#no conclusions just vaguely connected thoughts

[rearranging-deck-chairs]

couple of disconnected thoughts but okay so like if daemons settle as a part of puberty then it is more of a process than a Moment probably even if it might look like a Moment from the outside it’s not really it’s part of like a continuum of growing, and different for everyone

also because it’s a representation of You most of the time it probably feels Right what it ends up settling as. children talk about i want this or that cool animal but i expect most people feel at least in part that when their daemon settles that it settles as the right thing. even if it’s something that doesnt look good maybe like a snake or those magisterium guards with the dogs. you’d think like seeing those daemons settle you might be like ‘damn thats me? i hate that’ but most people probably wouldnt be like that because they are like that. if that makes sense

but by no means everyone. and it’s by no means a yes/no kinda thing. it’s not you love your daemon or you hate it, relationships to self arent that simple. but i do think there are people who watch it settle and just do not feel right with that. people who are going through a trauma and feel like maybe the way theyve been for years isnt who “they really are”. they might feel like no you cant settle like this im not like this ive been warped by this outside thing. you cant settle like this, im only response to circumstances rn. you cant settle like this this is not my real self

there are also undoubtedly lots of people who try to postpone the settling. who try to stretch it. who maybe see their daemon settle and sorta know this is sorta for real like sorta feel this is sorta permanent and they pressure them just do whatever they have to until that daemon shifts again. not sustainable obviously but it’s easy to imagine

ruth wilson also says in interviews that the way she plays mrs coulter or like the headcanons she has for her theres some kinda trauma in her past. sure thats just headcanon but i share it so im just kinda gonna go with that for now

it’s not hard to imagine that mrs coulters daemon settled as something she maybe didnt entirely feel like was fair. or her. like she’d been operating just like in response to circumstances for a long time, like just playing defence basically, and now her daemon might have settled as this thing that maybe it wouldnt have if this Something hadnt happened to her (“you think you couldve been something else, someone else”)

that would make you resentful of it from the beginning. and also it might feel like a sort of,,, destiny. embodiment of how youve been irrevocably changed by something out of your control and now you have to live with it. this reminder of how you mightve turned out different

and at the same time try not to let it determine who you are. like mrs coulter definitely didnt do that but if you dont want to end up like her then what you have to do is not give in to like the worst possible reading you might be inclined to give to the form your daemon has taken. no animal is inherently anything but humans do give those kinda meanings to them. you might be tempted to look at your daemon that formed at a time in a way you didnt want it to and interpret its form in the least generous way. and apply it to yourself. “well now that im already bad and ruined aNYWAY” kinda thing. why not give in to your worst impulses. youve been made wrong youve got visible evidence. even if the daemon hasnt changed in response to whatever youve experienced. you’d never know for sure. you could still make that assumption

[jhkfan123]

dress | coriolanus snow

pairing: youngpresident!snow x assistantfem!reader

in which: a wardrobe malfunction leaves you with no choice but to wear a red dress to the presidential gala. a very scandalous red dress. one that your boss, coriolanus snow, was sure to notice.

warnings: heavy kissing (light smut, no s3x), cheating

wc: 2k

just my luck, you thought. they had tailored your dress completely wrong. you had no backup option. no alternate dress. but as you looked at yourself in the mirror, you noticed every place this special dress no longer fit. it was a gorgeous dress, a showstopper. everyone at the gala would turn their heads. you knew it.

but there was no way you could still wear this. you would be the laughing stock of the presidential gala for years to come if you did. and you knew that snow would not like it. and he had to like it.

you really needed this job. being his assistant. it paid well, and you needed that. and you had come to the conclusion he had taken quite a liking to you. he didn't seem as cold towards you as others, though still, quite cold. he laughed at your jokes occasionally, made sure you had everything you needed.

and you had come to the conclusion that there was something about his cold personality that you liked. he could sometimes be charming, when he wanted to be. and of course there was no doubt he was a very attractive man. besides, being the president's personal assistant was a great job to have for future work.

you slipped the now ruined dress off and began to scavenge through your closet for anything that was close to suitable to wear tonight. you only had an hour before your car was here. it was either a new dress, or makeshift tailoring of the other dress. and you didn't know how to sew.

most other dresses you owned had too much of a work vibe, or far to short to be respectable.

then you came across one, tucked away in the back of your closet. you weren't sure when you got it, you certainly didn't remember purchasing it. but it was there. and when you took it off the hanger and got a good look at it, you thought it was worth a shot. floor length, and deep red color, it could work.

it wasn't until you fully looked at yourself in the mirror that you noticed the one flaw in the dress. almost the entirety of your left leg was exposed. a huge slit went up one side of it. the fabric bunched at the top, pretty much at your hip.

you almost gasped at the slit that exposed you. there was no way you could wear this. but as you continued to dig through your closet, you realized you had no other option. you were going to have to show up in this dress. you had no idea how people would react. but it was this or nothing.

as you stepped out of your car and approached the steps up to the presidential mansion, you saw heads turn at your outfit in the way you hadn't anticipated. you chose to walk with a confident exterior. just because you knew it wasn't the outfit you intended, didn't mean they had to know. you ignored all the eyes on you as you walked past and headed straight inside.

by the time you got there, most people had arrived. you weren't here with anyone, even though you had been given an option for a plus one. you didn't have anyone at home, and it would be nice to not have the obligation to stick with one person the whole night.

walking into the ballroom, less people turned their heads at your outfit. they were more focused on dancing, or eating, or talking to notice someone's outfit. and that was just what you wanted. if this outfit didn't go unnoticed, it would be the talk of the panem elite for weeks. they were all gossips.

you chatted with a few people who were connections through president snow, but they were just as uninterested as the vague topics as you, so you clung to a wall, drink in hand, and decided to watch the crowd.

"y/n." you heard. you recognized the voice as your boss's, snow. you turned to locate the sound and found him walking towards you. he was dressed in a suit with red accents, his signature color. in fact, it was almost the same shade of red as your dress.

"oh. hello mr. snow." you greeted him as he took the drink in your hand and gave you a fresh one.

"please, coriolanus. coryo, even. we aren't working." he corrected you. you nodded.

"sorry. hello coryo." you spoke again, taking his correction. going with his nickname, you noticed a quiet reaction in his face. he raised one side of his mouth into a little smirk.

"no, no don't apologize." it was at this moment he looked down at your outfit. you watched as his eyes scanned from the top of your outfit, down to your heels, and then looked at your leg from the bottom of the slit to the top. you weren't surprised, but this did incite some sort of fear in you. if he didn't approve of this outfit, you had no idea what the consequences could be. "i- um," he cleared his throat. "i like your dress." the comment seemed like a cover up for his true opinion.

"thank you, snow. the suit fits you great. i'm glad it worked out." you were present for all of his fittings and the entire process of picking out the suit. you were his assistant, after all.

"thank you. that's-" he took a pause and looked at you're outfit again. "that's not the dress you said you were going to wear." you knew it would come up. he had approved the original dress you picked. you decided wether or not to admit to the mishap, or play it off.

"last minute decision." you smiled at him. you couldn't tell if he bought your lie or not.

"mm." he looked around the room and took a sip of his drink. "i hate these things, you know." the presidential ball had been around for five years now. you had only attended last year's ball, as you had gotten this position only a few months before it.

"why keep throwing them?" you asked. he looked at you as if it was odd to even ask the question.

he thought for a moment before answering. "keeps people busy, distracted. it's become the event of the year. not bad for the campaign, either." he responded. you nodded in agreement.

"where's livia?" you asked. his wife, livia cardew, was supposed to be the most dressed up person here, yet you hadn't spotted her in the crowd yet. you noticed as he rolled his eyes at the mention of her name. he had an odd coldness towards his own wife. you knew their marriage wasn't great, but it was as if he never really loved her at all.

"i'm not sure. haven't seen her all day. she might not even be here." he responded quickly and vaguely. you looked around the room for a moment before you looked back at snow. you caught him staring at your exposed leg again. he quickly looked back at you.

"i'm going to go talk to people." there was something about the way he looked at you that made you want to escape. he looked at you in a way a married man shouldn't. he nodded and you lost yourself in the crowd.

after dancing and a drink, you were back on the wall, people watching. that was until a hand grabbed you and began to pull you into a separate room. you looked up as you saw snow enter the library, your hand in his, and shut the door behind you.

"coryo what the hell!" you immediately regretted the way you talked to your boss. you almost covered your mouth in regret, however, he didn't seem to mind.

"i can't take this any longer." he began to pace in front of you. the warm light of the library fireplace backlit him.

"what?" you were still flustered from the sudden entrance to the library.

"you know, i could handle you when you were in regular dresses, and pantsuits, and everything but this." he gestured to your dress. "but you absolutely cannot show up to my gala looking like that and expect me to not notice you." he got closer to you now, still going on. he was breathing heavily and seemed like he was arguing with himself. "expect me to not want you." he finally took a moment to catch his breath.

"notice me? coryo, what?"

"you are tormenting me. in that outfit. you're driving me mad. you're making me hate you and need you at the same time." you began to get butterflies in your stomach at his comments. "i tried to distance myself from you, but no matter how far away i was from you, i was across the ballroom from you and i still couldn't get you out of my head." you couldn't help but smile. he noticed. "don't smile at me. god don't do that."

he paused. he thought for a moment. you couldn't help but get red at his comments. you knew exactly what he wanted to do. you knew exactly what your boss wanted from you:

you.

so you looked at him, batting your eyelashes once in a while, waiting for him to do something. waiting for him to snap.

"you drive me insane." he spoke again, this time much quieter. "insane." he walked over to you and kissed you like he had never wanted anything more. he backed you up against the bookshelf and ignored the fact that a few books fell. you kissed him back. something about the words he had spoken earlier had convinced you that you needed him the same way he needed you.

he grabbed your leg, which was easy from the slit of the dress and dragged it up until it was sitting on his hip. he held it with one arm. he began to slither that arm up your leg towards your thigh. that was when your adrenaline high ended and you realized the magnitude of your decision. you realized that at any moment, livia cardew could walk in and see her husband cheating on her with his assistant. you pulled away to speak. he didn't bother to stop and this time began to kiss your neck.

"coryo-" you took a beat to catch your breath. "coryo, you're married!" you took heavy breaths as he continued to kiss you.

through rough kisses, he spoke again.

"barely. i couldn't care less if she sees us." something about the comment made your knees go weak, and you directed his kisses towards your lips again.

everything about this was wrong. but the high you got from him made every bad outcome disappear as you focused on the moment. he made the entire world outside of this library disappear. all you wanted right now was him, close to you. in fact, you wanted so much more than that.

and you knew he did too. you could tell through his unspoken words and kisses that this was something he had controlled for a long time. something he had kept inside. but the dress you had worn tonight clearly set him over the edge. he picked your other leg up and started to take you somewhere. you heard as he pushed multiple things off the desk at once and place you there instead.

there was something about the scandal and secrecy of this all that made it that much more appealing to you.

as he continued to make you feel things you hadn't felt before, he threw his coat down. every move he made was that much more attractive.

at the beginning, this felt risky, but now, as you sat there, letting him kiss you wherever he pleased, you had no regrets. none at all.

the dress that had been your biggest concern that night had given you the biggest reward.

getting absolutely high off coriolanus snow.

tags: @mischieftom

[infinizero]

Danny as The Ghostly Informant TM except nobody realizes it's the same person

Danny after retiring, maybe because the portals are closed or maybe because he became Ghost Royalty or Important Ghost TM who told everyone not to come to Earth, decides to go travelling like or with Dani/Elle

Its really up to anyone whether it was reveal gone right after graduation and dude wants to find himself before doing the whole college thing or reveal gone wrong and is running away maybe in another dimension maybe in the same and Amity Park is a blind zone in any case he goes travelling

The first one he encounters is a more easygoing JL member maybe Flash maybe Wonder Woman trying to figure out how to defeat a Realms ghost so Danny, seeing them struggling, decides to help and either talks the ghost down or soups them

In both cases he opens a portal to the realms and lets them go back through.

They talk a little, Danny as Danny introduces Infinite Realms ghosts as they are trying his best to figure out if they also want to hunt down ecto-entities. The JL member would want to learn more so they exchange information details just in case something like this happens again

Around this time, a JLD member gets wind of the new Important Ghost around the area and needs to find out more about them. After scouting around a little, he finds a way to summon what seems to be a young protective spirit who seems close to the Important Ghost.

Spoiler alert: the protective spirit and Important Ghost are both Danny. All the time travel stuff are attributed to Important Ghost and the beating up other ghosts who come near a specific place to protective spirit. Bonus points if there is a misunderstanding that Important Ghost is protective spirit's parent that's why they beat up Pariah Dark

So they summon Danny as Phantom to ask questions and eventually get the ok to summon him again just in case they need to know things, with the understanding that neither will hurt each other (the JLD member also has the vague idea of asking Phantom to bring Important Ghost over to their side if another worldending thing happenes again)

Soon enough, Danny as Danny meets one of the younger JL adjacent teams (Teen Titans or Young Justice when they're babies? Maybe even Damian's team that I don't know the name of? Maybe the Outlaws?) and helps them out against one of his rogues.

