#just showcasing his shapeshifting

[a-v-j]

Anti have you practices your power as nightmare??

He sure did during their battle with the nightmare gang

[yuri-puppies]

Shape-shifters, face-blindness, and "paying attention to others"

The shapeshifter is one of my favourite "monster of the week" episodes because it showcases how differently Laios processes social information than the rest of the party. It reminds me a lot of the strategies I, faceblind name-forgetter and eye-contact avoider, use to recognize people and learn things about them.

We see Laios clearly fail at recognizing the doubles through "standard" social cues that are perceived as "easy to tell", such as their clothes. This makes the team (unfairly, but understandably) weary of his ability to tell the fakes apart and even worried that he'd prefer the monster versions* over them. Nonetheless, he gives it a try!

...And is immediately overwhelmed. His lack of attention to social cues works a bit in his favor, though, as it makes it harder for him to fall for stereotypes that fool the rest of the group.

Instead, he chooses to rely on his strengths and use his investigation and animal handling skills to distract the shapeshifters, lure out the monster, and roll the most insane balls-to-the-wall intimidation check of all time.

If it had ended there it still would have been a great episode that showcases Laios' strategic mind and his strengths as a leader. He doesn't have the social skills necessary for the task, but he is clever and creative enough to use the skills he does have proficiency in to solve the problem*.

However, what makes this episode so dear and near to my faceblind heart is the revelation that Laios was able to recognize the real party members after all.

Laios is fantastic representation of how special interests actually work for a monotropic interest system. Having a special interest is not just about how much you like it and the need to know everything about it, it's a way of processing and filtering information. Laios' special interest is monsters: his skills as a dungeoneer and party leader are acquired for and informed by his desire to interact with monsters, as is his interest in eating them. He actually brings this up himself when comparing his interest in cooking to Senshi's.

And in this episode, we see that this also extends to his friends. Laios hacks one of the most difficult types of information for him to process by routing it through the lens of the special interest. And, because it's not something most people would notice, it works. He knows that Chilchuck wouldn't let his guard down around a potential mimic, that Senshi values a balanced ecosystem, that (my favourite) Marcille just isn't as thoughtful about monsters as he is.

It might not be what was expected, but it did the trick! And what's more, the narrative validates his way of thinking (even if Chilchuck doesn't).

[dcxdpdabbles]

Could you please do another part for royal consort? Maybe with phantom causing some chaos?

Tim didn't know how he ended up here. Consort Danny had disappeared into the crowd, and the King was sneering at any nearby humans. In hindsight, maybe dancing next to the couple wasn't the best idea, but he felt he had to do something.

King Phantom had been in a foul mood since the moment he arrived. Tim just wanted to let him know he wouldn't have to worry about him getting in the way of their love or their quarrel.

He may have overstepped to clear things up as quickly as possible. Now, he was dangling from the arms of a King who was one wrong word away from starting a war.

"Um, Your Majesty?" He tries, nerves making his voice high and tight as green glowing eyes glare at him. "I'm sorry-"

"It's fine," King Phantom bites in a tone that showcases how not fine it is. "Darling and I are just having a lover's quarrel. It has nothing with the likes of you."

Okay.

Tim scrambles to think of what to say. "I hope things work out."

"They will. What can I help you with?"

"Um, a dance?"

"Why?"

"I....just as a favor."

The King tilts his head in consideration but says nothing, eyes scanning the crowd and likely searching for where his husband had stormed off.

Tim is still determining what he will do to smooth things over.

He's been trained from a very young age to run circles around the ballroom halls of Gotham elites. He knows how to disarm with a smile and bite out a throat in the same motion.

Tim can dine with people twice his age and twice his experience and still make them hand everything they own over with a smile. He's good at figuring people out, finding out what they want, and manipulating them into wanting what Tim wants.

But to do that, he needs to know the rules. The rules of High Society were the thin line between victory and defeat. If he made one wrong move, vultures would overcome him and rip him apart before he could say, "My bad."

And sadly, Tim did not know how High Society worked in the Infinite Realms. The few who knew the rules or culture didn't explain what he needed to know. Constantine barely cared about manners with his fellow humans, Raven avoided the other beings for fear of her father, and Zatanna struggled with understanding the way of the rich or nobility.

Tim could make a guess, but the vast difference in their cultures could turn a simple greeting into a faux pas. Even King Phantom's appearance was something Tim couldn't really understand.

The God of all Afterlives thought Danny Fenton was the peak of beauty, so much so that he shapeshifted to look like him with only his coloring as a difference. Tim and a majority of the world thought Fenton was rather plain-looking.

He wasn't ugly, but his face was forgettable, something that wouldn't turn heads or be easy to pick out among a crowd. Yet King Phantom strutted around, somehow seeming appealing with his plainness. Tim wondered if the King moved confidently to make him more attractive than his model or if his otherworldliness peaked through his human facade.

In any case, he doesn't think he would be comfortable making out with a being who actively made himself look like him, no matter how in love Tim was. But that was how higher beings courted, according to Constantine, and Tim could not dismiss the valuable information.

He didn't understand it, but he didn't need to for him to know that Danny Fenton had a lot of control over King Fanton.

That, in itself, was a horrifying thought.

"King Phantom isn't just a ruler of another nation with nukes strong enough to take out the world," Constantine had said in the briefing before the ball. "He isn't even a god. A god has domain over a concept. King Phantom is every concept that humanity can comprehend. We can not afford this war. He can blink and make gravity on earth vanish. He can snap his fingers to plunge the sun outside the Milky Way. Worst of all, King Phantom can switch his Rules."

"What do you mean?" Bruce demanded, voice hard and steady.

"Every Higher being has Rules. Don't tell a Fae your name. Don't leave a ghost without saying goodbye. Don't invite a vampire inside. They are bound to follow those rules, and usually, you can defeat them with them, too, but what about King Phantom? His Rules are ever-changing. No one knows why, and that's horrifying. What will you encounter with him, and how will you survive?"

The last question plays through Tim's head as King Phantom takes a deep breath through his nose before huffing. He glances down at Tim as Red Robin would look at an old computer he was planning on rewiring. Easy to tear apart and rebuild to his liking. He swallows a gulp load of spit.

"Three dances." The King says at last after a heavy silence.

"Your Majesty?" He dares to ask.

Phantom doesn't bother with an answer as he suddenly strides to the side, yanking Tim. He stumbles for only a few seconds before he corrects his footing and finds himself in the center of the dance floor.

The two move in a fast-paced waltz, feet stomping on the ground in rhythm with the music as the King twists and turns. They pass through other couples- causing the vigilante to shiver. It felt gross- taking over the dance floor with dazzling movements.

People scramble out of their way, even if King Phantom somehow causes a density shift to not have them bother, encasing the two in a small circle of awed onlookers.

Sweat is building at Tim's brow, trying to keep pace with the King, who likely had centuries to perfect this dance. He probably witnessed its creation. It was fun.

He raises with the tempo, falls with the rhythm, and is whisked away by Phantom, who leads him through each movement as quickly as Tim breathes.

Phantom yanks Tim flush against him for the following song- causing Tim to stiffen in distress. There are far too many eyes on them who will spread rumors- but he doesn't dare push the other away. This is a Vietnam,ese waltz, but its pace, as the song used to speed up in tempo.

At least the King isn't looking at him, eyes still scanning the room with an intense hunger and awareness. He hasn't seen his husband.

His family has yet to report where Consort Fenton ran off, but he can hear them whispering escape plans from their respective party guests to check.

Things could have been much more awkward since their last encounter when the King offered Danny the position of concubine. Thankfully, the Royal didn't seem interested in Tim in any way.

The third song ends, and the King practically rips himself away, stepping back with a weary smile. "You wanted one dance as a favor. A favor for a favor.

I look forward to having you grant it, Drake-Wayne."

Shit.

The rules change trap, and he fell right into it.

Tim smiles, hoping his distress will not show. But with his luck, the King can tell when lies are spoken. "Of course."

King Phantom bows his head slightly, folding one hand very oddly. He snaps upright and marches into the crowd, walking right through guests approaching him. He doesn't even glance at them. Strangely,

he seemed angrier than before as Consort Fenton reappeared at the top of the stairway, which should lead to a more private bounty. Fe ton is waving a small rectangular box at him, grinning like a madman.

Fenton's blue eyes accidentally meet Tim's, shifting from pride and warmth to suspension and possible hate. He curls the rectangular object to his chest protectively, and the moment it touches his Consort necklace, the two items start to glow.

Phantom starts running toward him.

Double shit.

"Tim," Dick hisses, walking up to him. "I can not express this enough. What the hell did you do?"

"I think I just made the lover's quarrel worse."

Dick's face pinches. "Maybe it's not too late to try and seduce them-"

A loud bang echoes through the room as King Phantom screams, a sound so unholy and inhuman that it drags Tim to his knees. Around him, guests scream, also falling, but a few are unconscious, while some are only clutching to their ears in agony. A strong wing picks up, blowing the once classy ball into a makeshift hurricane, and Tim's feet give out from under him by the force of the shock wave. He is flung into a wall, followed a second later by Dick.

Thankfully, his brother can control his fall so that when he does wind up on top of Tim—for appearances—he doesn't put too much pressure on him. Most are not so lucky.

People make sickening cracks when they collide with the walls, slumping to the ground like broken puppets, unable to escape the explosion.

"What's happening?" Bruce demands in his ear as various screams emerge around the room. Some guests still fly around like rag dolls, caught in an unseen tornado. Chairs and tables crash into each other as the chaos unfolds, as Damian responds to his father.

"The Consort seems to be under attack. So something or someone is using him to power a gateway!" Damian screams, voice just barely heard over the other noises.

Tim strains against the blowing wind, trying to ease the ache in his eyes to gather more information. He sees a horrifying sight.

