#i need to share the details about that actually...

[thewertsearch]

The well traveled HAT shares in your glorious spoils. The battle-hardened accessory reaches dizzying new heights, leapfrogging from the DOUCHEBAG'S DOMESUCKER rung, to the rare, highly coveted MARTYR'S PISSCRADLE rung.

It's been a long time, old friend.

Oh no, it's a hostile swarm of those little fairy bulls! They are probably pissed off about the one you killed earlier. They have come for revenge!

OH MY GOD THE HUMANITY. HOW THEY EXACT THEIR POUND OF FLESH.

On a world of carnivorous spidermoms and neglectful goatdads, Tavros really did manage to score the sweetest lusus imaginable. He certainly needed it, too - the dude wouldn't have survived an aggressive custodian.

Actually, I wonder if the Summoner had anything to do with that. The guy was involved with the wielder of the Cueball, after all. He could easily have learned about his most important descendant, and decided the poor guy would need a little extra help.

Sorry, Goatdad - we've got a much more climactic Strife coming up, and I don't think you feature in it as anything more than a background detail.

Nearby, someone or something bleats like a goat for strategic purposes. And also

Ironic purposes.

You did it!

You crazy son of a bitch, you did it!

[elodieunderglass]

I have a fictional horse question and I would appreciate your perspective!

I read all of Tamora Pierce without being or becoming a horse girl. But! A fic idea I have been rotating in my head for months needs a Horse Response and I can’t rotate the idea without it.

Peachblossom, a strawberry roan gelding who is tricksy, bitey, and grumpy, has just saved the life of a person he has previously annoyed. Person (and the other people present) respectfully thank Peachblossom for doing so. And Peachblossom gives a Horse Response, to the effect of “you’re very welcome; I’m very wonderful; apples plz.”

What might that look like? I’ve put in a series of complicated ear flicks as a placeholder but it doesn’t feel correct.

Thank you for any horse thoughts you may have! It’s been very fun learning about Killie and his entourage. I’m particularly fond of Derek.

(killie the jockey OC's tumblr tag) Aww that's very kind! I'm continually amazed by meeting new people who say they're fond of Killie and his absurd network.

Peachblossom!! EXCELLENT hateful and independent strawberry roan representation! I remember him.

One sweet way that horses show affection and build bonds is to share breath. it's as sweet as it sounds. they place their foreheads close to each other, touch noses, and gently blow air from their noses into each other's nostrils. that serves as general greeting, kiss, affection, scent-sharing, gratitude, and various other expressions of intimacy, kinship, and/or friendship. in the image below they are being VERY sweet and completely pressing their faces together (saying LOVE LOVE LOVE and PEACE PEACE PEACE.)

I'll go into more detail below

if you want to do this with a horse, you should empty your mind and try to be relaxed and peaceful and indicate psychically that you want to do it. they'll usually have to put their head down for you to reach.

Another thing horses do to each other is to scratch each other's withers - the high point of the shoulder. they do it like this, which is super cute and heart-shaped:

they cannot reach this space of the body for themselves, and so this is especially delicious Prize Scratching Opportunity. to scratch each other's withers, they stand shoulder to shoulder and nibble each other with their teeth. it is Extremely Good. if you want to do this to a horse, you can usually offer to do it by saying something friendly and putting your hand on their shoulder - if they move away, they don't want it. scratches will normally be received well (only do this with horses that you're allowed to touch, of course, and upon invitation.)

various horses may do these things to each other in various different ways (or not at all). we are also differently shaped from horses. so the body language can be funny in translation. Horses actually do recognise this, though.

I had a horse friend once (a big stupid retired Thoroughbred - he wasn't mine, he just lived with my friend's horse) who would lovingly reciprocate a withers-scratch by wrapping his neck around my body to delicately, gently and respectfully remove my ponytail holder with his teeth and lips. this, to him, was the equivalent in body language. You can see EXACTLY how his mind was working! reach a high point of the body that SEEMS kind of like withers, this is where the mane is on humans, isn't it - this is the highest point - I'll give it a nice - OH you've got a big knot there!! I'll get it out for you!! Don't worry, I'm exceptionally popular BECAUSE I'm so good at grooming. OH MAN IT WAS ONE OF THESE THINGS AGAIN! you're always picking these up! do you roll around in them?! and then he would carefully give the hair elastic to you, with his mouth. Can you imagine - how careful and gentle he had to be to do that. And of course the correct thing is to say: "WOW big guy thanks SO much!!!!" and resign yourself to having a certain amount of green horse-smelling grass-slime in your hair. that, you see, is an expression of genuine cross-species love and communication - an invitation to love and be loved as a fellow member of the planet - and is to be treasured, even if you stink now and didn't really want your hair down.

And finally, a horse that thinks you are going to give it some treats will nuzzle and mouth at your clothing to find where you are keeping the treats. in case you have temporarily forgotten that there are treats in your clothing. their lips are surprisingly mobile. hi. hello. horses get treats.

those are all things that nice horses do.

now, horrible and rude horses do exist. they all have different personalities. they are extremely social animals. in an ordinary horse social life they will have size differences (sometimes quite significant!), dominance structures, breed differences, and multiple-species friendships. and therefore, each horse will initiate contact or express emotion in a different way.

a CHEEKY way to express affection, for example, can be just straight-up knocking a human over with their face. that's because a charming, kind and sweet thing for a horse to do to another horse is to firmly press faces together and share breath; the human/horse equivalent (as polite and intelligent horses know perfectly well) is to carefully imitate this by lowering their nose to your face level so you can blow in their nostrils with your little tiny face; the CHEEKY thing to do is to whack you with their nose and blow pneumatic amounts of snot on you. GET LOVED IDIOT. SNOTTED ALSO. and then laugh about it.

I can imagine that being in line with Peachblossom's sense of humour (not that I remember him especially well.)

tossing his head and arching his neck and dancing a bit to do a bit of stallion-ish showing off (I am tremendously gorgeous, aren't I) and then getting serious and calm and still for a second and putting his head down as if to nuzzle and share breath (I do actually like you a little bit) and when you fall for it, a very slight headbutt (hahahahaaahahaha you THOUGHT! you THOUGHT!!!!) followed by WHERE'S THE FOOD LMAO.

[cimmerian1275]

hey there! Just wanted to pop in and say your art is amazing. Your anatomy is like really insane and you draw it so well with the turtles! Like how?? Your colors and Oc design and don’t get me started on your dragons. So cute.

You’re incredibly talented!! Have an amazing day/night

💖💖💖 Thankyou :D

Honestly wanna know how i draw tmnt so well? DRAGONS! xD

I explained this to a friend yesterday so i can word dump a bit here:

Ive drawn dragons in tons of weird angles/perspectives… a good 2+ years worth spent just practicing drawing drakes and dragons and creatures, and going a little crazy with challenging myself to get experience over a large range of draconic things!

SO, when i started drawing tmnt i was like... "these guys are basically a dragon, but with a shell and WAY LESS DETAIL", and i really mean WAY. LESS. DETAIL, like holy crap i never actually realized how complex dragons were until i drew a turtle and asked myself why i chose one of the most insanely complex things to draw my whole entire life. They have so many limbs, unique anatomy unlike anything IRL, i had to study cats and dogs and horses and birds and then combine that to make up something totally new just to draw ONE dragon because each one has unique anatomy 😭 when i draw dragon shoulders i get so much ptsd from that learning curve /j

Ive studied complex dragon anatomy so much that when i took a look at humanoid shoulders and drew them, they were scarily easy to draw compared to a dragons shoulders. Same goes for legs.

But oohhHHH HANDS, no ones brought it up but i love rambling about how fun it is to draw hands. You can probably tell really quick that i went with dragon-inspired hands for the tmnt, i love giving em claws >:) I draw my dragon feet like theyre just hands used for walking, and ive drawn ALLOT of them. Taking away a few fingers and giving them to a turtle was really simple C: (although i should probably try out drawing them without claws, im kinda curious if i can)

Human arms are a little harder to learn how to draw, but still incredibly similar and it hasnt been too hard to adjust to the subtle differences i need to change when i draw them.

⬆️ Im still working on drawing humanoid arms, the muscles and perspective for humanoid arms are different from what im used to so im still in the middle of that learning curve.

I actually havent been drawing tmnt long, i posted my first fanart Feb 19 this year 👀 and id never drawn a turtle before then.

Your gonna be watching in real-time as my artstyle/experience grows as i keep drawing them, but i am DEFINITELY still practicing and learning! Im hoping when i finally settle with a quality of art im happy with and ive had enough experience to feel confident enough, i really want to make tutorials for how i draw so i can share my knowledge with others <3

[little-diable]

Lust - Tom Riddle (smut)

Requested by @midoriiakina for my Deadly Sins challenge. I tried to follow the idea as much as possible and hope you like it! Please like and reblog it you enjoyed reading this, your comments keep us writers motivated! Enjoy my loves. xxx

Summary: The reader works at a strip club where she meets a man who seems to watch her every step. But perhaps she is the one watching all along.

Warnings: 18+, smut, oral (f), mentions stalking on both sides, stripping, obsession

Pairing: Tom Riddle x fem!reader (1.7k words)

She was wrapped in darkness, only the lights that kept flickering in colourful hues alighted her body every now and then. She had her eyes focused on the crowd, moving to the beat of the song she knew by heart. The strong muscle was pounding in her chest whenever she found his eyes, piercing, calculated, sharp.

He had first stepped into the club weeks ago, suddenly appearing as if he owned the place and every single woman working here. At first she had hated him, had tried to stay away from him and his mysterious aura, but her hiding game had soon failed the second he had requested a private dance from her.

(Y/n) hadn’t spoken a single word to him that night, only mumbling something about their hands-off policy before she had danced for him. He hadn’t made a single sound, and yet she could tell that he enjoyed the performance she put on for him, keeping close enough to feel the heat of his body clashing against her naked chest.

Ever since that night he had turned up every single week, going through the same routine of ordering a drink before requesting some time alone with (y/n). By now she didn’t mind having him close, something had piqued her interest, something that had whispered to her late at night when she had tried to find him online. At first she hadn’t found much, since she only knew his first name and wasn’t even sure if it was his real name after all, but then her curiosity had spurred her on to dig deeper.

It hadn’t taken much for her to find out his name, within a few minutes after flirting with their bouncer, she had learned his details, giving her enough to actually find him online. Somewhere along the way it had turned into a game, she tried to dig as deep as possible, while sharing a few details she had figured out whenever he was close to her. She barely got any reaction from him, just a few raspy laughs and praises that made her wonder if he enjoyed the way she seemed to obsess over him.

The second her song ended, she reached down to collect the money before moving off the stage, accompanied by claps and cheers. She reveled in the attention, enjoying the greedy eyes which wanted her all for themselves and were more than willing to spend enough money on (y/n) to finance her needs. Within minutes she was led to one of the private rooms, eyes finding his as he looked at her.

“Did you enjoy the show?” Her voice had a sultry undertone, wrapping itself around the two of them like a snake slithering up their bodies. He only let go of a hum, leaving her unsatisfied and aching for more praise.

Slowly, she walked towards him and the chair he sat in, thighs spread for her to settle on them. Even though she had always stuck to the no touching policy of the club, she sometimes reached for his hands to place them on her waist. Something about his touch only heightened the sensations she felt in those moments, urging her to roll her hips against his to try and draw a moan from him. Every now and then she succeeded, clinging to the sounds he let go of when she exposed more of her body to his wandering eyes.

“You see, Tom, I always wonder why you seem to go back to me. Why not choose one of the others?” Their eyes held contact as she toyed with the straps of her top, slowly exposing more skin before pulling it off her body. He kept quiet, piercing eyes focusing on her chest as his hands tightened their grip on her waist. “What is it about me that fascinates you?”

Desperation clung to her as she tried to lure something out of him, a single praise she could think back to late at night whenever she was dreaming of him. But deep inside of her she knew that he loved the desperation she couldn’t hide, telling him that he wasn’t just a simple customer but someone she actually wanted close.

“You know, I see your eyes on me. I know you watch me leave the club, and I have seen your car parked near my home. I could call the cops on you.” Her teeth nibbled on her lower lip as her hips kept rolling. Heat wandered up her spine as if it was whispering to her, daring (y/n) to cross that invisible line between them and to actually touch him. Perhaps she would, perhaps she’d give in just once - but only after getting some more answers from him.

“But you won’t.” His raspy voice made her shudder, forcing her eyes back towards his unreadable ones.

“And why is that?” Slowly his hands began to move as if he was testing the water, wondering if she’d allow him to touch the places his eyes had been fortunate enough to study for the past weeks. She didn’t move away from him, almost pressed herself even closer as his cold fingers stroked up and down her sides before teasing the skin beneath her breasts.

“Because you love knowing I’m there. Watching. Waiting.” His hands settled on her chest, thumbs flickering her hardening nipples while drawing a moan from her. (Y/n)’s eyes fluttered close, breath hitched in her chest, unable to pull away from him and his wandering touch. She felt him shift beneath her, lips finding her exposed throat to press a kiss against the spot that instantly made her shudder. “I may be watching, but I know you like having me here just as much, you always look for me.”

“I do.” She hated giving in this quickly, but her body won the upper hand, unable to move from him. His hands kept exploring her warm body, even as she felt him harden beneath her. Whenever she rolled her hips against him, moving like soaring waves clashing against the wooden body of a ship at sea, both let go of sounds so sinful she feared even the devil would look away from them.

“So what is it, doll? What do you want from me?” The words hung between them, filling the room as she pondered over her choices. She knew she needed to pull away, ending something that had spiralled much further than it was allowed to. But she couldn’t, didn’t want to move away from the man who had such an intense obsession for her.

“Everything.” The word rolled off of her tongue before she realised what she was doing. But before she could even try to speak up again, he had already picked her up to carry her to the bed wrapped in darkness. Her body was covered in goosebumps, back arched off the mattress as cold fingers pushed her barely there skirt up to her waist.

“You were mine from the day I first saw you. I knew right then that I needed to have you. And I won’t ever let you go again.” Fear should have buzzed through her veins at that very promise he spoke, but she felt nothing but anticipation. Nothing but excitement which only grew more intense as his fingers brushed over her now exposed heat. “No matter where you go, no matter what you do, I’ll always be there. You may not always see me, but I’m right there.”

Nothing but a whimper left her as he dipped his head down. His lips kissed their way up her inner thighs until he found her cunt, tongue pressed flat against her warm skin in order to explore her. She was already trembling, needing more from the man who exuded something so dangerous, she couldn’t help but ache for more.

He sucked on her pulsing bundle, moaning at the taste while a cold finger was pushed into her warm tightness. (Y/n) didn’t stop her moans from leaving her, filling the room just like the loud music that could be heard from the stage. She was wrapped in everything he offered, body pressed against his mouth as if he was tracing holy words with the movements of his tongue.

It was sinful, all too sinful what they were doing, but she couldn’t worry about any sins, couldn’t worry about the greedy lust that urged them on. All she could worry about was her racing heart and the way her walls fluttered around his fingers.

“Atta girl, I knew your body wouldn’t say no to me.” For a moment, his eyes found hers. They were wordlessly communicating, telling one another that the game had just begun, but the second he curled his finger against her swollen spot, she had to give in to the pleasure once again. Her head fell back against the mattress, hands fisting the covers to try and hold on before she could be ripped from this dimension.

Her orgasm clashed through her without another warning, making her choke on his name while her eyes rolled back into her head. Tom kept sucking on her pulsing bundle, fully enjoying the sight of her trembling body beneath him, until she finally seemed to relax.

