#but just whats presented in the game and why i think it wouldn't make sense any other way

[elumish]

I've been reading Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros, and it's gotten me thinking about how worldbuilding is multilayered, and about how a failure of one layer of the worldbuilding can negatively impact the book, even if the other layers of the worldbuilding work.

I don't want to spoil the book for anyone, so I'm going to talk about it more broadly instead. In my day job, one of the things I do is planning/plan development, and we talk about plans broadly as strategic, operational, and tactical. I think, in many ways, worldbuilding functions the same way.

Strategic worldbuilding, as I think of it, is how the world as a whole works. It's that vampires exist and broadly how vampires exist and interact with the world, unrelated to the characters or (sometimes) to the organizations that the characters are part of. It's the ongoing war between Earth and Mars; it's the fact that every left-handed person woke up with magic 35 years ago; it's Victorian-era London except every twelfth day it rains frogs. It's the world, in the broadest sense.

Operational worldbuilding is the organizations--the stuff that people as a whole are doing/have made within the context of that strategic-level world. For The Hunger Games, I'd probably put the post-apocalyptic nature of the world and even the existence/structure of the districts as the strategic level and the construct of the Hunger Games as the operational level: the post-apocalyptic nature of the world and the districts are the overall world that they live in, and the Hunger Games are the construct that were created as a response.

Tactical worldbuilding is, in my mind, character building--and, specifically, how the characters (especially but not exclusively the main characters) exist within the context of the world. In The Hunger Games, Katniss has experience in hunting, foraging, wilderness survival, etc. because of the context of the world that she grew up in (post-apocalyptic, district structure, Hunger Games, etc.). This sort of worldbuilding, to me, isn't about the personality part of the characterization but about the context of the character.

Each one of these layers can fail independently, even if the other ones succeed. When I think of an operational worldbuilding failure, I think of Divergent, where they took a post-apocalyptic world and set up an orgnaizational structure that didn't make any sense, where people are prescribed to like 6 jobs that don't in any way cover what's required to run a modern civilization--or even to run the society that they're shown as running. The society that they present can't exist as written in the world that they're presented as existing in--or if they can, I never could figure out how when reading the book (or watching the film).

So operational worldbuilding failures can happen when the organizations or societies that are presented don't seem like they could function in the context that they are presented in or when they just don't make any sense for what they are trying to accomplish. If the story can't reasonably answer why is this organization built this way or why do they do what they do then I see it as an organizational worldbuilding failure.

For tactical worldbuilding failures, I think of stories where characters have skillsets that conveniently match up with what they need to solve the problems of the plot but don't actually match their background or experience. If Katniss had been from an urban area and never set foot in a forest, it wouldn't have worked to have her as she was.

In this way (as in planning), the tactical level should align with the operational level which should align with the strategic level--you should be able to trace from one to the next and understand how things exist in the context of each other.

For that reason, strategic worldbuilding failures are the vaguest to explain, but I think of them like this: if it either 1) is so internally inconsistent that it starts to fall apart or 2) leaves the reader going this doesn't make any sense at all then it's probably failed.

[yes-no-maybe-soo]

I miss main story Sylus so much (;_;)

Don't get me wrong I adore memory Sylus. Soft!Sylus is everything to me. But I have to admit that I really want to see more of the other equally valid and real side of him as well. That being the rough, morally grey crimelord we see during Long Awaited Revelry and in his Anecdote. Apart from Sylus on the job being hot as hell, there is so much about him and his motivations that we don't know yet and that I'm dying to find out.

I will also freely admit that a huge part of the reason for why I fell for Sylus and why he still has me in a chokehold is his complexity, his duality. I like that he is neither devil nor saint. Neither black nor white. Neither red flag nor forest full of green. He is so much more multifaceted and layered. He has real tangible flaws, and is certainly not a harmless cinnamon roll. He is a loverboy, yes, but equally a dangerous criminal whose hands have and will continue to kill others. And this duality is what makes him a great character in my eyes.

Hell, as much as it hurts me to witness, I like that he monumentally fucked up his initial meeting with present MC. And the narrative is very clear on this — his actions towards MC were wrong. He was forceful. He was cruel. Let's not sugarcoat this. Sure, us players know why he went about doing it the way he did and we feel bad for him as a consequence, but that doesn't make what he did in any way right or justifiable. MC was right to feel fear and disgust, and she would've been fully justified in never forgiving him imo. And honestly, I think Sylus would agree. He realizes just how badly he screwed things up, even if it took the harsh but true wake-up call from the shopkeeper to bring him to this realization. And it's a hugely important moment, both for him as a character and for his relationship with MC. Afterwards, he puts in the conscious effort to do better. To be better for her. To make things right. To me, this decision and commitment of his wouldn't have hit nearly as hard or been as meaningful if his prior actions hadn't been what they were. They proved that he is capable of real self reflection and growth. It's a massively important moment in their relationship.

The rocky start to their relationship also makes cards like Razor's Dance so impactful. Same with Goodcat Code and some phone calls and interactions where Sylus' fears and insecurities regarding MC's feelings toward him shine through. With the context of his behavior in LAR, it's completely understandable for him to have these fears. He knows he fucked up. Had he been a cinnamon roll made up of purely green flags, neither his feelings nor MC's would have made sense. Nor would MC's eventual forgiveness, and ability to once more see in him what others cannot, be near as powerful.

I don't know, am I making any sense with this or am I just rambling lol 😅

My point is that I love and appreciate all sides of Sylus. Both good and bad. It's what makes him him. And I would no more want to trade or give up main story Sylus than I would memory Sylus. I want big bad ruthless boss of Onychinus just as much as I want soft loverboy Sylus. They are equally important to Sylus' character. He wouldn't be himself without either. It's a package deal.

Perfect/flawless characters bore me. If Sylus were simply soft and green through and through, I would've lost interest. Honestly, I most likely wouldn't have downloaded the game to begin with. It was the danger mixed in with the comfort that drew me in.

It's like a friend and I have discussed many times — the fact that the hands that have wrought violence and death upon countless people are the very same ones that touch his beloved with such reverence and tenderness, is incredibly hot. Duality ftw.

So needless to say I am waiting with baited breath for the day when we will finally see main story Sylus again. Or for that matter, just a memory of Sylus in boss of Onychinus mode.

🐉❤️ 🐦‍⬛

[winteringdream]

YOU'RE MINE ! ──── boynextdoor (boynextdoor's protective gestures! )

✩ ⋅ pairing. ot6 bonedo x gn!reader ✩ ⋅ genre. fluff, headcanons ✩ ⋅ warnings. none! ✩ ⋅ wc. 1335

myung jaehyun (light-hearted) distraction

jaehyun doesn't like confronting someone in a serious manner so if someone makes you uncomfortable, he’ll loudly drag you into a different conversation to try and distract you. “hey, hey! did I tell you about the time I fell off a balcony?”

he might try to keep the situation more light-hearted by trying to defend you (jokingly but not so jokingly) “you want me to fight them with words or with my actual fists? or both?”

if needed, he’ll pull out the (fake) boyfriend move and grab your hand to announce loud and proud, “sorry, taken!” before pulling you away. but if someone’s standing too close to you, jaehyun will pull you a step backward, depending on what mood he is he may do this subtly or really obviously ("why are you all up their face?")

aftermath

jaehyun is all playful energy until he senses you’re not okay. he’d tone it down, giving you space to talk if you want to. if you brush it off, he won’t push, but he’ll stay close, filling the silence with casual conversation so you don’t feel alone. if he knows something happened, he’ll sit with you, making jokes about the situation to make it more light-hearted. and if words aren’t enough, he might throw an arm around your shoulders and lean against you, making sure you feel safe

park sungho doesn't play around

park sungho has everything thought out. if he’s telling you to do something, it’s because he’s already thought through every possibility. "if you’re walking home alone, send me your location. no arguments." if you try to brush it off, saying you’ll be fine he won't let it go. "i don’t care if you think you’re fine. just send it."

if someone makes you uncomfortable, he will immediately stand between you and them without hesitation, i wouldn't say he'd be the type to push someone back, but maybe if he's really mad

he watches out for you, even when he acts like he’s not paying attention, he knows exactly where you are in a room. especially if there's someone he knows is not fond of you is present. he will immediately stop everything he does if he sees the two of you talking, quickly appearing by your side to ensure things don't escalate

sungho doesn't hesitate to physically remove you from a situation. if you’re frozen in a bad moment or unsure how to handle the situation, he just grabs your wrist and walks you out of there. and he doesn’t play games, if he thinks something is going to get serious, he’ll escalate it without hesitation by calling authorities.

aftermath

he approaches it head-on. if you resist, he doesn’t back off easily but also doesn’t pry if you clearly don’t want to talk. instead, he’d reassure you, "i can’t fix everything, but i can be here. so let me." he’s more about action than words, so if you’re feeling overwhelmed, he’ll take you somewhere quiet, get you food, or force you to take a break because he knows you won’t do it yourself. also, no downplaying anything! "if it matters to you it's not nothing."

lee riwoo quiet but supporting

riwoo isn’t the type to make a scene when he’s being protective, but he makes it clear he’s paying attention.

