#it....adds to it. da symbolism...

[skunkes]

tried coloring it

[eveninglakehomeworld]

so, in case you were wondering, that Nevarran Hazelnut Torte from DA: Veilguard is in fact very yummy! this is Emmrich's mother's recipe, which Lucanis makes for Rook, taken straight from the game!

recipe is transcribed as-is from the game below, with any additions/changes we made [in brackets].

CAKE: One and a half cups of sugar Two cups of finely ground toasted hazelnuts Three quarters of a cup of sifted flour Two teaspoons of baking powder (sift into flour) Eight eggs, whites & yolks separated One and a quarter cups of apricot preserves Apricot liqueur for brushing ICING: Eight ounces of chopped up dark chocolate One cup of heavy cream Pinch of salt Two tablespoons of orange liqueur or rum or strong coffee (if wanted)

INSTRUCTIONS: Beat egg yolks with sugar until thick and light yellow. Beat egg whites in fresh bowl. Mix ground hazelnuts into the egg yolk and sugar. [my partner also added a teaspoon of vanilla extract here.] Slowly add flour, then GENTLY!!! fold in egg whites. Butter and flour two eight-and-a-half-inch pans [we used 8 in.] Bake around an hour, 325 degrees. Take cans from pans, cool, split in half. Brush with apricot liqueur. Warm apricot preserves, strain out skins. [partner put skins back in a pan with the apricot liqueur before brushing it on and let it warm up a bit to cook off some of the alcohol taste bc he didn't like it lol, then he strained the skins back out again and brushed that on.] Spread preserves across cakes, then some icing, as you stack. decorate with icing and whole hazelnuts! ICING: Gently boil cream, then pour over chopped up chocolate. Add pinch of salt for taste. Stir, then let rest for 15-20 minutes to make sure it's all melted. Cool completely, then whip it up and decorate the cake. Can add in coffee or liqueur (or both) to taste. Can also add in ground hazelnuts when whipping up the icing, to add texture.

other notes:

my partner made chocolate bark for the outside of the cake. tutorial for that here! we didn't add toppings of course, just the plain chocolate.

we kind of just freestyled the decorating in general... we put some shucked hazelnuts in a plastic baggie and smashed them with a meat tenderizer to get the little pieces we sprinkled/dusted on most of the top, lmao. saw someone else make this cake and draw the mourn watch symbol on the top with icing which was v cute!! wish we'd had the time for that!!

[usagi-chwan]

Yes, I do (BSD x Reader) 2/2

🌸 Characters in this chapter: Dazai (Mafia), Ango, Ranpo and Yosano.

🌸 Spoils: knowing the background of Dazai, Ango and Yosano is more than recommended to be able to read their parts.

Ango's part is rather long, for which I clearly got carried away...

This was a request from someone else on AO3, who wanted me to add a second part to the existing one on the characters' marriages with the reader. I hope I have fulfilled my part of the bargain properly, and I wish you an excellent read! ^^

Dazai (Mafia)

- If there is one thing he could never have foreseen, despite all his talents, it was his own wedding. 

- Of all the people who nearly spit out their drinks when they heard the news, the most surprised was Dazai himself. But he could not resist the idea of living with you for the rest of his life, so... Ta-da, a wedding!

- Even though he had mountains of money at the time, he really only needed three people for this very special day (not counting the one who is marrying you, otherwise it is going to be complicated): Ango, Oda, and of course... You. The star of the show, the person who gave him a new perspective on life.

- And the person who gave him the strength to continue fighting against his existence that was so unkind to him, until he met you.

- He also taunted Chuuya for many weeks, telling him that, of course, animals were not invited to his wedding... 

- And Chuuya would simply reply that he did not necessarily want to see such a thing (and that he was not an animal, for God's sake!!). But our Chuchu cannot ignore the fact that, deep down inside, somewhere, jealousy is showing its face at hearing that this idiot Dazai is getting married... 

- Nor can he deny that he feels an immense wave of pity and compassion towards you.

~

Ango

- With his mania for doing things in the right order, it was hardly surprising that, a few years after you had become a couple, you ended up getting married. 

- For him, marriage has a very important and symbolic meaning: it is the consecration of your life as a couple, the irrefutable proof that you want to continue living together. 

- So, when he proposed to you, he was in the grip of immeasurable anguish... But when you said yes, he could have sworn he heard angels singing. 

- If he is still in the Mafia, his wedding is obviously taking place with his two closest friends, as well as your friends and family, in simple intimacy. 

- If he is gone back to work for the government, it is your relatives and his colleagues, especially his boss, who are obviously invited. 

- Without knowing whether or not he will come, Ango has also sent an invitation to Dazai, his heart full of hope but also of remorse for the past, which will not leave him alone even for such an event.

- During the ceremony, you notice that Ango is sometimes slightly distracted, with a glint of sadness in his eyes... At first, you do not really understand why; is he regretting all this? 

- But when you look at him a little more closely, you can deduce that he seems to be looking for someone among the crowd of guests... He soon returns to the present moment, however, and enjoys it as much as he can; without, it seems, having succeeded in finding the person he is looking for. 

- It is only when you are dancing that your now-husband's gaze settles on something, before he widens his eyes, followed by a gentle smile and a relieved expression.

- And, as you spin in time with the music, and find yourself face to face with that person Ango had been staring at just seconds before... You cannot help but smile in turn, as you discover a brown-haired young man, covered in bandages and dressed in a black and white suit, leaning against a wall with a glass in his hand, standing in the background. 

- His head is bowed, masking his eyes; but you can still make out the slight smile he is wearing, reminiscent of Ango's a few moments earlier. 

- A smile that is in no way inferior to the one he gives you as the music ends, followed almost immediately by a tender kiss he places on your lips, thanking you with all his being for choosing to share his life and his future.

~

Ranpo

- A wedding? Honestly, he does not really see the point: you do not need that to show you love each other, do you?

- So, obviously, the idea will not come from him, but from you. He is not against it, far from it! If it pleases you, then he will gladly play along.

- But his opinion on marriage changes dramatically when he realizes something crucial.

- It is simply a golden opportunity, giving him a ready-made, unstoppable excuse to eat sweets at will. And Ranpo has no intention of skimping on quantity, or he would not be called Ranpo.

- In fact, a good quarter of your wedding budget was spent on cakes and sweets.

- The wedding itself went off extremely well; prepared largely by you and your colleagues (notably Kunikida, for better or worse...), but also by Ranpo, who help you with enthusiasm.

- The only downside, at the end of the evening: Ranpo is slumped over in a chair, moaning in pain... Alcohol? No, far from it...! It is simply the beginnings of the aftermath of eating too much, which can only mean one thing: great wedding night ahead!

~

Yosano

- Everything is going wonderfully well, in a serene and happy atmosphere, full of laughter and joy. 

- Not to mention, of course, the moment when Yosano almost rips the head off a certain young man covered in bandages, who had the extremely good (bad) idea of coming to the wedding intoxicated with hallucinogenic mushrooms.

- Despite this little incident, everything goes on as if in a dream... A feeling all the more exacerbated when the cake is brought in.

- At that moment, Yosano cannot hold back an expression of intense surprise; the cake is indeed covered with magnificent and detailed butterflies made of sugar, a true work of art for anyone with even the slightest appreciation of beautiful things. 

- She did not order the cake, so she is not responsible for this... When she turns her head towards you, still speechless, the smile you give her says it all: you know her past, the importance of the butterfly that permanently adorns her hair, what her ability looks like... 

- In a word, you know how crucial butterflies are in her life. And to see that you have moved heaven and earth to find someone capable of creating these magnificent sugar butterflies, to see that you have willingly incorporated an extra part of her, that she did not even remember possessing, into this true symbol of marriage... 

- Finally, her last barriers were overcome, and she threw herself into your arms, thanking you in a low voice... And shedding a few tears, too, well hidden in the hollow of your shoulder.

- She never thought it possible... But you have managed to make this very special day, for both of you, even more perfect and unforgettable than it already was.

[johnniesmoke]

The Smokovichian Friendship Spiral: Art and Connection

In the grand tradition of Smokovichian innovation, the spiral overlay began to take on deeper layers of meaning as artists, philosophers, and even sociologists explored its implications. What initially appeared to be a geometric exercise—a combination of Fibonacci��s natural spiral and Smokovichian squares—revealed itself to be more than mathematics. It was, they realized, a friendship map and the very foundation of fine art.

---

The Spiral as a Friendship Map

Imagine the overlay of the Fibonacci spiral and Smokovichian squares as a map of human relationships. The spiral itself, organic and ever-expanding, represents the way friendships grow naturally. A single point—an initial connection—expands outward in curves, forming networks of mutual support and understanding. Each new friend is another layer, another turn of the spiral, infinitely widening the circle of community.

But it’s not all smooth curves. Life introduces Smokovichian squares—moments of structure, effort, and intention. These squares represent the conscious acts of friendship: the phone calls made during tough times, the intentional gatherings, the deliberate choice to support someone even when it’s inconvenient. These sharp angles, juxtaposed against the spiral’s curves, symbolize the balance between organic growth and intentional care.

Through this lens, the Smokovichian overlay teaches us that meaningful relationships aren’t purely spontaneous. Like the squares interrupting the spiral’s flow, friendship requires effort, planning, and sometimes a willingness to carve out time and space in an otherwise chaotic life.

---

The Spiral as the Foundation of Fine Art

Artists soon saw the Smokovichian spiral as more than a representation of relationships. It became a blueprint for fine art itself. The Fibonacci spiral had long been a guide for composition, found in the works of masters like Da Vinci and Van Gogh. But the overlay of Smokovichian squares added something new: intentionality within natural beauty.

Fine art, the artists argued, thrives on this balance. The Fibonacci curves provide flow and harmony, drawing the eye with effortless grace. The Smokovichian squares add tension and focus, creating moments of contrast that challenge the viewer. Together, they form a visual language that mirrors life—where beauty and effort coexist.

Painters began using the overlay to plan their compositions, dividing canvases into curved zones of emotion and squared zones of intellectual challenge. Architects incorporated it into their designs, blending the organic with the geometric. Sculptors used the overlay to shape their works, ensuring that every curve and angle reflected the balance between nature and human intention.

---

The Spiral's Legacy

As the Smokovichian Friendship Spiral gained traction, it became more than an artistic tool or a map of relationships. It became a philosophy, a way of seeing the world. Communities began using the spiral as a guide for urban planning, ensuring that neighborhoods balanced organic growth with intentional design. Teachers used it to help students understand the interplay between spontaneity and discipline. Even digital artists found inspiration in the overlay, using it to create virtual worlds that felt both natural and crafted.

But perhaps the greatest testament to the spiral’s power came in the form of human connection. People began to view their relationships as works of art, something to be nurtured with both the spontaneity of the Fibonacci spiral and the deliberate care of Smokovichian squares. Each friendship became a masterpiece, each community a gallery.

And so, the Smokovichian overlay came to represent not just evolution or geometry, but the very essence of humanity: a spiral of infinite possibility, grounded in the intentional acts that make life beautiful.

[redactedrem]

You know what? Fuck you. *Ponifies Batman*

Guys I'm so excited to share my newest project of ponifying the Batfam, it started out small with the hypothetical "I wonder what Batman would be like in a mlp universe." And then the project kept getting bigger and bigger.

If anyones interested in my world building/ headcanons surrounding this project, you can see it under the cut. (I didn't want to make the post too long.)

Incase anybody couldn't read my bad handwriting, I gotchuuu.

-(First pic) Bruce Wayne: Bruce had got his cutiemark the night of his parents death, after the grief had broken his spirit and he realized that he never wanted anypony else to feel the same pain as he does. (He has a fake cutiemark to cover up his obvious destiny)

- The first pic is pretty self explanatory, but I want to make it clear that Bruce's destiny isn't "My parents are dead so now I dress up as a bat and beat up mentally ill folk". Because I've seen people on here give hot takes on cutiemarks that directly link them to a ponies destiny.

This goes for specifically in the mlp fandom but (for the sake of being on topic) I'll use the the example of that one post where someone gave the hot take that Jason would get his cutiemark in the warehouse right before he dies (or after he dies? smthing like that) because "It would be really fucked up to know that you were always destined to die." And listen, I can appreciate some good Jason Todd whump as the next guy but knowing that this would be based in a mlp universe . . . just doesn't sit right with me.

It sounds less magical that way. Its like saying that Rainbow Dash was always meant to be the fastest flyer, so theres no point in trying to compete with her. So uhm, trying to stay on topic here. My personal hot take is that a pony's cutiemark is symbol of something that they do/ a skill or talent that they have that makes them happy. And whats a more magical and fulfilling destiny than doing something that makes you happy for the rest of your life?

