#gamblers conceit

[zekefreak]

Erwin x Reader x Zeke

Chapter 2: Planting Seeds

Cold air invaded your cozy fortress of sleep, as your partner moved & stretched next to you. A finger lightly tapped on your nose several times, followed by a gentler " Good morning sunshine."

" No," was your only respond to the attempts to tear you away from your dreams.

" I didn’t ask anything," his cute little pout detectable in that short response.

" As in, no it's not a good morning. I don't want to wake up," besides, the buzz of the air conditioner was still lulling you to sleep.

The arms wrapped around you disappeared, further muddling the path back to dreamland. " Come on first day of the last year of high school. You should be excited."

You finally opened your eyes, & the light escaping the venetian blinds was already making you regret your decision. " There's absolutely nothing exciting about leaving the bed. Not when I'm cuddled up with you, Zeke."

" Not for long, I ordered us bagels & coffee for breakfast. Gotta pick it up."

You clarified your stance by wrapping your arms & legs around him, & nuzzling your head on his neck.

A soft humm, almost a purr, escaped his lips, " This is sweet & all but I do have a flight to catch. Come on, take a shower, get dressed. We gotta get outta here soon."

He's right. This should be an exciting time. A senior finally. You won't be doing this for long. Memorize every detail that you can now. From the burned down house to the cherry blossoms along the way. You were sure you'd miss it all one day.

The classroom was still empty, save for the teacher, Mr. Zacharias. The floor was as shiny as it will ever be. Tables still clean of graffiti & test answers. No chewing gums under the chairs just yet. Clean start for the new year.

You sat at the front of the room & attempted to kill time by reading a book.

Things have changed since those times, some up are in "G" Others they are wanderers but they all feel -

" Hey y/n!" Sasha interrupted the peace with her excited greeting. Bagel with cream cheese & coffee on hand.

A smile graced your face as she sat next to you, " Hey Sash, you're late, no surprise."

" Yeah I had to fight the lunch lady to give me the bagels. They were all packed up when I got there."

" Just in time Miss Blause. I was just about to distribute everyone's schedule," Mr. Zacharias announced.

You proceeded to read, as Sasha devoured the food in front of her, " Hey what are you reading?"

" Inside the Apple. It's about how New York became what it is today."

" You know if you're into that, you should take my class. I teach Human Geography for the seniors," Mr. Zacharias interjects as he placed your schedule on the desk in front of you.

" I didn't even know that class was offered here. I'll take a look after checking out my classes today. Thanks," you responded.

Drops of coffee splatter on your schedule as you look up to see Sasha leaning close to look at the paper." Speaking of, what classes are you taking this year? Ooh! You got Smith for your last class! I heard he looks like a sugar daddy!"

You add to the splatter on your schedule, as you spit out your coffee at the thought. Surely this is the last thing you need for this semester.

" I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear you say that about my very good friend," Mr. Zacharias couldn't help but interrupt with quite a blush on his face.

Sasha's face remain calm at the reply, as yours turn hot red.

I do not need a hot professor this semester. Not now. Not ever. Do NOT tempt me to have a good time.

Finally, your last class for the day. You were excited and afraid to see him. Because you know yourself, you love being reckless. A gorgeous teacher? Why wouldn't you pounce on that? The adrenaline rush you'd get from that. All the inappropriate thoug-

"Good afternoon"

And immediately you knew. His voice alone inspired so many daydreams, but with his tousled blonde hair, strong physique and domineering stature, you knew.

Good afternoon indeed

You shook your head, biting your lips to hide a smirk. You couldn't understand the rush you were feeling. You were excited because GOD is he gorgeous. The man exudes confidence and charm. And you were scared because this means trouble. You have very little self control. In need of a moral compass - your friend has checked, they don't sell it on Amazon. Knowing you, you'd make an inappropriate remark here, make a fool of yourself there. It'll be obvious to anyone who looks at you that you were infatuated with the man in front of you.

His eyes, oh how beautiful. So inviting you can't help but just stare in awe. How will you be able to concentrate on anything he says? Do I change my schedule? Maybe I should join Mr. Zacharias' class. Leave this class before you make a fool out of yourself.

" I'm Mr. Smith, your Economics teacher for this semester"

" It's a pleasure to be here Mr. Smith," oh & what a pleasure it will be, " I'm f/n l/n."

