#like. as i have described it before.

[junkmailmusubi]

making some very normal and thematically coherent playlists in the workshop tonight

[localducks]

A monster fuckers guide to the brothers

♡I like creature design, and this is a perfect overlap in interest for me....so I wanted to see how "odd" I could make the brothers outside of what I consider a very basic cannon.

♡ This is supposed to be gender neutral, but the reader is assumed to be AFAB

Lucifer

Cum

lu..Lucifer's cum is black, deep black only broken up by the slight blue shimmer you can only really see if you look at it sideways. And it's clingy, branching off in webs when caught on fingers and sticking to the inside of your thigh like saliva. You will also be immediately made aware of how much of it there is, a trait all demons share but one the avatar of Pride specifically has a deep appreciation for. He could fill a 16oz cup in one go, and while he doesn't technically have a breeding kink(liar), the sight of his partner full and satisfied always leaves him with a deep desire for more.

Dick

One of the least monstrous of his brothers, what he lacks in form he makes up for in show. The tip is black, nearly as dark as his cum, and as it slowly gradients out of the color the blue undertones of his skin become much more apparent. He's the second largest, and so similarly to Beel, his dick excretes a thin slip to make the squeeze easier, which has a red shimmery tint to it. But it's actually neither of these things that take you the most off guard. You notice an odd change the first time he cums, either while deep inside you or as he slipping back in, a small voice in the back of your mind hurridly asking whether you can even be sure if what you think is happening is the truth. But by the thrid or fourth time Lucifer has cum, the matter becomes undeniable. His cock starts off at a moderate length and girth, clearly that of something not so human, but managable enough. The kicker is that for every time he cums, he grows, swelling larger as your body becomes more relaxed and pliable, able to take more and more of him every time he dips back within the glistening confines of your body. He doesn't even bring it up the first time you are intimate together, finding the look of pure shock deliciously adorable. What a predicament you've found yourself in, but it can't hurt to go for just a few more hours, could it?

Teeth

True and proper vampire teeth, honestly not much else to say. Lucifer finds them to be one of the least interesting aspects of himself in comparison to his brothers(not that he compares himself to his siblings, why would you ever assume such a thing, he's so very above that), but you would probably beg to differ when he jams them into your neck as he cums. Lucifer is tall, much much taller than most humans, and just like all of his brothers he's proportionate to that height, so for you, a human, his teeth are about an inch, or the length from the tip of your finger to the first knuckle. Both sets of canines on the top and bottom jaw, by the way.

Tongue

In comparison to the rest of the attributes talked about so far, his tongue might be the strangest in appearance. Long, very warm, and paler than a human's, it has a texture you could only describe as rigid, the series of buds along its surface being much wider than yours or mine, with little feeler nodes along ths sides of it towards the back. You won't notice it until it's tasting at the skin of your neck or hips, but they can also move when he feels like it, silently taking pleasure in the little jolts of surprise you offer unsolicited as reaction. While the color of the muscle itself isn't really noticeable, the saliva it leaves behind on your skin is transparent and dark, bordering on black.

Mammon

Cum

Mammon's cum....is iridescent gold, and has the same texture as a humans. He doesn't cum as much as many of his brothers, so instead he can go 5 to 6 times without getting tired, back to back. His sin affects him greatly during sex, seeking his and your release with seemingly infinite desperation, not caring about his own overstimulation and fatigue if it means he will get to please you entirely again, sometimes getting to a point you have to use your pact to pull him out of the self inflicted trance. He adores you so much, so much more than words or thoughts could ever allow him to say, so please, just lay back and let him have one more of your pretty orgasms, you don't understand how much he needs it.

Dick

His dick also mostly appears human, save for its length and the slight abnormality of the head having three raised ridges along the back of it. The only other thing that would really alert you to the fact he isn't human are his marking patterns, which run along the shaft like veins. They are in the same style as the ones decorating his torso when in his demon form(and they glow too).

