#it's by complete accident though so they're trying to figure out how to reverse it (as told in the fic bit)

[applepies-and-starlight]

A couple of Ishmael centric fic bits before i pass out because it's 3am rn

[kawarikisaki]

How do you read Akako’s reversed Tower in Sun Halo? She read it (or claimed to read it I don’t quite trust her judgement here and feel like she’s hiding something) as a bad omen for the heist while I have a completely different interpretation. Also interesting that there’s upright Tower imagery with Aoko and Kid falling from pretty big height.(The tower commonly figuring a man and a woman falling from a tall tower.) I thought this could be a fun discussion with you given your tarot series.

Oh yes, I actually have several thoughts about this that are hopefully interesting!

So, to begin I just wanna give the obligatory disclaimer that I wouldn’t consider myself particularly knowledgeable about tarot reading, I just think they're neat. If I say anything blatantly incorrect then it is the result of a bare minimum of research into the meanings of the cards.

With that out of the way, I think that her fortune telling is spot on; the Tower is a very auspicious card that's smybolic of looming disaster, sudden accidents, an upheaval, change for the worse. And it is generally seen as bad regardless of if its upright or reversed, with the reversed meaning being something like a narrowly avoided disaster, phyric victory, or delaying the inevitable.

Which means Akako's advice of 'maybe delay your heist, don't do it today' is actually very good advice for a reversed Tower, because if the heist is going to be the danger then by not doing it he could still be in line with the fortune by avoiding disaster; but even knowing he's not going to delay the heist as long as he has the warning he'll hopefully at least be more careful and hopefully come out safe that way. Props to Akako for seeing that her friend was in danger and immediately making strong moves to try to lessen or counteract the danger.

And you called out the typical imagery of the card as well, and I think its actually a fun analog to Kaito’s fall at the beginning of Sun Halo, because its not only similar that they're falling but the reason for falling is also similar. Because (to my knowledge at least) the standard Tower card is a tower that's been struck by lightning and is now burning with people throwing themselves out the window to escape the rising flames- and maybe you're about to say that's not all that similar, and that's fair, but I just wanted to draw parallel to the fact that Kaito didn't actually fall as he was able to grapple himself to relative safety but threw himself down the pit to protect Aoko.

Anyway there's no denying that Kaito was in danger durring Sun Halo, though the question is whether the danger is to his body or his Identity? Which one is the disaster that's being warned of in his fortune? Both? Probably both.

[tatzlyip]

To be honest it isnt really fleshed out because I just started conceptualizing it (alas i get my most interesting ideas when i am sleep deprived and dont make much sense)

Game wise though it could start out with the MC being lost in the middle of the night and come across a quiet small town. "Comes across" by i mean the MC drives on a shitty dirt road and runs over a giant moose (lumpy) and wrecks their car and has no choice but to go into this town (as there doesnt seem to be anywhere else nearby) that they definitely just killed a villager of. Could try to call police/an ambulance but theres no signal. The town looks creepy in the dark.

MC rushes in and says someone's dying and everyone thats there just looks at you weird. They don't seem concerned or frightened at all and they just brush it off. (And maybe dialogue options make you learn that you killed lumpy and some even seem relieved that you killed him)

Not sure where to go from there but generally since its night you dont meet everyone, maybe a few folks (and maybe a flippy jumpscare.. i kinda in my own headcanon assign him 'town lumberjack' because every town needs a jumberjack riight but basically dark sillhouette holding an axe scares MC but we dont actually meet flip that night and probably not for the next few days to build tension). MC finds somewhere to settle down though and optionally you can talk to whos still awake, they probably definitely say that they dont get visitors, and you can learn more about the town and its villagers/what folks think of each other, ask why theyre not horrified about that death and they give weird responses like "It happens to the best of us" and you could get swindled (raccoon bros would definitely try to immediately scam a disoriented new person)

There could be a "days" mechanic where if you stay there, the town actually looks cheery and cute the first day in direct opposition of how scary it looks in the dark. You meet the rest of the cast this time and to give the player enough time to wander and chat/look around, the only event on the first day is nightfall. Once it starts to get darker, you can meet lumpy. Hes not offended that you killed him and in lumpy fashion wanders to go do something loud while everyone is going to be trying to sleep, MC is horribly confused.