If he senses something’s off, his usual laid-back demeanor shifts slightly. He doesn’t necessarily say anything right away, but his body language changes; he stands a little closer, his eyes track the situation carefully, and he becomes more aware of the way you act.

if someone’s making you uncomfortable, he won’t confront them outright. Instead, he’s the type to interrupt smoothly, effortlessly shifting the situation before things escalate.

if someone upsets you, he gets uncharacteristically serious. "Was that supposed to be funny?" he doesn't let anything slide, remembering every mean/rude thing anyone has ever said to you.

aftermath

if you’re upset but not saying anything, Riwoo notices. He doesn’t force you to talk, but he stays close, offering small gestures of comfort like nudging your shoulder, walking beside you without a word, maybe even sending you a random meme later just to lighten the mood. he believes in letting you process things at your own pace, but if you need someone in your corner, he’s already there.

han taesan quiet and blunt

if someone is acting weird around you, taesan doesn’t immediately say anything, he just stares. if they don’t take the hint, his voice comes out flat, unimpressed. “what exactly are you trying to do?” he doesn’t raise his voice, doesn’t get worked up. he has no patience for disrespect. If someone so much as talks down to you, he interrupts before they can finish. “try again,” he says, "with respect this time.”

he has a habit of subtly standing between you and crowds, his movements so natural that you don’t even realize he’s doing it at first. a casual hand on your wrist, the lightest press against your back, guiding without making a big deal out of it. it’s something he does without thinking.

taesan doesn’t sugarcoat things. if you do something reckless, he’ll call you out without hesitation. “don’t walk alone at this hour, you’re too weak to fight someone off if you get attacked.”

aftermath

if you’re upset but not saying anything. he won’t push you to talk, but he lingers a little longer and stays within reach (like how he acted when leehan was upset during the what?door! ep). he’s not one for grand comforting gestures, but he makes sure you’re not alone. If you need space, he gives it, but if you need distraction, he’ll find an excuse to keep you occupied. you might find small, thoughtful actions like your favorite snack left near your seat or a playlist shared with no explanation.

kim leehan gentle but assertive

leehan also seems like the type who picks up on your discomfort immediately, smoothly changing the subject or finding a reason to pull you away without making it obvious.

in crowded places, he casually holds onto your sleeve or wrist, not in a possessive way, just as a natural gesture to keep you close. he looks out for you, always checking in to make sure you’re okay.

leehan knows when to drop the nice act. if someone refuses to back off, his usual warmth disappears, replaced by a firm, no-nonsense demeanor that makes it clear he isn’t playing around.

aftermath

leehan just sits with you if you're upset. Ii you want to vent, he listens without interrupting, nodding occasionally to show he’s paying attention. when you’re finished, he gives thoughtful advice, but only if you ask for it. he comforts you in small, quiet ways. he tries to use lighthearted distraction to make you smile.

kim woonhak bold but playful

woonhak won’t hesitate to call them out dramatically. “wow, did anyone just hear what they said?” immediately draws attention and makes the person feel self-conscious, often causing them to back off.

despite his usually carefree and playful demeanor, when woonhak is genuinely angry, he becomes surprisingly intimidating. he would glare down the person who is bothering you in the hopes of intimidating them away.

if someone starts bothering you woonhak is the first to declare that you’re off-limits. "sorry! already taken by me!" he makes it clear that they’re unwelcome in a way that everyone can hear.

aftermath

if you don’t open up to him about something bad that happened, he might pretend to guilt-trip you in a playful way. "wow, so you just suffer in silence? rude,” to encourage you to share what’s going on in a lighthearted manner, making sure you know he’s there to listen. he’ll randomly check in, texting or calling just to make sure you’re doing okay. even when he’s not right next to you, woonhak’s eye is always on you. He’ll subtly watch over you from across the room, picking up on any signs that something might be wrong.

[alwaysless]

Fellow William analyst, greetings! I hope you are well, I hope you don't mind a question/ask.

I am curious about your thoughts on the lack of reaction we see of Will at the "one life" reveal at the dinner scene, if you haven't already shared your thoughts before! We know Annabel wasn't shocked, but what about Will?

It took me longer to answer than I thought, sorry

I'm not sure I can say anything new, but yes, it's pretty damn suspicious. The composition of the frame stylized as broken glass, makes it easy to draw Will with everyone, and a frame later we see him with other panicking students, so RnF didn't show his reaction quite intentionally.

But I also want to talk about his behavior further. In the next episode, Will doesn't behave the way you expect him to. Given his weak-willed personality, it seems like he should be scared and overwhelmed by the prospect of a survival game (like Morella for example) but he's confused at best, and moreover, confused by everyone else's reactions. He even tries to justify the deans, basically gaslighting the rest of the students.

Will is not afraid, but he does not understand why others are. I have only two possible explanations: either he knew, or he just doesn't care, just like Annabel. Or maybe both.

Maybe he has played these games before. Maybe he doesn't plan to fight for a second life (at least not in Nevermore, again just like Annabel). Maybe because he is somehow connected with the academic staff with all his doll aesthetic, there is no second life for him in general, he just works there. There are many options, but here I would prefer to focus on his parallels with Annabel - two characters whose reactions we don't see in this frame.

This is actually not the only scene where they are absent, contrary to common sense. In episode 6 we see the merit board for the first time. Most of the names on it are blurred, but some can be distinguished. Among them are Lenore, Annabel, Duke, Morella, Ada, Prospero and Will. All of them, except Annabel and Will, are present in the room at this moment.

I wouldn't have paid much attention to this scene if it weren't for Prospero. Why is he there? He doesn't speak a single line, and we haven't been introduced to him as a character yet. His presence here is useless. So maybe the idea really was for all the characters whose names were visible on the board to be in the scene(or at least have already been introduced, like Annabel).

So what about Will? My main problem with shapeshifter characters is that they can be anyone, anywhere, at any point in the story. Especially if they can also create their own copies. He could have already been introduced and we just didn't notice.

Now let's talk about the games these kids love to play so much. We know that Annabel is a talented chess player, and Montresor constantly uses card game slang. But did you know that it was William Wilson from Poe's original story who was a cardsharper? I just think it's such an interesting detail. Nevermore`s Will has never been seen like this, but considering how much of a board game aesthetic this webtoon has, I think it's important to note this.

And finally, there is a similarity that also makes them very different: both Annabel and Will have ribbons as an essential symbol, but it has a completely opposite meaning for each of them. For Annabel, the ribbons are a symbol of madness, fear, and perhaps her golden cage. It appears in her hallucinations after Lenore's fake death, as well as when Ada shows her her main fear.

Will, on the other hand? The ribbons are his weapon. He uses them to tangle other people. Curious, although his spectre is obviously a marionette, he doesn't have a control bar for strings, he controls the strings himself (not always successful but still).

No matter how weak-willed Will is, he's the only one in Annabel's group who isn't influenced by her. She blackmails Montresor, Prospero respects her as a leader and friend, Ada admires and envies her. But she doesn't have anything on Will. In the chess allegory, he will obviously be a pawn (and I`ll write a whole post about it, I swear), but not Annabel's pawn. I have an idea that sooner or later, Montresor will think of using Will to find dirt on Annabel in revenge. After all, given their spectre abilities, it's easier for them to find out lenabel's secret.

So, let's summarize what we found. Absolutely nothing. This post turned out to be longer than I had planned, because I was a little carried away, but I hope you found something interesting for yourself in this stream of thoughts.

Here, take funny little Will everyone. He deserves to be noticed.

[nat20composure]

Astarion and Agency- The Necessity of Discomfort to Self Discovery and the Infantilization of Victims

Minor Astarion discourse ahead that mentions the treatment of SA victims post-abuse:

I want to open this post up just with like. The statement that I don't think there is a correct way to enjoy media and that I LOVE to see individual head cannons and takes on characters in media. I think that is also, to a degree, an integral part of video games because of how unique the experience of playing a game will be to every person who plays it. But it has been making me feel so incredibly sad looking through fan content, art, or discourse for BG3 specifically because of how many people have taken the route of infantilizing Astarion.

I understand the instinct to shield or protect an individual that you love and care for. I also understand that because of the nature of the things that Astarion goes through, a lot of people also feel very deep emotional stakes in him. I'm one of the many fans of the character who is a victim of SA and CSA, I really do get it. That is also why for me personally it is so demoralizing to watch so many people treat him like he is a child who cannot make his own decisions or stand up for himself. Part of that frustration stems from it feeling like a media literacy issue, and the other part of that sense of defeat is just because it feels indicative of a broader attitude that people seem to hold towards victims of abuse, particularly those who are victims of SA.

To explain what I mean by people infantilizing him: I see so many people refuse to allow him the opportunity to be hurt, or to feel uncomfortable. They see this character who has been through an immensely horrible and traumatic experience, and their instinct is to try and shield him from anything else that has the potential to upset him. I get that the people who want that aren't doing it with malicious intent, but frankly it is not really...Helpful? To try and prevent victims from Experiencing Discomfort tm. I also think it kind of disregards the entire thesis of Astarion's character and arc.

