#my muse is off the rails

[a-roseinmisery]

thinking so hard about Éponine today

[solacium]

presence // aventurine

he'll never outrightly ask you what it is, not at the outset.

he might find you curled on the couch, quiet, trying to breathe out the something in your chest that writhes and constricts, or in tears, but he won't ask, only sit quietly with you, lean against you, the weight of him enough to reassure you of his presence. maybe you reach for him, curl into the hollow of his body, and he'll let you, hold you until the tears stop, or you can feel your hands again, or you fall asleep, to the steady rhythm of his heart.

you'll wake, or look at him, and he'll speak, then, maybe look back at you with those iridescent eyes that you love, as he asks, softly, if you're feeling better, if you want to talk about it.

he'll keep you company, either way, listening. there is a steadiness in the weight of his arms around you, in the even beat of his heart against your back. you'll have to move, eventually, one of your legs falling asleep under you, and you'll both laugh, and shift. he gently disentangles himself from you, to get you something to drink. you settle back down, curled around each other, talk quietly until the sunlight changes.

[feroluce]

how do u imagine natasha + sampo’s relationship?

I. Feel a little bad for leaving this in my inbox as long as I did, especially since I said in this post I could write a whole essay on them. But then when I tried to actually answer this, I realized ah shit, I can't really articulate what I think of them at all OTL

(so have a bajillion words of meta analysis of them instead fklajklasjf)

Just! Sampo is very mysterious figure, and we know so little of his background and his motivations! So it's really difficult to get a solid read on some of his relationships with other characters. Regardless, I do think that Natasha is perhaps the one he's closest with, and that she is the one person who knows him the most intimately in all of Belobog.

And a lot of it IS hard to pin down because of Sampo's slippery nature, but also because it's like. If you look at just Natasha's dialogues about Sampo, it doesn't really look like much. It only becomes more meaningful when compared to how everyone else talks about him.

Most other characters just comment on what Sampo does, as in his observable actions that are easy to see on the surface or from a distance.

Natasha is one of the very, very few that actually speaks to Sampo's personality or philosophy. Like she not only is able to describe a certain behavior of his, but she's able to explain the why behind it.

At least part of this is probably that they spend so much time together- Hook even comments on it during her companion quest.

And tbh I don't really think it needs more proof or anything with such a flat out statement like that, but this is actually further supported by the fact that Seele is the only other character in Belobog to sorta-kinda comment on Sampo's personality; if Sampo were hanging around the clinic with Natasha all day, Seele would probably be the person he would see second-most there. Of the dialogues posted further up in this post, Hook obviously sees him all the time, but it's not always in the clinic, and besides she's still very young...she wouldn't have the same read on him an adult would. Luka avoids the clinic whenever he can because he's worried about taking up Natasha's valuable time. And the Landau siblings aren't even present in Boulder Town until after the Stellaron is quieted.

Seele, on the other hand, is extremely loyal and devoted to Natasha, and seems to worry about her a lot. She doesn't have the same reservations as Luka, and it would feel right to see her in the clinic frequently, taking orders and missions and trying to make sure Natasha doesn't run herself in the ground. So it would make sense for her to see a lot of Sampo if he's always in there, too, enough that she would have things to say about his personality, whether she likes that or not haha.

Of course we know from Sampo's lines that it's not that he's sick, he's just reporting back to Natasha. Sampo not only smuggles in supplies across the border like what most people know him for, he's also Natasha's source of intel.

Bringing back intel doesn't necessarily have to involve a lot of conversation though, especially because it would make more sense for Sampo to be turning in written reports. It decreases the chance of Natasha mishearing/misunderstanding something or having to rely on memory alone, neither of which are really things you probably want to be doing when bad intel can mean the difference between life and death in her circumstances. So I do really wonder what it is Sampo does in the clinic all day haha. Given that he's a big believer in the power of small talk bringing in big clients, it's entirely possible Sampo is just in there being chatty, happily making conversation and keeping Natasha company most of the time...which is kinda cute. He also really could just be talking shop, too, of course- Sampo does a lot of work for Natasha, and I don't think it'd be a stretch to assume she's his main client. There's probably a lot to discuss about supply quotas, incoming intel, scheduled drops, etc.

