#like if I have to get through something just to continue my ambition it might as well be this one

[thevioletscout]

Sometimes I feel like the opportunity deck is purposely spiting me.

On Fae's account I was trying to get her the Trickster profession but for the life of me could not draw the Devils or Urchins card. But I was able to use a favorable circumstance for that so whatever, not that big of a deal in hindsight.

I even remember having some difficulties getting cards I need on Sibyl, but I can't recall specifics.

But now on Emery I'm trying to get the person of some importance status so that I can hurry and catch up to my friend in Light Fingers already. I decided to pursue the requirements for "Because you watch from the shadows" because I was getting so many Cheesemonger cards I genuinely wasn't sure what to do with them.

And of course, as soon as I decide I actually want to wrap that storyline up, suddenly I'm unable to draw any Cheesemonger related cards for 7 days straight.

So now I'm trying to wrap things up at the university before I begin the making your name quest there, feeling frustrated because I could have been doing all this a week ago but didn't because I didn't want to rush through it. In the meantime the deck STILL won't give me the last damn card I need. Like this would be funny if I wasn't genuinely annoyed.

[kavalyera]

🎭 VTM OC ASK GAME🩸

Hello I’ve decided to make a VTM OC ask game! Feel free to reblog and put your OCs name in the tags hehe

1. What clan is your OC?

2. What faction is your OC? Do they conform to a group or are they independent?

3. Are they more “traditional” or do they break barriers?

4. What generation are they?

5. Who is their sire?

6. What was their relationship to their sire? Were they close in any way or mere strangers?

7. How did their sire treat them?

8. Was their sire with them after their embrace?

9. Do they have a childer?

10. What is their relationship to that childe if they do have one?

11. When was their embrace?

12. What happened that lead up to their embrace?

13. Was their embrace painful? (Either emotionally or physically)

14. How did they initially feel after being embraced? Did they like being reborn into something knew or did it take them a while to cope with their new reality?

15. Are they presumed to be dead or are they still acting as though they are alive to the general public?

16. How good are they at acting “alive”?

17. What are their thoughts on the Camarilla?

18. What are their thoughts on thinbloods?

19. What are their thoughts on the Sabbat?

20. What are their thoughts on the Anarchs?

21. What is their predator type?

22. What are their thoughts on other predator types?

23. How often do they kill those they drain blood of?

24. Do they easily dispose of bodies?

25. How often do they cause a masquerade breach?

26. Do they want to become human again or are they fine as a kindred?

27. Do they have a clan they don’t particularly like?

28. Where do they live now as a kindred?

29. Do they frequently change locations or do they have a fixed location where they live?

30. Do they have a clan that they do particularly like?

31. Do they have a ghoul?

32. Do they like their ghoul if they do have one?

33. Would they like to have a ghoul if they don’t have one?

34. What are their thoughts on blood dolls?

35. How old is your OC up until their death?

36. How old are they now, continuing through their embrace?

37. What age are they? (Childer, Neonate, Ancilla, etc.)

38. Do they care about the taste of blood?

39. Could they easily decipher what a Malkavian is saying?

40. Would they ever commit diablerie if given the chance?

41. Would your OC switch their clan if given the chance? Why or why not?

42. Suppose they weren’t embraced by their clan, which other clan would they thrive in?

43. What are their best attributes?

44. What are their best skills?

45. What are their disciplines?

46. What are their ambition(s) if any?

47. What are their desire(s) if any?

48. Detail things about your OC you spent a lot of time on!

49. Detail your OC’s backstory!

50. Wild card! Sender asks a specific question in regards to your OC

I hope you guys have fun :3

cr; divider by @.anitalenia / divider by @.cold--carnage

tagging some of my mutuals who might be interested (u guys are now gonna get bothered by me no take backs) (unless you ask to stop which i will dont worry dont worry im just being silly): @thewhumpcaretaker @babayagaiscomingforya @informaltorching @casperatu @styxnbones @porcelainseashore @childofmalkavians @knownsome @findingtarshish

[spdrvyn]

PAPER PLAYS — [ wc 2.7k. pre/post-atsv. angst. hurt/comfort. ] being a journalist in nueva york isn't a job for the weak, but you've managed to make it through after all these years. long enough where the mystery of its masked vigilante enamors you endlessly.

took me a lot longer to finish this than anticipated and i'm so sorry for that, life gets busy and other things were calling for my attention. this is definitely my longest fic to date, and i just wanted to see how much better i'd gotten at writing miguel compared to before. hope you guys like this one as much as i enjoyed writing it!

cw: violence and mentions of death. this is a rewrite of an old work. check the original fic here.

You knew from the beginning, Nueva York wasn’t the dreamland you thought it was. 

Maybe your young and naïve self saw something in this god-awful city that the present you just couldn’t. The illusion of freedom and expression that served as a think blanket for the real horrors that hid underneath bustling streets and funky smells. 

Reality set in even harder once you graduated college. Landing a job as a journalist in one of Nueva York’s top publishing companies with your nifty degree and shockingly, your belief that you had talent to offer to them. A lot of years have passed since then, yet it’s still pretty difficult to get by. It costs too much to leave, but you wonder how bad the cost of living will get if you continue to stay. 

Either way, you have persisted and hope to continue that. As far as it goes, you love what you do. There are a lot of sick truths that make it to the public eye, truths that you want to talk about, start discussions and discourse on, and hopefully reach the blissful young adults that see this city as a wonderland of opportunity. 

Your ambitions might also be why Spider-Man thinks you’re such a nuisance. It usually never is your goal to unmask his identity whenever you approach him, but it would be nice to at least get a motive as to why he decided to take it upon himself to protect the city, why he abolishes evil in its wake. Only that he has managed to evade you every chance that he gets. Any information that you have right now, you practically had to rattle out of him. 

He’s just an interesting topic, is all. Mystery is as much of a journalist’s candy as it is to detectives, it is up to you to ensure that unearthed discoveries find their way to the public’s eye. That’s all he’ll ever be. The same way that all you’ll ever be to him is a pest. 

Right? 

~

Routine was a safe net for you to fall back onto. Living in the underbelly of the city never constituted any new changes or risks, it was secluded yet still densely populated and as usual, a tad unsafe. Visits from the local vigilante were pretty frequent, you would see him around even when you were just walking about the streets. 

Every single part of your routine was designed to blend in as much as possible. You would wear unassuming clothing, take the commute to work, take the commute back once you were done, and occasionally eat outside when you thought you deserved it. 

If the ever the opportunity presents that you can reward yourself, you enjoy sampling some of the cuisine that’s in your area. You never eat at the same restaurant twice, simply because it’s good to try new things and frequenting one place makes you too easy of a target. 

Which is why you’re definitely surprised when two figures in black hoodies begin to follow you once you exit the doors of the restaurant, they follow you three blocks down so now you can’t convince yourself that it’s merely a coincidence. Once you turn a corner, you break into a run. Tightly gripping the bag of food in your hand as you dash past street lamps and smelly dumpsters, the footfalls of your hopefully-not captors in the distance get faster and faster. 

Adrenaline grips you tightly. When you turn the corner again, you make your way into a secluded alley and hide behind the dumpster. Peeking out, the vague shape of your apprehendors zoom past and you’re finally able to breathe a sigh of relief. 

It’s only when you hear grunts of pain and thuds of bodies against the floor, does your heart begin to race again. Slowly, you make your way to the edge of the street’s crevice as your eyes squint at the unruly sight before you. 

In a speed that you certainly didn’t expect, your previous apprehendors were face flat on the cold cement and Spider-Man was menacingly standing above them, chest heaving, and unbearably furious through the mask. As if he could sense his unwanted audience, he narrowed his eyes at before stomping his way towards you. 

You take a few steps back from the way he invades your space, maybe it can’t be helped considering just how tall he is, but you couldn’t help but feel a little intimidated. What he’s about to say next certainly isn’t going to help either. 

“Why are you of all people walking alone at night? Are you trying to get yourself killed?” Yep, called it.

“Is that seriously any way to talk to someone that almost got themself killed?” You huffed, his frustation was evident. He turns to massaging his temples with his fingers to fight off a horrific migraine. There is clearly so much more that he wants to say, but your point stands correct still. You really could have died, if he weren’t there to save you.

“Fine, I can take you home then.” 

“... Excuse me?”

“You heard me. Let’s go.” 

There was barely any room for argument, if there was room to spare at all, he was very insistent on being your personal escort. Despite it seeming like the very idea of being in such close proximity with you for over a minute may as well kill him, you weren’t in the position to decline that kind of offer anyway. Begrudgingly, you give him the directions to your apartment building. 

What you don’t expect is him picking you up by the waist with nary a warning before swinging from building to building. Was he following the way to your residence? Yes. Was he doing it the way that you wanted him to do it? Absolutely not! You cling to him for dear life, until your feet are firmly planted on the ground as he safely deposits you onto the roof of your place. 

It’s a bare moment of silence, consumed by labored breathing and rustling fabric. You glance up at him, and his expression is almost unreadable. “Uh, thank you.” 

He sharply averts his gaze, making his disgruntledness all the more obvious now. “Just… Don’t do that again. You’re smarter than this.” 

You raise a brow, “So you think I’m smart?” 

“Don’t flatter yourself, you made some stupid decisions tonight.” 

“Actually, do you think I could get you on the record for that? I’m sure that you have a⎯”

“Okay. Good night.” 

And… he’s gone. 

~ 

Suffice to say, maybe you weren’t as smart as you thought you were. 

Ever since your publication on Alchemax came out, danger has sought you at every corner. Nowadays, your commute is a race to get out of the subway as fast as you can, especially when you meet eyes with a mysterious man who was sending daggers at you with his glare alone. Honestly, he might have had an actual dagger on him, but you certainly weren’t looking forward to finding out. 