Teeth

You can't tell me Mammon doesn't have gold teeth, I simply won't take criticism, I'm dying on this hill. Just his top canines though, which are moderately sized and sharp, jutting out of a smirk or sneer. The rest are just incisors and molars, though all of them take on a sharp edge while in his demon form. Mammon takes great pleasure in biting you, no matter the occasion or who's around, especially if it's one of his brothers. It feeds the desire to tell others you're his without being too intrusive on your time and boundaries, and he also just really likes the feeling of sinking his teeth into you. He is gentle about it, only ever biting as hard as you're comfortable with, but just know he can't quite help himself around you all of the time, and if a reason to make it abundantly clear you are his arisise, be warned he will be covering you as much as possible with the indents of his teeth.

Tongue

Mammon's tongue is long, like longest only second to Levi, reaching about 9" inches inside you with more strength behind it than any human could. Yet despite this not much else is out of the ordinary for a demon. The texture of it is only a little rougher than yours, and it has the exact same pink hue to it. The tip of it though is thin and tapered, perfect for precision, with a venom piercing running through it. A matching one sits much further up, vertical this time, which he clicks against his teeth when bored, or, a new favorite of his, right into your ear, taking great delight in watching you squirm at the sound.

Leviathan

Cum

Levi's cum is milky and paper white, almost appearing sheer under some lights but only if he's cum within the last few hours. And it's thick, like gelly almost thick. Like pulling thick, and one load is enough to fill a tea cup. Given the situation with his dick, that might seem a little less than expected, and then you realize it thickens after being ejected into you, developing into a soft warm goop that sticks to your walls and often requires a finger(or tongue) to leave the confines of your body. Otherwise it will be left inside, and considering how much Levi cums, it might end up places only his tail can reach, if you would let him(please please let him).

Dick

Levi was nervous to have sex with you for a list of reasons, a long, long list of reasons, and somewhere close to the top, was how different he knew his anatomy was in comparison to a human’s. And even though he knew you would probably like it, it didn’t quell the seething embarrassment he felt the first time you got both his pants and boxers off. But instead of the immediate rejection he feared, expected really, to squish onto your face and through your voice, you just sat there, looking at him with your mouth slightly agape and your eyes drooping, hearts nearly visible in them if he imagined hard enough. Cute, all other thoughts left his brain other than that. You were so, so cute. How in the three realms had he ended up with the most perfect human he could possibly ask for. And one so eager to please, at that.

And to be far, you had good reason to stare. Levi has two dicks(such widely known fan canon the developers might as well just come out and say it) that fall somewhere between human cock and tentacle territory given the firmness of the first and the flexibility of the second. Both start thick and then slowly taper out until they’re about the same thickness as his tongue, with ribbing all the way down to where they peak out of his body. There isn’t a head to the shape, ending instead of a blunt point. There are no scales to be seen, but the coloration is similar, starting off black at the base and then gradually turning blue. They can each move on their own, often meaning he doesn’t have to thrust as much, but he can’t control them, so don’t blame him when the stimulation gets to be too much for both of you, clamping around them will just cause them to wiggle harder. He’s sensitive too, all of him including the vent his dicks peak from, which you can stick your fingers into if you want him cumming within seconds. When he’s not “hard”, his cocks stay sheathed within the vent, able to close almost entirely.

Teeth

SHARK TEETH SHARK TEETH SHARK TEEEETH. Levi has the second biggest chompers out of his brothers, each chunky and pointed, ready and poised to bite. Not that he would, and if he happened to get too caught up in the moment and sink those teeth into your shoulder or more likely your thigh, please expect more than an hour or so of apololigetic after care centered around that bite.

Tongue

Long, thin in comparison to his brothers, and significantly forked, Levi's tongue keeps with his overall theme pretty well. It's very flexible, and both of the forks can move on their own in a similar way his dicks can, but he has much more control over it. The actual texture of his tongue might be the oddest thing about it, as it's practically smooth to the touch, only a couple bumps and ridges making themselves clear if you run your tongue or fingers over it. His saliva doesn't really help you find anything more about it either, as it's thicker than a humans and clingier, the strands that connect you two when making out far less likely to break from just moving back. The coloration is like a humans, but the further back into his mouth the darker blue his skin gets.

Satan

Cum

Satan's cum, similar to Lucifers, is sticky, black, and potent, a single load enough to fill a jar. It clings to the slick and sweat your body makes, only really able to be cleaned off with a good soak. He cums longer than normal too, every demon does, but he specifically takes 1-2 minutes to empty himself completely.