My favorite option, though, is actually based on one of Sampo's options from the main quest, where he says:

Because like! The way he says this, the way he specifies that this is his opinion, but no one seems to care what he thinks? And how he calls them stubborn in particular? It really sounds like Sampo has been trying to get Wildfire to operate in a different direction. And if you look up the exact definition of "artless," you get this

which very much fits Sampo, and how he does things. He has guile and deception down to an art form. Sampo goes on to call Wildfire "do-gooders," but then cautions the trailblazer not to underestimate them because of that- indicating that Sampo sees that type of philosophy as something naive, or at least just ineffective. Something that you would underestimate a person for.

And the person Sampo associates with the most in Wildfire, the one he's always seen with, the one who would hold the most sway to change the modus operandi of the organization is...Natasha.

So I wonder if Sampo has been trying, possibly for years now, to get Natasha to see what he thinks of as reason, and start playing dirty to survive. I wonder if that's what he spends so much time in the clinic for, is because he does care, and he wants her and the rest of them to live, and he has been trying to convince her to go with his way of doing things, but Natasha has been refusing him, refusing to compromise her morals.

Because we know from some readables and from the general Vibe, both up on the surface and down below, that things were getting pretty dire. Rivet Town has fallen. The Silvermane Guards are being whittled down and broken. The Fragmentum was right on everyone's doorstep, and I'm sure that if the Astral Express hadn't arrived- and that if Sampo hadn't set the stage so perfectly, if he hadn't played his part just so- then all of Belobog would have eventually been snuffed out. Sampo had to have known it was happening. He must have known the end was upon them.

He doesn't even have a stake in Belobog- he's not from here. He could, assumingly, call it quits and leave when shit got tough by whatever means got him there in the first place.

And I'm sure Sampo wants to save all of Belobog, but I think he's particularly endeared by Natasha. He famously phrases his view of Elation as "true happiness always entails the manifestation of the dignity of mankind." And like. Who else embodies that so much as her?

Maybe it is a little vague and up to interpretation, but I feel like Natasha is FULL of that kind of dignity. She has been doing this since before the blockade. She willingly chose to stay in the Underground where she could do the most good. She has seen so, so much death and you can see how it weighs on her; she's become bitter, and wary, and weary. She has it out for the Guards (understandable), and she openly taunts Gepard and goes right for his throat when he shows up in Boulder Town, ten years too late, trying to help with the Fragmentum.

Natasha even seems to have given up any belief she may have once had. She's completely lost faith in Qlipoth.

All of this, and yet she still chooses to be kind. She still chooses to help people. There is something immensely admirable in all of that.

And I feel like you can see how much Sampo admires her in just how often he thinks of her, especially when someone needs help. Sampo smokebombs everyone and needs to get them somewhere safe in the Underground? He takes them to Natasha. Svarog is about to fucking kill everyone? Go get Natasha. He finds the trailblazer passed out in an alleyway? He carries them to Natasha. The trailblazer is seeing weird shit out in the Fragmentum? Recommend they go get a check up. Specifically from Natasha.

It's a little silly, but I think you can also see some of this when Sampo is being melodramatic about being caught red-handed in the museum event. He echoes a very important sentiment to Natasha and Wildfire;

And the mission where this ideology was displayed strongest was titled, "To Rot or To Burn."

(Hell, in the dream sequence of Penacony- regardless of whether that dream bubble came from Sampo or Sparkle, it had to be informed by Sampo's tales of Belobog. Sparkle has never been there herself. And the kind trashcan that immediately helps you and sets you on the right path, that tries to rally everyone together, the only one with a name so clearly and obviously taken from someone Sampo knew in Belobog? Is Shatana- an anagram of Natasha. Even from a meta perspective, they have the same VA. No other trashcan there gets that treatment. None.)