The next events would be character deaths you witness or can even do yourself, on purpose or accident. There would be the option to go out of your way to kill the villagers because they're just so indifferent to death, and they come back the next day after all. Nearly every object and thing in this game would be interactable, but there would always be a random chance that the MC could die when they mess with stuff (this sounds annoying though so i would probably make it that if you die to an object, you cant die to it again so you dont get killed 500 times by a coffee cup, and there would be an option to turn off random MC deaths. incentive for keeping the deaths in would just to see the MC die in interesting ways and maybe an achievement for getting all of the possible MC deaths.)

As more deaths happen in the town, the town gets more bloodied and dull and the villagers palettes get duller as well but they dont ever go completely gray or anything.

I think most players would think that there is a 'bad guy' or something. The rest of my thoughts would be to build tension to make the player think that flippy is the 'bad guy', Then you meet him and hes sweet and kind but definitely matches the figure holding the axe you saw earlier. which would probably make the player think "oh hes DEFINITELY pulling something".

Okay im running out of brainpower but the obvious plot would to be to reverse the curse. Considering the idol is usually connected to the curse in fan theories, Maybe in this game the storyline is that the golden idol was mishandled and shattered and thats why it placed the curse on this town, because the people of this town are so clumsy they deserve to die and shatter a million times and to relive it all over again.

So the MC would find all the shattered parts of the golden idol. However you can only do this in 2 ways, by talking to the villagers, learning more about them, probably doing some questlines and learning that they have fucked up lives, and when you're close enough to a villager/you do enough quests for them you can access their home, some shards of the idol would be in a villagers house while others are given to you as a reward for a quest maybe, or found in suspicious areas (like you can dig around in the towns graveyard and find it, there would be clues for these tho), and maybe even lifty/shifty have a "store" and they have a shard and you need to buy it off of them or trade it for something they like (which would most likely be a valuable item given as a reward from another villagers questline).

And the other way you could do the game is just by murdering the villagers, being able to break into their homes to steal the shards that are there, and threaten them to tell you where the other shards are (this could also be an option for getting the shard from lifty/shifty regardless tbh)

The quests you get would depend if its day or night, and who youre getting them from. Quests at night are more scary, quests during the day (at the start of the game) are less scary and more cartoonish but further down the questline you could put 2 and 2 together and realize the innocuous thing that you were requested for earlier could be used to do fucked up shit.

And the end of the game you work with sniffles to reassemble the idol to try to lift the curse.

htf but its like a creepy town in a horror game

[moemoemammon]

Following that "least favorite" request could we get their reactions to being to told that they're their favorite, but to not tell the other brothers so their feelings don't get hurt? Maybe because they relate to them the most or just get along really well. Thanks!

You're My Favorite! But Don't Tell the Others-

(Feat. GN!MC and the Demon Bros)

✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦

Lucifer

There are no words to explain the overwhelming satisfaction ion Lucifer’s face after you tell him that. Of course, it’s only natural that he would be your favorite, all things considered.

The Avatar of Pride won’t ever forget this moment. He carefully considers your words and agrees not to tell anyone, as much as he’d love to bring it up, because he knows more than anyone what kind of chaos would ensue should the others (especially Mammon) find out.

But they can tell something’s up when the eldest has been heard humming all day. He moves about the house with even more grace than usual, and hasn’t scowled even once.

But the REAL shocker was when Mammon tried hiding a bill right as Lucifer walked in... and the eldest let him off with a warning. A WARNING! The brothers thought the Devildom must’ve frozen over, but you and he knew different.

“MC, I would like you to accompany me to Le Pluvier this afternoon, once you've finished your studies. I've already made reservations, so be sure to get ready on time. I've made sure to consider the things you might like to eat, so I'm sure you'll enjoy yourself. Don't be late." "...I'm grinning? I don't know what you're talking about."

