any Turret rooms or Eyefestation Gauntlets (if Eyefestation hasn't died yet) for the rest of the run

Sebastian (probably the most painful one): You must be sneaky and fast. Do not come in with the gun equipped, take it out only once you're in. Don't wait too long either, both when taking the gun and shooting Sebastian, he noticed the Site is growing quieter and suspects you're doing bad stuff. He's right, and it's best for you to act fast (Note: on the bright side, you'll be able to take Sebastian's entire stock free of charge once you kill him! :D)

Searchlights: I have good news and bad news on this one. The good news is that you'll have to kill only the Searchlight in the Storage room (The others will find out and will avoid you once you get past the Ridge)! The bad news is... You need to be prepared. You'll have to get into the mouth on that thing four times because you'll have to shoot the harpoons from the inside, which means you'll have to get stabbed by its harpoons four times. Although its harpoon damage will be reduced, you will still need at least a medkit to survive. Don't worry, Sebastian's stock will always have one ready for you.

You will also be able to kill Squiddles and Wall Dwellers, if you want. They're not obligatory, but if you're feeling like spilling more blood you can use the crowbar on them.

Edit: PART 2 IS OUT!

[r0-boat]

Imagine Ceo!Arlecchino

Arlecchino x gn!reader

No smut just slightly suggestive

Can you imagine CEO Arlecchino?

you get to stare at her in a nice white and black suit~ that bright red lipstick that matches any jewelry and her tie. The clicking of her heals as she walks down the hallway up to her private office. Those red eyes dart up when she hears her door Creek open before they are upon you like a wolf on its prey. She gives you a small devilish smile when she notices who it is before motioning her finger for you to come closer.

Even though she's harsh with her punishment and rules, she treats you very well and spoils you rotten. Standing behind you, she gently caresses your body to put on a new piece of jewelry/clothing she had bought for you or nuzzle her nose against your neck to inhale that new perfume she got you a week ago.

"hm. You're so irresistible in the things I bring yo. Remember that these are for my eyes only."

If you so much as glance at something you want, it will be your next gift. Remember, just because she spoils you, that doesn't mean she goes easy on you when you disobey or be bad. So make sure you're on your best behavior ;)

Your interactions with her can sway her mood so fast that you unknowingly have so much power over her. The employees sigh in relief when you come in with a homemade meal or some baked treats for their boss, knowing their day will get a little bit easier.

The employees absolutely adore you. Who is pretty much only one who can stop their harsh tyrant of the boss by your presence alone.

But Arlecchino, on the other hand, as much as she loves when you come visit her at the company. He can't help but feel a little jealous when her employees are looking at something they cannot have. And she just simply cannot accept when you humor the idea that they even have a sliver of a chance... I guess you'll have to punish you tonight. Remind you who you belong to. Or perhaps now; she doesn't mind having you all do herself in her office.

Oh yes with you sitting pretty in her lap gently grazing her long red nails against your skin the door to her office is unlocked but she is confident that no one would dare bargain to her office not without knocking. Anyone to achieve anything to do so were her colleagues. Other CEOs of sister companies under the Fatui brand. And when one of her colleagues barge into her office a young adult with orange hair she is not phased by his presence demanding you remain in her lap, as the blue eyed young man talks to her about business-related topics.

However, this informal business meeting is cut short when he tries to kiss your hand. The young man's smirk was immediately wiped off his face when Arlecchino snapped one of her expensive fountain pens with her hand, the ink staining on her sleeve as it dripped until the document she was signing.

[kakushino]

I’m scared to ask because like I never done this before-

Anyway 👀

Do you think you can make a head cannon thing (or whatever they are called. 🥲) about a male y/n meeting (tanjiro, rengoku, or zenitsu) for the first time but y/n had like major anger issues because of their past (mostly because of their father) and they like later at night they like tell them that their dad was a horrible person and just and soft for the first time to them.

It’s fine if ya don’t want to do it I won’t mind at all :)! But if u do thank you! :D

Tanjiro meeting reader with anger issues

Tanjiro would never judge anyone for their trauma.

Tags: mild violence mention, anger issues, GN! Reader, sfw

Masterlist

AN: I have to admit, this gave me some troubles to write, as I tend to forget "the bad" as a form of coping mechanism. Lots of thanks to A and G for beta-reading and their help in figuring this out! Thank you for your patience and for requesting this! I hope you like it!

The first time Tanjiro sees you, you split your knuckles punching a man much bigger than you. The wrath and distress practically oozing from you make his nose scrunch up a little, but the situation is dissolved before he can step closer to you. You disappear in the next second like vapor above a cooking broth. It makes him wonder who you are, and why you have so much anger in you.