Dick

Pretty. Ooooohhhhhh he's pretty. He actually has the most normal looking cock out of all of his brothers, long and thick and pale all the way down until you get to his tip which blushes red under attention. And that's it, at a first look. No ridges or odd shapes. You might even consider him average by demon standards. So when he sits you down a couple days after the first time you are intimate together and he starts talking about how he has a knot, it throws a wrench in the preconceived notions you had had. But he is a demon, this shouldn't be such a surprise, you think. You sit there a little stunned as he explains every precaution he's thought of and how to best make you most comfortable with the strangeness of difference(you shut that train of thought down immediately), but it's not until he starts explain the internal functions his dick has that really brings you back to reality. There are two feeler like structures that can extend from his urethra, designed to add another layer of pleasure for both him and his partner, but they can also gently pry open the cervix in order to add more real-estate for his cum.

Teeth

Satan doesn't like his teeth. In his opinion they get in the way too much, too sharp and inconvenient towards the words he uses on a daily basis and hard to be delicate with. But under this opinion, deep in a far corner of his mind, he does think they would look nice sunk into the skin of your thigh. Or your wrist, or your neck. His teeth consist of front insicors, just like a humans, and then immediately become razor-sharp canines that vary in size but are all the same shape, curved in towards the inside of his mouth.

Tongue

His tongue on the other hand, he likes. If only because it's fun to mess with when he's bored. Shorter by demon standards, meaning it's about 6 or 7 inches, with a tip that can fold in on itself and bristles running all the way down each side, which he can twitch or vibrate at will. The texture isn't sharp or rough, but grippy, more similar to the feeling of a tentacle rather than a cats tongue. The pigmentation of the muscle is a light pink, and he has a tongue peircing towards the very back of his mouth, not really noticeable until he's burying it as far into you as it will go.

Asmodeus

Cum

The first thing you might notice about Asmo's cum is that it smells nice. Everything is nice about it, actually. It's warm but not hot, glides and smears smoothly, it has a dusty pink hue and is pearlescent when seen under light, and it smells...like roses. Surprise!, the avatar of Lust's cum was basically designed to be as pleasing as possible. And then, you start to feel hot. Your skin gets so sensitive that a single soft breath against it makes you squirm, reeling back as a new stream forms between your legs. At this point, you might as well name it, cause it's not drying up anytime soon.

As you might have guessed, Asmo's cum(and saliva) contains a very strong aphrodisiac, known to be the strongest in the realm. He also cums about the same amount as a human in his "normal" form, but that quantity triples when in his demon form.

Dick

Most people would describe Asmo’s skin as either silky, buttery, or at its worst glossy, and while he spends a lot of time making sure his complexion is perfect, less people know how much of that texture is actually natural. Being the avatar of lust means he has a much larger range of things he can make his flesh contort into than most demons, resulting in the smooth feeling of his skin and the almost infinite give it has, all things that extend down to his dick. He has a preferred length and girth, the latter being moderate by demon standards but the former being long, easily poking and prodding far deeper than even some of his brothers, but it’s the additions he’s made that makes blood rise to his face the first time you see him. Amidst the soft shade of his skin sits ring after ring of muscle, taking on the form of ridges most of the time, that start at the head and descend all the way down to the base, thin and waved but when swollen become much more than you might be able to deal with the first time you’re intimate. And to top it all off, they’re pink, and not just blush pink, they’re as pink as his nails. As stated above, his cum does act like an aphrodisiac, but so does his pre, turning your body into a warm, soft toy for him to use for hours on end. All you have to do is lay there and let him see your face while he feeds, don’t worry about anything else. Not that you’ll be able to anyway.

Teeth

Asmo has fangs, which are short, sharp, and venomous, layered two rows deep on both the top and bottom jaw. From the first set of canines flows a more concentrated version of the aphrodisiac found in his saliva and cum, and the second set administers a paralysis venom that gives the body that numb comfortable feeling, making you less susceptible to any stimulation other than pleasure. The rest of his teeth look like a human's, though they are much sharper than they appear.