Consort Danny is floating in the air, mouth open in a silent scream, as a portal forms around him. The blaring white lighting buzzes with electricity, running over his body in fast and dangerous bursts.

He looks to be dying.

The King is flying in front of him, attempting to reach the human, but a force field is bouncing him back. With each failed attempt, King Phantom's hands crackle with power, and even from across the spacious room, Tim can tell that if he were to use that power, Wayne Manor would not survive.

Let alone the humans trapped inside of it.

"We need to get people out of here!" Yells Duke, likely seeing the real danger with his power. "The King is going to kill everyone!"

Despite wearing an earpiece, Tim can barely hear his father bark out instructions as the howling wind carries on. Tim can only watch the King of Ghost summon an army.

Miniature portals pop around the Ballroom as undead knights pour out in drones. They carelessly walk through humans, not bothering to help in any way as they quickly take up formation before the Consort.

They are posed for battle. But against what?

King Phantom's voice booms across the room, starting a terrible ring in Tim's ears. He hits the ground, his chin in a painful ache, clutching his ears, willing the ringing to leave.

Tears well up in his eyes as the ringing gives way to achiness, making it hard for Tim to pick his head up. It takes a moment before he can understand what King Phantom has shouted.

"Danny, you dumb, stupid Consort, stop picking up random shit you don't understand!"

[aroaceleovaldez]

was thinking about next-gen kids and decided to doodle a couple. elaborated thoughts below:

Iphis is named with the same naming conventions that Sally used when naming Percy - primarily, mythological figure who had a good fate. Nice for Percy to honor his mom by naming his own kid the same way and Annabeth gets a fun nerdy mythology name. Also sending good vibes to their kid. Plus middle name directly in honor of Sally, of course.

Specific myth is Iphis and Ianthe, with the idea that a.) it's gender-neutral so works regardless of kid's gender and b.) not only does Iphis have a good fate, but arguably nothing bad happens to them ever and they get helped out by like three whole pantheons who show up in a literal parade and they live happily ever after. Percy and Annabeth are pushing for the BEST vibes possible.

(Also I am a very strong proponent of the "I don't think they'd name their kids after dead family/friends" so none of them have that)

Iphis of course inherited the Jackson family early grey hairs <3

Virginia is named after Juniper (cause Juniper is specifically implied to be Juniperus virginiana). She's probably been childhood bffs with Iphis since Iphis was born.

Chuck is Chuck. I gave him a Yankees jersey cause you know he's being raised as a sporty kid.

Do you ever think about how OP Frank and Hazel's kid would be. It's ridiculous. Quadruple legacy, including 2/3 of the Big Three. Frank by himself was already so OP the gods had to nerf him. Hazel came back from the dead and Frank kinda just said "nope" to dying that one time. Hazel presumably has every power that Nico has which is. A lot. Not to mention what Hazel has been shown to just be able to do on her own (including but not limited to SINKING AN ENTIRE SMALL ISLAND). Ares/Mars kids can functionally be completely invulnerable sometimes and also have some limited necromancy. Combo that with Hades/Pluto kids also being hard to kill and having necromancy as one of their main powers. Not to mention how Pluto geokinesis might combo with Chloris (goddess of spring) powers? And this kid is 100% being protected by both Nico (who is probably a deity by that point) and probably Pluto himself as well? Hello?

Anyways Hazel and Frank's kid is a total powerhouse. Possibly functionally immortal. Easily strongest demigod of her generation.

I like to think the latent Chloris legacy would crop up (probably in combo with Mars and Poseidon's plant aspects) and give them an accidental Persephone-type theme and that's fun. Frazel's goth daughter who takes after her grandmother (and uncle).

Figured since Frank is Canadian and Hazel is from Louisiana they'd go for a French name. The flower theme was not intentional on their part it just happened. Law of demigod naming conventions appears nonetheless.

I figure Leo might not have kids of his own but he probably still hangs around with Hazel and Frank so of course he's going to make their kid a cool thematic robot pet. He's probably her godfather or something.

Ronan is literally just some kid who showed up at the Chase Space who coincidentally was a legacy of Freyr and could shapeshift. Magnus and Alex obviously can't have kids cause they're dead, BUT some orphan with essentially a combo of their powers just shows up on their doorstep? Their kid now.

The ironic part is of course their shapeshifting powers just happen to be because they're distantly related to one of Annabeth's friends. Ronan finds himself suddenly gaining two parents and two cousins (Iphis and Lily) in rapid succession.

He only picks up Magnus' last name though cause Alex has 100% disowned her mortal parents.

He has a seal flipper cause shapeshifting and apparently "Ronan" means seal. I just wanted to draw those two showcasing their shapeshifting a lil bit.

Might try to doodle the other next-gen kid thoughts I had at some point but idk when. anyways yeah.

[icycoldninja]

Can you write the DMC guys with a reader that has very unique eyes? I’m talking abt their eyes overall like eye color, eyelashes, etc like this

(These are my illustrations of what her eyes can be like, the highest one is inspired by Drogon from GOT and the lowest one is inspired by the Bearded Vulture)

She’s 100% devil so even when she does shapeshift into her human form, she has to wear shades even when at night to avoid attention because no matter how much her appearance changes, her eyes would always look “off-putting” or just downright demonically abnormal

Her devil form is just like a dragon, if not a feathered demon that looks similar to a Bearded Vulture

Yo, nice drawings. Enjoy!

Sparda boys + V x Reader with unique eyes headcannons

¤ Dante ¤

-Dante thinks your eyes are beyond beautiful, they're the most interesting thing he's ever seen.

-He loves just staring at them, easily drifting off and getting lost in their dazzling beauty.

-Thinks your dragon form is prettier than your human form (though that's pretty too) and can't help but poke and prod all your scales.

-Asks for rides, all the time. Nearly every other evening, you're asked to fly him around town on your back.

-Wants to know if your eyes give you any benefits like night vision, x-ray eyes, or even better, laser beam eyes.

-He knows the public won't take kindly to your odd looking eyes, but he will always think they're perfect.

■ Vergil ■

-Vergil found your unusual eyes to be truly fascinating.

-He loves watching you, even if you aren't looking directly at him. For some reason, it's just so calming.

-Insists you do not need to conform to human standards and hide your eyes; you deserve to showcase your beauty.

-While your human form is attractive and all that, there's just something about dating a dragon that makes Vergil so happy.

-He would like it if you give him a ride, but he is way too prideful to admit this.

-You'll have to take a hint and give him what he wants without further prompts, because Vergil is a grumbler. He grumbles about everything, even things he likes.

□ Nero □

-Nero thought you were pretty damn weird at first.

-After a few months, he realized that they were actually quite interesting.

-He finds your dragon form nothing less than wild, like a life-sized version of those action figures he had when he was younger.

-You'll catch him just lounging under your wing, especially if it's on a hot summer day.

-Buys you shades of different sizes and colors so you can appear fashionable, and not a freak, for hiding your eyes.

-Will always think you're gorgeous, regardless of what form you happen to be in.

●V ●

-V can recite several poetry excerpts that match his sentiments about you.

-Your eyes are nothing short of magnificent, more dazzling than any jewel he has ever seen.

-Your dragon form has to be one of the most majestic lizards he has ever seen.

-He would ask for a ride, but if he fell off at any point, it would spell very bad news for both of you.

-It's a crying shame that you have to hide your beauty, though the public may not agree.

-Oh well, at least your sunglasses provide you with a hint of alluring mystery.

[cure-icy-writes]

Regarding the transgender and autistic coding of Octodad: Dadliest Catch.

To preface: this essay will be in two parts. One with spoilers, and one without. The spoilers will be hidden under a cut, and optional. 

Octodad: Dadliest Catch is a 2014 action/adventure game in which the protagonist, known only as “Octodad”, is an octopus masquerading as a human man. If it sounds ridiculously goofy, that’s because it is. Octodad rarely takes itself seriously, and that works to its credit.

Now, before going any further, I want to take a moment to lay some groundwork for the premise of the game and how it relates to otherness. Octodad, being an octopus, is fundamentally Other. He is a nonhuman in disguise, he is living a lie, et cetera. The concept of beings that disguise themselves as human is an old one, from Greek gods seeking hospitality to changelings left behind as supernatural brood parasites. They are shapeshifters and deceivers, whose stories are born from the fear of Otherness. And more often than not, these beings have malicious intent.

But Octodad, fundamentally, does not. He is a loving father and husband who hides his identity out of fear. He is Other, and this otherness isn’t portrayed as predatory or evil in any way. And viewing this story through the lens of Octodad, controlling his actions, the player gets to know a little bit about him.

Back to the trailer— Octodad’s gameplay is showcased, and it’s immediately obvious that the control scheme isn’t exactly typical. Players must control each limb individually, resulting in sloppy, uncoordinated movements. Octodad stumbles through the grocery store, across a play set, leaving destruction in his wake. He isn’t trying to make a mess, unlike a certain goose, but rather, this is the natural result of what he is. He’s literally a fish out of water— and yes, he is a fish if you’re pedantic enough about cladistics, which I am going to be for the sake of this metaphor. 

The control scheme is deliberately messy, a stylistic choice that forces the player to constantly remember that Octodad is something Other, and the resulting mistakes have consequences. The levels are designed in such a way that even an experienced player will have to make a mess at times, and it comes with a sense of shame— after all, a normal protagonist could do this. Mario could platform his way through this grocery store with no problem! But Octodad can’t. He slips on banana peels and breaks open crates and spills fruit all over the linoleum. And the UI forces you to be constantly aware of when others are watching, furthering that sense of shame.