" Welcome to my class miss l/n. The pleasure's all mine"

[someawesomeamvs]

Warning: Potential spoilers, slight sexual imagery, violence, flashing lights at the end

Title: The Gambler's Conceit

Editor: JamesBlond

Song: Cutthroat

Artist: Imagine Dragons

Anime: Kakegurui

Category: Character profile(s)

[aluckiicoin]

tags? tags!

[aluckiicoin-a]

Put a ( ! ) in the askbox to give me an excuse to write how my portrayal is different from the things I now know are Canon ( or those things I don't expect to ever become canon/mentioned)

[vixensheart]

How would the Husk in your Au (the house edge) react to an interaction with Alastor? Would he be more or less likely to risk his soul if Angel was on the line? And would you write about it??

Hello! I've been saving this ask, hahaha.

So, in this AU, Husk has a confrontation with Alastor quite a few years before he meets Angel. How that goes, well, I actually went ahead and wrote it out. ;)

Though, to answer the second part of the question---Husk was very much about to throw away everything to save Angel when the Vees had him. So yeah, if it came to it, he'd sacrifice his soul in a second if it meant keeping Angel safe. Of course, I don't think Angel would take too kindly to Husk doing something like that, haha. He'd be furious, if only because he loves Husk too much and would never want him to sacrifice himself for Angel's sake. They're in love, your honor, and value each other more than themselves XD

Anywho, here's the promised origin fic:

Thanks for the ask! :)

[ao3feed-p5-boyslove]

by CherryblossomBucks

“Thank you,” Kurusu said quietly, letting Akechi’s arm slip from around his shoulders. Sae looked up from steadying him as they took the step down to the ground level to see Kurusu still in the doorway.

“You’re not coming with us?”

Kurusu shook his head, a strange smile on his face as his eyes lingered on the two of them. “There’s something else I have to do before clean-up can get here.”

Sae frowned at the words, but before she could question it Akechi spoke, his voice raspy but surprisingly steady considering the fact that he could barely stay on his feet. “Are you fucking stupid?”

Kurusu’s face dipped into a frown as he looked at Akechi, but then his eyes focused on Sae again. “Get him home safe, alright?”

With a suspect too out of it to talk and an assistant who seems too know more than he should, what is Niijima Sae to do but agree when said assistant asks her to help him let said suspect escape from custody?

Words: 2814, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Persona 5

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: M/M

Characters: Akechi Goro, Kurusu Akira, Persona 5 Protagonist, Amamiya Ren (Persona Series), Niijima Sae

Relationships: Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira, Akechi Goro/Persona 5 Protagonist, Akechi Goro/Amamiya Ren, Kurusu Akira & Niijima Sae

Additional Tags: Implied/Referenced Suicide, Suicide Attempt, (kinda), November 20 Interrogation (Persona 5), swap au, Detective Prince Persona 5 Protagonist, Akechi Goro Leads the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, POV Niijima Sae, Non-Consensual Drug Use

[fctedivided]

@mxnxdrama

(continued from here)

"A bit conceited are we?" She stated, an arm to her hip as the gambler asked, all while doing that card trick of his. "I am more interested on your handiwork with cards. And besides, the planet of festivities just draw in anyone at this point that there are so many faces to see over hyperfixating on just one."

Trie revealed an ace of spades before twirling around his fingers, and with a little flick, it seemingly disappeared from his hand.

"Oh, I'm the real deal. And that's the thing about places like the Golden Hour, you gotta make a name for yourselves." The gambler formed a fist before unclenching his hand, as a card somehow reappeared between his two fingers, but with a queen of hearts instead.

"Wouldn't mind if we get to know each other a bit better, right? Got a name?"

[mxnxdrama]

"So what's with that look? Been fantasizing about me, have you?~" The gambler smirked, leaning at the wall while doing a little card trick.

"A bit conceited are we?" She stated, an arm to her hip as the gambler asked, all while doing that card trick of his. "I am more interested on your handiwork with cards. And besides, the planet of festivities just draw in anyone at this point that there are so many faces to see over hyperfixating on just one."

[ofthepuzzle]

012, the roulette table in a casino.

『 Set the scene 』♚ ╰┈➤ @devildukem

The casino is filled with men and women and if one could look into their brains they could see an addiction to the neuro-chemicals of hope. On one side men in flashy outfits are grinning ear-to-ear from their wins and on the other side— despair and regret, people seduced into destitution.