“This body is mine, forever now.” The possessiveness dripping from his words made her chuckle. (Y/n) slowly pulled away from him, hand cupping his cheek while a sinister smile tugged on her lips.

“Oh, Tom. Sweet, Tom. You think you’re the one in charge? You think I don’t know about that diary of yours and what you write about me late at night? You think I don’t watch every step you take while letting you believe you’re the one guiding me? Oh, Tom. You’ve got so much more to learn from me.”

[hancfubuki]

caleb has carefully built walls around his heart, however, the more time he spends with rafayel, the easier is for him to weave his way through them. for a moment, he says nothing, simply gazing at rafayel with an intensity that could also be a bit overwhelming, his purple eyes glimmering as a smile curls from the corner of his lips. "you have no idea how much that means to me." he murmurs, his hands still cupping the lemurian's face, not wanting to let go. "you say you'll protect me, and i believe you. but please, don't forget i'm not someone who will just stand by and the world hurt you. i'll also shield you from whaterver tries to take away that light in your eyes." in a more playful aura, he bops the tip of his nose with his fingertip. "if you believe i'm enough, i'lll make sure i'm worthy of that trust. so yes, i'll stay long enough, and together, we'll rewrite the ending we thought we were destined for." he feels the atmosphere between them lifting up a bit, no longer feeling tense nor regretting past decisions.

"oh?" he laughs amused, not even being able to hide it. "can you blame me? you were practically screaming for someone to hold you." he finds himself teasing again, comfortable enough to let this playful side of him. "you're right, though. i couldn't stay away even if i wanted to. perhaps you reminded me of something i'd lost, or your fire just called to me." his smiles softens as his fingers trace gentle patterns along the side of his face before leaning closer to press a kiss to his temple, lingering there for a moment before pulling back just enough to meet his gaze, listening to everything he's already planning to do. as he's pulled into a hug, he instinctively reaches to the back of his head, petting him softly as he listens to him. his breath catching slightly as his words paint vivid pictures of distant lands and possibilities, truly of an eternity shared. his arm tighten around him, pulling him closer as well, while fingers tangle in his hair as he leans closer. "i'll show you everything." he whispers, a chuckle leaving his lips as he described so wonderfully some places in earth that might actually not be as appealing as he might think, but the idea of exploring the world together, suddenly made the thought comforting.

"sadly, my life is not as wonderful as you might think. i was not born on a beautiful land nor did i grew up in a pretty place. i was born within walls of stone, hidden deep underground. it was cold, with gas lamps that barely provided any light in that oppressive darkness, full of rusted pipes that dripped water that produced an ominous echo. it also had lot of shelves full with jars of organs suspended in blue liquids, malformed embryos, and monstrosities that blurred the line between human and something else, vials filled with glowing substances, labeled with codes and symbols incomprehensible to anyone but them. i can't take you there, raf. they would do indescribable things to you. it would be like leading you to a life of restraint and pain. i can take you anywhere you want, but that place is off limits." his lips press in a thin line, visible uncomfortable at the memories. and it's when realizes that rafayel already shared some part of his life with him, and he hasn't provide any details of his origin or childhood. "i don't know where i was born, but i grew up in a lab. never met my real parents either, i never had a family. the woman who took me in worked for them, she... also experimented on me. and i'm unsure about her real intentions, why she took me in. can't tell if it was pity or a need to have me close. i don't have a home either, my ship was my home, the sea itself. and there are countless of places on land that bring me pain, i can certainly take you there, were i have lost vital members of my crew. but not there. i know we are strong enough to take them down, but what if..." his brows furrow, getting angry just at the idea of them trapping rafayel and keeping him in a cage. "what if it goes wrong? it's too dangerous."

caleb watches him with a faint smile, looking how he suddenly picks up the pearl. the sudden worries vanish, eyes reflecting amusement once again laced with affection. he kneels slowly to join rafayel, his hand brushing against the other's as he gently takes the pearl to inspect it, holding it up between his fingers. "well, i can appreciate their beauty. i heard they are worth a lot of gold, used in jewelry. but if you asked me, their real worth lies in the story of how they’re made. they’re a reminder that even pain and pressure can make something worth treasuring." he rolls the pearl in his palm before holding it back out, letting it catch the faint glow of light between them. "maybe i should ask what they mean to you first, because i'd like anything, as long as it reminds me of you."

Rafayel hears the rustle of moss before he feels his eyes on the top of his head, and he hears the reassurance that only twists his emotions further into disarray. Rather than words coming from his mouth, it's the gentle touch that has him peek through his fingers, lower his hands, and show him shining eyes brimmed with tears, wavering gaze meeting his fear, guarded, expecting rejection, even when he continues to reassure. His thumb is warm and gentle as he clears his eyes of tears, anxiety bubbling under his skin, breath caught in his throat as he warily assesses the other with an unknown clarity. None of his actions are rushed, instead he feels like the gentle breeze against his skin, a warmth clinging to his skin and reassuring him of a coming day, eyelids lowered but staring down at the movements of his, his hand cupped his cheek and Rafayel slowly, cautiously, leans the weight of his head against it as his lips come close and press more reassurance against him.

I love you.

He says so gently as they part, and Rafayel had watched through hooded eyes the way his brows creased, the way his lips moved, his tall nose, and the way his lashes fluttered with every way their lips moulded together. Yet, rather than words he struggled to believe, he relied on the firm touches keeping him grounded, pulling him in towards the man with fingers in his hair, the warm breath brushing him filled with desire and affection, every fibre of his being thrumming when he isn't pushed but dragged further towards his self like gravity.

When the thought had first arisen, it was on a whim.

Empathy or pity, he didn't want to watch another soul endure more pain than necessary. After all, he believed everyone deserved to find peace and a reason to live. He didn't believe death was ultimately evil, but he also didn't think anyone should have to face death with loneliness or despair. Yet now, as he grew attached, started to care, he feels his emotions overflow. I found hope to live. That's all he wanted to hear, and he feels himself nod to his confession, humming softly in recognition as he takes a step forward, burying his face into the hands cupping his cheek, rubbing his nose against his palm, and looking up at him with adoration welling from deep in his chest. "I won't let you feel that pain anymore." As he finds his voice, he raises his own hands to cup over the ones on his face, keeping them still and letting him play with his cheeks if he so desires, enjoying the touch as it soothes the pain. For now, his worries are eased, only determination and love left in his touch. "From now on, I will break you free from the cycle of suffering if you ever fall back. I will protect you from anyone who dares to bring you harm. If you believe that I am enough," he sighs, squeezing his hand tight. "-You can stay with me for as long as you'd like."

Moving too fast. Rafayel lets out a wet chuckle as he lowers his gaze, a smile finally stretching his lips. "I remember someone's very first instinct was to drag me into their arms." Indeed, this was faster than he could have ever imagined himself falling. Yet it hadn't felt rushed when he had dragged Caleb under the raging ocean that fateful night, there had been indifference when he had first awoken, but everything had fit into place in a natural order from the moment he realized their souls resonated a familiarly, when Caleb fearlessly pulled him into his arms, facing his powers head on without fear but acceptance. He had seen the boy trapped behind responsibilities and a power he had been forced to control, scared of a mistake he once made, but also accepting the spoiled and playful boy, the part of him that wanted to experiment with love.  Rafayel isn't sure if he could call it love at first sight, not when he still doesn't quite understand the depth of his new feelings. But he is sure to nod when Caleb asks him to stay, tilting his head up to press his lips to his in return.

"An eternity is a long time."

The Lemurian opens his eyes slowly, hands now reaching up so he can cup the other's face, blue and pink eyes now clear as he tilts his chin and straightens his back to reach his height, noses brushing. "But that means we'll have plenty of time to travel the world, like you said." The weight on his shoulders feels lighter, his hands slipping into Caleb's hair, then down so his elbows can rest on his shoulders, pulling him in and hugging him close. He let his cheek rest on the span of his shoulder, squished and comfortable to share warmth in the gentle light and purple glow of weeds. "I read of land far from the coast closest to Whalefall City. Places where they paint with ground vermilion and sulphur. Some cities that smell like sweet and spicy spices with fragrant oil, flowers that bloom once every hundred years, and logs of a land where they play music from instruments vastly different from the ones I know of." He lifts his head, playing with the long ends of his hair as his eyes glow warmly. This was his answer; he would give an eternity and more. "I want to see the world you call home. Where you were born, where you grew up, and the places and people you liked most. But not just the places that make you nostalgic and happy, but also those that have melancholy and pain. All of it."

A sigh escapes his lips, tears dried and comforted by the sudden realization that he wasn't alone in his sudden affection. Like he said, they could slowly learn what they didn't yet know. But as he glances down at the pearls littered on the floor, not too many but enough to be visible at first glance, his ears turn red as heat reaches his face, pulling away only to crouch down and pick one up. Then, he holds it up to stare before looking at Caleb with a questioning tilt of his head, sheepish but curious. "Do you like pearls?"

Humans did, but he doesn't know much about Caleb.

[queerholmcs]

guess who made it a full nine and a half months before going back for round two! (me. it's me.)

Massive thanks and all my love to Elena @ohwatson, Time @heartduct, Rachel @betweendoctorsanddetectives, and Elena's friend from uni for making this weekend (1) happen and (2) an absolute experience to remember 🩷💀🦠👨‍💻

Detailed write-ups for the escape rooms already exist (see my dear friend Rebs's notes on the original experience, and Amy's transcript, and my detailed write-up on the Mind of Moriarty room from last year) but I do still have Thoughts To Share, and it is in danger of getting wordy, as always, so I'll see you below the cut! 🫶🫶🫶

I started my day off strong by waking up far too early & going for far too long of walk to see some classics like Big Ben, and the Langham (as one does), and then met up with Elena and Time for the Sherlock Holmes museum, since I needed to see what they'd done with it since getting rid of most of the weird little wax guys. (I can't remember what that room upstairs was officially supposed to be, but it was giving Mycroft's office. Maybe it was supposed to be Watson's office?)

And then we swung by North Gower St for the obligatory Speedy's moment, of course! 🫶

Meeting up with the rest of the group for lunch at the Westfield did turn out to be possibly the most difficult part of the weekend. Most convoluted shopping centre I've ever been in, I swear. The pizza was worth it, at least—even if it was all quickly overshadowed by the real reason we had all gathered there that day: a good old-fashioned eye exam.

I'm going to refrain from rehashing all of the insane details here that have already been noted elsewhere, but I also cannot overstate how insane the experience is. And there are people who just do this casually. Like, the original escape room experience is just included with the London Pass now? That's bonkers. And it is impossible to mention the escape rooms without also mentioning how incredibly dead Jim Moriarty definitely absolutely undoubtedly is. Mr "I Wish I Could Die Twice", indeed. 🔫🤭 And we got my beloved Yorick in-frame for our photos this time, so we were already starting off on a very high note, indeed! (Even if Stamford was a bit confused by our reactions when he prompted us to pose as though Moriarty himself had just stepped into 221B.)

There are some fun details I had forgotten, or otherwise failed to notice, the first time I did these rooms. Like Molly signing off a note to John, saying, "Nice beard, by the way!" To a man whose wife is mentioned exactly zero times during the course of the entire experience, no less. Sure. Why not.

Mycroft's office is phase two of the original escape experience, and it should come as no surprise to anyone here that that is my favourite room. And this time, it was elevated beyond what it could have been, because I learnt Mycroft's birthday on what was undoubtedly the most humbling phone call of my life, and it all went something like this:

me [picking up the phone to call Sam to ask for the code for the cryptex; the reader should note that I'm getting better about making phone calls in real life, and this is a call I've done before, so I'm feeling fairly confident in my ability to navigate this interaction, but it does still take me two tries to successfully dial the number and remember to press pound to actually make the call]: Hi, Sam, can we get the access code?

Sam: Okay, let me see here... it looks like you have given us the data we need, but just as a security measure, I'll have to ask you for Mycroft's date of birth.

me [did NOT have to give this information last time, and certain that such information is never once mentioned in the canon of the show]: ..........mmhm, sure, we'll call you right back.

A brief moment of discussing the evidence ensued, during which we determined, based on a ticket for Les Mis from 28 February 2019, and the voice message in which he complained about seeing Les Mis with his parents for his 50th birthday, that his date of birth is 28 February 1969. Meaning (1) he's a fucking pisces, and (2) the Les Mis showing in TEH was nowhere near 28 February 2019, so either that's something you're supposed to literally not take that seriously, or, as I am going to choose to believe because it's much more fun this way, his parents think he actually likes Les Mis and therefore regularly take him to see it and it's far too late for him to convince them otherwise now. (You know how parents are.)

me [calling Sam back, definitely feeling good about my ability to handle this phone call because I now definitely have all the information I need]: Hey, Sam, so we've got that security code of Mycroft's birthday for you. It's the 28th of February 1969.

Sam: Sure, that's correct! And what is it you're looking for?

me: We are looking for the access code for the cryptex.

Sam: Okay, sure. But you are still missing a word.

me [frowning at Mycroft's desk, trying to think what on earth she could be referring to, and then realising what it might be, and knowing that if I'm wrong, I'm about to look so unbelievably stupid for missing some obvious additional code word that was somewhere in the room, but that if I'm right, that'll somehow be worse, because I am an adult in the eyes of the law and I can do things like file my taxes or take impromptu trips to London to give people money in exchange for being locked in a room and insulted for an hour and a half without so much as asking for a parent's pemission, and yet I am now finding myself sat at Mycroft's desk, both feeling and sounding very much like a small child]: ..........could I please have an access code?

Sam: Oh, of course you can! The first digit is 1...

Needless to say, I have never been more efficiently nor more effectively humbled in my life, and I doubt I ever will be. And, naturally, it was only after the fact that I found out that—because everyone else could only hear my side of the conversation—they all thought we might have gotten his birthday wrong, or something, and I was just asking if we could please have the access code anyway. So thank you, Sam, for giving me some memories to carry with me to my very grave. I think I deserve photos of myself at that desk for my troubles. And also I would love to know what I looked like while sat behind Mycroft's desk and being told to say 'please.'

And also I now have to spend the rest of my life knowing a date that they chose—and probably arbitrarily, like you're probably not even supposed to think that much about it, it's not even that deep, unless it is—to be Mycroft Holmes's birthday. As though I needed any more details about that man to gnaw on. Knife emoji.

There weren't any more major surprises in that original experience, and we debriefed at the Mind Palace with drinks before it was time for our second appointment. (They had a new drink on the menu for me this time called "Mycroft's Modus Operandi," so, you know. That was fun! And there was no 'December 1963' jumpscare this time, but they clearly know their clientele, because the playlist was very "chill queer pop" vibes.)

My major takeaway from the Mind of Moriarty experience this time was, once again, my beloved prison cell. There was a phrase on the wall that had been a complete blank spot in my memory from the first time, and that was "Oh, but Sherlock's excellent, really very excellent!" (which is insane, for the record). But at least that one is relevant to a puzzle you have to solve, because I was also able to verify that the two phrases which actually haunt me—"too many thatchers" and "three signs isn't enough"—have absolutely nothing to do with any puzzles in the room. They are there just to haunt me. Which is more insane.

But, hey, I got to text Mycroft on a phone that was hidden in John's Semtex jacket inside Moriarty's mind! And apparently I missed reading last time a card where Jim refers to Mycroft as "Her Majesty." So. You know. Feeling some sort of super normal way about that!