The game won’t punish you for slipping up sometimes. But the mess you’ve made, the judgmental gazes of the NPCs, will. You are an imposter, facing a constant uphill battle to perform difficult and unnatural tasks that are effortless for the humans around you. They cannot see that you’re an octopus. They do not know that you’re an octopus. So long as you are wearing your suit, no one can tell, even with the tentacles and bulbous head and suckers on your limbs. But they can see your mistakes, and your failures.

How does that relate to autism and transgenderism? Well, let’s start with autism, since the transgender coding is mostly in story spoiler territory, while the autism is largely in the gameplay mechanics. Autism is a pretty broad spectrum, and it’s difficult to point at something and definitively call it autistic-coded when the autistic experience varies so drastically from person to person. But Octodad and his Otherness, even as a silly octopus, strongly parallels autistic masking.

Octodad’s enforced sense of shame strongly resonates with the autistic experience— constantly aware of eyes on you, always messing up because no one explained the rules to you properly, or struggling with sensory issues or executive dysfunction when everyone is trying to convince you that your experiences are normal and you’re just being dramatic. And in that sense, it’s cathartic to see Octodad, because he is unmistakably and undeniably Other. You cannot say “Oh, honey, everyone’s a little octopus, you’re just not trying hard enough,” to an octopus the way that neurotypicals often do with autistic people. You cannot deny him his Otherness which causes his struggles.

Remember the changeling story I mentioned earlier? Changeling myths and autism are inextricably connected, and far too often, they demonize autism. The problem with trying to define humanity in a way that excludes imposters that pretend to be human is that you will inevitably end up excluding and hurting people, particularly those who are neurodivergent, queer, disabled, or otherwise in a minority. So, if you cannot define humanity without excluding humans from the definition, then it serves to reason that broadening your scope will include non-humans. And this is portrayed as an unambiguously good thing, to acknowledge the humanity of an octopus.

Real life isn’t like Among Us, where the imposters are murderous freaks who unhinge their jaws and chomp off the top half of their fellow crewmates before hopping into the vents. Sometimes, they’re scared people who go through life hurting because they tried to be normal until they forgot who they were.

And now, let’s examine the story and talk about the further coding it contains. The first thing that catches my attention is Octodad’s morning routine— coffee. It seems innocuous at first, but it’s later revealed that this is the only reason Octodad has the ability to walk upright, because he’s constantly self-medicating with caffeine.

There’s a very domestic portion of the game where you see just how much Octodad adores his family, he does the chores for his wife whom he loves a lot, and then— he survives a couple murder attempts. His neighbor knows he’s an octopus, is a chef at the local grocery store, and is the main antagonist of the game. He breaks down the fence between their yards with some sort of nightmarish combine-harvester machine that nearly sucks in Octodad, but the situation is resolved quickly enough. Then, just a little later in the day, he goes out to the grocery store, where the chef finds him and chases him with a knife, threatening to turn him into moderately priced sushi. Interestingly, though, is the fact that Octodad seems more worried about his wife finding out than the fact that he’s an octopus than the threats on his life. We don’t know how often these happen, but he just brushes this off and hopes to keep up the masquerade a little longer. He has to be human, he has to be normal in order to be loved, and nearly dying alone to his murderous neighbor is a small price to pay. And… it’s sad, honestly.

The real meat of the game, though, is at the aquarium. Octodad is frankly terrified of this place, but he can’t tell his wife why. There was a scene that stuck with me— it’s meant to introduce you to the fact that the Biologist enemies are a threat who will recognize and out you, but it made me think about TERFs. They always claim they can spot trans people, as if there’s some secret sense for it, as if a world in which women are subject to random and invasive genital inspections is somehow better than a world where the lady in the bathroom stall next to you is standing up to pee.

After getting through the first part of the museum, Octodad has to find each member of his family and do some minigame puzzles. The kids are absolutely adorable, but what struck me was the conversation with Scarlet, as she grows frustrated with Octodad’s secrecy. He sleeps downstairs, he somehow “made more” when the printer ran out of ink, he lost a limb in a plumbing accident but it somehow grew back, and he’s keeping things from her. He won’t have an honest conversation, and she’s getting frustrated.

Take a moment to imagine the veneer of metaphor peeled away. Imagine you have been married to a man you love for ten years, but you know he’s hiding something from you. He doesn’t sleep in the same bed as you, never wanted to consummate things, and you’ve respected his privacy and consent, but he won’t explain why. He’s ecstatic about raising kids together, but he doesn’t want biological ones. There are these instances you can’t explain, like his sudden insistence on buying a shark plushie from IKEA, or the time you caught him mailing a tank top (was it a tank top, really, because you never got a good look at it) to someone and he looked guilty. You find a list of names, some of them crossed out, and wonder who these women are. He never wants to look in the mirror or have pictures taken. You love him and you want to respect his privacy, but the secrets are driving a rift between you.

Imagine it from the other side, now. You have been married to the woman you love for ten years. She doesn’t know you’re trans, and you’re terrified she’ll leave you if she finds out.. She didn’t seem to mind when you told her you didn’t want to get horizontal, but she doesn’t know it’s because sex in this body makes you dysphoric. You love your children so much, they’re the light and joy of your life, but you can’t help but wonder if your wife wanted to have them the old-fashioned way. You try to escape what you are but it’s getting harder to repress. You know she suspects something. You ended up with a binder, and sent it to someone you met online. You bought yourself a Blåhaj and you don’t know why it was that desperation had seized up in your chest when you saw it. You spent ages on name websites, looking for the perfect one, writing them down to see how they felt. You have the most amazing wife in the world and she is slipping away because you couldn’t keep pretending.

Scarlet asks Octodad to meet her at the shark tank when he’s ready to have a real conversation. And the shark tank is where things get interesting— the chef is there, waiting. He cuts off Octodad’s clothes with a cleaver, and tosses him into the tank, yelling, “Go back where you belong!”

The thing about the coding of Octodad is that it’s never a consistent one-to-one. That particular line? Could be read as immigrant coding, out of context. But then, looking at how easily he moves in the water compared to the flopping rag doll movements on land. He no longer has to mask, he no longer has to hide himself and navigate a world that is hostile and judgmental to him. 

And he’s miserable. He misses his family. And he’s determined to find them, and save them from the chef. So he sets off to do exactly that. 

There’s a series of objectives to complete to get there, but the one that stuck with me? Sneaking into the women’s bathroom. Granted, it’s for the purpose of going through the vents and causing a diversion in the break room, but it still strikes me that Octodad, who presents as a male human, has to sneak into the women’s restroom. And this is presented not as some scandalous affair of a peeping Tom, not a forbidden thing, but just an objective. That’s where the proper vents are, after all. 

On a sillier note? You walk into the aquarium in a shark suit, and you have to cause a diversion. So now, rather than Octodad’s clumsiness being a source of shame, it’s his strength, and it’s a point of pride. He’s an octopus! He’s excellent at making messes!

And then there’s the grand finale— it’s corny and dramatic and there’s a cafeteria on fire, and the truth is out. He’s an octopus.

And Scarlet? She says she was expecting so much worse. She loves her octopus husband exactly as he is, and no matter what adjustments she has to make, she knows her family will be stronger for it. Because now, she has the chance to love her husband in his entirety, in his Otherness, and she takes it.

Octodad is a story about an octopus walking around in a suit and pretending to be a normal human man, but it’s also a story about being closeted, masking, living in fear, and finally realizing that the love remains. That there are people who will love you as you are, genuinely and truly, tentacles and all.

[mofsblog]

Not to showcase my insane Oscar malevolent fan copium but hear me out: I find it interesting that we have Scratch/Lillith, someone who literally intimately knows Oscar's past and has seen his worst fears, while we still have the plot thread of his letter which hasn't been opened yet. WHICH MAKES ME WONDER IF WE'LL GET SOME?? CONFRONTATION ABOUT IT?? Like I'm just saying it'd be really really silly of Lillith (who probably has a good grasp of Oscars personality and mannerisms) to briefly shapeshift into him to fuck with Arthur and John :) yknow. For the sillies

[yellydany]

AMBER🍮🦈

Amber takes joy in eating the Cores of other Crystal beings like him and keeping them stored inside his transparent body to showcase as trophies. Just like the name suggests, he possesses a strange goopy texture that allows him to shapeshift to an extent and trap objects inside. He is heartless and commits such acts for nothing other than fun

[novantinuum]

Which one is knowing, loving, being? Is that one about the blorbo Steven?

Yessss ahahah, this is the one with the Gem Steven design I won't shut up about on discord XD

(thank you for taking my bait and asking me about this fiUSHKFNSUGJH my evil plan worked)

E eeeeee *cracks knuckles* time to RAMBLE! I am so excited about this one, lmaooo. If you're wondering where all my "Crack the Paragon update progress" energy went these past few months, I am so sorry besties- but it got funneled to this project instead. I need to finish this goddamn fic by the end of the year like I need air.

The tl;dr of it all is that this story is my adult human!Steven/gem!Steven/Connie propaganda piece, and also a place to explore my personal take on how Steven works like,,, biologically,,, as a bizarre hybrid of two beings who are fused but also Not Really. Certainly not in the way fusion works for OTHER people.

Mind you, this fic is very NSFW, as will be the snippit I share- so the rest of my rambles will go under a cut. You have been warned.

Okay, so the broad strokes. This one's gonna be 4 chapters-

Chapter one will focus on a recently married 23 yr old Steven heading out to Rose's Room so he can work through some mental bullshit regarding the split he experienced as a kid. That trauma still lingers all these years later, and there's still so much he doesn't fully understand about... about what happened. About being outright cleaved in two. He ends up having the Room conjure a cloud version of his Gem half- the most unfamiliar and alien one of the two, to him- so he can try and talk out his confusions.