If it's the same dimension, Danny sees that they are younger superheroes and/or not as connected to the government as the older ones, so he warns them about the anti ecto acts and being careful since being so close to death is very slowly making them more liminal/if they're liminal then tells them to stay away from GIW

If not the same dimension then he just gets talking to them about ecto-entities and does basically the same thing as the first JL member he met, eventually exchanging contact information

This pattern continues for a while as Batman receives reports from whichever Robin about ecto-entities being a thing and either holding a meeting because of the anti ecto acts or because there is an entire species that could destroy all of us by possessing Superman and none of you JLD thought to inform me???

At this point of time, most of the JL has met and some even asked for his help and they talk about the various things they've learned from their Informant(Danny) and because it's Danny they slowly get a full picture of everything because he talked about obsessions with one person and cores to another and so on so forth

They all eventually come to the conclusion that they should ask for more details from their Informant

Cue Danny being bombarded by text messages of all the people he's helped asking him about the Realms while being summoned as Phantom.

[cuffmeinblack]

Dreamful Sleep

Garreth Weasley x f!reader

Tags: explicit | fluff | sex | friends to lovers

3.5k words

Summary: Garreth's habit of sleepwalking is driving his friends and roommates insane, until you start to find him in the midst of his dreaming.

A/n: Well, I do love a little fluff, some first-time smut, Garreth being Garreth. Nothing new or revolutionary here, just some good times with the most beautiful redheaded boy. I just love him.

ao3 link

Another night, another morning waking up surrounded by books, bottles and sweets strewn across the bed and the disgruntled mutterings of his roommates. Garreth never remembered his nighttime escapades, he was simply too deeply asleep to be aware of what he was doing. From his friends' recollections, it seemed as if he'd been trying to get out of the dormitory—his ultimate destination, he couldn't say, as he was usually swiftly bundled back into bed as soon as the commotion roused his slumbering roommates.

They'd threatened to tie him up if he didn't stop his mischief, but Garreth simply couldn't help it, nor offer an explanation. Weeks later, he'd woken in the common room to the sound of a shrill yelp, rattling his brain and piercing his ear drums; frankly, he was surprised the entire house wasn't woken. His blurry vision eventually focused on Nellie's horrified face, and the reason she'd let out such an ear piercing sound soon dawned on him. He told himself that it was time he started wearing more clothes to bed.

Whenever he dreamed, he rarely remembered the subject, though they often felt…familiar. Comforting, even. He had vague recollections of a friend and their piercing eyes and warm smile, though ultimately he’d never stayed asleep long enough for the stories to come to a conclusion. Part of him was curious, part terrified at what his unconscious body walking about the castle could accomplish. 

“You know I’m going to start hexing you in the night,” Leander grumbled as he pulled his shirt on the wrong way round.

“I’m sorry, okay? I can’t help it,” Garreth apologised for what must have been the tenth time that week.

“Fine, what about Incarcerous?”

“I’m pretty sure that spell’s banned at Hogwarts,” Garreth grumbled.

Maybe being tied up wouldn’t be so bad, if it did come to that. It wasn’t worth thinking about for now—in fact, it wasn’t worth thinking about anything, given how tired he was. Leander seemed to be thinking the same as he dropped the nagging much quicker than usual, shuffling his clothes around the right way on his torso with an irritated frown. 

-

You'd heard about Garreth's sleepwalking, and the endless recountings of Nellie's encounter that made you blush at the mere thought, but nothing had prepared you for coming face to face with him in the midst of his dreaming. The strangest sound lured you from your sleep; at first you thought it a remnant from your dream, until you heard it again.

Whoosh.

Thump.

Bundling yourself into your robe, you groped around the nightstand for your wand before heading out of the dormitory on softly padding feet. Silence engulfed you as you left your roommates' soft snores behind with the creak of a hinge and click of a latch. No more whooshing or thumping came from the room below. Still, it was worth investigating, and your first clue was the staircase which was no longer a staircase. Your heart pounded with shock as your foot connected with nothing underneath you, pulling yourself back at the last second with a wobble.

You'd almost fallen down the slippery slope in your haste, and the disappearance of the stairs could only mean one thing; a boy had tried climbing them to gain access to the girls' dormitories. Curious and slightly scandalised, you bunched up your nightdress and robe and sat on the landing, shuffling off to let gravity pull you down the slide. It took a lot of self restraint not to cheer as you whooshed down to the common room, landing on the carpeted floor with a thump, right next to Garreth.

Righting yourself, you opened your mouth to apologise for the near-collision but halted as you realised the redhead was fast asleep. Thank Merlin he was also wearing pyjamas this time; in fact, he looked perfectly cosy laying bundled on the floor in his baggy cotton ensemble, his eyelashes fluttering ever so slightly as his eyes darted beneath his lids. He was obviously dreaming again, the way his mouth moved almost imperceptibly and muscles twitched—whatever the narrative taking place, it had brought a smile to his face. 

A minute or so must have passed since you were left crumpled on the floor next to Garreth, and all you'd achieved so far was to stare at his sleeping form. Brought out of your reverie by the scraping of stone as the staircase rebuilt itself, your skin flushed at the thought of having been so engrossed by your friend whilst he slept, though nobody conscious was around to witness it. You supposed you ought to wake him, as cruel as it seemed, so you reached out to place a hand on his arm, noticing how very warm he was.

Garreth shuffled slightly in his sleep, humming happily at the contact, and a heavy lurch of your stomach caught you off guard as you looked down at him. Regretfully, you squeezed his arm to rouse him, watching as he blinked rapidly to reveal dilated pupils, staring up at you with confusion etched on his freckled face.

"Hey, Gar," you said gently.

"Wha-...what am I doing here?" he mumbled.

He looked like a sleepy puppy as he propped himself up on his elbow, taking stock of his surroundings with bleary eyes and mussed hair. Even the little pout pulling at his lips was adorable. You put the thoughts down to your sleep deprivation and stood up, holding out a hand.

"You were sleepwalking again. Come on, let's get you back to bed."

"Mmmnh…I've never made it this far. How did you find me?" he asked, accepting your outstretched hand.

"I heard you. You erm…fell down the stairs."

"Well that explains a lot," he grumbled, rubbing a hand over his bum.

Never having witnessed him half-asleep before, his amateur dramatics were downright amusing. Endearing, even. You had the urge to ruffle his already displaced hair and shockingly, kiss his flushed cheeks. Instead, you gave him a pat on the back and guided him by the elbow towards the stairs to the boys' dormitories. Once he'd said his thanks and disappeared out of sight, you trudged back to your own bed and fell asleep to the idea of being enveloped by Garreth's warmth.

-

The constant sleepwalking has taken its toll on not only Garreth, but his roommates and even you. Seemingly attuned to his clumsy attempts at gaining access to where he shouldn't be, if he made it as far as the staircase you were inevitably the one who found him in the dead of night. Leander looked more drawn by the day, furious with his best friend's antics and threatening him with a draught of living death. He'd even gone to Nurse Blainey, who had ruled out dreamless sleep potions as a cure for the wandering; apparently all it would achieve would be to wipe his recollection of the dreams come morning, not stop the sleepwalking altogether.

After a busy day of back to back double lessons, you were already flagging only a few hours after dinner. Trying to concentrate on a book, your eyes slid in and out of focus, the words becoming a garbled mess the longer you tried. After the fifth attempt at reading the same sentence you gave up, discarding the book and allowing your neck to slacken, head lolling to the side. Just a few minutes to rest your eyes then you'd try again, you told yourself—it was just a little eye strain.

By the time you woke, the sky outside the windows was an inky black flecked with light from distant stars, the fire no longer roaring and leaving the room cold and empty. Apparently nobody had bothered to wake you, likely deciding you needed the rest, but someone had draped a robe over you at some point. There also appeared to be a heavy weight pressed on your thighs, and as you became more lucid, you noticed the silken texture between your fingers and a familiar scent from the robe laid against your chest.

Sitting up from your awkward sleeping position with a flex of your stiff neck, you peered down into your lap to see Garreth sleeping soundly with your hand tangled in his hair. A slight panic rattled your brain, the urge to whip your hand away losing to the much stronger desire to smooth the strands under your thumb. The dim light from the candles and celestial bodies danced across his face, illuminating his fiery mane as you stroked slowly, gently. You also noticed a tiny dribble of drool forming at his mouth, making you smirk before your thoughts were preoccupied by just how plump and inviting his lips looked.

You shuffled slightly, trying to get a little more comfortable, the movement dislodging the robe from your shoulder as the slightly burnt smell of cinders, cinnamon and butterbeer hit you. A smile tugged at your lips at the unmistakeable mixture you'd come to associate with friendship, comfort, joy and something else you hadn't quite figured out yet. With a furtive look around the room—though you knew you were alone except the sleeping beauty on your lap—you picked up a handful of the robe, bringing it to your nose and inhaling deeply. The smell of Garreth flooded your nostrils, eliciting all sorts of confusing feelings; some entirely innocent, some not. 

You thought he must wake soon—surely he was due another sleepwalk. The clock on the wall ticked by, your own sleep now broken and filled with distracting thoughts of the boy laying beneath you. Midnight came and went; two o' clock, four o'clock, too, until dawn was upon you with the first birdsong and golden rays flooding the common room. You didn't have the heart to move him when he slept so soundly, sacrificing your own restfulness for his. Another hour passed by, by which point you'd picked up the book you'd discarded hours before, reading in the steadily intensifying light. Students would be waking soon, and whilst you knew your current predicament meant nothing, absolutely nothing, your classmates might use the scene as a source for gossip.

"Garreth," you whispered. 

No response.

"Gar, wake up," you said, louder this time.

He groaned, eyebrows pinching into a frown before his eyes flew open wide to meet yours, like a deer caught in Lumos. Visibly flustered, he awkwardly cleared his throat and flashed you a wide smile from your lap, making no attempt to move. You wished he would—the vantage point couldn’t have made for a particularly flattering angle.

“Morning,” he croaked, wiping the sleep from his emerald eyes. “Did I get up in the night?”

“No, actually. You slept through, which is why I didn’t wake you,” you replied, yawning widely.

Garreth frowned, finally leaving his resting place on your thighs, now ever so slightly numb but nevertheless missing his presence.

“Huh. Maybe I was just trying to get to you all along," he said with a soft smile.

You laughed, presuming he'd been joking, but his eyes locked on yours with an intensity you'd never seen before.

"What, really?"

"I think my subconscious has been trying to tell me something," he nodded.

He said something along the lines of miss you, but the pounding of your heart dulled your hearing.

"Why…why would you miss me?"

"I said can I kiss you?" he chuckled.

Before you’d had time to process his question, your head had nodded of its own accord and Garreth’s lips had pressed against yours. You exchanged soft, exploratory kisses, though he already felt so familiar and utterly perfect. With a tilt of your head, he took the opportunity to slide his tongue inside your mouth, drawing a moan from you that he echoed. Every noise he made sent a throb of desire south, the tension you’d barely noticed between you now unravelling with a fervour that seemed impossible to stop.

He was pushing you back on the sofa before long, pressing his body between your legs with an unexpected confidence that had you reeling—clearly he knew what he wanted, and the way your body responded told him plainly that you wanted the same. You clasped his head in your hands and kissed him hard, desperately trying to convey your feelings wordlessly. This wasn’t a tentative fling you’d come to regret, this was years of close friendship and unresolved sexual tension pouring out.

Garreth growled as you kissed him, a low rumble from deep in his throat that pulled at something equally as animalistic in you. He rolled against you, the friction a welcome relief that you met with a shift of your hips. His already stiff cock found that sweet spot and had you sighing for more, both lost in the feverish grinding against one another’s clothed bodies. As good as it felt, this would never be enough—now you had a taste, you wanted all of him; every inch of his freckled body pressed against your skin until there was no space between you, not even a hair’s breadth.

"Gar…"

"Hm?" his muffled reply came as he buried his face against your neck.

"Fucking hell, take me upstairs."

The request came out as an order and without a second's hesitation, Garreth scrambled off of you, helping you to your feet far too fast. Your head swam as you followed him to his dormitory, praying that you wouldn't meet any early risers on the way. So far so good, you thought as you climbed the stairs, but your luck ran out as soon as Garreth pushed open the door. Leander. Still dressed in pyjamas and loosely clutching a wash bag, his attention turned to his roommate as soon as the hinges stopped creaking. An awkward silence followed when he spotted you; flushed, dishevelled and wearing yesterday's clothes.

Of all the reactions you'd anticipated in that short, agonising moment, Leander surprised you by having none of them. No gaping mouth, spluttering or endless questions—he merely looked between the two of you and nodded; in resignation or approval, it didn't particularly matter. You were sequestered away behind the curtains of Garreth's bed before Leander had reached the door, taking care to cast a silencing charm before Garreth's mouth claimed yours again, greedier than ever. The charm and privacy had thrown all inhibitions to the wayside as you both audibly, loudly, proclaimed your approval of each other.