I do really love that they use s4 footage of John and Sherlock and Mycroft and Jim in the third phase rooftop portion of the Mind of Moriarty experience. ("Family or friend, Mycroft or John Watson?" scene my beloved!!!) Especially because there is absolutely zero mention of that wife of his at any point throughout this entire thing. You would think he would fall back on "I do have a baby and/or wife at home" at some point during all his "I am literally being held here at gunpoint against my will" complaining, and yet...

Also there's still the whole "is it about having the keycode to open every door, or is it just about knowing people's pressure points and finding alternate ways to get what you need" thing running through the entire Mind of Moriarty experience. And the opening test for the original escape experience includes "TFP" in the centre of the screen and the opening test for the Mind of Moriarty experience involves choosing the fifth option to complete an existing series of four, with the patterns changing slightly (being mirrored, one might say?) between each. And there's the whole literal actual virus in the original experience becoming an AI computer virus in the Mind of Moriarty experience—it's a delicious progression, and that's all I'll say on that before I spend another three pages rambling about Jimmy boy.

At any rate, we did successfully complete both rooms, and we wrapped up the evening with dinner at Battersea itself! (Still bonkers that that's a bougie commercial complex now, and not just, like, the run-down power station where John and Mycroft I mean John and Irene had THE conversation of all time. Like, hello?)

All in all, an absolute success of a day. All my love again to everyone who made it possible, and I truly madly deeply look forward to doing it again whenever they re-remember that they have carte blanche to do whatever they want and drop a third escape room experience feature Cabin No. 9 of Blood Vessel fame. 🫶♟️🪞🤭

[cpvnksabm]

hey. rtc bootleg sharers & fans in general

able-bodied ricky warrants a warning /srs

the 2022 rtc script rewrites are incredibly ableist. other people can explain this better than me, and already have, but just to summarize: the deliberate erasure of ricky's physical disability is inherently a problem, and the script's handling of details that were originally caused by ricky's physical disability is downright disrespectful. it's a bastardisation of a character who was important to me and an insult to the disabled rtc fans who could see themselves in ricky.

suffice to say, a lot of disabled fans would really prefer not to see productions that use that script!

i'm not the Bootleg Watching Police, i have neither the desire nor the ability to "cancel" people for being fans of an ableist production. i understand that the world isn't black and white, that bootlegs by nature are pretty limited in their ability to benefit ableist productions anyway, that a lot of rtc fans are okay with just ignoring the ricky-focused scenes in ableist productions if the other 5 characters are handled well.

but it should be a common courtesy to keep in mind that some people - disabled people especially! - can't just ignore the ableism in certain productions, or don't want to!

for a while now i've honestly just been avoiding all rtc productions i wasnt already familiar with. because i was tired of seeing people talk about some new production that seemed cool, and starting to be interested it, only to find that ricky is able-bodied and it feels like a slap in the face. eventually i stopped getting my hopes up because i didn't want to be disappointed.

disabled people in fandom shouldnt have to do that! if you want to be inclusive (and i should really hope you do, what with all the self-identified allies in the fandom and the fact that including & listening to disabled people is part of the musical canon), then you should be willing to put some effort into making sure the fandom isnt hostile toward us, even unintentionally.

on top of that - when ableist productions are able to get popular, and the ableism isn't warned for or discussed, it's hard for disabled fans to know who is actually ableist. when someone makes a long post praising an ableist production without so much as a "it sucks that ricky was able-bodied", i don't know if i can trust them. are they outright ableist, and in favour of the ableist script changes? or are they uncomfortable with that part of the production and just putting up with it because they like other parts? this is another way the fandom can be unwelcoming toward disabled people!

i think a lot of people, especially who have been in the fandom for a couple years now and witnessed the mccarter theatre ableism & the script changes as they were happening, think that this issue has already been discussed enough. we've all agreed that disability erasure is wrong, it sucks that the script changes happened but it's too late now, we can take it as a given that we're all on the same page about this. there's no need to keep talking about this.

this sort of "everyone is obviously already on the same page that this is wrong" attitude is common in response to all types of ableism, and it is bullshit. ableism is common! there are always people who support the ableism, and people who don't understand the issue! it is always important to keep talking about it!

if everyone takes the "other people have already talked about this and agreed that it's wrong, so i don't have to acknowledge it!" approach, then nobody talks about the issue! and i'm certainly not saying everyone has to make a long post analysing the ableist script rewrites and explaining why they're wrong, but the bare minimum is that when you're talking about and sharing ableist productions, you should mention the ableism. so that disabled fans can avoid that production if they want to and so that they know you aren't condoning the ableism.

it's been way too long of this fandom ignoring the ableist script changes because "oh its already been talked about". the discussion never stopped being important. and now there are more and more people joining the fandom post-2022 who don't even know about this issue, because the people that do know are far too content to leave the discussion and awareness in the past.

the #saverickypotts hashtag was not just a one-off effort that is no longer relevant. ricky's neuromuscular disease is still valuable disability representation that i'm willing to fight for.

once again i am not the Bootleg Watching Police. if you don't think avoiding ableist productions is worth it, then you don't have to. but have some awareness of the disabled fans who don't want to see it.

this is a fandom where i regularly see posts talking about the choir's canonical death censoring "die" to "unalive". if you can do that, you can add an ableism warning

[littlebugsbraindump]

L LAWLIET X Y/N HEADCANONS!!

(not my picture!)

Sorry this took me so long to get around to!

I hope you enjoy it <3

• Will wake you up to bounce ideas off of you. Doesn’t even care if you give him feedback - he just wants to yap about his thought process.

• doesn’t cook often but is surprisingly good at it. That is… when he’s not too lost in thought… good thing he keeps a fire extinguisher in the kitchen…

• he doesn’t sleep very often, but once the sleep deprivation starts getting to him, he can get a bit clingy. He needs convincing to slow down and get some rest, but cuddles are a good method.

• likes to closely observe you, taking in all your details. He knows every intricacy of your being. He always notices instantly if anything has changed.

• likes to play games of luck with you, since strategy games against him are pretty much useless and he knows this.

• a sore loser. Pretends to pout to make you feel sorry for him. He’s childish and he knows it. Then again, the pouting usually ends up in him getting a forehead kiss, so… maybe he’s onto something…

• Again, will wake you up at stupid hours of the night just to have your company. somehow he finds his way into your room even when you lock the door… but of course, he’d stop if you asked him to.

• can occasionally be found in a dark room with headphones on blaring the loudest most chaotic noise possible. Also likes 2000s scene pop.

• if not the chaos music, he is also fond of ocean sounds… that is, until he gets so absorbed in it that he feels like he’s drowning and freaks himself out…

• likes puzzle games like sudoku or crosswords. He frequently sends you his latest records and challenges you to beat his scores

• goes through your spam emails and cleans it out for you.

• yes, he will buy you pads/tampons if needed. He doesn’t see what the fuss about it is.

• seems a bit distant, but you better believe he gets secretly anxious about you. When you’re out late, when you’re sick, when he doesn’t know where you are, if youve been sleeping or eating properly… it’s not that he’s a control freak, he’s just overly concerned for your well-being.

• is either calm and collected or acting as if somebody is dying. There is no in between.

• too much caffeine knocks him out.

• Enjoys flustering you on purpose, finding it cute when you get slightly embarrassed. Only about trivial things, though.

• is a good listener. He adores hearing you talk, and all the things you could possibly say. Be ready, though, sometimes he asks a lot of questions.

• the type of guy to actually stop tickling you when you say stop.

• watches tv with you but ALWAYS falls asleep halfway through. He’s basically never made it through a movie without falling asleep. Though, it’s usually only for a few minutes. He pretends he didn’t.

• his ears get red when hes embarrassed.

• is always hungry. Will 100% be a snack buddy at any time you want, just say the word.

• doesn’t understand insecurities you have and actually is surprisingly uplifting when you’re upset.

• he likes to buy you stuff to spoil you.

• gets irritated when you spend your money on useless stuff. “You coulda just asked me, Yknow…” // doesn’t pay you back when you go off by yourself.

• holds things over your head in a teasing sort of way.

• laughs around you

• enjoys resting his head in your lap.

• he once claimed to be allergic to dogs just to avoid going to your friends house with you. Lies.

• Shares his sweets with you, but he gets another dish for you, not really liking to share the same dishes/utensils.

• if you meet eyes from opposite sides of the room, he will wink at you. Every time. It’s a bit funny. Sometimes he ends up making himself laugh doing this.

• sometimes when he thinks no one is watching, he will be muttering to himself until he makes himself laugh.

• can’t stand getting a stomachache. He is such a baby deep down. In fact, nobody knew this about him until there was you.

• plays minecraft with you. Sucks at survival mode for some reason. Immediately built a castle out of pink wool after discovering pink sheep exist.

• is very grateful that you put up with his quirks. He knows he can be hard to deal with. He apologizes a lot.

• Goes on park dates with you. Mostly enjoys messing with the ducks. Does not enjoy getting chased by the geese.

• hides behind you when he sees a bee.

• his hands are very soft and gentle. He has the softest most careful touch of anyone you’ve ever known.

• uses a disproportionate amount of emojis. He only uses them when messaging you, though.

• play fights you when things get too quiet.

• Unexpectedly very emotionally available.

• doesn’t really like pet names, but sometimes calls you buttercup.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

When you think about Raven and when you look at and remember other people’s Yuusonas, when does it feel too much or is there a line for Yuusonas? Because sometimes I look at my own Yuusonas and feel that I am doing to much for him. Like what he can do, what he likes, his lore. I shame myself that I am doing too much but it feels right.

I was surprised when I learned that (Ms./Miss/Mrs.?) Raven was similar to my own Yuusona, Maeve. The biggest that I did was made him related to Crowley,being able to use magic and fight, and I already feel like I crossed some line. It fits on how I see his story play out and I don’t want to overhaul him.

I just vented a bit, I’m sorry about that. What I’m trying to ask is that what do you do if you start to feel that your character becomes too much? Because for me, I want to brain dump and put out every little detail about Maeve to people and get feedback from other people. Outside of the one person I can actually talk to about Twisted Wonderland.

It sounds to me like you’re tackling two different things here? 😅 Both are related to OCs, but one seems to be focused on activity/frequency of content and the other one seems to be focused on originality or how one's OCs compares to others.

Before I address both points, I'd like to clarify that while many people OCs in the Twst fandom are Yuusonas, it's not the case for every OC. "Yuusona" refers to a character made as a stand-in for Yuu, oftentimes acting as a self-insert or a "better version" of the creator. However, characters that aren't stand-ins for Yuu by definition are not Yuusonas. Residents and NRC students hailing from Twisted Wonderland, for example, are OCs, but NOT Yuusonas (since Yuus are generally magicless and/or transmigrated from another world). In other words, Yuusonas are OCs, but OCs are not Yuusonas. By these measures, my own Twst character (Miss Raven) is an OC but NOT a Yuusona.

To your first point: it depends on the individual. Every person has their own threshold for when they’ve shared their creative works “enough”. For example, there are entire blogs dedicated to just posting about a Twst OC, whereas I scarcely post about my OC unless I am asked about her. I know people who only indulge in their ship, while I prefer to build extensive lore for my character beyond the initial ship. Some people are just shier than others and keep their stuff private, some people are more outgoing and want to be publicly active. That’s a metric you need to gauge and set for yourself, because 2) no one else knows you like you know yourself and 2) again, everyone’s comfort level with this varies.

I noticed that you mentioned not just one’s own creations, but also “[looking] at and “[remembering] other people’s Yuusonas”. This phrasing makes it sound as though you may be in the habit of comparing your work to others’ work, and I’m always going to be of the mindset that this is a mistake. Comparison in certain instances is fine (maybe you like someone’s art style or writing technique)—but becoming fixated on what others are doing is the start of a slippery slope. You may then set arbitrary standards to meet or try to use other people’s posting schedules as a yardstick to “judge” your own performance. This can feed into a viscously unhealthy cycle. “I’m not doing the same amount as X”, “I’m doing more than X”, “X has more engagement than I do”, “I have more engagement than X”, etc. It’s setting yourself up to be in a constant competition, and there’s no winning with a game that doesn’t end.

You should do whatever you think is most fitting for yourself. If it “feels right” to you, then go for it. Find ways to push past the shame and the little voice that tells you ��that’s cringe”. Whatever others are doing is the pace they’ve set for their own comfort, and you shouldn’t let what other people are doing dictate your own actions. Remember that making and playing with OCs is, first and foremost, self-indulgent—so put yourself first and have fun with it!!

To your second point: there is no such thing as an original idea. I certainly am not the first to have an OC that is Crowley’s relative or the first to give their OC magic. However, even if I was somehow the pioneer of these things, that does not grant me the exclusive rights or the trademark for them 😭

Two separate people could come up with similar traits for their OCs by pure coincidence; you’ll find tons of overlap in any fandom, especially in Twst if you find two characters twisted from the same Disney inspiration. So long as there wasn’t blatant art theft, plagiarism, tracing, malicious intent, etc. there’s no issue if your OC is similar to another person’s OC 🤷‍♀️

No line was crossed. You don’t need to overhaul anything. And again, you shouldn’t worry about what other people are doing; it has no bearing on what you’re doing. Think of the fandom like a massive sandbox. Everyone has their own little slice in it and has their own toys to play with. There’s no need for anyone to step into someone else’s slice of the sandbox or to worry about the toys someone else has or what they’re doing with those toys. You have your own toys that you made and are happy playing with, so just stick to your slice of the sandbox! As long as you’re having fun and not hurting anyone or imposing yourself on them, it’s fine.

Last thing I have to say is 💦 while I 100% understand being eager to share and chat about your creations, it’s… unfortunately not a guarantee? Validation is nice, but not necessary, and no one is for certain going to engage with the posts they come across. We have to learn to be accept that and carry on. Maybe it would be good to start small or just focus on sharing with a group of friends to build confidence first? It’s much easier to interact with familiar faces than the entirety of the internet. This is what I tend to do when I want to get feedback on big ideas or projects I have.

I hope that you find this advice helpful ^^ Good luck with your creations!

[dirtycombatboots]

I was writing a fanfic but something happened and now the file is damaged. I'm not sure I have it in me to start from scratch once again so I'll just pour this idea here, maybe someone will like to use it

One winter Eskel, injured, got stuck for winter in Lettenhove, small county of Kerak, taking full advantage of healer's hospitality. During winter he befriended a little boy who isn't afraid of a witcher and, in fact, is very interested in his stories. Eskel knows he shouldn't tell quite a lot of things, but some of them just slip out occasionally. Well, not like a child will remember any of those, so no harm. Winter end, Eskel goes back to his usual life. He doesn't come back to Lettenhove, path taking him to different parts of continent.

Little boy, however, has a very good memory and a newfound obsession with witchers. As he grows older and learns how to read, he tries to find anything about them in the books. His curiosity is somewhat satisfied when he is already a student at Oxenfurt and has access to Academy's library with a lot of ancient scrolls on history.

After graduation Jaskier, no-name young bard with nothing but his lute, is brooding in the corner of a small tavern in Posada. He is dead set on becoming the best bard, but he has nothing to write ballads about. No muse. Well, no problem, lets make one up. Since he was always obsessed with witchers, why not sing about them? Only needs a hero. A bit of searching for old memories plus everything he learned from archives, sketching what he thinks Eskel looked like (Jaskier was a child, he couldn't possibly remember Witcher's face in full detail), a bit of artistic choices to modify that face, a pinch of tragic backstory, sprinkle with personality that would do good for hero of ballads, and a suitable name as a cherry on top. Congratulations, you just created Geralt of Rivia.