Atem isn’t wearing his tunic but his new leather outfit instead for numerous reasons and two of them are to fit in and to avoid any greedy looks sent upon his golden jewelry. A strapped top connected to a collar, gloves that reach beyond his elbow and stop at the middle of his bicep, leather pants, and boots with studded straps. A jacket with a fur hood is hanging loose around his shoulders. Atem’s standing below the dim neon red light next to Ryuji which reflects in the sheen of their leather and complements the red on Ryuji's vest and belt.

A pleading cry can be heard in the distance. A man begging these men in flashy coats to not take all of his money. But he was then met with, “Then you shouldn’t have betted all of it, loser.”

Atem squints and leans to the side to whisper to Ryuji. “These men have been winning since we first came here. But something tells me it's not fair and square.” And it turns out they were getting the people’s hopes up and forcing them to bet more.

“How much do you bet that we can make them beg for mercy?” The former pharaoh is reminded of the days when he performed Shadow Games. Except that he’s willing to play without the use of illusion magic and penalty.

Roulette isn’t as random as most would think. It’s possible to get a good idea of which section the ball is going to stop in by measuring the speed of the ball and the motor. Atem is a quick learner, having grasped the rules of the game all while having a renowned gambler by his side.

The men sneer at the duo, thinking their new prey has chosen to come to them on their own account. Eventually, all bets are made by selecting the chip sizes. These men don’t go for the outside bets and only for the inside ones, making them even tougher opponents. But that doesn’t scare the two away. Otogi has more than likely used his cunning skills against casinos before and Atem follows that example to strengthen their chances of winning. And over the course of a good few games of roulette, these men are beginning to lose their money fast. They had to stop before they lost it all. Their previously grinning faces are now filled with anger and envy. The money then was fairly returned to the people.

“Good job as always,” Atem voices and raises a thumbs up at Ryuji, playful conceit reflecting in his amethystine-violet eyes.

[zekefreak]

Erwin x Reader x Zeke

Chapter 1: Reap What You Sow

Gambler's Conceit is a fallacy where a gambler believes they will be able to stop a risky behavior while still engaging in it. The gambler believes they will be a net winner at the game, and thus able to avoid going broke by exerting the self-control necessary to stop playing while still ahead in winnings. This is often expressed as “I’ll quit when I’m ahead.”

This isn't what you planned. In fact you never had a plan. You never had any intentions to be involved, let alone get this far. You never allowed yourself to. Sure it passed your thoughts but you never allowed it to take root and grow. You would have never even called it a teenager's fantasy. And why would you? It would have been too risky. He was your professor after all.

The classic English professor comes to mind, the type most people fantasized over. Salt and pepper beard framing the soft, velvet lips you long for. His hair that wasn't quite clean cut, but always accentuated his pronounced bone structure. And his eyes. I swear I can see brown, sandy beach bordering calcite green water. Plaid flannel button downs, tucked in his corduroy pants with that belt of his that always directed your attention down south. His appearance screamed soft and warm. The type you'd want to cuddle with on a cold winter night, right by the fireplace with hot chocolate in hand. In fact you can describe him exactly that: a warm mug of hot chocolate during the winter, never fails to put a smile on your face.

But his presence was something else entirely. He seemed almost domineering with his tall, straight stature. He wasn't timid. His body always took up space with his movements, exuding confidence and control. His smile reaching his eyes and revealing the crow's feet always felt bright and genuine but with mischief hiding right behind it. He would follow the rules, at times enforce it even, but it felt hollow and halfhearted. Like he was itching for someone to start some chaos. Like he wanted some lawlessness and be reckless. Not as straight edged as he seemed.

You would be lying if you said you didn't find him attractive. That you never thought of him pinning you on his desk to have his way with you. But you never acted on it. How could you? He was your professor. You're at least a decade younger. It'd be embarrassing to even try.

So you stepped away. Told yourself not to let your fantasies run amok for fear you might act on them. Repressed and distracted yourself.

This was never an option.

So how did you end up in his car late at night, with his lips all over your body?

[pahrak-the-sinnoh-slizer]

Just to like…prove that I haven’t been completely sitting on my hands

I was considering the idea of a story where a bunch of different people compete in a secret tournament, so here’s around two dozen character concepts I may or may not use if I ever follow through.

