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novantinuum · 9 months ago

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jen's "Hard-Light Hybrid Steven" headcanon dump

Okay so I'm just making this its own post, because frankly at this point... the original post is so hard to get all the pulp out of due to the headcanons being spread over multiple reblogs and half of it being in the tags.

So here we go. Self indulgent headcanon time. This is how I'm now personally interpreting things within the realm of my own fic work and the post-canon storylines that live in my mind. This is NOT, however, a work of meta- I am by no means suggesting this to be what I see as "canon," only having some fun playing around with ideas I think are cool on a speculative fantasy anatomy level. Take it as you will basically, lol. This is ultimately just for me.

With that stated:

"jen what the fuck do you mean when you say hard-light hybrid Steven, what are you even suggesting"

Essentially I am proposing that Steven becomes progressively more hard-light based in form as he ages. When he was born he was two almost entirely separate halves mashed together- organic and gem- and those two halves slowly but surely merge over the years (hard light replacing organic matter) until one day they are literally inseparable, and Steven is one permanently cohesive being... entirely hewn from hard-light, but with a level of anatomical complexity that still makes him a complete anomaly amongst Gems and humans alike. Instead of the innards of his body being solid light, he is still formed of cells- only now, those cells are entirely hard-light.

His gem is somehow mimicking the form of organic matter with a level of detail that's absolutely unobtainable by shapeshifting or tailored reformation alone. Steven has become the single most complex hard-light system to have ever existed.

Some more specifics on how I imagine this merge working:

Much of the "merging" is natural over time, basically his gem branching out new bits of hard-light circuitry within his body as it integrates within his system.

However, this process is sped up significantly by all the spills and injuries Steven deals with throughout his childhood... because his body's instinctive response to injury is simply to replace damaged cells with hard-light analogues. An almost instantaneous patch job.

Steven's component halves being so distinct early on is a large reason why he takes so long to harness many of his powers.

This is also why Steven's (mostly) organic half is so weakened during the split in Change Your Mind- at that point there's a lot about his anatomy that's been converted to hard-light, so it's basically as if White Diamond yanked the power source out.

(Same idea for why he's so weakened during the movie when his gem's on the fritz... his gem's connection with the rest of his body got partially severed for a time, which. Is not Good for someone who at this point is more hard-light than not hard light.)

At a certain point post-canon, it becomes impossible for Steven's organic and gem halves to be separated. They are so tightly integrated that attempting to remove the gem would only poof him.

Now, here's the thing though...

Steven does not realize that Any of this is taking place until the blunt reality of his strange new anatomical nature is put on display for all to see... when he actually DOES poof.

Here is how (in my own post-canon musings, which I have simplified here because y'all don't live inside all the intensive lore that jangles about my brain) I envision that taking place:

So, Steven would be in his mid to late twenties at this point. He's married to Connie, and they have an infant son.

Recently, there was a fairly severe Gem incident that left Beach City and Little Homeworld pretty damaged. Things are still being mopped up from that.

Steven, Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl head out on a quick mission one day to intercept one of the last few supporters of the Gem who attacked the Crystal Gem's hub of operation, and at first it seems like it's gonna be a straightforward trip.

Then, Steven sees the Gem in question pull a destabilizer wand on Garnet, and- unwilling to watch her to get ripped apart like that again- throws himself in between. He can take it, he thinks. These things never hurt him one bit as a kid

He cannot take it.

He poofs.

His gem unceremoniously falls to the ground, along with the clothes he was wearing and whatever he had in his pockets.

Cue the others going "what the actual FUCK" because based on everything they've ever witnessed and known about him no one had "Steven poofs" on their bingo card.

The insurgent Gem is captured and dealt with, but now... oh, boy. There's literally no playbook for this. Nobody knows what to expect.

Steven's gem is quiet for WEEKS. During that time, the Gems end up consulting the Diamonds on Homeworld to ask for intel on diamond reformation, but none of them are much help- Rose and Steven are the only ones who have actually poofed. Beyond them, this is completely unprecedented.

In a very vague sense, Steven is aware of what must have happened during this time... (even if a part of him wants to deny it, because How???)

He can pick up vague snippets of what's happening just beyond his reach... catching voices and what must be faint sensations of familiar people handling his gem, but beyond that he has no awareness of the passage of time, and he has no means by which to reach out to them mentally.

It takes almost two months for him to finally reform. When he does, his gem quickly shifts through its previous three forms and then just... outright h a n g s for a while on the new one... as if what's trying to "load" up is so complex it's goddamn buffering.

(my brain can only think of This image uyhjfsdbyuhjfg)

No one really knows what to expect but when he finally reforms, he... looks mostly the same? Still rather human in appearance, externally? The only notable difference is that his irises are pink now. (But with no diamond pupil- not unless he's going Full Power Mode.)

Steven also reforms WITH an outfit much like a Gem would.

The second he's back, he runs to embrace Connie (who is sobbing in relief) and asks how long he was out.

And he did NOT anticipate that answer to be two months.

As it turns out, he missed quite a few baby milestones while he was gone, and he feels horrible about it- it's not his fault of course, but he feels so bad that Connie had to go that long without his support, and that there's all those special "firsts" with his son he'll never get to experience.

This whole incident marks Steven's final "retirement" from participating in real combat- he outright tells the Gems to not involve him in any other combat situations unless the whole ass planet is under threat, basically. The potential risks are just not worth it now that he knows how long he'd be out of commission, should he poof once more. He can't put his family through that again.

Now, with all that outlined...

Ways that Steven is Weird now:

He looks rather human- his hair looks like hair and his skin looks like skin- but after he reforms, literally every "cell" of his body is fashioned out of hard-light.

However, if one were to theoretically slice him in half (which I PROMISE I am not going to do, this is only a thought experiment ahahah-), his internal anatomy would glow much like the Gems' do. (See below image for what I mean.) The "human-like" appearance of his skin and hair and other externally visible features does not extend very deep.

He "bleeds" pink now- but it's only surface, and is all just excess hard-light. No real blood.

His body would no longer show up on a radiograph- just the gem.

Many of his anatomical features (not all of them, though) are now vestigial in certain ways-? Like, various functions have overtly been taken over by his gem... he doesn't need to breathe or have any lifeblood beyond light pumping through his system, so his heart and lungs serve no necessary purpose anymore... but all of these organs still "exist" as like an echo of what once was, perfect mimics of their organic form but hewn from hard-light.

That being said, Connie enjoys the reassurance of his heartbeat, so he retains that function while conscious.

(Not to mention, "breathing" is literally just a habit for him by this point.)

HOWEVER, when he sleeps (another thing he technically doesn't Need to do but does anyways) his breathing and heartbeat stops entirely and it kinda spooks Connie out. The literal only evidence she has that he's still kicking during these times is the soft hum of his gemstone.

He does not have a biological NEED for food or water anymore and can fully operate on exposure to light alone, but he still really enjoys eating and drinking anyways. In fact, he's still able to absorb energy from food... so it's basically like he's over-charging his battery or whatever. He also still experiences taste (so still posesses some form of taste receptors) and instinctively feels "hungry" at meal times, so like... the running theory is that he must have hard-light analogues for all these receptors and neurotransmitters and hormones that communicate sensations like hunger in his system even though their function is entirely redundant with his gem powering everything.

Furthermore, his memories and sense of self and everything one might refer to as "the soul" is stored exclusively in his gem now. Which means, if one could manage to analyze his brain like one could with a human brain, there would be entire sections that simply... don't light up the way that others (such as the parts of the brain that govern motor control, as an example) do. This is because all the "data" once stored there has migrated.

He can fully shapeshift now, if he wanted to.

He can also still visually "age"- it's all based on his mental state, same as before.

But despite being hard-light in nature now, he can still interface with organics in fusion because his form is still so organic in shape and function. He's still the bridge between humanity and gemkind. I like to think that... theoretically... a Gem might be able to fuse with an organic too, but the sheer burden of trying to shapeshift and maintain such cellular complexity is what stops this from happening.

Steven, though? His very existence as a hybrid acted as a template by which hard-light could learn to understand organic life. He is still an intensely unique being, even IF he no longer consists of any actual organic matter.

I am sure I will probably add something to this later, but for now, those are all my musings.

Anyways, thank you for taking a brief visit to the deepest recesses of my brain, where I am chewing at the drywall and bouncing around the room like a cat who has just devoured the goddamn motherlode of catnip. Good night! !! :DDD

#su #su future #steven universe #jen rambles #or... jen thinks so hard about speculative anatomy that they get the zoomies for three straight days

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nobodysuspectsthebutterfly · 15 days ago

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re: being unable to predict twow and maybe being upset it doesn't do what fandom wants it to, were there any things in adwd you remember being surprised by and that went against common fandom interpretation at the time? :3

I'm not quite sure what was common fandom interpretation at the time, since after I finished AFFC in 2005 I tried the westeros.org forums and was extremely repelled by them and their hate for my favorite characters - and indeed, most female characters - and avoided them thereafter. (And somehow I never thought to check the Livejournal communities at the time, alas, which would've been more up my alley.) I did devour worg's Citadel (their pre-wiki, including the So Spake Martin archive) and fanart collection though lol.

But of course I was still surprised by things in ADWD. Like, I had no expectation whatsoever that Bloodraven was still alive, let alone that he was the three-eyed crow. Or heck, that the children of the forest definitely exist and appear on page as actual characters! I did not expect a Varamyr prologue POV in the slightest, or his warg/skinchanger lore reveals. And I did not expect the Aegon reveal at all, though checking the SSMs afterwards (as well as this ancient pre-AFFC FAQ) showed me that some people had been wondering from day 1 if he had survived. And for that matter, Jon Connington's survival was surprising (at least my memory is very good, so the griffin thing and Tyrion's suspicions of him being a Westeros lord had me leaping back to Jaime's conversation with Ronnet), as well as Jon's POV (including his sexual orientation) and the greyscale thing. Oh man, the whole stone men scene was all new fascinating worldbuilding.

As for existing POVs and known plots, I certainly never expected Theon's state as Reek (tortured, yes, but not reduced to that, though I probably should have), or that he would be a POV again, or that I would find his narrative so heartwrenching or that he would become a favorite character. (From reading a bunch of pre-ADWD fanfics, I don't think the fandom expected Ramsay to be so abusive of Jeyne either, but for that I have no idea why.) I was surprised by Cersei's walk of shame, though I probably should have expected some sort of religion-based sexual humiliation. (Actually, I don't think most people expected the returning AFFC POVs because of the book split, though I'm glad GRRM chose to update us on some of its cliffhangers - like, at least Brienne is no longer hanging from a tree!) I did not expect Tyrion's POV and mental state to be so dark, but again, I probably should have. I also didn't expect him to link up with Jorah (I don't recall what I imagined Jorah to do in his exile but not that - maybe lurk around the fringes of Meereen?) or the slavery plot at all.

I think the fandom in general expected more... plot-advancement, I guess, more battles involving KL again, more movement of Dany towards Westeros, though they always have, lol. (There are ACOK-era theories that she'd come to Westeros right away, marry Robb and destroy the Lannisters together, etc.) I'm sure some expected Stannis conquering Winterfell and getting the Boltons out, though at least there they were mostly right, as the battle of ice (as well as the battle of fire) got cut from ADWD last minute. As for plot advancement expectations from me, I personally hoped that Marwyn would reach Dany in ADWD, though considering he leaves at the end of the last chapter of AFFC and the distances involved, I really should have known better. But I did expect to hear at least a little about Rickon, and Davos learning he's on Skagos (and getting sent to retrieve him) was a pleasant semi-resolution there.

Anyway, hope that helps! If/when we get TWOW, despite the fandom doing like 15 years of speculation and theories (not to mention the show), I'm sure there will be plenty of surprises, both positive ones and disappointments, as well as completely unexpected things.