While thinking about how to start working with this new character of his creation, Jaskier goes to take a look at the devil he heard local rumors of. He finds a cave with half-starved and incredibly intelligent Sylvan and a few dead elves. Creature turns out to be a surprisingly good conversationalist after Jaskier shares some of his bread with him. Jaskier promised to make up a story that will keep humans away from searching for the "devil" and receives an elven lute as gift, since otherwise it will just rot in this cave. That is how "Toss a coin" was made.

Toss a coin is more successful than Jaskier could predict in his most narcissistic fantasies. He writes a few more songs about Geralt and his career really takes off. At some point Jaskier realized that people actually think Geralt is a real person. Amused, he plays along, completely satisfied with his own genius. Especially when some people not only recognize him, but claim to have seen the White Wolf. They actually believe it.

Jaskier knows that Geralt is fictional but an artist needs emotions to make his art, so he intentionally falls in love with his character and intentionally makes Geralt in his mind harsher. Because Jaskier is dramatic bastard and unrequited love is perfect fuel for ballads.

After silently watching from sidelines the whole epic of Pavetta's bethrothal ball, Jaskier spins the story of how Geralt was involved a claimed the Law of Surprise. Jaskier gets invited back to play from time to time, watching Ciri grow, and realizes that somehow even Calanthe - a person directly involved in the whole thing, an eyewitness and active participant - believes in Jaskier's made-up story about Geralt's involvement. Jaskier knows it will bite him in the ass later, but this is too funny and he is just a bit insane so he indulged with pride.

When Countess de Stael breaks up with him, Jaskier is drowning his sorrows in a bottle of gin on a riverbank. Oh, crap, he slipped and scratched his throat on something accidentally. He goes to the local healer to buy some ointment for scratches - bard with a scar on his throat would be absurd - and she is a lovely sarcastic young-looking elf with dark curls and just a bit of magic, named Jenny. Deciding that if he is suffering from a broken heart, Geralt should suffer too. Jaskier's drinking spree transforms into a story of fighting jinn, saving a mortality wounded bard and falling in love with a sexy dangerous witch. Welcome, new character, we will call you Yennefer. Thank you, Jenny, for inspiration. Jaskier is jealous and heartbroken, but he thrives on it and enjoys every second of his life misery very much, milking it for creative purposes.

Annual visit to Cintra, bad news. The whole family of three perished in sea waters. Lioness of Cintra is loosing her mind with grief. It really is a pity to see such a strong woman in such state, so to calm her Jaskier sings about Ciri as if she was still alive. Surprisingly, it helps.

Jaskier tags along on some idiotic, in his opinion, quest to hunt a dragon. It is a failure through and through, nothing interesting happening and no material for ballads. On top of that mountain Jaskier decides that he needs a break, perhaps a vacation somewhere nice. Maybe go to the coast. But he can never really get a break from his own imagination. Besides, a bit of a heartbreak seems like a perfect grand finale for this failed adventure. So, Geralt and Yennefer fight, than Geralt sends the bard away. Perfect. This way Jaskier will be able to suffer as much as he wants AND not be distracted by thinking about Geralt being present.

Unfortunately , no vacation for Jaskier. Cintra falls, and the bard finds out that, apparently, he gaslighted the entire continent into believing that not only Geralt exists, but Yenn as well, and that lion cub of Cintra is alive. Well, fuck, Jaskier really is a genius if he says so himself. If only Nilfgaard didn't have a bounty for his head, hoping to get information about the witcher. Really, the whole empire on a wild goose chase for a fictional witcher and a long dead princess, can you imagine. Jaskier knew it would bite him in the ass.

Being tortured by Rience is no fun, especially since Jaskier literally cannot give him any information, but firefucker doesn't believe Jaskier when the bard tries to explain that Ciri is dead and Geralt doesn't exist. He gets saved eventually and tries to lay low for some time. Jaskier may be a bit crazy, but he doesn't have a death wish.

The story ends with Jaskier meeting witchers of Kaer Morhen. To his utter disbelief, even they are affected by collective madness. They fully believe in Geralt's existence and have memories about shared life experiences with him. Even Eskel, which is another level of ridiculous. Because Geralt, at his core, IS Eskel, just with a whole lot of artistic liberties and a very successful PR manager of a bard.

There is no explanation given to why this happened. Maybe Jaskier just so convincing, maybe he is a bit magical, maybe it's his elven lute being magical. The only thing that gets explained during the story is why some people believe they actually saw Geralt with Jaskier. After visualizing his character for so long, Jaskier accidentally and unknowingly created a tulpa. Given magical nature of the world, sometimes its presence is noticed. But its not real, nothing more than a weak projection of bard's fantasies.

[noellehdl]

in my room- icp

pairing: Theodore Nott x Hogwarts!Ghost! Reader

genre: smut/ angst

warnings: mdni! ghost obviously, smoking, kissing, fingering, oral (m receiving) unprotected p in v (not like she can get pregnant?!), dirty talk, italian nicknames, hard concern for Theo's sanity,

summary: The Hogwarts castle is full of ghosts, the moaning myrtle, sir nicholas, and countless others, but what happens if a student falls for one of those ghosts that wander around the castle?

a/n: always wanted to build a story about this song so now Theo has to suffer, because hogwarts has etablished ghosts in their daily life, all my characters are 18+, modern au, reader pov

w/c: 2,161

'2:45 and the bell went off, thank God Many people think I'm odd But I talk with no one and I walk alone'

and it's a fact, the people started to think that Theodore Nott becomes more and more odd, once he was snarky, loud and together with Mattheo Riddle the center of attention whenever they stepped in the same room. In the last few weeks Theo ditched parties, was the first to leave classes and skipped meals. His friends had two options for what's happening there, it's either the fact that Theo's dad affected his mannerism enough to cause a bad mental state, or which seemed way more realistic for all other noble slytherin heirs around Theo... it's a girl, and if it is a girl, Theo does everything to keep to himself who it is.

Every other afternoon there's an open discussion in the luxury decorated green common room. 'I bet it's a sweet hufflepuff girl that triggered something like a soft spot in him' Blaise throws in the room, leaning back against his velvet armchair like this is his castle and the common room is his throne room. 'Could also be a ravenclaw girl that is too smart for us to hang around' Mattheo's voice is dripping with sarcasm while his lighter illuminates his face. Draco looks up from his book in his lap, 'it would put you all into a coma if it's a boy'. Enzo face lights up in amusement, 'it would put you into a coma if it's Potter.' That earns him the coldest glare one of the boys received from draco in a good while.

'I don't care, I walk in and go right up the stairs To my room, get in bed, and just wait for dark Because that's when the real show starts'

Theo sits on lays back against his headboard, he knows Mattheo won't be back soon in their shared dorm. The faint smells of cigarettes and multiple potions from a long school day linger around Theo when the presence of her makes the way into the chaotic dorm of two boys.

'So young and pretty, it's too bad she passed But she comes to my room and we talk at night'

Of course Theo started to be actually concerned for his already little miserable mental state when he first started talking to you, but on the other hand he's seen countless other interactions between students and ghosts, a little friendly banter here and there, an quick etablished inside joke and the common rooms are guarded by portraits. So a little conversation with you here and there wouldn't drive him to the edge of sanity, right?

'She's demonic and bloody but she holds me tight In my bedroom, with her, I'm never alone'

Theo didn't realized when all those little conversations turned into opening up to you in a way people like Mattheo couldn't even imagine about, you remembered small details like theo's schedule or what lunches he skips because he just didn't like the food options. He felt drawn to you like he was Ikarus and you were the sun. He know it will hurt in the end but he couldn't stop, he needed to get closer and closer to you.

'And I kiss her cold lips until the morning comes'

The first kiss Theo initiated wasn't even cold, no, his cheeks burned enough for the two of you, it felt strange, like a tickle, a breath of fresh air after a long night filled with alcohol and cigarettes. The second you step out of the bar, exactly that feeling captured in the kiss. Theo loved every second of it. This wasn't meaningless like the kisses he shared with the girls in his life, this was diffrent. Theo started to crave you like nothing he could compare in his life.

'Usually we just lay there, where we hold each other We're lovers, we don't need others'

Theo couldn't stop. Kisiing wasn't enough anymore, he needed to feel you fully, completely, he needed to feel you in ways others would probably lock him up for.

That lead to a particular rainy afternoon, a saturday to be specific. The clouds were heavy around the castle. Still was Theo in his room and very sure his friends were in the Three Broomsticks or somewhere in Hogsmeade causing chaos, usually Theo would be by their side, of course, but today, today he told Mattheo once again he didn't feel really good and he needs to focus on the upcoming exams for the following week.

It was a weak lie, and Theo knew that Mattheo was well aware of Theo's pathetic excuses to stay inside their room, but still..

'Teddy what's on your mind?' you ask sweet, like you always are around him. He couldn't help but take in your beautiful features, a bit grey, but in no scenario would've done that anything to your breathtaking presence to Theo.

'It's you, cara mia, it's always you.', his voice is dripping with honesty, pure admiring honesty and if you could you would blush up to your ears, instead, you thank him for the sweet words with a kiss on his warm and soft lips. It always tastes a bit like cigarettes to kiss him, and the faint note of mint, like he chews on peppermint leaves when he knows he'll see you today.

His bed is warm and always smells good, there's no place in this castle that welcomes you more than Theo's warm sheets. His fingers brush over your cheeks and you can feel the way he's hesistating to actually touch you.

'Teddy i won't break, you know that, right?' you laugh soft, tilting your head a bit to properly face him. 'Piccola, i'm scared that you'll disappear if i take that step that i wanna take.' It's clear what he means. 'i want that too and i promise to not disappear afterwards.'

Your words are the permission he needs. his hand slowly travels down your body, it's a unknown feeling for both of you, and you don't know how much you'll be able to feel of that, but you help Theo to take off your pants anyways. Theo's Adam's apple boobles with how heavy he swallows, he's done that countless times. He had a reputation as one of the biggest players around the whole school, but with you, oh merlin was he nervous.

You were pretty sure of which body functions still worked perfectly fine, so you're not suprised when the moan escapes your cold lips when Theo's warm fingers make the much needed contact with your slick folds, he's holding back and you feel how much in the way his arm flexes and he occasionally closes his eyes.

'Please, teddy, please', you whisper out breathless and that's his undoing, two of his warm fingers slip inside you while the other arm cages you against him. You breathless moan in the curve of his neck while his fingers curl up in all right spots. His breathing gets heavier with every moan that falls, you feel him getting harder against you thigh. His name halls back from the walls like it is the only thing you know anymore.

The warm feeling in your abdomen only tightens when he kisses your neck soft and loving. 'Come for me, cara mia, show me how much you want me.' That's it, your muscles tense in your whole body and you fall back in his soft mattress, letting out high pitched, shaky moans.

'you're so beautiful, baby, so unbelievable beautiful.', he whispers in your ear, you can't help it you need to kiss the soft warm skin of his neck, down to his collarbone

'Teddy i need to feel you in my mouth, i need it, please.', he nods, desperatly, he needs you too and you know it. 'Yes, baby, of course.' His italian accent thickens when lust hazes his mind.

You lick over his length and you feel your body shaking again. You wrap your mouth around him and Theo immediatly rolls his head back. He never felt a sensation like that, it feels cold and warm at the same time, but the warmth is just a trick of his mind. He looks down on you and the way he can see himsel vanishing in your almost transparent throat, he moans shaky, he couldn't even imagine this image in his wildest and craziest dreams. Drool slowly spills over the corners on your mouth and Theo's hand grips your hair.

'S..stop, cara mia, stop-' he presses out and you abruptly stop and look up and brush over your mouth to clean the mess. 'Did i do something wrong?' you ask. your voice dripping with insecurity.

'Merlin, no, my love..' Theo immediatly shakes his head '...but if you keep going i'll finish before i felt your pretty cunt around me and i need you so bad, baby.' Heat shots again straight to your core when he spins you over and his broad shoulders cage you in. One arm is wrapping around your head. 'Are you okay, mia regina?' You nod as permission to him.

He slowly pushes himself in you and you moan in sync with eachother, both of your names falling from the lips of the other one.

Theo's eyes travel down your body, he watches how his length pushes into you again and again, his thrusts stutter when he realizes that he can see all of him through you.

'Fuck baby, you take me so well and you look so pretty doing so', Theo's words encourage you only to moan louder and look up at him. One hand holds himself next to your head, while the other hand quickly finds your most sensitive spot, rubbing precise circles to push you to the edge.

'Teddy, oh merlin, i can't, please don't stop.' If you could form actual words you would let him know how good you're feeling but Theo is driving you crazy with his movements.

You clench around him so tight when you finish that he shots his hot strings of cum deep inside you. He gently lays down next to you and combs his fingers through your hair.

'You took me so well, cara mia, it felt amazing', as response you need against him. Your eyes drop, not because you're tired, it's been a good while since you felt really tired, no, in your chest sets a warm cozy feeling, so close to Theo after the best feeling you ever had.

'She told me she was spotted by the neighbor's kid She can't come back now 'cause they know our secret'

Mattheo opens the dorm door and if you had a heart it would've dropped in your stomach. 'Nott you missed out on so much, due to the rain all white shirts of all girls were almost see -through, you would be suprised if you knew how many of them don't wear..' Mattheo's face falls when he sees you. A ghost, obviously, not deniable and naked in his best friends bed.

'What the fuck is going on here?' Mattheo's voice is high and in absolute disbelief, he can't follow his running thoughts about what happend and what was going on in the past weeks with Theo.

You leave Theo's room before the scene turns from a rom-com in a horror movie, deep down you know for Mattheo it's nothing else but a horror movie and you know where to find Theo anyways when he's alone again.

'I waited two or three months, four months Waitin' for the tap tap just for once'

Not once you encountered with Theo since then after you eavesdropped on his friends telling him how sick it is to love a ghost, that you two don't have a future and he should drop it for his sanity.

You felt empty and when you finally found the courage to maake the long way back to Theo's dorm, and you pass through the wall and that's the second you decide that you should become a poltergeist and haunt the slytherin dungeons until your time strikes.

Theo, the only person that made you feel something in decades, he's wildly pounding into another girl. You make your way backwards through the wall again and lose all responsibility, you throw around expensive vases at night, put the fire back on and whenever Theo accidently leaves his belongings in the common room, they vanish immediatly in the following night.

He knows it's you and he wishes he could tell you how much he misses you and how much he wants you back in his arms. That he regrets his pathetic try to get over you and that he could explain you that it was nothing more than that, a pathetic try. You're gone and he knows it, you'll never come back and it's his fault for letting his friends get inside his head.

'I waited and hated this'

[my-queer-o-academia]

YES!!! THIS!!! YOU GET ME!!!

As a fic writer, one of my favorite things to explore is how fictional characters’ disabilities/life circumstances/powers/etc would affect their day to day life. Like head canoning that Dabi and Hawks both have stomach/digestive issues due to unstable access to food as kids/teens (not to mention the canon damage to Dabi’s insides post sekoto). Or Hawks having constant migraines from the sensory overload of his wings, or being a slow reader because he likely didn’t learn until the commission took him in.

I absolutely think that Dabi has chronic fatigue. His body is in a constant state of trying to repair itself, all while fighting off constant infections I imagine. And that takes up a ton of energy! That he probably doesn’t have to spare anyway because his access to food is likely pretty unstable (barring maybe when they joined up with the PLF, or had funding and support from ujiko). Adding on his massively dulled nerves, a totally shot nervous system, and god knows what condition his joints are in, there’s no way in hell Dabi is out here having marathon sex. Least of all much penetrative sex.