-The Overseer: (She/Her) An old woman who maintains the tournament grounds.  Seems to possess some sort of supernatural ability that helps her keep the event under control, but no one’s entirely sure on the details.

-Roggie and Reggie: (He/Him and She/Her, respectively) Twin mages who serve the Overseer.  Their primary duty is seeing that the contestants are safe, healthy, and well-cared for.  Roggie is responsible but a bit too stiff, meanwhile Reggie is very personable but a little too laid-back.

-The Violet Phantasm: (She/Her) A world-famous thief whose skill with her rapier is matched only by the potency of her charm.  Stealing is amusing for her, so she keeps very little of her loot and is rumored to instead redistribute the majority of it among those less fortunate than those she takes it from.

-Alkaios: (He/Him) Champion of the reptilian deinosian people, said to be undefeated over the course of a thousand battles.  With physical might prodigious even by deinosian standards, refined over a lifetime of vigorous training, there are few who doubt his reputation, and those who do speak in whispers.  Some think him arrogant, but he truly believes that he can always grow stronger, and is determined to climb that mountain until the day his body gives out.

-Doctor Reginald Hord and League: (He/Him and Xe/Xem, respectively) The greater scientific community firmly believes that Dr. Hord is a genius, yet hearing his name elicits sheer dread even in the most stalwart of hearts.  Hord dances ever closer to the boundary of what is considered acceptable, both legally and ethically; many suspect he has already crossed it and is simply extremely effective at covering his tracks.  His latest creation is a combat android named League, but the aim of this experiment has remained worryingly unclear.

-Akihito: (He/Him) A samurai of peerless skill once heralded as a hero in his homeland.  Several years ago, however, he came into possession of the cursed katana Igarashi, and seemingly vanished from the world.  Some tales say Akihito has become consumed with Igarashi’s bloodlust; others, that he grapples with the sword to keep its wrath contained.  Whatever the case, reports of his appearance always end in tragedy.

-Aysu: (She/Her) A siren with an honest heart who has become something of a celebrity, with adoring fans in every corner of the globe.  Though she doesn’t quite understand the attention, she certainly doesn’t mind it, and hopes to live up to their expectations.

-Oratorio: (They/Them) A minor deity who appears frequently in myth.  Their full name translates to “Face of the Divine Oratorio Performed in the Light of Dusk”.  While revered as a loving supporter of mortals, they are known to be quite cryptic, leading to countless interpretations of their words and actions which are fervently debated to this day.

-Sunset Silverio: (He/They) Also known as “Silverio the Silver Bullet”.  A gunslinger who follows his own path, accompanied only by his guns and his faithful horse Nada.  He’s been to many places, but he never stays long; he’s helped many, many people, but never accepts much in return.

-Thema the Prosperous: (She/Her) A notorious gambler constantly roping those around her into deadlier and deadlier games.  While not undefeated, the fact that she’s come back from numerous gruesome losses is perhaps even more terrifying.

-Gianna Baldovini: (She/Her) An internationally-acclaimed performer.  Theater, music, film—she’s done it all!  While she has her conceited moments, she always does good when it really matters, allowing her to win the hearts of millions with her enthralling passion for the arts.

-Wystan: (He/Him) Once a fierce and ruthless demon, he was defeated and purified by a monk decades ago, bringing about a change of heart.  He has lived in service ever since, followed by a deep sense of guilt over who he was in the past.

-Starek: (She/Her) A suit of armor long owned by the esteemed Starek family, brought to life by generations of affectionate care.  She is still young, and has not decided on a given name yet, but was immediately deemed a member of the family and carries the name with gratitude and pride.

-General Zente: (He/Him) A warrior both respected and feared for his zealous dedication in smiting the enemies of his religion.  Righteous fury burns perpetually in his heart, and he considers it his moral duty to wipe out any who do not follow his god.

-Baron Eustorgio: (They/Them) A noble who, while it is never discussed outright, is well-known to be a vampire.  In contrast to the persisting legends of such beings, they are polite and benevolent, genuinely caring for their charges and generally avoiding unnecessary violence.

-Katie: (She/Her) A girl with some feline traits, most visibly ears and a tail.  Seems to possess tremendous power, though she is quick to play it off, claiming she’s only competing to have fun.