Tongue

Strange. Similar to the rest of his body Asmo can manipulate his tongue to be just about anything he wants it to be, but when neutral about how it appears, one might consider it strange. Contrived of two main appendages that can split seamlessly into more, the texture is somewhere between flower petal and suade fabric, with a shocking clearness that reminds you of jello. The color of it is pink, but the longer he's gone without a meal the darker the pink gets, until it's almost black at the tip. They are thinner in thickness than most of his brothers, but just as flexible, easily allowing him to funnel his spit into your mouth or either hole, skin prickling with excitement as he watches it's effects spread through your body. The feeling is warm, not hot, and arousal flows in steady waves, making you have to rely on him more than you might think. But don't for a second think he minds, all he wants is for the two of you to know pleasure so deeply it makes even you bones feel the drag of his tongue, the touch of his fingers, and the desire of being filled.

Beelzebub

Cum

Beel's cum has a constancy somewhere between human cum and slick, thick, and has about the same color as both of them combined too. The main thing with him is that he cums, a lot. Like enough to fill a bucket, or two. His dick also excretes a thin slip that allows him a smoother entrance.

Dick

Beel is giant physically in general, so it wouldn't be that much of a surprise(in theory) to know his dick is also big. But the other ways in which you can immediately tell he's not human might come as more of a shock. The underside is covered in rows of ridges, all pointing in the direction of the tip, which is also much more angular than a human's, nearly coming to a flat tip. The top side is almost softly segmented, sort of like an accordion, so the length of him becomes longer as he pulls out and then contracts back when pushing in. And in addition, to all of this, the ridge that sits right under the head of his cock, can vibrate. It only really happens when he's super worked up or about to cum when he's in his "human" form, but it starts almost the second he's inside you when in his full demon form. He tries to be careful about overstimulating you, but he can't do much when your fourth orgasm in a row has stripped him of the ability to use words.

Teeth

Big chompers. His canines are the largest out of all of them two sets in the front of mouth and two sets in the back, with the bottom ones being larger than the top ones. But the rest fall somewhere in sharpness between molars and canines, all of them about as wide as the width of your finger in order to allow for maximum crunch potential. Beel likes to bite, but he's hyper aware of how strong he is and thereby has taken immense time in figuring out how hard he can bite without breaking skin and what it takes to taste the warm syrup flowing beneath it. He also really like seeing his bites after the fact, often causing a pretty blush to adorn his face in response while he thinks about how many more are hiding beneath your clothes.

Tongue

Beel's tongue is only a little bit longer than average length for demons, but the thickness and wideth of it is almost uncalled for. At this point it's unlikely this will surprise you very much, you've seen him eat an entire carton of ice cream without a spoon because he was so impatient or something of the like at some point, but that still doesn't really prepare you for the amount it fills your mouth the first time you make out. You very easily could be made to choke on it, and you can feel all of the texture of it despite the copious flow of spit in between your mouths. Beel's tongue is kinda similar to Satan's in its feel, designed to peel meat off of bones and burrow under skin, yet surprisinglyit feels more like silk getting dragged across your flesh more than anything. All of it is a pale dusty rose color, with only the tip dipping into red territory.

Belphegor

Cum

Belphie's cum, is both lavender tinted and lavender scented. And while he doesn't cum as much as his twin, he cums for about as long as Satan. His dick is really sensitive, so it doesn't take much to set him off, you just have to be careful when you're giving him head. Beel is the same way, but if he came down your throat you might choke to death.

Dick

He's not the thickest out of all of his brothers, but he sure is one of the longest. His dick stays the same color as his skin the entire time, only when under a lot of denial does it turn just the slightest bit red, but the skin is soft, and he's very very sensitive, only needing a few soft words and a warm hand to get him begging for you sometimes. The single most notable thing about him though are the soft spikes protruding from the sides of his cock, starting off largest by the tip and decending in size a half inch apart all the way down to his base, where they almost become invisible. Most of the time, they seem like little more then nodes, brushing along your silky walls as you clamp around him and feeling where they push against you, causing both of you to moan with delight. But other times, on those not so rare occasions where someone earlier that day forgot you were his and his brothers first and foremost, you are treated to the full extent of Belphies strength. The spikes can harden, not to the point of pain, but if he doesn't want you going anywhere, you'd be hard pressed to leave. All of them possess this ability, and the smaller ones are even able to lengthen, almost giving him the girth some of his older brothers have. He gets so smug when he does it without warning you too, teasing about the obscene faces you're making while barely being able to hold onto himself, the warmth of you and how pretty you look adding to the clouded hazy already draped over his mind. He especially likes doing it after he's just cum, forcing you to stay connected to him in one of the most intimate ways possible.

