#i'm not mad it's more like i'm fascinated 😂

[maylilithreign]

women on here brag about being smol and "like, only 5'0" like men on here brag about being over 6'0.

[dootznbootz]

Do you have Diomedes eventually being immortalized by Athena in your hcs like he is in some versions of his mythology?

Honestly, I don't really know? 😅 He kind of only "exists" in my writing until he meets once with Penelope at like, 13-14 years of Odysseus being gone. Sthenelus is, ofc, with him. :D And he tells some stories to Penelope and kind of hangs out with Telemachus before they're off again. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

After that, I don't think much or plan much for him 😅 "You played your narrative purpose, now you are free to do what you please, little dude."

Maybe I'll have it mentioned or something? but I don't know for sure :'D

[elbdot]

Congrats on concluding such a tremendous community feat OP! It was fascinating to see your posts about them here, and I am quite thankful for the people who were able to obtain footage of some of your matches; I was so curious!! About how everyone was doing their playstyles! My favorite spectator sport LMAO

Also shoutout to Shadic the one victor whose footage made it to the compilation, that man was A KILLER JESUS. That had to have been a brutal time

Thank you so much!! :D I'm glad you enjoyed watching the few battle videos we put up!!

And yes THAT EVO-BOOST SETUP WAS SO CRUEL, I felt like the biggest idiot when it hit me 😂 The second match where Shadic promised not to use any gimmick teams didn't end well for me either tbh :'D But I'm proud to say I fiNALLY managed to win against him on a third match against his Dark type team, I didn't think it was possible to beat him AT ALL with his far more advanced competitive knowledge (I know like - the basics, my team is competitively trained, I know about...most abilities and favored movesets of often used Pokemon, but I'm not that familiar with the actual competitive scene), but alas...I GOT MY REVENGE

I wish we would have been able to record even more matches 😂 There was an absolutely legendary match where one of the challengers, Allie, managed to defeat my entire remaining team of 4 Pokemon with her LAST standing Baile Style Oricorio. I WAS NOT EVEN MAD, THAT WAS AN AMAZING TURN OF EVENTS As a huge Oricorio-fan, being defeated by one still counts as a win in my book LMAO

Unfortunately we only had ONE person on the server with the equipment to record battles and not only is it an INCREDIBLY time-consuming endeavor, but some of the codes for battle videos I put up online didn't even work for some reason, so we only got 6 videos up, but man, I'm glad we have ANY material up AT ALL 😭

Maybe I'll treat myself to a capture card one day, but right now that's over 200€ I don't feel comfortable in spending 😅😂 MAYBE ONE DAY...

[henghost]

Twig Liveblog for Arc 17

what an obsenely horny arc... not that i'm complaining. you've got sy being incorrigible with lillian, sy thirsting over mabel to a concerning degree (i think he literally starts sniffing her sweaty clothes), the lingering jessie tension (this one is more than acceptable, and they kiss!!!!!!! yippeee!!!), egregious amounts of helen cleavage/tongue/etc., and of course the sleeping dragon. my little bro needs to get laid more than he needs oxygen 💀💀💀💀

twig gets so much more electric when the full lamb party is around. all their little interactions are so full of character and life. every time sy talks to lillian it scratches that YA itch so good. i love mary/lillian yuri! i love ashton!! and there's duncan too. all the weapon children in their perfect toxic symbiosis 🥺 sad that it didn't take up more of the arc!

i love big neph too. with size like that i think he's playing for the wrong kings 😂😂😂 i bet it feels so good to be inside that stomach pouch....

and then there's more fighting... yay.... the way awful coaching talks about basketball coaches is the way i talk to wildbow in my head. you do NOT need a chapter devoted to banal logistical concerns!!! you do NOT need play by play descriptions of every minute detail of every scene!!! cut those paragraphs!!! those ten paragraphs could very easily be two paragraphs!!! and they would be much better paragraphs!!!!

wildbow has such a powerful fascination with Factions who need to have Tense Discussions. this is simply not very interesting. i want characters to interact with each other. there is lots of cool stuff included in this portion of the arc -- there's that great scene where sy thinks helen is dead and phantom!mauer starts quoting the bible at him, for instance, as well as plenty of cool new experiments -- but all this cruft drowns it out. i do not care about what bea thinks of sedge. i do not care about the mad baker. sorry.

the lillian interlude was very good. lillian is such an interesting and ambiguous character. she enthralls me even if i don't like her very much. watching her try and achieve her goals, and being affronted when she does not, feels so heartbreaking and real. getting a commendation but not an accolade, even after sy has revealed to her the dark secret of the nobility, even though she knows the real purpose of the academies is to prop up and puppet this evil regime who has done nothing but abuse her and her closest friends -- it still hurts her. in fact it gives her newfound determination to become an even more powerful despot. is it ego? to get back at her parents? then an aging technocrat explains to her that she'd be better off being a mail-order bride, and follows this up by telling her half the country is lost to plague. it's so relevant it's painful.

i'm going to write so much mary/lillian femslash you have no idea....

[heda-heather]

:nervously off anon: So I watched the Anti-Hero video for the first time yesterday (I know, I know...SO behind the times), and I'm so curious how Swifties are interpreting the very clear symbolism. Like, Taylor is two selves. One of them (the "villain") is her exact presentation out in the world right now. Taylor's lyrics match up with her real self. Her public persona doesn't match up with her lyrics. Swifties don't acknowledge this contrast?

Also, what do they make of the bottle she's drinking from? The one with the Lover video's family crest. Do they not wonder WHY that crest is in a video that is otherwise not about romance? Like, I feel like with close attention to lyrics + close attention to videos + an ounce of attention to how her persona changes from album to album + THE ENTIRE LOVER Era = AT THE VERY LEAST that she is not who she seems (and is most certainly under the queer umbrella).

An even deeper dive will lead you to "she is with Karlie; that crest is signaling Karlie; her songs signal Karlie; Taylor is likely identifying as a lesbian now." Yet somehow they don't see any of it that way, and I wonder how. Maybe willful ignorance. Maybe selection of detail to support their own thesis. Maybe it's the English major in me that makes me pore over this stuff.

My assumption is that many Swifties center their listening experience on how they relate to what Taylor's talking about, so it's more about their own experience and projection than what is actually being written. I know they'd say the same about gaylors, but there are CLEAR motifs in this discography. It's all fascinating but also driving me mad. LOL

Anyway, sorry for the novel. I am still a whole n00b to this fandom and mostly choose to engage with Taylor's world via this corner of Tumblr and through her lyrics. The wider fandom seems like actual hell. LOL

Whew ok I needed a minute to read and process before responding 😂

1. Swifties see the anti-hero more as her battle with fame I think, kinda missing the deeper meaning of her being a completely different person underneath that fame.

2. I doubt they think about the crest at all. I never noticed it until a Kaylor blog pointed it out and showed all the times it’s been displayed. They probably assume it’s just a random design.

