#not to mention it's fun to analyze myself

[rainofthetwilight]

honestly, when i first saw sora's backstory, i didnt react much, but now im noticing everything and its just really sad to think about

see this little kid who was full of hope? see this girl, that was just an innocent kid full of life, having that one role model that every kid had in some point of their lives?

this girl was then stripped away from everything she loved the moment she realized the truth, that this "role model" of hers was abusing poor innocent creatures, that their people have been brainwashed by this so-called emperess she actually used to follow, having your own parents shun you and take away everything you had and isolate you just because you knew the truth, and said truth wasnt just something bad, no, it was a fucking nightmare to think about, imagine taking that all in at 10

if the merge never happend, she would've been stuck in that sucker of a realm her whole life. she wouldve never been able to continue her childhood, her love for tech, nothing just absolutely nothing. she wouldve been locked away and alone forever, she wouldnt even have her own family by her side

the fact she didnt even hesitate to leave when the merge happend is heartbreaking, she was so fucking young, and was treated so poorly by everyone. imagine staying like that for probably months. she even named herself after that freaking dragon to respect her.

and as someone who actually experienced what sora had to endure when i was a kid, being shunned by my family for nearly a year during that time, i just have to point out that:

ana and sora are two completely different charcters.

when ana left, she became sora. a completely new person that was an ending with a new beginning, seeds that became remenants.

I know alot of people will disagree with me and say that lloyd had a tougher backstory, or maybe harumi, etc, but every charcter experienced something the other wouldnt handle, making no tragedy rougher than the other

i have nothing else to say but..damn

[theabsurdity]

I found an old contact sheet for a roll of film I took in 2010, this day was fun, out in a small town where you could still smoke in the bar

[darkmatilda]

𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 | 𝐬.𝐫𝐞𝐢𝐝

𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: you're going through a tough time after being forced to kill someone for the first time, and spencer decides to talk to you about it. the problem is, he approaches it in the most wrong way possible—driving you to fury.

𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬/𝐭𝐰: spencer reid x diva!chemist reader, argument (omg you have no idea how much i love writing fight scenes), mention that the reader shot an unsub during the case, reader copes by working a lot

𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬: 3.1k

𝐚/𝐧: anon's request

Spencer reached for his coat, but before he could throw it over his shoulders and head for the exit, someone’s hand tapped him playfully on the arm.

“Hey, man,” Morgan greeted him.

Well, greeted might not have been the most accurate term. After all, they’d spent almost the entire day together, working on a case that fortunately ended successfully, and now, on this early Friday evening, they were both heading for the door in pretty good spirits. So, it would’ve been more fitting to say he stopped him. He stopped him with a slight grin on his face and his hands casually placed in the pockets of his black leather jacket. He stopped him because, most likely, he had something to ask— a question, or a suggestion, a request, or an offer, maybe even all of the above in one.

To clarify, it wasn’t like Morgan only started a conversation when he wanted something. Of course not, they were friends after all. It was just that his posture in that particular moment suggested he was about to speak to him with some specific intent.

Spencer shook his head. After spending the entire day deeply focused on analyzing every tiny detail of the case and interrogating people, his mind was working on such efficient gears that he couldn’t shake himself out of that state.

“Hi,” he replied simply, tossing his purple scarf around his neck.

"Any plans for the evening? Got anything interesting planned?"

"Actually, yes," Spencer replied, unable to hide the hint of excitement that crept into his voice. Derek raised his eyebrows, showing interest as he waited for what Spencer was about to say. He adjusted his scarf, tucking the loose end under his coat. "I’m planning to watch an online conference I missed on the use of iPS cells in treating neurodegenerative diseases."

His friend simply nodded, accepting the answer. Some might have thought it was a joke, but Derek had long since gotten used to it.