When you go through something that robs you of your selfhood and agency, the world can become a crushingly terrifying place. In Astarion, that fear presents itself in a desperation for power, control, and at the core of both of these desires- Safety. One thing the game is clear about is that he has a right to kill his abuser. He has a right to escape his situation. A lot of Astarion's personal arc is centered around being able to finally do that. But the game doesn't just leave it off at getting him to safety. So much of it is also about him needing to take responsibility for himself and his actions, with needing to learn who he as a person is.

The inclusion of the Gur children and Sebastian as characters is a good example of ways in which the game gives Astarion the opportunity to take responsibility. I think that if the intention of the arc was meant to be that "Astarion should never ever have to deal with being afraid or uncomfortable again", then the Ascended arc wouldn't Come with such heavy moral ramifications, like sacrificing the other people just like him, killing the victims he lured in, literal child murder. The game infers that he doesn't deserve to die because of the things he Needed to do to survive, but it also makes it very clear that there is a difference between addressing an Active Threat and using your fear as an excuse to hurt others. Breaking that cycle of abuse when he finally gets the chance to is what separates Spawn Astarion from Cazador.

Taking responsibility for himself, and letting himself sit in the discomfort of vulnerability ultimately ends up being a thing that he is very proud of and cherishes. If you tell him you will make sure nothing like that ever again he himself says that he doesn't want you to be his protector. And so it blows my mind when people go into all of these discussions about Astarion with this...Weird moral high ground for never, ever making or letting him make choices that might hurt him?

I see this the most when it comes to discussions about the possible polyamorous relationship with Halsin and the interaction with the drow twins in the brothel. So many people are just...outright angry? At other people engaging with either of those options? And I feel like that anger is one) rooted in the projection of their Own feelings on non-monogamy and what a victim of SA can or cannot look like. and two) Relies on undermining the agency that Astarion BEGS you for at every turn.

When it comes to the drow twins, the game adapts Astarion's response to them based on where he is in his own personal development (a really cool thing imo). Obviously, if he still doesn't feel good or safe about engaging with sex he declines and says you can feel free, though he hopes you aren't just doing it because he hasn't had sex with you. I think this makes sense: He's just gotten out of a situation where his Safety and worth were directly tied to him having sex. I imagine he feels afraid that not wanting to have sex with you makes him replaceable or inadequate because at this point in the game, he feels like that's all he has to offer. The interaction is relatively the same if you ask him for a poly amorous relationship with Halsin: He just asks you to reassure him that you aren't only doing it because he hasn't had sex with you, and then tells you he isn't worried about it otherwise.

A lot of people have taken the expression of that insecurity in combination with him still allowing you to go forward and do these things as him just "sucking it up" because he's afraid of losing you. (I am aware Shadowheart says he wouldn't be able to handle it when you ask her if you can date both of them- But keep in mind, Astarion says she wouldn't be able to either, and THAT obviously isn't true of her. For the purposes of this discussion I'm only including interactions with Astarion as a judgement of his character.) I understand that concern, but I feel this take disregards so many other points of dialogue, and is also continually rooted in the baseline vilification of discomfort.

To further go into it, the way that he speaks about both of these interactions changes significantly if you speak to him about it once he is completely free from Cazador, and has had time to allow himself to start reconnecting with himself and his sexuality on his terms. He has absolutely No reservations about an open or poly relationship with Halsin, and says he trusts that things will be ok because he one) feels secure in Your relationship and two) Knows Halsin is experienced and trusts him to not be a messy bitch about it.

I think that shift, in combination with the in game explanation of why he isn't ok with being in that sort of relationship with the other Origin Characters (for Lae'zel and Wyll, he says they'd never agree to that. For Shadowheart, he says she's not experienced with open relationships and that he doesn't think it'd work out. For Karlach, that it would break her heart. And for Gale, he says you need standards.) is a pretty good indicator that he doesn't actually care about polyamory or monogamy. I think the vilification of that choice relies on you picking and choosing when you do or do not believe Astarion or just outright not liking non-monogamy in the first place. This interaction has more to do with the player's choice and comfort level, and so is not as important to the broader discussion I am trying to have in this post.

The interaction that is more pertinent to not Allowing him to make decisions is, I think, the drow twins. If you interact with the drow twins after the completion of the Cazador questline, he is outright giddy at the prospect of interacting with the Drow twins. Specifically stating that he is excited to see how he likes these sorts of things now that he's free.

NOW- I do NOT think that he enjoys the act. The game makes that abundantly clear, and I'm not arguing that he has a great time. He obviously does not, and dissociates during it. That being said, allowing this interaction to happen does not make a player evil or selfish. You are not playing the hero if you decide to moderate his choices just because you do not think he is ready for it. Once again, no one is evil for Not doing it either, and I am not saying anybody has to want to. I am just saying that treating this choice like it is an evil choice to make relies on completely disregarding what He wants to do.

Astarion says so many times in the game that he is anxious about finally having the freedom to find out what he wants to do, and I think that his excitement for the drow twin exchange is one of the opportunities the game gives him to make a choice. He makes that choice- And it sucks for him. He doesn't enjoy the act, and having done it he would be able to move forward knowing that. I think it's really cool and important that the game represents that facet of recovering as a victim. While you are trying to renavigate who you are, you are going to make a million new choices you never had before. And sometimes those choices are going to suck ass. It would be a different matter if he knew these things would hurt him and went ahead and did them anyway. But so many people expect him to move forward avoiding even the Potential of being hurt, and I think that is extremely reductive of his arc and who he is.

Beyond the matter of interpersonal relationships, the choice between Ascending or not Ascending Astarion is not a matter of choosing the lesser of two evils. It is a choice between his fear and his humanity. Between letting his trauma and his fear define him for the rest of his immortal life, and allowing him the vulnerability of deciding who he is when he isn't running from the world. When he's willing to listen to the parts of himself that want to do right, that wants meaningful connection, that wants to be proud of himself. That wants to meet himself. To confront who he is when someone else isn't deciding that for him.

Astarion as a character is extremely ambitious, inquisitive, and adventurous, three traits that only become more and more evident as he breaks free from letting his own fear dictate how he lives his life. I don't understand how so many people can see him and want to take the core of his character away from him, when he spends the entire game fighting desperately to take it back.

Victims are not casts of the abuse they have gone through. Their shapes may be changed by the hands of others, they may have to relearn how to be the person they want to be. But they are not broken or irreparable or fragile. They do not need to be freed from the grip of one person to be held tight in the grip of another. It is so fucking unfair and self-important to think that your hands will be the ones that fix them. That your hands know better than theirs. I think the kindest thing you can do for a person is to trust them with themselves, and to listen when they tell you who they are and what they want. Please listen to the voices that have only just learned to speak. It is the only way they can get better at doing it.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Re: Lack of Raverne in Book 7's ending with all the memories of the people.

I noticed TWST does this thing sometimes where they purposefully won't bring up certain people in parts where they really should be brought up and talked about - or even if they are brought up, they're not really explained in depth - because those people will be revealed/introduced in full later. Case in point: Idia's parents. I remember when Book 6 rolled around, iirc Idia's parents were never mentioned in Idia and Ortho's backstory during the OB, and many fans thought they were neglectful because of it. But then Book 7 rolled around, their parents do get introduced and we see they're nothing but loving and supportive of both their sons, and they were among the MVP's of Book 7.

So perhaps the very noticeable lack of Malleus's father is supposed to be an implication that Raverne is alive, and that we will be seeing him, one way or another, eventually?

coughsinCrowleyisRavernetheory

In all seriousness, that being said, I very much agree with what you said. It's one thing for the game to purposefully not show somebody at a certain time - it's another thing for the game to do so in a situation where not showing them is a plot hole of sorts. Why wouldn't Raverne be where his wife was?? Was he just never in Wild Rose Castle?? I don't think someone has to be dead in order for them to appear as a memory??

[You can read my thoughts on the book 7 finale here!]

The Shroud parents may not have been present in Idia's post-OB flashback, but Idia does talk about them in book 6! It was a combination of their lack of presence in his backstory + the disparaging things Idia said about his parents ("they care more about getting results than their own son's feelings," or something to that effect) that led many fans--including myself--to think that maybe the Shroud parents were neglectful. Then the Shroud parents appear in book 7, and we see that even Mr. Shroud (who was previously described as cold and calculating) is loving, and both Shroud parents are accepting of Ortho. It can feel like a retcon to some people, but to others, this is easily explained by citing Idia's usually negative frame of mind and how that biases how he sees and presents others. I find myself split down the middle, personally. In any case, I don't think it's a good writing choice to just... not bring up people who really SHOULD be brought up. Should you not at least properly foreshadow now or at least remind us of that thread??? It doesn't read as clever to just not address it or even mention it at all, it comes off as shoving plot holes or other important details into the corner and ignoring it in favor of focusing on something else. This happened with the Shroud parents, and it happened with the end of book 7.

adlhbabyoryqe8foia IS THE CROWLEY = RAVERNE THEORY STILL... AROUND... I thought it would have calmed down a little by now, but it seems to still be going as strong as ever. (If this ends up being Real, then I'm of the opinion that Crowley could have had a brief aside or some ominous/telling line foreshadowing this at the end of book 7. Currently, we don't have anything like that.)