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fumifooms · 4 months ago

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Dungeon lord Chilchuck

What would his wish as a dungeon lord be? What would he be like? Headcanons & speculation post for fun. But I’ll start with analytic lead up because that’s always fun for me, though feel free to skip and skim.

When it comes to what Chilchuck’s dungeon lord desires could/would be like we have mainly 3 hints: His nightmare, his succubus and what the winged lion says to him.

Why: — From what we see nightmares are based on the person’s worst fears and insecurities, both Laios’ and Marcille’s nightmare were closely tied to their dungeon lord wishes (Laios’ dream monster being summoned to crush the ghosts of relationships that represented the pressure to fit in and belong, Marcille seeking control over death and aging through magic to avoid loss), the fuel behind their desire/goal if you will. Fear and deep-seated desires are seemingly closely tied, something also supported by Thistle and Mithrun’s reigns as dungeon lords (Thistle proving his worth through fulfilling his given duty + protecting his loved ones, being listened to instead of having to listen, Mithrun escaping rigid two-faced elven society and living in a wonderland where he has no enemies and he’s loved, free from everyone he knew yet propped up by the person symbolizing his brother being chosen over him, the bastard child).

— I’ve talked about the significance I assign to the succubi often by now, but rundown: What we see of each character is all very telling if you care to listen, it shows not only someone’s "ideal form" but what they want from it. Izutsumi’s is familial, offering a hug and comfort, Marcille’s is romantic with a character she knows and loves, offering a kiss on a hand and a connection regardless of how distant it actually is, and Laios’ is platonic, arguable at first but then Laios’ fear of judgement is placated and he is offered the picture perfect friend group that accepts his interest (if you want my full look at Laios’ succubus go here). They take on the most alluring form, most ideal person of their victim, even uncovering deep subconscious desires, so precisely and effectively to the point it leaves victims physically frozen before the object of their desire. Succubi and the demon are themselves tied in lore and it’s easy to see how similar their core skill are. Succubi don’t give a good idea of what a character would wish for on their own but they certainly give hints on what they crave, regardless of how you want to read it.

— Last bit is self-explanatory. To placate Chilchuck and win his compliance over, the monster that reads your soul like an open book offers to give him something specific. But! It’s also important to remember that the lion isn’t offering to fulfill Chilchuck’s dream world wish here, it’s a second prize, because his goal with what he promised Laios is that they’d stay in this world, away from everyone and everything else. Chilchuck wants to get away but is kept back, and it’s here the lion placates him with "hey it’s okay! You can’t do that but I can still give you this! This is enough right? It’ll make everything easier on you".

What each bit says: — Long version in another post. Tldr: His daughters and family are obviously important to him, and this reinforces that he takes on the role of protector a lot, he’s constantly worried for his party members’ lives and implicitly his family’s. Safety and stability, both economical and otherwise, are his core values and goals, and he berates both others and himself if someone fails on those fronts. Here, there’s the fear of not being enough, of not having been able to protect, and of course of loss.

— Chil’s succubi are obviously sexual, and not only that but agressively and straightforwardly so. It’s not like Marcille’s where there’s personality involved, all they do is give him sultry looks and pretty smiles before jumping on him. His succubi aren’t like Izutsumi’s, always the same exact person and appearance, so it’s not someone but an appealing general idea. The idea of a sexual being he can regard as simply a gorgeous piece of meat and a good time no strings attached. In my interpretation, especially with my reading of Laios’ succubus where even with deep-seated desires negative emotions can be too intense to effectively freeze a victim, I think this doesn’t contradict his character. Relationships have been painful to him in the past, in the succubus scene when his wife gets mentioned his immediate reaction is to yell "Don’t bring her up now!", like with his habit of drinking and as a tallman liking his senses feeling dulled, it’s about not having to feel emotions with how difficult they are to deal with sometimes and just feeling good, or at least not having to think, for a while. If a succubus showcases someone’s ideal connection with an ideal person, then Chilchuck’s is with a pretty person that doesn’t stir any negative memory or drama, someone low stakes and low maintenance that doesn’t require him to manage or talk out feelings because there’s none involved in the first place.

— Once more, wife and family are important! He does long for his family, not only his wife but his daughters, and vice versa. This suggests not only that he wants good relationships with them but that he wants them to be with him, a family life. Far from the cut communication they all more of less have during canon, and perhaps far from their life pre-canon when he worked away from home a significant amount of time. We’ve seen recreations of people by the winged lion before with doppelgangers and monsters (naga), and though he claims he can make satisfying imitations, what we’ve seen is that they base themselves on the best memories of that person, like with Marcille’s dad, or twist behavior to be more pleasant, like Mithrun’s lover (and possibly twist appearances depending on the person’s view of them, but that’s Mithrun analysis). The line does suggest Chilchuck would want his family members as they are in reality and not idealized versions, but the circumstances are chaotic and urgent enough in the scene (and again the lion isn’t fulfilling Chilchuck’s wish but trying to make him content for Laios’) that it could just be the winged lion saying what he needs to to convince him the fastest possible, and like we see with Laios that can crumble to give way to deeper or more complex desires.

On top of that we just have general info on Chil. How does Chilchuck deal with his issues? What does he like to do? He likes alcohol and ignoring his problems. We have to remember there is a split between what someone would consciously wish for and what their soul uncontrollably irrationally craves. As always with Dunmeshi, there’s a narrative of irrational deep-seated desires vs active wants, what you crave vs what you strive for, what you dream of vs what’s actually good for you, the animal vs the human inside you, heart vs mind. Chilchuck craving a harem of hot babes in his fantasies but wanting his family life & wife back again is not mutually exclusive. You may crave becoming a monster and tasting what humans are like a little but still want to save the world & your friends more.

Btw can we adress the irony of him terrified of being the last one alive, of being left by his daughters and wife, of having left and coming back home one day to see everything gone or rampaged, yet not caring about dying of liver failure himself, knowing every time that he enters a dungeon there’s a real risk he may not come out. Die somewhere I can’t see you. I prefer leaving you than being left behind. He’s selfish and shortsighted like that… Chilchuck is selfless in many ways of course, but perhaps also due to his own relationship with his parents, he often undermines the effects he has on others in his relationships, both the good and the bad (he talks himself down about being cowardly and greedy yes, but never hints at his bad health habits, alcoholism and starving himself, may have affected his loved ones, doesn’t question his wife falling into a bad mood the night before she left, and talks about the possibility of dying here and there very casually, though obviously he tries his best to stay alive when it doesn’t concern his health).

Chilchuck king of "Let me just avoid and ignore my problems surely they’ll go away, things might work out and if they don’t well tough luck I’ll survive and I probably deserve it anyways". If I don’t look at it it will dissapear <3 Why care when you can simply not think about it.

You might not understand Mister "my love will stay strong through months of work travel and also 4 years of separation" and Mister "well idk my siblings and me are kinda strangers and my dad is dead but that’s kinda whatever", but typically relationships need some form of maintenance and emotional availability…

The actual headcanons finally

I kinda have 2 routes in mind for dunlord Chil and both of them are centered on "I care too much, i wish things were easy", so first is a lot like his succubi, it’s full on indulging in his guilty pleasures like alcohol and bodies and it’s to keep him in a constant state of thrill and euphoria and distracted, unfeeling about stuff that really matters. "Nothing matters except that I’m enjoying the moment!" vibe. He gets to live a life worthy of Dionysus, with alcohol and women and debauchery and like— never having to think again, never having to feel anything but pleasure again, never have to feel guilty or shitty or angry or sad. He has a harem and gets everything on a silver platter.

Breaking news demon magic-induced rush of euphoria and power still not enough to cure this man of his self-hatred nor his capacity for thought!! But in his case a state of euphoria is what he seeks I think, to kinda mask or replace the Everything Else.

The other is what I think closer to what canon suggests, with what WL implied too with "I’ll make you a new wife and kids like the originals!! 😊", it’s a (spoilers) Wandavision type thing where it’s a slice of life where he’s never at work and always at home and the family eats lunches at the dinner table together and everything and everyone at any moment is just. Happy. No issues. It was all a dream, this is real and everything is fine and your family is perfect and happy. I like to think the timeline would be wonky, his daughters would fluctuate in age, but he’d want to be there for what he missed, would want them to still rely on him and look up to him like when they were young, would like to forget that they’re now independent adults and the distance that grew between Chilchuck and his siblings is happening between them as well. Chil would want doppelgangers of his family imo, at its core just a general wish for a peaceful happy family life with no drama, no need to compromise, a little paradise of unconditional love and no consequences. It’s for sure straightforward, but Chilchuck is a man with straightforward desires…

But see Chilchuck is a greedy man, and he wants it both ways without having to sacrifice anything or expanding any efforts himself. He wants to have his cake and eat it too. I think playing with these two opposite directions and mixing and matching is most fun. Him leading a life where he indulges in all his worst habits while still having everything he wants… Him getting to have BOTH his wife and any woman he can imagine up, his life like two sides of a coin he can flip at any moment where he’s partying then he’s at home enjoying the quiet and his toddler daughters playing with toys on the carpet. Christ when you remember it’s all an illusion that’s terrifying, the doppelgangers and succubi from the winged lion playing chilchuck ping pong.

A safe little haven both security-stability wise and emotionally. Gets to have both the relaxing and the thrilling in any dose he wants, mixed or separatedly. What I’d argue he had pre-canon too: Can live it up in taverns away from home, stays away from home for long periods of time, and can come back to home aka the symbol of relaxation and safety whenever he decides to. Something he can leave and come back to at will, an anchor he can trust in (until it’s taken from him and his wife leaves. Or in his worse nightmare people rush in and kill his daughters). The ideal of a house and family to a working man, perhaps…

I think it’s fun to think on wether or not these desires would be interesting at all to the winged lion… In canon he seeks out "rare/complex desires", common simple things like I imagine riches, sex, substances and pleasure would be are boring to him, he’s eaten those so many times already. So perhaps he wouldn’t last long as a dunlord, the WL would want to eat him fully quick, can’t keep him interested or waiting long for a meager meal, too much effort raising the cattle and too low quality meat. By making it more twisted or layered Chil’s desire would become more desirable to the demon, it’s part of what’s fun with the third option to me. But whatever. Has he ever eaten a guy with this much repression and self-sabotage... Like trying to get the meat out of a walnut, enrichment…

Other dunlord Chil takes I’ve seen that are fun and good:

@feelo-fick and @pluvio-floret have a dunlord Chilchuck AU project dubbed "tragedy AU" where Chilchuck is said to be "on vacation", in a weird delirious state, only half-there half of the time… From which he doesn’t want to wake up </3 Quoting Feelo, this is why the vacation thing is only a half-joke cause he is 1) letting all his responsibilities go 2) indulging in himself and 3) "spending time with his family" <- lie but you get what i mean. Additional comments that have me vigorously nodding: because changing is hard why cant things just be okay right now without the effort !!! Life is hard he’s so so tired he just wants to feel good… he just wants life to feel nice and easy for a sec while he can learn to breathe again and lose the stress and trauma he’s accumulated…….. spoiler alert yes !!! in fact a depressed person can suck themselves into their job and lock out the world who wouldve thought !!!

And then Cabinette I know posted about his dunlord take once but I don’t have the link, in which Chil has a lot of nosebleeds because of mana overload which is fun and interesting to think about imo~

In dunmeshi, where characters get underground pockets of the world as their playground disconnected from everything outside and the rest of the world, it’s important to remember to face reality even if it has conflict and people with different views and stances from you, it’s something Chilchuck and Marcille and everyone needed to learn, and the thing with a dungeon lord AU is that you imagine a timeline where he fails to <3

A timeline where his dungeon lord wish is to desire nothing bc hope and want has only ever hurt him would also go so hard. Very universal thing though I suppose.