Teeth

Belphie's teeth are actually pretty similar to Beel's, just with two even sized canines instead of the four his twin has. His teeth almost get smoother the further back into his mouth they go, but his bite strength is about the same as Beel's too, so mind your fingers if you choose to feed him. He's one of the biters, greatly enjoying greeting you with a nip to your neck or nibbling on your fingers while you two watch a movie together.

Tongue

Belphies tongue is thick, velvet soft, and tri pronged, each tip breaking off from the main chunk of muscle about a ¾ of an inch up. It's weird, cause you wouldn't assume it has that shape when he talks, or even quite when it's in your mouth, but once he's dragging it over your nipples or along the lips of your cunt it's a little less deniable. Belphie loves licking you, whether it's because he wants your attention or he just wants something to do with his mouth, he frequently will find any excuse necessary to have the feel and taste of your skin under his tongue, often with the added bonus of you pulling him away so he can put it to better use.

[wally-lake]

Ralph!!!

I love him so muchhh,, I considered giving him a flannel but i was almost finished, so maybe next time! I love himmmmmmmm,,,,<3<3

[krarka]

I MET SOME LITTOL GRUBS AND THEIR MOMMA

[littlemsterious]

holy fuck harrow is a product of her parent’s genocide and alecto is a product of jod’s genocide how have i never put this together before

i’m trying to spell out my thoughts about this but i cant get past how a horrific number of people had to die in order for them to exist

[serpentface]

This family dinner is gonna fucking suck

[mmmelahii]

Did you know? That she dreams of you more nights than not. You propped upon her lap; regaling her with the machinations of your mind while she brushes your hair. Pausing only to press a kiss on your candle warmed cheek. She mourns your death as you live.

[turtleblogatlast]

Something I’ve been thinking about lately is that small moment in “Air Turtle” where immediately after the Daves lose yet another game, Leo says how sorry he is and how he’s doing his best as the mascot. This moment is so short but it’s honestly jam-packed with a whole heap of characterization.

His need to apologize for things clearly not his fault - especially when it feels like he messes up the job he was given despite doing the best he can (the phrase “it’s not about you” takes a new meaning when this is one of the lessons to be learned from that - that he is not always solely responsible for things going wrong), his need to save face and make a connection with an older adult man in his life (something he consistently does throughout the series - he’s got a few daddy issues, always collecting potential father figures, it’s no wonder he jumps at the bit to keep rapport), and the way he sounds and looks and the words he chooses really pushes how he is just a kid (“Mr. the Dunk, I’m so sorry”).

Like I know it’s a one off moment that doesn’t truly mean much, but when put against the rest of the series it works really well with the rest of Leo’s established character and helps in solidifying later concepts as well.

[sualne]

(wip) using the modern au to study a bit

[puppetmaster13u]

Prompt 299

Hear me out- Ghosts have wings. They have wings, which are affected by their cores, and can make them disappear from sight if they want or need to. You got that? Good. 

Ecto-contaminated people? Don’t have wings. Liminals and Halfas, who have developed cores? Do have wings, and they can’t hide said wings, because unlike ghosts? Their bodies are physical living flesh. 

Now Gotham? Ecto-contaminated, there’s no doubt about it. The amount of portals that have been opened there and death pits and death cults… yeah it’d be surprising if it wasn’t. But again, no one really notices, because at most? Most just get a bit of eyeshine. 

The Bats however? Oh man are they freaking out when they wake up with aches in their back and feathers starting to poke through their skin. Curse? Nope! Welcome to Liminality, enjoy the second puberty of wings, emotion-sharing, fangs, claws, and whatever else you might develop- also enjoy the whole eating fear thing. (Wait, the what-)

[stormofdefiance]

True knowledge exists in knowing you know nothing || Dr. Ratio & Socrates

Okay, I legitimately laughed out loud writing that title, but listen. LISTEN.