I think they have the same goals, and even hold some of the same views. Natasha's are much more obvious, but still. Sampo says this about Belobog's circumstances:

And he says this as though it should be obvious common sense. That when things are rough, you share and make sure everyone has enough. I think they both share this belief, it's just that they disagree on how to go about making things even. Natasha believes in rallying people for the cause and giving as much of herself as she can to make up for whatever people lack. Sampo believes that if some dipshit with more money than what they need falls for his bullshit and he gets to spread it around? Well hey, that sounds like a whole lot of their own fault.

Natasha is definitely aware of this, and she has no problem threatening Sampo whenever she thinks he's stepping out of line.

She keeps him on a very short leash, which like. Yeah no that's valid fjkdlsajfdklj

Even so, the way she talks about him, like... Maybe it's just me, and my rose-colored glasses, but she doesn't seem to dislike him nearly as much as she could? She kind of just. Says these things as statements about him, without any real vitriol behind them. This is just kind of how he is. She even seems to have a sense of humor about it.

And again! She has so much more to say about him than almost any other character.

I'd like to think part of her...affection? of sorts? for him is simple camaraderie. Circumstances are dire. Past, present, and future are all bleak. Things like that deepen bonds with your foxhole buddies. Sampo is dependent on Natasha for work and pay and a place to get away from the Guards. Natasha is dependent on Sampo for food and medicine and life-saving supplies. They both heavily rely on each other in this harsh environment, and they have a really nice back-and-forth that I appreciate with how they help each other out by owing favors as payment.

And the other part, I'd like to think actually IS because she knows him very well- maybe not things like his past, but she knows some of his personality and beliefs, and finds them agreeable enough. She even has the audacity to call him a poor liar at one point- Sampo! Of all people! Known by someone well enough to be caught out as a poor liar! He's either intentionally leading her on and letting her think she's caught him, or Natasha just really is that good. Neither would surprise me tbh

I think Natasha is also just uniquely prepared to understand Sampo, and is able to see his better sides without letting her judgement be clouded by his slimy manner. She's able to appreciate that his actions ARE extremely helpful, regardless of how he does them.

Even as she acknowledges that he isn't always trustworthy, she does still choose to rely on him and give him chances. She was pleasantly surprised by him here, but she still chose to trust him with this in the first place. She never treats him harshly, and she never seems to bear any kind of grudge with him.

But my favorite example of Natasha being able to understand Sampo? My favorite is this. This one little throwaway line, that didn't even involve him, wasn't even about him. I feel like Natasha is capable of knowing and understanding Sampo on a deeper level than most people can, solely because of this.

She gets it.

(As a fun bonus: In the current trashcan event, there's a simple mechanic where you get one trial character for the initial battle. Then, for the harder stage, you get that same trial character, plus a couple of extras. This is true for every Proof- except for Sampo's. In his harder stage, you use Asta, Black Swan, and Luocha. But in his initial stage, in an event all about friendship and relationships...)

[mad-hunts]

so, if i told y'all that barton actually sort of indirectly created a monster (metaphorically, because this person is a human as well LOL) in a later arc of his character... would y'all be interested to know more about that ����

[relaxtimestwo]

MC sitting alone in the VIP waiting for the next story update (featuring Qingque converting Himeko into another Celestial Jade player).

Photo taken by March.