What else is there to say other than it sucks? Truly, your already constrained lifestyle is beginning to close its walls on you ever since you released that God forsaken article. 

There isn’t the option to leave your job either, it wouldn’t be worth it to leave because you actually enjoy what you do to the point where you could say that you love your job despite the whole getting followed, stalked, and attacked scheme. Besides, it would be even more foolish to let go of your only stable source of income at the moment. 

Not like you can afford any sort of protection for yourself either, your company can’t care enough to provide any form of guard because it’s a case that happens with most journalists. You certainly don’t have the funds to get your own bodyguard. The most you have in your bag is pepper spray and a sneaky taser. 

This is probably the part where you begin to accept just how risky it is living the way that you do, but it is so much easier said than done. There never will be a point in expecting something in return for all of your hard work except a paycheck and compliments from appreciators, because that’s probably just the way things are. And that is how they’ll stay forever.

The slight of hopelessness that worms its way into the crevices of your brain spreads out into the other aspects of your day-to-day life, the joy that you receive from performing each task, the simple things that made everything else worth it, was drained through every fibre of your being. Restaurant stops weren’t an option anymore, cafe visits were a no-go, you just have to head straight home from work, recharge, and do it all over again. 

So much so that you don't realize there’s someone in pursuit of you after you carry yourself through the subway, until you’re backed up against a brick wall and a knife lodges its way into your shoulder. You don’t scream, you can’t. Because they have a gloved hand pressed up against your gaping mouth. Well, you are making noise, sputtered and choked. 

It was only a matter time before you lost enough blood to pass out. Your eyes glossed over and the brick scratched against the back of your head as you begun to slump in the culprit’s grasp. As you were falling, you felt the hand on your mouth tighten as they removed the knife from your body. 

Everything else that follows happens in a haze. It almost felt like your spirit itself was separate from your body, being a passenger instead of the driver. There is someone talking to you, you think. Hurried whispers and worried murmurs, here and there. 

“Stay wi… now…” 

“You… afe…. prom…” 

“... upid… St…” 

~

Nueva York’s hospitals had never brought comfort for you. They were overly sterile, suffocating, and intolerable. You’ve only had to go once in the entire period that you’ve lived in the city, and it has forever soured what you’ve thought of the establishment. But this place? It was nothing like that.

When you had awoken, warm light bounced off of sage and dandelion patterned sheets. Your head had been carefully positioned up on plush pillows that matched the bedding, the room was nicely furnished and decorated like it was actually meant to be a liveable space rather than just a holding for patients. On your bedside table, there was a bouquet of flowers along with a ‘Get Well Soon’ card. 

It was truly puzzling. It was still dark out, the sky hadn't even looked like it moved since you got stabbed. Wouldn’t seem like even your friends that lived in the same area would have caught wind and came to see you. 

Suffice to say, your answer is right next to you. 

A strange man was sitting at the chair next to your bed, bouncing his leg as his eyes were glued to a watch-looking contraption on his wrist. Your eyes widened and your jaw fell agape, movements that he could pick up from the corner of his eye as he turned to you. 

Shock, this was the guy that saved you?!

He wasn’t anything short of attractive. His hair was a dark chestnut, slicked back save for a few strands you can only assume fell out of place from the scuffle with your attacker. He had a sharp jaw, strong nose, and thick lips. Crimson eyes too, oddly enough. Eh, you can look past that. 

You want to smile, you almost do, but it doesn’t even get the chance to fall from your face when he looks at you with a scowl. “I thought I could leave you alone long enough for you to not get into any shocking messes.” 

That voice. It’s way too easy to recognize, to put the pieces together. Your face twists to one of distaste that matches his own, you almost shriek. “Spider-M—?!” 

Almost instantly, he leans forward and presses a finger to his lips. A very obvious gesture for you to shut up, but you just couldn’t believe what you were seeing really. Among all nights you were expecting him to reveal his face to you, if it were even a possibility to begin with, you would have never expected it to be tonight. 

“Could you keep it down?” He scoffs, slumping back in his chair when he’s reassured that you’re not going to scream bloody murder. You narrow your eyes a little, trying to convince yourself that this isn’t a hallucination from all of the blood that you lost. 

“I- I don’t get it. You saved me again? Where even are we?” 

“It’s a private clinic, you would be too easy of a target if you were brought to one of the general hospitals.” It explains the pleasant decoration and nicer atmosphere, although you were sure that this place would have your bill shooting through the roof. It was expensive enough at the general hospitals, just imaging how much you’d have to pay here. “If you’re worried about the cost, don’t.” 

The horrifying implications of that statement were that he had already settled the charge for you, it’s a debt that you’re going to be stuck with for a while because there is no way in hell that you can scrape up that much money with just your job alone. Maybe revising your resume would be a good idea when you get discharged…

“Listen to me, you need to quit your job.” 

Nevermind, not as nice of an atmosphere anymore. “I’m sorry, what?” 

“You could have died tonight if I hadn’t caught you in that alleyway, rapidly losing blood. I can’t always be there for you, I can’t always save you, or everyone for that matter. Find– find something safer, or work from home. I don’t care. I just can’t– you shouldn’t–”

Whatever seems to be on his mind can’t find its way out through words, you can see it in the way that his lips purse and his eyes go from exasperated to defeated. His shoulders shake with slightly trembling breaths as he ruffles his hair with bruised fingers. All behaviors you’ve noticed when you’ve seen him geared up, but it feels so much realer now that he’s unmasked. Vulnerable. For you. 

Sympathy burns your skin, watching him so disheveled over the fact that this really could have been your last night alive. Never in your right mind would you have thought that he cared this much, a name is at the tip of your tongue. You don’t know what to call him, his alias feels wrong in this moment. 

“I… I know.” You shift closer to his side on your bed, “But I can’t quit. I’m not only doing this for pay, there are people out there that need my help too. It’s scary for me too, but it’s not enough to stop me fom doing what I need, want, to do.” 

There is a fraction of understanding in the way he looks at you. He knows, deep down, that he can’t change your mind. He thought that maybe, if he begged enough, if he tried harder, the world would keep you a little safer. But he knows as well, deep down, that isn’t true. There’s a chance that it will never be true. 

Though, you don’t know that. You probably never will. 

The very least he could do is protect you, more than he already is. He was never supposed to stay here, waiting for you to wake up. By your side, as the lamp’s light shone down you and blessed your gentle features. He never should have revealed his face to you, spilled his guts, and trusted you to be careful with them. He knows what happens when that’s the case. 

“It’s Miguel. O’Hara.” 

You’re taken aback by this sudden breach in his personal identity, but of course, it isn’t unwelcome. “Alright then. Good to finally have a name to the face, Miguel. I won’t tell anyone, for once.” 

He has a little bit of heart to chuckle at that, but it fades quickly. “... I’m still– thinking about your situation though.” 

“I appreciate you covering everything and the concern, but I’ll be fine. If you really do worry and care for me an awful lot though, then we can keep in touch.” You drawl out the last statement with a teasing lilt, offering a smile to lift the tense air in the room. 

He doesn’t acknowledge it, or deny it even. He just stares at you with an expression you haven’t sene his face long enough to decipher him for, before he nods. The corner of his lips curling upward, only a tiny bit. 

“We will.”

[diminuel]

Headcannon Scenario: How would the alabaster arc have played out if Crocodile had found out Luffy was his son during the arc? Would he be forced to change his 10-year plan? Would he have avoided fighting Luffy and the straw hats altogether, or would he not have given an F and continued the takeover as planned? You seem to understand crocodiles character pretty well.

I wouldn't say that I understand his character all that well, I'm just speculating based on what we saw of him and others probably do it better! But I'm happy to take your confidence in my Croc-analysis skills *lol*

But the outcome of your scenario depends on one main question: how did the separation from Luffy happen - does he know Luffy's name, Dragon's full name, where Luffy grew up? Also, connected to that: is his wish to have enough power to oppose the World Government in any way tied to Luffy (and/or Dragon)?

So it's really difficult to give scenarios with so many variables...!

Some options under the cut. I can expand on things if you let me know what you want me to imagine ;3

Scenario 1: he gave up Luffy because he didn't want to have a child and knows nothing about him. His ambition was too strong, the need for power too great to be held back by something like a child or ineffective dreamers like Dragon. If there's any anger and resentment in him regarding his pregnancy and the child (or its father) then I'm not sure he would have cared. Because this child was nothing to him. An obstacle he had overcome 17 years ago. An obstacle he would overcome again now. Just another hopeless dreamer who was too weak for the Grandline. Just like he had been, before he had turned his eye to real power. Effective power. But I think he would have been disappointed if his own flesh and blood would amount to so little, die too quickly. I think once Luffy has escaped death twice, Crocodile would start being intrigued and he might have recognized himself or Dragon in him during one of the fights. By the time they're in he mausoleum for their last battle, when Crocodile's plans were already starting to crack and fall apart (but not fully, he could still get the throne and figure it out from there), he did acknowledge him and maybe he think it'd be a bit of a shame to put an end to the kid's life here. A shame, but Crocodile's never been the sentimental type. He says but he didn't deal Robin or Luffy a decisive killing blow, missed vital organs, didn't drain him of all life, used poison with a known antidote. (Though maybe he's a bit sentimental because when they meet again he protects him. Might snark to him about the truth which Iva would understand, Luffy probably not. To Luffy it might sound like something along the lines of "you beat me, now I'm yours" as if Crocodile was just another wild animal to tame. *lol* He probably wouldn't get it until quite a bit later.