He’s here for the mindfuck of it all! He wants adrenaline and endorphins! He wants to be taunted, and threatened, and held tight enough for his dulled senses to actually feel it. He wants pressure, and excitement, and danger. He wants control, and power, and attention, and to feel worth something, and to be good for someone.

That’s why him and Hawks, even him and Shigaraki (multishipper nation rise) are so well suited to a BDSM dynamic, where so much of the appeal of the sex is in the mentality. How they talk to each other. What kind of sensations they experience, and how that sensory input is given and taken away. Giving and taking away power.

You can have a Dabi who is a total sadist dom who wants to make his partner beg and cry for it with just his words/hands/mouth alone. Mix that with a touch-starved Shigaraki or Hawks’ hypersensitive wings? CHEFS KISS. Dabi loves a good ego trip.

You can have a Dabi who is an insufferable, demanding brat sub that wants to lie back and make his partner do all the work. Perfect for Hawks who seems to have never ending amounts of stamina and energy. Perfect for a Dabi who isn’t willing to admit his physical limitations, who struggles to be vulnerable and hates being seen as weak so he’ll taunt and goad and push buttons to get what he wants instead.

You can have a Dabi who is eager to please, to feel useful. Who finally relinquishes control and relishes in being so so good for someone, in being praised for his efforts, in being taken care of or owned. (Head game goes CRAZY. We all know it. 😌)

And all of those dynamics can be achieved without Dabi ever needing to use his dick to fuck anybody (not that I think he never does, and I do think he’d enjoy receiving oral, if only for the power exchange of it all).

Characters like Dabi can serve as such a needed reminder that like…sex doesn’t have to just be oral or penetrative sex. It doesn’t have to just be about achieving an orgasm. It can be gentle caresses, or mutual masturbation, or five hours of foreplay with breaks in-between. It can be sexting all day before a night in, or sharing fantasies, or using toys, or sucking fingers, or biting and leaving marks, or pulling hair. It can be claiming someone as yours (to protect, to cherish, to love), or making them feel wanted and desirable, or losing control together.

And I think Dabi finding someone (Hawks, Shigaraki, whoever) who is actually willing to like…take the time to learn how to make him feel good. Who’s willing to experiment, and try new things, and maybe look a little stupid sometimes. I think Dabi wouldn’t know what to do with that kind of attention and care because it’s what he desperately craves the most but just can never let himself ask for.

But they would absolutely catch on. Hawks who pays obsessive attention to detail and gets so much satisfaction out of pleasing his partner. Shigaraki, who is so protective of the people he cares about and isn’t shy about taking what he wants and speaking his mind. Who both understand what it means to be cast aside and ignored. Hell, even Mr. Compress or Spinner I think would pretty easily see through his defenses to the hurt kid inside that just wants to be seen, and praised, and loved, and understood, and seen as worth something.

I think it would kind of tear Dabi apart once he becomes aware of it, (“If it was so simple a thing, why not sooner?”) having to come to terms with all the times people WEREN’T willing to do that for him. To give him the time of day.

But maybe one day something clicks and he finally feels like he doesn’t have to prove his worth anymore. He doesn’t have to justify his existence, or manipulate people to get what he wants in convoluted ways. He can just BE. And ask for exactly what he needs. And be accepted and loved exactly how he is.

ANYWAY, I feel like this got a little out of hand lmao but hopefully my thoughts on the topic got across. It’s so important to depict characters that have non-conventional needs, but also them having a support system that doesn’t doubt for a second that they’re worth that extra bit of effort. I love writing that shows how easy it really is to love people how they need to be loved. Even if it takes time and patience and trying and failing over and over again before you finally get it right. Cause like, sometimes all it takes is just…being willing to try.

am i brave enough to talk abt my usfw dabi hcs bc i think i have some controversial takes

[wildflowercryptid]

i haven't focused on florian & lacey's friendship nearly enough, i think they're very fun together. i just know they end up having in-depth discussions about what exactly makes a pokémon " cute. "

[caligvlasaqvarivm]

Actual Ultimate Classpecting Guide

For real this time.

Buckle up, this is a really long one. For everything that's posited, I can provide textual evidence; that being said, I'm not going to be including the textual evidence within the essay itself, because it's already long enough as-is. As such, please feel free to ask for clarification or sources on any assertion, and I'll do my best to provide.

Before we begin, there's some things to discuss about how we're going to be approaching classpect in the following essay. In numbered list form for our short attention spans:

1. There is a concept Hussie talks about multiple times in his book commentary, "personality alchemy" - the idea that there are these "platonic ideals" of certain characters, which can be mixed and matched with others, in order to create new characters. The examples he gives are of how Eridan was a proto-Caliborn, how Kanaya has shades of Jade, how Nepeta was a proto-Calliope, and how Sollux and Eridan have shades of Dave in them. Classpecting is fundamentally a form of this personality alchemy:

2. Class describes the character's arc and emotional hurdles, while Aspect describes the character's base personality traits by which this arc is experienced.

3. For example, all three Seers struggle with hubris: Rose's need to be the smartest person in the room led to her being manipulated by Doc Scratch, Terezi's obsession with meting justice led to her engineering a situation where the only option was to kill Vriska, and Kankri's desire to be seen as a spiritual leader amongst his friends led to him furthering their divisions and harming them.

Then, when their pride is shattered, they cope by inflicting willful self-blindness: Rose turns to drinking herself stupid (the opposite of Light's sway over knowledge), Terezi gets down with the clown (the opposite of meting out Mind's justice, as it's a Gamzee W), Kankri goes celibate (Blood L) despite his clear romantic feelings for certain teammates.

4. As for Aspect: note how all three Life players share the personality traits of optimism, stubbornness, and obstinacy. All three Breath players share an immaturity and naïvety, and are quite frankly irresistible to people for some reason. All three Light players share a need for the spotlight and a tendency toward long-windedness and persnicketiness. So on and so forth.

What's interesting is, if you start analyzing characters that share Classes and Aspects, these specific types of similarity crop up over and over - all our Knights struggle with insecurities and facades, both our Bards have a crisis of faith. All three Breath players have an aspect of immaturity and childishness to their characters, and all three Light players are deeply concerned with appearing intelligent and feeling important.

5. As a result, this guide is NOT intended for classpecting real life people, because we are complicated, we contain multitudes, and we don't have arcs. This is primarily an analysis of what Class and Aspect mean in Homestuck based on textual evidence, because I genuinely believe that you can basically figure it out if you read carefully.

6. Duality, and the idea of "equal and opposite," are major themes within Homestuck - Prospit and Derse, Skaia (described as a crucible of birth and creativity) and the Furthest Ring (the literal afterlife). Which classes are involved in an Active/Passive split, and opposing Aspects, are the same way. This is the primary method I used to determine the Active/Passive pairings and opposing Aspects. After all, as Callie describes, both Thieves and Rogues are classes "who steal" - so, too, do I try to unify Classes by a common theme, even if they diverge wildly in how that theme is expressed (as Thieves and Rogues do). In the same way as the opposite of "up" is not "apple," but "down", because "up" and "down" are both fundamentally concerned with relative vertical position, so too can be defined concepts like Breath and Blood, Hope and Rage, Light and Void - as well as the reasoning behind Class pairings like Heir and Page, Maid and Knight, and Seer and Mage.

7. Descriptions for both Class and Aspect are left deliberately vague and up to interpretation within the comic itself, and this is by design: the actual manifestations of an Aspect can vary wildly given the Class, and even individual person, that it's tied to. Calliope even makes note of the fact that, under the right circumstances, someone can manifest effects that appear to be the opposite of their aspect. She's also careful to couch her language in "may" and "can" - because these concepts are intentionally somewhat nebulous and malleable. As such, while this guide certainly lays down what can be gleaned and inferred from the text, do note that Homestuck runs on a soft magic system, and as such, nothing stated is firm, 100%, must-always-be-this-way - just an overview of what we've seen.

8. There is often great overlap between Aspects, Classes, and Classpects - which Calliope herself notes. Heart and Blood are one of the most salient, as they both have a fixation on relationships, and Calliope mentions that under the right circumstances, a Classpect may even be able to manifest what appears to be the opposite of their Aspect. Again, Homestuck operates on a soft magic system, so this is a feature, not a bug.

ASPECT

There's a little less to say about Aspect, not because it's less complicated, but because "base personality traits" are much more nebulous compared to Class's sway over character arc. Still, Aspect represents the fundamental way a character is, and thus, color every interaction that character has. There's a reason Ultimate Selfhood is sought through Aspect, not Class - Aspect is the core of the character's being, what makes that person that person.

That all being said, Class has major sway over how an Aspect manifests, and certain classes can even invert the Aspect and even the character's role in the party. As such, these descriptions must be parsed carefully in relation to Class. Moreover, due to the soft magic system, there is at times overlap between unrelated Aspects, which can also be exacerbated by Class - Heart and Blood being the most obvious in this regard. Still, overall, you'll find the Aspects to be fairly distinct from one another.

Please also note that every Aspect can deal with its literal counterpart by default - Light players can wield lasers, Breath players can wield the breeze, et cetera. Because this kind of goes without saying, and because the non-literal stuff is more interesting to discuss, I'm not really going to go into too much detail about the literal qualities.

Finally, something interesting to note is that nearly every Aspect follows its own Hero's Journey cycle - full actualization for each one usually means reaching around to its opposite Aspect, and taking lessons from them - for example, Breath players need to learn maturity and responsibility, while Blood players need to learn relaxation and whimsy. Thus, an Aspect at its worst manifests in two ways - either a toxic overabundance of the Aspect's worst traits, or such a dearth of the aspect that it begins to resemble its opposite. Only by reaching into the opposite, however, can the player be tempered and reach full maturity - can they become more of who they are.

SPACE / TIME

Space and Time are both concerned with physical reality, goals, and the way one approaches them.

Space is associated with "the big picture" - with recycling, reproduction, and the interconnectivity of all things. The aspect also presides over the enjoyment of the journey over the destination - Space players serve as reminders that the present moment is as important as the end goal. Space is often a more passive Aspect, being the stage upon which the story is set. They're the hosts of the party, and the one who marks the ending.

Its players reflect these tendencies, often being feminine, with penchants for life-giving acts such as gardening. Their personalities tend towards frivolity and silliness, finding it difficult to stay on-topic or bring full gravitas to serious situations. Perhaps a better word would be "distractable;" when the aspect is so concerned with all things in connection with each other, it's easy to lose track of details, and it's easy to enjoy things simply as they come. Space players tend to be kind, patient, and forgiving, which is a strength as much as it is a flaw; it's easy for malicious actors to take advantage of this compassion, or for the Space player to find themselves in a poor situation by being overly permissive. They can easily be painted over by stronger personalities, and tend to struggle with romantic relationships, as they attract many with their kind and giving natures, and few are naturally so considerate of the Space player in turn.

"Passive" is a good word to use; at a toxic overabundance of their Aspect, Space players are trampled underfoot. They become enablers, servants to dark forces, or so lost in their own worlds that they neglect the one they live in. With their Aspect "inverted," a Space player becomes a demon of poor prioritization. Distracting not just themselves from their true purpose, but others, too, the Space player will wreak havoc by overemphasizing unimportant topics and ignoring important tasks. This superficially resembles Time, in that the Space player will become fanatically dedicated to their task, but note that the poor prioritization is still Space-esque at its core.

Still, within this nadir is a valuable lesson: the strength of self-assertion, and the determination to see a goal through. These will allow the Space player to weed their garden, separating good from bad, allowing it to flourish like never before.

Time, in contrast, is associated with "the little things" - with details, minutiae, and processes. Time presides over the struggle toward something greater, the endurance of hardship with an eye on the prize - the destination over the journey. Time players are the ones keeping track of the tasklist, marking off each item as it reaches completion; they are the tireless workers keeping the whole engine running.

Time players, thus, are ones whose lives are marked by struggle. They are highly goal-oriented; in contrast to how Space players can easily move from goal to goal, task to task, Time players feel bound to see things through to the end, finding satisfaction only when they've achieved their desired result - and only until they come across the next goal in their journey. A Time player isn't happy without a goal to work towards, a craft to polish, a prize to win - but this driven nature can easily be its own downfall, as it leaves little room for the player to admit to their own shortcomings, or ask for help from others. Moreover, their focus on minutiae can leave them blinded to the bigger picture, and it's easy for a time player to fall to despair, able to do nothing more but spin their wheels. They're prone to directionless anguish, frustration, and resentment towards the seeming futility of their actions, becoming destructive and defiant even when it doesn't serve them to do so.

At a toxic overabundance of their Aspect, Time players become explosively destructive. The ultimate "goal" of all things is death, with which Time is associated, and accordingly, Time players have a penchant for aligning themselves with futility and entropy, struggling so hard that their thrashing leaves a trail of annihilation in their wake. With their Aspect "inverted," Time players detach entirely - they can become so fed up with struggle that they simply opt to lay their weapons down and let the end take them. It's very easy for them to come to the conclusions that either everything matters, or nothing matters. This superficially resembles Space and its big picture thinking, but note that its framework of struggle, and whether or not a goal needs to be pursued, makes it a Time concern.

But the inherent meaninglessness of existence is, in itself, an important realization to make - that whether or not anything "matters" in the grand scheme, things can still be worth doing, worth caring about, and worth investing in. This realization allows the Time player to attack their goals with renewed vigor and greater clarity, which in turn means that the party becomes an efficient, well-oiled machine.

BREATH / BLOOD

Breath and Blood are both concerned with directionality, interpersonal relationships, and autonomy.

Breath is the Aspect governing freedom, liberty, and independence; it is a force that breaks shackles, clears out social norms, and refutes "the rules," whatever those rules may be. Breath players can't be tied down, whether by physical bonds, societal rules, or even the ineffable forces of the narrative itself. They are leaders of example, pioneers, and trailblazers, opening new paths for their teammates to follow.

Breath players are goofy and gullible, often with hearts full of childlike whimsy, naivety, and even immaturity. They are friendly and well-meaning, fond of simpler things, and easily swayed by others. They approach the world with a sincere and innocent good-naturedness, like a baby animal before it learns to be fearful of danger. Something about this sincerity seems to make Breath players irresistible to others, and they often find themselves the subject of romantic attraction. However, in this childishness is also the great pitfall of many Breath players - their natures are naturally conflict-averse, and egotistical the way a child can be, failing to see beyond themselves. They can be incredibly callous when not considering the consequences of their actions, or the viewpoints of others.

At their worst, Breath players are irresponsible and callous. They'll shirk the consequences of their actions, blaming anybody but themselves, or simply choose not to care who they hurt in order to get what they want. They may even choose to stop making choices for themselves, leading to the "inversion" of their Aspect - a voluntary loss of freedom and independence, derived from an Breath-like aversion to responsibility, which superficially resembles the bondage of Blood.

But if they are able to overcome these tendencies, a Breath player will learn what true responsibility looks like - responsibility for themselves, their choices, and the effect they have on others. Armed with this, a Breath player's ability to break bonds can be focused into a clear force for good, clearing away all obstacles and harmful societal standards, leading the charge into something new and beautiful.

Blood, in sharp contrast, is the aspect that governs bondage, contracts, and interdependence. It is a force that binds. Under Blood's sway are not only romantic entanglements, but familial, friendly, and societal ones as well. This aspect sees overlap with Heart, but the division is this: Heart concerns itself with feelings, and Blood concerns itself with compatibility. Blood players are diplomats, forces that remind us all that we are more similar than we are different, and that that similarity should bring us together when we are on the verge of pulling apart.