Looping back to Bruce, he didn't get his cutiemark the moment his parents died, but I like to think that he got it sometime later on in the night. After hours of being checked on by the police, getting looked at by the paramedics, and after Alfred took him home. Its 1:40ish in the morning and tiny foal-Bruce is just staring at his bedroom wall feeling numb and dissociated to hell. And sometime after processing everything that night- he just decides that this is the worst thing that has ever happened to him and that he will do anything to make sure that nopony will ever feel the same pain that he has felt. And then-- Ta da!! Cutiemark!! Too bad neither he or Alfred got to experience the excitement when they both saw it the next day :')

(Edit: I didn't know where to put this detail, but Bruce's fake cutiemark is based off of the "Make It Wayne" TV logo from this fanfic here )

-(Second pic) The Bat: This is heavily inspired by Flutterbat, I know theres canonically already a race of bat ponies made from Lunas stunt as Nightmare Moon. But I chose to go through with the Flutterbat route because batponies are a race, and have bat-like features 24/7. In comparison Fluttershy maintains her pegasus appearance by day and transforms into Flutterbat at night (ALSO with there being implications that there are "Triggers" for her transformations in the day too!!) Which adds the "Vampire." right in front of her batpony title.

I might do a lil comparison chart between vampire batponies and regular batponies in the future or something. But for now I'm focusing on my batpony Bruce Wayne headcanons so yea. My point is that I felt like making Bruce a "vampire" batpony would give him a more solid secret identity with also the bonus of a really metal origin story.

Now we all know that the canonical origin story of batman is that a few months after the tragedy of his parents death, Bruce had fallen into a cave? a well? a pit? of bats and triggered a fear of bats since then. Later on he decides to become Batman so he can invoke the fear of bats he once had into the criminals of Gotham. Yadda yadda yadda.

Now canonically, we don't know the exact science on how Fluttershy turned into Flutterbat. What we do know is that at the time, pony magic is not researched enough for Twilight to be aware that Fluttershys "Stare" is her own form of pony magic and that it would interfere with Twilights spell.

Do you see where I'm getting at here? Uhmm don't ask me what exactly happened in the cave, I'm doing this for fun and thinking about it too hard makes me spiral. But uhmm something something- Bruce looked at a bat in the eye and decided to embrace his biggest fear to fuel his cause, and his already traumatized and fucked up pony magic had transformed his body- something something. (Edit: I didn't think about this until now but maybe Fluttershys "Stare" and Bruces "Bat Glare" could be a usage of the same form of magic? Just a thought)

I'll probably come up with a more suitable explanation in the future, but like I said. All of this is just for fun.

[deadlysoupy]

i cannot express just how grateful i am that the devs decided to make rook so unique, in almost all areas of the game

like, obviously it's not da origins level, because that was a miracle in of itself and might never be repeated, but it's still so commendable, especially if we fairly compare it to inquisition

because think about it. we get like, what, six or seven faction backgrounds that you get to choose, and then you get a special relationship with people inside that faction? are you fucking kidding me that's awesome. not only that, but we also get a background, we get to know what our rook did before the events of the game, and we can decide how they react to it. do they feel remorse? regret? freedom? sure, you may need to add a little bit of context yourself for some factions, but that's the fun part! you get to make a little guy and develop them in your head! you're building them in-game

not to mention the combat and skill system of the game. there're seven companions and they all have their classes, and you can pick between two styles of fighting (except for rogue i guess, kind of) and your spec ties into a faction. you feel very unique because you can just be whatever and no other companion will repeat after you (or you repeat after them)! isn't that neat!

compare that to inquisition. who tf is your inquisitor. they're literally just a Guy (gender neutral). when you pick a spec they're all the same as your companions. how is this in any way making my inquisitor stand out. they're just a vessel, an empty plot device. they walked into a room and people pushed them into being a religious leader. it literally could have been anyone else. the only interesting choice i remember from inquisition that actually made me remember that they're a person is when you talk with casssandra about whether or not you believe in god. that's it

you become a symbol in 1/3 of the game. you aren't a person, your decisions matter to the whole world now, and you can't be biased about it. the game wants you to be analytical, but it doesn't want me to act like my character, i'm basically playing a Build Your Own Empire simulator

so don't you even start telling me rook isn't interesting, or that they're nobody. they have a story, a pre-existing one, but a story nonetheless. just like hawke does. we're roleplaying a specific character, and if the game does most of the work - that's fine by me, i'll just fill in the gaps and make my rook feel richer and have interesting dynamics with the veilguard. if you can't imagine your rook in Situations, i'm so sorry for you, because i'm having so much fun with them

[xx-scene4ngel-xx]

I STILL USE THIS BLOG BTW HBFWJHBFHDJVBEFJH

anyway GUESS WHO FINALLY HAS HIS OWN REF SHEET!!1!1!1!1!1!!1!1 (again)

YIPPEE YAY!!!!! back 2 having my own looks :3

(this has been done 4 a while but we jus didnt post it bc our bluetooth keyboard stopped turning on n we can only do info writing stuff w that keyboard)

ALL THE OTHER SHIZ UNDER DA CUT!!!!!1!1!1 X3

Full name: Bugthing. Just Bugthing. I don’t remember my last name fhuesifgui

Aliases: Bug, Buggie (FRIENDS ONLY), Cordy 1 (HOSTBUG ONLY) (he calls me this bc he is buge and i control him sometimes. like cordyceps. is funny (our therapist doesn’t get it 💀))

Species: Dragon (fire) / Angel hybrid

Planet of Origination: Probably earth but idfk

Age: Somewhere between 150 and 200 (again, i really dont remember)

Height: 8’9”

Gender: Biologically female; identifies as Altersex, Dragongender (Xenogender) Pronouns: He/Him/His, Xey/Xem/Xeirs, It/Its/Itself, They/Them/Theirs. Derg/Dergem/Dergs

Sexuality: Lunian (multi-spec lesbian), Aroacespec S/O: ig Avarice counts (queerplatonic partner) (and theres also ALL our shared f/os but we do NOT have the energy to list them)

Family: None? Anymore?? I think Hostbug/HB counts here. Son Boything. Known him since he was around 10 or 12. I take care of xem

1 of 2 resident Dragon hybrid creatures in my host’s head. For a while it thought I was just it, or its fursona, but it recently realised otherwise. Pretty neat!

Just like HB, I’m an artist and fanfic author. Our whole system shares those hobbies, actually

I like to have fun :3

I’m generally a pretty nice fella, but I can get REALLY mean when I’m mad (if I say some off-colour shit to you when I’m pissed abt something unrelated, I’m so sorry). I’m super energetic and creative — I love being. I was gonna add something to that but it works as just I Like Being. Cuz I do!!!!! I LOVE being!!!!!!

I don’t remember a whole lot of stuff from before I was brought to HB’s head, but from what I do remember I know that I used to live in a pretty lush and humid place with a lotta plants and animals hanging about. There was a bigass lake nearby where I usually stayed, I swam there a lot. Now, though, I’m just chilling here in the southern US with my host and their other headmate Avarice (who I’m very much besties with, hi ava ily). We can’t do much now, because of the governments royally fucking shit up for us, as well as HB just being disabled and much less energetic than me, but we make it work.

As a Fire dragon, I do have fire magic! I never used it often, and I can’t use it at all anymore, but I still love fire. Bonfires are awesome. I also have some rudimentary Light-based magic, because Angel genetics. Pretty cool stuff right

Hex codes

Body: #FFDACC (Skin) — #E6B19D (Birthmarks / Freckles) — #FFE9E1 (Stretch marks) — #FFCBBF (Scars) — #FFB2D3 (Inner ears / Wing webbing) — #241816 (Burns) — #FFFFFF (Teeth / Talons) — #000000 (Nose) — #F3B16D (Halo) — #F9DEBF (Halo star) — #E8AD9F (Natural hair colour) — #3B62FB (Iris) — #EEF1FF (Sclera) — #610000 (Blood colour)

Tail-tip: #F05E5E — #FE7D7D — #FF9191 — #FFB6B6 — #FFC2C2

Wings: #FF8A7A (Covert feathers 1) — #FFADA1 (Covert feathers 2, front) — #FFC9C1 (Covert feathers 3, front) — #FFEBE8 (Flight feathers, front) — #ED6451 (Covert feathers 2, back) — #E44530 (Flight feathers, back) — #FFBBAD (Extra wings base) — #FFFFFF (Extra wings fade & outline)

Survivor Tattoo: #232823

Fire: #FF5C2A

Casual outfit: #494949 (Shirt) — #121212 (Bra / Socks) — #242424 (Shorts) — #E9E9E9 (Shorts drawstings & accents)

Jewellery (and glasses): #000000 & #FFFFFF (Glasses & septum piercing) — #CFCFCF (Chain / Other piercings) — #650000 (Blood in vial) — #D70001 (Pentagram earrings)

Fav outfit: #121212 (Shirt base) — #B33636 (Anarchy symbol) — #000000 (Fishnets) — #E10000 (Cuffs / Thigh straps) — #5F98FF, #FF5FD1 & #FFFFFF (Trans flag belt) — #D9D9D9 (Studded belt, including the buckle (the belt part is iridescent btw)) — #CECECE (Spikes & Thigh strap buckles) — 282828 (Skirt)

Wig: #F0F0F0 (Base) — #1A1A1A (Black raccoon-tail pattern) — #FF6E6E, #FF916E, #FFAF6E, #8BFF6E, #6EFBFF, #6E74FF, #A26EFF & #FF6EEE (Rainbow raccoon-tail patterns)

AAAAWAWAWAWAWAWWA I LUV UUUU HAV GUD DAY!!!!!1!11!1!1!!! <333333

[riftclaw]

Do you have any tips for postybirb? I downloaded it hoping to use it for tumblr and bsky but the tutorials they have aren’t up to date for the latest version so I don’t know how to post my art. Thanks!

hey, sorry this is late--i just moved into a new place, and the last week or so has been very hectic!

to get started with postybirb (i'm on 3.1.60) the first thing you want to do is click "accounts" and start logging into the accounts you want to use. some will just be logins, using postybirb as a browser, while others will ask for app access tokens (dA i think is one of the latter). once those accounts are logged in, the headers will turn green and they'll be moved to the bottom of the list.

some logins will time out periodically, and you'll need to re-login occasionally. not too difficult

when it's time to post a submission, click "Submissions" > "File" and either double click to open the browser or just drag your image in. this will add the image to a list below the upload box

The red ! symbol is letting you know you need to add some information before it can be posted to one of your sites. Click on Edit in this list to open the submission proper.

Now you fill in your information--title, rating, tags, description. Same as you would posting to tumblr or dA normally. Rating is necessary, and so is a website to post to (haha).

click on the Websites box beneath the description, and a list of all your currently active accounts will pop up. click on the boxes to enable them

Once you've done this, the account will be added to a list below the Websites box. Postybirb will warn you if you need to change any information on a site by site basis. For tumblr and dA, you shouldn't need to change anything.

Once everything's set up, you can click "Post" to send it live right away, or "Save and Close" to save the post to post later.

Save and Close is the option you want to use if you want to queue posts, much like the tumblr scheduling option.

Click on the text that says "unscheduled" and pick a date and time, save it, then the "Schedule" option will become clickable and you can add the piece to your queue.

And i think that might be all the basics you need to know to start using the program! let me know if you have any other questions

[lairofdragonagelore]

Dragon Age Iconic Patterns: The Sun

In this post I will try to extensively gather all the sun-based or sun-like imagery that we find in all the games of Dragon Age. From the most typical ones to those which may seem obscure or with a hidden allegory/design. I will qualify their resemblance with the Sun symbol as Strong, Weak or other.

This post contains the following symbols

Chantry Sunburst

Elvhenan Culture: Sun symbol among the Evanuris

Elvhenan Culture: Asterisk Symbol and Elvhenan Doors

Elvhenan Culture: Golden Ring

Elvhenan Culture: Crappy Sun

Elvhenan Culture: Elgar’nan and Sylaise

Elvhenan Culture: Murals

Tevinter Culture: Green Star

Tevinter Culture: different decorative elements

Dwarven Culture: Fairel and Dwarven art

Ferelden Culture: The Sun Face and the geometrical Sun

Grey Wardens and the Sun

Avvar and the Sun

Flemeth

Qunari, Par Vollen, and the Solium Constellation

DAO design

Free Marches Rural Areas

[This post belongs to the series “Analysis and speculation of Statues”]

[Strong] Chantry Sunburst

The most typical one that appears in DA series is the Sun or Sunburst with wavy rays, repeated so much along the games that we can identify it immediately. It’s the unequivocally symbol of the Chantry. We found it in many versions, and it represents the “dawn” with the idea of hope and “new beginnings”, but also the fire that “purified” Andraste in her pyre to let her ascend to the Maker’s side. In the posts of Andrastian Art [Andrastian Design: Stained Glasses], we also find that “balls of fire” [which can be interpreted as a Sun in another way] are shown to represent the Maker or the Faith in Him.

Andraste’s single spiked helm seems to be inspired in a single sun ray, at least this is what an illustration in the Chant of Light [book of World Of Thedas] seems to suggest.

In general, most of the representations of the Chantry Sun have 16 rays.