Scenario 2: he gave up Luffy because he had plans that he couldn't see through if he had to worry about the child. Additionally we might imagine that his plans are in alignment with Dragon's goal but they fundamentally disagree about what they're willing to sacrifice for it and therefore broke off contact. Crocodile didn't look into Dragon's business, Dragon kept his nose out of Alabasta even though - technically - Dragon should have sent people to investigate this kind of rebellion. That's what the RA is there for after all.

So Crocodile doesn't know anything beyond the things he would have known because he was there (day of birth, where he had been born) but due to Dragon's worry about the child being discovered Crocodile expected him to be moved around, hidden better. I'm not entirely sure what information Crocodile gets about Luffy (I vaguely recall him looking at his wanted poster with a "never heard of him" reaction but I can't find it. Must have either been in the anime or a flash back I can't place). But since Luffy appears in Vivi's orbit so close to Crocodile's plans, he might look into him a bit more. And if he gets East Blue, Goa Kingdom, birthday and maybe even just the last name, he'd know who that kid it.

I don't know when he would do that additional research, but even if he does it only once Luffy's in Alabasta I can't really see him stopping what he's doing, but I don't think he'd want to kill Luffy. Even if he personally has no feelings towards this child, this is Dragon's son. I don't think he'd be so at odds with Dragon that he'd want to punish Luffy for it. So he would probably just lock him up and continue his plans (no flooded secret base, just everyone locked up, including Vivi). But Luffy keeps getting out of any time out he puts Luffy in, burning with the desire to kick Crocodile's ass. Clearly, this guy has Dragon's frustrating idealism, and paired with Crocodile's stubbornness and selfishness, he knows Luffy's not going to stay down. The final battle in the mausoleum still happens and Crocodile loses (partially because Luffy was never severely wounded, while Crocodile's abilities to fight him were limited to non lethal attacks. And Crocodile most likely didn't use poison on him, might also just have knocked out Robin instead of hurting her severely).

So I think the only difference would be that Crocodile wouldn't try to kill the kid, but he wouldn't tell him anything and he would still continue his plan because he got so far he's not going to stop now.

Maybe Luffy would have wondered just why Crocodile never fought him with the intention to kill and Crocodile might have also refrained from villain speeches in Luffy's presence. He would probably have been cold and rational in the things he would have said, making him and his motives very hard to grasp. Robin would definitely have recognized a change in demeanor. She had never been upset about his casual cruelty, nor had she opposed to anything because the ends (getting to read the Poneglyph) justified the means, so why was he changing track, so close to the finish line?

I don't know if Crocodile would tell her anything, I doubt it, because he doesn't trust her after all. But Robin might figure out that there's a connection to Luffy based on him gathering more info on Luffy, the uncharacteristically tense reaction he might have had to him as well as the change in demeanor around Luffy. Luffy is somehow a weakness and maybe Robin would see to it that Luffy got out of his prisons because if Crocodile was distracted that gave her a better chance to escape once she saw the Poneglyph.

Luffy would probably be less antagonistic towards Crocodile when he saw him again in Marineford, still puzzled by him and his instant offer to help him escape. Maybe on the way to the battle they'd talk a bit but maybe all Crocodile would say is that he recognized him as Dragon's son and that they were... "friends" once. "No longer" he'd probably hurry to add when Luffy looked like he assumed that meant Dragon was also in the kingdom stealing, making princesses unhappy business. And meanwhile Iva's in the background doing maths and sweating X3

Scenario 3: Crocodile didn't raise Luffy to keep him safe and he's looking for Pluton because he thinks that this is what they need to free the world of the WG's control. He wants his kid to be free, he wants his family back and he's willing to do what it takes.

In this setting it's possible that Dragon and Crocodile have stayed with Luffy for a bit (just not long enough for Luffy to actually remember them) so Crocodile would know his name and what he looked like, at least as a toddler, but he would have said good-bye to him by the time he moved to Alabasta (when Luffy was around 3).

Would Crocodile still have made the same plan? Take over a country to potentially get the location of a weapon? Or would his plan have been different, merely exploiting and exacerbating a problem that already existed (droughts, Cobra's maybe well-meaning but short-sighted dealing with it, tension and frustration turning into rebellions)?

Whatever the case, the moment Crocodile hears that Luffy is not only on the Grandline, but has also met Vivi, knows he's behind BW AND is apparently wanting to help the princess save the kingdom, he's alarmed. He's not sure if he should be relieved or anxious when Robin tells him that they're on route to Little Garden. He doesn't want Vivi anywhere near Alabasta, he also doesn't want his kid there, not now. So he's torn between sending people to distract them and sending them to capture them. And things fail and Luffy suddenly is in the same place as him, for the first time in over 10 years.

And if a part of the reason why Crocodile's trying to get Pluton is to protect his kid, he can't just forge on with his plans if Luffy does actually stand in his way. What's the point of hurting his kid to get a weapon so his kid doesn't get hurt?

If he still has Dragon's number, he might call him. This might be the one scenario where things turn out differently, with Crocodile actually changing his plans. But it won't be easy. These are plans 14 years in the making. He's prepared every little detail, it would have been perfect. Using the distraction of a revolution to grab the king, find the Poneglyph, be the hero of Alabasta one more time by stopping the fighting, bringing back the rain, then find Pluton. (No dance powder, no bomb, no regicide - Dragon might not want him back if he sacrificed too much for his goals.)

But I think Luffy might mess up even Utopia Lite. The kid doesn't stay trapped (as in the scenario above) which means that he might have to fight and throw him into a time out again at least once. Though if Luffy did spend his early childhood with his parents, he might recognize him too once he gets close enough to grab him, to throw a punch through his sands. Maybe not his face or his voice but the warmth, the smell, the feeling of sand trickling through his fingers, the cadence of Crocodile's laugh. It might give him pause too, long enough to be put into another trap to keep him from interfering. Suddenly, kicking Crocodile's ass has become... difficult. In ways a battle hasn't been difficult before. He can't even fully explain why. Nothing's changed, has it? He's still the evil warlord who's going to steal Vivi's country.

I don't think there's any way out of it that doesn't involve Crocodile having to take the fall and getting arrested, losing his Warlord status. Because even if he withdraws his powers and lets it rain, thus stopping the rage of the rebels for long enough for the king or Vivi to give a passionate kingdom unifying speech, he still built up this drama for his own gains. And he won't even have gained anything because Robin won't tell him what's really on the Poneyglyph even though he knows for sure that it contains the directions to Pluton.

They'd make it out without the big fight, with considerably less heartache. Maybe Vivi herself would be surprised that this was not the high stakes take down of an evil monster that has poisoned her kingdom from the inside out for years and years that she had expected. Crocodile was not the kind of evil villain that she had imagined him to be the last two years.

I think this scenario would make it possible for Luffy to be glad to see Crocodile again in Impel Down. Because by then he would have known what the warmth and longing he felt was. Maybe Robin even found an old picture that Crocodile had kept when she raided his base before making her escape and deciding that she should better follow Luffy and see where it takes her.

So yes, those are some options. As mentioned above, I think the reason why he would have left Luffy would change how he would behave and how he would have schemed in the first place.

[dark-frosted-heart]

Roger Barel Main Route - Blind Love Chapter 23

As usual, can’t guarantee 100% accuracy on this. I���m doing this for archiving purposes and you can probably find a better translation out there

Roger: I’ll never forgive anyone who uses their ambitions to justify devaluing human life.

Roger: Kate.

Kate: On it, Roger.

I raised the tray of test tubes with the medicine.

Privy Council Lord: Y-you can’t possibly be…

Royal Hospital doctor: D-don’t…!

They screamed—I slammed the tray down as hard as I could.

The test tubes shattered, glass and liquid spread everywhere on the floor.

Royal Hospital doctor: Ahh…

Privy Council Lord: What did you do…

Their faces turned pale and they tried to sip the antidote from off the floor, but the liquid had already soaked into the carpet and there was nothing they could do about it.

Roger: Die a miserable death. That’s the only kind that suits you wretches. 

That sort of “despair” suited them.

But then—

Roger: …Just kidding.

Privy Council Lord: ……Huh?

Kate: The ones I just broke were fake. The real antidote’s here.

I opened the medicine box, revealing the dark brown reagent bottles containing the antidote.

This had been all planned.

Roger: How’d it feel? For a second there, you were prepared to die. ..Now you know what it’s like to have your life in someone else’s hands.

Privy Council Lord: …?!

Roger: You lot were people of power who’d hold the lives of others and crush them like toys. The weak are undesirable, the weak deserve to be killed, they provide nourishment— But that’s all a bunch of nonsense. Doesn’t matter if you’re someone with authority, a doctor, or Cursed…at the end of the day, we’re all human.

His words resonated deep within my heart.

(Roger always listened to my silent voice and saw things from the same perspective)

~~ Flashback ~~

Kate: I’m…frustrated…by how weak I am.

Roger: Last question. Kate, what do you want to be?

Kate: I… Strong…I want to be strong. Because I…don’t want to hate myself.

~~ End flashback ~~

Even though we’re all human—the voices of the weak and the few were laughably easy to drown out.

As a Cursed One, he was more aware of this than anyone from the past.

~~ Flashback ~~

Roger: Hey, Alec. Why are you researching Cursed Ones in a place like this? They’re born all around the world, but hard to come by.

Wouldn’t it have been better to do something like establish a treatment center for cancer since it’s incurable?

Then the world would know just how talented you are!

Alec: Perhaps.

But I’m willing to throw my position, reputation, and money away for this research. Someone might eventually find a cure for cancer…but I’m certain no one would find one for curses.