-Cap’n Bleddyn: (He/They) A pirate known as the Bleeding Reaper.  A fierce opponent and fiercer friend, he would not hesitate to lay down his life for a single member of his beloved crew.  While he could easily rule the seas uncontested, he stays aground often enough that he simply doesn’t have the time, an oddity explained by the fact that he is madly in love with his wife, Aerona.

-Silent Echo: (He/Him) A legendary ninja said to have trained his body to the pinnacle of human ability.  Though an assassin for hire, he has a strong sense of honor which those who desire his services must appeal to in addition to paying a hefty sum.  It is said that many of his targets are frightened to death the moment they see him appear.

-Jesse Stewart and Jonathan: (They/Them and He/Him, respectively) A lifelong explorer, and their pet pangolin who can transform into a mighty club.  Jesse longs for thrilling adventures with a childlike glee that has gotten them in over their head more times than they’d like to admit.  Jonathan mostly just wants snacks.

-Paulina de Lavender: (She/They) A major figure in the nobility of the plant-like garlanid people.  Known to be stoic and stubborn, she is slow to make friends and relentless in combat, where she uses a combination of spore and vine techniques to disorient and trap foes.

-Blythe: (They/Them) A genius inventor born unable to use their legs.  Single-handedly revolutionized the field of accessibility, and is currently experimenting with combat-ready mobility aids because it sounded like fun to them.

-Sashiko Sunamoto: (She/Her) A girl with the power to transform into evil’s bane, the deadly beauty Darling Venom!  Formerly a member of a team of magical girls, she has recently struck out on her own in an effort to prove herself.  In contrast to her scorpion-themed abilities, she’s usually quite cheerful, and her belief in a fair fight prevents her toxins from being truly lethal.

[goodomensafterdark]

Tarot de Marseille's description: The Magician

Characters:

The child, the adolescent, the son, the young man or woman, the young father, the lover, the student, the androgynous.

The charlatan, the thief, the gambler, the smooth talker, the liar, the illusionist, the juggler, the magician, the storyteller, the entertainer of crowds.

The craftsman, the artist (actor, dancer, painter, poet), the merchant, the representative, the dishonest politician, the decorator, the poster man, the advertiser, the self-employed, the self-taught.

The adept, the magician, the initiate, the man called to rise.

Qualities:

Cheerfulness, good humor, vigor, optimism.

The skill, the ability, the resourcefulness, the ambivalence.

Youth, innocence, innate, young mind.

Open-mindedness, curiosity, adaptability, boldness.

The liveliness of mind, spontaneity, imagination.

Diplomacy, cunning, subtlety.

Good health. Strong intelligence.

Help of a young man.

Power of conviction, knowing how to show off.

Many assets, talents and skills.

Tools, means, potential.

Faults:

Childish, immature, childish, naive, impressionable.

Haste, dispersion, clumsiness.

Inadequacy, turbulence, softness, instability.

Superficial, boastful, conceited, egocentric.

Talkative, cunning.

Low vitality

Pushy, incompetent, lazy, messy, clumsy.

Lack of confidence, lack of means, lack of preparation.

Stress, shyness, doubt.

Thinks he knows but knows nothing.

General meaning

Positive:

Creative energy, absolute being, the beginning, the start.

Potentiality, many possibilities.

The game, the intrigue, the games of hands.

Copy, ape the powerful. Cannot realize alone.

Help for creation (artistic or professional).

Good period for new beginnings (projects, applications).

Negative: 

Do not trust appearances, do not take yourself seriously.

Bad start, false start, not knowing where or how to start.

Uncertainty about the future.

Playing a leading role in a shady business.

Stealing, lying, cheating.

A period that is bad for new beginnings.

Work

Positive:

Beginning of a job, good start in the company, the profession. Work is a pleasure.

Successful initiatives.  

Showing ambition.

Entrepreneurial spirit.

Negative: 

Bad professional start.

Problem with a job. Work is a burden.

Taking the wrong initiative.

Not giving it your all, not committing. Fear of triumph.

Opportunism.

Love

Positive:

Going out, dating, possible love at first sight.

Flirting. Incipient love.

Good beginnings of relationship, union. The story is to be built.

Good sexual energy.

Homosexuality.

Negative: 

Difficulties in meeting people, in exchanges.

Bad start of a relationship.

Lies, frustration, impotence.

Superficial romantic relationship.