Mammon

The gigantic grin on Mammon’s face is so bright, it could rival the sun. You’ve seriously made his day. No, his year. Actually, he’s pretty sure he could ride this high for the next millennia! There’s nothing in this world that could dampen his spirits right now! 

He feels like he just won big at the casino! Of course he’s your favorite! He WAS your first demon, and now he’s gone and claimed his rightful spot as your number one! Good luck trying to keep him from saying anything. Mammon’s gonna throw it around in everyone’s faces for as long as he can milk it.

And you thought he was clingy before, just wait till you see how he treats you after hearing that. Despite always calling you his ‘servant’ or his ‘human’, you’d  think your roles were reversed. Mammon spoils you every chance he gets, buying you clothes and trinkets, filling the spaces in your room with the things he knows you like, monopolizing you completely until nearly everything you own is a gift from him.

Your words also help soothe that jealousy of his a little. Only a little, though. It’s easier to watch you talk to other demons when he knows he’ll always be your first man.

“Didja really have to stay after class that long? I know you were talkin' to that demon that lent you a book, but you outta ask ME for stuff! Tch... you're lucky I'm in a good mood today! But I guess I don't have to worry about some low level demon like that, seein' as I'm your favorite!"

Levi

Wait wait wait....Come again? Did you seriously just say what he think you said..? That had to be a mistake! Some kind of...uh..verbal typo! Because there’s absolutely, positively, NO WAY in all of the nine layers that he could be your favorite demon. And yet you still insist that you’re telling the truth, and Levi feels like he’s died and gone to heaven. 

Red faced and stammering up a storm, Levi looks like he might die. Is it really okay for a shut-in otaku to feel this giddy? Seriously, he hasn’t felt like this since he got his hands on a signed copy of a Ruri Hana audio drama! No no, this definitely beats that!

You’ve managed to inflate his nearly nonexistent ego, and now he feels like there’s nothing he can’t do! Maybe he could even go to Majolish right now?? THAT’S how good he’s feeling!

Almost as bad as Mammon in keeping it a secret. He doesn’t tell anyone right away, but they’re suspicious when they notice how much time he’s spending out of his room. And then when he and Mammon get in another petty argument, he drops the bomb that he’s your favorite demon in the entire Devildom, and you can guess how things go from there.

“Uuuoooo...!!!!! I've decided..! Since I've got a serious stat buff, I'm going to open a booth at the next convention coming up..! I'll sell my Ruri-chan fan art and spread her influence all over the Devildom! I'd never have the guts to do it normally, but I feel like I could do anything right now! Y-you'll go too, won't you MC?"

Satan

You nearly made this man spit tea all over his book, and now he’s coughing and spluttering and trying to figure out what could’ve prompted what he’s taking as a confession. You.. do realize what you’re saying, don’t you? And you know the kind of effect your words have on him?

Satan isn’t the type that wears his heart on his sleeve, so you have to look for his subtle expressions to tell how he’s feeling. But there’s nothing subtle about the redness of his ears and how he’s begging you not to look at him right now. For the sake of his sanity, give him a minute to recoup.

When he does recover, he agrees to keep it a secret for obvious reasons. And it’s hard to tell that he’s in a good mood, other than the fact that he hasn’t tried to pull any pranks on Lucifer lately. But Asmo sees all, and literally hounds him into spilling the tea.

He tells him a lie of course, but now the other brothers are noticing just how happy he is. Satan's smiling way too much today, isn't he? And he didn't even get mad when Beel got whipped cream on his jacket! Well, not THAT mad, anyway.

"Haaah... everyone's been harassing me all day, claiming I'm smiling a lot. I'm sure I look the same as I always do, but I'll admit that I've been happy ever since you told me that this morning. Wait.. you did think I've been grinning too, do you? I have??"