3. Her persona changing from album to album actually gives them fuel to say she’s NOT part of the queer community because “the lover era was her activist era, just showing her support, then she moved on from it”

4. They’re NOT looking for signals to Karlie. And they take what she shows them (hanging all over football guy) at face value

5. Projection is a big piece of it. “Loving in secret” to us, is such an obvious flag to the experience of realizing you’re queer in a heteronormative society. I think a lot of them romanticize this instead. They see it as finding a love so special, you want to keep it to yourself. I think a lot of them are obsessed with her work because she describes this intense, earth-shattering love. It gives them hope to find it… but they don’t realize it’s a queer love. And the fact is… 2 women loving one another do share a different experience than a man and woman, because of how women express themselves and understand the universal female experience. Add that to the experience of being queer in anyway. So… they’re kinda holding onto false hope they’ll find a love like she describes. But also there is no other Karlie Kloss in this world 😍🥰

Anyway, my thoughts. Thanks for being brave enough to come off anon! Always love a good chat.

[greencheekconure27]

More Blake's 7 season 4 (spoilers ahead)

* Games

I loved Vila's little interactions with Gambit.Wish they got more time together, or at least a chess game. This could've been the start of a beautiful friendship.

Vila having seen Zen die & him learning about Gambit's self destruct orders...ouch.

Solid trickster figure/conman in this one which I appreciate.

At this point in the season Avon mentioning a "brilliant scientist" already means the scientist is doomed.

* Sand: I knew this is a Tanith Lee episode before I knew this is a Tanith Lee episode 😁(Wish there were more of those.)

One of my favourites so far. Servalan in particular shines. Vern is such a fascinating setting and while the special effects aren't the most convincing here it just contributes to the eeriness. 10/10.

Poor Avon is never going to live down the "dominant male" thing is he 😂. Good.

*Gold: Heist episode.Why not.

I like the idea of the sham pleasure cruise and the heist plan is pretty interesting. Overall pretty enjoyable even if Avon is clinging to the idiot ball like his life depends on it.

Is it just me or does this season get a bit repetitive with the"Main characters want something, they go through hell to get it, and then they don't?" and Avon withholding vital information from his crew? (You know the thing he got mad at Blake for in season 2? I know mistrust is one of his fatal flaws and Anna Grant made it worse but it shows up more often than Cally got possessed.)

*Orbit: Ouch.

When will Avon learn random people contacting him with offers are Always Servalan's traps?

Servalan's interactions with the scientist are priceless.

How DO they tell the king from the queen in those overly stylized futuristic chess sets? I already get annoyed looking at them.

Poor Pinder.Even Avon is uncomfortable with his treatment.

Vila's "I know I'm safer with you ".Oh no.

Avon's face expressions when Orac says "Vila weighs 73 kilos?" Incredible acting 😭

Vila guessing what will happen and already hiding seconds after hearing this? Especially combined with how he's routinely treated as expendable in this show? Heartbreaking. Would he also have hidden if it was, say, Tarrant on that ship? I'd say yes.

Avon finding the solution so quickly after this but having already completely lost Vila's trust and chance of getting his help? Excellent writing.

Warlord: another good one.

I love Zeeona and her anime hair. She and Tarrant are adorable. Wish we'd gotten a bit more of her being a scientist though.

Lol Avon dragging Tarrant away😂

I liked how Soolin is written in this one and her standing up for Zeoona's right to choose. Too bad Zeeona only showed up in episode 12 I would've liked to see more of these two.

Of course it's diabolus-ex-machina Servalan again. This is getting repetitive to be honest. I would've preferred the warlord(s) sabotaging this hugely important alliance and dooming everybody for their own petty selfish reasons without Servalan needing to pull the strings for once.

Oh nooo Zeeona....just as I was getting a tiny bit of hope they'll let you live for once.I shall pretend this never happened 😌

[rikeijo]

Today's translation #529

Otomedia + Spring 2017, Toshiharu Mizutani (Art Director) interview

Part 1.

-- Please tell us how do you feel about the work you've done, now that the anime has ended?

M: I felt that this one month passed so quickly. We had an art setting designer, Tamura Seiki-san, on the team, who worked before with Yamamoto Director on her other project. During the pre-production stage, he prepared the foundation, on which we could construct everything. I joined the team, after that foundation has already been partly there. But the pre-production, so the stage when you have to do a lot of research is the most fun. After the actual production had started, you have to do everything on schedule, but pre-production is the time, when you can get really excited, like: "I want to try to do this and this". But nowadays, I usually work on many projects at once, so I can't just take my time with preparations, as I used to do in the past.

-- You've joined the project in the middle [of pre-production], so I suppose the direction has already been decided to some degree?

M: Yes, and my team was following this direction. Normally, the role of the art director is to take part in the project from the scenario-writing stage and prepare image boards to create the world of the story - based on that more detailed art settings are created. This time, all of that was done by Tamura-san.

[Notes: I really need to finally make a nice list of all these translations, because I'm starting to lose track of what I have already translated and what not 😂 Unfortunately, right now I'm too busy with uni work do that rn😔... But in the near future!

In the meantime, another interview with the art director.

A piece of fandom history - very interesting thing about this magazine (published 2017/02) is that it contains a huge Yurio-centric article for 5 full pages, just about Yurio. Often, not even a whole show gets so many pages. This was one of the things, that made some parts of the fandom very angry, very early on (because Yuuri, the main character, never had this kind of feature about him only), and kind of made people start to notice that: "oh, they started to really promote Yurio, huh? Will the next season be about him...?". This was even before Mitsurou's biggest crime, her Welcome to the Madness manga, in addition to the Yuuri-less bonus to the last DVD.

((Just to be clear, I'm personally absolutely neutral - I like both Yurio and Yuuri&Victor together, and them separately, wouldn't mind second season about Yurio, don't mind that WttM was about Yurio etc. I simply find the history of YoI fascinating and I do think that from a perspective, it's kind of clear that the IP holders were trying to correct the direction this show went, but this attempt failed (almost empty screenings in 2019 etc.), and as a consequence, they've never made more YoI.))]

[diahsthings]

Obey Me

Dress continues

Satan, Beel, and Belfie x reader

Warning: self indulgent fluff with hints of smut. No editing. I just free styling I guess. Yolo. It's shit. 😂 I'm high. It's the best inspiration.

Satan

Was "patiently" waiting for you. He knocks right at the time you promised.

"come in." You call. Satan opens the door and he pauses to take you in. You took good breath away. A slight blush across his face.

"mc, I am bewitched." He cleared his throat. "You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.”

Cue swooning from a quote from "Pride and Prejudice".

You do a twirl for him.

Green for him

This time it was your turn to be shocked. Satan was blushing as you looked him over. The way he looked at you. Adoringly. You were the only one that The Satan. The Avatar of Wrath. Was this soft with. He walked closer. Shutting the door behind him.