Selfishness, childishness.

Money

Positive:

No need to hoard, basic needs are covered.

Have enough to enjoy leisure activities, amusements. Hedonism.  

Everything is possible, but everything depends on the consultant.

Small amounts of money come and go.

The income increases in proportion to the efforts made.

Negative: 

Lack of means, spendthrift.

No sense of the value of money.

Naive or con artist, unscrupulous.

All potentialities are not exploited to acquire financial independence.

The Magician.

Part I of my Good Omens inspired Tarot Deck.

I had almost finished this one with Anathema but then I remembered this scene and I couldn’t resist.

Your lovely comments and reblogs on my last card warmed my heart, I hope you’re next sleep leaves you rested and energised <3

@goodomensafterdark

[aluckiicoin-a]

also i got rid of the post i used as tag dump...

so, uh, tag dump.

[warrenlammert]

Behavior Economics and the Principles Behind It

Behavior economics is the field of study that relates psychology to economic decision-making. It rose in prominence in the final decades of the 20th century, marking a sharp vector from the universally accepted rational choice theory of economics.

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, neoclassical economists promoted the rational choice theory that humans were innately utility maximizers. When people are presented with several options under scarce conditions, they always choose the one that maximizes their satisfaction. The theory, however, assumes that people are rational decision-makers, unencumbered by emotion and capable of correctly weighing the pros and cons of various choices.

Humans are not infinitely rational beings. Their self-control and willpower are finite. Hence, they tend to get influenced in their decision-making by emotions and external factors. Because of these realities, they often make irrational decisions against their interests.

This is the realization that led economists to challenge the rational choice theory in the last half of the 20th century, spawning the field of behavioral economics. As both psychologists and economists have delved deeper into behavior economics, they have uncovered several principles explaining it. One of these is the hot-hand fallacy.

The hot-hand fallacy is common in sports. A basketball player who makes several shots in a row may take riskier shots believing they have a “hot hand” and hence cannot miss. The earlier shots were random events, but they triggered an overconfidence in the player, tampering with their judgment.

A closely related principle is gambler’s conceit, where people think they can stop a risky action any time they want while engaging in it. It is why gamblers bet heavily after winning, even though they told themselves they would walk away after winning. It is also why others keep betting after losing, even though they said they’d quit if they lost.

Loss aversion is another principle. Economists have found that people take greater risks to avoid a loss than they do to score a win. For example, given a guaranteed chance to win $250 or a gamble with a 25 percent chance of winning $1,000 (75 percent chance of getting nothing), most people choose the $250 guaranteed. A rational choice. But most people opt to gamble if they lose $750 in their bank account or gamble with a 75 percent chance of losing $1,000 (25 percent chance of losing nothing). It’s an irrational choice, but humans are more averse to making a loss than eager to win.

Sunk cost fallacy is a different principle. Here, humans are more willing to commit to a losing project because they have already invested in it. A person with free concert tickets may not go to the concert when it is raining heavily, but if they had paid for the tickets, they would be more likely to go despite the terrible weather.

There’s also the mental accounting principle, where people look at money differently depending on their circumstances. For example, when the gas price falls, people may start using premium gas, foregoing the savings they would have made had they stuck to regular gas.

There are other principles that economists have discovered. These include bounded willpower (people often choose whatever brings immediate short-term benefits over what brings long-term benefits) and bounded self-interest (humans are more willing to make choices that lead to sub-optimal outcomes for themselves if it means helping others). Economists are researching behavior economics to help governments and private organizations promote better decision-making.

[ivyprism]

Mafia Skelesona Siblings (Mafia Skelesona and Some Siblings)

Trigger Warnings: Mentions of scars, death, Mafia, etc.

----

Honor - Mafiatale Skelesona/Hydrangea

Personality: A gentle and kind person. She is easily startled and prone to anxiety. She is both bright and unassuming. She is imaginative and creative. She's very sensitive and empathetic. She's idealistic and craves deep, soulful relationships. She, however, is very lonely and feels invisible as a result of her domineering father and stepmother. She is acutely aware of her own thoughts and feelings, but she also wishes to comprehend the people around her. She is incredibly compassionate and is always eager to hear someone else's story. When someone opens up to her or seeks her comfort, she considers herself honored to listen and assist.