… And this is why a Chilchuck-centric Coraline AU is really really interesting and fitting and topical— Ok that’ll go in a separate reblog/post at @Fumiku I need to let this end

#Dungeon meshi #chilchuck tims #Analysis #dungeon lord chilchuck #Spoilers #dungeon meshi manga spoilers #Wish we could put just parts of a post under a ‘click to read more’ box that scrolls open and closes neatly #Bc 3/4th of the post is just extra explanation for ppl who don’t See The Vision already but like that’s not what i wanted most of the post #to be really gdbdg #Headcanons #You could say the family also represents something he’s built up with how own hands. If he has self-worth issues and thinks he’s a screw-up #in the virtue/honor and likability department especially— his family destroyed/killed also represents the one biggest good thing #he’s done/created crumbling also. Like his wife leaving without a word while he trusted their relationship this can hugely impact #one’s sense of identity and self-worth and what you’re living life for. In his case it’s not too surprising he turned to simple #physical pleasures for comfort and enjoyment. Like with tasting good food having moments feeling good keeps you going #He always focuses on the bad relationships bring and never the good aghhhh #The reverse of Marcille who often idealizes. They both ignore problems in their relationships in opposite ways.#What do you mean why do i bring up marcille. Okay yes this’ll get a marchil Fumiku short brainstorm reblog as well #Chilchuck is so… curse of having feelings and not realizing the extent of them. Underestimating how much you care #It’s either ‘i’m fine who cares’ or falling into the pits of despair and blaming himself n spilling his whole bag no inbetween #Dunmeshi succubus #Fumi rambles #boy that’s what this boils down to i suppose #Family angst “Hey I came back home from work and i’m tired so don’t talk to me about problems or anything k? I’m here to relax smh damn”#< unwilling to admit he has issues he should be working on or that some things are affecting others negatively #Chil you are so enneagram 6w7 <3

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mintharabaenrelore · 26 days ago

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Today we're analyzing Minthara's appearance.

(This post contains a lot of screenshots. Thank you so much to all the people who took them!)

Height

Drow, on average, are smaller than other elves, shorter and thinner, with "wiry", "athletic" bodies.

"Reports varied on the physical differences between the drow sexes. Some purported that females were generally bigger and stronger than males, while others claimed that males had superior strength. Both sexes varied in height from 4 feet and 7 inches to 5 feet and 5 inches (140 to 170 centimeters), averaging at 5 feet (150 centimeters). Males weighed between 87 to 157 pounds (39 to 71.2 kilograms), averaging 109.5 pounds (49.67 kilograms), while females were a bit lighter, weighing between 82 to 152 pounds (37 to 68.9 kilograms) and averaging 104.5 pounds (47.4 kilograms)."- Forgotten Realms Wiki.

@krembruleed made a lovely height comparison between of the companions based off in-game models.

Astarion is a good reference, as he is canonically aproximately 5'11. Larian has confirmed he is only 5'9.

I'm just speculating here, as (I think) Shadowheart, Jaheira, and Minthara share the same heights and the same body model.

According to lore, though, Minthara is quite small, and this is backed up by the scene directly after Act II, when the whole group is gathered. She looked significantly shorter than the others there, in my game.

It also makes sense genetically- take Triel Baenre, who was less than 5 feet tall, or Jarlaxle Baenre, who is rather slender.

Hair Length

Her hair has to be long. Have you seen the size of that bun?

(Picture above by @northernolddragon!)

(Picture above by @swordopera!)

Drow generally keep their hair long, often decorating it with pins and webbing made of precious medals. Also take note of the color of her hair, as drow women's hair turns pale yellow with age, and this is a useful clue. (Canonically, she is quite young, Emma Gregory says this herself, so I personally think it's white and just looks yellow in certain lights.)

When you click on a mirror as Minthara, she says, "Not a hair out of place," so I assume she has a reason for keeping her hair as it is- that reason being practicality. If her hair is anywhere near as long as I think it is, fighting with it down would be a hassle!

I think there is also some psychology to be found in her hair, though. Her choosing to keep it as a messy bun could be seen as an act of rebellion, when compared to elaborate Menzoberranzan hairstyles such as Triel Baenre's... or it could be seen as her holding onto her past.

(I can't get enough of seeing pictures of her with it down, though.)

Scars

Before we discuss her scars, I just have to mention that she has freckles. I love her freckles.

The wonderful @mogruith checked out Minthara's unmodded face and did not see any noteworthy markings.

It's hard to tell what are sunspots/freckles and what may be scars, but I did my best.

I looked at a screenshot by @missgamerin and circled what seem, to me, like scars.

That potential scar on her cheek can also be seen in a screenshot by @ilikedetectives.

Eyes

Drow eyes could be of any color, with bright red being the most common. [...] The color of a drow's eyes could also be indicative of their current mental or physical state; drow eyes reddened when they were angry, and turned yellow when they were sick, poisoned, or under some negative magical influence."- Forgotten Realms Wiki

This information suggests Minthara's eyes should have been yellow while under the Absolute's control, and perhaps even all the time, as she doses herself with poison. I haven't noticed her eyes changing color during the game, but perhaps you have?

Tattoo

We've reached what I deem the most fascinating part of Minthara's appearance- the tattoo on the right side of her neck.

(The picture above is by @exehtml!)

(The picture above is the same one you saw earlier, by @ilikedetectives!)

Her tattoo, as I assume you know, is the seal of House Baenre, her family and the First House of Menzoberranzan.

"A drow house insignia was often crafted as a brooch with a sculpted image on it. This image was the glyph of the noble house the drow was attached to. [...] A drow house insignia's powers could only be safely employed by someone who received an attunementspell, which was part of the attunementritual, which was a well-known fact among priestesses of Lolth. The powers of an insignia were activated by touch with bare flesh while concentrating on which power was to be activated or with a command word. [...] A drow house insignia was a reliable way to locate an individual, provided the diviner was taught how to trace it—usually by the Matron Mother, High Priestess, or House Wizard. This was because each insignia was slightly different, even those from the same noble house] The wizards, who were also the insignia's creators, were capable of protecting themselves from such tracing."- Forgotten Realms Wiki.

A drow house insignia is a magical item, and I have never seen a mention of a tattoo functioning as one. Uthegentel Del'Armgo, as @lunastrophe says in a post on Minthara's tattoo, which I highly recommend, wore his house emblem pinned to his bare neck. That still isn't the same as it being part of his bare neck, though.

In Menzoberranzan, is it truly safe to flaunt your family's status on your neck?

"Drow took special care to keep their drow house insignia safe. Only the nobles from the First House wore them openly while all others wore them in ways known only to their households."

Minthara is a noble from the First House; this could explain it. I personally think it is a mark of pride, as- based on how often Minthara quotes her family's saying and discusses how powerful they are- Minthara is, or used to be, very proud of her heritage. Is it the wisest decision? No, but Minthara herself has said she is aware of her flaws, and knows pride is certainly among them.

What are your theories? I hope you enjoyed this post!

#Minthara Baenre #Baldur's Gate III #BG3 #Minthara #House Baenre #Drow #Lore #--Minthara Baenre Lore 🕷️💜🕸️--

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raven-at-the-writing-desk · 11 months ago

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Yo! Good morning/evening, hope you are fine^^💝. I wanted to ask you a question but I was afraid that it may bother you or something (you know..that feeling when you are scared that you might disturb someone or being an unwelcome person) but yeah I will ask you since i was serious about your answer for some time now so I hope I'm not annoying you or something *feel free to answer only if you wish^^. You seem to know the characters pretty well, you are quite capable and great at reading and understanding them, one of the things I'm serious about is what do you think would make someone qualified enough to be with malleus? Do they have to be of the same species?certain Reputation, stature or traits?(sorry can't help it since I can't rest until I know everything about what interests me and figure it all out😅). Thanks for giving me some of your precious time I really like your blog, you're amazing💜

No worries, you’re not bothering me at all ^^ I love to talk about my hyperfixations www

Now, I know a lot of fans (particularly on the EN side) like to ship Malleus with their OC and especially with Yuu so I want to first make it clear that my response is NOT meant to invalidate those Malleus shippers. Whatever I say here is based on my own interpretation of canon lore (and let’s be real here, TWST won’t ever confirm if anyone is romantically interested in Yuu because it might not work with how some players view their own relationship with that character). In fanon, anyone can be with anyone, but in canon there are very specific in-universe rules and expectations laid out for Malleus so these are what I will be referring to.

I also want to emphasize that the final traits I discuss in this post do NOT reflect Malleus’s personal tastes or views. He has little say in what kind of an individual his spouse would be, so his own preferences are not speculated about or taken into account here. The traits I will be bringing up are based on what I believe the lore implies are the desirable traits for those marrying into the Draconia royal family.

We got it? Good 👍 Read more below the cut!!

Firstly, I’m completely disregarding the ideas of “Malleus can love whoever he wants to love”, “Malleus can scare people into accepting who he loves”, and/or “Malleus can change the law so he can marry who he loves” (a la Sultan from Aladdin or through some other Disney magic or logic). Here’s why:

In general, those solutions for “high stakes issues” are too simple, and that has never been how Twisted Wonderland tackles complicated problems. Just look at every single OB boy’s backstory. They’re so complex that they aren’t totally resolved by the end of their books; these problems persist and are long term things each of them are working on addressing. This is also true of the politics TWST introduces to us; Leona for example explains how there is social pushback and resistance to the idea of infrastructure reform because the culture of the Sunset Savanna stresses harmony with nature. This has made it difficult for them to adopt new technologies because real politicians in their world have to seriously weigh their cultural values with their health and societal progress. The only time there are really easy solutions are in events or vignettes where the emotional stakes are not super high, but who Malleus marries is, in fact, super important since this will entirely change the life of a main character and his country.

With that first bullet point in mind… No, Malleus cannot love whoever he wants to love. Certainly, he may feel affection for another but he can never truly be with them. He is royalty and the only heir to the throne of Briar Valley. It follows that he is expected to marry for political reasons/to better his nation. This is a non-negotiable obligation for him.

Rather than saying, “Malleus cannot scare people into accepting who he loves”, I think it’s more accurate to say Malleus knows he probably shouldn’t. I mean, yes, he may be upset about his S/O not being accepted by his people but I feel that is discrediting a lot of the loyalty he has for his own country. As a kid he may have thrown tantrums when he was upset and potentially harmed staff, but as a 178 year old he has a much better understanding of decorum and maintaining it in spite of his own grudges. For example, even though he personally dislikes Leona he still commands Sebek to apologize to him because, at the end of the day, this could harm Briar Valley’s relationship with the Sunset Savanna. That’s not to say that Malleus can’t be petty (he definitely is)—but implying he would be petty toward basically his entire country just because they would disapprove of the one he loves?? (We know this would likely be true because Sebek’s parents faced similar backlash when they got together.) I feel like his own sense of awareness and responsibility for his country, crown, and people would override that. As an example, Malleus states that he has never been in a car before because the senate would be against it and often kept Malleus in the castle. Someone of his power could easily ignore them and sneak out and do whatever he wanted, yet the dialogue implies Malleus didn’t. He obeyed his political advisors even when he was younger and arguably much more immature. Malleus might not like certain decisions made about his life but it sounds like he ultimately complies with them.

Continuing from the previous point, let’s say for the sake of argument that Malleus does scare everyone into line. What about his public image and the mental health of his S/O? Maybe Malleus can frighten people to not talk out of turn to his face, but he cannot control what people whisper about him behind closed doors or to treat his S/O well or like they actually like them. Not only would they be alienated (away from their own home and forced to adapt to a new one) but they’d be treated oddly by others too. What kind of reputation is that for Malleus? To be a tyrant king who throws a hissy fit anytime someone talks about his partner in a way he doesn’t approve of? With a spouse who is not at their best mentally because of the constant ostracization? (This is similar to what Leona experienced in his childhood.) I don’t think Malleus would want to subject anyone to that kind of life, especially not one he loves. And again, this attitude would be the vast majority of his people. It’s not like it can be avoided or resolved in an easy manner, especially when the people of Briar Valley have proven to be against change.