The same sun-like symbol appears in its Tevinter version when we see the Imperial Chantry; the only difference with the Orlesian one is that the Tevinter Sunburst has straight rays.

As a detail, in DAO, we had the typical representation of the wavy sunburst present in some strange devices of Tevinter origin, for example, the ones we found in [Brecilian ruins], while the main Church in Denerim, or in Haven, display spikes that, more than resembling a sun, look like thorns or even a thorny vine. This may be a consequence of an original plan in linking, design-wise, the chantry symbology with the thorny vines that represent the Blight or the Darkspawn [As we explained in the section “Non-mural symbol: Thorny vines” from Murals in DAI: Basics], or merely it was a limitation of the design of the game, as we know DAO suffers from.

We also know that tranquils should display this symbol on their foreheads, burnt with lyrium, but as we saw along DAO, none of them had it. Later we were informed that the devs had problems to add this mark on the npc, therefore, it was never shown until DA2. When it comes to this symbol, it is interesting to see that tranquils carry the metaphor of “a Sun burning their minds and emptying them”, which may or may not be related with Dwarves and their fear to the Sun and potential relatinship of Elgar'nar shoving a fire ball into their underground lands [More details of this concept in Deep Roads [DLC Trespasser]: Lower Walkways in particular with the codex  Torn Notebook in the Deep Roads,].

[Strong] Elvhenan Culture: Sun symbol among the Evanuris

Strangely close to the Chantry Sunburst symbol, we find the “half” sun symbol [tagged along the blog as Sun-head creature] in what we suspect was one of the ancient primordial dragon symbols that some Evanuris took over when they claimed Divinity [for more context, read Attempt to rebuild Ancient Elvhenan History]. It’s hard to say which Evanuris took control of this symbol, but we know there is a clearly sun-like symbol present in the Crossroads of the DLC [as a statue, check The Crossroads [DLC Trespasser]: Entrance] and in the Shattered Library [as an Eluvian, check  Shattered Library; Entrance and Courtyard]. With the release of the Vinyl, we also discovered and reinforced the hypothesis that this symbol belongs to or was co-opted by an Evanuris [read Speculations about the Vinyl Art for details] thanks to the image of an elf wearing a hat with that shape.

A consistent detail of this image is that it’s a half-sun with exactly 7 rays.

[Weak] Elvhenan Culture: Asterisk Symbol and Elvhenan Doors

If we extend this imagery, and check other symbols that may look similar to a sun, we find the ancient Elvhenan Doors [Elven Ancient Shard-based door], which top displays a pointy sun of 8 rays that may or may not be related to the Asterisk symbols [also related to the Titan’s core, which I talked about in the post of Murals  “The Death of a Titan”]. In the way the door gets illuminated when activated also makes us see a “circle” in it that can be loosely related to the “Golden Ring shape”. More details about this ring will be treated below.

This strange sun on the ancient door also makes us think in the Asterisk Symbol [made of 8 points], which lays at the centre of the yellow mosaic, which may be related to the core of a Titan [asterisk of 8 points too]. The link is immediate when we see that this asterisk is outlined by a shape that looks like a star or a Sun, inside a big ball with triangular-shape ends. This same symbol appears in the last Trailer of DA4, behind Solas, when he is presented like an Hermit, mysterious, apostate mage. Around this “sun” we can make out several concentric lines that may refer to a “Golden Ring”.

The Asterik symbol also appears in murals such as  “The Creation of the Veil” or “The Death of a Titan”, which allowed us to relate them with the core of a Titan and its immense power of "making real what you imagine"reinforcing the reality", but this symbol also appears in a corner of Solas’ tarot card.

The yellow mosaic also has some shapes at the four corners that may represent eluvians or something related to Mythal. In the mural of “the Temple of Mythal” from  “The actions of the Inquisitor”, we see that Solas draw a particular star of 8 points inside a door frame that resembles this “eluvian outline”, but it’s also the shape of the doors of the Temple of Mythal which represents Mythal herself in her dragon shape. All these symbols seem to reinforce the idea we explored in “The Death of a Titan”: Mythal seems to be related to the core power of a Titan represented by an asterisk that evolves into a golden ring and into a sun.

As I repeated several times in Speculations about the Vinyl Art, at times, we find some hints where stars or balls of fires [also understood as suns] are related to Mythal and Elgar’nan, making us suspect that, maybe, Mythal and Elgar’nan share a nature similar to Falon’Din and Dirthamen’s: apparently, the same creature with two different aspects from them. If this were the case, associating Mythal with the Sun would make sense, and it would also explain why, if Elgar’nan was so central in the Elvhenan culture, there are so few representations and statues of him, while Mythal overwhelms it.

[Weak] Elvhenan Culture: Golden Ring

During the last trailer of DA4, we see Solas turns into the Black Dread Wolf as a sun in the background becomes a moon [single golden circle] and later, it separates itself into concentric rings, that may or may not be related to the “Golden Ring” so deeply entangled with Elvhenan culture. Thanks to this imagery, we may relate the Sun to the Golden Ring [specially if we consider that the mural presented in Nation Art: Elvhen displays the yellow ring in a position that may be considered “the sun”, but also the "authority/power above"]

We need to remember that the Golden Ring’s presence is always associated with control, power, and occasionally to Mythal and Dirthamen. In the mural of the “zombie elves”, it’s above all of them, and due to this position, it could be interpreted like a “sun” or moon upon the controlled, zombified elves. But I’m not too convinced in this interpretation, since we already explored in posts such as: Nation Art: Elvhen, Exalted Plains: Ghilan’nain’s Grove and the Dead Hand, DLC: Jaws of Hakkon - Frostback Basin, Elvhen Tomb, Ancient Elven codices; Fen’Harel’s mountain ruins, The Crossroads [DLC Trespasser]: Elven Mountain Ruins; Vine-covered Tower, Murals in DAI: The Death of a Titan, and Speculations about the Vinyl Art that this ring was more related to control, power, or even forced change/shape in some cases. Due to its power or potential knowledge, it's also associated to Dirthamen Owl [which also could be Andruil's owl according some inconsistencies in the same Unreliable Dalish legends].

On the other hand, it’s never clear if this symbol may have morphed into a sun along the ages with the loss of memory that the Elves had throughout generations when they lost their immortality. However, I tend to consider that this Golden Ring may have changed into a Sun when it entered in contact with human groups, in the same way that I see the story of Fen'Harel gave enough context for humans to create the Maker myth based on him, potentially during the time of Halamshiral [for more details, read The Chantry and the Mythology of the Chant of Light]

This ring also appears in the last scene of DAI, when we defeat Corypheus, showing Mythal inside it, as bits of red lyrium sprout around it. This can be related to many speculations done in Speculations about the Vinyl Art, where we can conclude that another fragment/part of Mythal is still trapped in the Black City, corrupted, and contained by an immense power that may have been used before by the rest of the evanuris to control their own people.

The Golden Ring has also been seen enclosing Elven Tree Statues and Elven Orbs, implying its relationship with elvhenan power and/or Mythal’s [after all, we know that Mythal took the power from a Titan from which elvhen orbs were developed, and trees are also her symbol, according her vallaslin]. It's worth noting that the only working orb we saw in the game was Mythal’s, so far.

[Weak] Elvhenan Culture: Crappy Sun

There is also a strange symbol that I called “crappy sun” in the ancient tablet we find at the entrance and deep into the tomb of Forbidden Oasis: Solasan Temple [along this blog I’ve tagged it as “Stone in Razikale-Ceremony-style”]. It’s hard to say if it represents a sun or a breach. It may be related to a sun similar to the one of the Elven Ancient Shard-based door that, later, Tevinter co-opted to turn into the several versions of pointy suns we see in Tevinter Pre-blight ruins, [let’s remember they were not Andrastian yet, and still they had this symbology in their buildings and elements because it may have been related to ancient dragons, or taken from another elvhen symbology during the time of the Dreamers since there are some proofs, such as the Tevinter Mosaic [Invasion], that may show that Tevinter had a better relationship with elves back then].

Maybe the original symbol was related to Elgar’nan, as we see in his mosaic, where he shoves down the sun into the earth, and its rays are wavy and a bit “crappy”. If this relationship is correct, maybe what Elgar'nan shoved into the Earth to destroy the dwarves/Titans was not a sun but a breach? Again, a very unlikely hypothesis.

This “crappy sun” also has 8 rays.

[Strong] Elvhenan Culture: Elgar’nan and Sylaise

Elgar’nan’s mosaic was interpreted in the post Evanuris, and basically shows an elf shoving down a Sun of wavy rays into the Earth. It’s easy for us to relate this image to the unreliable Dalish legend of Elgar’nan [read Elgar'nan: God of Vengeance]. Elgar’nan is presented here as the son of the Sun itself, who tried to burn all life on the Land out of Jealousy, so Elgar’nan vowed vengeance against his Father’s cruelty, and his rage won against the fire of the Sun. Then, “Elgar'nan threw the sun down from the sky and buried him in a deep abyss created by the land's sorrow.”

This story can be followed later in the post Emprise du Lion: Pools of the Sun, where we find another unreliable Dalish legend claiming that this place has spring waters because it was here where Elgar’nan shoved the sun into the Earth. I also made a link to Sylaise considering the Elvhenan arenas we can see in this region, the presence of Sylaise’s Shrine, and her thirst for being always competing with someone. These details can make us suspect that this Sun could have been Sylaise [so deeply related to fire, the sun, and also as angry as Elgar’nan according the Song to Sylaise].

It’s very worth noting that these two legends, said by different clans, claim that Elgar’nan pushed the Sun into the Abyss. Another detail we have to assume is that "Abyss", "Beyond the Deep Roads" and "The Void" seem to be one thing related to the places where the Titan sleep [or even inside the Titan themselves] instead of a strange dimensional pocket we never saw before. This links the Elvhenan with the Dwarven in what we speculated in Murals in DAI: The Death of a Titan.

With this relationship, we see again the Sun as a weapon of destruction and control.

[Weak] Elvhenan Culture: Murals

Murals present a red sphere with rays that may imply a Sun .

In the mural “The Creation of the Veil” [1], we find a red sphere inside a black one, making us suspect it’s the big evil released by the Evanuris that Solas isolated with the creation of the Veil. Around it, there are seven “bubbles” with similar “rays” in grey and golden colours that may imply “gates” that would allow us the access to the central “sun” or red sphere.

In the mural “The Death of a Titan” [2] we talked extensively about the asterisk symbol, its representation of a Titan’s heart and all that power associated with it, as well as with Golden Rings. The codex in here speaks of a red sphere that contains fury, and maybe all of this can be related to a sun, or better said, the other way around: a Sun as a sphere of fire, related to fury, and buried below underground to contain its destruction. This also brings us some similarities with the unreliable Dalish legends about Elgar'nan.

In the mural  “Red Lyrium Idol” [3] we also commented how the image looks as if Solas were walking on a sphere of fire. It may be related to the red lyrium idol too. Here, we keep linking this idea of a “sphere of fire” as a potential Sun.

In the murals of “The actions of the Inquisitor” [4], we see several times that the red sphere associated with the big evil isolated behind the thick, impenetrable barrier of the Black City seems to be positioned in places that may allow a soft interpretation as a “sun”in the sky.

These symbols seem to gather more importance as we analysed the Vinyl Art, where we find the concept of the Eclipse [as an ominous symbol of Fen’Harel that covers and hides the Sun] and a lot of iconography of stars, which can be interpreted as “suns”.

[Weak] Tevinter Culture: Green Star

Pre-Blight Tevinter art has a “star” symbol that may be interpreted as a sun, specially if we consider that the inside of this green star displays the symbol of the elvhenan Golden Ring in red colour. However, it seems more likely to be a symbol representing the power that one can extract from the Breaches. The green colour helps in this interpretation and puts it a bit farther away from a sun interpretation than other symbols. However, it keeps linking the Golden Ring with the power of creating a Breach.

[Confusing] Tevinter Culture: different decorative elements

The rest of the symbols in Tevinter objects may have some relationship with the Sun. For example, we find doors, boxes, and columns decorated with an 8-pointed star [1] but we also find another one with 6 points in something that looks like a box [2]. The shape of an “hexagonal” sun of 8-pointy rays can be found as well in objects like the “scrying orb” [4].

Among the outfits, we find a 3-ray comb used by Tevinter women [3], which may be related to the sun-based symbol of an Old God [and potentially related to the corresponding Evanuris associated with it]. This symbol is a lot closer to the "Sun-head creature" we found among Elvhenan objects.

As a curious one, I will always point out the strange, hidden Sun figure that belongs to the Free Marches decoration that can be found at the entrance of the Inner Sanctum in Western Approach: The Still Ruins, Viridis Walk and Inner Sanctum.

I think it’s clear and safe to say that most of the sun-based symbols present in Tevinter culture [and previous to their conversion to Andrastian religion] may have been originated from the contact with the Elvhenan [during the Dreamer time where we can see less repulsion to Elvhen according the Tevinter Mosaics] or [most likely] with the dragons that may have been related to the Elvhenan, as I made the connection in the comic post The Missing.