The voices of the few tend to get drowned out. That’s why I have to listen carefully.

~~ End flashback ~~

He had lost the person who had taught him important things…

Nonetheless, he continued to fight alone with his ambitions in his heart.

And yet—

~~ Flashback ~~

Lance: I’m just happy watching her from here.

…If I just watch her, my love won’t hurt her.

~~ End flashback ~~

There were so many lives, so many Cursed, that couldn’t be saved.

This was what I’d call “despair”.

Roger went through despair hundreds of thousands of times, but in all those times, he managed to get back up.

Until a time when despair hit him so hard that he couldn’t.

~~ Flashback ~~

Roger: …It’s laughable, isn’t it…? I swore to myself that I’d tame my curse. I wouldn’t let fate drive me mad like God’s whim. I resolved to never betray anyone unknowingly. ..And yet. You can’t fight it…just by your will alone?

Kate: …

Roger: Is this how I meet my tragic end? …Surrendering myself to my curse…

~~ End flashback ~~

…But Roger eventually got back up, fighting back against despair once again.

(As both Fairytale keeper and Roger’s partner, I’ll see his chosen condemnation through to the very end)

Roger: …Look. Humans can never become god. I’ll say it again. I’ll never forgive anyone who uses their ambitions to justify devaluing human life.

Roger leisurely picked up a reagent bottle and held it against the Privy Council Lord’s mouth.

Roger: Drink.

Privy Council Lord: …Mmm, mm…

The Privy Council Lord didn’t care how he looked as he gripped Roger’s hand and chugged the antidote down.

The other members and doctors all crawled toward Roger and reached for his hands.

One by one, they were each given the antidote— 

Roger: Don’t think I’m helping you out. I’m keeping you lot alive so that you all stand trial. With sins that grave, you’d be living in hell. —I’m not killing you. That’s my condemnation. Dance on in living hell.

Roger looked down at them as they rejoiced at being saved, the empty reagent bottles scattered about…Did he look like an angel or a devil to them? 

Roger: Ah, that’s right. I forgot.

Roger picked the nearest Privy Council member up by the collar and delivered a powerful, unforgiving right hook.

He then proceeded to punch each and every one of them, sending them sprawling.

Kate: Just now…was that for beating you up?

Roger: Nope, for making you sad. And… …And…

Kate: …Roger?

Roger: Ahh, damn it…

Suddenly, Roger grimaced.

Roger: Keep hitting them and maybe…the dead will come back…

Roger knew better than anyone else that a miracle like that would never happen.

However, these were his “true feelings” that he kept buried in his heart, away from everyone.

(There are no words that can be said to heal Roger’s wounds)

(But still…)

Let’s go out to eat

You’re not alone

I’m with you +4 +4

Kate: …I’m here with you.

I squeezed Roger’s hand to show that I was by his side.

Roger: …Your hands are warm.

Roger squeezed my hand back and smiled.

Roger: Alright, let’s clean this mess up and go eat!

Kate: Then shall we have the usual meal at the bar?

Roger: Phew, I missed beer.

It was like our usual conversation conveyed “we have to keep fighting against despair.”

Kate: Same here, Roger!

…And so this case came to a close.

--

“Roger Barel saved the criminals and then they were condemned by Crown.

The Privy Council members involved were all dismissed and in addition to being under close surveillance, the Privy Council was drastically reformed. 

The doctors were all stripped of their medical licenses and dismissed, and the police became involved in an investigation at Gracefield Royal Hospital.

As for the criminals that Roger turned over to the police, they never saw the light of day again.

—That was the living hell that awaited them.

This is the entirety of the condemnation that I, the Fairytale Keeper, witnessed.”

…That’s how it was supposed to be.

But Crown and I were unaware of the fact that all the criminals being transported had been killed.

By the hands of a pure white angel.

--

Darius: ~~...♪

A satisfied smile adorned Darius’ red lips, his light humming the only sound that could be heard on the streets at night. 

Darius: …Yes, it’s gone quiet. I honestly could care less if you all lived or died. But the problem is— You’ve come in contact with one of the worst ideas in this world, the idea of getting rid of curses for the Cursed. Memories don’t disappear so easily. So I had you disappear entirely. Ahh—...I’m hungry. I’m heading back to the palace.

--

Darius: I’m back.

The moment he opened the door, Ring frowned slightly as he smelled something.

Ring: …Dari, did you kill people?

Darius: Wow, Ring, you really are like a dog. How did you know?

As Darius checked if there was any blood on him, Ring lightly shook his head.

Ring: Even if your clothes are spotless, you can still tell by the smell. Blood has a distinct scent.

Darius: I only went to make something in our way disappear. It seems they have seen the research materials on how to get rid of curses.

Ring: …Then are we killing Roger Barel next? He has the knowledge on how to get rid of curses.

Darius: We won’t kill him. He’s too brilliant of a Cursed One to be killed. That’s it, we can invite him to join our “family” to make sure that he won’t hold any more dangerous thoughts. I’ve always wanted a doctor.

The way Darius spoke was like a child wanting a toy for Christmas.

Darius: Ah, that’s right. More importantly, there’s something I want to ask Nica.

Nica: What?

Nica, who had been sitting in a chair going over documents, finally looked up.

Darius: Why did you give the Fairytale Keeper information that would help her?

Nica: Haha, our king knows everything as usual. The answer’s simple. I wanted to see how useful she’d be. I’m sure Robin will have a key role in fulfilling our ambitions.

Darius: I see. I was wondering if you wanted the drug that would “get rid of curses”... It seems I misunderstood.

Though his expression didn’t change, if you looked into his eyes…a disturbance could be felt deep in the heart—

Nica: Of course not. We’re family, and came here to fulfill our ambitions together. Now then, I’m off to continue gathering more information. Wir sehen uns (see you).

Darius: Take care. Don’t die by accident.

Ring: …Wait, Nica.

Nica continued down the hall, aware of the footsteps following after him.

Ring: …Nica.

He finally stopped and turned around.

He had a frivolous smile.

Nica: What. You’re frantically chasing after me like back when we were kids. 

Ring: …Even though…I’m your twin…I don’t know what you’re thinking.

Nica: What're you going on about in front of a man as easy to read as me? I want money and power. I want to be the happiest man in the world. Look, now that you got your answer, why don’t you run back to Dari? Bye.

Ring: …

Ring watched Nica walk off until he was left all alone.

As he was about to go back, a tapestry on the wall caught his attention.

On it—a pair of black swans snuggled together by a lake.

Ring: …I just want you to smile sincerely���like you used to.

Next

[fraux140]

Some König Headcanons and Hottakes

So I want to preface this by saying no hate to anyone. These are just some opinions that I think some people might disagree with which is totally fine. This is also a little bit of me pointing out some of his flaws. I love him though.

He is not a shy little uwu boy who would have a panic attack if a cutie looked at him a certain way. If he was so prone to panic attacks and his anxiety was that crippling then he wouldn't have been in the special forces and he wouldn't be in a PMC - which are highly selective.

Personally I don't fully believe that he was a colonel. The only hint we have gotten of that is a one of the 'Bad Brothers' loading screens which just says 'Colonel König' with no more context. Colonels aren't really active on the battle field and it is very unlikely you would see one in action. Officers ranked that highly are seen as too valuable to be 'wasted' in infantry combat.

Continuing from my last point, even a lot of majors and Lt Colonels aren't battle prone. Considering he would have had to have passed through those ranks to become a colonel means that he would have spent a lot of time behind a desk and commanding teams such as platoons and battalions. We don't know enough about him to say that he isn't a good leader, after all he is simply an operator with a few paragraphs of text as a background. However, his voice lines and little text we do get about him tells us he is not one to enjoy standing by and having others fight on his command. He would MUCH rather be in the brawl.

And I know that Alejandro is a colonel and very active duty, however we can assume that this is largely due to his ambition and personal attachment to his home, which he wants to protect from the cartel. I'm not saying a colonel doesn't fight, but it is exceedingly rare.

My last anti-colonel theory point - why would a colonel wear such DIY gear? I just want to say if you hc him as a colonel that is absolutely FINE, those are just reasons as to why I don't :/

Moving on, I believe him to be a sore loser. For example, he was deemed unfit to be a sniper, and so he wears a sniper hood and has that voiceline "And they said I couldn't be a sniper". Dress for the job you want, not the job you have ig?

I believe he wants to prove people wrong. Getting rejected as a sniper wounded his ego so A LOT. I hc him to be between 32-37 and if he joined jagkdo/KSK (old bio said he was German and in the KSK, newer ones said Austrian and JagKdo, now there's no mention of sf so idk??) while he was younger, say around 23-26, he's had a lot of time for that wound to heal and yet it hasn't. This man holds hella grudges.

Because of this, I think that a fear of failure might also contribute to his anxiety. If he was asked about being scared to fail he'd smirk and say there was no way. But deep down in his core it eats away at him.

This might also bleed into his social life. He's fearful of relationships and remains single for a long time. He'd rather not ask you out instead of having you reject him for trying. He'd have to REALLY like somebody and also have some reassurance or signs that they liked him out.

Cannot accept accountability for simple mistakes. He knocked your coffee mug over? You shouldn't have left it there. Hit you a little too hard in training? You should be stronger. You should have dodged it. Not his fault you're not as good as him.

Is a show off. If he is obviously better at something then you'll never hear the end of it. Better driver? Better fighter. Yeah, he's bragging about it. Again, his fear of not being good enough rears its ugly head. He deflects it on to those who are weaker - they could never be him.

Damn this was a list of negatives, but I love him in spite of all of his flaws. What kind of list should I make next? I should probably do one with some positive traits lmao.