I've been thinking about it and thinking about it, and I STILL don't understand how that ending scene logistically worked out. Barring my confusion with how Lilia's UM worked (how are both humans and fae that resided in the castle at different points in time are having peaceful memories there??), why did Maleanor, the Dawn Knight, and Leah appear but not Raverne???? Nameless NPC soldiers showed up too, but not Raverne???? Doesn’t that imply that there is not a single memory associated with Raverne in Castle Wildrose that Lilia can summon OTL B-But surely he was there at least once, seeing as he's a diplomat? Literally described as “her highness Maleanor’s eyes, hands, and feet"???? And that's his WIFE???? Please make this make sense, because it doesn't no matter how much I try to wrap my mind around it 😭

[cringefailvox]

overlord husk aus are very interesting to me in part because they present such a radically different vision of the huskerdust dynamic that is very compelling to me. present-day husk and angel are exhausted. these are people genuinely at rock bottom, who have been so worn down and chipped away at by the long, dragging stalemate of their circumstances that they have nothing left to give but their bare minimum selves. which is okay, and it's enough for them; a lot of what makes their dynamic so interesting is that it's about two people at their lowest rediscovering what it feels like to not be alone down there, to even begin thinking about the possibility of climbing out of the deep dark hole they've made their peace with now that they won't be doing it by themselves.

in contrast, overlord husk aus imagine a version of husk and angel before they were losers together. they imagine versions of them that haven't been beaten down all the way just yet: husk at the height of his greed and power and reckless addictions, angel riding the high of his stardom while adamantly refusing to peel back the surface and acknowledge the rot. both of them still digging the hole and saying to themselves, "i've got a ladder, i'm not going to get stuck. i can always climb back out."

and having these two meet at this stage in their lives, i think they would really, really not make each other better. husk's consideration for the souls on his chain had to have been close to zero for him to use them as gambling chips the way he did, especially the recklessly self-destructive way he did that ended with his own soul in alastor's pocket. and i imagine that for a long time, angel lived in total willful denial about val's escalating abuse and the toll his increasingly demanding job was taking on him, because acknowledging it would be tantamount to making it real, making it something that could actually hurt him and not just be rationalized away, and so of course he'd put off doing that for as long as he could.

if husk had actually won angel's soul, it wouldn't have been any different from all the other people he traded back and forth across his table just for the illicit thrill of the game. angel probably would've had a whole sunk-cost freakout about it (what was the point of all that pain and suffering and lack of autonomy if all the consequences are coming from a stranger now and not val? when it isn't personal? and now he can't even claim a little bit of power back by saying he chose it, because he didn't.) angel knows full well what it looks like when someone is going to kill themselves with their addictions, but what obligation does he have to the guy who would just as quick give him up to somebody else if it gave him an adrenaline rush? nothing, that's what, and he has enough of his own problems anyway.

crucially, they're both INCREDIBLY self-absorbed. not even in a conceited or vain way, but just in that they're so wrapped up in their own mess that they can't see beyond it, they don't have any space for empathy, and furthermore, they have no reason to even try.

it's why the version of their dynamic we get in canon works so well—they're in the same place now, at just the right time to finally start opening up their worlds to how they affect other people (angel watching charlie interact with val at the studio; husk being forced by alastor to engage with the hotel's residents as the bartender). there's space for empathy in their lives now, because they've finally been brought so low that they can't hide anymore, can't look away, can't deny how completely and totally fucked they are. it's a kind of brutal honesty that can only really come from confronting your absolute worst-case scenario. but for them to even begin connecting with each other in any authentic sense, they needed to have the ladder taken away so they could finally bring themselves to stop digging, look up, and realize there's been someone down here with them all along.

[epicness1000]

Dr Ratio and Autism

I posted this list of Dr Ratio headcanons a while back, and I thought to expand on the reasoning behind why I headcanon him as autistic! Whether intentional or not, he feels very autistic-coded to me, and with the popularity of the headcanon, he feels almost like the Data or Spock of HSR (aka characters who aren't canonically autistic, but end up being so relatable/beloved by the community that they're 'adopted' as such). Of course, this is all just my opinion and interpretation of the character (it just makes me happy to see I'm not alone in my judgement and feelings on this subject). And yes, I am extremely biased because I see a lot of my own autistic traits in him.

So, to reiterate: this is MY OPINION! I respect yours if you disagree with my take on this. But I thought to have a more analytical look into the subject, just for the fun of it.

A- SOCIAL DEFICITS

The way he communicates I think fits quite well with the 'social deficit' aspect of the condition. He is apathetic to many social norms in communication and will not force himself to be polite or mince his words, to the point that many (both in-universe and out, in the very fandom itself) consider him rude and harsh.

However, this is not done out of spite– during his first scene in Penacony, where he interacts with Aventurine and speaks extremely insensitively (calling him a thrall, pointing out his tattoo and commenting quite harshly on his Sigonian upbringing), he only states I did not mean to offend after Aventurine points out his circumstances. This is far from the only example, looking at other interactions throughout the game (e.g. interacting with him on the train where his compliment comes across as an insult, the way he asks Arlan for the list of missing researchers), or even some of his voicelines ('is something troubling you? If so you can figure it out for yourself'), you can see that he is blunt and sometimes quite curt, but this isn't out of him being genuinely malicious or cruel– it's simply how he communicates, and it wouldn't surprise me if he genuinely does not see it as particularly rude unless it's pointed out as such.

B- SENSORY

His alabaster head, which he uses to 'isolate the five senses' and think without interference, is notable as it implies sensory issues. I've seen people compare this to the noise-cancelling devices many autistic people wear, due to some on the spectrum having heightened sensitivity to noise. This can also be supported by when he tells Aventurine not to yell during that one scene in the sandpit (and Aventurine wasn't even yelling from what I remember?).

This one's a bit of a stretch, but his train dialogue where he describes his fondness for books has a strong emphasis on the sensory aspect attached to handling them (with him describing the feel of the page and the sound of turning them). This could easily be interpreted as a manifestation of his strong sensory experience. Especially with how he dislikes the same information found in books being in electronic form, and cites his fondness for the feel of books as part of the reason.

C- FIXATED INTERESTS

The obvious one is his focus on knowledge and goal to spread it to the rest of humanity. Although it's a rather wide interest, you can interpret it as a special interest with how passionate he is about it. For the latter, although it's a goal, he's so intense and focused on it that it can also be interpreted as something born from his love for knowledge. It's to the point that, in his character trailer, gameplay presentation, and in the actual gameplay itself, it's shown and pointed out that he's even willing to teach his enemies and give them lessons.

I think another fixation to point out is his implied love for rubber ducks. This can pair up with two autistic traits– the habit to collect things we like, which can range from gemstones to train models to bottle caps (pretty much anything)– to the love of routine, which seems to apply with how much he specifically loves to bathe with his rubber ducks.

D– ROUTINES, RIGIDITY & REPETITIVE BEHAVIOURS

Linking to above, I see his love for books and baths as an adherance to a routine, rigidity, and a repetitive behaviour (fulfilling the 3 Rs!). In his character introduction details, he calls them a panacea and states that he indulges in them every night. And no, I don't mean separately. You can see in his light cone art that he will sit in a bathtub, with his beloved rubber ducks (and rose petals), reading one of his beloved books. Now, bathing and reading every day is quite expected, but what makes it a repetitive/rigid behaviour is how specifically he will do it and all in combination (nightly basis, in a bathtub with rubber ducks and petals in the water, and with a favoured book... it's a very particular and precise preference).

You could point out his pass rate being 3% as an aspect of his rigidity, as well as one of his students pointing out that they never met anyone stricter in their life (which is in his character introduction details)

This is a weaker argument, but maybe you could point to his point system as a rigid behaviour (with how he's a teacher and all)? He'll assign and remove 'points' from both friend and foe, with 'zero points' and 'fail!' being what we see in battle when an enemy fails his question, 'five points' when someone heals him, and 'ten points' when someone straight up revives him. He never explains this system to anyone, and I don't think it's implied as a legitimate academic thing, it just seems to be his own little system. I think I can also point to how he behaves as a teacher (which I brought up in the 'fixated interests' section) regardless of context, and even towards enemies.

E– SENSE OF JUSTICE

Dr Ratio very plainly has a strong sense of morality. While a strong sense of justice is NOT part of the diagnostic criteria, it is a trait commonly observed in many autistic people (of course, as it is a spectrum, this does not apply to all individuals but it is relevant to this conversation). He plainly states 'even a life marked by failure is a life worth living', which to me shows such a deep and intrinsic respect for the lives of others. This is absolutely upheld by his actions– he directly saves the lives of the people on the space station (leading to Screwllum concluding that he has the traits of both a scholar and a medical doctor, and from what I remember, he concludes he's closer to being a medical doctor), and the note he gives to Aventurine. There's a level of compassion in him that, though it is not what most consider conventional, is just as deep and genuine.

His wish to spread knowledge is done because, from the bottom of his heart, he believes in the potential of humanity. Despite his disdain for ignorance, he has essentially dedicated his life to trying to improve others so they, and humanity as a whole, can be better.

He's certainly flawed, to put it lightly. I can't downplay that he did something pretty terrible when he built that planet-destroying tech for the IPC. On a different note, this could make for a very interesting plot point (if hoyo had the guts, or considering this post is about Dr Ratio, the brains) where he struggles with his morality against his desire to succeed himself, and be noticed by Nous.