Lastly, Malleus would not change the law so he can be with whoever he wants to. To begin with, I doubt this is a unilateral position the senate would approve of. But okay, let’s accept that Malleus is royalty so his power overrides the advisors’ power. So he effectively just changed a law for a very selfish and personal reason rather than changing something to actually benefit his people. That doesn’t feel in-character for him, not when Malleus seems to understand that it is the duty of those in higher status to help those below them rather than themselves (see: Riddle’s Suitor Suit vignettes. Malleus has acted selfish before, yes (who remembers Endless Halloween Night? His Dorm Uniform vignettes? I do.)—but never at the cost of changing the status quo of his country. (Book 7 is not included here because he’s in a very distressed emotional state then; this “new law” scenario posits that Malleus is in a normal state of mind.) This is a major change—change which Briar Valley, its people, and most importantly, Malleus, are not ready for. You think there wouldn’t be social pushback against this? From a society that has become complacent with its own way of life and is still isolated from the rest of the world? That Malleus, someone who struggles greatly with accepting life changes himself, could enact such a big change so easily? (On a more technical level, you don’t just pass a law and it instantly becomes tangible or real, there is a process of approval and then implementation.)

Additionally, it’s made clear in Ghost Marriage that “[Malleus] cannot enter into an engagement lightly”, which is why Sebek goes in his place. Eliza, the Ghost Bride, is royalty (er, albeit dead) but it seems that royal status is not enough to qualify as his partner. Maybe this is because she’s dead and doesn’t have anything of value for Briar Valley (no land, no people, no political power), but it could also mean that the partner has to be given the thumbs up by other parties.

All that being said, here are some of the conditions I think would have to be met for Malleus’s future spouse:

Has to be someone of equal or at least high status. This means they also have to be a royal or at least of nobility. This appears to be true of Malleus’s dad, who is referred to as a duke.

Because of how self-contained Briar Valley is + nocturnal fae having beef with diurnal fae, I imagine his partner would have to also be a nocturnal fae. This would also solve the MASSIVE lifespan difference between fae and non-fae because at least fae would be far closer to each other even if their lifespans fluctuate but subspecies.

Someone suited to rule by his side. Being married into any royal family is no joke—it comes with the expectation that you will contribute somehow, and the partner should be fully equipped to enter the world of politics with him.

Piggybacking off the last point, I think mental fortitude is also a prerequisite. This is because being a politician (navigating the social climate both within your country and outside of it, keeping your people and colleagues happy, maintaining public approval, managing laws, dealing with potential attempts on your life, etc.) can be very stressful and can hurt those who are faint of heart or not prepared for the responsibility. Leaders have to make tough calls at the drop of a hat, and they have to be ready for it.

Has a lot to offer in terms of benefits to Briar Valley as a country. This could be in terms of resources, connections, and/or political savvy. This appears to be true of Malleus’s dad, who acted as a diplomat for Briar Valley.

Vetting and formal approval from the senate. lmao good luck with that

Has to be able and willing to have a child. They at least need an heir to the throne to succeed Malleus. (However, knowing how exclusionary and conservative as heck the senators are, I doubt they would accept anything but a biological child 💀)

Preferably someone with powerful magic or is skilled at magic already so as to lessen the chance of “tainting” the bloodline with a weak mage or a non-mage.

I believe that Briar Valley would prefer someone with old fashioned values like them, not someone pushing for massive reform. They have a culture that is resistant to change and a history of fighting for resources with outsiders, so if Malleus’s new spouse tries to introduce a bunch of technology or open its borders to other countries (even if they have good intentions), the people + the senate may oppose them. His father is implied to be open-minded, but he at least understood that such change isn’t reasonable without time and effort dedicated to the endeavor.

All that being said 💦 I think that this topic is actually less about what Malleus as an individual wants and what his country, his people, and, yes, even his asshole senators, want. This is basically an arranged marriage situation so that their country can maintain power and relevance. It’s about the collective and what Malleus must do for their perceived security and prosperity.

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0104-vikita · 9 months ago

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The Amazing Digital Circus 🔎Episode Speculations🔎

With friends we tried to make up different scenarios and speculations based on Episode 2's trailer. Most of them are about the episode, but some can apply to the show in general. I felt like sharing them.

NPC Awarenesses/Sentience

NPCS and Locations don't get erased. Instead they can be reused over and over. The Candy Cannon has been used for humans that to this day are already abstracted. The NPCS might remember.

All NPCs are aware of their role as simple additions for Caine's adventures. They are almost like actors that may not get out of their role.

Only SOME NPCS are aware of their role AND as sentient as a human, while others just get reset. Those who are aware feel depressed and trapped as a result. Has major impact in the Lore

The NPCS are not aware, but become so and find out the truth towards the end of the adventure, leading to an existential crisis. Has major impact in the lore

NPC Awarenesses and "we were just acting" is instead played as a Joke where they all hang out before the main cast returns to the circus.

Storylines, Plot and Escenes

The gators are bandits and present a major issue for the kingdom. Is the main cast's quest to stop them or interfere with them (@notnights)

The gators aren't necessarily bad guys, and the quest has nothing to do with them, but the main cast does something that bothers them (maybe the truck they ride is theirs and stole it) getting into conflict

There is a BIGGER threat lurking in the Candy Cannon, the gators and the main cast are forced to work together (@gen-toon)

I like to think the reason Gangle is shown driving is because of the fact she's the most likely to get carsick (said by Goose previously). Being the driver diminishes the chances of getting carsick (for some)

There will be a chase and shooting scene in the episode

The close up eye picture belongs to either one of the gators (what I thought at the beginning) OR some creature we have not met before (the eyes look different from the gators) The lightning suggests a different location and lore relevancy.

Overall there will be lore related scenes suggested by the different non-candy cannon scenes on which Pomni appears worried, scared and overall nervous.

There is a mannequin running behind Gangle in what appears to be their entrance to the Kingdom. This is most likely the reason her mask breaks.

One of my friends (@gen-toon) realized that there's a mosaic that looks oddly similar to Kinger. But it could also be Caine (@notnights). It makes more sense to be Caine's since he's like a God almost. Maybe they worship him

Jax (there's stuff I wanna say about this bitch specifically)

There's a scene in which Jax appears to be in danger of falling from the truck while being eaten by the monster. This scene made me think about the possibility of Jax getting in danger and the cast REFUSING to help him or at least hesitating to do so cuz bro is a bastard.

He notices this hesitation/refusal, this occurrence makes him think (leading to the "sad Jax" scene) but it does NOT lead him to be better, instead, it leads him to be worse because "they hate me anyways"

This scene could also be the result of other possible plot scenes suggested by my friends:

The gators have been defeated and tied up. They attempt to manipulate Jax into joining them by hitting on his weak spots. (@notnights )

The gators and the cast are bonding together. The gators' boisterous personality drifts him away. The only way he socializes with people is by being boisterous and annoying, so the fact that these gators might be boisterous AND nice will take him out of focus. It will show that he in fact does not know how to form a genuine connection with others. (@gen-toon)

Maybe he's considering shooting the captured gators to get over with the adventure. (@notnights )

Maybe bro's hungry and is just eating the chocolate on the floor idk (got that idea from @corpseacoast fanart)

I will just keep adding stuff as I remember, speculating is kinda fun.

#the amazing digital circus #tadc #jax #ragatha #kinger #pomni #Gangle

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lu-is-not-ok · 7 months ago

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Hello Limbus Gamers

Why did I title this post that.

Anyway, yeah, it's that time again. I'm gonna analyze the RR4 trailer. Some of you may be asking why, but. You'll see.

Oh boy you'll see.

Starting off, we get a very brief animation of the nodes of the new Railway. And by brief, I do mean, this shit speeds past you like instantly.

They even make sure to not show the whole thing all at once to make it harder to count. I did count though. There are thirteen of these nodes in this animation. This might be subject to change, but we shall see.

Then we get the title card. We're back to single word Railway names from before RR3, and in the background we get to see some silhouettes. We're gonna learn what they are during the trailer itself, but you can already tell they're the abnos from the Battle Pass E.G.O - Dreaming Electric Sheep, The King in Binds, and Portrait of a Certain Day.

We also see silhouettes of some Sinners, and while it's hard to make out with the text in the way, I'm pretty sure there's N Corp Don, N Corp Faust, and BL Yi Sang in there.

Now THIS is interesting - a new Railway gimmick! Not just one gimmick though, but after throwing the screenshot into Google Translate, it turns out we might be dealing with two!

First, the one that doesn't need translating to figure out - the Backup gimmick. I believe it's shown a bit clearer in the next scene, so I won't be speculating on it too much yet, but from my guess it's a replacement for a similar mechanic in RR3, where you could throw another team of Sinners at an Abnormality after your initial team of 6 died to finish the Abno off from where you left it at.

That's not the most interesting part though, this is.

Our Sinners are also going to be recieving individual buffs in this Railway, potentially based on selection order, considering PM has been pushing more and more for the selection order to matter with the recent addition to the E.G.O Gifts.

If I'm correct and the buffs are based on selection order instead of being completely random, we can see the buffs are as follows:

Selection 1 - Identity Level +2

Selection 2 - SP Gain Efficiency +3

Selection 3 - too blurry for google to translate

Selection 4 - Defense Level +2

Selection 5 - Max Speed +2 (the 5 came from the semi-transparent level 45 number lmao)

Selection 6 - too blurry for google to translate

Selection 7 - Final Power +1

Selection 8 - Damage taken -10%

Selection 9 - this one i'm not too sure on but it might be Aggro +5 (the 45 came from the semi-transparent level 45 number lmao)

Selection 10 - scene cuts away too quickly to read it

In addition to that, some IDs (primarily the Backup selections but also for some reason Faust) get a head start of +10 SP when they join the fight, which is a very nice way to help off-set the issue of having to gain sanity in harder fights to even attempt winning clashes.

Next scene shows us what seems to be the Backup mechanic. It's an admittedly very brief shot that barely shows us anything of how it works, but considering everyone's low sanity and Ishmael's stagger, I'm guessing what happened is two units died and the backup units were put in there in their stead.

An interesting gimmick that honestly feels more lore-accurate than the current system LMAO.

Next up, we get our excerpts from the new Abno Logs. This one, based on the background, is for Portrait of a Certain Day. It's a bit hard to tell who wrote this Log based on the English translation, but it does give an interesting insight onto the Abnormality and by extention its E.G.O, Bygone Days.

Something about taking advantage of deaths through parading mementos of the dead in connection to Yi Sang and Gregor, huh... Gregor is the one who gave Aya's mask to Yuri as a memento, and then proceeded to keep that mask as a memento of Yuri. On the other hand, while Yi Sang personally didn't keep mementos of the League around, both Dongbaek and Dongrang had a strong emotional attachment to the last remaining picture of the League all together. There's something there I think.

Then we get to see the excerpt from Dreaming Electric Sheep's Abno Log. Again, not very clear who's writing this from the English translation. And this is a very interesting excerpt too! This is the clearest connection we get between the Abno and the 'Dreaming' part of its name! I feel like I'd need to see the whole Log to get a better idea of what is being conveyed here, but it is good to see we're getting to see some new angles on the Abno.

BIG SHEEP! It's notable that it's attacking Faust.

And there's Portrait, in all its low bitrate glory! Note that it's attacking Yi Sang.

What follows is two more shots, one of each of the Abnos, and then...