Anyway, I don't mind at all if anyone disagrees with these this is just how I see him. Maybe one day I'll write a fic where he acknowledges his demons and starts to heal.

[meanbossart]

omg i loved that insight into some of drow's most important relationships it was so juicy...now...i gotta know what orin thought of this guy. we get some idea based off the game and other asks but what did orin really think of drow? especially when he first arrived at the temple it must have been something to be told this feral bastard is another of Bhaal's chosen. when do you think she decided to betray him?

GLAD YOU ENJOYED THE READING I love love Love getting into the nitty gritty of personal relationships so thank god some of you guys also like hearing about it LOL

But boy! That's a difficult one. Orin is a very mysterious character to me, we get a fair bit about her life and a vague idea of her relationship with you, but it's always from a second-hand source - the woman herself seems so stripped of humanity that it's difficult to imagine her doing trivial things like going to sleep at night or eating lunch - let alone how she felt about the people around her.

And there's an allure to that that I'm hesitant to try and demystify; not to mention how it itself was a source of frustration to DU drow. While its not like he ever desired to have a sit down and talk about their feelings together as a bhaalspawn, he did want to be let in, whatever that meant - and Orin never ever allowed that, though she did let him get close enough to keep trying.

I do like to believe they were both much less brazen when they met as young adults, DU drow being the shellshocked looking freak who barely knew how to carry out human interaction that he was, and Orin being a lot more explicitly reliant on Sarevok's approval and guidance to exist in the temple. With this, I think there would have been room to some insecurity - if there's another bhaalspawn, her need and effectiveness would come into far more scrutiny than it already did, after all. She would have probably disliked and avoided DU drow not on the basis of his appearance or past, but just because of this threat that he represented to her alone.

And while they inevitably grew close in a very weird way, that very first impression would have planted this seed of resentment in her which would eventually result in the betrayal; but it definitely wasn't the only thing that led to it.

Orin would have been all too aware that DU drow wanted her as more than a sister or a cohort; he was INCREDIBLY unsubtle and would have made attempts to escalate their relationship at least a few times. Because of my theory that Sarevok wanted them to breed together, this behavior was never discouraged, and while I highly doubt it was ever explicitly and openly discussed, I do think Sarevok would have found ways to imply to her that he would like to see the line continue through them.

Obviously Orin never reciprocated DU drow's feelings or desires, but she did enjoy toying with him - while she probably did love him as family, I don't have to spell out to you how weird a situation this is and how it might lead to a lot of bitterness on her end. I don't know if she "led him on" out of malice, out of a desire to feel in control of the situation, or just because she enjoyed the mind games, but these instances of teasing and holding things over DU drow's head only came after many blunt attempts at shooting him down, and looked very different from any sincere displays of affection they may have had as "siblings". Whenever DU drow wanted to push her boundaries, it would be as if a switch flipped and their dynamic ever so slightly changed - and she met in kind. This would usually reach a peak where it broke out in violence, and always ended with them beaten, bleeding, but laughing. And then it would never be spoken about again.

So, with this growing resentment, plus Sarevok's growing favoritism towards DU drow and his seeming desire to see them mate, PLUS Orin's very real ambition to pursue Bhaal's plan and gain some recognition of her own, she would have eventually decided that she didn't want want DU drow around anymore. What feelings precisely led to this decision I do not know, but whatever they were they had been festering for a very long time.

[childotkw]

Hi jordan! Hope you're doing well! It's flourdove (to clarify because username change aha) - I've been doing my seasonal ybtm reread and my annual surf through the ybtm tag on your tumblr (just full of gems. Dopamine hit goes crazy). Lots of stray thoughts...

This time around I've been reading especially slowly to soak in all the details (it's a trend. I go slower for each reread) and I can't believe I actually missed the elder wand detail in the beach/shade scene and THEN missed the implications in the first (I believe) Grindelwald scene when he mentions the wand disappearing and then coming back with grains of white sand on it. Want to smack myself on the head for that because even though it's not necessarily... a huge detail (I think) it's still something that's kinda embarrassing to miss aha I've been thinking about if Nathan actually lived through his accident and Harry never came to take his place, and how exactly all that would go, especially in regards to characterization because amnesia can be wild considering how it varies from case to case. That AU would be interesting imo and it is Tempting to try and take it on - though if I did, I might be biting off more than I can chew (I am not the plot genius of genius master that you are). one day (one day...)

Also have been chewing on Harry-Turns-Into-Simon AU, I love big brother potter and it Hurts. I think the image of Tom nagging Simon!Harry would be very funny and also disconcerting because I have a hot white hatred for that child (as much as I'd like to pick at his brain) regardless... hope you're having a good day! I am waiting very patiently for ybtm21. Have a polite lioness

(2/2) I forgot to add this before hitting send on my last ask but for nathan lives it'd also be. Real Amnesia. If the tangent on how amnesia varies didn't make it clear sorry!!!

--- -- --- -- --- -- ---

Hello love! Thanks for the update - and congrats on your new username! And thank you for the lion 🥰

Ahhhh yes, the elder wand! I did sneak that one in there hahah Grindelwald is very much befuddled by what's going on with it, but the pieces are kinda coming together for him 😂

If Nathan never got taken over, and Harry never came to be in this time, I think that would be a very dark timeline indeed. Nathan would either go one of two ways - he would continue to drown under the weight of the horrific treatment he was being subjected to, or he would, with a truly stunning amount of courage, find a way to overcome things.

Because I want my boy to be happy, let's say it's option two.

Maybe Nathan wakes up, disorientated and confused, but accepting of what the doctors tell him. He was injured, he hit his head, he has amnesia. It's not quite a 'factory reset' but it does lead to some changes in his personality and reactions to things.

He's convinced by his parents to take his time with his recovery, and then, most likely, to remain home-schooled rather than return to Hogwarts. Nathan has no drive to go back to the castle anyway, since he can't remember anything about it, and Simon's horrible whispered words have told him that whatever bullying had occurred, it had occurred there.

So, our boy is home-schooled, and what do you know? When taken out of a crushing and toxic environment where everyone is out to get him, Nathan flourishes. His tutor is a kind but strict woman who pushes him at just the right speed to get him to excel.

He takes his OWLs and his NEWTs months and years in advance with her hand guiding him and his ambitions, and he passes both with flying colours because he's had a dedicated teacher that's only focus is on him, not hundreds of other students.

Nathan doesn't know exactly what he wants to go into - he doesn't think he has the right temperament to be an auror, despite some boyhood dreams of his - so he instead turns his focus to the Unspeakables.

Normally, being hired as an Unspeakable doesn't happen straight out of school, and especially not to someone graduating years before they usually should. It requires decades of study to even be considered. But Nathan's tutor, who is more well connected than even he knew, gets him an interview. He gets himself the job.

It's boring work initially, being a gopher for his older colleagues, but as he proves his competence and knowledge, they start getting him onto more and more interesting, and dangerous, projects because the Unspeakables play fast and loose with rules and what do they care if he's not hit his majority? He wears the robes and the mask. He's one of them

Nathan loses years down in the dark bowels of the Ministry, but they are some of the best years of his life. He distantly hears about Grindelwald's defeat, and the frantic running of his Acolytes all across the globe, but pays it no mind because the device in his hands is far more fascinating.

Around that time, he gets a letter from his old tutor, asking to meet.

He goes, of course he does, because he hasn't seen his parents in months and has been ignoring their letters even longer, but Leopolda was always offered him just that bit more than Benedict and Cynthia could with their love forever tainted with guilt.

More encouragement. More praise. More advice. More magic.

That's why he does nothing when she introduces him to her brother, Klaus. That's why he says nothing when she admits to who and what they are.

That's why he takes her hand when she asks for help.

Nathan's an Unspeakable, and he specialises in wards - making them, destroying them, twisting them.

He can guess why they've come.

[blue--ingenue]

Slytherin Traits

Note: This is just my interpretation of Slytherin traits. Take what resonates, and leave what doesn't 💚

“Those cunning folk use any means to achieve their ends” - Work smart, not hard. Colleges and publishers deem textbook piracy “immoral” and “unfair” to other students who pay full price for books. But when higher education prices are inflated by privileged administrators, this power imbalance nullifies such comments. It also reminds me of a quote I saw spray-painted on a wall: 

“If paying is not owning, then pirating isn’t stealing.” I wouldn’t go out and steal a physical textbook, but no real money is lost if I replicate a few hundred pixels on a screen so that I can finish my education

Additionally, choosing to play “fair” in a system designed to exert control over people with less privilege and power will not benefit you. The same people setting arbitrary standards for “fairness” can often be the same ones benefiting from those rules.

Continuing on with being cunning, bending the rules here and there can help you level the playing field. Blanket statements and generalized restrictions don’t affect everyone equally. For example, exams that rely on hard memorization, and testing environments that punish students for fidgeting are ableist and severely limit the types of students who will be able to succeed in school/university. 

In my case, my class was allowed to bring a single note sheet to our final exam. I have trouble memorizing formulae/processes, but can solve nuclear reactor physics if the formulae are in front of me. Although the professor advised against writing out full examples, I bought an ultra-thin writing ink pen and crammed all the exampled I needed. I passed.

Ambition, defined as “a strong desire to do or achieve something, typically requiring determination and hard work.” Ambition is very subjective. One Slytherin’s ambition may be to graduate at the top of their class and become an expert in their field. Another’s ambition might be to set healthy boundaries for themselves to prioritize their mental health. Someone else’s goal might just be to get out of bed that day. The only person who can decide the importance of your goal is yourself.

Everyone has different abilities, desires, material resources, and life experience. No matter the goal, ambition is essential for completion, and success in any measure deserves celebration.