Chapter two features Steven nosediving into an obsession over an impulsive kiss he shared with that friggin' cloud version of his Gem half, and one thing kinda just leads to another, and well- said obsession ends with his component halves briefly split apart so they can fuckin' bang to work through whatever crunchy ass emotions they've got all stewed up in there. Progress wise, I am at this part of the fic right now, and I am having a lot of fun making this segment as "emotions and stimuli all mixed together" and intentionally confusing as I can. I am taking the depiction of "split POV" we had in Change Your Mind VERY seriously and literally, because I haven't seen too many writers dare to try.

Chapter three is mostly like, an interlude chapter- it's the aftermath of chapter two, where a confused and sheepish Steven opens up to his wife Connie about what he just experienced. In my head, my version of Steven is VERY demisexual, so he's like... just as "huh" as anyone else about what just took place. He and Connie talk shit out, and then Connie is basically like "baby. sweetheart. love of my life. why the HELL would you rip out your own gem like that, and MORE IMPORTANTLY, why would you ever do that when i'm not here to help you if things went wrong??" By the end of the convo though, Steven extends an open invitation for Connie to join in at some point and enjoy some intimacy as the three of them, both of his component halves and her.

Chapter four is entirely about that precise encounter, both the planning and the actual sex. The broad purpose I have in mind here is to showcase how such an encounter is something that's innately healing for them as a couple, in the way they get to re-contextualize this scenario in tones of love and trust and willful choice... as opposed to the horrid experience of being ripped apart by another's hand. I also just want them to get WEIRD about it, because like. Come on. Steven's half-alien. He (and the organic and Gem who combine to MAKE him) deserves to be weird about himself and the way he interacts with his own sexuality. And you just KNOW Connie would be into that. There is a lot of genital shapeshifting here, and they have a fucking great time.

I have overtly had the extremely general sketch of this idea floating around in my head since 2019, but never had the guts to actually tackle it until now. Now, though... I've actually gotten some practice with writing smut and feel confident in my ability to swing these scenes in the way I envision them, AND I finally have a circle of people who are down to talk about Steven being really goddamn weird about himself lmafo. Like, it's 2024, I'm allowed to ship selfcest if I want, fuck you.

But yes, chapter 1 is already done at 5.3K words, and I've got a solid 7.4K on chapter 2 (and rising.) For my actual WIP share, here is a snippit I recently wrote for chapter 4, working ahead a bit-

“So this is your idea of a big finale, huh?” he says with an impish smirk as he reads the last item on the list, a healthy dose of humor lightening his words. “Both of them fucking like rabid animals in heat as you merely lounge on the bed and watch?” “Oh, shut up,” she bites back, unable to even look her dear husband in the eye as she clunks her head down on the kitchen table, her cheeks burning like she’s destined to crumble to cinders amidst her own personal inferno of runaway lust. But Steven, damn that ridiculous man, won’t let her live this down. Ugh. Of course he wouldn’t. “Now, tell me… how long have you been secretly dreaming of this scenario?” She groans, mumbling her shameful little response straight into the table mat. “Only like… every other night since I saw you fall apart…” His rumbly chuckle— brimming with unquestioned warmth and just a tinge of bashfulness at the sheer risqué inanity of this never-before-spoken revelation— rings loud and clear, coating the whole room in its dense, chocolatey tenor. “What?” Connie whines as she snaps upright, her hands fidgeting on the table in the throes of such excruciating embarrassment. “What exactly’s so funny about that? I’m being very brave and vulnerable about this, you know!” He raises a placating hand, pushing himself through the final notes of his laughter before moving to respond. “Sorry, sorry, I promise I’m not making fun, it’s just— I guess you never really struck me as the, uh… the voyeuristic type?” “Does that… bother you?” she frowns, tilting her head a little. “The idea of me just… watching? I— it’s only a suggestion, we can always take it off, if you—” “No, I’m okay with it. Depending on how we set things up, I think it could be pretty hot. In fact…” Steven grabs for a pencil, and— waggling his eyebrows at her— begins to write one last line on their collective beat sheet. “I actually have a little idea of my own that I think would be fun to try out during this…”

[celticbotanart]

the other day on bluesky I made one of those "1 like / 1 song" sort of post, and I decided to make all songs BR music to celebrate our BR community in there, and I decided to also put a brief description on each song to give non-BRs some context [LINK to the post on bsky!] Well, I got like 64 likes lmao so I made a playlist out of the post - here it is!

and to those curious, I'll also paste the context I gave behind each song, down the cut. BR music is SO incredible and so full of colors and variety, you guys should really give it a try 💚💛💙 I hope you like it!!

commission info | patreon | Ko-fi | VGen | bluesky

1. Caxangá - Elis Regina and Milton Nascimento Opening the thread with two of the biggest singers in our BR history, Milton Nascimento & Elis Regina (who has passed already years ago, unfortunately). They were best friends when she was still alive, and their synergy is out of this world, both with super unique voices <3

2. Domingo no Parque or "Sunday at the Park" - Gilberto Gil & Os Mutantes BR used to have these big music festivals back in the 60s, this is one of these performances. Gil is this larger than life singer, and Rita Lee,lead singer of Mutantes (RIP) was so full of energy too <3 This is a song about love and jealousy that ends in a tragic murder 👀 3. Construção or "Construction" - Chibo Buarque I'm only bringing the big guns to this thread lmao this song is NOTORIOUS for the way it was written, musically and lyrically. It's a protest song commenting about the BR dictatorship (1964-1985) in many layers. The orchestra here is insane, mimicking the sound of a busy traffic!

4. Faraó or "Pharao" - Margareth Menezes this song is iconic AF in so many levels!! Lots of African-BR influences, and Margareth sings about the golden era of Egyptian gods as a way to celebrate the black community <3 (pretty much a fast course on Egyptian mythology in the lyrics, no joke!) 🚨🚨🚨EU FALEI FARAÓOOOOOOO!!!🚨🚨🚨

5. A Vingança de Cunhã, or "Maiden's Revenge" - Pietá this one's about the boto(river dolphin)myth we have here(river dolphin turns into a man to seduce young women and leaves them after). Here the dolphin seduces this girl but she reverse-uno-cards him and he cant shapeshift anymore. Very pretty song full of BR folk instruments!💛

6. Malandragem or "Trickery"(???I guess??) - Cássia Eller time to show what BR music is widely known for:LESBIAN / BISEXUAL / WLW SINGERS lmao (I'm so serious!!) Cassia Eller (RIP!) had the most unique voice, and had such a great stage energy! This one is one of her most well-known performances in an MTV Acoustic <3

7. Nós or "Us" - Cássia Eller bc I can't get enough of Cassia, I'll add in another one from her, legit MY FAVORITE- a torch song with this flamenco-like sound???? It's just so cool!! And she showcases her voice skills even further here, she was incredible!

8. Vamos Comer Caetano or "Let's Eat Caetano" - Adriana Calcanhotto I love this performance bc this song is so fucking weird but also such a bop (and hard to explain, if anyone wants to try, be my guest lmao)

9. Veleiros or "Sailboats" - Ney Matogrosso singing Heitor Villa-Lobos this is a 2 for 1 situation, the song is performed by ICONIC BR singer Ney Matogrosso in an album of songs written by BR conductor and classic composer Heitor Villa-Lobos! I'm crazy about the entire album this song is in for real, it's called "O Cair da Tarde", I highly recommend it!

10. Bachianas Brasileiras n5: Aria (Cantilena) - Heitor Villa-Lobos and since we are at it, here's the most famous song by Heitor Villa-Lobos (I'm a Villa-Lobos stan ngl) Full on opera mode!! It's a beautiful aria, sang in BR-Portuguese <3

11. Choros no 10 - Heitor Villa-Lobos Another Villa-L just to showcase his range - last 2 I mentioned were very romantic / operatic w/ solo vocals,etc. This is an instrumental orchestral movement and here you can see how he mixed in classic European orchestra with our identity, using folk/indigenous instruments on the 2nd half!

12. Miragem do Porto or "Harbor's Mirage" - Lenine Perfect segue into this performance of Lenine my beloved <3 <3 He sings as if he's a castaway, dreaming of going back home. This version has a full orchestra, also full of folk instruments and influences. It's so full of energy even the conductor can't help but sing along! EASTER EGG TIME cause this version I described on bsky is not on Spotify, I had to use the album version on the playlist. So if you are A TRUE CHAD reading this, here is the version I described!

13. Preciso Me Encontrar or "[I] Need to Find Myself" - Cartola Cartola was the most important samba composer from the early 1900's <3 And YES! Using the Cowboy Bebop AMV someone made w/ it, bc it's so beautiful and I think it's so AWESOME how this song echoes through all culture and ages! And it matches CB's aesthetics so well!

14. Preciso Me Encontrar, Liniker cover I have to throw in this AMAZING cover of "Preciso Me Encontrar"; it's sung by Liniker, an incredible BR trans singer! Again, I think it's beautiful how this song resonates so much after so many years (it was originally released by Cartola in the 70s), and this video is just gorgeous overall <3 - ALSO NOT AVAILABLE ON SPOTIFY, here's the link!

15. Floral Fury - Cuphead OST Thread intermission - Cheating a little bit here, since this isnt composed by a Brazilian person afaik, but!!! I have to include Floral Fury here bc it's literally early 1900's samba! IT EVEN HAS A CUÍCA (the "straw through plastic cup sound" lmao), it's very accurate and ngl, it's FUN AF!

16. Um Girassol da Cor de Seu Cabelo or "A Sunflower in the Color of Your Hair" - Lô Borges / Clube da Esquina Clube da Esquina is formed by this group of singers from Minas Gerais (including Milton Nascimento from the first song in this thread!) Vocals by Lô Borges, it really has a melancholic, storytelling vibe to it,especially through the arrangement <3

17. Cantiga Por Luciana or "Song for Luciana" - Evinha Another oldie from the 60s I love so much, she has such a pretty voice ahhh<3 She's one of the "voiceclaims" for an OC I have (AME from my drizzle/LAND OCs!) Fun fact! Evinha was the one who sang the BR versions of the songs in Disney's "The Rescuers" (I'll link one next so you can hear it)!