He was admiring the details. The effort you went through to look like this. Ethereal. Beautiful.

"मैं अपनी ज़िन्दगी दोबारा जी सकता तो तुम्हे और जल्दी ढून्ढ लेता|." You smile waiting for the thoughtful look in his eyes. He was a lot closer than you realized.

"Hindi?" He asked quietly.

"yes" you peer up at him.

"Tell me what it means."

A coy smile. "If I were to live my life again, I'd find you sooner."

"I love you." Taking your lips in his.

Beel

It's Beel. He will be excited but it won't drive him crazy. He likes a surprise. And he's honestly fascinated that the dress is from the human realm.

You had explained it was part of your culture. This style of dress. That you would try to color coordinate with him. Red.

OMG it was the best color ever. You were going crazy.

Your boyfriend was the best boy ever. And being able to wear a red dress with him. Wedding thoughts. Dreams. Family man.

You meet him in the kitchen. He was grabbing some last minute snacks before the celebration. "Bee?"** You call to him. He looks up out of the fridge just in time to see you walk in.

He almost chokes on his food. OMG you are his world.

Idk but one of these looks would be perfect. I can just imagine looking so tiny next to him. Looking absolutely fire together.

"you're beautiful." He finishes up with what he was doing. Then walks over to you. Big grin. He loved so openly. Best boy. How old is he? 1,000+.

Kissing but trying to be gentle with you. He didn't want to mess up the outfit. Or your hair and makeup when he would want more and more.

Belphie

He is curious but he will pretend he doesn't care at all. He is dying. He tries to find out by pretending to sleep. But nothing.

"We're going to match. I brought something for you. It's like pj's. I'll meet you in the attic after I'm ready. I'll wake you up." You sigh hoping he would get dressed. He did have a few hours.

He was a brat but you loved him.

Getting dressed and hoping to surprise your boyfriend.

Purple. Belphie was enjoying his soft new PJs. And he could leave in these. Lucifer couldn't get mad at him. He could wear PJs and be at the celebration.

Now intrigued on what you could be planning he is awoken by your voice saying his name. Sitting up to see your look. Pretending to be annoyed

This was it. Stars and it's soft? And purple?!? You know his hand will be on that bare back.

"You're handsome Belf." Standing next to the bed he was sitting on. "Lucifer is going to just love your traditional outfit."

You two laugh at your plan to just annoy Lucifer. Such a silly couple.

Getting ready to go and having Belphie whisper "I'm staying with you all night. No one is allowed to touch what is mine."

Okay. That turned a lot longer and I have no idea if it's good but I had fun so. Yay.

[mobius-m-mobius]

Fave shows tag game

Rules: List 5 favourite shows (in no particular order) and answer questions accordingly.

Life on Mars

Good Omens

Mad Dogs

Loki

Psych

@loki-is-my-kink-awakening Thank you so much for the tag lovely!! Putting my answers to the questions behind the cut 😊

1. Who is your favourite character in 2?

Oh no not this😅 Don't wanna start off totally indecisive but In all honesty Aziraphale and Crowley are such a package deal I've never been able to decide who I liked more so both it is!

2. Who is your least favourite character in 1?

Probably Frank Morgan since he's meant to give everyone the creeps and totally untrustworthy but if we're talking main cast then Ray because everyone else is just too good ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

3. What's your favourite episode of 4?

Episode two THE beloved my one and only 🥺💖 12/10 would gladly watch Owen and Tom sit around chatting and mirroring the cafeteria vibes either as Lokius or themselves for the rest of my days

4. What is your favourite season of 5?

Gotta be S2!! All the earlier seasons are gold so was very tempted by the latter half of S3 but S2's like a tour de force

5. What's your favourite relationship in 3?

Baxter and Quinn would an obvious one since John and Phil are married in every role and this is no exception but the dynamic between Baxter and Rick is so weirdly fascinating?? They just clash so instantly, usually to great disaster but will never stop themselves or learn from their mistakes, absolutely obsessed tbh

6. Who is your anti relationship in 2?

I don't really have one?? If pressed I wasn't interested in Anathema and Newt being shoved together for no real reason or the implication of ending up with someone because you're told but I don't have any active dislike for them or their pairing

7. How long have you watched 1?

Well I was pretty late to pick the show up and watched for the first time around three years ago, have since rewatched the entire series at least 5 times in full, and various clips more times than I could ever count lol

8. How did you become interested in 3?

Thank my url namesake, lol. Truly the most stunning TV experience start to finish I've had with a flawless all star cast and just criminally underrated show in general!!

9. Who is your favourite actor in 4?

🤣🤣 Feel as if I've walked right into this one and y'all don't even need to hear the answer but that would be Owen Wilson, whose take on Mobius has honestly been life changing for me 💖

10. Which show do you prefer 1, 2 or 5?

Oh man as much as I adore Psych I'm stuck between Life on Mars and Good Omens on this one... Oh this is the worst, okay, I'm going... Life on Mars! When taking the point of how much I love both main pairs out of the picture there are more elements of and characters in LoM I think I enjoy more

11. Which show have you seen more episodes of 1 or 3?

I've watched both fully through multiple times but Life on Mars just edges by with having more episodes so that'll be the one!

12. If you could be anyone from 4, who would you be?

Loki or Ravonna just for sheer proximity of how much time would be spent around Mobius lmao, literally my only primary consideration

13. How would you kill off your favourite character in 5?

Laughing so hard at this because ironically my favorite character in Psych has pondered many scenarios potentially resulting in his own death lmao. If necessary he'd probably prefer a blaze of glory gunfight but I don't think he'd mind being taken out by his favorite land mine going off?? "Sweet music. And then…nothin' but red mist." 😂

14. Would a 3/4 crossover work?

Not necessarily unless you mean would it work in terms of turning me on in ways I've yet to experience in this life because yes, yes, and YES 😳😳

15. Pair two characters in 1 that would make an unlikely, but strangely okay couple.

Idk if it would be the most unlikely but Sam and Chris would've been cute and I always enjoyed how earnestly Chris ended up admiring Sam's approach to the work and who he is as a person

16. Overall, which show has the better cast, 3 or 5?

I mean Mad Dogs is my favorite show of all time in part because of how talented the cast is in balancing their roles and I can't see that changing plus I'd follow those guys anywhere

Tagging @faylights, @too-funky, @safedistancefrombeingsmart, @symphony-in-silver, @colourfulwatson, @bebx, @linz33y, @michaelsheens, @veraynes-blog, @aleerax, @abitofboth, @eyeldritch, @lovingvincent, @seekers-who-are-lovers, @z-aliada, and @alternatively-undesignated as always only if y'all feel like it plus anyone else who wants to join! 💕

[impishtubist]

Okay, so this is directly related to the many takes I’ve seen about Sirius just heartlessly abandoning Regulus, but less of that and more “the Black brothers only had each other growing up and are unhealthily codependent.” All their friends, aside from maybe other purebloods who know just how batshit it is growing up in a family like the Blacks, think that their relationship is bonkers and unhinged, but they straight up have no idea how to function in a world without each other. You can’t tell me that either of them experienced actual, normal socialization as children with their family being what it was. Literally the sole reason either learns how to exist separately is that Sirius was older and in a different year; they would’ve continued being a codependent mess of amorality, power, and unhinged tendencies if they’d been in the same year (and if they were twins, they never would’ve stood a chance at being normal members of society or knowing how to be individual people)

Yeah, see, I'm of two minds about this.