"Being friends with you, Reid, I constantly have to remind myself that we all have different definitions of the word interesting," he muttered, without malice or sarcasm in his voice. Slowly, they both headed toward the elevator, waiting for it to stop at their floor. "Have fun, then. But if you happen to be in the mood for something else, join us. Just a regular night out at the bar, nothing fancy, but at least with good company." 

Normally, he wouldn’t have given the offer a second thought. I mean, he might have considered it for a fraction of a second, then immediately rejected it, simply because he’d prefer to spend the evening doing something else. However, for some reason, Morgan’s words stayed with him for much longer than just a fraction of a second.

“In good company,” he repeated, before he could bite his tongue. The elevator doors opened in front of them, and they both stepped inside. “You mean our team?”

“Yeah. As I said, nothing fancy.”

“I know, it’s just... no one else? Like Will, Kevin, other friends...?”

Morgan’s eyes widened, just like his mouth, which curved into an amused grin. He pointed a finger at him.

“I know what you're getting at.”

Spencer exaggeratedly shrugged his shoulders.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. I just asked.”

“Sure. Oh, come on, Reid. Be a big boy and just ask directly.”

“I don’t have anything to ask directly, and, furthermore, I have no idea what you’re even talking about—”

“Dear Derek,” Morgan started, putting in embarrassingly little effort to mimic Spencer’s voice, which made him sound more like Penelope after inhaling a helium balloon. “Would you be so kind as to tell me if your dazzlingly beautiful and slightly sassy lab friend will be joining you guys as well? Because if so, I might change my mind.”

His mouth opened when something came out of it that he would never have said, and it wasn’t even his original intention! He just wanted to start a conversation and learn more about his friends' plans, that’s all. Whether Morgan’s dazzlingly beautiful and slightly sassy lab friend was going to be there or not didn’t interest him at all. And it definitely wouldn’t change his mind.

After the initial shock, which only caused Derek even more amusement, he let out an exaggerated snort. His friend always liked to make up things and suggest that he was head over heels for every attractive woman who crossed his path, just to embarrass him. Spencer seriously hated it and had no idea how to correct him, didn’t even think it was possible.

So, he just rolled his eyes, as if deeply exhausted by how irritating his conversation partner was.

“If you think I’d skip the conference for her, you’re deeply mistaken,” he stated briefly, in a defensive tone.

Morgan stared at him silently for a moment, piercingly. For all the mysteries of the universe, why was this elevator moving so slowly...

“Well, let’s say I believe you,” he began slowly. “But in any case, that’s not a choice for you tonight. Because she won’t be there. She was still in the lab when I went to invite her, and there was no sign she was planning to leave early. Again.”

The last word again was said with a slight sigh. Spencer felt his shoulders stiffen slightly, his brows furrowing as he looked at Derek in confusion.

“Still in the lab at this hour? She?”

The impression he always had of her was that she maintained almost perfect balance at work between her duties, rest, and fun. She did her job excellently but never arrived early or stayed later than required. Well, the only exception was when they were working on something truly urgent, but Spencer didn’t know anything about a situation like that. 

“I mean, she didn’t want to go out with us recently either,” Morgan explained. “Which is worrying when it comes to her. You know, Reid, maybe you could talk to her.”

He glanced over his shoulder, as if someone named Reid were standing behind him. There wasn’t. But the request seemed almost ridiculous to Spencer.

“Why me?” he asked “I’d like to remind you that she’s your friend. And you’re the one who’s worried about her.”

“And you’re not?”

“I—” Spencer stopped, because the whole conversation and its course didn’t make much sense in his head.

Before he could respond or find a way to dodge answering a question he honestly couldn’t answer, Morgan beat him to it.

“I just thought you might reach her somehow, because I couldn’t. And if not, maybe at least you’ll annoy her enough that she’ll leave the lab on her own, not wanting to spend another second there with you. As they say, no way is the right way, but the result…” 

The elevator finally stopped. Morgan was the first to step out, giving Spencer a nod as a farewell.

“I don’t think anyone says that,” Spencer mumbled, still not moving from his spot.