Between searing kisses that had your insides squirming and heart fluttering, you both got to work mindlessly ridding the other of their clothes. A groan almost left your mouth as his shirt fell off his broad shoulders, your eyes flying open to drink in the sight of him—a sight you'd only dared ponder and dream of before now. He really did have freckles everywhere, and the overwhelming urge to kiss every one almost won your attention, until he peeled off your underwear. Breeches still on, he didn't let you rid him of the last scrap of clothing before his head had delved between your legs with shocking swiftness.

"Gar, what are you…?"

Your question was cut short by his rough manhandling of your legs, flinging them over his shoulders and gripping your thighs as his mouth found your aching heat. The wet warmth of his tongue was lost amongst your own heated arousal, but the pressure against your swollen clit sent your head spinning. You ought to have been embarrassed at how soaked you were already, but Garreth seemed to appreciate every last drop with loud groans as he lapped between your folds. The flick of the tip of his tongue against your nub sent shivers across your body to every extremity, or perhaps it had been the way he stared at you whilst he did so. Those piercing green eyes under hooded lids were the most addictive sight—you couldn't look away from him, seemingly drunk with pleasure from your juices.

He had no right being so talented with his tongue, whether from experience or outright enthusiasm—either way, your orgasm built steadily under his caress. A string of endless praise and expletives left your mouth, spurring him on to flick and twirl his tongue faster, his salacious moans growing louder still, until finally reaching a crescendo with your climax. What might have been the most mind-altering release you'd ever experienced ripped through your body, leaving your limbs shuddering and ears ringing.

"Garreth, that was…amazing…"

His blurry figure appeared above you, and you noticed your eyes were pricked with tears. It was like looking up at him from the bottom of a lake, his copper locks swimming into your vision with the sound of fabric rustling.

"I want you…all of you," his gravelly voice said, dripping with lust.

His hands gripped your thighs as you wiped away the tears, peering down to see him knelt between your legs, completely naked. Great Merlin, he'd been hiding that beneath his tattered robes all this time? The times you'd gripped his arm to walk with him or slapped his back jovially came to mind; you knew he was broad, muscular, but he was truly delicious. Especially those thick thighs that braced against your own as he gently stroked his impressive length. You couldn't suppress a gulp as you took the sight of that in; uncut, pink and throbbing with desire, you could have happily watched him play with himself and welcomed his release with an open mouth.

But he had other plans for you. His fingers gripped your chin, tilting your face towards him as your eyes dragged lazily away from his cock.

"Eyes up here, darling."

Good grief, Garreth Weasley would be the end of you. You offered a silent prayer as he towered over you, guiding the tip of his cock towards your entrance. You laced your fingers through his hair, looking into his eyes as he pushed himself inside you slowly, carefully, allowing you time to adjust to his size. A deep inhale and exhale and your body relaxed around him, leaving you with a satisfying sensation of fullness.

"Gods, you feel good," you whispered.

"Yeah?" he asked, pushing himself deeper than you thought possible whilst drawing your legs up closer to your chest. "How about that?"

"Fuck, yes!"

The first thrust had you moaning, the second had you begging for more as you tugged on his hair, now thoroughly dishevelled with strands plastered to his glistening forehead. His musky scent was intoxicating, mixed with his usual Garreth smell and the heady mixture of arousal made something you’d remember and crave again and again. Pulling him down on top of you, your eye contact finally broke as your lips crashed together in a kiss that meant much more than you would care to admit.

His pace was slow and steady but every roll of his hips hit you deep, precise, hard. He was holding back, prolonging the pleasure as long as possible. You had the sneaking suspicion that Garreth could easily pick you up and fuck you senseless in any position he wanted, the way his biceps flexed and rippled underneath him. With his weight borne on one arm, his other was free to roam your body, large hands gripping your flesh greedily in time to his powerful thrusts.

He skimmed your breast, a thumb and forefinger pinching the peak, drawing a surprised yelp that muffled against his smirking lips. Well, if that’s how he wanted to play. Abandoning his hair, your fingers flexed as they drew down his back, nails dragging across the skin in a way you were sure would leave welts and a little blood to remember you by. Garreth groaned, his hips twitching in response and plunging harder back into you.

“Oh shit…,” you gasped.

“Do it again.”

You complied, a little harder this time, and Garreth quickened his pace with gasping moans by your ear that sent shivers across your entire body. Again and again he pounded into you as you marked up his back and grabbed handfuls of him anywhere you could. A sharp smack on his arse sent him over the edge, and he bit down hard on your neck as he came. He gave no warning, his release spilling inside you in shuddering pulses as he clung to you tightly, muttering your name between kisses to your sore skin.

“Gar…,” you sighed, nuzzling his cheek as his rhythm slowed, his orgasm ebbing away.

Laying underneath his warmth, arms and legs wrapping his body was a comfort you’d never experienced, and you stroked his hair and kissed every freckle you could reach on his face. Garreth grinned, his eyes now hazy, almost drunk, as if he could happily go back to sleep wrapped in your embrace.

“Good morning,” he said, kissing the tip of your nose.

“Good morning,” you chuckled back.

Garreth nuzzled his face back against your neck, kissing his claim on you with gentleness.

“You know…if you want our friends to keep their sanity, I think you’ll have to sleep with me from now on,” he said matter-of-factly.

“Is that so? I’m not sure that’s a proper thing for friends to do.”

“I thought it was obvious—this was me asking you out!”

“Ah, well then, this is me accepting,” you replied, pulling him into a deep kiss that made you very late for breakfast.

[trudemaethien]

Kyrimorut

I’ve just done another reread/skim of the repcomm books for details of Kyrimorut for @ossidae-passeridae, who encouraged me to do a write up for reference. Some of these facts are explicitly stated, scattered throughout the series, and some are my own surmises. (My main conclusion is that KT considered architecture just about as carefully as the TCW creators did the GAR ranking system. lolsob)

So. In this essay I will

Kyrimorut, Kal Skirata’s refuge for his clone sons, was called a bastion, and frequently described in siege terms. It was also referred to as a homestead and a farmhouse.

“It was yaim—part barracks, part hotel, part married quarters, part farmhouse, the archetypal Mandalorian clan home.”

This stronghold was located in the heavily forested northern hemisphere of the planet Mandalore, a few hours flight north of Keldabe City, within 100 kilometers of a small town called Enceri, and just south of a lake. It boasted a main house and numerous outbuildings, including at least one medical laboratory, animal pens, and a hangar large enough for multiple craft.

Rav Bralor, another of the Cuy’val Dar, rebuilt it at Kal’s request during the war, and it was finished enough by a year in, to house some members of their group temporarily, but was still undergoing renovations up to the last moment before they moved in. She used droids to aid in the construction. The building was composed of brick, wood, stone, and rammed earth, and the (probably local, veshok) planks were joined with interlocking joints. The interior walls were plastered and painted, likely with naturally derived mineral paints; one room was mentioned to be “honey-colored.” The windows were narrow, described as arrow-slits, and the doors were unpowered hinged wooden slabs. The whole thing was large, and the rooms were characterized as airy and roomy at various points.

The layout seems to have been vaguely circular, or a circle of chained hubs, with a central karyai. The lobby was another hub, and there were both surface and underground passages connecting the hubs, radiating out like “the spokes of an eccentric wheel.” For this reason I think there were two floors in the main house with one above, the other underground. There was also a sheltered circular atrium off the main hub, with a roof that slid back, where they roasted meat.

The house had gutters and down-pipes to deal with snowmelt and rain, and given the nearby lake, they would have to have a good vapor barrier for the underground portion. Since the place was rural rather than urban, it was largely quiet, and the homestead's acoustics were such that sound carried well. This indicates to me that likely only the exterior walls were fortified of heavy stone and rammed earth; interior walls were more likely built of wood and plaster and easier to modify if they had some need. Power was unreliable in such a remote setting, so they used wood fires for heating and cooking; everything smelled of wood-smoke. The entire structure was designed to be unnoticeable from the air, and the clearing was not visible until the last moment upon aerial approach.

The karyai was the main living room. In one scene, Kad played on the floor with toy animals (nerf, bantha, shatual, nuna, jackrab, vhe’viin) Atin had carved from veshok wood, Wade Tay’haai played a purple-painted bes’bev (sharp flute), and Rav Bralor brought throat-searing tihaar for everyone. She lived on her own clan’s farm a few kilometers away, and had brought Yayax squad, who mostly stayed there, to visit Kyrimorut. They were learning carpentry from manuals, as one does.

People had their own rooms for sleeping, with couples sharing, along the corridors. Arla and Uthan’s rooms both had exterior windows. Quarters were pleasant, plain but comfortable, with generous mattresses on the beds and a table for personal use.

Then there was a room Etain thought of as the interrogation room, so that’s uhhh lovely.

It’s unclear whether the large table where they gathered for communal meals was in the karyai, the kitchen (which was separated from other areas by a door), or some other room. Wherever it was located, it was possible for someone seated at the table to lean back without getting up and fetch a bottle of tihaar from where it was stored. The table was made of a single large slab of veshok wood, and was big and sturdy enough to use for surgical operation, dismantling engines, or seating a whole clan of armored Mandalorians. They sat in chairs around this table, and Kad sat in a highchair. They used porceplast plates, and mugs for ne’tra gal, a sweet black beer. The head of the household summoned everyone to the table for meals.

The kitchen contained a fireplace and hearth, a chair (where Kal slept), ovens and stovetops, a conservator, enough workspace for at least four people at once, and an adjoining storage area. The kitchen could be a busy, noisy, bustling place, but it was separate from other living areas; people sometimes went there to avoid others.

The 20-30 occupants ate constantly and prodigiously, and never seemed to be lacking. The food was described as filling but not elegant, and was heavy on the protein. They consumed a lot of game; Lord Mirdalan the strill was an animal native to Mandalore and a hunter. Roast shatual, nerf, and roba were mentioned, and they would leave a joint of meat on the table to be eaten all day down to the bone (I shuddered in food hygiene). Fish from the lake were fried in a pan, and they made broth from gihaal, dried smoked fish with a pungent aroma stored in metal containers, one of the staples of Mandalorian ration packs because it kept for years without refrigeration. Also what Kal called Kaminoans, but that’s another story!

We were worried they only ate meat for a while until we came across some vegetables. Kad had pureed kaneta at one point, and for breakfast boiled grain porridge and shirred eggs were on offer. Jilka diced amber root for some dish. Mealbread rolls were also plentiful, and there was a vat of stew at one point. Listed imports via Ny Vollen included flour, grassgrain, pickles, powdered milk, sacks of denta beans, soap, dried fruit, and a bantha bone which was hard to get on Mandalore. The roba they raised themselves.

The roba pen had multiple animals witht at least one boar and one sow with a litter, and despite having veshok posts and walls, the gate was left open. I’m extrapolating that these animals were semi-domesticated and allowed to forage for food but came home to their pen for safety at night. There were rail fences, crop fields, and plans for raising nerf on the property as well. Outbuildings were mentioned frequently, but this was one of the few actually described.

Notable native species mentioned were the large, ancient veshok trees, which were evergreen, hardwood, and straight enough that the table slab was cut out of one large piece. They were ice-glazed and dripping in the spring thaw, so presumably had some defenses against freezing and exploding, or breaking under the weight of the ice, and they populated all the way up to the the polar cap. There was underbrush and bushes, and groundthorn weed, which was very stubborn and difficult to remove entirely. The roba would have helped with uprooting this as they foraged. Vhe’viine were small rodents with white winter coats that lived in burrows in the fields.

The medical laboratory behind the main house (it was necessary to walk around the bastion after exiting to approach it) was a mobile genetics lab/agricultural trailer of the sort usually used for breeding livestock and at racetracks. It was occupied first by Ko Sai and later by Ovolot Qail Uthan. Mereel acquired it, and Mij Gilamar stocked it with stolen/black market medical equipment. When Uthan took over, they built her more lab space. There were rural veterinarians in the community as well; Etain mentioned getting a cryocontainer for a sample from a neighboring farm.

The hangar was situated in a shallow slope to the north of the main house, half-buried in the soil and disguised with netting. It was large enough to house several craft at a time, including Ny Vollen’s ship, Mereel’s speeder, and the Aay’han, among others. Swabbing down the compartments of the Aay’han, replenishing stores, and prepping the ship for the next flight managed to occupy most of an afternoon for four men.

The lake was also to the north, and I believe it was a very large lake, functioning as a heat-sink. It had not fully frozen despite the bitter winter, described as minus eight and thirty degrees colder than tropical (although the temperature scale is not mentioned, it’s likely celsius because of the author’s background). There was ice extending from the shore like a pier, but also mist rising above it in the early morning and frost on the shore, even though layers of snow deep enough for feet to crunch through the surface were mentioned elsewhere at various times. This led my friend to speculate that there could be geothermal activity in/under that lake. Kal and Walon Vau were planning to build a memorial on the near lake shore featuring the armor tallies of fallen clone soldiers.