[Weak] Dwarven Culture: Fairel and Dwarven art

The Dwarves, at least the ones in the Fairel’s ruins, may have some link with the Sun as well. In these ruins we find the same exact stone tablet we find in the Ancient Elvhenan tombs [1], which displays the “crappy sun” I commented above. Once again, it could be a sun but also a breach, so there is no much sense to keep focusing on it.

Another symbol to relate the Sun to the Dwarves may or may not be an old “Dwarven stone-paintings” we saw since DAO, which basically shows a dwarf working the stone [3]. Based on symmetry, we could assume that the triangles on the background are stalagmites, but if we stretch-out this interpretation, they could even be seen as a sun with its rays. It’s very unlikely, since it seems to be more a design resource to highlight the scene of the stone-painting, but for completion’s sake I think it’s worthy to keep it commented here.

However, this simple design allows us to interpret it in different ways: the spikes we see can be pieces of rock protruding from the ground and the Dwarf in it is mining them [as its original codex in DAO seems to imply], but also it could be understood as a quarter of a Sun peeking through the corner of the image as a Dwarf works tirelessly.

Later in DAI we are introduced to another piece of art of similar characteristics [2]. The building was never possible to be identified unequivocally, and in posts like “Architecture of Kirkwall : Gallows and Lowtown/Darktown” I related it to representations of Kirkwall or cities that may be similar to Kirkwall where the runecraft mastery of dwarves was used [and probably, it was a source of pride for these clans, who may have kept the achievement immortalised in a piece of art reproduced among the noble dwarven families]. This piece also shows a background very similar to the one in [3] that may be a representation of stalagmites or a sun, if it’s stretched-out enough.

Another strange symbol in the dwarven furniture is the one presented in some stone-seats: an elaborated metal image that shows thorny vines on or over a sun [4]. This symbol appears in many other parts of the game where there are dwarven rooms, but also in Arbor Wilds :Cradle of Sulevin where we can read the Vir Tanadhal, However, in this case, the symbol is not completely the same one than in the Hissing Wastes: Fairel tomb.

It’s hard to suspect if this is a mere reuse of assets, it has a lore-related meaning, or it’s just a reflection that the Dwarves and the Ancient Elvhen had a relationship quite ancient [as it shows the Elvhen tree and its dwarven, more geometrical style, that I’ve been pointing out since DAO in Orzammar]. We have to remember that the Ancient Elvhenan saw the dwarves as soulless creatures, workers of the “pillars of Earth” and worthless. However, I always claimed it was never clear if this was a reference to ancient Dwarves that were linked to the Titan deeply to the point that they became Sha-Brytol after the break of the link, or were related to more independent dwarves as the ones we see now, who have a sense of Stone, but can’t understand the Titan with the exception of some gifted ones [such as Valta].

Finally, the dwarves have an additional aspect related to the Sun in the very unreliable codex called Torn Notebook in the Deep Roads, Section 2. I wrote about this codex in a more integral way in Deep Roads [DLC Trespasser]: Lower Walkways. But basically an ex-Dalish elf [now a Qun converted] relates Elgar’nan’s fire [which another unreliable Dalish legend, Elgar'nan: God of Vengeance, claims he shoved the Sun into the Earth] to the fear to the Sun that Dwarves experience [Read the section Elgar’nan and Sylaise above]. This may have been a Dev’s choice to makes us aware that there exists a relationship between the Sun and the dwarves, even though there is no lore material that can make it clear enough.

[Strong] Ferelden Culture: The Sun Face and the geometrical Sun

In the Tryptich presented in Andrastian Design: Tapestry and Tryptich, we find three symbols on top of each part of the scene: the six-snakes that represent Tevinter, the golden city above all the image representing the Maker or the Chantry Religion, and over the section of Ferelden/Orlais chantry, a 8-pointed sun which rays look like triangles. Once again, the resemblance of this symbol with the elvhenan sun in the mural “Temple of Mythal” is remarkable [check the Temple of Mythal in “The actions of the Inquisitor”] or the sun shape in the elvhenan yellow mosaic or in the background of Solas in the Trailer of DA:D. This could come from different roots:

1- An Orlesian root, considering how much of the elvhenan influence it had during the time of the Halamshiral and the coexistence of humans and elves in the Dales for some years [to the point where inter-racial families were made, as it was hinted all over the Exalted Plains]. I spoeculated how the idea of the Maker may have been developed during this time in the post The Chantry and the Mythology of the Chant of Light

2- Another potential root is related to the Alamarri root, and therefore, linked to the Avvar: this sun may be a representation of the Lady of the Sky for the same reasons I will explain below in the Section Avvars and the Sun.

We can find similar icon in the book World of Thedas, where they show a unique Ferelden Tryptich [3], which top displays this symbol with a sun that even may have a shape of a Golden Ring within it. In either case, we know that this symbol later was part of the Ferelden Chantry, which sun is very pointy, as DAO showed it [see the first section in this post: Chantry Sunburst].

In DAI, we find in some small towns of Ferelden, a unique strange Sun with a crying face [1]. On it we see a bird and a squirrel. It’s hard to know exactly what this is, [check the post Nation Art: Ferelden], but maybe it can be understood as a representation of Andraste made by Ferelden culture mixed with some local animals and fables created as a mixture of cultures, similar to the tale that related Wyverns to Andraste [check the wyvern section in Dragon Age Iconic Patterns: The single spike].

There is also a fish drawn in the DLC of Hakkon on a fisherman shack [2], which displays a pattern that can be related to the “crappy sun” designs on its skin. Not sure what to make about it. The closest is that the Avvar represented this symbol as a way to reflect what they may have seen in the Isle of the Lady, where a big ancient breach have been there, open, since the time of Telana [read about this in “The Veil and the preservation of the Waking World” from the post Frostback Basin [DLC]: Miscellaneous ].

[Strong] Grey Wardens and the Sun

The typical symbol of the Grey Wardens involves a chalice that represents the Joining ritual. It always displays a Sun, and not any sun: it’s one with a strong resemblance to the Sunburst of the Chantry. Let’s remember that the Grey Wardens was and is an independent Order that doesn’t respond to the Chantry, and even more so: it was created before the existence of the Chantry, and before Andraste was born. So any quick explanation that this sun is present in this object due to some potential influence from the Chantry seem unlikely.

However, as I showed in Western Approach: The Still Ruins, Main Chamber and Hall of Silence, there are griffons with this same chalice that belonged to pre-Blight Tevinter, maybe remotely associated with Dumat in some ways [since they appear in a hall called “Hall of Silence”, and Dumat=Silence]. We know that the Joining, as a ritual of blood magic, came from the knowledge of Arlathan elves and Tevinter Mages during the desperate times of the First Blight when nothing seemed to stop the darkspawn and even slaying Dumat did not work the first time. Therefore, this Sun may have some relationship with the elvhenan, the Old Gods, or just the blood magic that allowed the creation of the Joining.

[Curious] Avvar and the Sun

The Avvar have a symbol that I always found very Sun-like due to its design and cultural concept: The Lady of the Sky. It’s not only the concept; the lady of the sky can be any important object in the sky; moons or suns. Since Thedas has two moons, it seems more plausible to think of her as unique as the Sun itself.

In the painting that represents her (found on a wall in the Frostback Mountains) we see a design of an owl which shape looks like a Sun. Even her sculpture in Skyhold displays small spikes around her neck which give her a low-key “sun-like” design, specially if we relate this shape with the “sun” shape we saw in the Ancient Elvhenan Yellow Mosaic or with the star we saw in the “Temple of Mythal” mural [in “The actions of the Inquisitor”] or with the Sun that appears behind Solas in the trailer.

Curiously, her banner displays her eyes in a shape that looks similar to the Golden Ring shape, but in black colour. That the Avvar have an art that may have resemblance with Elvhenan's is not strange for me if we remember that  Tyrdda Bright-Axe Path’s story narrates that her lover was an elf that, as it is hinted, may have been the Lady of the Sky herself. This means that the Avvar always were a culture under the influence of the Elvhenan and the Dwarves [due to the marriages they arranged with the children of the Stone].

[Weak] Flemeth

Flemeth also had a unique concept art that shows all of her nature in one drawing: her dragon shape, Mythal, as the central part of it over a human figure that may be a petitioner; a bit aside and as if she were in a inner ring of a brown sphere, The Witch of the Wild: Flemeth, with a very particular staff inside a yellow circle that may be interpreted as a Sun. And very hidden in the corner, in the core of this sphere, now black, we see her as an "old, old woman" with a big eye drawn on her apron, at the edge of a cliff [potentially representing the fragment of Mythal that lives inside her]. This kind of eye is very similar to the ones that we see in the concept art armours of Mythal’s temple guardians. I assume it has to do with her omnipresence due to the manipulation of dreams [we know that she presented herself in dreams to an elf and marked him with the Vallaslin of Mythal after awakening, check the video]

Mythal also has bland hints related to Elgar’nan symbology, which is related to the sun, fire, and balls of fire with anger [check all this in the posts Speculations about the Vinyl Art and “The Death of a Titan”]. Flemeth ends up being related to all this since she carries a fragment of Mythal in her.

[Strong] Qunari, Par Vollen, and the Solium Constellation

The Qunari have little link with the Sun, but not the land they conquered. In the book World of Thedas we are informed about the existence of the Fex, a race we never saw nor had much information beyond the fact that they exist. May they be related to the Sun or a Sun-base proto religion? We don't know.

In the Codex Constellation: Solium, we learn that this constellation [which looks like a Sun/Star, image above, pretty similar to the Chantry Sunburst I may add] may have been a representation of the Sun or the Moon [or both] for the Neomerian [Ancient Tevinters], however, it could also represent Elgar’nan, since unreliable Dalish legends claim him to be the “eldest of the Sun”.

Another Codex, called  The Pyramids of Par Vollen, tells us that the Jungles of this continent have ancient ruins that doesn’t seem to be tombs but places of scientific purposes. The shape of these ruins fits perfectly with the constellation of Solium, making them, in some way or another, related to the Sun. These pyramids are a great mystery in the DA lore, especially for their total lack of information beyond this codex. We know their walls show images of “intricate sea creatures, shipwrights, musicians, archers, and kings. Odd figures are depicted, tall, horned, always in a position of authority and respect.” It seems that there was no resistance when the Qunari came to conquer this place, so we can suspect that this previous civilization embraced the Qun without much resistance, in part, because the Qunari have horns, and that caused respect and authority. Or the civilisation had been gone long ago when they came. Or it was a civilisation that was developed by or under the authority of the Kossith, the ancient Qunari who had no Qun.

The brief description of these ruins also makes me link it, potentially, with the underground ruins we find in  The Horror of Hormak .

[Confusing] DAO design

This section tries to relate the Sun shape with designs that may make the connection a bit stretched or not truly reasonable, therefore, DAO leads this part, lol.

We find that many places along the game, specially the ones related to puzzles [Honnleath and Enchanter Wilhelm’s basement] or to Tevinter experiments [Ruins of Brecilian Forest] display a platform on the ground with a symbol similar to the Sunburst of the Chantry. I’m not sure why they are there, specially in the Brecilian Forest, since we know this was a fortress probably developed by Tevinter [ which potentially may have co-opted, as usual, an ancient Elvhenan building and claimed it as its own] just to be taken by Dalish and humans later. This Fortress is a mess in terms of design and statues that it displays, so it’s hard, if not impossible, to truly take it seriously. To me it all feels more like a reuse of graphical resources, but just for the sake of completion, I add the present section.

More of these sun-like platforms can be found in the Tower of the Circle of Magi [which could potentially make sense since the tower was made by Avvar and Dwarves, and it may be a representation of the Lady of the Sky, as we saw in the Avvar section of this post] but also in the Temple of Andraste or in Denerim at the Fort Drakon which makes less sense [unless it is taken as a symbol from the Chantry itself]. Again, these inconsistencies make me suspect the reuse of assets in a game that could not afford to have 5 different platforms designs.

[Confusing] Free Marches Rural Areas

Another place where I found a sun-like symbol was in a very disturbing image of the book World of Thedas associated with a cautionary tale told to Free Marches kids. In it, we see that people/children are punished if they go outside a bubble of darkness with small “sun-like” symbols floating around. Each of these kids have a symbol on their belly or head. Curiously, one of these symbols is a small spiral that I’ve brought the attention upon long ago in the post Hinterlands: Statues, paintings, and structures found in the open where we found the alamarri statue I called Eroded dragon skull which has a “G symbol” on its back, which, at the same time, seems similar to the one present in a reiterative way all over the elvhen artefacts and in some dwarven rug designs.