She loves singing and wishes to be in a band, but her parents won't allow it. She's meant to be the next head of the Frost Mafia since her siblings ran off and left her to fend for herself and her little sisters.

Appearance: She looks similar to Hydrangea, but her bones are much smoother. She hasn't a single crack on her. She's 5'1". 5'3" in heels as she wears them consistently. She also is required to have a human form.

Her human illusion form has purple eyes, porcelain skin, and long black (ombre purple) hair. Her illusion form is the same height as her normally.

She wears these:

Hunter - Mafiatale Hendrix

Personality: Hunter was a gentle and kind skeleton. He adores his siblings and friends, but he can be conceited and arrogant. He is a high-risk, high-reward gambler. He is angry at his stepmother and father for taking his inheritance and giving it to his twin sister. He is Honor's bodyguard and would go to any length to keep her safe. He becomes hostile and agitated when she or his other siblings are in immediate danger. He's sassy, but also serious and sympathetic. He's a little flirtatious and a little harsh. He's doing his best to remain calm and avoid murdering his stepmother and father. He adores his identical twin sister.

He's the only one who knows about his sister's secret dream.

Appearance: His magic is purple-colored and his ecto matches it. He's 6'1". His canines are sharper than the rest of his mouth. He's chubby-ish, slightly muscular, and agile. He has glasses. He also has freckles. He has a large crack on his right eye.

He has a human illusion form. He has a large scar on his face and has long black (ombre purple) hair and purple eyes. He's the same height as he always is.

He wears this:

Charlotte (Lottie/Charlie) - Mafia Christine

Personality: Charlotte, the second-youngest, is fourteen years old. She is hesitantly sweet and polite, but she is a sassy character. She has a good temper, but when enraged, she goes deathly quiet. She admires Honor and is a good communicator. She harbors grudges against her stepmother and father. She is an inquisitive individual, but she also gets herself into a lot of trouble. Unlike her older sister, she is extremely reckless. She has a harsh voice that only gets worse when she meets new people. She has a harsh outlook on life and despises the Mafia, but she knows she can't get away. She wishes her sister had played her cards better and adores Honor.

She wants to write and be in a band. Like her older sister because she likes the idea.

Appearance: She's a 5'1 1/2" skeleton who looks like Hydrangea. Her magic is torn between purple and orange making her ecto body, blush, and eyes purple (to orange) as well. She is on the chubby side but also remains petite and small. She, like her siblings, has glasses.

Her human illusion form is nearly identical to her older sister's, but younger and with shorter hair. Her eyes are also purple, that flash orange.

She wears these:

Chloe - Mafia Cora

Personality: Chloe, the youngest, is ten years old. She's perceptive and inquisitive. She is extremely shy and avoids making eye contact. Her older sisters serve as examples for her. She has a cool head under pressure and never loses it. She's an introvert, but she's still reserved and quiet. She tries to greet as many people as she can, but she is hesitant. She is terrified of her father and stepmother. She has discovered her stepmother cheating and is too afraid to speak up. She uses her magic on a regular basis and has some control over it. Her siblings would give their lives for her because she is far too sweet for this world.

Appearance: She's 4'5"! Her magic is light orange and purple and her ecto body is very petite and chubby. Her blush is purple and orange. Her eyes are also purple and orange. She doesn't have glasses, unlike most of her family.

She also has a human form. She has heterochromia with a purple and orange eye. She is the same height as her normal form and has long curly black (purple ombre) hair.

She wears these:

(with pants for the non-dress outfits.)

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@kiokooo / @kiokodoodles

[telaraneas]

some character analysis musings on vriska, light and luck

i started thinking about this before i even finished homestuck, cause i was already knee deep in classpecting hypmic characters because i am incapable of having more than one hyperfixation at a time without mushing them together lol

anyways, i was struggling with pinpointing a fitting aspect for a gambler character, and someone pointed out that the obvious fit for them would be light, because you know

The Luck Thing.

but the thing is that, like.... i'm actually pretty sure that games of luck and gambles are. entirely antithetical to the aspect of light

like, first of all, obviously i'm approaching things with more context than someone in the fandom at the time whose only frame of reference for light for a long time was rose and vriska, because i can just google the "official" summaries of what each aspect represents and rules over in the hiveswap page. so, it may be cheating, but it did kind of strike me as strange that according to that page, light is all about *knowledge* first and foremost, which kind of goes completely counter to the whole conceit of games of luck- you CANNOT know what the roll of the dice will bring, that's the entire point of it being random

in fact, the entire concept of attacking via RNG mechanics seems more fitting for the description of Void than it does Light (embracing the unknown and things that don't have clear answers)- and those are opposite aspects. so, you know, what gives?