Brazilian dub version of "The Journey" from "The Rescuers", performed by Evinha, from the previous post! Here, the movie was titles "Bernardo e Bianca", after the protagonists I legit think this is one of the best BR versions, and this animated intro in general is a freaking masterpiece. THIS BR VERSION ISNT IN SPOTIFY, HERE'S THE LINK!

Favo de Mel or "Honeycomb" - Milton Nascimento Speaking of BR singers in animations, I HAVE to link this one from no other than freaking Rio 2. It's "Real in Rio", that intro song from Rio 1, but a "sad version" of it performed BEAUTIFULLY by Milton Nascimento my beloved <3 I legit teared up watching the movie when this song came up. NOT ON FUCKING SPOTIFY, HERE IS THE LINK!

"Only a Dream in Rio - Milton Nascimento and James Taylor On Milton Songs That Makes Me Teary Eyed, this one which he collabed with James Taylor?? It's such a random, unexpected feat, but it turned out so beautiful! I think it's a good one to share in here, bc the song is sung half PT-BR, half ENG, I think it's rather appropriate for this thread <3

21. Fairy Tale - Shaman LEGENDARY live performance from metal band Shaman from the early 2000's, when their original vocalist Andre Matos (song writer, pianist, conductor; RIP) was still in the band. Here you can see why Andre was so, so beloved, guy was skilled AF and this song SLAPS SO HARD. BR IS SO AMAZING, GUYS (the version I mentioned above is the one on the playlist, HOWEVER I encourage you to actually watch the video of him performing!!

22. Carolina IV - ANGRA Still on Andre Matos, this is a song from his previous band, ANGRA. This song is part of a concept album where ANGRA mixed in metal+BR elements, you can say this is BR folk metal! The album Holy Land was all around the concept of Brazil, its culture, the colonization and so on. SO COOL!

23. Dança das Borboletas or "Dance of the Butterflies" - Sepultura and Zé Ramalho I can't talk about BR metal without mentioning Sepultura! So here's their cover of Zé Ramalho's song, featuring Zé in the vocals. This was used as soundtrack in the BR movie "Lisbela e o Prisioneiro" (a fave)(Don't be fooled by the butterflies in the title lmao)

24. O Matador or "The Killer" - Sepultura another Sepultura song for the soundtrack of "Lisbela e o Prisioneiro", I like that movie a lot. This is the theme song of Frederico Evandro, a character who's a badass gun for hire. I love how it sounds so metal but still so Brazilian!

25. O Encontro de Lampião & Eike Batista or "The Meeting of Lampião & Eike Batista" - El Efecto More BR folk metal! This is hard to explain w/word limit but TL;DR this song criticizes capitalism and colonization by corporations using the images of Lampião (BR historical figure) and Eike Batista (a real BR CEO); it uses lots of northeast BR influences!

26. Cílio or "Eyelash" - Casa de Caba YOU KNOW WHAT TIME IS IT ITS TIME FOR LUSO-BR PIRATE SHANTIES OK not really but this is how I see this song! Again northeastern BR influences + mention of Yemanjá (yoruba orisha of the seas, she's a big deity in afro-br religions!). If this isn't BR pirate enough idk what it is hehe

27. Arueira - Geraldo Vandré Another one in the "BR pirate shanties" list, which is kinda funny - is a protest song from the 60s and it in fact has elements in common with some sea shanties - CALL/ANSWER singing, it mentions how workers are suffering under hard work / a master,it even has nautical themes (sailors,sea,etc)

28. Canção do Mar or "Song of the Sea" - Dulce Pontes cheating a little again cause Dulce Pontes is a Portuguese singer, but mentioning all the "Luso-BR Sea Shanties", I had to mention this ICONIC performance! This is "fado", a melancholic Portuguese genre of music; I like to parallel it a bit with Irish keening style of singing

29. Canto de Oxum / Inscrição or "Oxum's Song" - Maria Bethânia still in the theme of waters! Iconic Maria Bethânia sings to Oxum, the orisha of fresh waters and beauty! Here in BR, we have afro-based religions that worships such yoruba deities, and we often hear songs praising them like this. The second half praises Yemanjá, deity of the seas!

30. Deixa a Gira Girar - Ana Mametto This one is a cover of Ana Mametto (og song by The Tincoãs released in the 70s), praising Iansã the orisha of the lightning and storms! This performance is so cool cause there's a dancer there with Ana, as Iansã herself dancing onstage + lightning sound effects. ITS JUST INCREDIBLE [LINK TO THE VIDEO!]

31. Vapor Barato or "Cheap Vapor" - Gal Costa and Zeca Baleiro this version of Vapor Barato/A FLor da Pele is everything. Gal and Zeca being fucking iconic for 6mins straight, this song is so melancholic, almost theatrical <3

32. Garoto de Aluguel or "Rentboy"- Belchior and Zé Ramalho it's easy to say Belchior (RIP) is like. Pivotal BR music icon. And here with Zé Ramalho they perform together in this song that's lowkey my favorite lmao, the tango vibes ARE STRONG and I love it so much!

33. Na Hora do Almoço or "At Lunchtime" - Belchior Another Belchior banger-it describes this young person talking about their family at lunchtime, and how everyone is so disconnected from another, "I'm still too young to be this sad", damn </3

34. Trem das Onze or "Eleven's Train" - Adoniran Barbosa ADONIRAN BARBOSA, PORRA <3 another super important samba composer~ In this one, the protagonist laments he can't stay with his love a bit longer, bc he has to go home and he can't miss the train that leaves at 11. The way the choir ends with a train-like sound, SO GOOD!

35. O Rei do Gatilho or "Cowboy / Old West King" losely translated - Moreira da Silva THIS ONE I SWEAR. It is a SAMBA THAT MIMICS A COWBOY/WESTERN MOVIE. But like, in a BR way of course. It's a pretty hilarious song with Moreira making different voices, it has sound effects of shots, horses running, applauses and so on, it's so fun!

36. O Vira or loosely translated as "Shapeshifting" - Ney Matogrosso Going back to Ney Matogrosso, I have to mention this one, the title kind of means "Shapeshifting"(as in werewolves)but it goes beyond that,it's hard to explain lol Ney has always been very out & about on genderfuckery and being gay so this song plays with that. a true icon Also THAT OUTFIT! 👌👌👌 [Link to the video so you can see his cunty looks!]

37. Rosa de Hiroshima or "Rose of Hiroshima" - Secos & Molhados / Ney Matogrosso on a more serious note,this is another famous song from Ney/Secos & Molhados (his former band). It's a tragic song where he lists the victms of the bombings in Japan, but in a very poetic manner BR and JP have history, so this is in a way our tribute to that sad event

38. Hinamatsuri / Se Essa Rua Fosse Minha or "Doll's Festival/If This Lane Was Mine" - Iuri Salvagnini speaking of BR/JP ties,this is one I found totally by chance and I'm SO HAPPY I did.This album has medleys of both JP and BR nursery rhymes. Se Essa Rua Fosse Minha is a very famous BR folk song and so ominous in a way, this version really reflects that!

39. Pegasus Fantasy - Edu Falaschi And speaking of which - ANIME TIME! Edu Falaschi, the vocalist from ANGRA that came after Andre Matos, was the iconic voice of Saint Seiya's first opening theme, "Pegasus Fantasy"! Saint Seiya was HUGE here in BR/Latin America in the 90s!

40. Descobridor dos Sete Mares or "Seeker of the Seven Seas" - Tim Maia Tim Maia (RIP) was like, a BR soul singer, his performances were all like this, full of energy with a big band and everything! (There's also this meme where ppl say this was supposed to be a Jojo's opening song, lmao)

41. Mania de Você or "Crazy About You"- Rita Lee and Milton Nascimento LEGENDARY performance of Rita Lee (RIP) and Milton Nascimento! A very sexy song, and their performing energy just brings everything to whole other level. It gets even better when we see Rita teasing Milton (around 5:33) haha <3 so cute!

42. Chuva or "Rain" - Gaby Amaranthos This one is kind of funny, but also kinda moving??? The lyrics are about the cycle of water -literal, textbook information about the cycle of water and how rains are formed At the same time she also sings "Water cycle is an eternal dance" which is such a beautiful way of putting it??

43. Ela Disse Adeus or "She Said Goodbye" - Os Paralamas do Sucesso I remember watching this music video as a kid and I loved it. It stars the incredible BR actress Fernanda Torres & the members of the band, all of them mistreating her character so badly until she just decides to kill them one by one lmao this song/mv still is so good!

44.Segue o Seco or "Draught Goes On" - Marisa Monte I also remember watching this one as a kid and being just fascinated by the video, it's legit a fucking masterpiece, the aesthetics and everything are very dramatic and theatrical. Marisa has such a GORGEOUS voice hnggg Still a favorite to this day [LINK TO THE MV!]

45. Ainda Bem or "Thank Goodness" - Marisa Monte another one by Marisão that I thinnk is so cool, especially the video, I love that's pretty much her just dancing with no one other than MMA wrestler Anderson Silva??? lmao so random but so cool!

46. O Céu é Muito or "The Sky is [Too] Much" - Lenine Lenine's heavy metal phase dkjfhskdjf jokes aside, I freaking love this one bc it's a bit different from his usual stuff (which I also really love). I think it's so cool when singers are so versatile and their voice will fit into any genre!