It might hard to see in that glorious 240p low bitrate, but yes. That is, in fact, N Corp Don and N Corp Faust, covered in a purple glow, attacking the Sinners.

And then, the bombshell.

Guys.

These are Envy Peccatula.

Envy Peccatula are doppelgangers.

DO YOU REALIZE HOW HUGE THIS IS FOR SIN ANALYSIS??? Envy is one of those sins we got barely anything on due to its lack of Peccatula, and yet here we are, RR4 gave us a fucking blessing.

Anyway, back to talking about the actual fights themselves, I believe we're going to be dealing with faction-themed Envy Peccatula stages. The one we see in the trailer is N Corp, complete with a relevant background, and in the in the title card we can see Blade Lineage Yi Sang, implying we could get a BL-themed node as well. Notably, these are both factions that have enough IDs to form a full team.

The only other full team ID factions we have are W Corp and Liu Association, so these are also contenders for Envy Peccatula nodes. Seven Association is also possible, as they are only missing one ID from being a full six ID team. We could also potentially get a fraud Pequod Trio that's made up of the Pequod IDs, which would be really funny, but I'm not sure how likely that is.

Back to the trailer itself.

We finally get the Abno Log excerpt for The King in Binds, and it's very evocative in my opinion. The poetic language makes me think that Yi Sang is the one writing this Log.

This seems like an excerpt that's being used to describe a game mechanic - The King in Binds might have a mechanic where he tears himself free from his throne if certain conditions are met. Very interesting considering what we know about the abno.

What follows is some extremely quick and hard to see snippits of The King in Binds attacking Yi Sang. Yes, this is the best frame I could get from it.

Aaaand that's about it!

All in all, extremely excited about the potential Envy lore and fighting against out own units, and I guess the abnos are there too.

#lu speaketh #limbus company #limbus company spoilers #limbus company rr4 #limbus company railway #limbus company analysis #limbus company teaser analysis #refracted railway 4

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yeetmeoutthewindowdaddy · 4 months ago

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A deep dive into Zevlor's devotion (Part 3) Zevlor's actions during Act 1, an analysis of a man who is barely holding on:

THIS POST CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR BG3.

These series of posts were originally one loooooong post— but apparently Tumblr has a character limit, and I found it; so now it's been split into several parts/posts.

(Part 1) Everybody hates tieflings, and how discrimination impacted a young Zevlor.

(Part 2) Elturel's history and culture, the Hellriders, and Zevlor's paladin oath. (Part 2.5)

((Part 3, this post, is where the meat a good chunk of my Zevlor analysis is.))

(Part 4) Zevlor's actions during Act 2, an analysis of a broken man.

(Part 5) Zevlor's actions during Act 3, an analysis of a man with his faith restored.

(Part 6) Zevlor's actions during/ after the epilogue, not all endings are happily ever after— especially not for a tiefling.

(Part 7) Zevlor in a romantic relationship.

I don't think many bg3 players understand just how dedicated and loyal of a person Zevlor is. This ADHD hyper-fixation fueled multipart-thesis is meant to show how Zevlor's past is as tragic as any of the origin characters'/ Durge's. It's meant to show how horrifically broken Zevlor was when he "betrayed" the other tieflings. It's also meant to show that our beloved blorbo would probably be fervently obsessive if he was in a romantic relationship.

Most importantly: It demonstrates how our favorite man Zevlor was most likely a fanatical religious zealot my dudes. He was (probably) a part of the Faerûn equivalent of the Spanish Inquisition lite.

I have kept this as factual as I am able to. Please keep in mind that Baldur's Gate 3 plays it fast and loose with the DND/ Forgotten Realms canon and lore, on top of DND/ the Forgotten Realms itself regularly disregarding and changing it's own lore and canon. DND lore and canon as a whole is a mess. It has multiple universes that sometimes interact and are maybe separate from each other. Full disclosure; I've mixed 1e-5e lore together FUCK 5.5e, because parsing through what is currently considered canon is a nightmare. As far as I'm concerned, as long as a piece of lore was canon at some point in the past 50 years— it's fair game. @y-rhywbeth2 in this post has a more in depth disclaimer. Also please check out their headcanons and lore breakdowns, they're so good.

THIS PROJECT TOOK ME OVER A MONTH TO WRITE. I've tried to find all grammatical and spelling errors. I've tried to ensure that I've cited the correct sources in the correct places.

Before reading this way to long post please look at itsclydebitches analysis on Zevlor. [Alt] Which provided me with so much insight to his character and kickstarted my obsession with him. Also, @itsclydebitches puts ideas into words better than I do.

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

● (Part 1) Zevlor before the events of BG3:

Here is what we know, for sure, about Zevlor:

Zevlor is a tiefling.

Zevlor achieved the rank of commander in the Hellriders.

He survived the city's fall into the Hells.

He was a paladin.

He does not have Darkvision.

Finally, here are the headcanons I have cobbled together based on the available albeit often times conflicting information I have gathered: (Hard facts are in green, everything else is speculation on my part.)

The youngest I would put Zevlor at is his mid 50's. The oldest I would put him at is his late 60's.

So this means that he was approximately 5-15 years old during the vampire crisis. Mentally, these are very formative years for a person. It really isn't a stretch of the imagination to assume that this, along with the miraculous appearance of the companion, set young Zevlor on the path to becoming a paladin and a Hellrider.

There aren't many elderly Hellriders around because most die in the line of duty. To have survived into his old age is a testament to Zevlor's skill, dedication, and luck divine favor.

(AN: In Zevlor's Sleep Stories, "A non-profit project created for and run by fans of Baldur's Gate 3 and its characters.", in episode # 8 - Oathsworn Glenn McCready, the official VA of Zevlor, (I only point out that the stories are narrated by the official VA because I think it's really cool that he and the fans have collaborated on the project. It is not meant to imply that him narrating the project means he has any opinions on how Zevlor is depicted in them, nor is it meant to lend any weight to the Sleep Stories being regarded as canon. Please check it out, it's an amazing project.) narrated a story in which Zevlor was stated to be 10 years old when the Companion first appeared— making Zevlor ~60 during the events of BG3. Zevlor's Sleep Stories is NOT canon, but I'm going to view this one story as canon in my heart; unless/ until Larian releases content/ info that contradicts it.)

This post [alt] by @nightmarist and @space-blue with contributions from @haru-sen is a wonderful source for some history of Elturel, how the Hellriders and Zariel are connected, how paladin's and their oaths work, and an analysis of how being exiled from Elturel changed/ impacted Zevlor's oath.

Zevlor would have had to devote himself 3x more than a non-tiefling Hellrider would've:

Hellriders were held to a high moral standard in a city that already had strict moral codes of conduct.

The Order of the Companion members took the Hellriders dedication a step further by swearing an oath to the city on a god.

Zevlor would have been under intense scrutiny for the crime of being a tiefling. For him to have made the rank of Commander despite this means that he proved, beyond a shadow of a shadow of a doubt, that he was devoted to protecting Elturel.

For added angst I like to headcanon that he had only achieved the rank of Commander a few tendays before Elturel fell into the Hells. And that it took so long for Zevlor to achieve the rank of Commander because he was rejected for promotions in favor of someone who wasn't a tiefling, even if they were less suited for the job than Zevlor was. And that if he wasn't a tiefling then he would've become a commander many years earlier.

Which means that for the entirety of his adult life Zevlor wholly devoted himself to being a Hellrider. He had to forsake everything else, being a Hellrider was his life's purpose.

That level of dedication cannot be faked or forced. He truly believed in being a Hellrider and what the Hellriders stood for/ represented.

And he was thanked for his years of unyielding service by being

● (Part 2) Banished from Elturel:

Zevlor's years of service, his countless sacrifices, and unwavering dedication to the protection of the city and its inhabitants meant nothing to the people of Elturel after the city was returned from the hells. Tieflings looked like the devils that had tormented them in hell (nevermind that the tieflings were also subject to the abuse from devils) and as such they were blamed for the city's Decent into Avernus.

"Many if not all the city's tieflings were exiled from the city, thanks to a new wave of misplaced fear and newly-formed prejudice."

This hatred from the people he loved so dearly didn't lead to Zevlor breaking his oath, it shattered Zevlor's very faith itself. (FFS, I can't find a clip of the Narrator describing Zevlor's time in/ just after Avernus when you click on him when he's in the mindflayer pod in Act 2. Please just trust me on this one.)

Zevlor didn't break his oath, it was broken for him. Hellriders swear to "Serve the realm of Elturgard, and defend the city of Elturel body and soul.", and he was forced to abandon the city.

Earlier in this series I had mentioned how exiled Hellriders were stripped of their gear before being cast out of the city. Zevlor, and the other tiefling Hellriders at the end of the game, still have some of their Hellrider gear. [alt] This makes me think that the other Hellriders refused to completely strip their tiefling family members of their gear because they did not agree with the city's bigoted decision. Letting them keep their gear would have been a subtle hint (and resistance to the city's authority) that the other Hellriders still considered their tiefling comrades as fellow Hellriders.

Whether the exiled tiefling Hellriders were still considered members of the Hellriders by the remaining Hellriders or not, Zevlor was now a

● (Part 3) Refugee:

But Zevlor still had a purpose, he and his fellow banished tiefling Hellriders swore to defend the civilian refugees on their journey to Baldur's Gate.

Tilses, and I assume the other Hellriders, still referred to Zevlor as Commander, and still considered him a Hellrider. She believed that no one could revoke their membership to the Hellriders, but Zevlor did. "They can [take away our Hellrider membership], and did. Avernus changed things — best we get used to that." - Zevlor

They were attacked multiple times on the road, and they had many casualties, and so Zevlor carried on as he always had— as a paladin sworn to protect his people. The refugees and the other, younger, Hellriders needed him to be a strong leader with unwavering faith, so that's what he was— but it was all an act. An act that got harder and harder to keep up as the days wore on and the rations, and survivors, dwindled.

But then they stumbled upon a possible salvation,

● (Part 4) The Emerald Grove:

They were welcomed in with open arms by the Archdruid Halsin. For the first time in who knows how long the refugees could rest. Sure, most of the other druids seem to barely tolerate the tieflings— but the Archdruid had made his position on their continued sanctuary within the grove clear.

And then the Archdruid Halsin went off with a set of very inexperienced and racist adventures, leaving a woman who could barely hide her contempt for the refugees as temporary Archdruid. Which should have only been for a few days at most, Zevlor knew he could play nice long enough to placate Kagha until Halsin returned, it was fine.

But Halsin didn't return, because he'd been kidnapped. And worse, Zevlor find this out because those inept adventures brought a pack of goblins right to the gate of the Grove.

I think the goblin attack was when Zevlor truly began to crumble. He would've been overwrought with guilt and self-doubt. Had he not spent ~20 seconds berating and interrogating Aradin over leading goblins straight to the Grove, and instead used that time to open the gate, then Kanon's death could've been avoided.

Worse still is that he ordered a man who wasn't wearing any armor to open the gate. Zevlor blames himself for Kanon's death, and he would mentally self-flagellate himself over his own cowardice: How he, a Commander in the Hellriders, took cover while Kanon, a tailor by trade, bravely continued opening the gate while the goblins were firing arrows at him.

After a hard-fought battle, the goblins are defeated. Then Aradin swaggers in acting as though he didn't just do a profoundly stupid thing by leading the goblins straight to defenseless citizens. Not only that, the uppity shithead Aradin blames Halsin for getting himself kidnapped. And then Aradin strikes a nerve, calling Zevlor a coward (and a slur). I think that Zevlor is already contending with his own guilt from thinking that he himself acted cowardly. For Aradin to call him a coward, on top of all the other stupid shit he's been spouting off, is too much to bear, and Zevlor's rage/ self-loathing is about to erupt into violence.