There was granite in the area, which also gave support to the concept of historical volcanic activity. Their yard sported four chunks, each large enough for at least two people to climb up and perch upon, which had erupted from the surface long ago and been worn down to a weathered polish. Winds came in off a nearby plain. A clear (muddy) area large enough to play mesh’geroya was also near the house.

Enceri had at least one cantina, there was a landmark grain silo at the edge of town, and it was big enough to host a bustling market square, despite being described as more of a trading post than a town. There they could buy, among other things, preserved vegetables, engine parts, and local triple-distilled tihaar, which could double as degreaser for said engine parts.

If they needed more than Enceri had to offer, they could go south to Keldabe. Landmarks of note there included the River Kelita and the Oyu’baat tavern. The Imperial garrison was located near Keldabe.

“But then Mandalore itself was one big contradiction, with heavy industry and shipbuilding sitting cheek-by-jowl with farms that hadn't changed in centuries, sophisticated electronics and ancient metalworking skills side-by-side in the same suit of armor.”

Established clan homes seem to be the usual way of things despite Mandalorians supposedly being nomadic. Their “temporary” structures being wattle and daub also indicates the nomad thing to be a bit of a fallacy. Even so, they had planned a possible relocation for Kyrimorut in the worst case, a bolt-hole on Cheravh. Jaing had taken to calling it offsite hot standby.

So that’s Kyrimorut, which means Final Haven, where Kal Skirata and his chosen family hunkered down in the aftermath of Order 66. My friend says it’s basically Aberdeen, down to the detail of players getting plastered mid footie limmie game. I gathered these details from four books (Hard Contact does not mention Kyrimorut) and compiled them for anyone who’d like to make use of the rundown. Oya!

[cyberclouddream]

Mercury Signs in the 12th House

Part Two

Based on signs for Mercury in the twelfth house. Mostly represents behaviors that are unrealized by the native because they’re subconscious or unaware they’re used to mask insecurities.

Click here for Aries through Virgo

Libras get isolated by trying to blend in with everything around them rather than owning their true feelings.

- on the surface they come off approachable, easy to talk to, and genuinely interested in others but they’re just masters at saying just enough to make others think they know them while keeping their real thoughts buried

- bend over backwards to avoid confrontation, but secretly resent that they constantly suppress their own needs

- overanalyze what they say or what other people say to point of jumping to conclusions

- absorb everyone else’s emotionq and dramas but never let anyone else know what they truly feel, since expressing their thoughts scare them

- strong fear of being disliked [ disapproved, disappointing, rejected, abandoned ] leads them to stay quiet in important or opportunistic situations

- act harmonious and diplomatic all the time but deep down they throw mental tantrums because no one truly “gets” what they’re really trying to say

- know how to subtly control conversations and twist situations to maintain the upper hand without getting their hands dirty

- fantasize about perfect relationships and scenarios but are too scared about speaking up on what’s wrong in the real ones

- have a bad habit of saying “i’m fine” no matter how much mental turmoil they’re facing, because they think vulnerability is a weakness

- big or small decisions can leave them trapped in an endless loop of “what if” thinking

- in their head every word has to be carefully chosen to avoid sounding stupid or offending someone, questioning every sentence before it leaves them to their mouth which can result in silence instead of speaking

- they often feel mentally exhausted because their thoughts are never just for them, but filtered through how they think others will react

- often come up with perfect ways to say things but keep it quiet or water it down to the point of it losing its impact

- feel like people would reject them if they knew how they really were so they hide behind pleasant words and shallow conversations

- often feel like its hard to trust their own mind because it constantly plays devil’s advocate with their ideas and thoughts

- rely on others to voice what they’re thinking instead of owning their opinions; may manipulate conversations or guide others to say what they’re too afraid to say themselves

- dodge clear and direct communication because clarity feels risky; often keep things vague or open-ended in case they change their minds later, but can lead them to feel misunderstood and isolation from deep connection

- may struggle with not knowing what they truly believe or think

- often find it hard to start projects or learn subjects because their mind pulls them into multiple directions, away from what’s practical or immediate; their concentration is fragmented

- mentally project their own unspoken real feelings to the point of making others feel responsible for them

- constantly apologizing, often not because they’re truly sorry but because it’s the easiest way to avoid conflict

- have the ability of saying a lot while revealing absolutely nothing about themselves, kinda like speaking like a politician

- prefer literature based on interpersonal dynamics, especially romance and psychology; prefer to read alone

Scorpios feel debilitated by their yearning for vulnerability, yet they fear losing power.

- people may find their way of speaking captivating, or mentally draining, because it feels like it has layers of meaning

- others may feel like they’re untrustworthy because it always seems like they’re holding something back

- can’t stand the thought of being caught of guard so they secretly manipulate situations from behind the scenes, mentally plotting 10 moves ahead

- often feel exhausted because their brain never shuts off from detective mode; they’re always analyzing, digging beneath the surface, and trying to uncover hidden motives; burnt out trying to figure everything out before anyone else does

- often don’t even trust their own mind, analyzing their own thoughts for hidden meanings or motives; often hiding things more than anyone else, especially subconsciously where they can’t decipher easily

- if someone crosses them, on purpose or unintentionally, they won’t know until it’s too late; they mentally keep score and deliver payback when people least expect it

- tend to keep their thoughts and feelings tightly controlled, even for years, where they can suffer in silence alone because many just won’t know the depth of their inner turmoil [ can eventually blow up in very destructive ways ]

- often want others to open up to them about their vulnerabilities, but shut down and retreat when it comes to their own

- they don’t have to say much to control a situation, their presence always feels like it’s watching, calculating, and influencing others to bend to their will, without they themselves even realizing their manipulation

- lock away their most intense thoughts to point of being unable to share them with the ones closest to them

- master of subtext, meaning that they often communicate in riddles, metaphors, and hints because they expect others to read between the lines but when this fails they can end up feeling misunderstood, frustrated, refusing to clarify

- seem detached but internally they’re intensely focused on the emotions and motives of those around them

Sagittarius gets isolated by being like the absent-minded professor with grand ideas yet little follow-through or tact.

- tend to turn conversations into lengthy monologues about abstract concepts that often lead others confused

- often jump from ideas, like going from traveling ideas to the meaning of life

- have a knack for seeing the silver lining in everything, even when it’s completely inappropriate, which can feel like they’re not taking things seriously because they’re too dismissive or naive

- often speak their mind without a filter, and while honesty is admirable it can come off tactless and leave others feeling uncomfortable or exposed

- they often use foreign phrases [ things they picked up from different cultures ] or use esoteric references in their speech, which showcases their love for travel and learning but can alienate others or themselves

- often retreat into their own thoughts to avoid reality, which can lead them to zone out in conversations

- procrastinators with a plan; they come up with great ideas and plans but can drag their feet when it comes to following through with them

- they typically share their experiences in a way that jumps from points without connecting them in easy ways to follow, like missing the punchline or key takeaways

- often focus on what could be rather than what is

- seem curious, like asking probing questions, but act dismissive when it comes to anything deep or emotional

- have inconsistent opinions because their thoughts change frequently, leading others to question their commitment or conviction in ideas, people, or situations

- tend to turn every conversation into a philosophical debate; love to challenge other people’s beliefs for the fun of it, pushing buttons to provoke thought

- their sense of humor is usually unconventional or borderline inappropriate, since they can find humor in the absurd

- often fail to acknowledge practical limitations

- their attention can wander mid-conversation

- can be charming yet inconsistent; people may enjoy their company but feel like they’re unreliable

- often regurgitate information without context

- tend to be interested in the darker side of philosophy, exploring taboo topics that others shy away from; seek truth in uncomfortable places that can either enlighten or alienate others around them

- enjoy playing Devil’s Advocate, especially when it comes to widely accepted beliefs

- often shift between being incredibly optimistic and cynically realistic

- often convey deep truths in a prophetic manner

- use humor as a coping mechanism to navigate the absurdities of life

Capricorns feel isolated by their need to avoid whats emotional or abstract in function.

- tend to approach everything so seriously, in a way that can seem cold or detached

- like mental archivist; really good at retaining details but tend to reference obscure facts or rules

- their internal dialogue is harsh and judgmental, so they can be hesitancy in conversation since they critique their own thoughts before voicing them

- converse with a shield up, wary of criticism so they can sound overly defensive or make others feel like they’re walking on eggshells around them

- often alienate others who seek empathy or connection because they tend to dismiss emotional expressions as too impractical

- prefer to watch and analyze than actively participate in discussions

- hard to see visionary or dreamy side of them because they heavily weight their big ambitions with practicality

- their sense of humor is often sarcastic and dry; it can sound harsh or uninviting

- often feel like they’re not qualified enough to voice their thoughts, like imposter syndrome

- analyze everything to the last detail before engaging in discussions, which can lead to them being paralyzed by overthinking

- chronic pessimist, focusing on pitfalls and obstacles in every situation

- rarely let their complex thoughts or emotions show

- often have long pauses or overly rehearsed speech

- can come off condescending because they overly critical at times, or at least sound that way when they’re giving practical insights

- often turn conversations towards what could go wrong rather than what can go well

- prefer to process their thoughts internally than aloud, so they can come off withdrawn or uninterested in social interactions; others can see them as unfriendly or detached when they’re simply deep in thought or think better in solitude

- have no problem delivering the hard truths, which can make them seem brutally honest and blunt

- speak softly but when they speak it has a certain weight to it that it compelling, even if the delivery is understated

- often use dark humor as a coping mechanism

- when they share their experiences or engage in storytelling they often focus on the facts than the feelings involved

- good at adapting their communication style to their audience, but this can make it seem like they have a facade

- often question established norms or beliefs

- tend to feel like they carry the weight of the world on their shoulders, so often steer conversations towards topics related to duty and obligation

- often reflect on the past and draw lessons from them in conversation, which can make discussions feel nostalgic or stuck in time rather than moving forward

Aquarius get debilitated by their unconventional, and sometimes bizarre, way of approaching conversations and problems.

- often have unconventional ideas that others find bizarre since it veers off the beaten path

- often voice radical opinions because of their strong desire to challenge the status quo

- their way of speaking is often filled with abstract concepts and metaphors

- often shift between being optimistic about the future and cynical about humanity

- their sense of humor is probably quirky and offbeat, coming off as the “wild card” in conversations; some may find it hilarious while others find it strange or inappropriate

- often retreat into their own thoughts because they’re more comfortable analyzing conversations or their own thoughts in solitude

- question everything, even ideas others accept without hesitation

- often have great ideas about how to improve the world but struggle to put them into action

- approach conversations with a logical and almost clinical way, which can lead to emotions feeling dismissed, as they prioritize rationality over empathy

- probably excel in digital communication, finding it easier to express their thoughts through technology than face-to-face, which can create gaps in personal interactions

- often express conflicting thoughts in the same breath

- their storytelling may jump from one topic to the other without warning

- may find it hard to articulate their bold dreams clearly

- they ask a lot of questions but their curiosity seems impersonal, like they’re more interested in collecting information than genuine engagement

- tend to feel overwhelmed by all the knowledge they collect without sorting or using well

- often drift into musing about abstract and philosophical topics

- often speak passionately about social issues but have an unconventional approach to them

- tends to provoke thought and debate by challenging societal norms and intellectual conventions, which can create friction with those who value stability and tradition in conversations

- the depth of their brilliance often lies beneath the surface, where most may never see

- they can come off socially awkward because the bring deep philosophical discussions into casual conversations

- may create their own slang or unique way of expressing that few understand

- may have underlying anxieties about how their thoughts are perceived by others, under their confident detachment

- often present solutions that others find impractical to implement or even discuss

Pisces feel isolated because of their perspectives that transcend reality and logic.