“Have a good evening, Reid.”

He didn’t know what drove him, but the thought of the conference he’d been so eager to watch seemed to have vanished. Or maybe it was still there, but not strong enough to stop him from pressing the elevator button with the intention of heading to the lab, not knowing yet what he was even doing. 

*

She was there when he stopped right in the doorway, but bent over a microscope and some scattered papers, she didn’t even notice his arrival.

That, however, gave him the chance to look at her.

Well, when Spencer decided to come here, he expected her to look…noticeably worse.

Although he hadn’t mentioned it to Morgan, he had a pretty good idea of what might’ve caused her sudden withdrawal from social life, along with the way she’d started taking on more and more work. Those were fairly common ways in which trauma quietly echoed through someone’s life.

Though, if he asked her, she probably wouldn’t even call it trauma. She likely felt she had no right to feel bad about killing a man who had planned to do something far, far worse. She knew she had done the right thing— which was exactly why her own emotional response, the guilt that didn’t quite make sense, probably created a whirlwind of confusion in her mind.

At least, that was the assumption he’d built in his head back in the elevator—before he saw her. Once he did, he wasn’t so sure anymore.

Because, as he had just observed, she looked… exactly the same.

Spencer didn’t know what he had expected—maybe dark circles under her eyes, a tired face, messier hair, clothes that didn’t quite match. Something that would clash with who she usually was, some outward sign that something inside her wasn’t right.

But he found nothing like that.

“Admiring the view?” she asked, without even lifting her head or pausing what she was doing.

Because of the strange tone in her voice, he wasn’t sure for a second what she’d actually said. It was stripped of its usual bite, its usual rhythm. Not weak, not quiet—just…drained of something.

“You’re still here?” he stepped closer to her workstation, positioning himself across from her, though still keeping a fair amount of distance—one that only shrank when she leaned forward over whatever she was working on.

She didn’t rush to respond, but it wasn’t like she was deliberately delaying either.

“As you can see,” she replied.

He often claimed to absolutely hate the fact that she always had to have a sharp—really sharp—comeback ready for everything he said, but in that moment, he would’ve loved to hear one from her.

“You’re being nice, and it’s… concerning.”

“I’m being nice?”

“For you, yeah. I expected something more like, Well, if you still have to ask even though I’m sitting right in front of you, maybe invest in some glasses, because clearly your eyesight isn’t doing great. And then you’d add something like…”

“Wow,” she scoffed. “You really think highly of me.”

“That was pretty passive-aggressive.”

“Which, as we all know, is usually your territory, so don’t be a hypocrite and call me out on it. Do you want something? Need something?” She straightened up in her seat, resting her elbows on the desk and finally fixing her gaze on him—barely blinking. “Because I really don’t have time right now to argue with you over basically nothing. So if it’s nothing important, just do me a favor and leave.”

For a moment, they locked eyes in silence—she was clearly waiting for a response or a move, like him walking out. But when he didn’t budge, she only let out an irritated sigh and returned to her work, apparently deciding to just ignore his presence.

Reid cleared his throat, clearly not intending to grant her that wish.

“That’s a lot,” he noted, glancing at what she was working on. “And you’re planning to do it all by yourself? I mean, you have your team too. Why aren’t they…”

“Because I sent them home,” she cut in. “And besides—my team, not your business.”

“You sent them home,” he repeated, keeping his voice even, not letting it sound even slightly annoyed. And that calmness, in turn, seemed to irritate her. But that was the truth. He wasn’t annoyed with her—not since he started to suspect what might be behind her behavior. In fact, it felt like the angrier she got with him, the more honest she was willing to be. And he really hoped he was right about that. He really didn’t want to end up with something acidic thrown in his face.

He pushed the image out of his mind and kept going, following his theory.

“...right when there’s this much work. What’s the logic in that?”

She rolled her eyes, like it should’ve been obvious.

“The logic is that sometimes, if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.”