Well, either way, I think this still fits.

F- ECCENTRICITY

More of a minor point, and again, not something that's part of the diagnostic criteria. But Dr Ratio is canonically referred to as 'eccentric'. Autistic people do tend to 'stick out' from the crowd, and this will be pointed out through terms like 'eccentric', 'strange', 'weird' and so on (this is from personal experience).

I think it's also fitting that people, especially in the fandom, tend to mischaracterise and misunderstand him (e.g. taking his blunt way of talking as intentional malice/rudeness).

Regardless, what I love is that he doesn't care about how he's percieved. And the narrative doesn't really point at his quirks and go now laugh! either. He's a very unconventional person, and it's embraced rather than criticised or pointed out as something that needs to be changed.

Conclusion

Autism is a spectrum, I need to reiterate this because this post represents only one way the condition's traits can manifest. There is a massive range in how autistic people act, think and express themselves. It's just Dr Ratio hits close to home for me, and I've seen other autistic people who feel similarly about him.

Ironically enough, the best 'autistic' characters are the ones who are (usually) unintentionally coded that way. When they're purposefully written as autistic, they tend to just be badly portrayed, inaccurate stereotypes. That's why you'll have the likes of me (and inevitably others) latching onto characters that come across as autistic-coded, and Dr Ratio is no exception.

[ghouldtime]

*slides into the DMS*

S O. What does social anxiety for König look like through your fantastic characterization then? 👀

(Love your Alone operator series btw. Got me on the edge of my seat with each chapter!!)

(Thank you!! 💚💚💚 I'm so glad you're enjoying :D you all have been so so sweet with it and Im over the MOON so many people have liked it)

To answer this question I'm going to have to be a biiig yapper and explain why I think of him the way I do

Going to say this to start, but I'm going with the true fact that König is indeed diagnosed with social anxiety - anything else I'm saying is based off of my personal interpretation of how he acts in game as a disclaimer

I'm also going to state that personally, the König I write is in his lower to mid 40's. Sorry not sorry, I don't see him as a young dude. Especially not when it's pretty much agreed upon that he's a colonel. So he's had a SIGNIFICANT amount of life experience, and a significant amount of time to work on himself and have introspection.

To me, it makes the most sense that he was diagnosed with social anxiety earlier on in his childhood since it was significantly more obvious when he was younger. Something that severe wasn't unnoticed by those around him because some of them did care about him. It's also stated he's suffered from severe social anxiety throughout his life so that's how I took it.

I personally go with he grew up in a more rural town in his homeland of Austria, which meant there weren't exactly others around during the first few years. "Go play with the neighbors kids" didn't really work when there weren't neighbors around. It was mainly him and his parents and an occasional relative over.

What could be brushed off as initial shyness clearly couldn't be anymore when he finally was enrolled in school.

Even on the first day when it's "introduce yourself to everyone", he fucked that up so monumentally it'll be engraved forever in his hall of shameful memories that he thinks about late at night. School was an utter nightmare, quite frankly, from moment one. The whole situation was too much, too stressful, and too different from the life he had at home. He flat out refused to get up and present in front of the class and wouldn't talk in group projects just for the fear of embarrassing himself. At that time, he was hitting all the indicators for social anxiety like they're the targets he shoots at today.

He missed out on a lot of interaction with other kids initially because of how awkward he was - and having any form of anxiety never helps in social situations. Talking to others wasn't something that came naturally and his own panic amplified it tenfold. Most times, he'd either pretend he didn't hear them, avoid them, or stray as far to the edge of the group as possible to avoid it. Unfortunately this made him an easy target because kids are RUTHLESS and turned him into even more outcast as well which only worsened it.

School always sucked for him due to that, despite the fact that he was a smart kid. No amount of smarts could save you from social persecution when you had nearly no social skills to boot. [ side note but I'm dying on the hill that he's incredibly intelligent and has a bachelors degree (at the very least)].

His parents kept him in therapy to help him manage because without it, he'd be back at square one refusing to go to school and faking a cold just to get out of it. And of course, therapy is a very important tool when it comes to healing, coping, and managing severe mental disorders. The whole reason why he doesn't show such bad anxiety anymore is because he kept the skills he learned and applies them so much that it becomes his second nature.

He's had at least 35 years of this, he's good enough to mask and to keep up his facade.

Another part of why he doesn't show it nearly as much is because he joined the military and was thrown through the wringer with it. Being bullied for so long was a major motivator for joining in the first place, as he needed something to get away from the peers who tormented him so and he needed a new life where he wasn't known as target #1. But he ALSO wanted to gain actual confidence and more certainty in himself.

Joining the military really means you're not left with such things as many choices when it comes to anxiety in social situations. You're forced into quarters with others, have to work side-by-side, do nearly everything together, so on and so forth. He knew that going in but at that point for him it was like extreme exposure therapy, the last step he needed to really put everything he learned in therapy to work.

That doesn't mean he didn't suffer or loved it. No, it was terrible, intense, and nerve-wracking. But he wouldn't have done it otherwise if he didn't want that. Being in the military didn't give him the leeway to avoid what made him anxious, it taught him to face it head on and fight.

Now that he's up there in age and has considerable more experience (and leeway with having a higher rank), the ways he expresses it [look at me finally answering the question] are more subtle.

On the field, you're likely not going to notice it. Because that's him turning the little auto pilot switch in his mind to on when he has a job. The job is his focus and everything has been so engrained in his mind that it's muscle memory. He's, quite frankly, focused on not dying and getting any job done over himself. The joking you often hear him do and taunting alike is part of how he's expressing the confidence he feels when he's in his element, when he KNOWS what he is doing.

If you look closely or approach him off the field, however, it's another story. He usually tenses or straightens himself out when people approach and will hold that until they leave (unless they're someone who he truly knows). Many assume that's a taught habit of the military, but that's only half-true. He did that before then.

Unlike when he's working, he doesn't have a guide or things he knows he has to do in a specific order to best ensure survival - no matter how much talking to other people feels like the heat of the battle, you can't (legally) solve it with a gun or throw a frag and book it out of there. There's no true guide to social interactions and that stresses him out. There's no manual, no field guide, no ten step card on how to successfully navigate them.

He knows things that are normal to say, he knows sometimes what he should say - it's just a matter of finding the phrasing and how to say them. Yet it seems like whenever someone doesn't follow his pre-programmed line of thought when it comes to their talking, his mind can shut down and go blank as he stares, trying to figure out where to go or what to say (spoiler: it usually doesn't end well).

He's usually awkward to talk to because he's running over everything in his head as he tries to think of what best to say to avoid further interactions or ones that could be more targeting to him. And, as mentioned, he lacks the average set of social skills that plenty learn in childhood because he didn't have that proper socialization. He's also still not the best at talking itself and can be blunt and to-the-point, which also doesn't usually go down well.

Not to mention, he's bad at small talk and has a terrible, sarcastic sense of humor that many can't read and it quickly turns things uncomfortable very fast because everyone takes him seriously. It never helps he usually doesn't explain himself all too well, usually leaving it as is as he secretly wishes he didn't talk at all when mortification sets in. Hurrying away with an excuse of some paperwork or something else to busy himself is his go-to after those.

When possible, he'll avoid small-talk and greatly prefers gestures instead. Someone who can appreciate his greater need for silence and a lack of talking is someone who he will greatly appreciate in turn. He's a firm believer that not all silences are uncomfortable and sometimes, it IS best not to say anything at all.

Due to his childhood too, he's not really fond of being around many people and will do his best to avoid it. Unless he has to grin and bare it, he won't. He finds his mind calmest when he can just be himself without having to worry about saying the right things to appease others or to be friendly. That way he can focus on what he wants, think how he wants, and feels how he wants without second guessing himself or having to worry about existing.

He's going to avoid most public settings when possible. Though he can now suitably manage his anxiety, they're something he passes up on. Grocery store trips are something he does maybe once a week or two, if that - stock piling so he has to go to the store less is his usual strategy. Anything he can do himself, he WILL do himself, if he doesn't have a trusted person who can do it better or can help.

Notably, he also doesn't have many friends. He's like talking to a brick wall and unless you're considerably persistent and understanding of his need for space, you won't get far. A lot of people don't have the time nor patience for it, but if you do get close to him, he does come out of his shell. He appreciates anyone who cares enough to actually get close to him and get to know him despite how awkward he can be, and will be loyal to the end because of that.

Another side effect is that he doesn't sleep well. Between the massive amounts of trauma from his job and the trauma from his childhood, he doesn't sleep well as is. But the social anxiety aspect comes into play because many nights, his mind is rerunning all the interactions he's had as he chronically overthinks them. He always wonders what he could've done, how he could've improved, and what they're thinking of him (even if they're someone he may never run into again). Its very hard for him to shut his mind off and doing such usually requires him drowning everything else and making himself not think about that, or anything, any more.

[Another side note: He's an avid reader. Reading gives him new things to think about and can help put him to sleep, especially before bed. It's a good way for him to stop thinking about whatever was nagging him and shifts his mind into thinking about other things he enjoys instead)

Basically, IN SHORT this isn't my full in-depth detailed characterization of exactly who I think he is - the reason he's not presenting it as an anxious ball of pure energy who is so uwu shy and soft is because he is incredibly well-managed with his severe social anxiety at his age and that's uh, just not him. Social anxiety doesn't mean he's a blubbering mess or will cry at the slightest inconvenience and reducing him to that or treating anyone with social anxiety like they're a child because of it does not help at alllll.