On the one hand, I can absolutely see how the two of them growing up in that household together (and being only a year apart in age) would make them unhealthily codependent on each other, and that's fascinating to explore in fic.

On the other hand, I absolutely firmly and completely reject the idea that blood is more important than the family you choose, and I can't see Sirius ever choosing Regulus over James (or James choosing Regulus over Sirius). Also, I hate the takes that I see sometimes where people get mad at Sirius for "abandoning" Regulus. First of all, Regulus is not his responsibility! Second of all, you don't even know that Regulus actually wanted to leave! Third of all, Sirius has never done anything wrong in his life :)

So basically I have two conflicting headcanons in my head (as per usual) and which one I go with depends on what I'm feeling that day 😂

[kaycode1999]

Can I maybe have an MHA matchup?

Demigirl, She/They, INFP, Libra.

Personality, I'm very anxious when first meeting people, however, once I get to know them I am really playful and sarcastic. I like to tease people I'm close to but still let them know I truly care for them. It's really hard for me to get close to people sometimes because of anxiety and past betrayals. I tend to be a bit hot-headed and have a hard time expressing emotions sometimes. I'm told to be emotionally intelligent with others though as well as "too nice" as described by my friends. I'm a college student planning to major in Psychology and major in Biology. I'm afraid of conflict with others and will try to avoid it. However, if I am truly mad about something then I will stand up for myself. I also tend to apologize A LOT. I don't want to bother others with my problems but let EVERYONE say their problems to me as I try to help.

I would also like to add that that I have some ADHD/ADD as well as some OCD about certain things.

The main love language I'd like to have is words of affirmation. However, I tend to give lots of gifts to my partner. I hope for a partner with similar interests and willing to take a break to hang out with me.

My aesthetic leans more on the casual/comfortable side. I like hoodies and oversized clothes. I enjoy a dark, kinda gothic style as well as pastel and cottagecore but I don't believe I can pull it off.

My appearance: I am 5'3, have brown hair with some dyed blonde streaks. I have blue eyes and a small scar on my right cheek.

My hobbies include writing, reading, playing video games, reading manga/watching anime, playing Tabletop games

I match you with

Mirio Togata

He’s very sweet and understanding about you needing to get to know him before you open up

If you tease him he doesn’t really mind. He thinks it’s funny and at least he knows you’re more comfortable with him now. He may even tease you back just a little bit

His best friend is Tamaki so he’s used to dealing with people that suffer from anxiety, as much as he hates that it happened to you he understands it’s difficult to trust after being betrayed

He does everything in his power to make sure you know you can trust him and how much you mean to him

I think he’s very in tune with you, he can tell if you’re getting worked up, and if you need to take a minute to breathe and calm down he’ll be right there with you *if you want him there that is… If you would rather be by yourself he understands that too*

I don’t know if “ Too nice” is a thing, but if it’s where you give to much of yourself and overwork yourself he’ll definitely help you with setting boundaries to protect your mental and physical health

I think he’d be fascinated by the things you learn about psychology and biology. Those are interesting topics after all and it may even help him with his hero work to some degree which he is thankful for

He will be very patient with you because he knows it isn’t easy to break habits but definitely wants to get you to where you don’t feel you have to apologize all the time

He wants you to be able to tell him your problems, even the therapist friend needs a little help now and then. Let him be that

He is the king of words of affirmation. He will always be telling you how great he thinks you are and how much he loves you

He’s so flustered if you ever give him a gift poor thing he doesn’t know how to deal with it😂 he will love anything you get him though. It’s now his most favorite possession

I hope you enjoy 😊

[gimjarack]

For the Vivienne defense:

Her combat: did you played inquisition when it was out or recently? cause at the beginning she was SO FUCKING STRONG they had to nerf it. She could single handle defeat a dragon because each sword attack gave her shield and she was just spamming that and not losing any HP.

Vivienne has what privilegie? she was imprisioned as a child mage as most mages are. She is no noble, she is just the mistress of one with all the problems that can give. she is just VERY GOOD at selling power and that she is untouchable. but when she is mad at the inquisitor for any big political decision what she can only do is rearrange their furniture.

If you bring her to the winter palace and asks if she enjoyed the game she tells you "if i didnt enjoyed it i would be dead" . and same with being a mage loyalist and grand enchanter. instead of breaking the rules she bended them all to her will to get anything and she worked hard to get them.

Ill just copy paste cole/banter vivienne now cause you say she did not pass trhought a harrowing "Cole: Everything bright, roar of anger as the demon rears. No, I will not fall. No one will control me ever again. Cole: Flash of white as the world comes back. Shaking, hollow, Harrowed, but smiling at templars to show them I'm me."

there is more but i dont wanna write the bible, i will just say you have the same view of vivienne as blackwall has because you have fallen for her façade, and i fully recommend having a game listening to her and bringing her to places cause i also didnt like her at first and then found her fascinating. she does cares about people. She gets very emotional and sad when you find out the skulls that find stuff are from tranquils, she approves of you helping everyone at the battle of haven, she is also one of the few characters asking you how you are after awful events, and she just doesnt like violent rebelions and change and its more subtle on her plans, but she does want to help her fellow mages.

Jesus Christ, I missed a lot I guess!😂😭

In terms of Gameplay, I've been playing it recently on PC but I did play it on PS4 as a teenager (my first game in the series I played), and I can vaguely remember now that Vivienne was in my party a lot; I had no idea she had been nerfed so much!

In terms of Narrative: yeah holy shit I was really quick to write her off as another arrogant privileged noblewoman, I had no idea how hard I fell for that facade. I mistook her Gilded Cage for a throne...

I'm going to hop back into my PC playthrough of Inquisition as soon as I can, and I'm going to do my best to get to know the real Vivienne. Nerfs be damned, there's a well of character depth that I neglected to notice and I need to atone!

[scrawlingmouse]

writing interview tag game!! 🐁

WAUGH tagged by @abysskeeper!!

This was fun c: tagging @unironicallycringe | @unironicallytes, @redmugsforeveryone, and @carana0, and anyone else who wants to do it c:

Under read more bc hoo hoo hee hee

When did you start writing?