- their mind often drifts into fantasy, making it hard to stay grounded in reality

- express their thoughts from an intuitive place which can make it hard for others who prefer straightforward dialogue or logic

- their speech can shift rapidly depending on their feelings, which can lead to moments of clarity followed but confusion

- tend to speak with abstract metaphors and poetic language

- when faced with uncomfortable truths they may retreat daydreams or fantasies

- often pick up on subtle emotions and underlying currents in conversation, which can help others feel seen but may overwhelm them if the feelings are too intense

- their thoughts can be easily swayed by others due to their empathetic nature

- often drawn to discussions about spirituality, mysticism, and the metaphysical

- adapt their speech to mirror those around them, which can make it hard to pin down their true beliefs or personality

- their humor tends to be whimsical and unpredictable, rooted in surreal observations that others may struggle to find to understand their comedic perspective

- may find mental clarity when there’s confusion or chaos; good at articulating thoughts amid chaotic situations

- often hesitate to express their thoughts out of fear of invalidation or not being accepted

- often tell stories in ways that seem to blur the lines between reality and imagination

- tend to be interested in obscure subjects like astronomy, mythology, and the paranormal

- often approach issues in a non-linear way, providing innovative ideas that others may not consider

- often struggle with sensory overload, especially in conversations

- tend to dwell on abstract concepts and existential questions

- express their thoughts more through feelings than words, like a lyrical communicator

- often have flashes of insight that seems lime divine inspiration

- their advice may lean more towards emotional support rather than practical solutions

- often prefer to remain quiet in groups and absorb the the energy and dynamics rather than participate

- their mind is like a battleground of conflicting thoughts that may spill into their speech

[aliteralchicken]

i had an idea for one of those Tim never joins the family aus but it involved two of my fav robin 1993 chracters Danny and Dana

Tim’s not Robin so his mom dies in Haiti as normal and his dad goes into a coma, but rather than living dies very shortly after

Three things happen that will become inportant later:

Dana was supposed to be Jacks physiotherapist before he passed away

she had registered to become an adoptive parent but, being so young, expected it to happen a few years down the line or get a much younger child

Tim is put with Dana, this is completely coincidental and unrelated to her would be connection to his dad

The Drakes company gets sold on and Tim will inherit this most of this money when he turns eighteen

Tim and Dana get along great as per canon but Tim does eventually end up going to boarding school, Brentwood academy, and there meeting Danny temple

because he’s not Robin in this timeline things go a little differently, Danny goes back to finish school with Tim before joining the cult of the cobra as a leader officially, and Tim goes with him

Tim moves in with the cult because he and Danny fell in love at high school, cult and homophobia be damned and move in together at a cult base, he still calls Dana frequently, they both still care about each other very much, Tim just moved out young

now cut to the bats:

Dick is looking though his old pictures and finds the one and that had been taken the last night of the flying Graysons, as per canon the family with them in the picture (the Drakes) had sent it to him and he wants to see if he can find out who they are, so after all these years he can thank them in person

Bruce recognizes them as the Drakes who sadly passed away a few years ago, but according to a quick search by Oracle their son Tim should still be alive

should being there operative word

Tim hasn’t been seen in Gotham since he was seventeen, seven years ago, and any records of moving away are sketchy at best

they talk to some of the last people who should’ve seen him, his old Brentwood classmates and skater friends, who are very closed off about any questions asked (Kip, Wes and Buzz are just trying not to out Tim and Danny because why else would anyone be asking about their time at Brentwood?)

Steph tries a similar approach with Tim’s best friend Ives, she thought she’d have better luck since they went to school together, but is getting the same very vague and cold responses (Ives is also under a similar impression as Kip, Wes and Buzz)

so armed with the knowledge that

No one is giving any information on Tim Drake or his new family

Tim would’ve had access to a lot of money on his next birthday, that until then would be held with his only next of kin

Dana Winters who was supposed to be the caregiver of Jack Drake, who passed not shortly before, ended up adopting his son despite no previous experience with adoption

the bats, being detectives but not omniscient come to the very wrong conclusion that rather than having sketchy moving documents because of his involvement with the cult of the cobra, Tim is a missing persons case, presumed dead

their main suspect, Dana Winters

motive, the Drake fortune

and well you can’t just start investigating and accusing the mother in law of a leader of the cult of the cobra of a heinous crime without a few snakes catching wind of that, and god forbid what will happen if you make her cry

[powerpuffobsession]

It's been a while since that interview where Vivziepop said some vague things about killing off characters and wishing she spend more time with Adam. Instead of saying directly - "Adam will come back", or "Adam won't come back". There is no knowing what to make of it until we see the actual future seasons. Vivzie sounds like she's avoiding spoilers

And I'm kinda tired of people already jumping to negative conclusions and shoving them down the throats of anyone who hopes for Adam returning, all the while calling Adam irredeemable and saying he has no purpose in the plot anymore

Here are my thoughts about those points:

The fact that the fandom still goes on with "Adam is an irredeemable monster because he genocided defenseless sinners and enjoyed it", shows how much hazbin howl sucks at not sugarcoating it's setting and Charlie's radical ideas of forcing criminals into heaven

Like... boo hooo, poor little defenseless rapists, pedos, murderers, nazis, bullies, drug dealers, violent drug addicts, scammers, and other people anyone would normally be happy to see get hurt or die because they have hurt other people? Let me play the wold's smallest violin in their honor

Adam did the right thing and he had the right to enjpy murdering sinners, fight me about it

His actual sin is that he wasn't picky enough about who he was going after and that he attacked Charlie who is innocent

But you know what? We are literally being shown that decent people in hell are VERY few and rare. The majority is just a crowd of psychopaths who actively tell Charlie to f off with redemption

And if you spend your afterlife living in heaven, of course you are going to think that all of hell's population is dangerous

However, Adam has a potential to get redeemed if he interacts with Charlie in a more grounded way and learns that she's not dangerous, despite being a daughter of two people who stabbed him in the back. Sins of parents are not a child's sins, and Charlie's life has a big worth. As well as lifes of more decent sinners who make an effort, like Angel, Vaggie, Husk and sir Pentious

Through Adam other characters can be developed. There are a lot of them who have connections to Adam - Charlie, Lucifer, Lilith, Eve, Emily, Sera, etc... Showing flashbacks just won't be the same as having Adam himself in the plot

And do not get me started on how bringing Adam back is not logical and ruins the cartoon's quality. I've got a lot of not pretty things to say about hazbin hotel's "logic"... There are already a bunch of plot holes and lazily slapped on character changes. Finding a way for Adam to return won't be hard

Have you seen the way Stolitz and Sir Pentious, for example, ended up, compared to what they were claimed to be at the start of the series? Or the way fan theory about Vaggie being an exterminator suddenly got added into canon last minute after she had been a moth sinner for so many years and lot of people got used to it? I won't be surprised if Vivziepop will actually retcon the lore or come up with something to resurrect Adam

Maybe, "if a soul of a redeemed sinner gets into heaven, which is a rare occasion and didn't happen before the events of hazbin hotel, - the dividing system finds a sinful angel soul to take their place in hell". There you go. The lore about angelic blade murdering for good still stands, but now there is a loophole for Adam specifically to be lucky enough to survive

[obsessivevoidkitten]

A Canine and His Cat

Yandere Male Dog Hybrid x Feminized Male Cat Hybrid Reader (CW: Noncon, male reader, feminization, rimjob, scent kink, non-human genitals, stalking, kidnapping, pissmarking (the reader is not scent marked just a building), bullying, general yandere behavior, heat cycles but not a/b/o and no mpreg)  Word Count: 3.1k (I wrote this between the hours of 11pm and 7am, not beta read, I proofread this to the best of my ability but I am sleepy and dizzy, please excuse any errors, I hope you guys enjoy this and I am sorry for two dog men in a row, but I had the idea of a dog man bully and a cat man victim and had to write it up immediately. Also I purposefully left the yandere’s description vague because I want readers to imagine him however they want, and I thought if he ever gets fanart it would be fun to see what subspecies of dog hybrid readers see him as.) 

 You did not know why Shale insisted on being so mean to you, he had targeted you from the moment you had first met in college, he was a junior at the time and you had been a sophomore but you still shared a few classes. And he made those classes miserable.  At first you just assumed it was because he was a dog hybrid and you were a cat hybrid, and sometimes there was an instinctual animosity between certain hybrids, but that theory was quickly discredited when you noticed that he was nothing but civil with all the other members of your subspecies.  Whatever the reason for his personal vendetta against you it would not be a problem for too much longer, the end of the year was now approaching and he was now a senior. Which meant you would only have to keep your head down and avoid the brute for a little longer before he graduated and you would never have to see him or deal with any of his bullshit ever again. It was a happy thought.  You had thought your years in university would have been relatively fun, meeting people with new interests, getting to know other students in your field, and taking part in new clubs and hobbies. But for over a year now it seemed that all of your friendships had simply fallen off and faded away, all your applications into clubs were denied, and no one wanted to be associated with you.  The conclusion you came to was that no one wanted to be associated with someone who had drawn the ire of the star basketball player. And while that was part of it the reality was even worse, Shale was using his connections and influence to make sure no club would accept you and he subtly threatened anyone who even seemed like they were starting a friendship with you.  It was not just that people wanted to avoid someone being bullied by him, it was that he was actively ruining your social life. Shale didn’t know why, at first, but he really needed you to be completely disconnected from everyone and everything. After months of tormenting you he realized that wasn’t strictly true, he just needed you completely disconnected from everyone and everything that wasn’t him.  He was going to break you down until you were a lonely little mess that needed him to come in and clean you up. Over the course of your sophomore and junior years he just could not help himself, and he had no desire to either.  Shale never missed a chance to make fun of you in class, and sometimes he made you do his homework. But the most infuriating thing he did was sometimes leave one of his jerseys or jocks in your locker, typically when they were ripe with sweat after he won a big game. How did he even get them in!? You could tell by scent that it was him, but even if you couldn’t he would always remark to you that you shouldn’t throw away his “gift” because once he went pro it would be the most valuable thing you ever owned. Ugh, the arrogance, it made your fur bristle.  And since you lived alone in an extra small apartment reserved for hybrid students that had to deal with heats, as even male cat hybrids did, singling you out outside of classes was all too easy for your tormentor. The infuriating dog man left mocking notes on your door, sometimes he waited in front of your place just to make fun of you directly, and he even fucking piss marked around the entire outside of the building as if it was his property! You could tell immediately who it was by the acrid stench in your sensitive nose.  Of course you filed complaint after complaint, but the college did absolutely nothing, even implying that you were making it up for attention. Of course they did, what did you expect, he was a star athlete that brought them a ton of profit and prestige. Why would they take any action to ruin that just to make one little cat hybrid safe?  At any rate your plan to avoid him and keep to yourself was at least partially working, it helped that you only had one class with him this term, but you interacting with him less made him decide that he needed to escalate things. During your next lab assignment he made SURE that you would have to be partnered with him.  Your class was dismissed and told to find someone to work on an anatomy project with. You had to pick a subject to study, go into great detail about a specific part of its anatomy and physiology, and explain how and why it had evolved that way.  You looked desperately around the large room for any other free classmate, a lifeboat in the rising tide of dread, but everyone else was already partnered up. All you found was Shale looking at you with his trademark smirk.  “Hey, bet you love this chance to hang out with me, don’t you loser?”  The way he looked at you with those red eyes of his made you want to scratch up his face.  “Yeah, it’s my life’s dream to be subjected to more of your bullshit,” you quipped dryly. “I just want to get this over with, when do you want to work on it?”  “Yeah, whatever, I can come by in a couple hours after practice.” He gathered his materials and went on his way. You knew this would be hell for you. But you had no idea how bad things were about to get for you.  Shale had executed his plan well, he could smell you just starting to enter your heat cycle and he knew you would be slightly more vulnerable during this time period. You were not worried about working on the project tonight though because it was only just starting to happen and you would not have to even miss any classes except for a couple days when it was most intense.  You tidied up your tiny apartment and waited for Blockhead to show up, when he did you opened the door and greeted him with all of the enthusiasm of a kid going to the dentist, and let him in. You could immediately tell by his smell that he had not showered after his practice.  “Jeez, why so cold, girly?” He smirked and looked at you with those red eyes of his, happy knowing he got the reaction he wanted as your ears moved back and you shot him a glare.  That was one of your biggest pet peeves and Shale had sniffed it out like the dog he was, despite very clearly being male he always called you a girl. Sure, you were not really strong or masculine, but you definitely did not appear to be a female either.  “I swear to god! Can we please just do this assignment!? Five seconds here and I am already sick of you.” You growled a bit to emphasize you were not happy.  “Damn, fine, you’re really feisty today princess’” You grumbled under your breath as you both took a seat at the table sitting beside one another and got out your laptops to type and research on. “What do you want to do our assignment on?” You asked, not looking up from your laptop.  “Well, I wanna do our assignment on a cute kitty girl’s heat and see if a dog man can make it progress faster!” He looked at you suggestively. “Wh-what!? Uh… how would we even do that? I don’t think I want to do a project on th-”  He interrupted your sputtering reply by rubbing his strong hand up your thigh, your face turned beet red and it took you a moment to come to your senses and swat his hand away.  “I know it takes three days for your cycle to start fully, I can always smell it on you even before it really begins, come on kitten, let’s see if we can jump start it~” He reached for you but you pulled away and got out of your chair.  “I-i’m not a cat girl! I am a man, I cannot even have kids! Uh, so we can’t do that project! St-stay away from me!” You backed up until you were up against the wall and you tossed a small vase with a plant in his direction.  He caught it and put it down and chuckled as he stepped forward, “Hey, don’t put yourself down, have you ever tried making babies? We can try real hard right now if you want to~ Even if you can’t there are plenty of women who can’t get knocked up!”  “Uh, I have a dick! I really don’t think trying to get knocked up will help…” You ran and dove past him and made it to the door but he caught you by the legs and carried you to your bed as you kicked and screamed.  “Come on, there's no harm in just trying~ And that’s kinda transphobic baby girl, plenty of girls have dicks. I bet yours is reeeeeally cute~” In Shale’s mind you had to be a girl, because he was so attracted to everything about you from your feisty attitude, to your cute cat ears and tail, even your lovely smell, and he was not attracted to men. So that must mean you were a girl.  You swiped at him with your claws extended, but he easily dodged the swipes then caught your wrists and held them over your head with one hand. The other hand stroked your face tenderly before softly touching your furry ears.  “So soft~ I always knew they would be!” His tail wagged happily as you wiggled and writhed beneath him. “You really need to calm down kitten, because I really want an A+ on this assignment, let’s see if we can get your heat started and whether or not we can grow some pups in that tummy.”  You began screaming and shrieking as loudly as you could before Shale took a shirt that had been lying on your bed and used it to gag you completely. Then he took his pants off and used them to tie your arms up behind your head after he removed your shirt.  Now you could only kick, but after he pulled off your pants and underwear he used more clothing to tie your legs to the bed posts.  “I was right! Your little cock is fucking adorable~” He leaned down and kissed the tip before climbing on top of you and sniffing you thoroughly. His eager nose probed from your underarms to your neck.  “Fuck, you smell so good, you have no idea how long I wanted to enjoy your scent up close.” You tried growling and wiggling in response but he just chuckled, “Haha, are you that needy to have my cock in you? Be patient, I'll get to it!”  You just struggled harder in response, you did not want his dick in you!  Shale got between your legs and stroked your cock a couple times while licking your nuts before putting your entire dick in his mouth and sucking it like it was the most delicious thing in the world. He went back and forth a while between sucking your cock and licking and kissing your balls.  You could not help but to instinctively thrust your hips towards his warm mouth, though you still did not want this by any means. Though Shale definitely took it as a sign that you were starting to become more willing.  Shale decided that before he tried his best to fill you up full of babies he needed to prep you. So he stayed between your legs and started lapping his eager tongue all over your hole. You squirmed in a mix of defiance and pleasure as his talented tongue lapped deeply at your inner walls. He finished by kissing your hole before spitting on it to make sure it was extra wet and ready for his cock.  The horny dog hybrid removed his underwear and you saw his cock bounce free, it was big, red, slimy, and completely unsheathed. He placed the tapered tip at your hole and slowly slid himself inside you, instantly rubbing your prostate and making you jerk and moan in pleasure through the gag.  Shale wanted to hear your moans for himself and he was sure he had jump-started your heat, judging from how warm your insides had gotten and how you had started twitching with pleasure and letting out muffled moans and gasps.  Even if he did not have any of those cues to go off of he could certainly smell that your cycle had rapidly reached a crescendo under his ministrations. He was correct in his prediction that you would not try to scream anymore, it felt so nice to have a cock in you during your heat.  It was by far the most amazing thing you had ever experienced and it was just too easy to succumb to the pleasure Shale was causing you.  As he continued to lose himself in the sensation of your hot insides his knot swole up and tied the two of you together, you were stretched well enough to accommodate it without any pain, but when it rubbed against that special sensitive spot inside of you you saw stars and came all over your belly with a loud moan.  He could feel your entire body shudder around his cock as he kept plowing deeply into your tight ass. You looked up at him with a pouting expression.  “Please let my hands go!” You seemed like you were about to cry and he trusted at this point that you wouldn’t try anything so he untied your arms and you immediately threw your arms around him and clung tightly to him.  Shale managed to then free your legs too and you automatically wrapped your legs around him, your whole body clinging to his as he picked you up and kept breeding you. You were already hard again as Shale battered your prostate. You were drooling and whining in his arms, desperate for another release, as he bit your neck possessively and left his mark there. You could feel his cock quiver as it started shooting thick cum and filled up your insides.