but the more i think about it, the more this discrepancy kind of illuminates many things about light aspect, thief class, and vriska herself

because on a reread: yeah, it turns out vriska herself kind of hates games of chance?? like, for someone whose primary attack method is based on RNG, she absolutely hates RNG mechanics!!

she describes her luck as being terrible, but it seems more like she's just the kind of person who calls everything other than the exact roll she WANTS "bad luck". her frustration with her luck only increading after losing access to a source of verifiable Correct Information makes her come across more like any degree of uncertainty is what she's actually against.

for someone with fuckin dice roll mechanics she seems to really, REALLY despise actually leaving her fate to the dice

and i think that has to do with her being thief class

as in: i think the defining trait of a thief, in terms of what the class says about a character's arc and themes, is that thieves are actually almost counterintuitively NOT the embodiment of their aspect by nature, and in fact seem to often be defined by the opposite OF their aspect, especially in their early life and circumstances; but that's exactly why they crave their aspect so desperately and fight tooth and nail for it

the aspect of light is often summed up as either "knowledge" or "fortune",  and i think the common thread between all the themes and concepts encapsulated by the light aspect is actually the idea of "certainty". to be bound to light is to be bound to things that are certain, knowledge of past or future or just inmutable objective knowledge. shining a light on the darkness of the unknown, as it were, leaving no corner of uncertainty in its wake- which is why light and void are opposite/complementary.

with that in mind, i think this explains a lot about why vriska has luck-based traits but hates actually leaving anything to a roll of the dice: she is a creature of void, whose upbringing and needs and tools are defined by uncertainty and darkness and the unknown, but who is CONSTANTLY striving to eliminate that unknown by shining a light upon it, to kill any possibility of failure and replace it with the absolute certainty of the outcome she desires. she is a person surrounded by the trappings of void aspect, forced to use it as her tools, but who will avoid actually embracing those values at all costs because she had such a relentless desperate need for the safety of light and its virtues

i mean, her defining introductory moment was her putting tavros in a situation that, despite being a dice-based larp, wound up with the dice roll no longer even mattering at all, because vriska had played her cards specifically to make it so that even if tavros rolled the highest possible number, he could CERTAINLY not win. at that point, it's no longer about luck; but unlike terezi's case, it's not about knowing what the other person will do in the event of every outcome, either. it's about making sure that it LITERALLY DOES NOT MATTER what the other person does or doesn't do- vriska has all the cards, and she has them all face-up where she can see them, and she can rest easy in knowing that luck, good or bad, cannot stab her in the back, because she knows with CERTAINTY what fate has in store, because she made it so by her own hand.

this is also why her god tier power is to "steal luck". like yes it's an obvious literal application of her title, but more importantly- what it means is that, after ascending and finally grasping what she so desperately wanted with her own two hands, her reward is that *vriska no longer needs to gamble ever again*. she can just CHOOSE what the dice will show her, usually just the highest roll for max damage.

like, usually the entire point of games of luck is that there is no way to predict the outcome of a roll of the dice, or the flip of a coin, or a fucken RNG mechanic. but vriska, at the culmination of her hearts' desires, has managed to bring her relentless light into the ultimate unknown, to brush away even the archetypal unpredictability of possibility and collapse it into a single certain fate. she's opened schrodinger's box, observed right through its core with her vision eightfold, and decided whether it's alive or dead. who needs luck, when you have knowledge, fate and certainty.

on a semi related note, you know what aspect WOULD probably benefit a whole lot from luck-based combat mechanics?

breath seems to be at least to some degree about just letting things happen, going with the flow, and embracing whatever may come, and as such is usually rewarded with narrative contrivance of the "right thing at the right place at the right time" kind; breath tends to BENEFIT from not really knowing things and not necessarily being super concerned about them either.

case in point: vriska probably would never in a million years have deliberately aimed for a roll that gave bec noir a silly hat, but because john literally didn't think about it and has no luck-manipulating powers or aspirations, he just so happened to roll the one thing that his enemy happens to hate the most lmao