Asmo

Asmo always jokes about being your favorite and announces it as if the two of you are married, but when you actually confirm that his longing for you isn’t one sided, he ends up smearing lip balm across his cheek in shock. Did you... really say that just now? He knew it all along, but hearing it like that is just...!

Ooooh, he’s so happy he can hardly contain himself! Asmo throws his arms around you, peppering your face in kisses until you feel sticky from lip balm, wipes your face clean, then marks it up all over again. Good luck getting rid of him, because he might never let go.

Immediately posts it to Devilgram. Did you really think he’d let such a momentous occasion go unannounced? You must not have been paying attention to the kind of person he is! Asmo would put you on a pedestal in front of the world like a precious jewel if he were able, but this’ll have to do. He won’t hide his love at all!

Of course, the others don’t take too kindly to it, not that he cares. He never leaves your side, pampers you like crazy, and has even attempted to get you to move into his room. Lucifer put an immediate stop to that, though. Boo...

“I just can't get enough of you, MC! Just being near you gets me so excited that I can hardly stand it! You'll take responsibility for what you're doing to me, won't you? And in exchange, I'll take my time showing you just how much I love you. After all, you're my favorite, too!"

Beel

Beel never has a problem with choking while he eats, and it comes as naturally as breathing. Unfortunately neither of that applies right now, since you just made him choke on a meatball sub.

He usually takes your words with quiet acceptance, but this might be the most emotion you've ever witness from the stoic demon. His eyes are wider than that time that laid on an entire gingerbread mansion, sparkling up with such deep emotion you wouldn't be surprised if he cried. Instead he softens up and immediately embraces you.

...And doesn't let go. Sandwich long forgotten, he's been carrying you around all day, and ignoring any questions or protests from his brothers. Also insists on feeding you throughout the day. The food tastes better when he can enjoy it with you, so why not just bring you everywhere?

When he isn't carrying you, he's following you around subconsciously, either close up against you like a protective wall, or just far enough that you're within his line of sight. As far as not telling anyone, he... tells Belphie immediately. It was an accident though, since there's not much he keeps from his twin.

"MC, I won a meal ticket for Godevil Chocolatier. Let's get something for dessert today. Ah, you can get as much as you want, too. I really want to see what things you choose. They might become my favorites."

Belphie

There's nothing in this world that can wake Belphegor from his sleep, unless he allows it. No loud noises, no amount of shaking or smacking, and not even dragging him around the house. But the moment you whisper that he's your favorite demon, the Avatar of Sloth is wide awake.

Hey, you're not just saying weird things to get a reaction, are you? Because if so, this is a new level of cruel. Yet you confirm that you mean it and swear him into secrecy, and Belphie tries his best not to show how happy he is. A smile keeps creeping up on his face that he struggles to force down. It's annoying...

As funny as it’d be to tell everyone the news, he's good at keeping secrets. Instead, you've noticed that he's been sleeping a little less that before. When he does take one of his hundreds of naps, he finds some way to be closer to you. He's even been seen sleepwalking to your exact location somehow-

It's hard for him to believe that you're not teasing, though. How could HE be your favorite demon here? Belphie doesn't do anything special to win you over, yet after everything he put you through, you like him enough to deep him your favorite?

"You're weird, MC. I mean... me? I won't deny that I'm really happy though, but I guess I'm in disbelief. You should spoil me even more until I believe you. Lend me your lap for a few hours, okay?" "...I wonder what Lucifer would think if I told him, heheh."

[spyroid101]

So it just occurred to me in the Archie graphic novels Reala and NiGHTS do this sort of.. 'reverse' dualisation (if i'm remembering it correctly its been a while since i read them) with Elliot, Claris and that one bully kid whos name i forget where while the kids ended up in the Nightmaren's forms in Nightopia, Reala and NiGHTS took control of their human bodies in the waking world. With that in mind, would Selph try something like that in their goal to become human should he learn of it?

In my headcanon world, Dulization is indeed something ALL Nightmaren can do, even the Third Levels!