He's had extensive therapy for this, he's got his methods, he can mask very well. He's a WHOLE GROWN MAN who is responsible for not only his actions but how he manages his emotions and he knows it. But if you know him and know what to look for, you'll be able to pick it up.

(Also the sheer amount of scenarios I've seen where people think he just would... cry if you took his mask off??? Him???? HIM???? König, "I can make you talk, where are they?" the skilled PMC operator? That one? That guy? Yeah no, anyone dumb enough to do that better have signed their will prior or hopefully has an intensive love for scrubbing all the floors with a single old toothbrush. He won't tolerate people harassing or hustling him or pressing on his nerves. Sure, it reminds him of his childhood bullies, but quite frankly that behavior as grown adults trying that is RIDICULOUS, it pisses him off and immediately lowers his opinion on them.)

To whoever made it this far, I hope this made sense, I took melatonin before I got the ask so I'm in another realm right now LMAO. König is one of my favorites and was the first character I realllly really loved and I just hate seeing him done so dirty. Especially as someone with severe social anxiety myself, it irritates me when it's portrayed just so... wrong and quite frankly, in a lazy, offensive manner lacking any nuance especially in relation to the character who has it. Like just making him stutter and cry isn't all social anxiety is and there's SO much depth and things to work with despite the... actual substance as far as his bio goes

[starlitsemantics]

the most frustrating thing about larian's underwriting of wyll (to me, purely selfishly) is that even when centered as a character, his key choices (killing or sparing Karlach, breaking his pact or saving his father) aren't even weighted

every other companion as far as I can tell gets default choices for resolving their quests that you can support or talk them out of, which is very rich character wise

wyll not getting default choices (as far as my testing goes anyway) *could* be interesting for an interpretation of him as lost or indecisive, but his writing outside of those scenes doesn't support that

he made his pact decisively

he can decide to join Karlach in Avernus

now obviously, part of why that works is that those choices are both the selfless, kind paths, whereas the others come with a moral quandary component in theory, but I don't think that quite clicks

sparing karlach is not a super complicated choice when presented to the player - she is pretty obviously much more Zariel’s victim than a danger

breaking his oath means not just that his father dies tadpoled, but also that baldurs gate loses a leader they'll need (iirc ulder's role in rebuilding is even flagged in the dialogue options)

if wyll is meant to be decisively selfless and good, which I think works perfectly fine as a character, not only should his default choices reflect that, but it should also feature in way more of the game's plot and dialogue as a counterpoint to the other characters (in particular, shadowheart and astarion). it just doesn't make sense for him to be passive in those quests (killing nightsong to have an easier time getting to ketheric especially - why do we at most get a negative comment, instead of what he does in act 1 if you choose to do evil for better access to the cult)

some of this imo could genuinely be fixed by just giving the player a "do nothing" option and letting him act - give this man agency

it wouldn't fix everything but I would at least know how to write and understand him as a character

[verysium]

i need to know what blue lock boys think about “male-female friendships” a.k.a do they think they can exist without one of two thinking “what if” situations (it can, i repeat, it can🗣️)

👏 give it up to anon for making me visualize the most stress-inducing scenario of the year. the first thing that comes to mind is that this would not sit well with a majority of the bllk boys.

however, the situation is particularly a no-go for the following:

the itoshi brothers would not approve. if you just look at their interactions, you can already tell. sae literally kicks rin for even thinking about replacing him when he goes to spain. they already have trust issues due to their dysfunctional sibling relationship, and to my knowledge, they don't have any female friends of their own. hence, i don't think they would understand that a male-female friendship is just a friendship and nothing more. regardless, this could go one of three ways. (1) they would probably give you the silent treatment and be secretly upset. would not spill anything unless you pry it out from them. (2) they would give your friend an absolute death glare. hyper-vigilant when it comes to any form of physical contact between you two. seething jealousy and possessiveness. and (3) for sae specifically, he would be petty about it. probably decides to leave you on read for the rest of the day. may or may not ghost you. and when you ask him to hang out, he's like....😒 don't you already have a friend?

reo also would not take this well. i mean....he had a whole mirror monologue and mental breakdown when nagi left him. i think he is highly insecure about people abandoning him since he doesn't really have anyone he is close to. would probably welcome your friend and hide his discomfort, but after a while, it becomes difficult for him to act like he's okay with your friendship. you would have to heavily reassure him that there was nothing beyond platonic going on between you two.

barou acts like he's alright with this situation, but your friend better have zero flaws because he's not going to tolerate anyone substandard. still, i feel like he would get jealous even if he doesn't show it directly. would probably make a fool out of your friend on purpose.

kaiser wouldn't think anything of it at first. after all, you're dating the great michael kaiser, why the hell would you need anyone else? but then, it starts getting to him. why is your attention on your friend and not him? is he not good enough for you? given his self-esteem issues, i don't think he would take this well. he would probably blame your friend first and then you. would be a dramatic baby about it, but it's secretly eating away at him from the inside out.

ness probably plots the entire murder of your friend and hides a body bag and shovel in his trunk. acts all sweet and sugary when you're present, but the moment you're not there, he's grabbing your friend by the collar and shaking the living daylights out of them. probably whispers "get the hell away from y/n" in the most menacing tone. your friend better leave because delusional ness does not come to play. his obsession is no joke.

shidou terrorizes your friend to the point they don't want to be friends with you anymore. this man just exudes a traumatizing aura. your scary dog privileges are revoked because he is now going rabid. i don't think he's going to have a problem with a male-female friendship, but you just might (as in you're not going to have much of a friendship anymore by the time he's done dismantling your friend's corpse.)

the only characters i can imagine this playing out healthily with is isagi, kurona, yukimiya, and maybe nagi.

isagi is usually highly understanding, and he has many friendships of his own. i think he would also encourage it if your friend happened to be one of his teammates or someone interested in football. but this does come with a caveat. if he senses something wrong with your friend, it's immediately game over. he's usually pretty open-minded except with the people he holds extreme dislike for. for example, isagi is willing to at least try to understand rin, but he clearly doesn't have that same willingness when it comes to kaiser. so...just don't befriend a jerk, and you're good.

kurona wouldn't mind because he's kurona. he trusts you, and he usually rationalizes his insecurities enough to keep them at bay. the only time he would have a problem is if you start neglecting him in favor of your friend. since he's pretty introverted, he probably wouldn't confront you about it, but he might feel a little bit slighted. just check up on him from time to time.

yukimiya is usually easy-going. i don't think a male-female relationship is going to be a huge problem for him, but they better treat you right. you mean the most to him, so he's going to support you through thick and thin. to be fair though, you probably won't even want to spend time with your friend because of how magnetically charming yukimiya is.

nagi doesn't mind because he just doesn't care. he's too lazy to deal with any resulting drama, and the only sense of personal attachment he has is with his bed.

[goofy-goobers-r-us]

Arrogance

A homestuck creepypasta

Concept and story created by me

Arrogance design by: @disintegore

Note: I won't be doing the typing quirks and any pester logs or conversations the characters have are plain typing styles as to make it easier for some readers to understand especially if those struggle at reading said typing quirks

Every troll knows of her imperious condescension... The empress of Alternia.... One who believed in the chance of having the troll race a chance to grow... A calculated dictator with nothing but vanity, utter corruption and the very example, of what is wrong with what we stand for as royalty; as Fuchsias and Violets, as the very idea of what a highblood is to be.

I was molded by that very arrogance, that very utter corruption that has not only been shown from her actions but rather this entire wretched planet. It is a plague I will continue to exterminate.

As long as I can remember I've come and go. I've removed those unfit of such rich blood and I fear again my work isn't over or ever will be. Many could possibly have deemed my judgements unfitting or undeserving but in my very eyes in how I see things, I have a different vision that cannot be comprehended by all.

This game that has been happening has simply given me more work to do, and I sense... A new victim has come to take the step.

YOU ARE; ERIDAN AMPORA

You stand in your respiteblock. You are a SEA DWELLER. A sub-race of troll distinct by commoners. A caste that which rules over the entire species. However.. Ruling just simply isn't enough for you. You kinda just maybe sorta have a huge genocidal complex with an ego so huge it's sorta a miracle that some of those can even tolerate you.

Though recently you can't shake off this feeling.. As of recently you've been feeling cold. A different kinda cold though. The kinda cold you can't shake off no matter what and you've also been hearing what sounds like a strange tune. Sometimes that tune gets kinda quiet, then loud, then quiet again... Recently though that said quietness isn't as present. What could that mean? Well.. For now you bother your moirail.

caligulasAquarium [CA] began trolling cuttlefishCuller [CC]

CA: glub glub

CC: glub!

CA: hm

CC: what!! What is it!!

CA: what!?

CC: it'd be nice if you can just tell me what's on ur mind already

CA: well I'm not sure if you'd wanna hear it..

CC: I would actually. We're moirails we're supposed to talk to each other

CA: well you wouldn't exactly like it considering it's to do with my agenda and I don't think you like. or any of my agendas at all really.