I don't know how to interpret this image, mostly like the big black bubble that contains these klids seems to protect or shield them from the dangers outside. The kids that "behave badly" are dropped outside of it and are consumed by the dragon fire/jaws of the dangers outside. So in a very stretched way, we can interpret this image that the bubble filled with Suns protects people, or at least, it's the right path to follow not to be eaten by those monsters outside.

Conclusions

To put an end to this post, I would like to bring a short conclusion that we may have reached together along it. The Sun in Thedas is an ancient symbol that mostly every culture took to exploit and use in their own representation of gods/power.

This fact alone is not strange, since in anthropology we can see that severals cultures on Earth have developed religious rites or created Gods out of the Sun itself. The Sun is a symbol related to warmth, light, food, life, and security, so it seems reasonable for DA Lore to take it as the main symbol of Thedas civilisations.

The Sun in current Thedas is immediately associated with the Chantry and Andraste: it is a symbol of hope, of dawn, that provide the idea of new beginnings; it’s also the idea of the Maker itself and the Faith people have in him. It's also the fire that purifies in order to grant ascension [Andraste's case].

When it comes to Elvhenan, the Sun is immediately related to Elgar’nan, who was considered, according to the underaliable Dalish legends, the son of the Sun itself, who in order to save the Land shoved the sun into the ground, potentially causing a great damage to Dwarves and Titans.

There is also a symbol of a half-sun in an Eluvian, a statue, and in a hat worn by an elf, that may suggest that an original god, represented by the sun [potentially an ancient Dragon] was worshipped by the Evanuris. Lately, that symbol may have been co-opted by one of the Evanuris when they took divinity and the identity of the ancient gods they worshiped.

Elvhenan also seem to take the symbol of the asterisk as an oversimplification of the Sun, which across the murals, is also related to the heart of Titans, to power, and to the Golden Ring, which is also associated with control. So, for Elvhenan, we may suggest that the Sun represents immense power, if not, Divinity itself, that may end up being related to the core of Titans. The asterisk is also associated to the orb, a big power object.

Since Elvhenan were the first civilisation we know that started in Thedas [besides the Titans and their children], their symbols of power [asterisk, orb, golden ring] may have evolved along time to reach human groups which developed, later, all the sun symbols that ended up in the Chantry’s.

Thanks to Tevinter, we also can suspect that the Sun may have been a representation of an Old God, since they have a lot of sun-related images in their decoration and objects that belong to ancient times in which they were not Andrastian yet [in fact, so ancient times that Andraste herself was not born yet]. This may mean that the Sun symbol cloud have been taken from the Elvhenan or from the Ancient Dragons. Through Tevinter style, we also realise that the Elvhenan Golden Ring may have been used to create Breaches, which again shows and seems consistent with the idea of relating it to power and control. The symbol of Sun in Tevinter culture may be related originally with Elvhenan or with Ancient Dragons that Tevinter used to worship.

Dwarves have little representation of the sun for obvious reasons, but due to the unreliable legend of Elgar’nan and the war with the Titans, we may establish a relationship in which the dwarves endured the Sun [or the Elvhenan power] at some point in their story.

Thanks to the Grey Warden we can relate a sun with the idea of ancient Blood magic or ancient Dragon blood knowledge, since the Joining is represented by a chalice with a Sun on it.

The Avvar also have a low-key representation of the Sun in their Lady of the Sky, which may be just consequence of their deep relationship with the Elvhenan culture.

Par Vollen may have more answers about the Sun and ancient times, but the lore of DA world is very scarce on this region of the map of Thedas, so we can only speculate.

[bnhaobservation]

From your last response post, you mentioned how Todoroki telling Midoriya to not butt in could be flaw in todoroki’s philosophy about getting involved and while I do agree I also think he was right in telling Midoriya about it being a delicate situation. Midoriya tends to rush into things without a plan sometimes, and that was a point Sir Nighteye tried to make but I’m not sure if it stuck around. Though it’s an interesting situation since Todoroki himself lost a parent (for a decade) because of his father’s heroism.

Yes and no.

Let's go with order. For start, to help others follow the discussion I'll say the post you're referring is this one.

Now... I don't think Shouto telling Midoriya he shouldn't butt in is a flaw to Shouto's phylosophy, I think that's the typical mindsetting Japanese people are educated to have.

Todoroki Shōto ‘Omae ga soitsu o dōshitee no ka shiranēkedo, DELICATE na hanashi ni anma ZUKEZUKE kubi tsukkomu no mo ARE da zo. Sō iu no ki ni sezu bukkowashite kurukarana, omae igaito.’ 轟焦凍「お前がそいつをどうしてえのか知らねえけど、デリケートな話にあんまズケズケ首突っ込むのもアレだぞ。そういうの気にせずぶっ壊してくるからな、お前意外と。」 Todoroki Shōto “I don't know what you want to do with him, but sticking your head into sensitive matters like that is a bit weird. You're surprisingly good at not worrying about that and just breaking through it.”

In the anime it's shown Shouto is talking about how Midoriya told him that his fire Quirk was also his power, which is the sentence that basically saved Shouto.

Yet Midoriya shouldn't have done it. It's not just because ultimately it lead Midoriya to lose but because Midoriya shouldn't have butt in.

You don't butt in into other people's business, is very rude... and by extension this applies also to things like domestic disputes in which the husband beats the wife or his children, which are considered private family business in whcih one shouldn't butt in, or kids of five wandering alone on the streets.

No, I'm not exaggerating, in the past people turned their eyes away from abuse BECAUSE IT WAS RUDE TO NOSE INTO ANOTHER FAMILY'S BUSINESS.

We might agree or disagree as we come from different cultures but this is what Shouto was taught, that he shouldn't nose into other people's business and that people wouldn't nose into his own. That they're all 'delicate situations'.

So his warning to Midoriya is basic social behaviour, Midoriya shouldn't butt in, the situation is delicate he shouldn't intrude, it's not his place to act.

The story however goes against this basicl rule of social behaviour, claiming a Hero is someone who's always ready to help even when it's not asked for...

...and uses Midoriya as the symbol of all this right from the start, when Midoriya jumps in to save Bakugou.

Note how Midoriya will be scolded for it, with good reasons I might add as he had no chance to save Bakugou and only risked to get himself in troubles.

However All Might will praise him instead, claiming his acting without thinking in order to help another was proof he could be a Hero.

As for Nighteye are you referring to this scene?

Note how the story will later remark Midoriya and Togata should have tried to save Eri.

So the story doesn't really want us to think it's wrong for Midoriya to butt in even if the matter is delicate, even if butting in might kill him. It's against common behaviour but it's the mark of a Hero. The story approves of this, it approves it even when Midoriya decides to nose into Tomura's past even if the latter doesn't want him to.

Yes, the story points out the downside of this too, how, in the fight against Shouto, this leads Midoriya to lose the match, how this can lead to him taking serious risks but when all is said and done, in the story the mark of a Hero is acting without thinking to help others in need.

This is one of the themes.

Of course if we bring Shouto's sentence out of a Japanese contest Kouta's situation is still DELICATE in many culture, not just because it's a private issue but because it's a delicate topic as it involves Kouta's mourning so Midoriya should approach the topic with caution and respect.

And if we bring Midoriya's actions out of the story, his rushing into things in real life would cause more harm than good 9 cases out of 10 as Midoriya might be well meaning but he's just a teen who's hardly prepared for such things but well, this is a story so in the end Midoriya's instinct to rush him into things hardly happens to cause negative consequences (it only happens when he ends up weakening Tomura so that AFO can take control of him in chap 418...) and generally, one way or another, helps things (his rushing to save Bakugou inspired All Might to help Bakugou, his rushing to save Uraraka is what made him pass the U.A. exam, his rushing to help All Might agains Tomura distracted Tomura and gave U.A. teacher time enough to save them, his rushing to help Shouto, saved Shouto, his rushing to help Iida saved Iida and so on...).

Sorry for the long rambling, to sum it up, on a general line I would agree with you that Midoriya shouldn't rush into things especially when they touch delicate topics... but, if I'm reading the story correctly, this is not what the story truly wants us to think.

I might be wrong of course, as I'm not Horikoshi but just a person.

Still thank you for your ask!

[isobug]

Xum Flag Templates ( .PSD, Triangles and Stripes )

Flag templates for the Xum- prefix, remade by hand into 5000x3000px with each element separated out into it's own labeled layer so ease of editing. Original flag formats from here.

The Xum symbol ( colored triangles ) on the first flag is isolated if you need to add it to another flag, reposition it, or use it on it's own.

You can click the post content source link to find them or manually go to isobug on DA and and search "Xum" to download the files.

Free for anyone to use anywhere, credit not needed but a tag is always appreciated. This was posted from Bug's drafts. If there are any mistakes please let me know so we can correct them.

[midorisudachi]

“The Inquisitor And Her Commander”

As some of you may have noticed, I am a huge fan of the Dragon Age games, especially Dragon Age Inquisition. Last year, I had planned on drawing all the main [playable] characters up until Dragon Age Day (which took place on December 4th), but I just didn’t have time to draw more than three characters (the Inquisitor, Solas, & Varric…please check them out in my gallery) due to being busy with work and other things. I’ll eventually draw the other characters when I gather more motivation to do so.

For now, please enjoy this piece. I hope everybody likes this. I worked very hard on this artwork. It took longer than usual to create, due to all the small details, the poses, & the armour. (Armour is not easy to draw for me!) For those of you who are DAI fans, you may recognize the flowers: Crystal Grace on the bottom and Andraste’s Grace on the top. I know Andraste’s Grace is not in DAI, but I thought it would be pretty to add to the artwork (since it technically exists in the Thedas world).

 My OC Inquisitor is named Bryony Trevelyan. She is actually my 2nd Inquisitor character, the first one having been an elf (which I may draw someday). I had been playing DAI for the 3rd time, a few months ago, as a male character (since I wanted him to be in a romance with Dorian, so yes, my male Inquisitor is gay), but I stopped for a bit since I am playing Skyrim at the moment (with updates & mods). Anyway, back on the main subject: I drew Inquisitor Bryony Trevelyan in the Armor of the Dragon Hunter outfit (from the Jaws of Hakkon DLC), which I had altered the colours by tinting it with Veil Quartz. I based her crown from concept art for DAI. So much armour in the game! Which I love, especially since the DA games don’t give female characters the stereotypical skimpy outfits…I love that I get to make my female characters wear bad-ass armour.

Cullen Rutherford is such an adorable and slightly awkward character around my Inquisitor. I knew I had to romance him right away, because his looks are the type of man I am attracted to in real life. (I’m not going to lie…in the game, he’s hot for a video game character. Ha ha!) I’ve always enjoyed the flirting in the DA games when it comes to the relationships. The best scene was right before their first kiss, when Cullen got interrupted by a member of the Inquisition, and then got mad about it. Ha ha. I liked when my Inquisitor asked Cullen, “The day you kissed me on the battlements…how long had you wanted to do that?” And Cullen replied (with a laugh), “Longer that I should admit.” Awwwww.

I also liked the part in the Winter Palace, when all these people were flirting with Cullen, and one asked him, “Are you married, Commander?” And Cullen replied, “Not yet, but I am…already taken.” Double awwww, because a loyal man is so dreamy. :3 I actually had Bryony & Cullen get married in the last DLC. :3 They adopt a Mabari (dog), too!

I love DAI too much. :D It’s such a fun game with the most gorgeous graphics (especially on the Xbox Series X).

Drawn with Sakura Pigma Micron pens, then coloured in with a mixture of Copic Markers & Ohuhu Markers. I used Koi Watercolours for the background. White accents done with both a gel pen and white watercolour. Gold acrylic was used for the Inquisition Symbol & the lines, which the scanner absolutely murders...the gold is such a pretty, shimmery metallic in real life. The light green around my art was done in Photoshop Elements.

Dragon Age Inquisition © Bioware & Electronic Arts

Fan artwork © Jacqueline E. McNeese

[artzonestuff]

Differences Between the Southern and Northern Renaissance: A Study Through Jan van Eyck's "Portrait of a Man" (self portrait?)"

Written by ArtZoneStuff, 2024

The Renaissance, a period of cultural rebirth and revival of classical learning, manifested differently in the southern and northern regions of Europe. While both regions shared a common interest in humanism, art, and science, the way these ideas were expressed varied significantly due to differing cultural, social, and economic contexts.

The Southern Renaissance, centered in Italy, emphasized classical antiquity, proportion, perspective, and human anatomy. Artists like Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519), Michelangelo (1475-1564), and Raphael (1483-1520) focused on idealized beauty, harmony, and balanced compositions.

In contrast, the Northern Renaissance, which flourished in regions such as the Netherlands, Germany, and Flanders, focused more on meticulous detail, naturalism, and domestic interiors. Northern artists like Jan van Eyck (1390-1441), Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528), and Hieronymus Bosch (?-1516) were known for their detailed and realistic depictions of nature, landscapes, and everyday life. Their work often contained rich symbolism and a focus on surface textures and fine details.