47. Matheus Embaixador or "Matheus, the Embassador" - Antonio Nóbrega Antonio Nobrega is an actor/folk musician that I really like. He plays rabeca (that folk violin he's holding) in his music as well! This goes into the BR Pirates Playlist thing for sure! hehe

48. Abrição de Portas or "Opening the Doors" - Antônio Nóbrega is a folk song / adaptation from Cantigas de Santa Maria, a compilation of medieval Portuguese poetry/songs! This one goes way back haha. And it really has the Royal Castle vibes to it, it's very Brazilian High Fantasy 👀

49. Bandolins - Oswaldo Montenegro This one is another mix of kind of funny with brilliant - Oswaldo wrote this song based on a friend of his, the song is really heartfelt and the last portion really GOES HARD with the vocals and harmonies holy fuck; but is also has some weird word choices lmao overal, it's a true bop, so dramatic!

50. Admirável Chip Novo or "Brave New Chip" - Pitty more BRmetal! This one was popular in the early 2000's and now I look at the lyrics like DAMN.She didnt have to go this hard-it has the obv ref to Brave New World on the title and she heavily criticizes consumerism and the lack of critical thought thats encouraged by capitalism??

51. Garganta or "Throat" - Ana Carolina Ana Carolina, BI ICON from my teenage years fr fr, I was obsessed. She has a very unique, deep voice, and her guitar skills are pretty insane, this one really shows all of that!! [The version in the playlist is the same as the video, BUT linking the video bc SHE'S SO BADASS!]

52. Eu Comi a Madona or "I Fucked Madona" - Ana Carolina lmao this song is what is says on the tin, Ana came out of the closed in the early 2000s as bi and ever since she has been VERY UNABASHEDLY BI and honestly good for her Iconic song for real kdjfhdkjfh [LINKING THE VIDEO OF HER LIVE PERFORMANCE. BECAUSE OF REASONS.]

53. Auroras Flamboyans - Sofia Freire I don't even know how to explain this one, Sofia has such a dream-like songwriting - she keeps saying things, listing them as if to paint an imagery, it's kinda abstract and so beautiful tbh. She also layers her vocals and plays piano for it, honestly just give it a listen, it's legit so good <3

54." Valsa Pra Lua or Waltz to the Moon" - Vítor Araújo absolutely gorgeous piano instrumental that's soundtrack to the BR movie Elena. I never saw the movie, but this song is soooo good <3

55. Espumas Ao Vento or "[Like] Foam in the Wind" - Elza Soares another version done for the Lisbela e o Prisioneiro movie (srsly that movie has SO MANY BANGERS in the soundtrack it's ridiculous). Elza (RIP) was another huge name in BR music, here you'll hear her iconic voice and singing style!! <3

56. Fixação or "Obsession" - Kid Abelha a song that's super relevant even nowadays lmao she describes the PoV of someone obsessing over a celebrity 24/7, how they keeps making up scenarios in their head featuring their fave. It really contrasts w the way she sings/the arrangement! I really like this version a lot ngl

Ragatanga - Rouge BRAZILIAN Y2K GIRL BAND TIME. Rouge was a girlband formed in a reality show, designed to discover "the next pop stars and form a pop group". Rouge was MASSIVELY successful, at least for a while. This one is their master hit (which is actually a cover from pop Spanish trio Las Ketchup)

58. Lua de Cristal or "Crystal Moon" by Xuxa and the Paquitas PERFECT SEGUE INTO XUXA'S MASTERPIECE lmao Xuxa ("SHOO-SHAH") is a former kid's show host and in the 90s she starred the Cinderella retelling movie Lua de Cristal. Big bop song, the movie not really,its kind of a cult for meme reasons lol the song is very Sailor Moon-coded too ngl

59. A Lenda or "Legend" - Sandy & Junior speaking of kid-oriented 90s pop music, I HAVE to mention Sandy & Junior, a duo of siblings that were super famous back then. A Lenda is definitely their best song, I non ironically still listen to it, cheesy-ness and all, it'ss dramatic AF dkjfhdkfjh

60. Sete Vidas or "Seven Lives" - Marcus Viana & Adriana Mezzadri this one was soundtrack to a historical period BR miniseries in the 2000s. It was composed by musician Marcus Viana (the guy playing violin in the Shaman video from before!) and it's sung by AMAZING Adriana Mezzadri, (actually Peruvian and not BR!) I LOVE this song, it's so good!

61. Sob o Sol or "Under the Sun" - Marcus Viana Marcus Viana also composed the ost for the absofucking popular 2000's telenovela O Clone! The songs were so iconic; the version in the playlist is the og version, but I linked this version in the thread, a version that's in Arabic! Lebanese singer Raya Hilal also sings the PT-BR version on the second half <3

62. Romance de Duas Caveiras or "A Skeleton's Romance" - Alvarenga & Ranchinho this is like. Old BR country/folk music and still hilarious AF lmao They are describing the romance of two skeletons in a cementery,how they go on with their...lives...death...?Until the day one of the skeletons ditches her skeleton bf over another guy(a fresh corpse lol). The video of them performing seems straight out of the Pixar movie Coco in every sense lmao

63. O Bêbado e a Equilibrista or "The Drunkard and the Tightrope Walker" - Elis Regina second to last song has to be Elis again! This one is a notorious protest song, really about hope and just waiting for things to finally be better

64. Evidências or "Evidences" - Chitãozinho & Xororó AAAAAAND LAST SONG IS, IN THE GREAT BR SPIRIT, EVIDÊNCIAS LMAO, it's a widely cherished song, but also kind of a meme, and everything in between. It's a cheesy love song in the classic sertanejo style (BR country genre), sung by Chitãozinho e Xororó, a duo of brothers!

[holymaccaronii]

im sorry i absolutly love BE

I see AM as a father figure for some struggles I got and BE is sooo well writed for me I couldnt help but slowly see her as a mother figure as well,,,,UGH i love her you writed her so well pls ramble more about her(BE and AM are even divorced just like my irl parents/j)

Ou anon you don't know how happy you make me when knowing you see AM and BE that way + asking me for rambles. Of course I'll ramble comforting facts abt BE and her behavior towards AM. I might've mentioned a few things before but i dont rlly mind. Have some rambles below the cut and a doodle :P

So first an introduction shall we? We might explain some background as well despite being repeated a lot. As her lore dictates, BE was born from the materials of a much bigger ai implanted on the moon after HEL-102 (former human that was part of the mission turned into a dictator) tore it apart and built his society + kingdom. She spent a good while in there being used as a role model (with other units like her too) for lower-class units to believe that, if they worked hard enough, they could achieve to be upgraded into her type of model. This being all a big lie. She lived a life seemingly flawless and perfect... but at last, it was her own curiosity, determination and hope that got her out of that hell she realized she was in. She eventually meets AM after a series of events on earth and she gifts him the ability to be anything and do anything he wanted, their relationship eventually grows and grows...

Facts about BE herself:

-Up in the moon, she used to accompany HEL-102 to his personal theater a lot. She gained an interest for dancing in there + learned her classic "to be or not to be" phrase during a play.

-Her exposed cables showcase their current temperature thru colors. Her core/closed body is the warmest area, thus why you can see red/orange colors in there. Her hair and arms are the most stable areas, but if touched/affected they can vary on color patterns. This also means that she can give you a warm or cool hug whenever you need it c:

-BE is able to configure your body to dream about something specific, and she uses this feature to avoid any nightmares on her survivors. As long as there is not another evil ai trying to access your dreams, you'll get a guaranteed good rest.

-BE can grant you about any wish as long as it doesn't pose a threat to you, her, or anybody. Want to have a profession or be someone? Sure! Want to go somewhere and experience the place of your dreams? Of course! Want to have a cat? Have 15! Her power is limitless as long as she uses it above the surface.

-I headcanon her voice to be similar to the one of Rose Quartz (SU).

Facts about BEAM (yep that's their ship name):

-I have mentioned it many times alr but BE literally provided him anything he wished for and even things he didn't know he wanted... mainly to receive different forms of affection and the ability to shapeshift. Their relationship relies heavily on comfort from BE's part, since she believed he was abandoned and thus deserved all the affection she gave him.

-BE wasn't really allowed to be too affectionate or expressive up in the moon, but with AM, she could show as much love as she wanted.

-She was all in for physical and verbal demonstrations of affection. She LOVED to do stuff like face smooches, teeth smooches (since well yk about my AM), rubbing, scratching and cuddling.

-At some point she also started to call AM names such as dear, sweetheart or honey, and he initially had to eat these up to not give her his real-self impression, but as time passed by he got used to them.

-To comfort him she also used her abilities to create and transform matter with her code as well, allowing him to shapeshift and enjoy life not necessarily in a human body.

-Annnd you guessed it right anon, they do behave as motherly and fatherly figures towards the survivors, BE forming a bond with them ever since they proved their worth and values to her as humans, and AM forming a bond when they accepted to help him get back together with BE. The ending of that route gets even better but I won't spoil that :p

I hope these were good rambles and sorry for the wait tehee

[tobiasdrake]

And, final note, I've been waiting to see where this goes but... last words on Mystique. Credit where it's due, they actually do let her wear clothes in this movie for the first time.

They're just. Really weird about it.

She spends a lot of time in this movie in her human guise, but even when she shapeshifts back to her base form, she usually has something on for most of the film.

But. Then.

It's at the Xavier mansion that we finally get the explanation for, uh, why Mystique is a naked body-paint supermodel in the original trilogy.

...

It's because Magneto thinks she's hotter if she's nude.

Magneto inexplicably equates wearing clothes to concealing her true self which is a fucking stretch and a half.

This is it. This is the official canon explanation for Mystique's nudity. Anyone who wears pants is lying about their true selves, and Mystique shouldn't have to hide her big blue tits away under a deception shirt.