Luckily, the group of actually competent adventures who arrived and saved the day also managed to diffuse the tension between Zevlor and Aradin.

Or not. Leading to Zevlor punching the overtly racist idiot.

Punching Aradin (acting on his inherent desire for violence*, specifically) is something that I believe is wildly out of character for Zevlor. Aradin isn't the first mouthy prick he's come across, and if Zevlor had responded with violence to all of them then he wouldn't have been able to become a Commander. The stress Zevlor's been under has finally boiled over, and now that he no longer considers himself a Hellrider (and is constantly in survival mode trying to keep himself and the other tieflings alive), keeping a tight lid on his anger isn't something he really cares about anymore.

*"Tieflings also had access to an ability known as infernal wrath, which channeled their innate rage and potential for evil into their attacks for added effectiveness."

I cannot emphasize enough how much self discipline and restraint Zevlor has. His infernal heritage in combination with the overt discrimination he has undoubtedly faced his entire life, plus a healthy dose of pride, are a vicious cocktail of honestly justified anger issues. (AN: Based on him having more physical infernal features than the other tieflings do [alt] I headcanon that he possesses a temper closer resembling a devil's than the less infernal-looking tieflings do.)

Zevlor has been unchained. When it becomes clear that diplomacy won't work Zevlor tells the player that Kagha is their main obstacle, and that without her influence the other druids may see sense. The way he phrases this sentence allows Tav to "read between the lines" and see that Zevlor is open to killing Kagha, while also giving himself plausible deniability. Zevlor didn't suggest murdering Kagha, Tav did. Zevlor is "still hoping that Kagha can be swayed from this madness.", but if not... well, surely Tav understands how "Leaders need to make tough decisions. We do what we must."

Notice how slyly he phrased that— "we", subtly putting himself and Tav in the same category/ on the same team. But most importantly he never outright says to Tav "I want you to kill Kagha", it's implied. His 17 charisma and years of politicking around racism and red tape really shows here; because if shit goes south and Tav fails in their assassination attempt then, even if he has ingested a truth serum, Zevlor can honestly tell the druids that he never asked Tav to kill Kagha. If Tav doesn't suggest killing Kagha then Zevlor doesn't bring it up, and instead asks Tav to take out the goblin camp leaders.

(I am only citing this one dialogue tree option. There are more dialogue tree options, but I can't find videos of them and I am currently unable to play BG3 to explore the different options myself.)

Zevlor is proficient in using manipulation tactics and his knowledge of psychology to garner his preferred outcome. To be clear— I don't think he would have acted in such an underhanded way before being exiled, but desperate times call for desperate measures. I do think that pre-descent Zevlor was no stranger to using manipulation/ his psychological insight to achieve his goals, he would've had to because of the prejudice he faced, but it would've been used for more benign reasons (such as being treated with basic respect instead of open contempt).

(AN: Manipulation in and of itself isn't inherently bad, we all use manipulation to some extent in our day to day lives. So long as they are not abused little white lies and benign manipulations, along with having/ using tact, allow society to smoothly function. Like how saying "Please get me a glass of water." is perceived more favorably, and is more likely to convince a person to get you a glass of water, than "Get me a glass of water." Saying please is considered polite, and people are much more likely to acquiesce to a request if someone is polite. 'You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.' Or how you might wait until after someone has eaten to ask them for something, because they're more likely to agree to your request when they're not hangry.)

Zevlor was once a very proud man, and he had every right to be— becoming a Commander in the Hellriders is a remarkable achievement. Becoming a Commander in the Hellriders in the face of profound discrimination? Nothing short of a triumph. The Zevlor we meet at the Grove is a shadow of the man he used to be. The fall into Avernus and everything that happened after it has sucked most of the life out of him.

We still catch glimpses of the proud Hellrider Commander with the power of god and anime on his side that Zevlor once was. This post [alt] by @dimmadoome demonstrates not only Zevlor's pride, but his infernal temper and possessiveness (which I will cover in a different post). Listen to his speech here. This is a man who has lead his fellow warriors into battle. A man who fought for what he believed in and refused to give up even in the face of insurmountable danger. You can see the hell fire in his eyes blazing bright with righteous fury.

And then there's the speech he gives after defeating Minthara. Note his emphasis on the tieflings being not just survivors, but family. When he says 'family' he has a proud, gentle smile. (His high charisma and experience with giving rousing speeches may be the only reason why his mien changes during this part of his speech, but I think he's being sincere.) If you start that video from the beginning you can see him take a moment to collect himself because he's exhausted, but he knows his people need him to be a strong unflappable leader.

(Did you catch how he quickly pivots from hauteur "Tymora smile on me." to deference "We did it. You did it."? Manipulate, mansplain, malewife the hell out of them Zevlor.)

This portion of the video highlights Zevlor's loyalty to his comrades in arms. He calls Tav family— remember, Hellriders are extremely loyal to one another (and tieflings are very loyal to those who prove themselves trustworthy), this is how he behaved towards all his fellow Hellriders before he has cast out of Elturel. His faith is still broken, but Tav/Durge/Origin has reignited a glimmer of hope in him.

I think this is the only time I've ever seen this poor man actually relax and smile. But then he immediately goes back to looking pensive and walled off. I may be delulu and reading too far into things, but I don't think this is merely his character model returning to its default— I think it demonstrates exactly how Zevlor has been living for years: Silently admonishing himself for letting his guard down and his control slip. Desperately wanting to let go and forget himself and his propriety for a while but being unwilling, possibly unable, to do so.

That being said he does somewhat relax at

● (Part 5) The Tiefling Party:

There isn't a lot to say here. Zevlor isn't imbibing (much) to ensure that he keeps his wits about him— both so that he can supervise the people who are partying, and keep watch for potential threats. Even though he's not partying, Zevlor is elated to see the tiefling refugees smiling and relaxing. He knows that the journey ahead of them is fraught with danger/ trials and tribulations. He even looks the other way when his people spike the punch to make purple drank.

In Early Access to thank Tav for saving them Zevlor made a (bugged) light show where every light in it represented a life that Tav and Co. had saved. The party is the last time Zevlor is happy and hopeful before everything falls apart, as we will see in the next installation of this series: (Part 4) Zevlor's actions during Act 2, an analysis of a broken man.

Here's a link to the master list for this series.

Thanks for reading!

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generalb · 2 months ago

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Throughout all my life I’ve always been interested in nonhuman creatures. When I was young and my autism was in its rawest form I would often pit the ancient ancestors of animals against their modern equivalent, either in comparison or in battle(I remember doing a Rhino versus Triceratops once). As I grew older, and the internet allowed me to learn of the creatures of horror movies without being horrified, my attention shifted to that of the alien. I loved learning about the Xenomorphs and Predators, or the aliens from A Quiet Place. Recently, however, a new alien species has taken my interest, though not from horror film, but kinky horror fanfiction. I am of course, talking about the Affini from the Human Domestication Guide, created by GlitchyRobo.

The Affini of HDG are such an interesting species. Despite their peace-desiring nature we have to assume they were the top of the food chain wherever they came from. The strength to do what they do is built into their very biology. Super strength, ability to run absurd speeds, even the regeneration—their origins, whatever they are, were NOT peaceful, guaranteed. Not to mention the biological drugs that exist within them that can be used through either their flowers or needles hidden within their vines that can pierce human skin almost unnoticed. Another noteworthy trait is their ability to mimic or exist as different species of plants, like a fern Affini or a rose Affini. This level of adaptation mixed with the usage of drugs suggests that their origins could have been as prey, which would match with our known plants, unable to move from predators and thus evolving traits to deter them. The strength and speed, however, are things I’m not smart enough to explain away. Once they gained them, however—combined with their adaptation and ability to deceive using drugs, they would’ve been near unstoppable, similar to how ancient humans hunted megafauna and old predators such as the Sabertooth to extinction thanks to our newly evolved adaptive nature.

Their personality is curious, however—for a species in Post-Scarcity, I can understand the want and desire to help other aliens, including humans. But the specific pet dynamic they desire seemingly clashes with their message of helping sophonts(universal term for a non-Affini) be the best they can be. It almost seems instinctual, similar to humans and their pack-bonding ability. They desire other species to be at their peak, but refute certain things that don’t align with their idea, such as humans free will to make bad decisions at the cost of others and/or themselves. While modern human morals would agree with not wanting bad things to happen, the moderate to great usage of drugs the Affini are known for is less than acceptable.

The unfortunate fact is, any and all speculation about the Affini’s origins or why they do what they do is unknown. Given their extremely advanced technology and knowledge, it could be difficult to even know if they were a plant based species in the first place, or if becoming immortal through reblooming as vine creatures was a scientific advancement or not.

Granted, I’m analyzing a species from a hypno kink universe, and I shouldn’t expect crazy world building, but it’s just so much fun!

Edit: @arkkaxe has included a link to a site detailing the Affini in the replies, and it has been very helpful!

It appears that the low gravity environment the Affini hail from caused the evolution of prehensile limbs, and the xenodrugs might be related to their pollen from earlier days of reproduction using “beeple.” Speaking of that subject, their use of beeple lead to the cultural urge of master/pet dynamics, which slightly confirms my original belief that the desire felt more instinctual than purposeful.

I’m glad to be so pleasantly surprised at all the lore of this world! I take back what I said about the world building, there’s obviously enough to get its own website!

#human domestication guide #hdg #affini

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aloesarchives · 1 year ago

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JJK Lore Headcanons for "Toji Lives/Megumi cock blocks Toji" AU: Shibuya Incident & Post Shibuya

Warning: !!!SPOILERS FOR ANIME ONLYS!!!, Female/Afab! Reader, Author(me) being a really fucking annoying narrator once again, Swearing, Inaccuracy to the anime and manga, Things that don't make sense but have been trying to, Switching between reader and you, Mentions of OCs but reader is not one, Toji dawging everyone up, Higher-ups being losers, Mention of deaths, Reader not giving a fuck anymore lol

!!Disclaimer!!: These are my PERSONAL headcanons, thoughts, and opinions on how these arcs would play out with Toji being an ally and Reader's thoughts and role in both arcs

Series: Jujutsu Kaisen

Pairing:Toji x Mama!/Fem!Reader

Pronouns: She/Her

Word Count: 4.9k words

Summary: Lore Headcanons for the “Toji lives”/”Megumi cock blocks Toji” AU for the Shibuya Incident and Post Shibuya.

So with the Shibuya Incident and Post Shibuya, it’s going to be more interesting with Toji being alive, and with him and Reader playing active roles in the arcs. This is a sequel to this headcanon. I’ll split it into two sections: the first is the Shibuya Incident itself and the second half is Post Shibuya, including Itadori's Extermination Arc and The Perfect Preparations arc. However, I probably won’t be making a post for the Culling Games arc and Shinjuku Shown arc because I stopped reading the manga around the start of the Culling Games w/ Tsumiki being awakened which is around mid-2021. So I have been relying heavily on Twitter posts, spoilers, and short videos to explain what’s been going on in the ongoing story. So I need to catch up with JJK itself. Plus, with Toji and Reader’s role in Shibuya and post Shibuya, it would completely change the trajectory of the current JJK plot. Especially with how the Culling Games lead to Shinjuku Showdown. So for now, I’ll be more focused on Shibuya and Post Shibuya. Also, these are based on Fakeweeb video on Youtube where he explained what the Shibuya incident arc would be like if Toji was on our side. However, that video is based on him being resurrected from the Old Grandma Monk. I am mostly changing it for the sake of my AU and completely telling Post Shibuya through my eyes. A majority of these ideas are credited to Fakeweeb’s speculation and explanation for the Shibuya Arc. So if you’re interested, you can check out the video and see for yourself.

Shibuya Incident Arc Headcanons

Toji’s Role:

Okay, with the Shibuya Incident, there are some major differences that will need a lot of explaining so bear with me on this.