Jan Van Eyck's self portrait

Jan van Eyck's "Portrait of a Man" (Appendix 1), also known as his Self-Portrait from 1433, is a small-scale Dutch portrait measuring 25.9 x 33.1 cm (Google Arts and Culture, n.d.). The man in the painting emerges from a dark background, with his body depicted in three-quarter view. On his head, he wears a red chaperon, often mistaken for a turban, styled upward rather than hanging down (Nash, 2008, p.154). His dark fur-lined garment resembles the attire in "The Arnolfini Portrait" (Appendix 2), indicative of wealth during an era when textiles were extremely costly (ArtUK, 2019). His detailed face features a faint stubble, white highlights in his eyes and on his cheekbones, non-idealized features such as wrinkles and veins on his forehead, showcasing the Northern realism (Hall, 2014, p.44).

As described by the English art historian James Hall, the painting appears almost fleeting and alive - with the gaze seeming to capture the viewer before the face, and just like that, the penetrating stare turns away, perhaps followed by the light streaming from the right (Hall, 2014, p.43). The portrait conveys that the artist scrutinizes everything closely, including himself, without losing sight of the bigger picture (Hall, 2014, p.43). All these naturalistic details clearly indicate a Flemish painting.

The work is considered a self-portrait due to the frame. Jan van Eyck often used frames he designed and painted to enhance understanding and add meaning to his works (Hall, 2014, p.43; The National Gallery, 2021, 4:45-5.15). The gilded original frame of "Portrait of a Man" is crucial for interpreting the piece. Inscribed at the top of the frame is Jan van Eyck’s motto: "Als Ich can," translated to English: "As I can." At the bottom is his signature, and the date in Roman numerals: October 21, and in Arabic numerals, the year 1433. This results in the inscription: "Jan van Eyck made me on October 21, 1433" (Hall, 2014, p.43). He capitalizes the "I" in "Ich," playing on the pun Ich/Eyck. The motto can be interpreted as either boastful, "As I can," or modest, "As best as I can" (Hall, 2014, p.43).

The inscription highlights the relationship between words and image, indicating his awareness of his talent. His skill in painting surpasses that of a craftsman, which painters in this period was considered as. "As I can" suggests he is the only one capable of achieving such stylistic naturalism which cannot be imitated (The National Gallery, 2021, 5:10-5:58). "Jan van Eyck made me" also reflects a high degree of self-awareness, as he claims a painting of this quality, emphasizing that he created it and is conscious of his own abilities (The National Gallery, 2021, 5:10-5:58). All of this, along with his signing of his works as one of the first artists to do so, demonstrates a desire not to remain an anonymous craftsman (Hall, 2014, p.43; Farmer, 1968, p.159; Blunt, 1962).

The motto "Als Ich can" appears on several of his works, but the self-portrait is the only one where it is so prominent and clear. Additionally, the motto is placed at the top of the frame, where he would usually write the model’s name, thus, the motto can be seen as the model's identity (The National Gallery, 2021, 5:15-6:25). This, along with his direct gaze at the viewer, suggesting it was painted from a mirror, are the strongest indicators that the portrait is a self-portrait (Hall, 2014, p.43).

However, this can be taken with some skepticism, as other portraits by him, such as "Portrait of Margaret van Eyck" (Appendix 3) and "Portrait of Jan De Leeuw" (Appendix 4), share the same penetrating gaze (Pächt, 1994, p.107). This might instead indicate his realism, where the painter’s position does not function as an observer but rather takes an active role. The model’s direct gaze towards the viewer shows that the model has looked at Jan Van Eyck. This shows Jan Van Eyck possessing an active role, which was very different from painters in this period, and by doing so, creating a new respect for the painter as an artist, again showcasing his self-awareness of his position and talent (Pächt, 1994, pp.106-108).

Literature

Books and Journals:

Hall, James (2014). The self-portrait, a cultural history. London: Thames & Hudson Ltd 

Nash, Susie (2008). Northeren Renaissance Art. New York: Oxford University Press.

Blunt, Anthony (1962). The Social Position of the Artist. Artistic Theory in Italy, 1450-1600. Oxford & New York: Oxford University Press 

Farmer, David (1968). Reflections on a Van Eyck Self-Portrait. Oud Holland. S. 159 

Online

Google Arts and Culture (n.d.): Portrait of a Man in a Red Turban (selfportrait). Found at: https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/portrait-of-a-man-in-a-red-turban-selfportrait/SAFcS1U8kYssmg?hl=en  

ArtUK: Butchart, Amber (2019). Fashion reconstructed: the dress in Van Eyck's Arnolfini portrait. Found at: https://artuk.org/discover/stories/fashion-reconstructed-the-dress-in-van-eycks-arnolfini-portrait 

The National Gallery (2021). Jan van Eyck's self portrait in 10 minutes or less | National Gallery. Found at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMJK1EDG2X8&t=1s&ab_channel=TheNationalGallery 

[mariacallous]

In 2003, India, Brazil, and South Africa established what they called the IBSA Dialogue Forum. The trilateral initiative aimed to promote south-south cooperation, reform global governance structures, and amplify the three democracies’ voices on the international stage. In the years that followed, the leaders of IBSA countries organized regular summits to facilitate collaboration across various sectors.

However, as the BRICS bloc—which initially included Brazil, Russia, India, and China—gained prominence and added South Africa as a member in 2010, IBSA’s activities waned. Though IBSA foreign ministers still organize a yearly meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, where they regularly call for U.N. Security Council reform, the group’s relevance has plummeted.

Today, there is a compelling case for revitalizing IBSA after more than a decade of dormancy. There are three reasons why a relaunch would benefit member countries and add a crucial new element to the global order.

First, BRICS has changed fundamentally over the last three years. There are tensions within the group over Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. BRICS also expanded its membership last year. Taken together, these factors risk reducing the group’s agility and ability to address global challenges. They might even strengthen member states that aim to transform BRICS into a Chinese-led bloc that antagonizes the West. IBSA countries, by contrast, have always favored multialignment and are seeing their space within BRICS shrink.

Second, amid the geopolitical uncertainty caused by U.S. President Donald Trump’s return to the White House—not all of which is bad news for IBSA countries—it is crucial that India, Brazil, and South Africa deepen their ties beyond the major poles of power.

And third, IBSA countries offer a uniquely valuable perspective in the debate about how to address the major challenges faced by developing democracies around the world. Though India, Brazil, and South Africa are all highly visible on the global stage, their capacity to set the global agenda would increase markedly if they spoke with one voice on specific issues.

From the start, IBSA’s goal was to strengthen emerging powers in the global south. The forum was established following negotiations between Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and South African President Thabo Mbeki during the 2003 G-8 summit in Évian, France. The three leaders were invited to the summit as observers, yet they felt that the invitation was largely symbolic.

“What is the use of being invited for dessert at the banquet of the powerful?” Lula later quipped. “We do not want to participate only to eat the dessert; we want to eat the main course, dessert and then coffee.”

The forum established trilateral working groups focused on areas such as agriculture, environment, defense, and energy, while regular ministerial meetings and presidential summits reinforced the countries’ collaboration. As global power dynamics shifted from a U.S.-led order toward multipolarity, IBSA highlighted the growing influence of emerging powers and the limitations of international institutions in reflecting those countries’ rise.

For example, in its first declaration in 2003, the group called for reorganization of the Security Council to include new permanent members from developing countries. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who took office in 2004, described the grouping as a “strong moral force in today’s unsettled world.”

Even before IBSA’s creation, India, Brazil, and South Africa had collaborated to address the restrictive aspects of the World Trade Organization’s TRIPS agreement on intellectual property rights. Their efforts led to the 2003 TRIPS waiver, which allowed developing nations to export generic medicines during public health emergencies.

Their efforts, including leadership in the G-21 coalition, a bloc of developing countries, significantly improved access to affordable drugs for HIV and AIDS around the world—particularly in Africa—by enabling local production without the consent of patent holders. The debate around the TRIPS waiver became important again during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Based on a sense that international economic and financial architecture did not serve the interests of developing nations, IBSA countries found success in deepening their limited bilateral relations and establishing a jointly financed—though very small—IBSA fund, in addition to joint naval exercises in a format called IBSAMAR.

Furthermore, the three middle powers created coordinated strategies to enhance their influence within multilateral institutions such as the U.N., World Bank, and International Monetary Fund. They made efforts to align their strategies within the U.N. Human Rights Council, reaffirmed their commitment to universal human rights, and made joint statements on international conflicts, including recently on Gaza and Ukraine.

Yet the initial excitement and flurry largely fizzled out around 2013, when a leaders summit scheduled to take place in New Delhi to commemorate IBSA’s 10th anniversary was canceled. That decision was in large part due to Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff’s focus on domestic politics, aggravated by a wave of large-scale protests in Brazil in June of that year. Lula, her predecessor, had a more activist international posture.

But the more important factor in making IBSA irrelevant was likely South Africa’s accession to BRICS in 2010—an effort that was led by China. It was probably in Beijing’s interest to sideline a global south platform that it was not part of. So while IBSA preceded BRICS and while Singh famously expressed his preference for IBSA over BRICS—“IBSA has a personality of its own. It is three separate continents, three democracies,” he said—it ended up being BRICS that turned into the most relevant geopolitical platform in the global south.

Today’s profoundly changed geopolitical landscape has created an opportunity for IBSA to resurrect itself.

Though BRICS remains relevant for the foreign-policy strategies of Brazil, India, and South Africa, the grouping has become unwieldy—and its utility is now more limited than it used to be. The war in Ukraine and Russia’s deteriorating ties to the West have created growing tensions between the anti-Western faction in BRICS, led by Russia and China, and a more moderate group committed to preserving ties to the West, led by India and Brazil.

The bloc’s membership expansion in 2024 changed its power distribution. Russia and China pushed for expansion, eventually adding Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, and later Indonesia, as full members. A host of so-called partner countries can now also participate in numerous BRICS activities. Reaching consensus among this expanded group is significantly more difficult—as evidenced by the bloc’s failure, for the first time, to develop a joint statement at a foreign ministers meeting in April. Egypt and Ethiopia reportedly objected to including language in favor of Security Council reform, which Brazil, India, and South Africa have long sought.

In some areas, IBSA’s interests diverge significantly from the other established BRICS members. Though Russia, for example, is keen to advance alternatives to the U.S. dollar to circumvent Western sanctions, policymakers in IBSA countries are less interested in moving ahead with the issue, a reluctance potentially aggravated by Trump’s recent threats of punitive tariffs against any country that joins such an initiative.

What’s more, when BRICS was created, China was an emerging power—yet it is now largely seen as a great power. That complicates the bloc’s capacity to speak on behalf of the global south.

Reviving IBSA would provide a forum to push for countries’ shared goals without getting bogged down in increasingly complicated BRICS negotiations. In a world where crafting agreements in large multilateral settings has become difficult, adding a minilateral group such as IBSA to the mix could lead to meaningful cooperation in many areas, such as conflict resolution, the climate crisis, and maritime security.

As China and Russia try to push BRICS into a more anti-Western position, IBSA would allow member countries to articulate a multialigned strategy and preserve strong ties to the West. India has recently moved closer to the United States and is heavily invested in the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue; that is more than New Delhi has done operationally with BRICS. Brazil hopes to see the European Union ratify a historic trade deal with Mercosur—a South American trade bloc—has deepened cooperation with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, and was designated by Washington in 2019 as a “major non-NATO ally.”

A separate space would also let IBSA governments reinforce their quest for specific reform proposals—including at the Security Council—that other BRICS members are either indifferent about or actively opposed to. At the same time, reviving IBSA does not imply that Brazil, India, and South Africa would move away from BRICS. IBSA would simply be an additional tool.

When IBSA leaders got together for their last official summit in October 2011, being friends with all major global players was easier to achieve than it is today. Russia had not yet annexed Crimea and U.S.-China ties were far rosier than they are now. In the years since, the world has become more unstable, making strategic diversification paramount. Trump’s return to the White House adds a layer of unpredictability. But India and Brazil could, for example, play a supportive role for South Africa as its ties to the United States deteriorate under Trump.

The growing divergence between China and the West offers a unique opportunity for IBSA countries to jointly develop strategies to amplify their ties to Europe and the United States in ways that the BRICS bloc cannot.

Finally, while IBSA’s three democracies represented a majority of BRICS members prior to expansion, democracies are now a minority in the bloc. Establishing a separate space for IBSA would allow India, Brazil, and South Africa to identify common denominators and advance issues that are difficult to discuss in the context of BRICS—including political polarization, disinformation, and internet governance.

One example of shrinking space for democracies within BRICS is the decreasing relevance of the BRICS Academic Forum, which used to be intellectually vibrant but now provides very limited space to discuss sensitive issues or openly disagree with member states’ policies. In short, it has largely ceased to be a platform of genuine debate. A comparable structure for scholars from IBSA countries would provide a far freer environment for genuine deliberation.