Though, with Third Level's sapience level being on par with your typical animal, Dualizing with then usually tends to be an accident that typically only lasts for a short while, before the connection is cut. (Ever have a short dream where you're a small animal like a fish, getting chased and caught by a predator, like a shark? You accidentally Dualized with a Third Level!)

But while they all CAN, not a lot of them WILL, especially these days anymore. Even if the Nightmaren ultimately has the power leverage... that's still a LOT of openness and trust you gotta give your potential prey, to just- let them merge with your heart like that... Quite a few find the process too invasive for their tastes, and choose to use the hands-off, distanced approach.

And then Wizeman started demanding large quantities of whole, undrained Ideya, and ultimately the practice become obsolete in favor of just mugging Visitors for whatever they're powerful enough to grab and booking it.

As for the Freaky Friday body flip version of Dulization from the comic, I don't headcanon that as how Dulization is intended to work... but it does occasionally happen! Only, it's more of a bug then a feature.

It kinda sometimes happens when there's a mix of the Visitor waking up, while attempting to back out mid-Dualization. It doesn't tend to last too long, and will just appear to others like the human is sleepwalking, as the whole process is... Well, it's a very disorienting, uncomfortable experience for everyone.

Including Selph when it first happened to them.

But their experiences with this are part of what forged the links in their brain, to equate Wizeman to that of a Paternal figure, rather then just a creator.

...Something that... while not entirely incorrect... was far from what they ever hoped it to be...

As for IF they would try it, if they COULD do this on command?

...They might... consider it... but ultimately probably wouldn't pull the trigger.

Casually, they wouldn't be eager to just trust and completely give up total control of their body to just... ANYONE (Who KNOWS what they'd be doing with it?!)

And if they'd found a way to make the switch permanent, like they want...

...

...Too many risks involved, and no way back if they messed up. Not every Visiter's Ideya shines the same, and they have to assume Wizeman's had to be extraordinary, back when he was human...

No. If they want to reach perfection, to become human and ascend as he did, they can't go the easy way out and hope for the best.

They need to pick and chose to collect the most perfect quality Ideya they can find, from as many visitors as they need to search through.

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

TSShorts AU

Summary: The Sanders Shorts characters all live in their own corner of the Mindscape, just hanging out and doing their own thing until Thomas summons them in his daily life. They’re indifferent towards the “more superior” Sanders Sides, although they’re a little jealous of the attention they receive from the fans.

The main group in this AU consists of:

Remy (Sleep) 🕶

He's the de facto leader, even though he doesn't really care too much about what everyone does.

Too busy taking naps, going out, and buying Starbucks.

Lattes and green tea are his go-to drinks, although he enjoys some energy drinks every once in a blue moon.

The reason he wears sunglasses all the time is because his eyes have heavy bags under them and he's self-conscious of them showing.

In his bag he carries sugar packets, some sleep aids, his wallet, his phone, and an extra pair of glasses in case his current one breaks.

Because of his accent and the fact he constantly wears shades, most people don't recognize him as Thomas. So he feels confident enough to go out in public.

Remy and Geo are best friends and they often talk cry about how Thomas never listens to them anymore.

He has the power to induce sleep on people if they're annoying him. But they just teleport home to their beds/couches.

He definitely has the "SLEEP" eyemask Thomas sells on his online store. He owns at least 20 of them.

Because of that Remy has forgiven him for past transgressions to a degree.

Magenta/Mag (Printer) 🖨

Being a printer, Magenta is made mostly of white cybernetic parts, wires, and has a slot for ink on his right hand.

He also has a slot on his back for paper to go in (and be removed if he says it's jammed)

He's pretty brash and cocky if you get on his bad side.

He doesn't like being rushed in the slightest and will get petty if people try telling him to hurry up.

Ink is like food to him, so he'll demand ink cartridges even if the person doesn't need to print such colors.

Magenta is his favorite, hence the nickname the Shorts gave him.

His aggression stems from the fact that he's often taken for granted and never thanked by Thomas for all the things he's printed for him.

So he tends to take it out on others and purposefully cause malfunctions just to annoy people who rush him.