First is addressed is deaths. Because Toji is both alive and an ally, many deaths and injuries would have been prevented/non-existed. Like Nanami, Nanako, Mimiko, Nobara if you want, civilians, etc. They will live and their condition isn’t bad because of the changed circumstances. Toji would have prevented Nanami, Maki, and even Naobito from getting burnt by Jogo. Prevented Todo from losing his hand.

Second, certain events will either have different fighters, outcomes, or not exist at all. With Toji entering as an ally, his support and actions will cause certain events to change or not happen at all such as the Toji vs Megumi fight that never even happened. To which it also means that Sukuna doesn’t get resurrected because Jogo doesn’t find Yuuji and feed him Sukuna’s 10 other fingers nor does Nanako and Mimiko feed a finger to an unconscious Yuji. Meaning the two girls don’t die when Sukuna awakens. This would mean that Megumi never summoned Mahoraga in the first place nor did Jogo fight Sukuna.

So essentially, Toji pulls up to Shibuya and finds a black sphere in the middle of one of the subway stations. And since Toji has no curse energy, he could just walk right into the Domain but he sees a little hole opening up and decides to invite himself to the battle. The next thing he knows, he is surrounded by Megumi, Maki, Nanami, and Naobito as they struggle against Dagon. Toji just has this blank stare, not looking at anyone but he does wink at Megumi. He just goes up to Maki, snatches Playful Cloud from her, and just walks deeper into the Domain. Naobito has some flashbacks, Nanami gives a questioning glare, and Maki looks back at Megumi like, “Yo Megumi, isn’t that your Dad? What’s he doing?” and Megumi is just like “You’re asking me? I didn’t even know he still fights.”

This is the moment he realizes how leagues above his dad in terms of raw strength and power. He couldn’t fathom that his two teachers, revered as the two strongest in all of the Jujutsu World, were beaten by him. Even Gojo at one point was killed by his dad, but he could never believe it because his dad had no curse technique whatsoever. But seeing Toji fight Dagon in their own domain, overwhelming them, and straight up dawging him with raw brute strength, Megumi finally starts to understand why his dad was notoriously feared throughout the Jujutsu World. That if it wasn’t Reader/you, he would have completely changed the trajectory of the Jujutsu World/Society.

It was also the same moment Megumi understood how both of his parents are viewed in Jujutsu Society. His father, a curseless human, is notoriously known as a useless human with raw power that terrorized sorcerers alike, even defeating two special-grade sorcerers. His mother, however, was revered throughout Jujutsu Society(minus the Elders/Higher-ups) for her technique/ability, being the teachers of some of the most powerful sorcerers, and seemingly taming his infamously famous father that was a threat to Jujutsu Society itself. It seems like opposites attract on the surface but Megumi knows his parents are similar to each other than many make it out to be.

Anyway, after Toji’s absolute domination and straight up obliterating Dagon, Megumi starts interrogating his dad. Why was he here? Where were you? Were you safe? Was Tsumiki safe? The boy, for the first time, was a little vulnerable around others. Toji grins at Megumi before ruffling his hair, saying something along the lines of,

“Your sister is safe, your mom made sure. Speaking of her, she’s somewhere in Shibuya right now. Don’t know where cause we split up at the train station. Your mom will be fine on her own.”

But it didn’t explain why Toji was here in the first place. Before Megumi can question Toji’s presence in Shibuya, Naobito beats the unofficial Zen’in to it.

“You got guts to come here, Toji. Remember, you coming here with weapons and not accompanied by (Y/N), that both you and her will be executed? I thought you were a much more cautious person than that. Didn’t 12 years do anything to change you?” Naobito pompously spoke, a slight undertone of mockery laced in it.

However, the pompous arrogance was meant to cloak the sheer fear and unease that erupted in his body when Toji came into battle. Toji all but scoffs at the Zen’in clan head. He tosses Playful Cloud back to Maki, telling her to keep it because it will help her out later on when she has “broken all of her chains”. Whatever that means, Maki thought.

Just as Toji was going to explain to Megumi about your intentions, Jogo decides to invite himself to the party and starts spewing out lava from his mini-volcanos. For the sake of plot and creating balance, Maki and Naobito still get burnt. Maki still lives and isn’t as burned as in the canon timeline. Naobito, however, is more heavily injured than Maki that Naoya takes up the clan head position as his father is out of commission. Nanami, on the other hand, doesn’t get burnt because Toji and Megumi decide to team up against Jogo. Saving Nanami from getting severely burnt. Toji told Megumi and Nanami to get the two burnt victims as he deals with Jogo.

Jogo was a challenge to deal with for Toji because the man didn’t want to get burned. But with Celestial Restriction, Toji absolutely murdered Jogo just like he did with Dagon. The man simply overwhelmed the disaster curse with lighting speed and brutal blitz of a smack down. He obliterated him before Jogocould pull a fast one on him and use his domain expansion or special move. Toji pulls out the Inverted Spear from his new inventory curse and slices Jogo’s head off while also slicing his body into pieces.

Toji came out with minimal injuries, probably a few scratches(lowkey wished they were your scratches on his back) and some cuts but he is unfazed by it. Anyway, he wandered around Shibuya. Cutting down any curses that get in his way with the Soul Splitting Katana.

Then, he runs into Manhito. Because of Toji’s Celestial Restriction, Manhito can’t one-shot him with idle transfiguration. Manhito puts up a good fight with Toji and was able to hold himself up for quite some time. However, once again, Toji got that dawg in himself and manhandled Manhito to the point that Manhito starts running away while Toji just follows him walking.

Before Toji could even get the chance to near Manhito, the damn curse decides to transform to his awakened potential. Toji does get frustrated at this and decides to pull out Soul Splitting Katana out to finish him off. Then Kenjaku arrives like, “What do we have here? A fucking monkey? That’s no good, come here Manhito.” Then Manhito gets absorbed into one of Kenjaku’s talismans.

Toji would go after Kenjaku if he wasn’t bombarded by his curses that he released from his talisman. Then back-up arrives, the kyoto gang with Utahime and Kusakabe, Todo and Yuki just jump into the battle, and Choso somehow switches sides. Then not even a minute later, Megumi, Maki, and Nanami pop in to join. Everyone was duking Kenjaku curses and Uraume entered the fray. Kenjaku ends up sustaining injuries so he abandons Uraume and flees. Not before leaving a party gift, two curses that have so much concentrated curse energy that they exploded and created two massive craters in Shibuya.

Kenjaku escapes and so does Uraume. Leaving the exhausted sorcerers a bit defeated and frustrated.

Reader’s role:

So let’s get to Reader’s role in all of this because You, my friend, are gonna go off those hinges.

So Reader knows what will happen in Shibuya will make or break Jujutsu Society. She also has a gut feeling that the higher-ups would use this event as a way to get away with certain decisions. Such as resuming Yuuji’s execution, leaving sorcerers for dead, not helping at all, etc. To which she was unfortunately right in the end.

As a result, You start to do some of your own scheming of your own. Mostly consisting of getting Toji on the battlefield and helping the others out. While Toji has done some missions for the Jujutsu world, it was mostly out of obligation from you and for the FAT JUICY paycheck he receives when he’s done with the job.

He’s not affiliated with the Jujutsu World and never has acknowledged as much from the higher-ups. Toji is still under restrictions that were set up for him, so the higher-ups said that if Toji participates in Shibuya, you and him will be executed. But after You find out Megumi is a part of the lineup on top of your suspicions, you decide to throw caution to the wind and say fuck them shitty highers ups and those willings to lick their fucking boots.

You knew you’ll be left for dead or purposely killed so the higher up wouldn’t have to deal with you. You were always well aware that the higher ups kept you around for so long because they wanted to use you in any way they could. If only they knew you were just letting them have their fun. Either way, by the end of Shibuya, you would be labeled as a criminal and a fugitive by them just because they had no use for you anymore. So you might as well go all out and have fun.

So you retrieve and unseal the Soul Splitting Katana and the Inverted Soul Spear for Toji to use. Mind you, these weapons have been sealed away for the past 12 years. And the only ones that knew about their location were You, Gojo, Yuta, Yuki, Yaga, Maho, and the Higher ups. However, the higher ups don’t have access to the weapons, they just only know where they are. Anyway, Reader decides to bring them out of retirement because no one else is going to use them or knows how to properly use them unlike Toji. And since Toji was the last owner, she was going to give them back to him while finding a substitute inventory curse to hold the weapons.

You lie and say that you will provide backup if things start to go bad. But the reality is, you went to retrieve the weapons that give Satoru and Suguru PTSD. You are well aware that what you are doing will make you a criminal in the eyes of Jujutsu Society. Letting the sorcerer killer out by himself with the same weapons he used to wreak havoc 12 years ago, the same ones that were supposed to be sealed and hidden away from the Jujutsu public. But you made that choice to not fight for Jujutsu Society a long time ago. You only came back for the sake of cultivating a powerful generation with massive potential to fight against the frauds that see themselves as high and mighty.

You snuck out and retrieved the weapons and came back to Toji, wondering why you were carrying two big black suitcases.

“What's with the suitcases, Hon? You're gonna pack up and get cold feet~?” Toji jokes as he eyes the two black briefcases at your side. He, however, doesn’t address your steel grip on the handles of them.

“Me and running away? Who do you think of me as a coward, Dear? Nah, I just brought back some things to make the playing field a bit more fun for you. Thank me later, Toji.” With that, you slide the briefcases towards his direction.

Toji raises a brow, you never call him by his first name, especially with such monotone. But the underlying firmness gives him a hint as he picks up one of the cases and opens it. The wide eyes and lifted brows, an expression Toji rarely puts on his face. He pulls out the Inverted Soul Spear while dropping its briefcase, not caring if it dented the floor.

“Doll. . . How did you get your hands on this. . .? I thought that Gojo brat destroyed it 12 years ago. . .”

He was still in disbelief, observing what he believed was his non-existence long-forgotten special grade curse weapon. But now, here it is in perfect condition. Without a second thought, he rips open the other case to find his other weapon, the Soul Splitting Katana. Toji was in awe to see his two special grade weapons, back in his hands again after years being hidden away.

“You said these were long gone. . . One was completely destroyed and the other was hidden in Hokkaido. What gives, (Y/N)?”

You just sighed with a smirk, crossing your arms as you shift your weight to one half of your body.

“I didn’t mean to lie to you, Honey. It was so the higher ups would get off my ass and leave us alone. Those old geezers didn’t have access to them. They just knew their locations. Plus I threatened Satoru into keeping the Spear. Just officially saying it was dismantled in the records but that’s about it.”

“Never pegged you to be such a liar, (Y/N).”

“Lying isn’t it, my love. I was just manipulating the truth.”

You walk to the kitchen table and throw the sack that was sitting on it towards your husband, who catches it with ease while still holding his weapons. He stares at it before looking back at you with a confused look. You grinned playfully at your husband as you leaned on the table. An unsettling mischievous glint in your eyes sends a small chill throughout his being.

“Gear up, Toji. Let’s take a nightly stroll into Shibuya, shall we~?”

After traveling to the Shibuya district, Reader tells Toji they could cover more ground if they split up. She also tells Toji that if he finds Megumi to help and protect him no matter what. Toji gives a quick kiss before going in the other direction.

Reader wanders around the deserted subway systems before she ends up finding Yuji passed out by one of the public restrooms completely unconscious. By the look of his injuries, he was hurt pretty badly. Just as she was about to carry him to Shoko’s tent, Mimiko and Nanako were running through the station and stopped when you called out to them.

It was then you found out not only was Gojo sealed in the Prison Realm cube, but Geto as well. That could explain Mimiko tearing up with small sniffles while Nanako was holding her tears in with her lip quivering, confirming what her sister said. While comforting the girls the best you can, you asked them to take Yuji to Shoko’s tent for you so you can continue helping your allies.