CC: are you really fretting over ANOTHER one of your contraptions.

CC: your plots to kill land dwellers just never works out and everytime you DO wanna make a contraption it's just some piece of junk.

CA: well all military masterminds never give up. 7th times the charm or whatever the saying goes.

CC: I just feel like you know its wrong and yet you don't care!

CA: idk why I have to explain this to you this is important to me I feel like that's enough.

CA: especially for our kind. even you don't get that

CC: We aren't better than everyone else. And if you're REALLY as sickened as you say then how come you talk to trolls like Kanaya so damn often!!

CA: Well I never said she'd be excluded from what I have for my plans.

CA: Even if she's someone I tolerate she's just still another land dweller. She's nicer than other ones but she still is someone to be aware of

CC: I don't get how you can say that. I feel like you should still think about the fact they are your friends!!

CA: well this Is all just military tactics that's all it ever is!

CC: they're still ur friends. you really think they're that beneath you???

CC: you especially still like talking to them. I wish you'd stop pretending that you didn't. we both know that.

CA: we all know in history some conquerors just sway their enemies to get them later. simple.

CA: on some other note though. I still don't get why she ignores me. I feel like we had some sorta good rivalry there. good chemistry and all but idk what happened

CC: umm, idk sometimes people aren't as into the quadrant as the other one is yk.

CC: so you really think your feelings are in the dark for her?

CA: it doesn't really matter she's bored shitless of me for sure so perhaps I'm not as good as an adversary as I thought.

CC: THATS RIDICULOUS!! I'm sure any girl would be as lucky to have someone as DIABOLICAL as you for a kissmesis!!

CA: well thanks for thinking so.

CC: we should talk about our romantic aspirations more it's exciting!!!

CA: shrug

CC: Ah but you keep gossiping to your nubby horned bro so much! nothing for your dear sweet moirail...

CC: SPEAKING OF QUADRANTS! What about any red leanings... There some lucky lady or lucky fellow!??

CA: oh uh. God.

CC: TELL MEEEEEE. embarrassed so suddenly? Come on!

CA: alright fef this ain't any of ur damn business. I'll be back soon.

caligulasAquarium [CA] ceased trolling cuttlefishCuller [CC]

CC: aw man.. 38(

Well that was an emotionally draining conversation! Feelings and problems. You and this princess definitely splashed hard into the Moirail zone. Maybe some way or another you can reveal those true feelings to her someday.

Feferi: Get a beverage

Geez. ANOTHER emotionally draining conversation. Some high maintenance moirail alright. Tonight might be a good idea to talk about your real feelings with the guy. For now... You need a sugary drink.

Eridan: This isn't right.

You were gonna have a sugary drink to chillax about everything but everything feels too off. You feel like you're being watched. Something is off. This isn't your usual overthinking antics about your relationships with your quadrant mates either. This is different. You feel a sense of dread. It's. So. Cold. Why is it so cold. That tune why is it always present. Whats happening.

Such foolishness. That's all it ever is isn't it.

CA: who's there?! I feel. You. This. Feeling. It's you. It always was you.

You're just like her. That same behavior. That same vanity. It's always the same, that behavior never truly fades does it...

CA: what are you talking about.

You feel strange. You feel physically weaker you feel like you can't move your body unless it's just you shaking in fear. Everything around you looks so dark.

You don't have to be afraid child. I will rid you of your arrogance. This is all a dream. That's all it ever is... Your rest will come soon.

CA: I am above them, I am. It's always for us for her. For me.

Your very actions, your behaviors... It goes against everything we have ever stood for. Your arrogance and especially her existence are why I have been born. I have come to cleanse this planet. And I will start with you, for I am; Their Royal Arrogance.

CA: I don't understand it. Why.

Be not afraid child. This will make everything okay, for the better. An eternal rest... This is all it ever is...

You see a glimpse of its face. But why... Does it look so much like her... It's tall and imposing figure. It's long hair as sharp looking as a blade. Those horns... With what looks like a halo connecting between the two. It's sharp claws and, that sign on it's chest..

CA: What is going to. Happen. I still have to tell her. I don't understand. What are you.

You won't go out in only fear child. Just close your eyes for me.

As it finally approaches you, you see the creature in its entirety. You feel as if you're losing all sight... Your body finally feels as if its collapsing.

Goodnight, sweet sweet child. You can finally rest easy... You will be okay. You have nothing to fear.

You feel.. So tired.. Your heart is slowing down. slowly.. And slowly... It bumps slower... Till it eventually will stop completely. Your eyes are closing.

Eridan: Have your final dream

CC: Eridan. Eridan. Eridan!

CA: Huh?!

CC: You okay? You kinda blacked out.

CA: I... Yeah. Yeah. I'm okay.

CC: that's good!!

CC: Though since you're fine I have something to tell you

CA: oh.. What.. What is it

CC: alright! But this is weird to say!

CA: I'm sure it'll be alright..

CC: When we had that talk of red feelings. You know how I asked who it was. I never told you mine

CC: It was you.

CA: wait. Really..?

CC: Mhm.

CA: That's.. Wow. Me too. Me too.

CC: Well then I guess that makes us..? 38)

CA: Yeah.. I'd like that

As you finally rest, you feel... Comfort. Even if you're slowly dying... You can't help but have a feeling of euphoria. Guess you finally got outta the moirail splash zone.

Eridan Ampora - Dead

cuttlefishCuller [CC] began trolling caligulasAquarium [CA]

CC: WOOOOOOEEEWWW

CC: I'm in!!

CC: Sollux finally came through and.. I believe the full chain is now complete!!

CC: Eridan?

CC: Eridan!

CC: Well maybe you're away.

CC: Since you are. I would hope you at least read this when you are able too

CC: since everything has happened and we have left everything behind

CC: and you can't pose any danger to those people you always planned too

CC: I don't think its necessary for me to be your moirail anymore.

CC: I'm sorry eridan.

CC: looking after you has just been exhausting. and it took a toll on me.

CC: It might be better for both of us

CC: as just. regular friends

CC: ...

CC: I'm sorry. I have to go help sollux now!!

cuttlefishCuller [CC] ceased trolling caligulasAquarium [CA]

Curious. How curious indeed. No matter. You can finally rest easy now child. Sweet dreams..

Whatever signs of the creature being there are now gone. The only thing that remains there is what looks like Eridan sleeping... Peacefully. Arrogance is gone now.

[straylulu]

Lucifer is suspicious of you.

Of those butterflies you tell him you get when Mammon is next to you, of the smile that your face melts into when you realize that he's watching you.

He has seen it before, he thinks. You looking at Mammon like you look at him. He knows what that look is, and the idea that he might have misread you makes him sick.

And then, of course, the thought that you could ever have the ability to deceive him in the first place is preposterous. You would not dare.

And he is right. You would not dare. The way Lucifer has you hooked around his fingers is enough to make anyone with any common sense wary.

But you? You have no common sense. And your sense of self-preservation has been warped since you fell through the portal and ended up here, in Devildom. You don't understand what he's capable of, not really, and you find yourself wanting to test it.

The fact that the demon who is always on your mind is Mammon? The brother he is the closest to? The brother he is the most protective over? That doesn't make the idea any less alluring.

That is why, one night, after a day of hanging out with the Avatar of Greed, you are back in your room, and you text Lucifer.

'Can I come over?'

You know that he will let you in.

'What is it, MC?' he asks. He sounds tired. But he lets you in nonetheless, and you're sure he's got an idea of what's going on.

"I have to confess something," you say, sitting down on his bed. He takes a seat next to you, and the way his eyes shine in the light makes your breath catch in your throat.

"Oh?"

"I think," you say, voice barely above a whisper, "that I have a crush on Mammon."

You hear the sound of his hands clenching into fists, and a dark chuckle from his mouth.

"A crush, hm?"

"I feel awful for it," you continue, leaning in, your hands gripping the sheets.

"Oh, but you do?" He moves closer as well, and the heat between your bodies is palpable.

"It's like my heart belongs to you, but my head belongs to him." You look away, feeling your face heat up. "And it's not fair."

"You're a selfish human, aren't you, MC?"

He lifts your chin with his gloved hand, and your eyes meet. His expression is a mixture of disgust and amusement, and it's making your insides stir.

"I... I guess I am," you murmur. "Is it wrong to want to be happy?"

"Oh, you poor little thing," he snarls. "Did you really think it was the right choice to confess this to me?"

You should have known he would react like that. After all, he's the Avatar of Pride. The last thing he would want to do is to share you.

"No," you say, biting your lip. "I didn't. I just wanted to see how you would react."

He chuckles again, and the sound makes your hairs stand on end.

"Oh, my dear. You do not want to play these games with me."

"What if I want to, though?"

"You wouldn't."

"Maybe I will."

Lucifer laughs, and it's a low, deep, dark sound that echoes throughout the room.

"You don't know what you're getting into, little human. Are you sure this is what you want?"

His eyes glow, and a smirk is present on his lips.

"Yes."

"Then you're an even bigger fool than I thought you were."

Your heartbeat quickens. You don't know why, but the threat in his voice is making you feel things you can't explain.

"I'm willing to take the risk."