[ionozoned]

( litle album cover i made for my iono playlist........... work goes faster when i listen to music so im workin on her playlist. im still addin stuff but i like it so far + rly like the lil cover i did rq )

[sansgout]

nah but can we talk about how painfully desperate vince eventually has to get to actually reach that point of murder/cannibalism bc lord almighty

tents hands in front of face boi

i think vince for the most part just accepted the ageusia after awhile; he wasn't actively seeking ways to cure it when he assumed he couldn't (in fact, he reached the "fuck it" point and probably just exacerbated the issue through bad habits)

losing his taste also meant a gradual loss of passion in the one thing he used to love doing: cooking. bc he was always doing that for himself, a small something he could do successfully on his own turned into a hobby turned into a livelihood—

when he met rody, it all changed bc he saw someone so utterly opposite to himself. a man (pathetically) passionate and obsessed with a woman who kept on rejecting him day after day, and a passion that didn't wane despite that. it wasn't until rody that vince actually considered he might be able to cure himself, if he could only match (or, more accurately, "harvest"???) that devotion and energy he'd forsaken years ago

his killing and eating rody (in the not fun way) has a lot less to do with getting his literal taste back, and a lot more to do with learning how to feel again. because maybe for the first time, he's met someone who makes him want to.

[darabeatha]

  /  What if this was strictly (from my end) a very simple dialogue starter call- (pls do specify if not im skipping 😳👉👈 )

muse list for ref! : Constantine XI (rider) ; Ashwatthama (archer) ; Vlad III (slighty canon div) ; Jason (saber) ; Camazotz (temp. assassin) ; Odysseus (rider) ; Daybit (crypter) ; Tezcatlipoca (grand assassin) ; Charlemagne (saber) Moctezuma II (Avenger) ; Caeneus (lancer) ; Oberon ( - ) ; Medb (rider) ; morgan le fay (berserker) ; kukulkán ( - ) ; tlaloc (pretender)

[barxlupin]

@starspurn ordered:

❛  yeah you’re cute but are you good for my mental health??  ❜ / a very late inbox call, aventurine @ leblanc <3

FEELING THINGS, A SENTENCE MEME

"Just as good as you and your pretty face are for my mental health~"

Leblanc chuckles, but it doesn't sound as mirthful as usual, as if the thief is forcing it out of his throat. His sunny grin drops after a moment, the corners of his mouth lifting in a more somber, albeit more genuine, smile.

"Perhaps what we have wouldn't be considered 'healthy' by 'normal' couple standards..."

'Normal' couples aren't so eager to call each other 'mine' and 'yours' with the same devotion of a worshipper at the altar of their Aeon ("my treasure", "my heart"), don't feel the same shiver of excitement at the slightest hint of possessiveness in the other's demeanor (the way Aventurine's hands grip Leblanc's waist, the undisguised hunger in Leblanc's eyes when Aventurine adorns himself with jewels the thief had gifted him), aren't so desperate to leave marks on the other and preen at the sight of marks left on their own bodies (lovebites on Aventurine's collarbone, Leblanc's wrists reddened by being bound with silk)...

"...but it seems to be working for us, doesn't it?" He murmurs softly, leaning in to press his forehead against Aventurine's, one hand gently cupping the gambler's cheek.

[crescentfool]

bonerattle arena fucks severely. i was not expecting it to rival my love for jammin' salmon junction, but wow. this map feels like a love letter to people who love and enjoy salmon run. (i ended up playing the rotation for around 3.5 hours... which you can watch here if you like!)

the map's circular shape on normal/high tide effectively makes the spawns from this map come from every angle. it's a test of awareness and movement skill- and the walls + inkrails really, really make rotating around the map feel so fluid and easy.

and low tide's hexagonal two-ring design is so fascinating too! instead of testing movement, it tests your team's ability to make judgment calls on luring and making sure you don't overwhelm basket from luring too much.

i also feel that every special in salmon feels really rewarding to use on this map- even reefslider! i've played enough to see that most specials bring so much utility and value, and i just love that no special feels like it's "useless" on this map.

there's also a few flyfish tech on this map that echoes the bomb tricks on jammin' salmon junction and spawning grounds (and i guess gone fission too), it feels really intuitive on what spots can pop two baskets at once (it's the grates and the rails) and i just? feel really rewarded for playing as much salmon as i do.

i feel that the map's inclusion of the ink rail mechanic evokes a lot of similar vibes to ruins of ark polaris- and i really liked that! there's definitely some things i want to fine tune and understand better about them, but they're really fun.

i still need to see how other weapons feel on this map, but it feels like both mobile and stationary weapons can exceed here- there's nice perches for long range weapons, lots of walls for quick weapons to use to escape situations... it's so swag...! a very good final map, i think!