Blood players, reflective of their Aspect's association with bonds, tend to be neurotic and obsessive. They have a tendency to over-examine and overthink, constantly fretting over the infinite and infinitesimal variables that influence the shape of society and interpersonal relationships. However, this judgmental nature stems from a deep well of idealism and empathy; Blood players can't help but care about others and wish for the best for them. In a way, this makes them one of the most mature members of the team, being concerned with its overall well-being. Unfortunately, their prowess does not extend inwards, and their assessment of themselves is usually direly incorrect - all the worse because Blood players always feel responsible for those around them. Blood, being the Aspect concerned with interdependence, is the weakest one when all alone.

Thus, it's easy for the Blood player to wind up controlling - desperate to make sure everyone is moving according to their vision, they'll become iron-fisted dictators, with a "my way or the highway" approach to social interactions. It's easy for them to wind up pariahs of their own making, becoming so critical of others, or so adamant about enforcing their own will, that they inadvertantly sever their ties - something that superficially resembles Breath's independence, but is truly a result of Blood's neuroticism.

But with that space and separation can come great clarity. Blood players must learn to relax their grip, and allow people room to breathe - including themselves. Once able to grasp that sometimes bonds must be forged with a soft touch, Blood players' natural empathy shines through, allowing them to build something so much kinder and greater than the sum of its parts.

LIGHT / VOID

Light and Void are both concerned with knowledge, ontology, and "narrative relevance".

Light (as well as its counterpart) are perhaps best understood through the lens of "narrative" - this idea that, of all things that do and don't exist, and all events that do and don't happen, only the ones put to page are "relevant". Thus, Light is associated with knowledge and luck - that is to say, it's associated with the knowable, the objective, and the concrete, and the ability to determine "important" events. Light players have read the book they're participating in, and able to serve as luminary guides from one plot point to another, lighting the lampposts for others to follow.

Light players, naturally, are erudite and educated, possessing keen intellects and cunning minds. They are fond of knowledge itself, of markers of status and prestige - whether that's wealth, the adulation of the masses, or a massive library. They harbor a desire to be important, to be seen, to be acknowledged, and are happiest when they are looked up to. Conversely, they deal poorly with being looked down upon. Their confidence transmutes easily into hubris, and they struggle with having that pride challenged. As such, they tend to be volatile and unpredictable, quick to retaliate against those who threaten their egos, or obsequious to those whose acknowledgement they desire.

Their desire for the limelight can quickly spell disaster - they can become incredibly cruel, harsh, and egotistical in their pursuit of narrative significance. They forget, in their obsession, that they, too, are fallible and flawed, and the inevitable reminder can come very harshly. Light players struggle with moderation, and as such, when they feel shame, they'll often take drastic measures to cope with it - deliberately darkening their own influence or intellects, removing themselves from the "story" entirely - something which superficially resembles Void's penchant for the background, but which is firmly rooted in Light's obsessive need for drama.

But in experimenting with narrative insignificance, Light players can reach an epiphany - in their absence, others may shine, and that can be a wonderful thing. Light players, then, can learn to shine not just for their own sakes, but for the sake of others, allowing them to weave a story even more brilliant than any that can be weaved alone.

Void, in contrast, is the blank spaces between the words. That which is secret, subjective, unknowable - these are Void's domain. It's associated with taboos and hidden things, sexuality and pleasure. It's also associated with the empty canvas - the blank space before creation, and the oblivion to which creation is eventually destined for. Thus, it stands for infinite possibility, though the collapse of those possibilities into a reality removes that reality from Void's domain.

Thus are Void players ever cosigned to the background, though this generally suits them fine. Void players are very self-possessed. Where Light players tend to exaggerate and complicate, Void players are honest and simple, preferring straightforward solutions. They don't tend to think very hard, instead letting intuition and emotion guide them to where they want to be - which makes them one of the more stable personalities on a team. However, this simplistic, feelings-driven approach often leads to pleasure-seeking behavior, poor impulse control, and overindulgence in vice, and from there, to irrelevance, with which Void is so closely interlinked.

Void players are especially prone to vice, and at their worst, will become so drunk on pleasurable activities that they pursue them to the active detriment of the party's goals or the Void player's self-improvement - making them the ultimate irrelevant character. They can also very easily drag others into their mélange, with a forcefulness that resembles Light's illuminating guidance, but which is ultimately rooted in Void's pursuit of personal pleasure.

But there's a lesson to be learned in Light's domain: how to bring themselves into relevance and greatness. A Void player, once they learn to pursue not just personal pleasure, but a greater satisfaction for the collective whole, can drag the Void behind them, kicking and screaming, to where it'll be of use.

MIND / HEART

Mind and Heart are concerned with what it means to be a sentient being, with identity, and with why we do what we do.

Mind is the Aspect associated with logic, rationality, karma, ethics, and justice. To a Mind player, they "are" because they "think". They are keenly aware of the consequences of every action, and well-versed in cognition and behavior, such to the point of manipulating others with ease. Deeply concerned with the "effect" of cause-and-effect, Mind players are always cognizant of debts and credits, where justice is owed and where it has been over-meted, and their subtle machinations culminate, like well-placed dominoes, in grand and explosive finales.

Mind players are schemers - it's in their nature. They have a tendency to view the world as a puzzle or game, with themselves and the people around them as pieces on a board, and set as their standard rules the laws of ethics and karma - owed debts and overhanging credit - guilty and innocent. Mind players are wickedly cunning, and have an high success rate with every scheme they commit themselves to, but the grand downfall of all these tendencies is that they tend to lack in a sense of identity, and have a poor grasp on their own emotions or desires. While they may know how to provoke a desired reaction, they don't know how to change someone's mind. They often find themselves grappling very painfully with their own selfhood, with feelings of emptiness, inadequacy, or uncertainty.

Thus, a Mind player at the worst zenith of their Aspect is heartless and cruel. Leaving no space for empathy or even personal feelings in their plans, the Mind player will plot for an ending as heartless as they are. But a Mind player is never truly without emotion, and ignoring their own feelings causes them to manifest in terrible ways - Mind players have a tendency to seek toxic, codependent relationships, hoping to find external validation, subjecting themselves to the wishes of others, which can appear like Heart's fixation on feelings and desire.

But in recognizing their own need for emotional validation, and the importance of their own feelings, a Mind player can realize that there's an entire dimension to the game they've been playing that they've been ignorant of. When a Mind player learns to temper their schemes with empathy, compassion, and kindness, how much more success they'll see - and how much happier that grand finale will be!

Heart, then, is associated with feelings, motivations, intuition, the soul, and the self. To a Heart player, they "are" because they "feel" like they are - and they're keenly aware of the multitudes that are contained within themselves. Deeply concerned with the "cause" of cause-and-effect, they're drawn to desires, those of themselves and of others, especially where strong feelings are concerned. Heart players are gifted with an intuitive understanding of those around them, both their good and bad qualities, and are tasked with the grand task of bringing out the best.

It stands to reason, then, that Heart players have a firm grasp on who they are and what they want. For the same reasons, it's difficult for a Heart player to truly hate or condemn another person, because they are so adept at understanding them. However, this understanding comes with a price - because the Heart player is so aware of themselves, they can't escape their own worst traits - nobody self-loathes as accurately as a Heart player can. Nor can they ever truly be untruthful with another, making them poor manipulators. Capable of presenting a different facet of themselves as the situation calls for it, certainly, but just as it's impossible to lie to a Heart player, who always knows how someone really feels, it's impossible for a Heart player to lie to themselves.

With this sincerity comes vulnerability. Heart players wear theirs on their sleeves, and at their worst, this can make them demanding, needy, and sensitive - so eager to connect with others emotionally that they'll cramp themselves to fit others' desires. But they can't ever keep this up for long; Heart players have a tendency to withdraw from others after being hurt too often, finding it easier to be alone and silent about their feelings than to deal with the pain of rejection. They may even work to manipulate others, preying on their emotions and desires to force them to act in their worst interests. This superficially resembles Mind's cold logic, but unlike Mind's cool rationality, Heart's aloofness is a mask, an attempt to avoid pain by pulling away.

But this isn't purely a negative, because a Heart player can learn a healthier form of detachment, and separate out healthy and helpful desires from harmful and detrimental ones. Given this clarity, the Heart player becomes the team's emotional core, able to raise up each teammate's best qualities, while helping them deal with their worst, enabling everyone to be the best possible version of themselves - which the Heart player knew them to be all along.

LIFE / DOOM

Life and Doom are concerned with outlook, with journeys, and with trials and tribulations.

Life is an aspect concerned with healing, growing, and improving. It is associated with beginnings, optimism, and positive emotions. The very essence of Life lies in its healing abilities, in this idea of overcoming the odds and triumphing over hardship and difficulty. Life is action, movement, and motion, and its players can scarcely hold still. Life will find a way - and Life players harbor the same immutable belief; they are the most stubborn weeds in the garden, the cockroach that survives the apocalypse, and the beating heart that refuses to stop.

Life players tend to be optimistic and confident. They are self-assured individuals, with a stubborn belief that good things are on their way, and any hardship they face is not only temporary, but something that can be overcome. They can find the silver lining in any cloud, and enjoy themselves under any circumstance. They love to nurture, to care for others, though this love has a tendency to be one-sided. Indeed, Life's stubborn nature is its players' greatest pitfall; their persistence easily becomes obstinacy, and their confidence can become condescension. Their self-assured nature easily becomes egotism, and they can have great difficulty grappling with those who don't share their views - even coming to oppose those who bring emotional pain and suffering that can't be easily fixed.

It's very easy for a Life player to decide another person isn't worth their attention, and opt to leave them behind - after all, Life has to move forward, no matter what it tramples in the process. At their worst, they're stubborn to the point of not listening to anyone but themselves, confidence becoming blockheadedness. This focus on forward progress without looking back can even cause Life players to become harmful to others, so focused they are on their own growth that they don't notice that they're choking everyone else out. This may resemble Doom's death in its worst case - arresting everything else, eventually blocking even their own path with unruly, out-of-control fecundity.

Thus, a Life player needs to learn to more gracefully accept Doom's influence - to pause, slow down, and consider viewpoints that are negative, unpleasant, or difficult. A Life player, endowed with moderation, will be able to cultivate a bountiful garden, rather than an unruly jungle - a place for all to flourish and live in plenty, never wanting for anything.

Doom, then, is the aspect concerned with death, with rest, and with endings. Doom is associated with suffering and with negative emotions, with peace, with sleep, and with dreams. Doom players have a natural penchant for prophecy, and are often dual dreamers, able to take advantage of both Skaia's oracular clouds and the Horrorterrors' voices over Derse. All things must eventually come to an end, and not all times will be good; in these troubling times, Doom players shine, as they are the guides who call the murk home, and know best how to navigate rough waters, course-correcting until the storm passes.

Doom players tend to be deeply pessimistic. They experience, to a much more magnified degree than others, negative feelings and impulses, and it's difficult for them to see the world without seeing its flaws, first and foremost. They are not healers, but commiserators, those who understand greatest that sometimes there's no way to deal with tragedy but to simply sit with it and wait for it to pass. The counterpoint to Life's insistence on breathless positivity, Doom is a reminder that pain, grief, sadness, shame, and guilt are not unnecessary things - in fact, excising them can lead to terrible consequences. Doom players are the universe's martyrs, often taking it upon themselves to course-correct, to sacrifice themselves in order to give others a chance to continue on, to avert a terrible fate.

Unfortunately, this tendency also brings with it a tendency for Doom players to wallow in misfortune, or worse, to take themselves out of the picture, giving up entirely on seeing a better ending. As if energized by their own sense of futility, a Doom player at the "inverse" of their aspect may seem to echo a Life player's focus on forward progress and motion, actively spurring their team on towards an untimely demise.

A Doom player must learn to harness this sense of progress for good, rather than harm. A Doom player, once able to grasp the joy of life even in the greatest depths of despair, will be able to fill even the darkest hours with peace, meaning, and hope.

HOPE / RAGE

Hope and Rage are concerned with permission, and are the lens by which we define reality.

Hope is described by Hussie in the book commentary as being "framed as the most powerful aspect" because it is, literally, an aspect that defines reality. Its specific ability is lies in reducing the "fakeness attribute" of something, thus making it "real". Hope is associated with convictions, with idealism, with faith, order, holiness, and, of course, with magic - which Hope turns real. Hope is permission itself - a reality-breaking ability to look at the world and decree that it must be another way, a way in which the Hope player believes it ought to be.

Thus, Hope players tend to be hard-headed zealots, with no self-awareness whatsoever. Their inclination towards powerful beliefs makes them very difficult to dissuade from a path they've set their minds to, and their specific suite of abilities makes them terrifyingly likely to make their vision come true. Hope players are usually not particularly cunning, nor particularly intelligent, nor even particularly empathetic. Given the Aspect's focus on conviction and faith, it's usually very difficult for Hope players to notice anything occurring beyond their own minds and feelings. Thus are Hope players hopeless optimists, hopeless romantics, and hopeless in general - often great sources of embarrassment to their teams, as their naked sincerity is painful to witness. However, their ability to define reality does not leave them when their beliefs are faulty (which they often are, given Hope players are not particularly introspective, either), which is what makes a Hope player so dangerous.

A Hope player can easily be set on the wrong path - as convicted as they are, and as difficult to shake from that conviction as they can be, Hope players can easily march down a path of destruction, if not persuaded with a deft touch and gentle guidance. In the event that their faith is broken, Hope players easily become despondent and lost, floundering and wishy-washy, which superficially resembles Rage's self-consciousness, but is truly just a lack of direction.

But Rage has a powerful lesson to teach Hope players - that of questioning themselves, interrogating their own beliefs. Once their convictions have gone through rigorous scrutiny, revised into the best, brightest versions of themselves they can be, a Hope player is a worker of miracles - speaking into existence a beautiful future on faith alone, proclaiming that how they see the world is how the world shall be.

Rage, then, is the power of denial. If Hope reduces the "fakness" of a thing, then Rage reduces its "realness". Rage, too, is a means of defining reality, in this case taking a torch to the aspects of reality that it rejects. In more passive Classes, this works in subtler ways, stoking others towards destructive fury. Rage is associated with anarchy, chaos, revolution, destruction, anger, and nihilism. A Rage player will not suffer a world that does not satisfy them, breaking it to pieces, such that something new can take its place.

Therefore, Rage players are prone to harboring anger and resentment, discontentment with the status quo, and faith only in that what currently exists must somehow be dismantled. However, unlike Hope players, who can't help but be pathetically sincere, Rage players are incredibly self-conscious, and often try to mask and hide their embitterment and anger. This, ironically, leads to further ostracization, as others can tell they're being inauthentic. This only further compounds their sense of alienation, and drives them further into smoldering resentment. This makes Rage players sound volatile and dangerous, and they are - but the same fury that moves them is the fury that ignites revolts and tears down oppressive regimes, a necessary and vital well of energy and momentum. It takes careful handling to ensure that the team's Rage player can channel this energy towards righteous causes, rather than marking all as a target for their destructive ire.

In the worst-case scenario, the Rage player turns that rage out indiscriminately, deciding that there is nothing worth fighting for - only unpleasant things to be brought to ruin. This is Rage at its toxic overabundance. Conversely, a Rage player can retreat so harshly into their mask that they allow others to dictate their beliefs, taking them to heart - an action motivated by Rage's destruction (this time, turned inwards) that superficially resembles Hope's convictions and faith.