Speaking of accomplishments, pride can be a well-deserved reward for achieving your goals. You more than deserve to celebrate your successes. Taking pride in your achievements can help build self-confidence. Feeling capable, accomplished, and proud of yourself can be empowering.

In my experience, it’s a lot easier to underestimate yourself than it is to oversell your accomplishments. If you’re someone who tends to downplay your abilities/accomplishments, there’s a chance that you’re selling yourself short. Take pride in yourself. You’ve earned it.

Slytherins also understand how it feels to be Othered, negatively stereotyped, or feared. As a queer POC and one of only ten women in my major (bearing in mind that my university's graduating class size is 10,000 people per year), I know what it feels like to be singled out. I was also the only Asian student in my high school class, and the only family of color for a 1-mile radius in my hometown. 

People tend to see you through their own narrow-minded lenses and stereotypes. This isn't a reflection of you, but merely a projection of their own prejudice and ignorance. No matter your reason for feeling Othered, know that their comments and limited perceptions are merely their own self-reflections.

[novafire-is-thinking]

(Until life picks up speed again, this is null. I’ll update it later.)

How to say goodbye ‘see you around’ and mean it…

The time has come.

First thing’s first: this isn’t goodbye—just a heads up.

Due to changes I’m making in my personal life, I’m easing away from the Transformers fandom for a partial hiatus. My ambition makes me restless, and it’s about time I put some of my plans into action.

Yes, a Chinese person becoming a doctor. How original.

Maybe I’ll turn out like Ratchet. Maybe I’ll suffer long enough to become Pharma.

Only time will tell…

In any case, I don’t plan on totally disappearing from the fandom any time soon. For the foreseeable future, you’ll see me around primarily on weekends, Wednesdays, and holidays—collecting posts for the queue, answering old asks, announcing completed WIPs, and making a post every once in a while.

What to expect:

The queue will publish a few times a day, and most original posts and extra reblogs will be scheduled.

I have 300+ post ideas saved in my notes and screenshots. My goal is to slowly release these into the wild.

I’ll try to keep writing meta, but when and how will depend entirely on how much free time I have, and what little energy I have to spare.

If I ever have extra time, I might open my ask box and play an ask game or two. Maybe…

Asks, tags, and other things:

If you sent an ask in the past, I probably have it saved either in my inbox or my drafts. Yes—even the asks that are almost a year old. I have not forgotten, and I still intend to answer, even if the sender doesn’t remember.

My inbox is closed for now, but I’ve set up a fancy little Google form as a replacement: Nova’s Commlink

If at any time, you tagged me in something interesting, I saved it in my drafts. If I’ve deemed it worthy of a response, you will see it eventually.

Feel free to keep tagging me in things. I’ll give posts a ‘like’ to confirm I saw them, and if I really like a post, I’ll queue it for later or drop it in my drafts if I want to give a longer response.

If you tag me and I don’t confirm receipt within a few days, drop me a note in the Google form.

If I said I would do something else for you, I haven’t forgotten. It’s on my list, and I will get back to you about it when I’m able.

WIPs:

Fics for my Constellations of Cybertron AU are on hold. I’ll still plot and plan, but it will be a long time before I publish any of those longer stories.

I will continue working on my shorter WIPs: short fics, zine pieces, etc.

How to reach me:

Anyone (mutual or otherwise) who has my Discord should message me over there. This extends to those I’m in servers with.

Mutuals who don’t have my Discord and anyone I follow here can still DM me through Tumblr.

Everyone else can contact me using the Google form.

Don’t be afraid of bothering me. It may take me a while to respond, but I welcome it.

Last updated: 5/14/24 - section(s) updated: intro, What to expect, and WIPs

[evenmyhivemindisempty]

Sudden Surprise Sandman Attack! Which of the Endless do each of the Holbrook characters belong to/which realms do they spend the most time in? If you're feeling generous, I'd love to see what you thought for any assortment of the Blackguard mercs as well!

Love all the headcanons, please keep up the good work!

Steve Murphy: I hate to say it, but Steve Murphy belongs to Despair. His grief from losing his partner motivated him to go to Colombia, and once he’s there he’s just battered on all sides by ethically murky and flat-out horrific situations that he struggles to cope with. Despair is with him all the time. Steve’s an interesting case where he’s still a Type A go-getter, but I’d argue he doesn’t fight despite his despair, but almost because of it - I think he’s got that personality where anger gets all tangled up with his grief (which is actually a common depressive trait in men), and he uses it like jet-fuel to power himself through his work day. After work though? Well, we saw what happened to his marriage, and his friendship with Javi is kind of permanently on the rocks!

Donald Pierce: Oh, Pierce absolutely belongs to Dream. Canonically he’s a quick thinker with a clever sense of humor and a tendency for colorful imagery! It’s implied he was a pretty big comic book fan growing up, too. I suspect Pierce has got a vast imagination, and he’s prone to getting too in his own head sometimes. He lives in his daydreams and paranoid fantasies, and that’s Dream’s domain all the way.

Cap Hatfield: Cap belongs to Destruction. He’s a sweet and loyal kid, but what he’s best at is violence, and the whole feud he participates in gets two whole families basically wiped off the map.

Clement Mansell: Oh baby, Desire. They’ve got their fingerprints all over Clement. He wants SO damn bad. He wants his father’s love and approval. He wants to be a famous musician. He wants more money. He wants friends and romance and art and connection and fancy clothes and a perfect steak and and and– Clement Mansell is so much Desire’s creature. He’s belonged to them since the day he started dreaming of his daddy’s adventures with stars in his eyes.

The Corinthian: When I was thinking about this, I’d initially written something up about how he belongs to Desire as well as Dream, but I actually think a lot of the things I’d attributed to Desire’s influence might actually just be more proof he’s Dream’s through and through! The Corinthian has a dream for himself in the Waking World. Sure, he’s got hunger and ambition, but those are specifically being fueled by that dream he’s got - a dream powerful enough to influence the Collectors and nearly create a new Dreaming with Rose. He’s been inspired, and in return, he’s inspired so many others!

Eli Klaber: Aw, Dream. Klaber really does have his head in the clouds a bit. This is mostly HC on my part, but I think since Klaber was a kid he’s dreamt up an idealized version of himself: feminine and spoiled and decked out in furs and jewels and all sorts of pretty clothes. I think he’s mostly content with the reality of his day-to-day life, though - he’s not constantly chasing these things, his dreams generally do the trick of making him happy!

Ty Shaw: Ty belongs to Death. I think more so than a lot of these guys, he actually handles death pretty maturely; he grieves Abby, but he accepts it and continues to enjoy his life and he very much lives in the moment. The Shaw clan are also hunters; for Ty, I think death is a very natural part of life - it’s how he lives, how he feeds his family. Plus, he specifically requests Ben do a vengeance killing with him! He’s absolutely down to serve up some death when necessary!

Quinn McKenna: Look, Quinn’s great at destroying relationships, and that’s even before you get to how talented he is at some actual facts, intentional destruction! He can lay waste to enemy troops and buildings like nobody’s business! Can he fix a marriage? No. Does he know how to use a bazooka? Yes! Belonging to Destruction definitely comes with its upsides… and downsides.

[basimdasasonst]

tos spock: logic may be a philosophical path that i have dedicated much of my life to the path of -- as far as considering and almost completing kolinahr -- but it does not make me all that i am. i am a person outside of my physicalities, with wants, needs, and other such things that i can allow myself through the cracks of my teachings

snw spock: did u know im a vulcan. only half tho ... raagaghaahhah ... (meek noises of protest against his humanity)

no. but seriously. on that ... thing of an snw s3 recap: others have divested much more time and energy into talking about vulcan philosophy vs biology (and there's a plethora of very good takes about it if you do only the most minor of searching) so i won't harp on the matter, but i want to step back and observe the writing and characterisation beyond the colossal fuck up that is -- well, their disintegration of vulcan culture/complexities.

[i'll -- try to keep this brief but no promises. i did spend 2000 words ranting about how badly they did spock so, brevity thy name is not basimdasas]

let me just. let's just pretend we can get over the fact they mixed biology with philosophy. let's just let that slide for a second. why -- and i cannot stress this enough -- the fuck do (pike, uhura, la'an, chapel -- i'll call them fake vulcans for my own sake) the fake vulcans talk the fucking same ... ? moreover -- why are they the same person -- logical. Purely Wholey Logical (trademark). if you transcribed the text of the 5 minute episode we were given and took out the dialogue tags -- they're. they're all the same person. you cannot tell who's talking, maybe through context clues. Guys. (shakes the writers really hard, enough to give an adult shaken baby syndrome) VULCANS HAVE PERSONALITIES TOO. i've felt a small undercurrent of this in the previous seasons but it feels directly amplified to me now -- spock's "humanity" is -- is his personality. They're making his personality his humanity. dude.

let me put it this way: you put two nihilists in a room. they've grown up in different ways, in different places, and were introduced to nihilism by their parents who also believed and practised in the philosophy. you let them talk. they're going to disagree, they might even get angry at the other. they'll agree. if there is something inherently correct that they can both acknowledge, they will have different viewpoints of tackling the concept -- based not just on the objective teachings, but the environment they grew up in, their communities, their parents, and their own personal traits. now let's take them out of the box. you compare the two at a distance: one likes grape smoothies, the other likes peach. one is a morning person, one is not. one is a competitive swimmer. one works in an office. they both find relative comfort from their jobs, even if in different ways. they are both nihilists. yet, inextricably, they are different in many ways.