After the twins leave with Itadori, you continue to roam Shibuya and run into Haruta. Haruta tries to make quick work of you but you wouldn’t let it slide. So with your curse technique/ability, you killed Haruta without a second thought. You cringed at the blood that splashed on your face and wiped it off with annoyance.

Then Reader gets a call from Yuta, saying that he’s coming back today to help in Shibuya. You informed him of what happened and to be careful of the curses that flood the streets.

Reader does some crowd control and meets with Inumaki to help. While helping Inumaki, Reader has to take care of a big curse before it can do anything. She would have landed a curse technique on if it were not for the nails that stabbed one of its arms and blackish-red flashed by. It was motherfucking Todo and Nobara, a surprising duo.

As the four of you just continue to be curse exterminators, a loud bang erupted throughout the district causing small tremors to happen. You tell Nobara to stay with Inumaki while Todo and you go to where all the real chaos takes place. Todo goes ahead while you are making sure no one else is lying in the streets dead.

Before you could even get to the battlefield, two big explosions blinded and prevented you from getting any closer. Once the explosions cleared up, you hop down to the battlefield seeing everyone tired and frustrated.

You then inform them that both Gojo and Geto got sealed into the Prison Realm together and need to free them as soon as possible since Kenjaku has a full potential Manhito on hand.

Shibuya Incident Summary:

Gojo and Geto get sealed away in the prison realm together because of Kenjaku and using the civilians as bait.

Nobara, Nanami, Nanako, Mimiko, and I guess Naobito survive for now. There aren’t that many casualties as many would assume.

Sukuna doesn’t get revived or eat any of his fingers. So he doesn’t fight Jogo at all nor gets resurrected.

Megumi never summons Mahoraga and isn’t as injured. So Sukuna vs Mahoraga doesn’t happen at all, creating way less casualties.

Todo doesn’t lose his hand and Inumaki keeps his arm.

Yuji doesn’t continue fighting after his battle with Choso and is taken by the twins after Reader comes across his unconscious body by the bathrooms.

Reader starts to break her filters and go against the Higher Ups by bringing back the Soul Splitting Katana and Inverted Spear with a new inventory curse for Toji to use in Shibuya. You also gear up and go to Shibuya even though the Higher-ups were highly against it. Oops

After dropping off Tsumiki at Jujutsu high with Kuroi, Riko, and Haibara, you and Toji make way to Shibuya.

You two split up to cover more of the district.

Toji unleashing the absolute dawg in him and fucked up anyone that faces him in Shibuya.

Toji finds Dagon’s domain and jumps through Megumi’s portal he made. Absolutely murdering Dagon with just Playful Cloud. Maki and Naobito get burned by Jogo and Togi tells Megumi to take them and book it.

Toji battles with Jogo and ends up giving him the slice and dice special.

Toji fights and chases Manhito. Manhito gets saved by Kenjaku when he reached peak potential.

Kenjaku releases a bunch of curses to overwhelm Toji but the cavalry arrives. They fight Kenjaku while dealing with his curses and Uraume.

Reader fights alongside Inumaki, then gets back up from Todo and Nobara. See the Kenjaku fight and Todo and you go towards the action. Leaving Inumaki and Nobara.

Reader was almost there to join but got stopped when Kenjaku used his explosion curses to escape.

Reader joins up with the sorcerers and your son and Toji.

You tell the group about Gojo and Geto’s situation and it would be best to regroup.

Post Shibuya Arc Headcanons:

So everyone is recovering and healing up from Shibuya. But after what happened in Shibuya, the Highers up decided to play a game for the worst support system.

Once they announced that Gojo and Geto are fugitives/criminals. And if anyone tries to set them free will be put on trial or executed because they said it was illegal to free them. You’know, two of the most powerful sorcerers in the world, even though they’re needed more than ever.

Not only that, they also announced that all the suspended executions would resume.

Which means Yuji’s execution will be carried out, but that also includes Yuta, Yaga, You, and Toji. You and Toji could care less because who the hell is gonna stop and kill the both of you? Tokyo is in shambles right now, curses roaming the streets, Shibuya completely dead, fellow sorcerers are injured or out of commission, there is no order in the Jujutsu Society. So why bother listening to the Higher-ups/Elders if they won’t do anything or just make things harder for everyone else?

When Megumi hears about it, he is so concerned for you and his dad. His parents are being targeted and killed on-sight even though they literally helped and saved many of the sorcerers in Shibuya. He feared for Toji and your demise, leaving him with Tsumiki with their parents. But you reassured your son that you will not be striked down so easily. Plus with Toji’s original weapons minus his “Chain of a Thousand Miles”, he pretty much is unbeatable right now.

Megumi thought his dad stopped fighting, to which Toji tells Megumi that he goes on missions when he and Tsumiki are at school. He finishes his missions right before they come home from school so Megumi and Tsumiki never guessed it. Megumi heard his dad going on missions, but he thought he went with you on some intel and retrieval mission. But after seeing Toji fight in Shibuya, he reconsiders his assumptions and believes the two of you white lied to him and Tsumiki to not get them in trouble from the Jujutsu World, especially Megumi.

Anyway, you kiss your son on his head while Toji just gives him a soft head pat. You tell him that you and Toji have to meet someone in order to discuss what to do next. Telling him to rest up as the two of you head out, leaving your son worried.

You talk with Yaga and the other sorcerers that are still there or have recovered. Meaning Mei Mei is out of the picture. There are talks about freeing Gojo and Geto, Kenjaku’s whereabouts and motives, and what to do next. Since there are not many of you to begin with, you suggest finding a way to free Gojo and Geto while trying to deal with Kenjaku.

Yaga said finding Kenjaku wouldn’t be hard since the veils are still up in Shibuya and other parts of Tokyo. They were set up for something called the Culling Games.

Kusakabe butts in and says that it’s illegal to free the two sorcerers. Also saying that You shouldn’t be saying much since your execution was announced. Toji would’ve done something if it wasn't for your mood change. The way your eyes showed a nonchalant yet tenacious aura.

“Since when did you start dick-riding the higher ups, Kusakabe? Hmm? I didn’t know you’ve become a boot-licker to the same people who aren’t batting an eye that we just lost our most powerful people. You gonna let those old geezers continue to keep the strong out just so they could stay in power until they bite the dust? *laughs* I’m not surprised it’s coming from you, Atsuya. Those old dementia patients just want to kill the strong off because they knew that either me, Gojo, Geto, or Yuta would kill them with no hesitation.” Kusakabe glares at you while baring his teeth. “Oh? Did I hit a soft spot for you, Atsuya? If you’re thinking about killing me or my husband, forget it. You don’t want to fight my husband unless you wanna die that badly. And let me remind you what happened a year ago when I mopped the floor with you even though I didn’t even activate my technique? Just drop it, Atsuya.”

With that, you told Yaga you had some unfinished business to attend to and left the room.

Toji was so turned on by you telling off Kusakabe but you said now is not the time for a quickie.

You knew Kusakabe was a good sorcerer and ally. But after Shibuya and him seemingly siding with those losers, it somewhat pissed you off.

You have come to find out that after Yuji recovered, he went back out and Yuta attacked him. He apparently murdered Yuji for the Higher-ups. But you knew Yuta was better than to be a Higher-up boot liker. I mean, this is literally the same student that shares the same ideals as Gojo himself. Yuta wouldn’t do them any favors unless it’s to get them off his tail.

So you run into Yuta, who has a very much alive Yuji, and a healed but scarred Maki. Your assumption was right as Yuta just faked Yuji’s death so he would be labeled as dead in order for the Higher-ups to ease up a bit.

Then Maki goes up to Toji and asks him to come with her to the Zen’in clan’s main residence. She said she needed to take more curse tools for her and the other sorcerers to use. Toji looked at her and said maybe he would help but it seems like she got it. Then Maki left to face off against the Zen’in clan.

Toji asked if he should’ve gone with her just to toss around against his shitty family.

However, you were against it. It is cruel to say and think, you told Toji to let Maki go off on her own at first to see what happens to her and Mai. Since Twins are looked down upon in Jujutsu Society because the curse energy is split into two, it meant that both wouldn’t unlock their true potential or full technique/ability. In a way, it symbolizes that the twins hold each other back from each other’s curse technique and energy.

So if Mai dies, it means that Maki could unlock her true celestial restriction and understand what it means to possess it in its fullest form.

You also told Toji that the Zen’in clan took the “‘Chain of a Thousand Miles”, and stash it in their inventory instead of sealing it away with the Inverted Spear or the Soul Splitting Katana. So when goes after Maki, he steals back his chains. It was a couple hours since Maki left and Toji left to go get her. But first, he needed to find his old chains in the Zen’in clan’s curse tool vault.

He went in undetected and swiftly killed anyone who tried to sound the alarm of his presence. Once he got his old chains back, he strolled along to find out where Maki was. He didn’t know where to look until he saw her fighting against some of the clan members. Toji smirks, wanting to join in on the fun.

Toji starts to fight off some of the Zen’in clan members, killing them along the way. Since he needed more range, he used the chains for better crowd control and more reach. Then the Hei shows up and low and behold Naoya appears. He states that he’s the new clan head since Naobito passed away from his injuries. Naoya was boasting about going Mach 5 speed and Maki simply can’t keep up with him.

Maki and Toji exchange glances at what the hell Naoya was talking about being the Clan Head. Maki thought Megumi would be the next head, is what she was told by both Megumi and Naobito himself.

Toji: “Yo Brat, you’re not the Head of the Zen’in Clan. My boy is, get your head out of your ass.”

Naoya thought he was up there with you, Toji, and Gojo for the strongest and powerful. More so, Toji as he sort of idolizes him heavily.

He really thought he was “I’m Him” for a good moment.

But alas, Naoya couldn’t beat the fraud allegations and got absolutely washed by Maki. With Maki’s newly awakened Celestial restriction, she was opened to a full power she only could’ve dreamed of. Now she has it for herself, a second Celestial Restriction user w/no curse energy at all.

Because Maki was the real “I’m Him” since she'll be on par with Toji himself.

Toji had this sense of pride that Maki has unlocked her true restriction, now she can absolutely body people AND curses. She can now see them and doesn't rely on her glasses anymore.

Then the two worked on killing the rest of the Zen’in clan off. When you heard that the Kamo and Gojo clan petitioned to have the Zen’in clan be removed from the three great families, you were so happy that you wanted to pop a champagne bottle.

However, you did feel bad that Maki had to lose her sister. The last of Mai’s curse energy went into making an exact replica of Soul Splitting Katana. Dragon-Bone and the replica became Maki’s only weapons. The rest of the Zen’in clan’s curse tools were either given to Jujutsu High or the other two families. You told her that nothing is stopping them and you all can rise up and fight against the system now. Pretty much everyone either hates the Higher-ups or is willing to go against them.

You were devastated hearing about Yaga’s death at the hands of the Kyoto principal. He was your dear friend, classmate, and sorcerer. It also messed you up that Maho was severely hurt and hasn’t woken from her coma. She was your best friend too, she and Yaga were in the same class together back in your earlier years.

With that, anything that happens after this point is fair game. You decided to participate in the Culling games because you needed to find the user that has the ability to free Gojo and Geto from the Prison Realm. That and find Hakari and Hoshi to see if they would strike a deal with you to help since your son was now the Head of the Zen’in Clan. Toji just goes wherever you go because, at this point, you’re his ride or die. And what better way to flex the most powerful couple in all of Jujutsu society with you, your Celestial Restriction Husband, your kind-hearted but strong-willed daughter, and your son who possesses a powerful Curse technique with limitless potential that is now the Head of the Zen’in Clan.

💙Thank you for reading!❤️

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