Lucifer's hands are on your face, and he's looking at you with an intensity that's hard to describe.

"You'll regret this."

"I won't."

You're not sure where this sudden burst of confidence has come from, but you're thankful for it. It's the only thing that keeps you from running out of the room screaming.

He leans in closer, and your lips are almost touching.

"Let me be the one to teach you a lesson, then," he whispers.

And the kiss is a mix of fire and ice. His lips are cold against yours, but his hands are burning as they roam across your body, setting every part of you aflame.

"You are mine," he growls.

He's got you pinned against the bed, his hands gripping your wrists tightly. His claws are digging into your skin, and his eyes are glowing.

"Say it."

"I'm yours."

You're panting, and you can't tell whether it's because of his kisses or because of his possessiveness.

"Do you love him?"

The question catches you off guard. You've never heard him ask a question like that.

"No," you say, voice trembling. "Not in the same way I love you."

You see his lips curl into a smile.

"Good."

The rest of the night passes in a blur. You don't remember much, only his hands all over you, his kisses leaving marks all over your skin, his words whispering sweet nothings into your ear.

You wake up the next morning with him still sleeping beside you, and you can't help but smile.

[jinxedshapeshifter]

Something I don't see discussed at all is how Team Chaotix runs. Obviously, Vector, Espio, and Charmy are all detectives, but they serve different roles within that.

Vector is the team's lead investigator, and generally has a job more akin to what we view as "detective work."

Espio is the team's spy. His job is similar to Vector's, but he focuses more on undercover investigation, while Vector focuses on investigation in general. Espio is also the team's data retrieval specialist, but in his own words, "data retrieval isn't exactly [his] specialty" (although it is worth noting that Espio doesn't suck at data retrieval in Shadow the Hedgehog and he does some data retrieval in Team Sonic Racing when Team Chaotix is investigating Dodon Pa).

Charmy is, from what I can tell, basically the team's "ideas guy" but also serves a similar purpose to the team that Vector does. Due to how scatterbrained he is, he's not quite as good a detective as Espio or Vector, but I think everyone can agree Team Chaotix is not complete without Charmy, even if at the end of the day he's a mascot that sometimes contributes to a case.

Espio isn't as good at being a detective when he's not undercover, because he can't do much direct investigation when he's not undercover. Espio just isn't great at investigating things unless he can utilize his abilities in an investigation, because his abilities make him an incredibly effective spy and that's where he thrives when it comes to being a detective. Being a spy usually allows him to get information that Charmy and Vector wouldn't be able to, and that's what he specializes in. It means he doesn't have to do as much logical thinking as Vector does, which is very likely why he didn't realize Eggman was their client in Sonic Heroes; he wasn't getting information in the same way he would have if he'd been on a separate mission as a spy, and the information he was getting required doing a lot of thought on what he was hearing, which is what Vector specializes in.

It's not that Espio is a bad detective, it's that when he's sent on solo missions he doesn't have to do the same level of thinking about evidence that Vector does, so when he's presented with information that he needs to think about and doesn't look at it the same way Vector does, they don't get the same information Vector does from the same evidence (same applies to Charmy but Charmy's 6 so it makes sense for him to not be all that good of a detective yet. Charmy also tends to forget what he was told to do if Sonic Colors DS is anything to go by).

Charmy and Espio didn't realize that Eggman was their client in Sonic Heroes because they aren't used to doing the kind of logical/critical thinking about evidence that Vector is. Vector implies he knew who their client was incredibly early in the game, because he's used to thinking about the kind of evidence he got from the walkie talkie the Chaotix were using to keep in touch with their client. In fact, Espio's implied to mostly do things based on his gut feeling, based on him saying he has a bad feeling about their case in Sonic Heroes and him trusting Silver with almost no hesitation, likely for the same reason he had for not trusting their client in Sonic Heroes.

In Sonic Heroes he knew the Chaotix's client was untrustworthy based on what we can safely assume was a gut feeling, and in Sonic Rivals 2 he immediately trusts Silver likely for much the same reason (as he himself says "For some reason I trust you" which indicates he doesn't know exactly why he's decided to trust Silver).

TL;DR: Espio isn't a bad detective, he just has his own way of investigating things that don't work when Team Chaotix is investigating something as a group on the same case like they did in Sonic Heroes. Charmy is 6, so it makes sense for him to not have great investigative skills yet.

[wysecollection]

I've been thinking a lot about 2020 internet (especially tiktok) system "community" and kinda how fucked up it left a lot of people with CDDs, especially those with introjects. I'm not gonna fakeclaim cause I don't fucking care, so please don't make it about that. Whether or not these (mostly children) had CDDs is really none of my business. There was just so much misinformation that was so easy to internalize and then be confused about being "wrong" about.

Thoughts below cause this is long as hell.

Introjects from fiction were a huge target because people on the outside thought it was cool to probe at their "favorite fictional character". And then these people who, whether or not they had CDDs, just fed into it and probably made it worse for themselves thinking they had to be exactly like their source to be a "real" introject. There was so much focus on source memories and acting canon that people didn't learn why introjects exist within the disorder.

Then there were all these labels that I don't really care where they initially came from, but names for whatever different "kinds" of fictives someone had, like what kind of source they had beyond a book or show. In my perception, it just turned into a competition a lot of the time. Who can have the most outlandish source? Who can have the most sources? Who is the most problematic from their source? Who has the most "traumatic" source memories?

There was also the notion that systems could/should always control who fronted and/or know who fronted, and it really messed up the perception of CDDs. I feel like now more than ever, people outside of a system are convinced that a system can get someone specific to front, and people with CDDs feel like they should know all the time, when that isn't the case. Yeah, most alters have specific roles and triggers. Does that mean they'll always front when you'd expect them to? No. It's a complex disorder.

It turned into a game for a lot of people, systems and non-systems alike. It turned into something fun. DID/OSDD and adjacent disorders are not fun. They can be funny, for some people sometimes, but in the end they are disorders. You wouldn't tell someone with Schizophrenia how cool it is that they experience hallucinations, so why do you tell systems how cool it is that they "have people in their head"? Because the perception of DID has been so utterly ruined so that people believe it is just alters. They forget or never learned about the fact that people's identity is fractured in such a way not because it's cool, but because of repeated, inescapable trauma.

Trying to teach people now that CDDs mean you are parts of a whole is such an uphill battle. Trying to convince people that they're not always or usually going to know what their inner world looks like, or be able to go there and remember things from it (since altogether the concept of an inner world is VERY different in reality from what it's portrayed as online) feels impossible. Trying to teach people that different systems have different amnesia barriers and different experiences with switching, and that it a lot of the time isn't "the body is empty and it takes twenty minutes for someone new to switch in" is so difficult, despite non-systems being so invasively curious about switching all the time. Trying to determine how to tell someone you have DID without being immediately associated with all of this misinformation also feels impossible.

The more I think about CDDs how they actually are, the more actually makes sense. All this just blatantly wrong or misconstrued information left a lot of systems thinking they were supposed to have everything about their system figured out, including their inner world and alter roles, and that they had to act/present a specific way to actually be a system. The more I internalize my experiences, the more I realize I'm just like a lot of other pwDID, because I didn't use social media as a primary source of information for a medical disorder.

There is no real closing thought or conclusion to this. No real advice I have. Don't rely on social media for information, don't convince yourself you need to be like anyone else to "actually" have DID.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

It's actually said that Jack is inspired by the Disney movie White Fang about a wild Wolf who's author is called Jack London. Someone said that his Bday vignette actually gives hint or actual info, i'm not sure -sarah

[Referencing this post!]

... Where does it say that? As far as I’m aware, no such confirmation exists, whether in-game or in additional materials that extend beyond the game.

I believe what happened is that a fan's theory or personal interpretation of Jack's Platinum Jacket vignettes was mistaken as canon. He opens those vignettes by describing various paintings featuring wolves, which are most likely references to Beauty and the Beast and The Jungle Book. This is one interpretation. The painting descriptions could possibly be referring to other scenes in Disney properties featuring wolves (like the ones in Frozen), but there is not enough detail to confirm them as specifically attributed to one or the other. You must likely stumbled across someone who interpreted Jack's painting descriptions as referencing White Fang. While I'm open to fans having different takes on the same material being presented, I will always recommend researching and checking sources for yourself before accepting claims as canon.

Where do I stand on this particular detail? I don't think Jack was inspired by White Fang, at least not in a large part. It just does not make sense when you compare it to the design philosophy of the rest of the main NRC boys. White Fang is an obscure live action movie. Why would TWST want to prominently feature a character from a property that isn't well-known and isn't animation when everyone else (of the students) at NRC is? Not only that, but why is Jack supposedly named after the author of White Fang? Wouldn't it make more sense to name Jack after the actual wolf in the movie? And if this was the case to begin with, how come Jack is the only student at NRC named after someone irl??? That makes no sense to me. I think the more likely explanation is that "Jack" is just a common enough name that "Jack London" was misattributed as being the source of Jack Howl's name.

As I’ve expressed before, I think of Jack as an ambiguous amalgamation of various Disney wolves. I really don’t see the point in labelling characters as being twisted or inspired by one particular Disney counterpart; having a concrete answer might satisfy the itch in our brains, but it feels sort of limiting to me.