The more he does so, the glitchier his voice becomes, and eventually he might shut down altogether and need a reboot.

He doesn’t like doing that, but he just feels so used and insecure at times.

When the Shorts learn this, they start to appreciate him more often, thanking him after he prints something and letting him know he’s doing great.

Geo (GPS) 🌐

Like Mag, Geo is made of some robotic parts as well, with a touchscreen on his chest showing the current route Thomas has set for him. It can also provide him with weather and traffic updates.

Usually he’s friendly if you listen to his directions, but he can quickly become temperamental and whiny if not.

He has fairly good judgment of distance and the environment around him, even if bring ignored does cloud such judgment from time to time.

Sometimes he’ll just keep blabbering “recalculating” or “rerouting” and make passive-aggressive remarks.

If you were to ask him nicely about the nearest location, he would happily give you the exact directions, and even escort you there if need be.

Since he’s a cyborg, he wants to make sure you get to your destination safely.

Sometimes he hangs out with Mag and Remy, as they all share a common grudge towards Thomas for not listening to them all the time.

If he's not calculating routes, his eyes are a dim blue, and they glow brighter whenever he is.

Cyrus (Sun) ☀

Like his brother Jericho, he takes a human form whenever he enters the Mindscape.

He usually wears a golden robe with white sweatpants, and oftentimes a crown that resembles the sun's corona and some gold bracelets. Basically a lot of bling.

He's also got a tattoo of the sun's rays on his chest, which glows whenever he's standing out in broad daylight. It’s the source of all of his powers.

Like Roman, Cyrus has a lot of pride in himself and likes to show off and sing about various things. Music is one of his biggest passions.

He feels envious of the attention Jericho receives, and tries to outshine (pun intended) him whenever possible..even though his brother is completely oblivious to the fact that he is more likable.

He can float in the air if he wants to and turn into a powerful celestial being made purely of light.

His powers are strong enough to blind somebody or set fires, although he refuses to use them for destructive purposes.

Occasionally, though, there are accidents but Cyrus is quick to reverse them.

For the most part, he just stays human and goes around making sure people are warm and their days are brightened up how ever possible.

Jericho (Moon) 🌕

The more laid back of the two, Jericho is pretty careless and is a total night owl.

He’s always dressed like someone who’s ready for a nap, with a dark navy robe with stars on it and black pants, as well as fuzzy white slippers that he refuses to take off.

And he also has the phases of the moon painted on his back, which glows in the moonlight. That’s the source of his powers.

In addition, he has gray spots on his arms that resemble the moon's craters. If the others stare for too long, he gets self-conscious about them and hides them.

Jericho is completely oblivious to Cyrus' jealousy of him and tends to show off his powers without even realizing it, such as casting shadows over his face and making his tattoos glow.

He gets flustered by attention and blushes whenever he receives it, saying things like “awh shucks” and “thanks!” while his brother sulks in the background.

He gets along with Remy well and, like him, can induce sleep in people. But rather than do so out of annoyance, he uses that power if he sees they’re tired and not getting rest.

Emile Picani ✏

(Note: He's not a TSShorts character but idk where else to include him)

Even though he resides in the Cartoon Therapy universe, he visits the Mindscape every so often just to hang out with the Shorts and the Sides.

He'd a very expressive therapist, with an obvious love for cartoons (to the point of making puns all the time).

When he's with the Sides, he and Patton get along best.

Often times the Shorts, especially Sleep and Cyrus & Jericho, vent about some of their problems, although they try not to burden him too much.

He reassures them it's perfectly fine.

He's always got a notepad and pencil on hand.

In his free time, Emile watches some cartoons to analyze and figure out how their messages can be incorporated into his next sessions.

The others insist he just watches them out of enjoyment, but it's a tough habit of his to break.

Unlike the Shorts, he doesn't feel any resentment towards the Sides.

Even though they have their own ways of resolving issues that don't involve sitting nor cartoons (at least sometimes), he's still proud of them.