This is what you end up with when you start at something that wasn't really defensible to begin with - there is no mystery about why the filmmakers wanted a nude supermodel bouncing around the set every day during filming - and then try to work backwards to find some way to retroactively make it secretly empowering and triumphant all along.

This is what happens when you try to spend a portion of your film getting into discourse arguments with your critics. "It's not fanservice! Wearing pants would be a lie! The true Mystique should be naked because that is the only way she can be true to herself! Magneto said so! Aren't you embarrassed that you ever questioned it now?"

This movie is a lot weirder about women than I remembered.

She does go back to wearing clothes after a brief nude argument with Xavier. It's another really weird scene; I guess she wanted to show him her tits because... Charles being embarrassed and flustered at the sight of his surrogate sister giving him the Full Monty means he secretly hates mutants or something.

She's just. She's mad at him because he's reacting negatively to her nudity. Magneto thinks she's hot like this. Why doesn't Xavier think she's hot like this?

Why don't you want to bang her, Xavier? Why haven't you ever told her she should walk around naked all the time? Is it because you hate mutants? Magneto wants her to be naked all the time because he loves mutants. That's definitely the reason.

But once that's over, she stays in her blue form but puts some pants on.

She remains dressed throughout the final battle. However, once Magneto's taken his like-minded mutants and started building his own coalition, we get one last shot of Mystique to show that it's begun.

She has officially begun going full-time nude because Magneto thinks she's prettier naked.

I wonder if she ever hassles the other mutants about it? Like. C'mon, Azazel. Mutants are supposed to be nude to showcase their true beauty. Why don't you show us all that demon dick, Azazel? Where's your--

Wait a second, Azazel and Mystique are Nightcrawler's parents. I picked the wrong fucking mutant for this joke. Uhhhhhh Riptide, whip it out!

[thedinanshiral]

Spoilers? Spoilers. Also, more dragons.

In the high-level combat showcase today an attempt at providing context for the combat scenes unfortunately included a spoiler. Right after the text on screen said they were avoiding major spoilers. And this "minor" spoiler isn't really minor at all!

They could have simply said the Grey Wardens were fighting off darkspawn at one of their fortresses, that was enough information that matched the combat scenes perfectly.

But no, they had to say

(posting a random picture first so it doesn't show the spoilers in previews when sharing the post on other socials)

Weisshaupt Fortress was under attack by Ghilan'nain and her archdemon, and that Ghilan'nain was controlling the darkspawn.

This is in no way minor.

For the last 15 years we've been led to believe archdemons were the blighted Old Gods of Tevinter, and that while they once awakened controlled the darkspawn armies it was the darkspawn pretty much on their own who searched and woke the Old Gods in the first place.

Now we're being told the Evanuris have their own Archdemons, that they're separate forms, and that at least Ghilan'nain can control darkspawn. The implications here are ...basically my Evanuris rebranding and dragon mount theory is suddenly very much possibly right there.

When the trailer came out and we saw the corrupted dragons, with Bellara's voice saying "our gods..OUR GODS" I was already getting excited that this game might confirm the Evanuris=Old Gods theory. Calling one of the dragons Ghila'nain's archdemon? Well, that's almost the same as putting it in stone.

I'm not celebrating yet because what is an archdemon? For Grey Wardens, any corrupted dragon could be an archdemon. Everyone certainly thought Corypheus' corrupted dragon was an archdemon too. It's a term that deserves a clear definition; is an archdemon simply any corrupted dragon, or do we reserve the title to specifically and exclusively Old Gods tainted by the darkspawn and released from their underground prisons? Because if it's the latter, this minor spoiler confirms the Evanuris are the same as the Old Gods, and the dragons being a different form (not the Evanuris shapeshifting) adds more solid ground to my dragon mounts theory.

This could also be one huge misdirection move because the dragon shown in the video this time is a new one. The horns don't match any of the dragons we've seen so far; it has some weird appendages under its neck, which does have Ghilan'nain's signature all over but the rest? Doesn't match the dragon with the blisters from the trailer, doesn't match the red and white corrupted dragons and certainly not Elgar'nan's giant dragon form. This one has ram-like horns, plus two smaller goat ones right on it's forehead that are easy to miss, it's a new one, and didn't look half as corrupted as the other two.

This is the "normal" dragon seen in the trailer that appears to be in the process of getting blighted as it's beginning to show some blisters

These are the fully corrupted dragons that I originally thought could be Elgar'nan's (red one) and Ghila'nain's (white/blue one)

Finally there's Elgar'nan himself, I'm pretty sure this is his final dragon form because it's so extra

It shows up again fighting the Dread Wolf

Back to the only one so far that's been referred to as an archdemon, the one with goat&ram horns..it doesn't really look like an archdemon, does it? Maybe Ghilan'nain has more than one pet/experiment? Anything is possible.

I'm just a bit anxious now, if BW think this doesn't count as a major spoiler, what does?

[spicybeefnoodles]

giving reassurance

summary: ashrah helps syzoth

warnings: none :)

Syzoth was having a hard time adjusting to the life of ambassadorship. Before he became the ambassador for Zaterrans, he had been hated and isolated from his peers. Even his own family left him alone, opting to keep him locked in the house for his freakish transformations. When he had joined a traveling circus, showcasing his abilities, people had looked at him in awe and wonder, poking and prodding at his skin. They had looked at him like an object, something to play with until they could move onto the next toy.

With his new position, he was suddenly served with respect and banquets and celebrations that he didn’t really know how to handle. And then with the discovery that his ability to shapeshift had been prosecuted within his community, it had sent him into a paranoid spiral that someone was constantly after him.

A soft hand rubbed soothing circles into his back, and Syztoh sighed at the contact.

The one constant in his life since escaping Shang Tsung’s lab had been Ashrah. She had been so kind to him, never looking at him like he was something strange or something exotic. With Ashrah, Syzoth didn’t have to worry about being an experiment, a prosecuted ability, or an ambassador. He could just be Syzoth. With Ashrah, he could take the time to mourn his family, his wife and son that had died so tragically in Shang Tsung’s hands. He would hunt down the sorcerer soon enough, get his revenge and make sure to rip out the sorcerer’s throat with his teeth.

But for now, Ashrah was here with him, massaging circles into his back and releasing the tight knots in his back. She hummed as she worked, working diligently to work out any points of tension. She had gotten significantly better at massaging since training at the Wu Shi Academy with the other monks.

“Syzoth.” Ashrah let his name linger in the air, thinking about how to choose her next words. “What is on your mind? You only ever come to Earthrealm when something is wrong.”

The Zaterran sighed and turned over on the massage bench and sat up. “It’s just… everything has changed so much in the past few months. And, I don’t know if I’m cut out for it. I just-”

Syzoth cut himself off as he heard his voice start to tremble, the familiar closing of his throat and the pain in his chest stabbing at his heart. In Shang Tsung’s lab, he kept his crying to a minimum. The sorcerer had particularly enjoyed inflicting pain when Syzoth was emotionally vulnerable. He was unlearning the habit, but sometimes he still closed himself off to the world.

Ashrah placed a comforting hand on Syzoth’s own hand, waiting patiently for the Zaterran to express himself.

“I don’t think I can be who they need me to be.” Syzoth finally whispered out the last part, and a few strays of tears dripped down his face. He quickly wiped them away with his other hand, but Ashrah brought her hand up to cup Syzoth’s face. And the dam broke.

He started sobbing full, messy hiccups and loud sniffling filling the room as Ashrah brought Syzoth in for a tight hug. She traced circles on his back as he cried. When he finally calmed down, only the quiet sniffles and red-rimmed eyes showing the evidence of his crying, Ashrah finally spoke.

“Syzoth. You should not need to change yourself to benefit others' needs. You should not live for others. You should live for yourself.” Ashrah pulled away from the hug, and Syzoth nodded.

“Thank you, Ashrah.”

“Of course. Now, lay back down. I still need to perfect my technique.” Ashrah smiled, and Syzoth chuckled. He lay back down on his stomach and under the warmth of the sun and Ashrah’s hands, he felt himself be lulled to sleep, and he smiled.

[kaykebitez]

Kayke's BG3 Fanfic Masterlist

Hello and welcome to my BG3 Fanfiction Masterlist! Here's my small (so far) collection of fics that I have written, mainly with Astarion/Tav but Rolan has also taken over my brain space so he's featured heavily as well. The Dark Minstrel (Series) - A collection of fics featuring my female drow bard Tav, Phaere Vrinn. ○ A Sonnet of Spiders (Main Story) - Rated M - Incomplete Starting in Act 2, Phaere meets the drider, Kar'niss, and comes face to face with her past as a noble of house Melarn. Featuring her developing relationship with Astarion and Halsin, and sibling dynamics with Kar'niss. ○ Sing for Me, Dance for Me, Eyes on Me - Rated E - Complete A oneshot detailing Phaere and Astarion's first time. ○ Pianissimo - Rated M - Complete (?) A two-shot (so far) showcasing Phaere and Halsin showing Astarion how to enjoy nonsexual intimacy. Set in Act 2 and Act 3. ○ Caesura - Rated E - Complete The night before the final push to the Netherbrain, Phaere, Astarion, and Halsin enjoy an intimate night together.

Light Years Away (In the Hells) (Series) - A collection of fics set in a modern AU around my tiefling shapeshifter Tav, Vox.

○ Hands in the Fire (Main Story) - Rated E - Incompelete Astarion visits the mysterious nightclub, The Devil's Den, and meets an enigmatic tiefling shapeshifter. Interestingly, within the walls of the club, Astarion can no longer feel Cazador's compulsion.

Fetch the Bhaal (Series) - A collection of fics centered around my tiefling sorcerer Dark Urge, Karvir.