Ratio's inspirations derive from many sources; from referencing Archimedes's brain-blast in the tub, to being doomed to have his head bonked by Newton's apple ad infinitum in his idle animation, to his ultimate line ('esse est percipi' / 'to be is to be perceived') a direct quote from Berkeley on Idealism - it's apparent that his design nods towards scholars across time periods rather than being a direct parallel to a singular academic.

Nevertheless, just for fun, I've been rotating Ratio and ancient greek philosophers around in my head and have had a great time chewing over how parallels Socrates in particular. I am in no way saying that Hoyo even thought about Socrates while they were designing Ratio, but I thought I'd share my thoughts. I think there are some worthwhile parallels to be drawn that touch on all aspects of Ratio's own philosophy regarding ignorance, the value of knowledge, and his deep appreciation of life. So, let's get into it.

Ratio is interested in humanity and curing 'ill minds with knowledge', that 'to turn a blind eye to the folly of others is not an etiquette, but a wicked worldly practice.' Ignorance is a disease - this is a concept that can be viewed through a Socratic lens. Socrates believed that that virtue and knowledge were impossible to separate from one another, and that virtue could be developed through acquiring knowledge and insight. If knowledge is virtue, then ignorance is vice. In Socrates's mind, no one would rationally choose to do something bad. People might choose to do bad things, but this is rooted in their own perception of the world - as in, someone would only choose to do something bad (for the world, or for themselves) because they believed (erroneously) that it was the right or good thing to do. To Socrates, the cure to this was knowledge: 'There are two kinds of disease of the soul, vice and ignorance.' & 'What does most harm in the world is not sinfulness but ignorance'.

To Ratio, 'If ignorance is an ailment, it is the duty of the scholars to weed it out and heal the universe'. He views his own ignorance as 'filth' that must be cleansed through methods such as reading. He also views knowledge as a method for humans to overcome their problems - 'Another day has passed. If your problem still hasn't been solved, is it possible the problem is you?' & 'You look distressed. Is something troubling you? if so, you can figure it out for yourself.' These statements sound harsh, but they also clue us into Ratio's philosophy - that through self-examination and improvement, one can overcome one's ailments.

Socrates was also known for being a trouble-maker, he was abrupt and tactless and did not care for someone's social standing nor decorum. He was also known for using what is now called the Socratic method, asking a series of questions that ultimately seek to show contradictions in the beliefs of those who posed them, and to move systematically towards a hypothesis free from contradiction. Socrates rarely made assertions himself - after all, he had no wisdom of his own. But he could interrogate others in order to expose their own foibles, much to the embarrassment and annoyance of those around him. He was once described as a 'gnat' chewing on the 'lazy horse of Athens', causing it to wake up and spring to life due to his persistent gnawing and prodding. Ratio also employs the Socratic method - 'I'm asking questions' - and also adopts sophist tactics such as playing devil's advocate and taking opposing sides (with both himself as seen a story quest, and with others as we see with his texts urging us to take up a side so he might debate us). Through questioning and interrogation, upsetting what we consider social convention and norms, we can dispel contradictions and thereby come closer to some form of truth.

To add to this - as highlighted in the replies below - Ratio’s skill ‘intellectual midwifery’ is a reference to the Socratic method. The idea being that Socrates helped those around him give birth to the knowledge that was already within them, rather than treating his students minds as empty vessels for him to fill with his own answers. Again this is beautifully echoed in Ratio - he doesn’t want to tell you how to live your life, he wants you to work out for yourself what it is you need, thus empowering oneself through self-examination and questioning.

Socrates did not believe in writing anything down. He believed that face-to-face communication was a far more effective way of communicating knowledge - which means, unfortunately, what we know of Socrates is primarily derived from secondary sources. Much of what we know about him today comes from Plato's dialogues, and Plato was known for liberally exercising artistic license.