 "Fuck babe, your pussy is amazing, you really thought you weren't a girl when you have a cunt like this?"  Shale sat down with you on the bed, he knew his kitten needed to cum again so he gently rocked his knot back and forth with slow deliberate thrusts inside you while massaging your balls until you hit your second climax.  You were suddenly so tired, it was as if the energy expended during your previous struggles, your rapid progression through your heat cycle, being fucked into oblivion, and cumming so hard was all hitting you at once.  Your lover could see how tired his girl was so he held the back of your head and nestled it into his strong chest until you fell asleep while he waited for his knot to deflate. His heart melted as you began purring while snuggling up to him and he knew that what he was about to do was the right thing.  When you woke up the first thing you noticed was that you were burning up and aroused, right in the middle of your heat. The second thing you noticed was that you were no longer in your apartment, you were on a strange bed in a strange room. Shale must have cleaned you up because there was no trace left on your body of what had happened before you went to sleep.  You noticed that you had been dressed in a short skirt and thigh high stockings and there was a collar on your neck with a little bell on it. It felt like it was made of leather but it was something much more durable and you had no hope of removing it.  When you got out of the bed to look around at your strange surroundings you noticed it was tied to a long cord, it was long enough to let you move about the room, and get to the adjoining room which appeared to be a bathroom, but you could not get near the door.  In the corner of the room you noticed something unsettling, it looked like someone had made a shrine to you, it was covered in really odd photos you had certainly not taken yourself and laid out in front of the photos were some of your personal things. A brush that had gone missing from your apartment, a pair of underwear, some pages from assignments Shale had made you do for him, and a poem you had written that should have been in one of your journals that you liked to write in.  The implication of what someone had to do to get all those things made you uneasy.  You jumped back in fright as you heard someone unlatch the door. Shale walked in with a great big grin on his face.  “Sorry I was late, baby girl, but I had a morning class today!” He came over to you acting as if absolutely nothing was out of place. Like he had not just kidnapped you after fucking you silly.  “What the fuck!? You can’t just keep me here!” You hissed and swiped at him again.  “Awe, calm down kitten, no need to get all angry. It’s just that I am graduating soon and I could not have my girlfriend leaving me so I bought this house with my signing bonus! You can stay here while I finish up classes and after that I will only be gone to do practices and games.” He pulled you close and kissed your forehead.  “If you behave you can even come with me to those too and we never have to be apart. But this cord is staying on until I am sure you will be good to make sure you don’t try to run off.” His tail started wagging at the thought of always having you there with him, his own personal cheerleader spurring him on during every game and practice.  “What about my classes!?” You looked at him with dismay, he was serious, he was really going to keep you here.  “Don’t worry your pretty little head, you don’t need to work, you’ll be my housewife! Now let’s get you to the bed, I can smell that you’re still in heat and I want to make sure your urges are all taken care of.”  With a defeated sigh you let him take you by the hand and lead you to the bed, there was no way you could escape him, so you might as well make the most of it.

[sseastar]

✶ dream lover; kim seungmin.

info. seungmin x afab!reader. slight angst, fluff. brother’s best friend to ??? au. 1.6k words. warnings. mentions of food, reader eats fish and meat. listen to. 爽風 by tomofumi tanizawa.

[✧] — Seungmin could say he knew a lot about you. 

He knew how you always closed your door to your room because you didn’t want it to smell like food in case someone cooked. He knew how you could never bring yourself to watch full k-dramas and opted to watch clips of them on your for you page. Seungmin knew of your love for mint-chocolate (the two of you really bonded over that) and how Star Wars Rebels became your comfort show after you had watched all three seasons during quarantine. 

Hell, Seungmin even knew so many personal things about you, especially after having witnessed you grow up alongside your brother Jisung. Although you were two years younger, he still felt like he knew you well enough to call you his friend if it weren’t for his title of ‘brother’s best friend.’ Seungmin knew your shoe size, who your first dance was, even when you got your first period (he was the one to have noticed the small stain on the back of your jeans and the one to rush into his sister’s bathroom to grab you a pad the one time you had come with Jisung to his home).

And yet in the eleven years he had known you, Seungmin would have never painted you as a hopeless romantic. As far as he could tell, you never seemed the type to save your receipts in a box under your bed, never seemed the type to make playlists for your crushes with vague names so people couldn’t guess who they were for. Not once had Jisung mentioned a thing about his little sister having a crush on someone, nor had an overprotective Jisung ever mentioned his concern for you when you went out with friends (Jisung was an awfully protective brother, so Seungmin could imagine how his friend would react were you to ever go out on a date). 

Hence, Kim Seungmin had come to the conclusion that you were genuinely not interested in dating at this time in your life. Nothing he found weird, of course. He knew how serious you were about your studies - there were many times that Seungmin and his friends had invited you along with Jisung to join in on their plans to get boba or go bowling on a Friday, but you would politely decline with a smile and mention some assignment or project you wanted to get a head start on. 

So imagine his surprise when he found you out on your backyard’s porch one night when he, Felix, and Hyunjin were over, curled up with a knitted sweater and volume six of Kimi Ni Todoke in your hands. Jisung had asked him to come get you before you all headed out for dinner.

It was such an odd sight to see. The mug half filled with lukewarm green tea on the table next to you, the abandoned pair of fluffy bear slippers under the bench, the throw blanket that he swore hung on the arm of the couch in the family room when he first arrived. Your fingertips were gently covering your lips, an enchanted look in your eyes as if you had just witnessed such a heart-fluttering scene.

Seungmin thought it was such an odd sight to see. You had never once initiated a hug with him no matter how happy or ecstatic you were (even when you had gone to a baseball game with your family and invited him, and you had thrown your arms around your brother when your favorite player hit a grand slam…then opted to high five him excitedly). He was so used to your annoyed sighs whenever you saw any form of PDA, or your pursed lips whenever your brother would somehow connect his girlfriend to the topic of conversation, that he couldn't even fathom why you were out there reading a shoujo manga of all things despite the entirely possible reason that you just wanted to.

Yet Seungmin’s eyes softened as he watched you from the door frame, waiting until you finally realized his presence. When he realized you wouldn’t be getting your nose out of the story any time soon, he cleared his throat, smiling at you when you looked up at him with wide eyes.

“Hey,” you mouthed, for some reason unable to let anything audible out of your mouth. 

Despite your lack of an actual greeting, Seungmin answered back “hey,” watching as you marked your page with a photostrip of you, Jisung, and him that he remembers taking in the rusty old photo booth at the pier the last time you three went. Another thing Seungmin was surprised at – he always thought you were the type to dog ear your page or use a sticky note to mark your spot. “We’re heading out in a couple of minutes for dinner. Jimmie’s,” he clarifies, mentioning that the four of them would be heading to the diner they frequented and ordered to-go for you from. “Want the usual?”

A tuna sandwich with a side of french fries and a small vanilla milkshake. That was your usual. 

Your usual was staying at home to read or to get a head start on work you had to do. Your usual was catching up on sleep or accompanying your parents to the supermarket when you really did have nothing to do. And when those things didn’t need to be done, your usual would be spending time rearranging or redecorating your room, or reading romance novels, manga, and stories you find on the internet to replace your lack thereof in your own life.

Your usual was hoping that one day you would be loved, or even secretly loved - that someday, all your ideal date ideas would no longer be locked up in the diary you kept hidden in your sock drawer. Your usual was hoping that your firsts wouldn’t have to wait until after college - that someone would love you enough so that you no longer sighed at the cute couples you would see on dates when you were out with your parents.

Your usual was speaking only briefly to Seungmin in hopes that all the feelings you had for your older brother’s best friend would die down by itself. Your usual was silently hoping that those feelings would be returned. Your usual was making up scenarios that maybe one day, you would stop trying to find someone exactly like him. 

Your usual was getting boring. Your usual was getting you nowhere you wanted to be.

Seungmin watched as you swung the blanket off your lap, folding it roughly in your arms as you slipped your sock clad feet back into your slippers. “If it’s okay, can I come with you guys tonight?” 

Seungmin watched as you slid into the seat across from him. You usually opted to sit next to your brother on the end to avoid being in the way of any conversations, but you sat right in the middle of Felix and Hyunjin tonight. Seungmin watched as you excitedly answered Hyunjin’s questions about how your research has been and as you thoughtfully told Felix about your input on his new baking idea. Seungmin didn’t miss the warm smile on Jisung’s face when he realized how you were getting along with his friends (maybe he didn’t show it often, but your brother was often concerned for you - you never seemed to enjoy hanging out with people you knew, after all, and Jisung would hate for you to regret not allowing yourself to be more carefree in college). 

Seungmin watched as you agreed to go to his baseball game even when your brother couldn’t go and as you shyly laughed at the look of surprise on his face. Seungmin watched as you picked up the menu despite him knowing you already knew exactly what you wanted to eat.

Seungmin could say he knew a lot about you. 

He knew what your topic for your required research project was. He knew you couldn’t stand leaving your major even after you cried through the required classes that had nothing to do with your concentration. He knew that you always liked to eat the first slice of a peach and that you hated peeling tangerines. He knew how you couldn’t answer ‘what’s your favorite color?’ with a single-worded answer. He knew that you never put your left shoe on before your right and that you always muttered “keys, phone, wallet” every time you left your house.

Seungmin could say he knew a lot about you, but he was missing some of the most important things.