When I was a kid! Not seriously or anything but I remember writing stories with my brother about us being space bounty hunters when we were small enough to have difficulty spelling. I started considering it as "I'm going to make this a core part of my identity" somewhere during 5th grade I think, where I turned in a 3 chapter introduction to a larger story for a class assignment lmao After that the rest is history

Are there different themes or genres you enjoy reading than what you write?

Oh definitely. I have a shockingly deep love for post apocalyptic stuff despite how rarely I read it, same with horror. I LOVE writing horror (and tbh roleplaying it too!) but I am. Alas. A weenie when it comes to actually engaging with horror as a genre, no matter how much I respect it. For the most part though I write sci Fi and fantasy bc that's what I read c:

Is there a writer you want to emulate or get compared to often?

Not consciously, I don't think. Like, obviously my writing is a subconscious blend of every writer I've ever read and thought "holy shit" about (I started accidentally mimicking Tamora Pierce when I started reading her works, and @punishandenslavesuckers had a very strong influence on my descriptions for sure). This isn't quite the same, but I remember being told by my Dad I think that my writing style doesn't sound like me at all and y'know, I'm taking that as a compliment 😂

Can you tell me a bit about your writing space?

DEPENDS. Largely on what part of the writing process I'm in. Concepting, outlining, first drafts? Probably outside with a pen and a 50¢ composition book, I find it gets the words going. Editing? At my desk, possibly with the printed out draft on my art desk, angled up slightly for sake of ease. Other than that it's me and my laptop wherever it's comfortable (but not too comfortable that I fall asleep) . Desk, cafe, library, whatever works best.

What's your most effective way to muster up a muse?

Music probably. Music and letting the reins off the Daydream Machine and going "hey wouldn't it be fucked up if-" and then following it to its core. I feel like I don't really have that much problems with mustering up a muse, it's kind of my default setting to daydream about stories, like that's the easy part for me. Sometimes it's hard to write, but usually when that happens it means I need to take a break from writing and do something else for a bit, bc forcing it. Is bad. It's bad for the work and it's bad for the you.

Are there any recurring themes in your writing? Do they surprise you?

Yes and yes bc I keep writing about Grief and I keep getting shocked by it every single time lmao I have a tendency to write heroes and villains who, at the core of their being, cannot handle some event that has happened to them, and often that winds up taking the shape of grief in some manner that they either cannot comprehend, or have yet to begin comprehending. Madness as grief as madness pops up a lot. Similarly, I like playing with the concept of chosen ones and living weapons and dehumanization and how those tend to play into one another. I find power dynamics very fascinating (as you can see from my horny works lmao), and I love digging into the systems in place of those and how it fucks a person up. Love to let an object feel like a person for the first time in their life, and then see what they'd do to continue to feel like a person. See what happens when that gets taken away again.

What is your reason for writing?

It's my reason for existence. I am not exaggerating. It might sound overdramatic or possibly egotistical, but. I've known this is what I'm supposed to be doing since 5th grade at least. When I finally got on my writing as career journey last year it was like this switch was turned on in my brain, this "oh yeah. This is what we're supposed to be doing. c:" it's one of those things where I can never relate to stories where the protagonist doesn't know what they want to do with their life, or when people talk about struggling with writing or not enjoying it. Yes parts are difficult (I'm in a difficult part right now myself!) but. This is it. This is what I was made for. If I am not telling stories in some manner then what's the point?

Is there any specific comment or type of comment you find particularly motivating?

A bit of feedback I got back from my beta readers for Deepest Canyon was "I couldn't put it down!" Which felt real good, bc the cardinal sin of storytelling is boredom. That they wanted to know what happened next meant I had their interest, attention, and investment ✨

How do you want to be thought about by your readers?

I'm just a little guy, it doesn't really matter how they think of me. Obviously I hope they don't think I'm rude or mean, but at the end of the day as long as they like my work, I'm okay with them not thinking about me at all. I'm just a lil mouse and it's story time and that's all there is to it.

What do you feel is your greatest strength as a writer?

Pacing, I think. I'm a planner as opposed to a pantser and I think I've gotten pretty good at spacing out and ramping up tension and giving breaks and getting to the climax and payoffs and whatnot. It's a fun lil rollercoaster to try and plan everything out and see where all the puzzle pieces fit c:

How do you feel about your own writing?

I'm the best to ever do it.

Thanks for reading!

[highlordofkrypton]

For your OC ask ⭐️🎉🎂

YESSS MORE OC ASKS!! THANK YOU!!! I'm so happy I can ramble!!

For this OC ask game.

⭐️ Tell us about your favourite OCs!

So, I rambled a bit about Tavish in this reply, but I guess I should try to summarize my beloved Johan. I should TW for violence, death, self-harm, horror, etc. He's also kind of problematic??? On paper???

Johan is my character that is tragically beautiful, and violently freeing to write. He's not for everyone, which is why I don't talk about him much, but he is mad and he is brilliant. He's dangerously handsome, and broken in a way that can only be fixed if someone is willing to feed the darkness that lives within him.

Found wandering the streets, an orphan, he was taken into an orphanage where he was bullied by the other children for being strange. They were afraid of him because he kept talking about seeing people that were not there and talking to ghosts. He also never looked other kids in the eyes, but it turns out he needs glasses and he was seeing ghosts. Very distracting.

This is set in a fantasy world, so that's important to keep in mind. More often than not, the ghosts would invite him to join them, or try to convince him that he was already one of them. He does get adopted by a couple, and one of his new fathers realizes that the best way to soothe the monsters is to 'feed' them. So, he taught him to kill and the blood soothes Johan.

He's also fascinated by engineering, and body augmentations. He has a prosthetic arm that helps him with his magic that is also rooted in all the monsters he 'sees'. The arm helps hone his magic the same way siphons help Illyrians.

Personality-wise, he's ego-centric, knows he's handsome, has no attachments to people except people with a certain brands of magic then he tends to get obsessive about them. When he gets attached to a person, they soothe him (he's like a wild beast) and he values their life above his. It's romantic in a scary way.

I realize why I don't do blurbs because a character like this can't be distilled into facts, he's really someone that you need to experience. He's wonderful if you like dark characters and monsters. He's very haunting. I haven't written him in a while, but I did start a piece with him as a brother of 'Amren's who has come to drag her back to where they came from! I basically wanted to pit him directly against Rhys since they have parallels in their character design.

🎉 Which one has the most growth over the course of their story?

I would say it's Johan because he started as me wanting to just write a dark character freely, but the more I wrote him, the more he started to climb out of the darkness? I would say he grew the most because he wasn't meant to find peace. Instead, he becomes an anchor for a lot of my other characters. I don't consider him a main character, but a side character who ends up being a fixed point despite his 'madness'. I would say that his personality means that he cuts straight through the bullshit even if he gets weirdly fixated on other random shit 😂

🎂 How many good birthdays have they had?

Johan has had a few, but he doesn't care about birthdays. I think he even failed to show up for a couple celebrations. He's indifferent and wouldn't count the good vs. bad ones!