The true path for a Rage player is a healthy balance - to allow themselves some of Hope's sincerity, and by doing so, to become more sincere and true. This will let them release the pressure of their mounting ire, such that it can be converted into productive, rather than destructive, energy - the heralds of a revolution, razing away the faulty, corrupt old systems such that something better and new can take their place.

CLASS

As previously stated, Class governs a character's character arc - the character's starting circumstances, whether their conflict is primarily internal or external, and what major aspect of their Aspect becomes a hurdle for them to overcome.

In the same way an Aspect's sways tie into the character's base personality, the character's Class abilities tie into the kinds of struggles they face, and have great influence on how their Aspects manifest.

That being said, a character - and their Class - are always subject to their Aspect, as their Aspect is tied fundamentally into who they are. Thus, it can be said that a Light player will always have an affinity for knowledge and provide Seer-esque guidance even when not in a Seer role, a Doom player will always have prophetic abilities even with a non-prophetic class (note that Mituna, an Heir, still had prophetic visions, despite those generally being the realm of Mages and Seers), and a Life player will always have a penchant for healing, even paired with a destructive Class like Prince or Thief (the Condesce, after all, could still extend life; a Prince of Life would likely manifest not as one who causes plants to wither and die (this would actually suit a Prince of Doom), but one who destroys in the way of nature overtaking an abandoned shack, or a forest breaking down a body).

This means that when a character's Classpect inverts their Aspect, it doesn't mean that they suddenly become a hero of the opposing Aspect - rather, it means that, at their very worst - at the nadirs of their character arcs - they will lean so much into their Aspect's worst traits that it will superficially appear as the opposite, when all it really is is an absence of themselves. Dave, a Time player, usually so attentive to detail (despite his disaffected facade, he's always paying rapt attention to Karkat's rants, and noticing all the clues pointing to his destiny of defeating LE), at his lowest emotional point (arguing with Grimbark Jade after sobbing about his lost childhood whimsy), states that he doesn't think Lord English is that big a deal, and never even did anything directly bad to him or his friends - when he was literally directly haunted by LE via Cal his entire childhood. Similarly, Rose drinks herself stupid in order to cope with her mother's death.

Note how, superficially, this almost appears to be an invocation of Space's "big picture thinking," its passivity and permissibility, or how Rose's case appears to be Void's tendency to indulge in vices and pleasure - but they're not. Time's worst traits superficially resemble Space, Light's resemble Void, and vice versa - Grimbark Jade is the Condesce's taskmaster, and Porrim at her worst was as much of a nag as Kankri, trying to do a Time player's managerial job. Horuss and Equius at their worst won't shut up and won't stop talking over their partners. So on and so forth.

Finally, Calliope tells us a couple things about Active/Passive pairings. The first is that Calliope introduces the idea of paired classes with the idea that both Rogues and Thieves "steal" (and later, that both Princes and Bards "destroy"). This presents the idea that both classes can be roughly summed up with the idea that every pairing can be summed up with a common theme.

The second is her description of what makes a Class Active versus Passive - that Active Classes move their Aspect to benefit themselves, whereas Passive Classes allow their Aspect to be moved in order for others to benefit. In a way, they're like active and passive voice in grammar (to tie in with the way Classes and Aspects are so tied to ideas of narrative and character arc) - an Active Class performs their Aspect, and a Passive Class allows the Aspect to be performed "by others" (the famous piece of advice regarding telling the two apart being that a sentence written in passive voice can have "by zombies" tacked to the end of it - eg, John is attacked "by zombies", as compared to active voice - John attacks).

Thus, the Class pairings, along with their basic themes, are as follows:

KNIGHT - / MAID +

"One who controls."

Knights and Maids are paired together through two key factors: the first is that they both hold leadership or managerial roles; the second is that both classes carry the connotation of serving a Lord. Fittingly, they are both struggle with the control of malicious forces - Knights with prophecies indicating their role as heroes, Maids with direct usurpation by malicious forces.

PAGE - / HEIR +

"One who inherits."

Pages and Heirs are paired together because they both fundamentally deal with the great inheritances placed before them. Pages can come into incredible, limitless power - but they must struggle and work hard for it; Heirs begin the game in societal comfort and wealth, and must learn to defect from their decadence.

THIEF - / ROGUE +

"One who steals."

Thieves and Rogues are highly adaptable, as Thieves are capable of fantastic on-the-fly adaptation, whereas Rogues have an infinite toolbox at their disposal. They are both provocateurs, shakers of the status quo, though the Thief does so for personal gain, while the Rogue does so to right injustice.

MAGE - / SEER +

"One who guides."

Mages and Seers are tied together by the gift of prophecy and future sight. Seers are privy to the endless branching paths that the future may take, while Mages are gifted with the ability to outright determine a future that will certainly happen, appearing to be prophecy.

WITCH - / SYLPH +

"One who changes."

Witches and Sylphs are individuals blessed with great magic, but poor judgement. Sylphs heal and nurture, but are drawn to those with strong desires, and enable them to cause great harm; Witches, meanwhile, possess strong emotions, which they often use as moral guidance, for better or worse.

PRINCE - / BARD +

"One who destroys."

Princes and Bards are representatives of society - the one who determines its course, and the one who recounts its passing. Princes suffer from a toxic overabundance of Aspect, and are prone to spectacular meltdowns, whereas Bards are always poised for a crisis of faith. Both are responsible for catastrophic failures - but also breathless victories.

INDIVIDUAL CLASSES

KNIGHT

"One who controls [Aspect] or controls using [Aspect]."

Knights are frontline warriors, rallying points behind which the party falls into line. Although they are often leaders, just as often, they are logistical planners, strategists, or simply the team's beating heart. They are almost always thrust into positions of narrative significance, often carrying grand destinies or even outright heroic prophecies on their shoulders. The are the party's rallying force, its center, and a guiding light - the one to lead the charge, behind which the party will follow.

The primary character struggle a Knight will have is with crippling insecurity. Knights are prone to self-loathing and imposter syndrome, and will often adopt a façade in direct opposition to their aspect (ie, their fundamental personality) in order to cope with their feelings of inadequacy. Thus, their relationship with their aspect becomes love/hate - though they're naturally drawn to their aspect, and even naturally skilled at utilizing it, they have a tendency to become their own worst enemy, as their insecurities make them push their façades, and their façades distance them from their aspect.

"Controlling their Aspect" means that the Knight has easy access to their Aspect, wielding it like a tool or weapon - for good or for ill; "controlling using their Aspect" is what grants Knights their leadership abilities, able to dictate how others ought to act in accordance with the Knight's Aspect - whether their understanding of their Aspect is high or low, whether their advice is good or bad.

Therefore, at their worst, a Knight will fall prey to their insecurities, retreating into their facades, rejecting their Aspect, which will allow disharmony or misuse of it to proliferate throughout the team. They may even wind up deliberately twisting their Aspect's presence within the team so that they never have to be confronted by it; these distortions ripple outwards and eventually culminate in major catastrophes, all on account of the Knight's negligence.

But at their best, a Knight is a shining beacon and guiding light; when they come to terms with themselves, and allow themselves to be comfortable in their own skin - when they no longer allow themselves to be ruled by their insecurities and anxieties - they ensure that their aspect is harmonious wherever it appears throughout their party, and can wield it expertly as a weapon, as if it were their own flesh and blood.

MAID

"One who allows control through [Aspect] or allows [Aspect] to be controlled."

Unlike Knights, which take positions of frontline prominence, a Maid is a managerial presence in the backlines, though no less crucial for the smooth functioning of a party. Just as the invisible hands of the hired help keep a household running, the Maid will be called upon to provide vital services to keep the game stable, even if those services are more noticeable by their absence than their presence. Maids are often the party's unsung heroes or even shadow leaders, tugging at invisible strings, fingers on the pulse.

A Maid's primary character struggle will be that of escaping oppression. Maids tend to start the game in positions of subjugation or subservience, especially to malicious forces, and their abilities often end up being exploited to serve their masters' ends. Therefore, one may even have the impression that a Maid is ruled by their aspect, held prisoner and slave - at least until they're able turn the tables.

"Allowing their Aspect to be controlled" means that Maids are capable of directly dispensing their aspect unto others - a Maid of Time can dispense time unto foes, pausing them in their tracks; a Maid of Life can grant so much life that they can revive the dead. Their boons are great and direct, straightforward in a similar manner to Knights. "Allowing control through their Aspect" grants them their uncanny managerial abilities, as their aspect dictates the realm in which nothing occurs without the Maid's knowledge or permission, a realm made available to whomever the Maid's allegiance lies with.

Thus, at their worst, the Maid becomes a saboteur. Exploited by malign forces, their abilities to allow control over others through their aspect, or control of their aspect, makes them perfect vehicles by which their aspect can be hijacked or usurped, and made to turn against the party, and they often find themselves placed into these positions through no fault of their own. It takes the party banding together to shake off the forces that would keep a Maid in bondage.

However, at their best, Maids ensure that the party can never go too far off the rails. There is a place for everything, and everything will be in its place; a Maid is a supply line, a safe haven, and a promise that everything will be neat and tidy when the party returns from war. When the Maid belongs to themselves, their homestead becomes a fortress, and nothing occurs under the Maid's watchful eye without their express permission.

PAGE

"One who works to inherit [Aspect] or inherits [Aspect] for themselves."

Pages are a class defined by promise. As the name suggests, a Page begins weak, but has the great potential to develop into one of the most powerful players in the game. The exact nature of a Page's powers are vague, not because they are insignificant, but because they are so great that it's difficult to encompass them all. At the apex of their arcs, Pages are capable of miraculous feats, overpowering even Lords and Muses - if only they could reach that point and stay there.

A Page begins the game weakest of all, reflective of their long journey of growth. Where most classes only fall into deficit of their Aspect at their lowest emotional points, Pages begin their arcs in deficit - exhibiting character traits opposite to those their Aspect normally encompasses. Moreso than any other class, a Page must learn to grow into their Aspect. Weak-willed, naive, and easily hurt, Pages require careful nurturing if they're to come into their own.

"Working to inherit their Aspect" describes the endless journey of growth the Page must undertake - one with many missteps, backslides, and setbacks along the way. Still, they "inherit their aspect," meaning that their full potential, when realized, is overwhelmingly great - practically becoming their Aspect in humanoid form, capable of utilizing it to its glorious full potential.

However, their nature defeats them, and even if they can attain this state, the Page usually can't stay there for long. At their very worst, the Page's deficit of their Aspect's better qualities can turn the Page into a gravitic well of misfortune - an albatross about the party's neck, the centerpoint, if not inciting incident, of a massive disaster, as their team is sucked in by the Page's natural weakness.

But this is only true as it contrasts to a Page at their best - having grappled and won with the greatest of all weakness, a Page is poised to come into the greatest of all strength. Shown kindness, compassion, and support, a Page at full power reflects a party at their best. A Page at full strength is breathtaking to behold, an unstoppable force of nature, their Aspect made manifest.

HEIR

"One whom [Aspect] grants inheritance or inherits [Aspect] for others."

Heirs, in contrast to Pages, start the game strong. They usually belong to the upper echelons of their respective societies, a position of great wealth, leisure, and comfort, and are set to be inheritors of even greater wealth. Similarly, their Aspect comes to them as if of its own will - it is powerful, but difficult for the Heir to control, reflecting the wealth and status they've enjoyed as birthright.

An Heir's main challenge is that of examining their privilege, and learning where they wish to spread the gift they've been given. Because of their positions of sheltered comfort, Heirs are not particularly world-wise, and often harbor massive blind spots to the suffering of others and the ills of society. As such, they tend to be fairly aimless, given great power but no strong motivations, and have a tendency to simply indulge in their Aspect without contributing great help or hindrance to their team at all.

The Heir's Aspect is practically an independent entity. Being one whom "their Aspect grants them inheritance" refers to how the Heir starts powerful, able to summon their Aspect to perform great, miraculous acts. However, it is highly intuitive and difficult to control. The Heir's challenge lies not in attaining great power, but in attaining control over, and the ability to direct, their existing abilities. Once they do, they can "inherit their Aspect for others" - Heirs become a conduit through which their party can experience their Aspect, making it a usable pool of wealth for them all to draw from. However, because of their comfortable positions, many Heirs end up dallying, finding no pressing need to do so.

But this dallying hides a ticking clock. An Heir's inheritance will come to them, one way or another, and if they aren't ready to receive the great responsibilities that come with such great power, then the power will eventually consume them. An Heir with no clear direction will eventually become lost to their Aspect, entirely removing both from play. Like how wealthy inheritors simply become part of the status quo, so, too, does an Heir disappear into their Aspect, fixing it in place.

Thus, Heirs must learn where they have been blind, where they have been foolish, and what it means to be underprivileged. Then, once they turn their energies towards addressing those injustices - to taking responsibility for building a better future - when their wealth comes to them, they'll be able to distribute it where it's needed most. An Heir, fully-realized, brings their Aspect to heel, and makes it a resource available to their entire team, as if welcoming them all into the family.

THIEF

"One who steals [Aspect] or steals using [Aspect]."

Thieves are, as the name suggests, greedy - much of their arc revolves around a desire to amass wealth, though what's considered "wealth" varies based on the Thief and especially their Aspect. They tend to be callous people by nature, capable of ignoring or trampling over the feelings of others in order to take what they want, in the hopes of filling an emotional void the Thief may not even be fully aware of.

The Thief's playstyle is one of careful resource management. Reflecting a natural tendency to take "wealth" from others, Thieves are unable to use their Aspect without first "stealing" it - a subtractive act which leaves the victim bereft of the Aspect, weakening them in the process. Because of the finicky nature of these abilities, it takes great cunning to be a Thief, and the Class both demands and requires the player to be adaptable, flexible, and quick on their feet, able to effect complicated schemes and engineer the perfect situations for their powers to have the greatest effect. Thieves aren't necessarily strong, but they have a very high victory ratio, because they're experts at turning a situation to their own advantage.

"Stealing their Aspect" refers to the fundamental way in which the Thief class is played, this resource management game; "stealing using their Aspect" reflects how the Thief often becomes a malignant force within the party, viewing their own teammates as caches of wealth to plunder. Thieves are naturally prone to hurting others for their own purposes, craving drama and attention, and being of such callous dispositions that they're able to perform extreme acts of cruelty given the right motivations.

Thieves often become a target of ire within the party, disruptive forces whose quest for personal wealth and fulfillment comes at the cost of those around them. At their worst, they can bring so much heat down upon their own shoulders that the party feels the need to treat them like an enemy, which is disastrous for party harmony. Moreover, it's disastrous for the Thieves themselves, as Thieves seek wealth to compensate for some emotional emptiness, and making enemies of their friends only serves to deepen their ennui.

Thus, a Thief must be taught that true happiness and fulfillment doesn't come from the struggle for wealth, but from the building of something better with those they care about. A Thief, thus turned to heroic purposes, becomes the party's pinch hitter - an adaptable spy, an unpredictable maverick, an element of surprise - and above all, a reliable ally, capable of turning any tide in the party's favor.

ROGUE

"One who steals from [Aspect] or steals [Aspect] for others."

Rogues, on the other hand, call to mind such figures as Robin Hood, stealing from the rich to distribute to the poor. Rogues are at their best when they're agents of a well-planned heist, as they possess an unlimited toolbox - their own Aspect - to play with. Their Aspect is a treasure trove, just waiting for the Rogue to plunder it and share its riches - if only the Rogue can figure out how.