Seungmin didn’t know how you felt after you passed those classes you hated, or why you had so many unique habits when eating fruits. He didn’t know why you sighed when you saw a couple your age on a date the night you tagged along with your brother and his friends to the boardwalk. Seungmin sure as hell didn’t know why you decided to come with them tonight, but it was nice to see you interacting with everyone.

You smiled briefly when his eyes landed on yours, averting your gaze before he could even attempt to read what emotion was swirling through them. But Seungmin could tell that what swam through them was something more than what you wanted to let on. It was something you’d always held back so that you wouldn’t allow yourself to be vulnerable (you had done that enough). But your eyes weren’t enough to conceal it – what you felt was far too powerful for you to hide and parts of you began to filter into the room of people that loved having you around. Seungmin could tell something was there, but he would wait for you to embrace all that you were. He’d already waited this long after all.

So for now, Seungmin watched as you ordered a cheeseburger with a side of garlic fries and a Sprite.

⌕.  author’s note ;     something i most definitely wrote on a whim. the style is a little different from how i usually write and i like it a little more, but it was ngl extremely hard to do. haven’t posted much about seungmin in a while despite him being my ult, but i’m glad to be back hehe.

⌕. taglist ; @enhacolor @soobin-chois @koishua @chrysbibi

[matenr0u]

Oblivion, the Riku Keyblade: Translation

Oblivion/Bygone Memories

過ぎ去りし思い出Sugisarishi Omoide

Here’s my entry point for a bit of a deep dive into the ‘Riku Keyblade’. I have a few points jotted down about Oblivion, since it’s one of my favourite keyblades, but I’ll start with the name of it.

First it’s important to establish that despite being the Riku Keyblade, it’s actually symbolic of not just Riku alone but specifically Sora’s relationship with him. As the series progresses it gains a level of importance to other characters too, but being a Sora enjoyer I tend to regard Roxas and Xion like two little hamsters that escaped their pen and need to be stuffed back in, so I’m not sure if I’ll overly talk about them.

On to the name: I like the sound of the already established translation, ‘Passing Memories’, but I find ‘Passing’ is a word much too vague compared to ‘Bygone Memories’, so as a personal preference I’ll refer to it with my own interpretation unless someone more fluent in Japanese demonstrates another name that rolls more easily off the tongue.

Anyway, let’s get into the meat of this thing and how I reached this conclusion.

EN: Oblivion

JP: 過ぎ去りし思い出Sugisarishi Omoide

過ぎ去りし = Sugisarishi = Bygone/Long ago/Departed

思い出 = Omoide = Memory/Memories 

過ぎ = Too much/Passed/Past

去りし = Gone

Bygone Memories

Generally you can think of the meaning like, ‘a keyblade representing our shared memories of the distant past.’

Another interpretation more specific to the breakdown of their relationship could be, ‘our fond memories which have been left by the wayside.’

An example of how this phrase is typically used: 

過ぎ去りし日の思い出 

Memories of bygone days

I wonder if the keyblade’s name is a contraction of this phrase.

I don’t get the feeling that 過ぎ去りし思い出/Sugisarishi Omoide implies literally confused/forgotten memories as much as the EN name Oblivion does; moreso a nostalgic, or melancholy, reflection on good times between two people which occurred long ago.

I think both the EN and JP names can be interpreted to suit Sora and Riku’s connection to this Keyblade well, but there’s some nuance I’d like to get into.

忘却 Bokyaku is the term used in the JP name for Castle Oblivion — 忘却の城/Bokyaku no Shiro (Castle of Oblivion) — this word translates much more literally to Oblivion, a state of confusion or having forgot, than 過ぎ去りし/Sugisarishi, which is more like ‘long since passed/departed’. 

For this reason I get the idea that the keyblade was named Oblivion in EN because it sounds badass, still gets the point across, and goes well with Oathkeeper (which also has some liberties taken in the translation, presumably because that too sounds cooler to a western audience*).

There is a similar example within Kingdom Hearts’ usage of the word ‘memories’, too. In contrast to 記憶/kioku which is used for Memory’s Skyscraper — and sounds closer to, plainly, ‘one’s own memory/recollection’ —, the term 思い出/omoide usually denotes a memory or memories shared between people. It has a much more reminiscent tone of fond memories (or, perhaps, a particular memory?) shared with another, which fits well with the purpose of this keyblade and adds a bit of nuance that the EN name Oblivion lacks.

*You can also see this reflected in KHIII Oblivion’s default shotlock, named ‘Bladefury Eclipse’ in EN and ドーンエクリプス/Dawn Eclipse in JP. The JP name is much more meaningful to Sora and Riku and it’s a shame this was cast aside for cool points. ‘Dawn’ is written right there in kana, why didn’t they use it?

Meanwhile the shotlock ステラインセプション/Stellar Inception — which is shared with its sister keyblade Oathkeeper — remains identical in EN and JP.

I have Thoughts about the item required to obtain Oblivion in KHIII, known as Proof of Times Past in EN, but for now I’ll offer a simple translation.

EN: Proof of Times Past

JP: 過ぎ去りし証 Sugisarishi Akashi

Certificate of the Bygone

Or, ‘Evidence of Long Ago’

This one checks out, but some EN players seem confused about this certificate being called Times Past while the keyblade is called Oblivion. Hopefully my translation notes on the JP name shed some light on it.

And the item description:

EN: “A certificate awarded to those who have endured the most difficult trial of them all.”

JP: 「険しい戦いを制した者に贈られる証」

`Kewashii tatakai o seishita mono ni okurareru akashi'

“A certificate awarded to those who have overcome an insurmountable battle.”

Not much to add here either, but as a game dev myself I really enjoy the tiny gameplay detail of Sora literally being rewarded with Bygone Memories for pushing through ‘an extremely difficult conflict’— if you’re familiar with other Sora & Riku centric KH analyses, you can probably see where I’m going with this, so I’ll save that tangent for another day.

That about wraps up this part.

A final note for those who subscribe to the necklace theory: Bygone Memory — as in, a singular fond memory shared between two people long ago that may have since been cast aside, is an equally valid translation of the JP name.

This is just a fun little rant into the void, if I missed anything or made any mistakes, feel free to add on to it.

[loving-n0t-heyting]

I keep going back and forth on whether this is precise enough to be more than insight porn

Theres a common line of thought about how a) an implicit threat of violence (note the very vague term!) undergirds basically all social interaction and ii) therefore, personally eschewing violence and regarding it with distaste is morally hazardous bc it just lets you mask yr reliance on violence to yrself and others. How exactly this sentiment is articulated will differ depending on the broader worldview of the speaker, but the sentiment itself still finds expression across ideologies and cultures

I think, more and more, that this is just a bunch of bullshit, and is more than any deep insight into the truth of the world a reflection of

Locating an excuse to vent yr most sadistic impulses with a clean conscience

Grooming a mark into moral injury as a tactic for obtaining their loyalty

A visceral distaste for weakness and peacefulness

Part of it is that, in order to make claim (a) remotely plausible, you have to in effect frame passive existence as a (distally) violent act; but if you start taking up and tolerating (proximal) violence in yr own personal life you are not going to stop existing, so you are just adding proximal violence to the already established distal violence, which is more violence than otherwise. Part of it is that (contrary to (ii)) the scariest ppl i meet, who are most willing to rely on threats of socially sanctioned violence by others to enforce their wishes, are not very averse to violence in their immediate vicinity at all. (This is perhaps clearest in how they often treat insects and other small animals in their surrounding environment, and from internal propaganda by and for various brutal dictatorships)

The obvious intuition that (a) and (ii) are trying to counterintuitively undermine is that personal tenderness, kindliness, and squeamishness about irl violence are usually and for the most part indicators of a benevolent moral character. I think a more parsimonious and otherwise plausible explanation for this obvious intuition than a sophisticated mechanism for whitewashing ones inescapable complicity in slaughter and threats of force is that this connection is constantly borne out in our daily experience of the world. Its the reason we all react suspiciously towards ppl who are permanently willing to escalate disagreements into physical confrontation

In conclusion, firearm culture bad

[chowadoe]

Heyyy I just have a question about your au (which I'm obssessed with btw)

How did Robotnik stumble across Sonic? How did they find eachother and why did Sonic choose to work with him? (I noticed you used quotation marks on the word "raised", this is why I'm asking)

(Also I'm sorry if you have explained this before I'm just dumb and forget things alot😭)

hehe yes!! i touched vaguely on it but in the AU, but i have more thoughts

the AU is set in a Mobius/Earth that's heavily-industrialized, nearly robot-run and almost-dystopian backdrop.. rather than it being a case of man vs robot, its more like Earth vs the over-industrialization done by humans.

I'd like to think Robotnik found Sonic when he was pretty young, before his teens. since it's a role reversal where Sonic takes on more of Shadow's "ism"'s, I'd think there's lapses in sonic's past/memories that's simply a result of his upbringing in an machine-operated unnatural world. possibly found him orphaned and beat up from an unfortunate run-in (with either a robot or something else) in some junkyard. also toying with the idea that Robotnik suspects a rodent problem in his lab because whyyy is stuff going missing :/ and it seems to be connected to this little hedgehog over here.

Robotnik, having a lapse in his usual evil scientist judgement, decides to take him under his wing under the self-disgusing excuse of 'yes! haha! i'll teach him for taking my stuff! he can become my minion! my protege!' (when really Robotnik probably has a soft spot for kids). Robotnik is also quite interested in Sonic's extraordinary speed, thinking he'll prove quite useful for his future endeavors if he can train him. of course, Sonic is like a stray dog and kind of feral, because who can he trust in this world other than himself, so used to fighting for scraps where he can. the socialization process is long and arduous process LMFAO (as for the clothes, Sonic isn't interested in things that are readily given to him, he likes pissing Robotnik more, so lets say its something he "borrowed" from the scientist's closet and modded to his own liking. hes silly like that)

Robotnik at first tries to placate him with clothes and "toys" and "treats" (like fidgets and building sets and small robots. Sonic always ends up breaking them.) with little success. Sonic probably escapes several times, only coming back for something he needs- and its a routine that they both get used to because Robotnik can say "this is your last chance!" all he wants but when is it ever. and it's a habit that Sonic never really outgrows either.

Robotnik comes to the conclusion that Sonic is better left treated like outdoor cat that lets himself in when he's bored or whatever else (Sonic's quite good at sneaking into places. hedgehogs and burrowing and all that). eventually the machines and robots Robotnik builds do pique Sonic's interest-- but mostly in breaking them. he's more invested in the ways he can take things apart than anything else and that's a reoccurring headache Robotnik imposes on himself by dishing out new tech for Sonic to try out and they come out worse for wear at the end of the day.

They both mind their business at the end of the day, their relationship is rather estranged with little-to-no familial regard, Sonic's more of a thorn in his side than anything, but Robotnik still does have a soft spot for the rodent. Sonic is like the adoptive son that just never left his rebellious phase, wanting nothing to do with his guardian but bothering them when its convenient. he's Robotnik's contractual accomplice but only when it's on Sonic's terms, only agreeing to certain requests if it's interesting enough, like trying out Robotnik's new "toys"/weapons/robots or if it's tech that happens to boost his existing abilities (that he can try out on Robotnik's robots or G.U.N. soldiers or whatever gets in his way first).

[nanabansama]

hiii it’s tsutsumi-kurose!! would to hear your thoughts on the new chapter!! do you have any thoughts on who the people in the red house were this time? do you think they were really trying to help mitsuba? they seem different from the kannagi we originally saw in the red house arc! also just any thoughts overall bc wow what an ending!!

Hiii!!!! 💖💖💖

I really should write a proper post but...let's see! Yes, the new victims are mysterious, aren't they? I enjoyed the twist that they aren't evil and actually tried to help Kou and Mitsuba. At first their "Get Out"s seemed malicious, but then you realize it was a warning... (so yes, I do think they tried to help Mitsuba!)

I also don't think it's weird to say this is Amane's doing. This was his house, and these people weren't here in the old timeline, to our knowledge. And yes, I'm also thinking these aren't exactly kannagi...

That said, notice where they are. They're submerged in water. They're gurbling and glubbing out their words.

As I've talked about before, the Entity beneath the Red House is associated with water. Water bubbles float around its speech bubbles. It lives in a well. The kannagi were sacrificed into a water-filled chasm. Given that we are in the Red House itself, I am very confident when I say the Entity is a part of all this. (Very obvious conclusion, I know, lol.)

Anyway, I have to imagine these people are similar to Kou in that they were lured to the Red House by Amane. What the victims have in common I'm not sure... however given the fact that Kou was drawn here after being possessed by "Tsukasa-kun" it wouldn't surprise me if these people also came into contact with Tsukasa-kun.

But if that is the case that is extremely concerning... are there a bunch of missing person cases linked to people from Kamome Academy? Or does Tsukasa-kun have a farther reach than we thought?

Let's also remember Amane's age. If I remember correctly the latest we've seen him alive was as a teacher spreading rumors in 1983. It seems like he died that year, or soon after anyway, given his relatively young appearance in Chapter 118.