Although Ratio is not dead, I find it interesting that his character story is told exclusively through secondary sources. To quote - '…There are no less than eight documentaries detailing his legendary exploits, and over a dozen memoirs about him. However, despite the plethora of commentaries, none of them seems to provide a compelling perspective.' It's as though there are no surviving fragments penned by Ratio's hand and all we have to go on is through the lenses of other people. This challenges us, perhaps, to try to think about our own interpretation of Ratio since secondary sources cannot be taken as a wholly unbiased account - and once again employing the Socratic method and empowering the reader to come to their own interpretation.

While Socrates left no writing behind, he was interested in spreading knowledge. Socrates spent most of his life in Athens, a city that was, during his lifetime (~470-399 BC), a hotpot of scholars, wisemen and philosophers. Athena, the Greek god of wisdom, was named after the city - her symbol the owl that is also appropriately perched on Ratio’s shoulder. Also in Athens at this time where the sophists. The sophists were a class of intellectuals who were known to teach courses in various subjects - but often for a high fee, and generally centred around the idea that persuasion and the use of knowledge as a tool was more important than wisdom or truth itself. There's some debate about whether Socrates could be characterised as a sophist himself, but, crucially, he is characterised as refusing to take payment for his teachings. He was born a plebeian (perhaps you might describe it as a mundane background.) He was known to dress in rags and go barefoot, speaking to and (often antagonising) people from all walks of life, preferring the marketplace as a center of debate than palaces or courtrooms. I can't help but think of the sophists as similar to the genius society (or at least Ratio's depiction of them in contrast to himself), cooped up in ivory towers and gatekeeping knowledge to the most privileged. He doubts if Herta's talent is always helpful to others, he compares Screwllum to a 'monarch'. Then again, the sophists may in fact be a bit of a parallel to the Intelligentsia Guild - from Ratio, 'when someone is willing to listen to knowledge that is being disseminated and circulated, a price is created'.

Socrates (or at least the Platonic depiction of Socrates) was at one time declared the wisest man in Athens by the Oracle of Delphi. Socrates balks at this assertion - how can he possibly be the wisest man in Athens when he in fact knows nothing at all? This was not a claim made of modesty - he truly believed that he had no wisdom, that he was unsure what 'wisdom' itself even was. Ultimately, Socrates concludes that the only way that the Oracle could be correct is that by actually acknowledging that he knows nothing he paradoxically is the wisest man in Athens. All wisdom, therefore, is rooted in wondering, with wondering only possible if one is open to admitting one's own ignorance.

What I love about all of this in relation to Ratio is that Ratio styles himself as a mundanite. The Intelligensia Guild advocates that 'all knowledge must be circulated like currency' and accepts 'all beings… who seek to learn'. Ratio has no time for the satisfied self-styling of intellectualism, he himself states that 'to speak knowledge, we must first make people realise their own folly.' No one is above criticism in this regard, even himself - again, to quote 'Whenever someone agrees with me, I feel like I must be wrong.' Again, I feel as though he would resonate with Socrates here: 'Smart people learn from everything and everyone, average people from their experiences, and stupid people already have all the answers'. With Aventurine, he is quick to mock his appearance as over-the-top and vapid - once again making it clear his distate for vanity and hollow displays of showiness (albeit he may have been acting for Sunday's sake here. Also, no comment about this coming from a man who runs around in a toga, lmao) Equally, with Aventurine, it is clear that Ratio is willing to learn from him - he apologises when he offends, he abhors his methodology and yet he still relies upon it and trusts in Aventurine's plan, he is drawn to him in some ways precisely because he is so different to himself. Aventurine (at least styles himself) as impulsive to Ratio's slow and steady methodology, Aventurine whose learning has been entirely self-made vs Ratio who has spent his life in classrooms, Ratio who scoffs at Aventurine's favourite games of chance yet adds slot machines to his simulated universe. And to Socrates, the experience of aporia – in all of its discomfort and disruption – is the very catalyst of wonder, and that wonder was not just the root of wisdom but also the way to live a good and happy life. There is something beautiful in this to me, and this extends to Ratio. Ratio fundamentally cares about life. For all his brashness, his lashing out against 'idiots', his harsh demeanour - he wants people to live good lives, he wants to contribute to the good of humanity - all people, even those he is annoyed by, he cares so profoundly and absolutely about life. The entire reason why he is obsessed with wisdom and learning is not to exalt or elevate himself, not as some kind of ritualistic expression of piety towards a deity, but it is instead an expression of devotion towards life itself. Ratio has a strict work out routine not so that he can show off his body, but because living healthily is living well and working out is a component of that. Even the way he fusses and worries about Aventurine, someone he is pointedly irritated by, reveals how deeply his care runs. So so much of his character is centered on caring for life, even if it is not immediately obvious.