[broareweabouttoviberightnow]

some more disjointed rumble fish movie thoughts:

"why?" "🙄Why what?" "why?" "😑what?" "why are u always fucked up?" "😒I dunno" never in my life have I seen a man avoid eye contact harder

this man can't sit right to save his life. however. the unbuttoned rhinestone shirt kinda eatin. so pass.

OUGH. aough. unfortunately Matt dillion does an incredible job of playin scenes with the motorcycle boy. the admiration there. the constantly feelin like you can look up to a person your whole life n know you'll never be them. never know them. outsider in his own family. ough.

the movie can be heavily stylized at times n feel, well, disjointed. but I think the weird pacin adds a lil charm now n then

WHAT THE HELL THERES BOOBS ON MY SCREEN. sorry was halfway through typin that last bullet point. that was jarrin

walks into the office n is there for about one second before the lady goes hungover AGAIN? clocked his ass.

fuck ass earrin mention again. he kinda ate with that one.

I don't CARE! u think I give a shit!! u think I care??? (he says. as he cares deeply.)

diane lane stand on business. she said fuck ur lame ass n then marched her ass into the fog. that's my icon.

rusty still walkin his ass around in the shirt he got stabbed in. mama. do u have no other clothes.

the way the motorcycle boy talks in comparison to rusty. his accent compared to how the motorcycle boy has this soft liltin way of talkin. hmm. symbolism there. hmm.

"motorcycle boy." "THE motorcycle boy. THE.🙄" while THE motorcycle boy stands there just voguin.

the way they use shadows n light to convey transition n passage of time. hmm. I like it. makes those cut scenes way long but I fuck with em.

the extras lookin straight down the barrel of the camera.

rusty james who is so intensely jealous of his brothers gf. mama. stand up. good lord. very I don't wanna share my brothers attention. very wowwww so u like her more then me huh.

OH MY GOD. Just occurred to me that the movie is all from like. the motorcycle boys perspective. no color. n what we hear as the audience depends on what the motorcycle boy can hear. what the hell. hold on.

droppin the fact that their mother is alive in the middle of an arcade. Just. wham. Mas alive. anyways.

"Now I know why da says I always look like ma." "wow so I must look like her too huh!" "🤨 uhhhh"

[nooneherexp]

2p!Russia x female!Reader. Ch.2

Chapter II:

♥blue and purple hyacinths💐

A/N: seriously forcing my motivations to work lmao. But who even reads these still? That's right, YOU! And im glad that you do🌟

Reminder!⚠️: in this story I only own the plot, not the characters, nor YOU(the female reader).. The characters belong to Hetalia and you(reader) belong to yourself. 

Here is the first chapter if u want it. :) chapter I.

       ��-ash

tw:  silly things, looooong descriptive chapter  :) u will read it tho, da? 

Enjoy~☆

~☆~

[Name]'s heart and cheerful smile dropped from the sight of the same man from yesterday... she didn't want to deal with him again.. But—  

'wait.. What..' [Name] looked at him for a moment.. the man was holding a bouquet of Purple and blue hyacinths..  and if you know.. these flowers are always to symbolize constancy, regret, sincerity and asking for forgiveness… 

Everyone stepped back from Viktor's path as he made his way to the counter where [Name] stood there with a serious frown on her face. 

Viktor put the bouquet of the blue and purple hyacinths on the counter, not knowing what to do or say next.  [Name] looked down at the bouquet.. It was cute and beautiful.. 

The bouquet of blue and purple hyacinths was a beautiful sight to behold. The flowers are carefully arranged in a circular shape, with the blue hyacinths in the center surrounded by a ring of purple hyacinths. They are wrapped in a large sheet of crisp white paper, adorned with light pink and yellow dots that add a touch of playfulness to the overall design. Nestled at the base of the bouquet is a light blue ribbon bow, adding a touch of sophistication and color to the mix… and the blue and purple hyacinths gave a beautiful and iconic appearance with their deep violet and blue colors with their slender, tall, and elegant shape, with their long stems covered in lush, dark green foliage. Each stem is adorned with multiple clusters of flowers that form a round, dense head, creating a magnificent and eye-catching display. The petals are trumpet-shaped, with smooth edges and a delicate texture. They give off a mild but pleasantly fragrant scent that complements their visual allure.

[Name]'s eyes sparkled slightly at the sight and smell of the beautiful hyacinths.. She also knew the meaning of these flowers and so the meaning of his apologetical message.. A slight smile appeared on her face. 

Grabbing the bouquet, she looked up at Viktor. She had so many questions about this man now. Who is he? Why is he? How is he? What is he?.. She wanted, No, Needed answers to those questions. 

Viktor frowned slightly at the sudden eye contact she made with him. But this time, these eyes held no fear, no anger and no confusion.They just held curiosity. How those [e/c] orbs had the small sparkle in them. He could read those questions she wanted to ask him already. 

His heart was beating again, strongly, as he felt the same annoying tingle in his heart; time seemed to go so slow… he could hear his heartbeat in his ears as heat started to rose in his pale cheeks; he frowned more. He doesn't like this, but he also didn't want to stop. 

But a cough made both the big russian and the petite female snap out of their thoughts.

[Name] looked down, breaking eye contact with Viktor as a blush crept up her cheeks out of embarrassment, pushing one of her hair strands behind her ear. 

'embarrassing…' [Name] thought, mentally face-palming.  'just what the hell is wrong with you??'  her brain questioned her.  'I don't know.. And I don't think I want to know.'  she answered herself. For some unknown reasons, she tends to have these arguments with her own brain.. I mean.. Everyone does that right? No?... Alright…

Viktor just turned around and started walking where the sunflowers were at; spotting a small chair,he sat on it, staring at the sunflowers without uttering a word or moving a muscle. Everyone looked at the man, like he's some type of crazy or rather a confusing man. But everyone quickly minded their own business, no one would waste their time on a  'weird' man, would they? The answer is no, obviously. Time is valuable. 

Time passes, and as the sun begins to set and the daylight fades, the sky gradually transitions into a deep shade of blue, with streaks of orange and pink. Slowly, the first stars begin to twinkle in the sky, their light faint but visible in the darkening canvas. The moon emerges, its glowing orb casting a soft, silvery light that dances on the ground below. The night sky continues to reveal its secrets, with more and more stars appearing until the night sky is full of twinkling points of light against the backdrop of the dark, velvety sky; the amount of customers gradually decreasing and time of closing the shop is approaching too. 

[Name] put the money in the cash register machine as she handed the bouquet to the old man who was the last customer in the shop, the old man left with a happy smile on his face. [Name] sighed, lying her head on the counter feeling tired. Then she heard movements coming from the greenhouse where the sunflowers were at. 

Lifting her head back up, she groaned and started walking towards the small greenhouse she owned.  

'I'm so tired, ugh..' she complained to herself, annoyed. 'skill issues-' she cut off her brain  'shut the fuck up.'  

The greenhouse remains softly lit with warm, golden lights that cast a cozy, intimate atmosphere over the space. The shadows of the tall sunflowers stretch out across the ground, creating a tranquil and magical environment within the greenhouse. The fragrance of the sunflowers fills the air, mixed with the earthy scent of fresh dirt and the faint hum of insects that flutter around the plants. The greenhouse feels like a tranquil oasis, separate from the larger world outside.Viktor was there walking around the sunflowers enjoying the calm atmosphere and the view of those sunflowers that looked flawless and healthy. He took off his dark brown gloves revealing his large and strong hands, with slender fingers and clean, trim nails. The knuckles at the back of his hands are rough and slightly red, and there were a few scars on them over here and there, some looked new but dry and some were old. Despite this, there is a certain grace and sensuality to his hands, the way they move and curve as he gestures. His fingers look both powerful and rough Overall, there is an undeniably attractive quality to his hands, a perfect combination of strength and sensuality. He held one of those gorgeous sunflowers between his hands, surprisingly gently, feeling the texture of its beautiful golden-yellow-and-orange petals. 

[Name] stared at the man as he adored her sunflowers, he seemed to not realize her presence in the small cozy room. She heard the man mumbling some stuff to the flower in Russian as he caressed it gently with his big hands, his gloves were thrown carelessly on the floor and his mind was taken by the sunflower he was speaking to. She couldn't really understand what he was saying, because she only knew some basics of the Russian language. 

[Name] blushed slightly, she couldn't deny that it was cute because of the gentle way he spoke to her sunflowers and the way he caressed them—  '—WHAT!? This man literally was about to kill you yesterday, the fuck you think it's cute now!? How!?' her mind literally ruined the moment for her as it tried to give her some sense to think about. But [Name] just ignored her brain, rolling her eyes at her brain mentally.  'Just let me enjoy life dude' she replied to her brain trying to ignore any other thoughts her brain tried to make. 

[Name] cleared her throat,startling the big russian and catching his attention. Viktor looked at the lady that was standing at the greenhouse's door. [Name]'s face held a small smile while Viktor held a frown on his. He was visibly annoyed by the interruption. picking his gloves from the ground, he put them back on his hands and walked up to the petite female.  

[Name] flinched a bit, having another quick flashback of that night and then stepping back. 

Viktor raised an eyebrow looking at her. 

'idiot, idiot, idiot!!! Don't show fear to him!!!!!' her mind screamed at her.  'Then why the hell do you keep bringing those flashbacks, you stop it!' she screamed back at her mind mentally. Her mind just rolled its eyes at her as a response. 

"Viktor." he extended his hand at the lady to shake it.

[Name] was confused for a moment then realization hit her, but strangely the name was too familiar for her, but she doesn't really remember. Shaking the weird feeling off she replied:  "oh! I'm [Name]" she shook his hand as she introduced himself, his grip on her hand was a bit firm but still gentle, almost the same way he held that sunflower. 

"so. how you grow these sunflowers?" he asked [Name] getting straight into the point.  [Name]'s eyes widened a bit at his question. Since she opened that store, no one cared to ask or know her methods on growing the flowers she sells; even if someone did, they would quickly get bored when she starts explaining… 

so to not face those awkward moments again, she asked him "are you sure you want to know? because..I can get carried away and the explanation can be a bit too long.." she looked at him with an awkward smile, expecting Viktor to just say 'nevermind' or leave the shop even. 

But no. She was wrong. 

Viktor just stared down at her, quietly… 

It honestly annoyed him how babbly she was now.

'At some point her face is punchable…' he thought, but he just kept that brutal thought in the back of his head to forget it. 

a small nod was Viktor's response, which made a little excited sparkle appear on [Name]'s eyes as her smile grew wider. 

"Okay!"  she said, stepping closer to the sunflowers as Viktor followed her, and she started explaining every step and thing she took and used to grow those flowers, and to mention she was walking around a lot. She didn't stop moving while talking, and Viktor had to follow her to every corner just to hear her because she was kind of talking lowly. Her voice volume was increasing and decreasing; she would mumble things and Viktor would struggle to hear her, that he had to bend down a bit sometimes while also following her to just catch those words, and then she would suddenly shout making the man almost jump, fall or his poor eardrums bleed. but she also couldn't help it.. She was just excited, she was a bit aware of sounding annoying or crazy, but she couldn't hold her excitement, not this time. 

[Name] wasn't only talking though, she was also showing him how to do this and that. And without their realization it was starting to get late, and Viktor started to get a bit tired as he hadn't slept last night due to his mind being busy and stuff… 

"Viktor? Viktor?? Are you listening?" [Name] called him as she shook his arm, making Viktor snap back to reality… the man was actually zoning out plus half sleepy, he looked at [Name] mind-absent, as she frowned slightly. 

'this asshole… I swear.. his nuts are so kickable at this moment.' she thought to herself as one of her eyes twitched out of anger… 

"oh well.. I guess it's pretty late isn't it? sorry for keeping you like this, you look…so tired…"  she asked Viktor, and he nodded for a moment then quickly shook his head as if he changed his mind or something.  "am ok." was all he said. 

[Name] yawned covering her mouth with her hand as she did so, now she looked tired too… Viktor hummed for a little then looked down at her.  "Want me walk you home?" he gestured, his voice was deeper now and rather sleepy. 

"I actually take a bus to get to my house…"  said [Name].

Viktor looked at his watch, checking the time, it was over 1 past midnight. 01:43 to be exact. 

"Much late. bus does not work at this time." Viktor remarked, making the female growl as she turned her gaze to a cute kitty wall-clock. 

01:45 in the morning. 

"....."  [Name] had a small frustrated smile on her face, she was pissed off now. She took a deep breath then sighed, soon hearing a chuckle from behind her; she turned her neck to the sound quickly that her neck made a crack sound. And who else It'll be other than the depressed-looking Russian himself? 

"the fuck you laughing at?" she hissed at him through her teeth, her eyes are wide and her smile is forced. 

Viktor looked at her face, his chuckles turned into laughs, but those weren't maniac ones, those are pure laughs! And to be honest for himself, he hasn't laughed like that in years! 