The second time Tanjiro sees you, he actually meets you. Your form is tense as you administer meds to a few of the slayers resting in Butterfly estate. He vividly remembers the way you laid out that man on the streets… 

One of the slayers says something he can’t hear but the next thing he knows, you’re pouring tea over that slayer’s head, much to his indignation. Yet again, the anger wafts from your figure as you stalk away, overpowering any other scent he might have caught on you.

Is there anxiety? Is there sadness? All he can smell is anger, and it makes his head spin.

The third time he sees you, you’re sitting on the engawa staring at your hands, callused from labor and fighting. An undercurrent of the previous negative emotions seemingly soaked into your clothing, yet your face is blank. He has to wonder, are you always on the edge? Or does he just happen to see you in such situations?

He feels compelled to sit beside you, and perhaps offer you an ear and a kind word.

Perhaps it is his openness and warmth, but you find yourself spilling your life story to him - how your past left a festering wound behind, and especially how your father created a deep chasm in your mind, heart, and soul. You tell him how you simply can’t keep calm when someone reminds you of the inadequacy and loneliness you always felt when under your father’s thumb, the shame and the distress fueling your fists, and you cannot hold back.

Tanjiro simply listens. He offers no judgment to your character, because anger is not what defines you, it never did. He understands the need to use it as a protection, a wall of defense when anything hits too close to home, he understands and he doesn’t blame you. He doesn’t know how it feels to be related to such a person, but he knows just how to comfort you.

He gives you his hand to hold, and reassures you, tells you that that man shouldn’t call himself a father, tells you that you will find happiness, and that’s one thing he will never experience. Karma is free, and it has its way of coming back around.

The warm embrace you share afterwards is the start of something great for you both, the stars being the only witness to your exchange.

dividers made by the amazing @benkeibear Network: @enchantedforest-network

[oristian]

ELAIN IN BLACK

I want to do an analysis on the argument regarding Elain in black that is split heavily on both sides by Eluciens and Elriels.

I plan on touching a few different topics, as well as comparing Elain and Feyre’s interaction with Court fashion, in this post, so it may be long—just a warning before I get into it.

ACOSF CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN, page 580

Black is a staple color of the Night Court, worn heavily by Rhysand and others within both the Inner Circle and around Hewn City and Illyria. Night Court Black.

ACOSF CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN, page 578_581

The specific name of the black that everyone was wearing in Hewn City during this scene is described as “Night Court Black.” For Elain to have been described as plain, with the color she wore to have, “sucked the life out of her,” that cannot be read with any positive connotation. For Cassian, of all characters, to be the one to express this is just as telling—he pulled himself away from the scene long enough to describe in an entire paragraph just how out-of-place Elain looks in the staple color of the Court she swears that she is now part of. It was unnecessary to the overall scene to have brought that point up. The plan was to uplift Nesta enough to have Eris dance with her, not to express how plain Elain looks in black.

I tend to see Elriels claim that Eris needed to be distracted from Elain so that he would choose to dance with Nesta, so Elain had to wear black and look awful compared to Nesta. A few thoughts on that —

1 — Elain is described as the most beautiful Archeron sister. No matter what she would have worn, her beauty would still have rivaled her sisters’. It was a pointed gesture to showcase how Night Court Black was ill suited for her to set up foreshadowing for Elain to leave the Night Court in her book.

2 — There is not a single canon scene prior to this chapter where anyone expressed that Elain had to dress down to make Nesta look all the more a prize for Eris. That is speculation and misinformation to spread as canon.

ACOSF CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN, page 580_583

What is actually said is that both sisters wore black and walked behind Feyre and Rhysand to showcase their relation to the Royal Family—that they both had magic of their own and that they were a formidable entity in this game. “They planned it that way,” has no indication that they planned for Elain to dress down for Nesta. On top of that, it was the color that was described to be plain on Elain, not the dress.

Nesta was always going to be the one to dance with Eris, as was planned. “Elain gave a passable impression of appearing interested.” Feyre was always going to redirect Eris’ attention to Nesta, no matter how appealing Elain may have looked to him in that moment. As for Eris’ “assessing” gaze over Elain, that is not a show of Elain stealing his attention.

An assessment is a judgement, or an observation. Eris’ gaze could have been made for a variety of reasons. He simply could have known that Elain is Lucien’s mate, or he could have been sharing the same sentiment with Cassian regarding Elain in black. There is no indication that he was physically attracted to her, nor that he was going to ask her to dance with him. Without his POV from that moment, all is speculation.