[hermit-frog]

Omg I just read your post about Claudia and Lestat, with book quotes, I read the books years ago but i remember it was weird how Lestat became so obsessed with David all of sudden, why do you think he connected Claudia with him? It’s weird imo, he is not my favorite I admit I wanted him gone by Merrik, he was snooze fest but that’s not the point.

the post anon had mentioned. sorry for taking so long, finally got time today

i rarely find characters boring, but David being the “snooze fest” would be the least of my problems with him, lol look, neither of these two men interest me, this is going to be a very superficial and bland read, i'm leaving you book excerpts so you can come to your own conclusions. if anyone wants to jump in, please. it's hella long, mostly quotes. this is about book version of Lestat and Claudia!

“(…) the one who came to the concert-David Talbot, the older one-he fascinates me. I suppose I want to know.” + “Do you want the Dark Gift? You know. To become one of us.” “Not in a million years would I ever accept it. As God is my witness, no.” + D: “I'd want to know about you. I'd want to talk to you. No, I wouldn't kill you. Nothing could make me do that.” + L: It was just an acknowledgment of the bitter loneliness that had brought me here, the need with which I'd come, to stand in his little chamber and feet his eyes on me; to hear him say that he knew who I was. (…) “Yes,” he said in a timid tone behind me. “I know who you are.” I turned and looked at him. It seemed I'd weep suddenly. Weep on account of the warmth here, and the scent of human things; the sight of a living man standing before a desk, I swallowed. I wasn't going to lose my composure, that was foolish. “It's quite fascinating really,” I said. “You wouldn't kill me. But you wouldn't become what I am.” + He was a very interesting man. “You silver-tongued British bastard,” I said. “How dare you say that to me with such condescension? Maybe I should kill you right now.” + How brave and poised he had been. (…) he knew me, knew what I was-that had been his greatest charm for me. What if I make you one of us. I could do it, you know… He's never wavered in his conviction. “Not even on my deathbed will I accept,” he'd said. But he'd been fascinated by my mere presence, he couldn't conceal it, though he had concealed his thoughts well enough from me ever since that first time. Indeed his mind had become like a strongbox to which there was no key. And I'd been left only with his radiant and affectionate facial expressions and a soft, cultured voice that could talk the Devil into behaving well.

i think one of the reasons behind Lestat's obsession with David might come from his ego (David's unveiled interest in Lestat as an individual and species), David's refusal of the dark gift had definitely amused and intrigued Lestat, (something vamps find fascinating and alluring in humans), the warmth of a human being (that attracts vampires, is even more inviting to Lestat due to his loneliness), and just like with our Dubai trio, amusement by human's defiance. + Lestat becomes obsessed very easily, it wasn't at all surprising, lol (bwt, this whole Lestat “flirting” with David, in the final of qotd, was happening right in front of Louis😭but Louis was only mad that Lestat was messing with some poor human, anxious about the consequences)

“You're a perfect devil, Lestat!” he was saying. “That's what you are! You are the devil himself!” “Yes, I know,” I said, loving to look at him, to see the anger pumping him so full of life. “And I love to hear you say it, Louis. I need to hear you say it. I don't think anyone will ever say it quite like you do. Come on, say it again. I'm a perfect devil. Tell me how bad I am. It makes me feel so good!” i really can't hate bookStat 😂

now about Lestat's brain linking Claudia and David (who got her diaries, which itself is already a seed sprawling inside Lestat's mind)

They have Claudia's diary in there, in their cellar (…). Besides, it's not really the diary I want. They can keep the diary. It was Claudia's. I want to talk to one of them, to David Talbot, the leader. They're the only mortals in the world, you know, who really believe in us. (…) Twinge of pain inside. Ignore it. The fun's beginning. + it's important that I tell you about the dreams I'd been having (…) of a child vampire with a woman's mind and an angel's face, and a dream of my mortal friend David Talbot.

With Claudia, it was almost a haunting. Just before my eyes would close each dawn, I'd see her beside me, hear her voice in a low and urgent whisper. And sometimes I'd slide back over the centuries to the little colonial hospital with its rows of tiny beds where the orphan child had been dying. (…) And that crying. Who is crying? Claudia was not crying. She slept as the doctor entrusted her to me, believing me to be her mortal father. (…) “Snatching me from mortal hands like two grim monsters in a nightmare fairy tale, you idle, blind parents!”

David is young in the dream and he is walking in a mangrove forest. He was not the man of seventy-four who had become my friend, the patient mortal scholar who regularly refused my offer of the Dark Blood, and laid his warm, fragile hand on my cold flesh unflinchingly to demonstrate the affection and trust between us. No. This is young David Talbot of years and years ago, when his heart didn't beat so fast within his chest. Yet he is in danger. Tiger, tiger burning bright. Is that his voice, whispering those words or is it mine? (…) But look at its yellow eyes, mere slits, and full of horrid mindless cruelty. David, its fangs! Can't you see these fangs! But he is curious as a child, watching its big pink tongue touch his throat, touch the thin gold chain he wears around his throat. Is it eating the chain? Good God, David! The fangs. (…) David, beware! And then I see that he is down on one knee, with the long shiny rifle cocked against his shoulder. And the giant cat is still yards away, bearing down on him. On and on it rushes, until the crack of the gun stops it in its tracks, and over it goes as the gun roars once again, its yellow eyes full of rage, its paws crossed as they push in one last final breath at the soft earth.

What does this dream mean-that my mortal friend is in danger? Or simply that his genetic clock has ticked to a stop. For a man of seventy-four years, death can come at any instant. (…) “I want you to ask me for the Dark Gift,” I'd said to him when first we met. “I may not give it to you. But I want you to ask.”

Lestat unconsciousness connects his guilt of turning Claudia (including all the consequences that came like a domino effect) with his wish to give David the dark gift, (in order to save him from the inevitable slowly approaching natural death), therefore, ironically, kill the human David himself. the Tiger is death. Lestat warning David about the Tiger (illness or genetic clock. tigers hunt the weaker and slower prey), but also being the tiger, the one to sever David's golden chain (turn him, kill the human) (//to Claudia's golden locket he took when he had killed her), the way Lestat stalks David in the beginning of ttotbt also parallels his dream. David, being curious by Lestat/Tiger, lets him close enough to risk his own life and mortality. About the image of the tiger, this is what Lestat wonders:“Pictures of him with the animals he'd killed. Did this explain my dream?” He knew about David's hunting trophies. Symbolism: Bengal Tiger — courage, strength, royalty, and power. Dreaming of tigers reveals deep emotions, desires, and subconscious challenges. It also foreshadows David's body swap. Lestat in qotd: “No one to see me as I walked away and then turned and made the quick feline leap(…).” (when he revisits their home in nola). David weighting the offer (reading Goethe's Faust).