ONLY VULCANS WHO HAVE UNDERGONE KOLINAHR WOULD LACK EMOTIONS. VULCANS STILL HAVE EMOTIONS THEY JUST TAMP THEM DOWN.

ok. calm. i'm drawing a tad on my experience as a trans man with gender here, but there are some things about us that are fundamental to our being that we are inherently drawn to for various reasons, i believe. i mean, that's what personality is, in a severe nutshell. that's why we have assholes who continue to be assholes (garner pleasure from it, usually). people who continue to let themselves get stepped over (never learned to stand up for themselves, environmental factor, or is afraid, or what have you). people who learn from their mistakes (ambition, or an intense desire for personal growth. where does this desire come from? changes per person. it's never the same). people who don't. kind people. mean people. we can change our personalities (with heavy work), but they are as much a product of emotion as they are environment, personal wants, personal needs, etc. everyone is built different (lol, but literally) -- and there really are truly some things we cannot just -- purge, by a point. example: i know in my heart that i am not a woman. i gravitate towards anger. i have never been good at history, no matter the angle i tackle it from. there will never be a day where i read the fine print of a legal document. i could become good at history, i am fixing my anger, but i will always naturally gravitate right where i want to be, and right where i need to be. i will always understand numbers better than words, because that's -- just how my brain works. my memory might always be a little wonky. this is all ok. fuck, it might not be logical that i'm so utterly useless at history, and sure i can work to change it, but i will always find myself more comfortable and more at ease in physics with the same amount of work. the logical thing from there is to just accept my weaknesses and move with my strengths. see where i'm going with this? and sure, i can definitely change most of my personality, but it's hard. sometimes that effort is good sometimes it's not. we have natural tendencies. we have different wants, different needs. and by the universe do we not all share the same body -- we will amble around in our flesh suits differently. my gait will be different than yours; it is no less of a walk.

anyway. tangent aside. short story -- we gravitate to things. that's natural. that's logical. diversity of a species is logical -- especially for society.

now, vulcans, in my heart of hearts, are definitely more subtle about these things because, you know, surak, but. if every vulcan was the same and had the same inherent -- wants, needs, interests, subdued emotions, way of headbutting logic -- then you have a society of mirrors. snw is trying to make vulcan society a society of mirrors.

pike is caring. la'an is quiet, strict, efficent. uhura, also, is caring but in a different way to pike. chapel is enthusiastic. by embracing suraks teachings and (magically, mysteriously) acting in accordance to them fully, they are effectively tamping down their greater feelings. not completely ridding of them. despite the fact that vulcan!pike would logically find no sense in compassion, he would also find no sense in cruelty. he is, to his heart, a compassionate person because he has made himself one. one philosophical revelation wouldn't remove decades of that. sure, he might tamp it down, but he'd still be more compassionate than anything else. he would not be cruel for logic's sake -- even if, yes, there's only "4.5 vulcans", logically -- he wouldn't say that. he wouldn't fucking say that because he is kind hearted and though it's true, it would feel "illogical to point out" -- he is good with people. has been for the duration of the show, and probably a good majority before that. he'd understand the emotions of others regardless, he's very perceptive. he'd see spock flinch at "a half". he'd roundabout it in that way that tos spock loved to do -- talk in half truths. "5 people to beam down" is not wrong. it is imprecise but not wrong. (bones voice) goddammit, they're not all the same damn stereotypical rude vulcan asshole. i haven't read surak's teachings but i severely doubt he said, at any point: "harp on an unnecessary fact to be a total douchebag as often as vulcanely possible".

this goes for everyone too -- la'an is more the silent efficent type. why would she feel the need to say ... much of anything to the effect? spock knows he's half vulcan. everyone does. what the fuck does it bring to the table to reiterate it? nothing.

you're doing the jj abrams special: creating conflict where they should be none, and ignoring a greater place to create conflict. seriously, even if i do believe the whole thing about genetics that chapel does (WHICH! BY THE WAY! THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IT'S BEEN MENTIONED/PLOT RELEVANT SINCE 1X01!) why is spock not, instead, helping them regulate their emotions? why are they not like pre-reform vulcans? why not use this to help us stir a bit in spock's head instead of using an out that isn't "making spock the butt of the joke". why can't he show vulcan!kindness as he's so often showing in tos. mf let me into that writers room i just want to talk i ju-

also, the dialogue was super cringy. sorry, it was. i say this as a writer who has written super cringy dialogue before and occasionally does so now. it was cringy. i've written better at the age of 12 in the margins of my maths notebook while bored out of my mind. some of these lines made me tense up. misplaced, or corny, or so severely out of character that it gave me a genuine headache by minute 2 of 5, or what have you: t'was cringy. so so so bad.

i -- selfishly, almost -- hope that it's not too late to go back and fix it, but since filming has long wrapped up -- well. it's probably a moot point, but i'm deeply annoyed. again, i really want to like snw, but everything "spock" (and, by extension, vulcan) has been butchered so badly that watching the show is rather like reading a fic you really like with one tag that just ruins the whole thing. like you'll stick it out, but begrudgingly, and not with a lot of joy in your heart because of -- i don't know, some weirdly prevalent "daddy kink".

tl;dr -- we are not just a product of the objective teachings of our beliefs, and vulcans are not only reflections of surak's teachings.

snw writers: please kick jj abrams out of your writing room. he's not doing you any favours

[therealslimshakespeare]

Ugh this blog has been bursting with content lately which I love love love love. I haven’t sent many asks but trust me when I say I follow them religiously. But amidst all this controversy about Maureen and the resurfacing of the fight between her and Ida, I do just want to say that, all that stuff and discourse is so fun and special and it’s amazing that you’ve created all of it, but in addition to that, there’s so much other stuff about ur blog that’s incredible as well. The biggest thing that I think is, I know this sudden surge of asks about Tallulah Smith that started at the start of summer and just has continued on since, might have surprised you and certain readers. And I feel like it might be easy to boil that all down to “oh well she’s not as controversial as some of the other characters so she’s easy to like”, and while that might be true to some extent, if I can offer a bit of context to all that, I have been a part of SO many fandoms over the course of so many years and this is actually pretty common. A lot of the time, with historical shows especially, where a lot of the characters and therefore the OCs that are created are white, people in the fandom who are NOT white will find one creator or one blog who is doing gods work in representing history in a more diverse way. And they will absolutely rally around the OC/ OCs created by that individual because hello?? Where else am I gonna get this sort of representation?? And like I know, I know, people might think oh but this is just fanfic, it’s not that deep, but the thing is, it absolutely is that deep. I mean think about all the people that have Indigenous family members who fought in world war two and didn’t get recognition or respect. Or all the people who might have family members that experienced racism and discrimination in the army. OF COURSE those people would be so intrigued by what you’ve created here and OF COURSE they’d be so excited by Tallulah. And I just don’t want you to think that she’s comparatively flat or boring compared to the other girls. You’ve really created something thats so incredibly special for so many people by writing her character. I mean even just her backstory aside from her identity, I was so thrilled and amazed to see this brave and incredible young girl who’s in a male dominated field and who’s going through it but is still SO gracious and tender hearted. Like even ONE of those qualities of hers is enough to absolutely adore her and of course I love her for her strength and bravery and ambition AS WELL AS her identity. And I know you said a few things about being surprised that everyone was up in arms for her and Sanchez so early on, again, I personally was not the least bit surprised at that just because of the fact that this fandom is sort of limited in what it explores. And I know that it might not have been your intention to have ur blog and this universe be THE haven for a lot of BIPOC members of this fandom, and I hope it’s not an insane amount of pressure to insinuate that it is?? Cause part of why what you do is so special is how it’s folded in so seamlessly, you acknowledge the identities of these women while also not making it the only thing about them. But I just want you to know that what you’ve done in writing Sanchez and Lu and now Tilly as well is SO beyond special and incredible and I hope you are so appreciated and loved for it because you deserve it.

Oh my goodness, this was so very sweet.

I had not registered it as a haven necessarily but I knew I was spoiled with interaction and affirmation and I massively appreciate your perspective on it. It’s not a crushing pressure at all to be that, it’s an honor and maybe a bit of a daunting one but the sheer amount of contributions my beloved anons such as yourself has brought to the plot and the BIPOC characters gives me a lotta surety I might not otherwise have.

I wanted these characters for all the reasons you mentioned and to simulate my own friend group in some ways. Glad to hear it’s gone above and beyond even that intention. Glad? Thrilled

And this last compliment?? Literally soothed my soul as it’s exactly what I wanted to come across and yet I never know if I’m managing it, thank you thank you thank you:

“Cause part of why what you do is so special is how it's folded in so seamlessly, you acknowledge the identities of these women while also not making it the only thing about them.”

[tar-thelien]

I might, or might not, have written chapter two of my little fourth age silvergifting werewolf fic...

Summary:

Celebrimbor tries to give his ex - enemy? Lover? Friend? - a bath, unfortunately, said ex, isn´t really that great around water…

Words: 1.686

After having left his horse in the big ornamental stables, carefully placing the creature on a pile of fresh hay as he tended to its needs, he gently lifted the creature up in his arms, feeling the familiar weight shift against him. The long black legs hung limply over his arms, their uncomfortable length getting caught on the carved doorways he maneuvered through, each step taken with calculated precision to avoid taking the decorations on the walls and tables that adorned the manor down accidentally. He maneuvered his own overcoat off as he approached one of the smaller common rooms with a fireplace, longer into the manor.

Upon reaching the room, he placed the creature gently on the rug before the fireplace. However, he nearly lost his grip as he bent down, the creature´s body hitting the floor with a soft thump that echoed slightly in the serene space, “sorry,” he murmured softly, the apology escaping his lips as he instinctively reached out to stroke the creature's forehead, his fingers brushing through the red coat. 