[Name]'s blood started to boil, as she stomped her way to the russian. "STOP LAUGHING AT ME, IT ISN'T FUNNY!! AND IT'S NOT COMFY TO SLEEP IN THIS SHOP AT ALL." she screamed at him then suddenly kicked him in his crotch,again, it was a lot harder than the last, even the coat couldn't protect or weaken the hit towards his poor area this time. "ОЙ!!!—" The Russian's laughs were cut off as he growled loudly and crouched a little down again, lifting a leg. He jumped on one and put both his hands down and clenched his body a bit around the area. "what the ебать was that fo—" he hissed but suddenly again he was gripped by his valuable red scarf and got pulled down to the female's-height-level.  as [Name] pulled him by his red scarf, their faces were so close that the tip of their noses almost touching, and Viktor's neck was slightly exposed.  "quite this shit of yours, nothing is fun-" her eyes then were darted to his neck, under his scar, there were bandages surrounding his neck, dry blood stains on them. It made [Name] confused, because what event caused marks on his neck that didn't kill him, it didn't make sense. "wha—"  with wide eyes and gritted teeth Viktor grabbed [Name]'s face harshley, her whole face was covered by his gloved hand, he almost broke her nose, this really could count as a punch. "Ah!-" [Name] yelped through his big hand while Viktor yanked her hands off his beloved scarf and stood up tall. And with a simple push

with his arm she lost her balance as he let go of her face, she tried to grab his arm to not fall but she didn't reach it.  watching her fall down on her ass, she gasped. with a satisfied smile Viktor started to walk past her, but oh, [Name] isn't going to cry like yesterday, no. She jumped at him, wrapping her arms around his legs and making Viktor lose his balance too. [Name] grinned as she heard a loud thud and felt a strong earth-shaking; It's a miracle that he didn't break the hardwood floor, because, well,he's a big heavy man. [Name] quickly got up, standing on her feet and looking down at the russian who was lying flat on the ground. He grunted as he lifted himself off the ground, resting on his elbows, he turned his head to look at [Name], and she could see the brutal predator look in his eyes, which made [Name] feel like the tiny trapped bunny now, but was she going to run? 

'you're so dead.' her mind remarked.  'I know…' she replied.  'RUN BITCH, RUN!' her mind screamed at her.  'Nah, I'd win.' was her response. 

Viktor tried to get up, putting his palms on the ground and lifting his body, balancing his weight on his arms as he did so. But to his surprise he felt a weight of something sitting on him, straddling his back; looking at his sides, he saw two legs dangling and he felt two hands on his hair, petting him like he's some sort of-

"Giddy-up horsey!!"  [Name] shouted giggling as she tugged his hair a bit like she's a drunk person, but she was just having her fun, more like risking her life… 

"Какого хуя!!!??" Viktor shouted back in mixed emotions of anger, confusion, embarrassment and maybe a little bit of flutter… 

'Alright, tell me, are you having a death wish?' her mind asked her in a sweet-imagined-tone.  'maybe :)' she replied, giving her brain an imagined-sweet-smile.  

The dark brown, leather gloves wrinkled harshly against Viktor's fists. His teeth clicked as he ground them like metal gears forced to a sudden stop. 

[Name] looked down at him, her smile switched from enjoyed to a fearful one. 

And without a warning Viktor got up with ease, causing [Name] to yelp in fear and wrap her legs around his waist while grabbing onto his coat tightly. 

Looking down, the ground seemed far from [Name]...  "w-what..you're that tall sir- i mean Viktor…" she said thinking how painful it will be to fall on her ass again from such height. She's now like a stuck cat on a tree.  

Viktor just stayed silent as he tried to shake [Name] off his back, but she just clung more.  "V-Viktor don't you dare drop me, DON'T DROP ME—" she screamed near his right ear, causing the man to cover it with his hand and grunt lowly.  "Get off, Отъебись!" Viktor said in a sharp tone as he turned his head slightly to look at [Name], she locked eyes with him, a shiver

was sent down her body as she stared at his eye that held that maniac look, she examined the side of his face for a second… she had a weird nostalgic feeling now… 

'girl.. Is he blushing or my eyes are just tripping?' [Name] realized the slight blush on his cheek and she felt her face heat up slightly too.. 

[Name] wrapped her arms around his neck as she let her legs unwrap from around his waist which made her tighten her arms around his neck, she then closed her eyes and let go and landed on her feet successfully as she laughed nervously. 

Viktor turned to look at her, [Name] looked up at him, her hands resting on her hips and she locked eyes with him once again, but this time was different. She felt lost in those ruby eyes, she felt like she couldn't take her eyes off his; his eyes were confusing, they're boring but thrilling, and she couldn't read anything, her curiosity was increasing by the second; the more she stares the more she's curious about what is he hiding behind those blank ruby eyes. 

Viktor's expression went from annoyed and cold to confused as he stared at her mesmerized [e/c] eyes. He sees no fear in them anymore. Not even a bit. 

"......" he was just silent as he frowned at her. 

He cleared his throat as he adjusted his red scarf, pulling a bit up his face to cover the slight shade of pink on his cheeks. He looked at his watch.  

'02:07' it read… 

"where you will sleep?"  he asked, scanning the shop with his eyes. 

[Name] just looked around the shop and smiled nervously. "I…think I'll just walk home." she said walking to the corner of the shop, picking up her coat and wearing it, grabbing her scarf next and wrapping around her neck, she walked over to the counter picking up her wool gloves and shoving her hands into them, Then finally turning to Viktor who was watching her the whole time, just standing there and following her by his eyes. 

"Okay, let's go!" The keys of the shop were the last thing to grab and she walked to the door. 

"Are you not going turn off the lights?" he asked as he moved to the door. 

"No, the lights in the greenhouse should stay on because of the sunflowers, remember?" she explained in a light tone as she clicked on a light switch, turning off the lights of the main room in the shop. 

"hm…" Viktor hummed as he opened the door and walked out not even waiting for the poor [Name] who got the door closed on her face. 

"Oh, how rude!..." she whispered angrily as she pushed the door, walking out of the shop glaring at Viktor with a frown, then just made a "hmph" sound as she locked the shop's door and then put the keys in her pocket. Viktor raised an eyebrow at her sudden grumpy behavior, he doesn't think he did something wrong. 

When [Name] stepped outside her warm and cozy flower shop, the cold weather hit her with a gust of icy air, making her shiver as she stood outside. The temperature had dropped significantly since she had been inside, and the cold air bit at her cheeks and bit at her nose, causing her breath to come out in little puffs of mist. She pulled her coat tightly around her to protect herself from the chill… 

"Well I guess goodnight, I'm going home."  [Name] turned her heels and started walking, but Viktor simply started following her.  [Name] made a double look at him and stopped walking, and looked up at him awkwardly. "uhm…" she hummed in a confused manner. "what?" The Russian looked down at her. "Why are you following me?" she finally asked. "I'm not, I'm walking you home." he answered, shrugging his shoulders.  "But I can walk home alone by myself…" she tried to give a reason but Viktor just shook his head calmly. "Нет. Is dangerous at night. petite girls like you is easily taken down." he lazily explained to [Name] who just looked him up and down in a sarcastic way. 

"you talking like I've never slapped, spat on your face, kicked your crotch twice and finally sat on yo-"  she was cut off by a hand covering her mouth. 

"let me show you." Viktor said and with a swift motion he picked her up and put her over his shoulders as he gripped her legs tightly with his arm, preventing her from squirming. 

[Name] gasped at the sudden action "H-Hey! Put me down!!" she tried to squirm as she punched his back with weak fists. 

"can not hear you.. Now where you live so I can take you home?" he asked with a kind of a satisfied tone… 

[Name] just groaned and then gave up telling him the direction… guess after all she wouldn't mind a free ride. 

Viktor sort of happily walked carrying [Name] on his shoulder, usually he wouldn't do this or care at all. He has his own mind, thoughts and life, he's usually quiet, stoic and does not like to involve himself in things like this. But something about her, [Name], seemed different. He strangely felt connected to her but he doesn't remember or know why. So he'll just follow the lead to find the answers he wants, and same thing with [Name]. She'll just risk her life to know about this man. 

Viktor walked all the way to her house as name just dangled from his back, whining all the way to there to put her down or about the dizziness she feels because of the upside down position, though he was just quiet listening to her whines… they were annoying but a beautiful music to his ears, both at once. He was also growing tired of carrying her and walking all that way, but he didn't want to admit it or stop, because, well, y'know, men. 

But for him, he was annoyed that she was just whining and not even thanking him for not leaving her to walk alone in those empty streets…and not even walking, she's being carried. 

'ugh… women…' he complained to himself but he just moved on. 

After a long-tiring-while Viktor was at [Name]'s doorstep, he realized that she was quiet now.  "we here." Viktor announced, but he got no answer. 

"....[Name]?" he got her off his shoulder, carrying her now like a baby by her sides. 

She was asleep. Deep sleep. 

Viktor just let out an annoyed groan as he sat her by her door step, letting her lean on the house wall as he searched for her keys. 

Sure he could've just left her sleeping there, but he also couldn't bring himself to.. something didn't let him and he doesn't know what it is. 

He hesitated for a little before searching her coat's pockets and searching in them because he saw she had slid the keys in there, it just took him a second to find the keys in her right pocket, pulling them out of the pocket he stood up to the door, and luckily he found the right key in the first try. Opening the door he looked around the house for a bit, it just needed a second for his eyes to adjust to the darkness but only for him to see the following things with a shock. 

Every

Single 

Thing

Was

In

A

Mess. 

Viktor looked down at the sleeping [Name] then back at the house. He honestly didn't expect this at all, but he also was going to just mind his own business at the moment and not try to question anything. 

With a sigh, he carried [Name] for the ground in a bridal style and went inside, as he stepped into the messy house, he wrinkled his nose in distaste. The room was cluttered with items scattered across every surface. The carpets were stained, the furniture was covered in dust and

stains, and the air was stale and musty. The man's eyes flicked to the dirty dishes piled in the sink and the scattered clothes on the floor, and his expression turned sour. For someone as neat and clean as himself, the messy surroundings were unbearable and filled Viktor with a sense of discomfort and annoyance. 

He reached for the door and closed it to prevent any street animal from sneaking in. Walking up stairs he discovered the second floor; there were only 2 bedrooms and a bathroom, he tucked [Name] in her bed like he was tucking his own sister, of course, after taking her shoes and coat off. he looked around her room for a bit, as the moonlight helped him to see a little better. 

In contrast to the messy and chaotic first floor, the bedroom was unexpectedly neat. The second floor was a stark difference. The room is spotless, with every item neatly placed and everything in its designated spot. There are no clothes lying around, and all personal belongings are tucked away in drawers or behind closed doors. The overall effect is one of calm and orderliness, a peaceful oasis amidst the chaos of the rest of the home… 

"Find me…" a sleepy sound was heard from [Name], Viktor turned his head slightly looking at her, he narrowed his eyes at her as a nostalgic feeling hit him. 

'Where did I hear those words…' he wondered as he just shook the feeling off and walked out of the room closing the bedroom's door behind him and just walked to the guest room, opening the door he was met by the light and airy colors of the guest room, the walls painted with a soft shade of white. A large bed fills the center of the room, with crisp white sheets and a soft comforter. A set of plush, white pillows is artfully arranged at the head of the bed, ready for a guest to sink into after a long day. A small bedside table holds a lamp and a pack of tissues, providing a comfortable and convenient place for a guest to keep their personal items. The overall effect is one of simplicity and tranquility, a perfect space for a guest to relax and unwind. 

Viktor smiled a small smile, he felt a sense of relief and comfort wash over him. The well-made bed, tidy bedding, and soft, white walls created a peaceful and soothing environment that was a stark contrast to the chaotic and disorganized sight he had just witnessed on the first floor. He felt a small weight lift from his shoulders, as if the neatness of the room somehow eased his stress and annoyance. He was pleased to see that at least this small space in the house was neat and tidy, and he took a moment to appreciate the orderliness of the room before taking off his coat. He had left his shoes at the doorstep of the room. He had carried [Name] to her house and stayed with her. It was no problem to sleep here, right? He deserved some rest after a long day, right? 

Scanning the room quickly, he looked at a wall hooker and hung his coat there, as he then took off his black sweater along with his red scarf, staying in his dark gray pants, white shirt and socks; he folded the sweater and scarf carefully and put them on the night-stand as he importantly put the scarf on top of the sweater, it was very valuable to him, yes. Lifting the soft blanket of the large bed, he slipped into the cold sheets as the bed sank slightly; it sent a few chills down his own large body and he liked it, stretching his body he shifted and laid on his side as his tired ruby eyes fluttered shut, his exhausted body relaxed and his drained mind drifted to sleep…

~~~~~

Hii hope u enjoyed readin this long torturing chapter, ill be more glad if u did. But anyway, chapter 3 on its way.

Translations:

ОЙ: OY; the 'ouch' sound in russian

ебать: Fuck

Какого хуя: 'What the fuck' but in a confused, shocked and angry manner. (can be a lil flustered too)

Отъебись: fuck off >:(

Нет: No

Да(Da): Yes