L: I vowed I would not torment him with my old question. And yet I saw death when I looked at him, even more perhaps for his brightness and cheerfulness, and the vigor in his eyes. + D: “I'm speaking of something more indicative of immortality than a preternatural body anatomically dependent upon the drinking of human blood. (…) And what a desperate loneliness emanates from you. Don't you see I can't accept your gift, and if I did, what would you think of me? Would you still crave my company? Would I crave yours?” + “David, take the blood from me before I go!” I whispered suddenly, desperately. “You don't have a year left to you. I can hear it when I'm near you! I can hear the weakness in your heart.”

L: “I'm going to a desert place. I've figured a way to end it, I think.” (…)“Don't want to be alive anymore.” (…) I saw Claudia suddenly as if she were standing there in some other realm, staring at me, waiting for me to see her. How clever that our minds can invoke an image so seemingly real. She might as well have been right there by David's desk in the shadows. Claudia, who had forced her long knife through my chest. “I'll put you in your coffin forever, Father.” But then I saw Claudia ail the time now, didn't I? I saw Claudia in dream after dream… D: “Don't do this,” David said.

“Was it fun to kill the tiger?” I asked. He hesitated. Then forced himself to answer. “It was a man-eater. It feasted on children. Yes, I suppose it was fun.” I laughed softly. “Ah, well, then we have that in common, me and the tiger. And Claudia is waiting for me.”

Tiger=Lestat, Claudia's fate. Lestat talks about his wish to die, sees Claudia, while David tries to talk him out of it. After his unsuccessful suicide attempt, Lestat travels back to David, badly burned.

I traveled gently for hours, willing myself to David's house once more (...). I went down on my knees, ignoring the pain, and collapsed upon the tigerskin rug. I laid my head beside the tiger's head, and my cheek against its open jaws. (...) I stretched out my arms on its legs and felt its smooth, hard claws under my wrists. The pain shot through me in waves. The fur felt almost silky and the room was cool in its darkness. And in faint shimmers of silent visions, I saw the mangrove forests of India, saw dark faces, and heard distant voices. And once very clearly for a full instant I saw David as a young man, as I'd seen him in my dream. (...) I saw myself walking in Paris in the old days when I was alive. I was wearing the red velvet cloak, lined with the fur of the wolves I'd killed back in my native Auvergne, never dreaming that things lurked in the shadows, things that could see you and fall in love with you, just because you were young, things that could take your life, just because they loved you and you'd slain a whole pack of wolves... David, the hunter! In belted khaki, with that magnificent gun.

foreshadowing of the transformation again, Tiger death being the sweet relief, and yet Lestat refuses to give David this chance (just like he took it from Claudia), while Lestat himself had sought it in the desert. + the hunter parallel between them (especially when Lestat reads about David's youth)//“my intrepid little Claudia, companion hunter”. + //to Lestat's and Magnus, both fascinated by this one human hunter. cycles everywhere

And soon he'd be gone from me. Death would have him. And all I would have would be these manuscripts of his life.

David//Claudia (the only thing left would be their written word)

“Well, of course, you pick the voices that scold you. You always have, in the same manner in which you pick those who will turn on you and stick the knife right into your heart.”

another David//Claudia (the defiance and bravery in the face of danger, he sees himself in it, and he likes it)

she had been the only one who had been like me really-as they say in this day and age. And that might have been the reason that she was haunting me now. Surely there was some connection to my love of David! And I had failed to see it before. How I loved him; and how deep had been the emptiness when Claudia turned against me, and was my companion no more.

Lestat sees himself in both Claudia and David, he seeks to fill or at least soothe the emptiness that Claudia's betrayal and death had excavated in him. he's considering turning David.

I was trembling. I was weeping. (...) To be human again. (...) Then a sudden whispered laugh startled me. It was a child somewhere in the darkness, a little girl. I turned around. I was almost certain I could see her-a small gray form darting up the far aisle towards a side altar, and then out of sight. Her footsteps had been barely aiidible. But surely this was some mistake. No scent. No real presence. Just illusion. Nevertheless I cried out: “Claudia!” And my voice came tumbling back to me in a harsh echo. No one there, of course. I thought of David: “You're going to make another ghastly mistake!”

Lestat's subconsciousness manifesting David's warning against Raglan James in Claudia's form. She represents Lestat's fear, doubt, and guilt (for what he had done to her, and what he wants to do to David).

“We are death, ma cherie, death is the final answer.” I gathered her up in my arms, felt her tucked against me, kissed her, kissed her, and kissed her vampire skin. “There are no questions after that.” (…) Oh, please, help me… the dreary prayer of the devil to his cohorts, as he tumbles deeper and deeper towards hell. (…) + “Not a human being, if that's what you mean. Nothing could make you human.” “Why did you bring me here? What do you want me to say-that I'm sorry about what I did, taking you out of that bed and making you a vampire? Well, do you want the truth, the rock-bottom deathbed truth? I don't know if I am. I'm sorry you suffered. I'm sorry anybody has to suffer. But I can't say for certain that I'm sorry for that little trick.” + GhostC: “Aye, the way that Magnus took you away from your life, and gave you something monstrous and evil in return. You made me a slayer of my brothers and my sisters. All my sins have their origin in that moment, when you reached for me and lifted me from that bed.” (...) L: “I gave you life, Claudia. It wasn't for all time, no, but it was life, and even our life is better than death.” GC: “How you lie, Lestat. 'Even our life,' you say. The truth is, you think our accursed life is better than life itself. Admit it. Look at you down there in your human body. How you've hated it.” L: “(...) Would you really have chosen death in that tiny bed rather than the life I gave you? Come now, tell me. (...)” GC: “What did I know of choices?”

as time passes, you can see Lestat debating on his past and future choice of giving the dark gift. he is demanding the truth from himself, the truth that he has no regrets, that being a vampire is better. also rationalizing with himself about the choice and free will, can he really make this decision for David again this will, even if Lestat believes it will save his life? Claudia had no such choice, can he give it to David?

“Are we close to God when we create something out of nothing? When we pretend we are the tiny flame and we make other flames?” David shook his head. “A bad mistake.” “And so is the whole world, then. She's our daughter-” “I'm not your daughter. I'm my mama's daughter.” “No, dear, not anymore.” I looked up at David. “Well, answer me.” “Why do you claim such high aims for what you did?” he asked (...). + Louis was sad. “There's plague out there in the city.” “But that can't hurt you, David,” I said. “You're right,” he said. “But there are other things…” Claudia laughed. "She's in love with you, you know.” “You would have died of the plague,” I said. “Maybe it was not my time.” + “Yes, and I'm not sorry. I'm not. I would roar it from the rooftops right up into the dome of heaven. Claudia, I would do it again!” A great sigh passed out of me. I repeated the words, my voice growing louder. “I would do it again!” (…) David turned from the window. He stood over her shoulder, looking down at me as I stayed there on my knees.

after body swap, Lestat hallucinates Claudia, Louis, and David when he's close to death, and while recovering. as you can see, Lestat, in his delirious state while hallucinating this scene, has a revelation that makes him release a sigh/weight, — he would do it again. his doubts and fear start to diminish, but his fear for David's life persist. Lestat has already made his mind, even though he knows David is strongly against it. Lestat might have no regrets, but some part of him is clearly aware he's being unjust. this illusion of David and Claudia also represent themselves, as a memory of their wishes.