Rogues are forces of revolution. They naturally carry a rebellious spirit, one which bristles at injustice, takes a stand against authority, and questions the status quo. Their ideas are unfocused, however; they know they must rebel, but usually don't start with a clear idea of against who or what. They know that their society is injust, but they don't know how to address that injustice. They know there are villains, and may even know these villains' identity, but they don't know how best to defy them. In a similar way, they're often lost as to how to utilize their Aspect beyond its most basic applications, and usually require external assistance in order to bring out its full potential.

Rogues' true potential lies in "stealing from their Aspect" - an additive act, rather than a subtractive one, as a Thief's stealing is. Rogues are capable of removing their own Aspect's sway over another entity, allowing it to exhibit the characteristics of the opposite Aspect; a Rogue of Void can create things out of nothing, a Rogue of Heart can tease out behaviors and actions. They can also "steal their Aspect for others," allowing them access to their own Aspect's suite of abilities as well. This allows the Rogue incomparable flexibility, their abilities - like their dispositions - rebellious and subversive.

But their rebellious spirit, coupled with their lack of understanding as to who their real enemies are, is dangerous when left unchecked. Rogues often suffer from a failure to start, giving up on trying to understand the deeper implications of their abilities, and of the society they can't seem to find contentment in - but they can also suffer from a worse fate: rebellion without a cause. Rogues' free spirits can lead to them bucking the status quo in ways that actively harm others, performing acts of taboo or poor taste just because that rebellious energy needs to be put to use somewhere. These can have disastrous knock-on consequences, as some things are taboo for good reason.

Thus, Rogues need to be guided - to make connections with others, and come to a greater understanding of the world at large. Once they know their target, and what needs to be done, the Rogue makes sure there are no obstacles along the way - no safe is uncrackable, no prison inescapable, and no problem unsolvable, so long as the Rogue is there to work their magic.

MAGE

"One who guides [Aspect] or guides [Aspect] for themselves."

Mages are prophets, of the "always correct" variety - or so it seems. In actuality, Mages don't "predict" the future, they "choose" it - in a setting where the future is mutable, the Mage's ability is to speak into existence a future they desire, to tip the scales of causality and collapse possibilities into a single definite course. Their Aspect is the lens through which their "prophecy" occurs, a realm in which they command the fabric of reality itself.

As if to karmically balance this incredible power, Mages are afflicted by deep and terrible sadness. They start the game miserable, having been subjected to the greatest injustices their Aspect can offer, tormented by guilt, shame, and self-loathing. Their worldview has been shadowed with a lens of suffering and anguish, and so, too, is their view of the future. Mages usually begin the game having already set several prophecies into motion, and these early prophecies are usually obstacles that the party must overcome.

Mages "guide their Aspect" - this refers to the way their prophecies, that is, their chosen futures, always come true. Their visions may be limited to the sway of their Aspect, but it remains a powerful ability nonetheless. "Guiding their Aspect for themselves," then, outlines the Class's Active nature - the futures the Mage picks must be ones the Mage believes will come to pass.

Unfortunately, Mages have a tendency to pick ugly futures. This isn't out of malice or anger; this is because Mages start the game sad, and without intervention, grow sadder. They're prone to spirals of negativity, self-loathing, and depression, and as their outlook dims, so, too, do their forecasts. Mages suffer, but even suffering can grow familiar - can even appear comfortable or desirable, if the Mage suffers long enough. It's easy for them to grow so accustomed to misery that misery is the only outcome they can see - spelling doom for the rest of the party, one prediction at a time.

But a Mage whose party shows them kindness and forgiveness, compassion and empathy, can pull them out of their misery. How beautiful, then, the future appears! A Mage who believes in a brighter future is a force to be reckoned with. When a Mage can bring themselves to say, "and everyone lived happily ever after," you had better believe they did.

SEER

"One who who is guided by [Aspect] or guides [Aspect] for others."

Seers, meanwhile, are the true future-sighted, able to see the myriad paths the future could take. Like Mages, their Aspect serves as the lens by which their vision is colored; the Seer can sense, with fine accuracy, which paths are closest to the sway of their aspect, and which paths will take them further away. As if gifted with a guide to the game, their intuition is tied directly to the mechanics of SBURB, and they serve as the party's guides, a role indispensable in a game with so many moving parts.

Seers will struggle with blindness, first by hubris and ego, and then by self-harm. Seers begin the game quite full of themselves, proud of their prowess in their Aspect - usually arrogantly so. When this pride is inevitably shattered, Seers have a tendency to deal with their feelings of shame and guilt with willful, self-induced blindness - as if flipping a switch, they become ashamed of the pride they once placed in their Aspect, and seek to place as much distance between it and themselves as possible. There's comfort in ignorance, even if it renders the Seer useless.

Seers are "guided by their Aspect" - able to sense its presence, they gravitate toward it, and towards futures with it in abundance. And, in the same way, they "guide their Aspect for others," lighting the way for others down the path of greatest reward. Seers truly love their Aspect, no matter how much they may misplace their faith in it, and seeking it out is a great joy for them.

This is why a Seer at their worst is so tragic. By inducing intentional blindness within themselves, they are functionally deadening the strongest part of their soul. No matter the temporary relief this brings to the sharp, jagged pain of shame, it invariably deepens the Seer's suffering, as they deny themselves not only their own joy, but their ability to help others - another act which inherently delights them.

Thus, a Seer needs to be made to deal with their shattered ego head-on, to accept their own shortcomings, to become at ease with the idea that they don't have all the answers. Once their vision becomes clear, and their view becomes honest, the party nevermore has to fear becoming lost or straying from the path - the Seer will see to that.

WITCH

"One who changes [Aspect] or changes [Aspect] in others."

Witches are the winds of change, tweaking reality all around them until it suits their desires. A Witch is presence that commands both fear and respect, and their Aspect bows down before them, reduced to a mere minion in the Witch's presence, ready to attend to all their needs. In a way, the Witch's powers are straightforward - they can manipulate their Aspect as they desire, changing its qualities as they see fit. "How they see fit," then, is where the issue lies.

Witches are usually of "outsider" status, never truly being part of the society from which the rest of the party descends. Free from the same rules and common sense that govern the others on their team, Witches instead operate on a value system heavily reliant on their own emotions. What a Witch deems to be correct, to be true, or to be righteous, are often based not in any objective measure, but in subjective, emotional bias - and they're emotional creatures, indeed. Prone to fits of great anger, Witches can be benevolent one second and malicious the next, and their abilities let them imprint, to a greater degree than any other Class, their desires onto the world that comes after them.

Witches "change their Aspect," as in, the crux of their abilities lies in manipulating the qualities of their Aspect in their surroundings - extending, shortening, magnifying, shrinking, growing, removing… so on and so forth. It's a fearsome power. They also "change their Aspect for themselves" - their Aspect is hapless but to obey their desires; Witches change the world to suit themselves, and their feelings of how things "should" be often become how things "are" in short order.

Thus, a Witch who has been swayed toward evil entities and nefarious ends is a truly dangerous opponent - and it is unfortunately easy for this to happen. Witches' social isolation means they tend to trust their emotions, and a force that flatters these emotions can easily win a Witch's trust. By the same token, those that fail to flatter the Witch are often considered enemies, even if they're benevolent forces. A Witch's morality can thus become warped and topsy-turvy, which has grave consequences for the world that the Witch then shapes.

Therefore, a Witch's struggle lies in learning to see beyond their own emotions, to take in the opinions and assistance of others even when it seems superficially unpleasant, to move beyond the childlike rejection of that which is uncomfortable. Once able to see a more nuanced form of right and wrong, once able to tell evil from good, Witches can build even utopia.

SYLPH

"One who allows [Aspect] to change others or changes [Aspect] for others."

Sylphs are nurturers and healers; they bring to mind fey folk whose very footsteps cause plants to grow. Wherever they go, whatever they touch, all becomes suffused with the Sylph's Aspect, which flourishes under their careful cultivation. Sylphs adore their Aspect, and their Aspect adores them; Sylphs generally feel at peace with themselves, surrounding themselves with what they like.

A Sylph's main challenge - or rather, the main challenge that Sylphs wind up posing the rest of the party - is that Sylphs are enablers. They're attracted to those with strong wills and extreme dispositions, amused by the havoc they wreak and pleased by their attention. Sylphs love to pick out favorites and lavish them with care and attention, excusing any wrongdoing on their behalf and shielding them from consequences. At the same time, those who don't strike the Sylph's capricious fancy find themselves discarded in the Sylph's mind, shut out from the boons the Sylph can provide.

A Sylph is "one who allows their Aspect to change others" - this almost always manifests as healing, as it's an additive ability (that is to say, the Sylph can grant more of their Aspect to someone). "Changing their Aspect for others," on the other hand, explains this enabling nature of theirs - the Sylph will intervene to make the world into a playground for their favored individuals, even to the point of turning other, less "interesting" teammates into playthings for the Sylph's beloved.

Thus, while the Sylph themself isn't particularly prone to wild mood swings and acts of malice, their influence can still cause disaster by allowing unscrupulous individuals to flourish - even encouraging their worst tendencies. A Sylph's touch is subtle, but that subtlety only lends it an insidious quality, as the Sylph quietly works against the good of the many for the cruel, selfish pleasures of the few. At their very worst, the Sylph can deem themselves their only favorite, and render everyone else a minor character in their one-man show.

Thus, Sylphs must be challenged. They must be made to reckon with the fact that favorable treatment is not necessarily kindness, and that bias can easily become harm. When a Sylph is able to grasp the difference between bias and doing good, and tune their approach toward that greater good, uncolored by bias and personal preference, then there is no place safer, kinder, and more conducive to growth than the Sylph's embrace.

PRINCE

"One who destroys [Aspect] or destroys using [Aspect]."

Princes are the most anxious, psychologically anguished members of a party. They suffer from a toxic overabundance of their Aspect - its traits are taken to an extreme, and not only the Prince, but those around them, are made to suffer for it. Princes are naturally set on a path of self-destruction, the culmination of their uncontrolled accumulation of their Aspect, and their meltdowns are spectacular, taking their Aspect - and whoever is unlucky enough to be in the same room - with them.

A Prince's challenge, therefore, is as simple to understand as it is difficult to overcome. The Prince needs to learn how to calm down, relax, and find inner peace. Princes are terribly prone to circular thinking and downward spirals. Their natural inclination is to feel anxious and responsible, like they carry the weight of the world, and this causes them to act out in extreme and aggressive ways. Eventually, others pull away, put off by the Prince's intensity. This only deepens the Prince's malaise, and Princes are - pushed by this hovering sense of urgency and catastrophe - willing to employ drastic, desperate measures to enforce compliance with their wills. They wake on their moons early, reflective of their driven natures. They're determined to a frightful degree, and no sacrifice is too great, no work too dirty, if it means achieving what they see as the greater good.

Princes "destroy their Aspect" in this way - by presenting their Aspect at its worst, they make others take distance, ruining it for everyone else. Their hard wills, intense emotions, and unshakeable drive to do what (they feel) needs to be done - at any cost - is their source of power. Thus, Princes "destroy using their Aspect" - their toxic overabundance of Aspect lets them channel it into a pure, annihilatory force; what they lack in the delicate utility of the other classes, they make up for in raw, ruinous power. Princes can easily deal the greatest damage in a combat scenario, their ability to destroy overriding nearly everything that would stand against it.

Thus is the problem with Princes. They're ticking time-bombs of anxiety and frustration; when they finally go off, they carve a path of destruction, before ultimately self-destructing, leaving no trace of their Aspect behind. Not only that, but it's very difficult to defuse the bomb early; Princes have finicky, aggressive, and complicated personalities, and tend to react poorly to straightforward attempts to calm them down and reason with them. They often appear to be their own worst enemies, marching inexorably toward their own destruction.

But Princes not only can be saved, but must be saved. They must be saved because kindness and compassion must exist for their own sake, and a Prince rescued from their own worst tendencies is living proof of the truth of that sentiment. A Prince, given the peace they need to reorient their priorities, will not rest until they see a brighter future realized. They will be the first to rise, and the last man standing, banishing - as if by royal decree - all obstacles, all enemies, all misfortune, and all ills.

BARD

"One who invites destruction through [Aspect] or allows [Aspect] to be destroyed."

Bards are the wild cards of a party, responsible for both improbable victories and catastrophic defeats - sometimes both in a single session. The methods by which a Bard works are a mystery to even the Bard themselves, which make it easy for the party to dismiss their powers - and, by extension, the Bard themselves. After all, who would expect there to be consequences for something so ridiculous as a Bard?

Bards are usually targets of abject ridicule by their teams. They can't help it - they're religious types, or at least types that hold great, lofty, ridiculous beliefs near and dear to their hearts. A Bard's primary struggle invariably winds up being a crisis of faith. Bards begin the game with a positive, "correct" faith in their Aspect; however, something will inevitably occur that shakes the Bard's faith in this viewpoint to its core. In this state, Bards are incredibly fragile, and it's very easy for them to succumb to whispers of cruelty and destruction, for their beliefs to warp, and for the Bard to come to serve the worst aspects of the society they represent.

A Bard "invites destruction through their Aspect" - their powers are subtle, but have catastrophic effects. Bards are instinctively drawn towards causing the first flap of a butterfly's wing, which cascades into a grand, impossible karmic backlash. They "allow their Aspect to be destroyed" by being the conduits for the forces of their faith - whatever faith they hold - to wreak unimaginable consequences across the game.

Thus, a Bard must not be allowed to fall into darkness. The cost is too great. They must be treated with kindness, patience, and sincerity, and given a chance to re-establish their faith in a better, brighter future. If this can be done, then at the party's direst moment - in their darkest hour - they will find that kindness paid back a thousandfold, as an innocuous act by the Bard that no one remembers balloons into a miracle.

[charlesemersonwinchesteriii]

underrated garashir scene is when Garak makes THIS gesture right in Julian's face

[shibara]

I'm gonna add a few of my favs to this list~

i left a taste in your mouth (can you taste me now) by saltbright - Devastatingly hot and well written body-sharing!Jarthur smut, in where Arthur needs a hand and John is only too happy to provide it.

The Broken Latch by palecomet51 - Season 4 ending AU, where instead of killing Collins, Kayne sends him, along with a dying Noel, to his childhood house in Ireland. Long, AMAZINGLY well written, complex and beautiful exploration of both these characters and the fantastic ways in which they are both fucked up. Pay attention to the tags in this one, the dove is extremely dead.

Splinter by StopTalkingAtMe - The bargain with the Dreamlands woods for John's pinky came with some extra details (aka Arthur gets fucked by a tree). This is one of those 'I read it because I thought it would be funny but it was actually so hot I almost passed out'.

What Was Left On The Mountain (series) by Croik - This starts with a massive and delightful Choose Your Own Adventure fic, which then evolves into a series about Yellow and how he's coping with his life, Arthur and John. My fav Yellow out there by far.

And I Will Fill Your Cracks with Gold by crowsnesting - AU where the King in Yellow never got fragmented, but met Arthur a different way. Really interesting AU, steamy and with gorgeous imaginery.

Dear Wormwood (series) by tentaclemonster - Listen, sometimes there are characters that make you go 'ew, I will never ship this asshole with anything', then you read a fic, and it's 'oh no, oh fuck' and suddenly the asshole is taking over your brain and you will never be the same. This is that fic. Fantastically hot and fucked up Larson(+Yellow)/Jarthur.

murder changes a man by SupposedToBeWriting - Peter Yang isn't dead AU. This fic is so neat, so satisfying, I have no words. I love this Parker *so much* I had to read it again immediately after finishing it.

good morning chat. does anyone have any fic recs? any genre, from abnormal eldritch fuckery to angsty character development or poetic analysis <3

have a nice time op !

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