Finally, I'd like to highlight some ways in which Ratio is not like Socrates. First of all, Socrates was repeatedly described as 'ugly' by fellow philosophers Plato and Xenophon - this is contrast to Ratio being repeatedly described as 'handsome'. This is an interesting subversion to me (albeit likely an indulgent one) as in both cases both men attempt to distance their physical appearance from the weight of their words. Ratio wears the bust for many reasons, but way to view it is that he is attempting to stop his appearance from bearing any influence in the subject of debate.

Socrates was also said to be blessed by a divine touch, and as we know, this is something that agonises Ratio as Nous has not yet turned THEIR gaze towards him.

Lastly, Ratio has - thankfully - not yet been ordered by the state to drink hemlock for all his trouble-making and blustering. Though perhaps he may someday be put on trial by the IPC if the theories that he is working alongside Aventurine to undermine the corporation are true - we will just have to wait and see.

Thanks for reading my little ramble. I'd be super interested in anyone's thoughts if they'd like to share, but regardless, I'll leave off on some of my favourite wee quotes from the Rat man:

'Even a life marked by failure is a life worth living - it is only in moments of solitude and despair, when help is absent, that fools grasp how to pick themselves up.'

'Do stay alive. I wish you the best of luck.'

[icewindandboringhorror]

I know this is just a silly bad quality random screencap of a screencap that I found on facebook lol, BUT it's a succinct enough image to easily describe the concept in a quick/accessible way hopefully :

-

(and of course, feel free to elaborate in tags, etc.! (especially elaborating about other senses as well.. can you "hear" in your mind just as well as you can "see"? taste? etc.) It's an interesting topic to me, as someone who's like a 4.5 at MOST lol. I'm curious what option will be the most common :0c )

[clarissaweasley-10]

This might be a controversial take, but l don't think Eve deserves or should get a redemption arc.

[archersartcorner]

I think the Bad Kids deserve to cry a lil. As a treat. IT’S CATHARTIC!!!!!!!!!!!

[boxheadpaint]

ahhh I forgot about ableism. I forgot about that

[screechingfromthevoid]

I think Dorian knows Orym is in love with him. I don't think it is a great unknown. He's not biting his nails wondering if Orym feels the same way as him.

I think the problem is that Dorian doesn't know how to approach it at all. For so many reasons. There are so many reasons why Dorian has been keeping all of this close to his chest.

First and foremost I think he wants to be respectful of Will and the place he holds in Orym's heart. Dorian in no way would blame Orym for never moving on. He'd be sad and disappointed but he'd understand. And he understands that he's still mourning Will. So he doesn't want to initiate something Orym isn't ready for.

Second, they're in the middle of a war. There isn't time for this. There isn't time for dead brothers and profound crushes. How could he distract Orym from the world ending? He's their little tank. He's their tactician. He's can get his hard and throw it back just as easily. They need his head clear. And I don't think Dorian would ever forgive himself if something were to happen because Orym was too preoccupied.

Third, is speculative, with the context Robbie has given us, marrying a man would not go over well in the royal family. Not because they're particularly homophobic. But, assuming they're both cis, (headcanons aside, I don't think critical role is there yet), the blood line would end. And royal families are big on lines of succession. Hence Zeru begging Dorian to come back. So I'm not sure adopting is in the realm of possibilities. How could Dorian let Orym love him? How could he give into his feelings? How could they live happily ever after when Dorian needs to go back home? Sit on a throne? Produce an heir and a spare? He couldn't possibly start something with him only for it to end in tragedy. He couldn't do that to Oym.

There are probably more reasons for all this but these are the ones that swim in my head the most. And idk I think Dorian wants to love Orym loudly and proudly but... The world is ending, ya know?