I thought of Claudia suddenly. I thought of my fever dreams. A leaden stillness came over me. When I spoke again, it was a quiet act of will. “I'd much rather be a vampire,” I said. “I don't like being mortal. I don't like being weak, or sick, or fragile, or feeling pain. It's perfectly awful. I want my body back as soon as I can get it from that thief.” + And only now did I think of the Dark Gift again, and not of Claudia (...). + oh the hypocricy L: “I will not do it. Not now, not tomorrow, not ever. Go back to her, Lestat. Live this mortal life.” L: “How dare you make this choice for me!” I was on my feet again, and finished with whining and begging.

foreshadowing for Lestat's decision about David's fate, again. Lestat can now think of dark gift without Claudia's looming presence. his doubts are almost gone. unfortunately for everyone, Lestat thinks he's the truth holder. whatever is good/bad for him, must be the same for others, hence his decision to turn David. because being mortal sucks. how pissed Lestat was at Louis for refusing to give him the dark gift.

“My greatest sin has always been that I have a wonderful time being myself. My guilt is always there; my moral abhorrence for myself is always there; but I have a good time. I'm strong; I'm a creature of great will and passion. You see, that's the core of the dilemma for me- how can I enjoy being a vampire so much, how can I enjoy it if it's evil? Ah, it's an old story. Men work it out when they go to war. They tell themselves there is a cause. Then they experience the thrill of killing, as if they were merely beasts. And beasts do know it, they really do. The wolves know it. They know the sheer thrill of tearing to pieces the prey. I know it.”

Lestat growing confidence about his decision and vampirism itself dissipates Claudia's apparition. No more doubts, no more guilt (about the dark gift).

The past will not be recovered. The past will be perfectly eclipsed. “Won't it, Claudia?” I whispered, standing in the back parlour. Nothing answered me. No sounds of a harpsichord or the canary singing in its cage.

and so we came to the end of David's mortality

He had a small gift for me (...). It was the locket with the miniature of Claudia. (...) fine gold chain. He had it with him(...). Or would I not come to see him, and accept it from his hands myself? + My dream of the tiger. I was afraid for you. And now the menace of the dream will be fulfilled." “What do you mean?" “I'm going to do it to you, David. I'm going to bring you to me.” (...) All along I've told you I was evil. I've told you I'm the very devil. The devil in your Faust, the devil of your visions, the tiger in my dream!” (...) “You're angry, so very angry, but you're not afraid. You're like me, David-you and Claudia-the only ones who really have my strength.” (...) “Ah, yes, Claudia. I have something for you, my dear friend.” (...) When he turned around again he had a small locket in his hands. “Oh, yes, the locket. Give it to me.” (...) I pitched the locket out of the room, over the porch, past the sand, and into the sea. The tiny chain was like a scratch of gold on the fabric of the sky for an instant then it disappeared as if into the luminous light. // And then he turned and almost fell forward into the little porch, stumbling over the rail and towards the beach. I came behind him, following him as he staggered down the slope of white sand. The thirst rose, knowing only that the blood had come seconds before, and that it must have more. When he reached the water, he stood there, tottering, only an iron will keeping him from collapse. I took him by the shoulder, tenderly, embracing him with my right arm. (...) “I told you I would do it again,” I said to Claudia. “Why do you bother to explain to me,” she asked. “You know perfectly well that I never asked you any questions about it. I've been dead for years and years.”

Not Claudia, my merciless Claudia. What a dream! A pure dream. There had been the opportunity for salvation-and I had said no. I wanted to say something to her as I held the locket; I wanted to say something to the being she had been, and to my own weakness, and to the greedy wicked being in me who had once again triumphed. For I had. I had won.

tltr;

there's your answer. Claudia's connection to David lies in how Lestat sees himself in them, their defiance, strength, bravery, sense of adventure. the three of them being hunters. Lestat is lonely, he reminisces his time with Claudia, his companion, and he sees David, his mortal friend, the potential is there, and so is the love. When he thinks about Claudia's lost life, he thinks of his own. Then about David's. He tries to rationalize it, successfully. And since Lestat thinks his experience is universal, he makes David his companion against his will. And Claudia is dead.

Ghost Claudia wasn't Claudia, what Lestat later realizes, but the inner projection of his fears, doubts, and guilt regarding the dark gift, humanity, and mortality. He literally fights it through the whole todt, and you can follow his thought process, how he comes to a conclusion (in his own logic ofc). Lestat experiencing mortality again cements his beliefs about vampirism and dark gift being an actual gift. It lifts a weight from his shoulders to realize he'd do it again, he embraces the evil of it. David stood no chance lol

[dragons-and-magic]

I got five questions!

What kind of dragon is Rebecca?

How do dragons react to humans?

What’s Thomas’ favourite treat?

Does Duck’s roar sound like a duck? lol

Which dragon design was the most trickiest?

I LOVE YOUR AU BY THE WAY!💖

Oh my! Thank you SO much!!!😭💖 I'm so happy you like it! Okay, so let's see if I can get these answered!

What kind of Dragon is Rebecca: Honestly... I'm not sure. Lol. She doesn't come in until WAAAAAAAAY later in the story. Like, within the last few stories of the series. So I haven't given her as much thought yet. And I'm still experimenting with different concepts. None of them have looked right yet. :/

How do dragons react to humans: Depends on the dragon and their experiences. For example, Gordon hates them, since they're the reason he lost his clan. Meanwhile Thomas, who has had relatively few encounters with them, is deeply fascinated by them, and even collects lost human objects. This difference in opinions does lead to conflicts amongst different dragons clans. Some think they should stay hidden on the island never go near humans. Others think they should try and make friends. And some clans think they should straight up destroy humanity, because they're so mad!😅

What's Thomas's favorite treat: Oooooooo. That's a good one. Considering what's on the island to eat, I'd say apples. Some dragons are omnivores, so he can eat them no problem.

What does Ducks roar sound like: I'm tempted to say it's like a duck quack.🤣 But he's a wyvern and I think that would be weird. Probably a more squawk-y wyvern roar? Yeah, let's go with that!👍

Which Dragon Design is the trickiest: It's not the one I was expecting. I'll tell you that. It's actually GORDON. The reason why is I designed him in a very specific way, so that he'd look like his train counterpart as closely as possible, while still looking like a dragon. And replicating that with every drawing is HARD.😂

Thanks for the questions! Have a lovely day!🫶