“I-” he started, noticing how the eyes of the creature opened a little, “think you need a bath,” he ended but quickly made to jump back as something akin to the lowest growl he had ever heard came from the creature's throat, “you need a bath!” he insisted, shocked.

This was so unlike Annatar, no Sauron; this was so unlike Sauron! Didn’t he value perfection, order, and cleanliness over everything else? The creature lifted its head abruptly, its eyes gleaming with a mix of anger and confusion, before dropping it again with a new, louder growl that rumbled through the air, causing Celebrimbor to step closer to the wall in the dark room.

“Don’t you dislike being dirty!?” he cried, voice rising, “I have never seen you this filthy!”

It was a startling sight, for the once majestic figure of Sauron now lay in a tangle of matted fur and grime, a far cry from the imposing presence he had once commanded. Not that he had ever actually seen Sauron in wolf form, but he assumed it looked a little more elegant than the awkward limbed pitiful creature before him.

The creature, in a fit of frustration, lifted its head yet again, releasing a series of guttural sounds that echoed through the stone walls, a cacophony that seemed to mock Celebrimbor's attempts at reason.

“Auuuuhh,” the creature complained loudly now, its long legs bucking restlessly. Celebrimbor’s heart raced, “NO!” he cried at last, “I’m not going to try to understand what you want to say! If you have anything intelligent to say, speak in words!”

That, at least, seemed to stop the creature, which had gone completely silent, its breath heavy and labored. Then, in an unexpected turn, it began to whimper in stops, each sound more pitiful than the last, almost as if it cried out, it only needed the tears.

“What has become of you?” he murmured, his voice softening as he stepped closer, drawn by an unexplainable urge to comfort the creature, as if it were a long lost friend, which it was, “you were once an exemplar of strength and elegance, a master of deception and brilliance. Now, look at you! Can´t you just do something useful for once in your too long life and choose a form capable of speech!!” he roared, mulling at the remains of Sauron that lingered within the creature’s eyes - those same eyes that had once radiated power and ambition, now clouded with confusion and despair.

“I cannot help you if you do not help yourself,” he continued, his tone more flat, as he leaned up against the painted wall and let himself sink to the floor, “I just-,” he sighed deeply, “I just thought you would like to be clean and well rested?” Celebrimbor added thoughtfully, “a bath is what you need. I mean look at you!” he laughed hopelessly, as the creature, still quivering, seemed to weigh his words. 

“Will you allow me to help you?” he asked quietly, an unexpected wave of hope washing over him, as the creature turned its head away from him with an annoyed huff, as if giving up, and Celebrimbor smiled like one fey - just like Sauron smiled when Celebrimbor gave up? Right? No perhaps more like Haru… yes.

-o0o-

The problem wasn’t really the act of carrying the creature to the washroom, nor was it the tedious wait for the water to warm as he delved deep into the cabins, searching for the oils designated for hounds - remains from his father's last visit alongside Atarhanno and their hunting hounds. No, the true challenge lay in the vigorous task of keeping the creature securely in the tub. 

As he carefully lifted the creature into the soapy water, it stilled for a brief moment, seemingly resigned until the water advanced upon its rapidly rising chest. Within seconds, however, panic surged through it, and it began to bite the air, twisting and writhing as if its very existence depended on escaping the confines of the tub. 

“Calm down!” Celebrimbor shouted, already drenched from the splashes, though, thankfully, he still wore his traveling clothes, “nothing is happening!” he cried, as the creature attempted to claw its way out, its limbs flailing against the slippery sides of the marble tub. He pressed down on its shoulder and back, willing it to remain down.

He had accepted it to be way stronger than him, although it looked weak and starved, but it was neither. Weak, it was not, but neither was it strong, something akin to a dog, a little smaller than it was now, not that that mattered, no, what mattered was that Celebrimbor was strong enough to hold it down, although it was pressed up against the side of the tub with its head leaning over the edge as it gasped for breath that had never been stopped, revealing sharper and longer teeth than any wolf had any business having.

“There there,” Celebrimbor whispered soothingly running a hand through the wet fur to get the soap deeper into its matted coat, giving it an even more pathetic look, “you are doing so, so good,” - he had not forgotten Annatar´s need for constant praise!

READ THE REST ON AO3

[trashsketch]

i will GLADLY ask u abt killugon, idk if you’ve mentioned this elsewhere but do you have specific headcanons about their reunion?? like time frame, how much they communicate during separation, whether gon gets his nen back or what that could be like if he takes the long route of developing it?? I’d love to hear ur thoughts hehe

WOOHOO A REAL PERSON ASK THANK YOU ANON <3

so a long time ago (2018, when i had time and ambition) i wanted to make a zine of gon and killua traveling around the world (landmarks of earth) and doing some stupid silly shit that they might do (like climbing the eiffel tower barehanded, like dan goodwin did long ago at the CN tower). that's one of the many ways i thought in my head about how gon and killua would reunite! in their late teens/early 20-somethings, and be absolute fools, but fools together again :)

I'd like to think they would both communicate with each other since they have phones, just that it would be hard for them emotionally, and gon's more likely to reach out first within the first year or two! I'm a big fan of fics where they'd still text each other from oceans away, and killua and alluka would make a stop in whale island, or promise to ;w; I've also made some art of them calling and texting each other. it's just sweet to think about! (any other queer couples in an LDR would relate tbh. i did with my gf for the longest time)

as for whether gon gets his nen back, I don't think i want that to happen? it keeps it interesting, it makes the consequences of his actions more...real and permanent. it leads me to think about how killua might treat him differently, now that they're not on as equal terms in fighting ability as before. gon would fucking try to get his nen back through any means for sure though! I don't know if there's any other instance in the hxh universe where someone else who lost their nen ability could get it back, so it's kinda a big question mark for me. it'd be suuuuch good angst if gon works way harder than before to get his nen back, only to fail and have to just...cope with being ordinary. it's a continuation of what he's probably going through now that he's back home. lots of stuff to obsessively think about on work hours!

[azzagrazt]

what books would you recommend to read to best understand Grazzt?

Thanks for the question, Anon! If you are asking about canon published material, our pickings are dangerously slim; Graz'zt doesn't appear in the works of Greenwood, Salvatore, or Weis and Hickman (as far as I am aware). For that, you have to go all the way back to Gygax's Gord the Rogue novels, which he first published to market the OG Greyhawk campaign setting and then continued after leaving TSR. I have not read the Gord novels or short stories, and as far as I'm aware, Graz'zt's appearances are limited. I think it is possibly one book?

You can get general overviews of Graz'zt from these published supplements (I won't load you down with literally everything, but these are the most comprehensive sources):

Planes of Chaos - an AD&D 2E supplement that offers one of our earliest comprehensive glimpses into the Man, the Myth, the Menace.

Fiendish Codex I: Hordes of the Abyss - this is a 3.5 supplement that remains one of the most detailed sources on demons in the entire game, although certain lore is no longer relevant. When this was published, succubi and incubi were abyssal fiends and chaotic evil; in 4E, it was decided that they were more appropriately lawful evil (which is true, I suppose), and so became devils rather than demons. This lore change is also where Graz'zt, as an archdevil and possibly the son of Asmodeus, comes from. His tendency to seduce and bargain is a bit antithetical to your garden variety chaotic evil demonic entity, and in changing the succubi/incubi, they reckoned they needed to address him (and his good friend, Malcanthet, the Queen of Succubi and fellow Demon Prince). So, Graz'zt and Malcenthet both became powerful archdevils who Fell and were corrupted by the Abyss.

The Book of Vile Darkness - this is a pretty infamous sourcebook, and it's… well, read the title, and you can pick up what it's about through context clues, I'm sure. TBoVD details his cult.

Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes (pg149, since I don't think the link will direct you to the page on this one) - this is we get his proper 5E stat block, as well as some fun lore bits about the kind of madness he can induce in people (sex addiction, substance abuse, extreme narcissism, etc.) and the environments he spends time in (I especially love the note about animals and low-int beasts in the area just going into extreme mating season behaviors? Horny and aggressive, just like him!)

The Demonomicon of Iggwilv (Dragon #360) - Dragon Magazine ran a series of articles on the Abyssal Lords to emulate Tasha's great work, and the piece on Graz'zt is, understandably, the single most detailed deep-dive to date.

If you are more interested in my literary influences, then that's a much bigger question! I'm happy to expand further if that's the case, but my biggest sources of inspiration are:

Not to be that guy, but... Paradise Lost, unfortunately, demands its spot at the top of this list. Pride, ambition, charm, and a fall from grace - corporate is asking you to find the difference between these pictures, but they are the same picture, etc.

Similarly, Euron Greyjoy. In Euron, we have a noble son with magic powers groomed to become something greater—until the greater power grooming him realized oh shit, this kid is way too evil to control. Shunned for being The Fucking Worst Ever, he doubles down and pursues his own, even more fucked up, magic, ultimately becoming a god-level abuser to everyone around him. Also, "Why did you cut out their tongues?" "Because I needed silence." has all the right vibes.

I feel like I might be bringing a little dash of Lord Henry from A Picture of Dorian Gray to the table? He is a master manipulator who thrives on influencing Dorian into a life of indulgence and moral corruption, and this is pretty much the exact means through which Graz'zt pursues souls. Win them over, break them down, build them up again, new and horrible.

... Griffith. I won't elaborate. :\

Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lector in Silence of the Lambs. Simply the everything about him.

Last but never least, he isn't literary, but the G-Man from Half-Life is an ever-present influence in how I hope to portray him. Not so much as Luz, but when I am writing Graz'zt as Graz'zt, I want him to be kind of like that guy. I have a post about it here, actually.