[ofprevioustimes]

What if I added p.olyxena..... what would happen to me then

[outofthiisworld]

anonymous sent in: Green Lantern? .𖥔 ݁ ˖ Recommend romantic candidates for my muses and see their reaction!

[🧪💜] “GREEN LANTERN?!? Whaddyou mea— WHICH ONE?! There’s like—seven THOUSAND of those assholes! 3,600 sectors!!"

Doc had COUGHED, WHEEZED, and SPUTTERED at the mere mention of the intergalactic, peacekeeping corps. Enough to pique Ophelia's interest, surely:

"Ooh? What's wrong? You sound upset."

"WHAT'S WRONG?! Ophelia. They're [COPS]. That's whats wrong. I'm sure they got a whole DATABASE on our asses somewhere— either for being apart of ATLAS or blowing it up. Either way you shake it, we're technically wanted, intergalactic criminals— or did you forget?"

"Mm. Okey dokey. I like the one in the—"

"NO. no. I don't want to hear it. Not under this roof."

[meekmedea]

alt scenarios

He didn't think much of it at first, her need for revenge. Perhaps, a little too bloody, but he too had been the same when anyone harmed his family.

But what he didn't realize was that once she had a taste for blood, it transformed into a need. An insatiable one.

`

The damn serum he'd agreed to give her – to save her – had taken his sweet daughter, transforming her into a far crueller version.

These days, she spills blood as easily as blinking. Almost nobody is exempt from her schemes, and even her kindness to her siblings hangs on a precarious thread. She refuses to kill them, but even then, that is a low bar to set.

`

"Aren't you proud of me?" No, no, not like this, baby. His daughter was alive, but at what cost?

[acheronidae]

I may be a shy little bitch but I need to find a friend of similar age that I can talk endlessly about Honkai: Star Rail with (specifically the story/characters) or else I will explode, so...

Hello, I'm Atlas, I'm 17, Autistic, Aroace, Agender, my pronouns are They/He, I draw and write fanfic sometimes, and my favorite characters in the game by far are Svarog and Screwllum so if we become friends expect me to talk about those two a lot (what can I say, I like robots)

(If you're interested just shoot me a DM I guess, idk I'm still new to this whole "making friends online" thing.)

[usefulcrew]

MUSE TAGS 3/3

「 ⛏️ 」   miners’ silver ghost  » ic

「 ⛏️ 」   hear her whistle on the wind  » hc

「 ⛏️ 」   glowing red as coal in hell » vis

「 ⛏️ 」   mighty lonesome cry  » musing

「 ⛏️ 」   up and down the mountain  » interest

「 ⛏️ 」   ghost trains  » aes

「 🕷️ 」   bloodthirsty train  » ic

「 🕷️ 」   the goriest express  » hc

「 🕷️ 」   teeth sharper than a knife  » vis

「 🕷️ 」   take this off the rails  » musing

「 🕷️ 」   madness and decay  » interest

「 🕷️ 」   brace for the freight train  » aes

「 🌠 」   call me rusty if you dare  » ic

「 🌠 」   do it like a steam train  » hc

「 🌠 」   slow corroison is eroding my frame  » vis

「 🌠 」   switching and hitching  » musing

「 🌠 」   for a dead-end engine  » interest

「 🌠 」   the finishing line  » aes

[thedetectiveofinaba]

I cannot believe that Hoyoverse has the most accurate Finland/snowy area representation called A dude with a Finnish-sounding name in a planet what is full of ice and snow. You also meet the said dude when he is under a pile of snow.

I'm also sure his name is a nod towards Kalevala & picked on purpose. Finally some representation /s