ACOSF CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT, page 595_596

A second major character expressing how Elain did not suit the Night Court Black gown that she had worn in the previous chapter. Instead, Nesta expressed how Elain “glowed with good health,” in a gown in the color of the Day Court. Juxtapose this scene with one from the High Lord’s meeting in —

ACOWAR CHAPTER FORTY-THREE, page 407

“All of them fit and gleaming with health.” It is very pointed the parallels between how the Day Court entourage and Elain after Hewn are described within their colors. I also find it interesting that cobalt is a color associated with Day. Elain in ACOMAF, upon meeting Azriel, Cassian and Rhysand for the first time, wore a cobalt dress. Many Elriels have speculated that to be foreshadowing for an endgame between she and Azriel, but could that have been hinting at Day, instead?

Now, I want to compare a bit of Feyre’s experience with Spring Court fashion in conjunction with Night Court fashion.

ACOMAF CHAPTER FIVE, page 47_52

Rhysand describing the wedding dress that Feyre wore when she was originally going to marry Tamlin—similar language to Cassian describing Elain in black. Feyre herself uncomfortable with the Spring Court attire. We know that this was foreshadowing for Feyre eventually leaving Tamlin, leaving the Spring Court, and becoming endgame with Rhysand and also High Lady of the Night Court.

Feyre prefers the Night Court clothing, describing it as warm and freeing—pants instead of dresses that she was not pleased to be wearing. Foreshadowing.

All in all, Elain being described as plain and out-of-place in Night Court Black is eluding to a future where she leaves. As she “glows with good health,” in Day Court colors—her mate being the only heir to the Day Court—that hints at she and Lucien making their home in Day.

[bythenarrative]

give us the evil headcanons brother in arms go go go (no pressure)

TexCali angst HCs!

CW for : internalized homophobia, toxic relationships, and transphobia under the cut!

California and Texas have always had a complicated relationship. Due to Texas' internalized homophobia, their romantic relationship is extremely complicated. It fluctuates from romance, to hatred. It is in no means healthy, and they both know it.

Due to Texas being more conservative, he forces the two of them to hide their relationship from the public out of fear of backlash from the rest of the states.

( not angst ) California was the first, and only person that Texas has come out to. With the nickname 'safe space', Texas assumed that he could talk to him after a lot of back and forth debating.

California had BPD ( Borderline Personality Disorder )

Adding onto the last one, California splits on Texas constantly. ( That's just the disorder ) It typically doesn't escalate because California knows how to handle his disorders well, but there will be the eventual time where California just loses it and shouts at Texas. Times like this don't come unwarranted though, there will be an obvious cycle of Texas' neglect and consistent arguments that cause the outbursts.

Texas' internalized homophobia causes him to act out against California. Even in loving moments, he'll find himself pulling away, becoming disgusted with California.

I personally headcanon California as transgender. Texas uses this as an excuse for dating a man because he still sees him as a "woman".

Adding onto that, it obviously has affected California a lot, having his lover not truely see him as a man, and dating him simply because he's transgender.

In the wild west, they called each other "Tejas" and "Alta". Now, when they are angry with each other, they call each other those names.

During the Californian Gold Rush, the two of them had been separated. California had been with many people during that time, and was used and left as soon as the Gold Rush ended. Now, California is constantly paranoid that Texas will do the same thing.

During the 1920s, the Hollywood era, the two of them were separated again. During this time, California and New York had found themself in a relationship, and bonded over the two of them being actors. Texas would find himself constantly watching the movies that California was in, and when news had spread of New York and California, he had broken his mirror, because he was unable to look at himself.

The two of them watched Brokeback Mountain together when it had first came out, and Texas had found himself overly relating to Ennis Del Mar. But, if anyone had asked him, he watched the movie because it was about cowboys and ranching. He "Wasn't a queer." as he would have said.

Texas cannot show his emotions whatsoever, it all turns to anger. Along with California, his emotions all turn into sadness and jokes to try and play it off.

California cannot accept any help. He knows that he is the "Safe Space" for all of the states. If he asked for help, who was he? He's not allowed to have feelings, it would make everything hard. He finds himself not having anyone to talk to, not even Texas. He bottles things up to the point that the smallest comment sets him off. This happened once during a meeting, when Texas had called him 'safe space', and he shouted at him, telling Texas that he had a name, and it wasn't "Safe Space", nor "Alta", it was California.

When upset, California only speaks Spanish.