This could mean he's been at this forrr... more than 30 years?! With over 10 victims at that. It's not too crazy then if he's been getting away with it and that people think the missing person cases are unrelated...especially since the perpetrator, Yugi Amane, is probably considered dead...

One thing I found interesting is some of the victims are rather tall. And some rather short. Either this is a stylistic choice or the victims are all ages. Kind of mysterious! It's hard to imagine elementary schoolers being connected to Kamome Academy, for example, and these beings are really quite short...

They are very vaguely defined though so maybe it's not important. I mean, they don't even have legs.

Regardless, it's at least safe to assume the victims are all from the city of Kamome. Which isn't too weird considering the Red House from the old timeline also had many victims from Kamome.

Anyway, as I was saying earlier the victims are submerged in water which is famously linked to the Entity. I really don't think it's too crazy if these were victims sacrificed to the Entity in order to grant a wish. The Red House has always been a wish-fulfilling house, after all; from when Tsukasa sacrificed animals to it to give presents to Amane, to when Tsukasa asked Kou if he would sacrifice Nene to get his mom back.

It would be strange if the Red House of the new timeline didn't have anything to do with wishes! But that's time paradoxes for you I suppose.

Much to think about...I'm sure I'm overlooking something obvious right now. But I really loved the chapter! Threw a big curveball at me with Amane having a hole for a face. It tickles me that the twins still resemble each other so much, despite the age difference.

Really curious about the ways in which they are different though... and how much of their true selves remain... hmm... still kinda hoping we might find Tsukasa in the Red House!!! Feels wrong without him tbh. Thanks for the ask!!

[blueparadis]

╰┈➤ ANIMAL ✦ KAEYA ALBERICH.

⟣ ──┈ · · · + synopsis ➢ In the search for hauls Kaeya stumbled upon something greater, something divine that could revive him and his Khaenri'ah.

+

⟣ ──┈ · · · + cw ➣ fem!reader x pirate!kaeya,non - canon divergent lore, hints of supernatural powers, subtle mention of stockholm syndrome, dub-con, ( non-consensual to consensual ) somnophilia. read the part one here ( just the back story. they are not connected but you can consider this as a sequel. both can be enjoyed as a single oneshot. ); 1,2k word count. | blog navigation + koct’23 masterlist. |

There has been a vague series of events that have been frequenting your mind lately. It starts with a well-built person standing at the entrance of the room, perhaps a man; His face is blurred as he walks into your room, watching you, standing near you, touching you, your face and hair— you could even hear the floorboard creaking, feel the cold of the wind from the sea chilling your skin with goosebumps and the flame in the lamp dying as the man leans towards your face. That is when your slumber disrupts and you sit up but seeing everything around you as it was in your dream does not help.

But seeing Kaeya sitting outside the room with his goblet full of wine soothes your erratic heart rate a bit. Every time you wake up from this particular bad dream, he is some where near you— either outside on the deck or inside the room busy at his study desk. Many a night he has helped you go back to sleep by telling you various stories about his homeland, about the people he knew there.

Does he never sleep? You had thought every time you had found him awake in the dead of night. Kaeya had incorporated another bed in his cabin because the one he used to sleep in is now yours. It has been like that since the day he rescued you. You do not know why he kept you so long and under such protection even though he could have killed you after using you as a tool of pleasure. 

Generally, you would get up from the bed, have a glass of water and walk up to the deck asking him to come inside, to keep you company till you fall asleep again. But tonight it is different. The door is locked and Kaeya is in his bed, at an arm's length from yours, possibly awake. You can only see his long strands of copper-blue hair, his nape, and a part of his shoulder. Everything else is buried under the quilt.

You smile to yourself thinking about the first time you opened your eyes in his cabin, lying in his bed like this and saying “Map maker, I’m a map maker” when he asked about you; that is the only thing you could remember. 

And with a bright and warm smile, he had admitted, “Great. we could use a map maker.” A unified cheer from his crew followed him and you knew from the bottom of your heart that you are safe, you are okay here.

As you get out of bed, you notice a part of your dress as well as the bed wet. It had red stains so you assumed that your month's cycle had commenced. But the next morning you came to the conclusion that it was nothing but red wine, you knew it was a little early for your red cycle. Letting out a laugh you slipped out of your dress thinking how Kaeya can be clumsy sometimes but the thread of suspicion snapped when you noticed some bruises in your inner thigh, and around your taut nipples as your dress dropped on the floor.

Your legs gave up, your body froze and your skin burnt with goosebumps. You crouched down in cold agony. A stifling sob escaped your mouth thinking of who could have done this to you. Thinking who dared to touch you against your will despite sharing rooms with the master of this ship. So that night, you planned to pretend to be asleep, waiting for the person to show up in the cold dark night. 

But fate had other plans, soon the exhaustion and dizziness due to the salty breeze took over your urge to be awake and your eyes lulled to sleep. When you were awake again, you felt something in between your legs, something wet. You felt a sting around your pussy before it was soothed with a sweet lap of the tongue. Irregular breaths and pants hit your clit as you managed to pull up your head to see the face of the culprit. 

A knife in your hand and the clustered bed sheet in the other as you opened your eyes but alas! None of that mattered anymore. His face was not blurred anymore, you could see him as clear as a day. Springing upright on the bed you looked at him with dilated pupils. It was Kaeya.

“tsk, thought you were awake tonight.” Kaeya crawled towards you, his lips and nose stained with your arousal as he stopped inches away from your face. You could smell yourself on him. 

His mouth opens ajar as his lips latch around your clothed pebbled nipples. He suckled on them while his fingers had slowly slid up your thighs. You did not feel the emotions that you thought you would feel — rage, disgust, hatred, dirty and unholy. Rather a sense of relief had washed over you knowing it was none other than Kaeya, your rescuer. 

Under the guidance of his arms, you lay down again. He grazes his nose against the column of your throat inhaling your scent, feeling your light speed heartbeats. It makes him high in adrenaline and hard for some reason. He can not let you spiral now. So, with his honey-dewed voice, he whispered, “Don’t you think you owe it to me? For saving your life? Hmmm?” before diving back in between your legs, 

“Don’t you think you owe it to me, for saving your life? ” It rings in your ear, till now when the sun has come out, and Kaeya stands in his deck busy with his morning chores. Everything else has been sedimented at the back of your mind except that question. You were up earlier than Kaeya for the first ever. The sea is awfully calm tonight while your heart is full of chaos. It took a few raw shots of vodka to gather the courage to do what you are about to do. And that was not even the worst part. 

You liked it, every bit of it, that was the worse part. To think that Kaeya wanted you in more ways than just a map maker illuminated your body with desire and hunger. So, when you are all on your fours on his bed, barely clad, and Kaeya’s quilt is on the floor you do not know if it is the seed of vengeance, gratitude, or desire that sprouted into something else, that made you kneel in front of him.

As you fidget with the strings of his trousers Kaeya wakes up due to the cold and is shocked at first seeing you in front of him like this, desperate and drunk. 

“What are you doing here?” he blurted out.

“Why?” you drawled. “I’m here to return the favor,” you muttered kissing his navel and then looking up to him.

[aurae-rori]

AVENTURINE TRAILER ANALYSIS - THE GOLDEN TOUCH

SPOILERS FOR 2.1 CONTENT & AVENTURINE’S TRAILER! 

TW FOR VERY VAGUE SUICIDE MENTIONS. 

Hey girlies, hold still. On another note, hello again! I will be going through visual analysis, symbolism, and talking about how this trailer ties multiple aspects of Aventurine’s character together. Some of the things covered here I will be covering in my full analysis of Aventurine himself, so feel free to give that a shot. 

My disclaimer! Although I have been researching psychology personally for about six years, I am NOT a professional. (Yet. When I do, Tumblr Will Know.) Any conclusions I come to are because of my own deductions, personal interpretations, analysis, and logic. You are free to disagree with what I say! 

I also do NOT know card numbers and symbols – what they mean and symbolize and all that jazz. Sorry guys. :( 

Now, let’s get into it. 

First of all, let’s fucking go, let this man ENJOY himself (well. A little. This trailer is not as happy silly as it seems, just like the character himself.) He gets to have a silly boogie woogie! Look at you go!! (He is not boogie woogie-ing.)

Second of all, time for game theories.  

The first scene is really pretty. It’s a coin falling down, toppling against a few stray objects before we flash to the next panel, the ground, as it rolls to the feet of a young boy. Gently, he reaches down, before picking it up, and then, in true Aventurine fashion, proceeds to flip the coin in his hand. However, this gesture actually holds more meaning than I originally thought it did. The coin that Aventurine has seems to transcend his definition of ‘time’ – his inherent ‘value’, or his ‘roots’, never changing. It also shows his connection to his younger self – how he’s still holding onto that child, still connecting to that child, and showing that this child is still a part of him, even if it’s only his past self. 

I believe that the coin that he always has flipping around actually represents Aventurine himself – it represents his ��value’ as a gambling chip. In Aventurine’s eyes, interpersonal relationships are just like that – they are gambles, where people take advantage of one another and backstab each other. However, it also represents how little he seems to care for his own life – he tosses the coin around, does tricks with it, and is overly flamboyant – just like how he presents himself to the outside world. This single gambling chip is actually the presentation of how Aventurine sees himself and presents himself to everyone else, as well as encompasses his worldview – bet himself, going ‘all in’ with his own worth, or doing nothing. That worth has been with him his entire life – the worth of being a child blessed by a God from his home, being blessed with good fortune. 

Also, sick ass transition. Love that shit. 

Pay attention to the next scene – there’s a brief moment where it shows him walking through a hallway… through the lens of a camera. This could definitely be alluding to the idea of always being watched – I mean, he’s the last of his own race, of course there’s going to be eyes on him. People are going to be asking questions - how is he still alive? Why is he with the IPC? Can he be trusted, considering his race was known for scheming and plotting? 

And then, he tosses open the door in a grand display – a grand display of his fake persona. He opens the room to a whole bunch of robots, who are all gambling, and they stare at him in surprise. That’s Aventurine – flamboyant, showy, confident. He holds a captive audience and all of the others move to the side as he strides towards the slots machine – and as predicted, due to his good luck, he gets three in a row. However, what I think is important to note is that he slides his coin into the machine – and remember what I said about the coin representing his worth? This is what I mean by he bets himself. He is just another gambling chip that he will use to achieve victory no matter what. He is another pawn on the table who has made his way this far, and it’s all or nothing – his whole worth, or not worth the gamble at all. 

Also, at 0:42, we see a briefcase open up to reveal a gem – definitely a callback to the 2.1 trailblaze quest with his moment with Ratio. Damn, gay people. 

Then, after that, he slides many chips towards the table – and interestingly enough, they’re all copies of his one singular chip. This, your honour, is what we call a ‘bluff’. Pretending to be more than you are in order to appear more confident so that your enemies will fear you. Pretty good strategy, honestly. 

Also, cool editing with the machines falling into the Void of Cards. Maybe symbolism for how people fall into his persona easily and fall for his schemes? 

Epic ahh pose, 0:54. Love that for you, my silly homosexual lad. 

Also, him in the elevator going to the top at around 1:02? That means more than you think it does. Probably most likely a representation of how he had to crawl his way from the bottom to the top, and yet, now, it’s showing that he is at the top now. He takes an elevator instead of having to climb – he’s gotten higher, he’s gotten more status. His ‘all or nothing’ mentality pays off. 

And then, he’s set into an arena. Representation of life, honestly. His whole life is a stage, a play, something to be watched. He’s here to put on a good show. He’s being watched, which is a callback to my note about the camera at the start. 

Then, the horrors are set loose. He does his gambling stuff with the cup in his hand while he dodges the monsters. That’s him, alright – taking gambles in dangerous situations, relying on his luck, smiling through what should be terrifying. 

“The wager will be life and death,” but oh, that’s your usual wager, Aventurine. We all know how you have self-destructive tendencies. 

1:42. Hand behind his back. Oh lord, we all died. We all know what the hand behind his back means. We all know how much emotional damage that caused. 

1:46. The dice cracks. Just like his cornerstone, eh? Just like his façade, right…? :) 

And then, everything is drowned in gold coins. Yay! 

And then, he’s standing on a ledge. Possibly a callback to how he said that he had “tested death” in the dreamscape. What better way to test it than jumping? 

And then his enemies are drowning in coins. Probably a metaphor for his win against them. 

And then, here is where things get interesting at the two minute mark. He tosses his coin down, again, like at the beginning of the trailer. Kakvasha flipped the coin up, trying to get higher, and then, Aventurine tosses the coin down, keeping his connection with his younger self. It falls down to the ground, and Kakavasha picks it up with awe in his eyes. He’s still keeping in mind his younger self, still keeping him with him, even to this day. Holding onto his past like a lifeline. 

Aventurine’s trailer… while it does seem on the surface that you’re having fun, you’re really not, when everything is a show and a gamble, right? 

Alright, thanks for reading, everyone! :)