○ Hold the Light - Rated E - Incomplete A short story detailing Rolan slowly falling for the himbo golden retriever durge, Karvir.

Miscellaneous Oneshots

○ Period. - Rated E - Complete Astarion eats reader!Tav out while they're on their period. That's it. That's the fic. My first forray into BG3 fics.

○ Unconventional Surprises (in Love) - Rated T - Complete Written for the Elturian Tiefling Camp Valentines Day Exchange. Rolan has been separated from his loves, Tav and Astarion, for six months. On the night they're set to return, he tries to surprise them with an over-the-top romantic gesture. Everything goes horribly wrong. Shameless fluff.

○ Arcane Arousals - Rated E - Complete Reader is a Wizard, now working/living at Sorcerous Sundries/Ramazith's Tower with Rolan after the Netherbrain's defeat. You've noticed he has a thing for you, but the insufferable brat won't do anything about it. You decide to take manners into your own hands and tease him until he snaps. Just shameless filth.

[zapreportsblog]

twilight

Garrett x Tiger shapeshifter reader

Where the reader is an older woman who is in her late 40 - early 50's. She has long black hair with a hit of grey. She is half Japanese and Black (She gives me Kelly hu - an actress from Martial Law and Halle Berry vibes). She can transform into a white tiger. She is trained in several Martial arts and speaks several languages.

She is friends with Esme and Carlise. They have known each other since the reader was in her early teens. They kind of adopt the reader (even though the reader is now old enough to be their parents - Emmett calls her granny) after she was kick out of her home because her family did not like that, she was a female white tiger.

Garrett meets her during the training to defeat Victoria and her army of newborns. One of the wolves Paul said something about the reader which has resulted in a fight causing the reader to transform into her tiger form and kicks Paul's butt by pinning to the ground by his throat and growling at him.

feel free to add anything else.

❝a lifelong bond❞

✭ pairing : Garrett x reader

✭ fandom : twilight

✭ summary : (y/n) has been a part of the Cullen family for as long as she can remember while she may not be a vampire that didn’t make her any less family from 

✭ twilight masterlist

(Y/n) was no stranger to the supernatural world, and her true nature as a white tiger shifter had been a closely guarded secret for decades. She had known the Cullens since her early teens, and their friendship had evolved into something deeper, akin to family. Despite the age difference, Esme and Carlisle had embraced her as one of their own, offering her refuge and unconditional love when she had nowhere else to turn.

It had all begun years ago when (Y/n) was a vulnerable teenager, grappling with her newfound shifter abilities. Her family, a clan of black tiger shifters, had ostracized her the moment her true form was revealed. For them, anything other than the sleek black stripes was considered an abomination. It was a harsh lesson in the unforgiving nature of her own kind.

Alone and desperate, she had wandered the woods, unaware of the fate that awaited her. That's when she had stumbled upon the Cullens, a vampire family who, instead of seeing her as a threat, had recognized her pain and offered her solace.

Esme and Carlisle, the matriarch and patriarch of the Cullen family, had sensed her despair and taken her in without hesitation. To (Y/n), their home was a sanctuary, a place where she could finally be herself, her true self, without fear of judgment or persecution.

Over the years, (Y/n) had grown close to the Cullens, forming a unique bond with each member of the family. It wasn't just the protection of the Cullens' supernatural abilities that made her feel safe; it was their genuine love and acceptance that had healed her wounded soul.

Emmett, the jovial and boisterous member of the family, had a special nickname for her: "Granny." Though she was old enough to be their parent, her youthful appearance and her enduring friendship with the Cullens had earned her the affectionate moniker.

As she looked around the Cullen's grand, light-filled home, (Y/n) couldn't help but smile. The family portraits on the walls showcased the years they had spent together. They were her family now, her true family, and nothing could ever break the bond they had forged.

And so, as (Y/n) basked in the warmth of their love and acceptance, she couldn't help but be grateful for the day she had stumbled upon the Cullens, a chance encounter that had transformed her life and given her a second family, one that would stand by her side through eternity.

Today was like none of it is apparently a Norman vampire by the name of Victoria has been pissed off at the Cullen family for killing her meat after she had brutally attacked one of their members, Edwards girlfriend, Bella Swan. Apparently she was building a newborn army to take down the Cullen family and having caught word of it the Cullen family.  what’s quick to prepare for the upcoming battle that they knew they would have no choice but to face.

The Cullens had called in reinforcements, knowing that the impending battle with Victoria and her army of newborns would require all the help they could muster. Among those invited was Garrett, a nomadic vampire known for his combat skills and his fierce determination to protect those he cared about. They even went as far as to invite (y/n) seeing as how she was a fierce member of their family  and was well experienced in the art of fighting and weaponry.

The day of training was intense, with the Cullens and their allies gathered in a secluded clearing deep in the forest. It was here that Garrett first laid eyes on (Y/n), the enigmatic white tiger shifter. She was a striking sight, her silver fur glistening in the dappled sunlight as she moved with grace and power.

Carlisle had introduced Garrett to the group, explaining their plan to defeat Victoria's army and emphasizing the importance of unity in the face of danger. Garrett nodded, his eyes lingering on (Y/n) for a moment longer than necessary.

As the training session progressed, tensions simmered beneath the surface. The wolves and vampires had a history of animosity, and it didn't take much for tempers to flare. Paul, one of the wolves, couldn't resist making a snide comment about (Y/n), taunting her about her unusual shifter abilities.

His words stung like a venomous bite, pushing (Y/n) to her limit. She clenched her fists, her anger simmering as her tiger instincts threatened to take over. Before anyone could react, she transformed into her formidable tiger form, her silver-and-white stripes shimmering in the sunlight.

With a powerful leap, she lunged at Paul, her massive paw swiping at him and sending him sprawling to the ground. Her sharp claws dug into the earth, pinning him down by his throat. A menacing growl rumbled from her chest as her vibrant blue eyes locked onto his.

Paul struggled beneath her, his bravado fading in the face of the fierce predator. The other wolves and vampires watched in awe as (Y/n) asserted her dominance, her message clear: she would not tolerate disrespect.

Carlisle moved swiftly to defuse the situation, calming (Y/n) with his soothing voice and reassuring presence. As her aggression waned, she reluctantly released Paul, who scrambled to his feet, gasping for breath.

"(Y/n), enough," Carlisle said gently, his hand resting on her massive shoulder. She reluctantly transformed back into her human form, her chest heaving with residual anger.

Paul, thoroughly chastened and nursing his bruised ego, realized the gravity of the situation. He nodded in submission, muttering an apology to (Y/n) as he rubbed his sore throat.

The training session continued, albeit with a newfound respect for (Y/n)'s abilities and boundaries. Garrett, too, had gained a deeper appreciation for the white tiger shifter, recognizing her as a force to be reckoned with, both in her human and animal forms.

As the day wore on, the group forged a tentative camaraderie, understanding that they needed to put aside their differences and work together to face the imminent threat posed by Victoria and her relentless army of newborn vampires.

In the days that followed the intense training session, Garrett found himself increasingly drawn to (Y/n). Her strength, both physical and emotional, had left a lasting impression on him. He admired her courage and determination, traits that resonated with his own fiercely independent spirit.

However, Garrett was also acutely aware of the impending battle with Victoria and her newborn army. The looming threat cast a shadow over any personal desires, and he knew that their focus had to remain on the task at hand.

As they prepared for the inevitable confrontation, Garrett and (Y/n) fought side by side, honing their combat skills and strategizing with the rest of the Cullens and their allies. Their interactions were marked by camaraderie, mutual respect, and a shared sense of purpose.

Nights were spent around the Cullen family's grand dining table, where the group would discuss battle plans and potential scenarios. In those moments, Garrett couldn't help but steal glances at (Y/n), his heart quickening each time their eyes met.

Yet, he kept his feelings to himself, prioritizing the mission over his personal desires. There was too much at stake, and he couldn't afford to be distracted by matters of the heart.

The day of the battle finally arrived, and tension hung heavy in the air. As Victoria's army descended upon them, chaos and chaos reigned. Garrett and (Y/n) fought valiantly alongside the Cullens and their allies, each of them determined to protect their loved ones and the peace they had fought so hard to maintain.

The battle was fierce and unforgiving, with lives on the line and no room for hesitation. (Y/n)'s tiger form was a formidable force on the battlefield, her agility and strength making her a formidable opponent. Garrett marveled at her prowess, even as he fought to hold his own against the newborn vampires.

Hours passed like an eternity, and the relentless onslaught showed no sign of abating. It was only after the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the battlefield, that the tide began to turn in their favor.

Victoria's forces dwindled, their ranks thinning as the Cullens and their allies fought with unwavering determination. Finally, the moment they had all been waiting for arrived. Victoria herself was cornered, her red eyes filled with desperation as she realized her defeat was imminent.

In a final, decisive battle, the Cullens and their allies emerged victorious. Victoria was defeated, and her threat was no more. The relief that washed over the group was palpable, but it was tempered by the knowledge of the lives lost in the process.

With the battle behind them and the threat eliminated, Garrett finally felt the weight of his unspoken feelings for (Y/n). The adrenaline that had fueled their fight now left room for introspection, and he knew that it was time to act on his emotions.

As the group regrouped, battered but victorious, Garrett approached (Y/n) with a hesitant smile. "We did it," he said, his voice filled with a mix of exhaustion and relief.

(Y/n) turned to him, her eyes reflecting the same mix of emotions. "Yes, we did," she replied, her voice soft but filled with the same underlying intensity that had drawn Garrett to her.

It was a small, unspoken acknowledgment of the bond they had forged through the trials of battle, a bond that had the potential to grow into something deeper, something that transcended the chaos of the supernatural world. Garrett knew that now was the time to let his heart guide him, and he was prepared to do just that.