“Or maybe the logic is that taking all this work on yourself is the perfect excuse to isolate without having to explain it to anyone.”

He felt the weight of his words hit like a quiet bomb—its blast radius making her go completely still for a moment. Her whole body froze. Just for a second—a very short one.

Spencer had to pull in a breath before he could keep going.

“Because no one really questions it when you just say you don’t have time. Or maybe it’s an excuse for yourself, too—because the more work you pile on, the less time, and eventually the less energy, you have left to think about…”

“Stop.” She cut him off sharply, pulling her hand off the desk.

He still caught the way it clenched into a fist.

“Oh, so I’m wrong?” he asked, not really waiting for her answer.

Still, he eased up a little, softened his tone—figuring he’d already pushed her far enough.

“Listen, I get what this is about. Morgan told me today you’ve been acting a little off—or, well, not like you. Not going out with the others…”

“Wow, God forbid a woman wants to spend her time doing something other than parties and nights out…”

“We both know this isn't about what you suddenly decided you wanted to do,” he sighed, unable to suppress the frustration that caused another crack in his calm exterior. This time, though, he didn’t give himself a moment to breathe before continuing. “It’s about what happened, the unsub you shot, and that you weren’t ready for how much it would affect you…”

“What are you trying to achieve here, Reid?” she asked, suddenly rising from her seat. Her arms crossed over her body, not in a casual posture, but almost in a defensive, distancing gesture. The question wasn’t laced with a scoff, only a subtle irritation, which, however, still made it sound like the calmest thing she’d said to him all day. “You came here to what? To push me until, for some of your sick satisfaction I admit yes, fuck yes, it was hard for me, shooting someone in the head? Fine, I said it! So, now what?” She spread both arms wide, a questioning gesture.

Spencer opened his mouth to say something, even began shaking his head, wanting to make it clear that he wasn’t trying to pressure her. But then, he realized—well, he was. But not to make her feel bad, or, as she’d said, for some sick satisfaction. He just needed her to admit it to herself. And it seemed like that’s exactly what happened, because suddenly, she fell silent too, her gaze dropping. He noticed the irregular rhythm of her breath rising and falling.

“Do you really...do you really think I’m doing this for my sick satisfaction?” he asked incredulously, watching closely as she shrugged at his question. “Did it ever occur to you that I might, I don’t know, want to help you?”

“Oh, look, here comes the savior,” she scoffed, suddenly bursting into sarcastic laughter, gently shaking her head from side to side. “Well, you’ve really nailed it, haven’t you? So empathetic and understanding…”

“If I were trying to be empathetic and understanding, you wouldn’t even look at me, still buried in those papers, pretending like you don’t care what I’m talking about,” Reid pointed out, forcing himself to fully believe in the rightness of what he had done. Because when he saw her reaction, some doubts crossed his mind. Had he really approached this in the worst possible way? He exhaled, shaking off the thought. “Or you’d laugh at me, because that’s what you usually do. So stop pretending like I’ve hurt you so badly, because we both know that’s not true.”

She must have realized the truth in his words, as she only pressed her lips tighter instead of immediately firing back with a response. Spencer only then realized that the lab was completely silent. Before, he had felt like he was in the middle of a crowded office, where hundreds of voices were shouting over each other, and around them, there was a tense, almost buzzing atmosphere.

"Actually, yes. I think you're doing this for your sick satisfaction," she admitted after a prolonged moment of silence. Very quietly, and very sharply. As if it had been brewing inside her for a long time and was now finally spilling out with its sharpness.

Spencer couldn't stop himself from rolling his eyes, wanting to say that he already explained it, and there was no point in continuing this line of discussion. She, however, felt differently.

"Isn't that what your job is all about, huh, Mr. Profiler? You all get off on these psychological games. Bursting into someone's head when they don't want you there, trying to psychoanalyze them when they never asked for it," she began, listing off the points with a vacant stare locked onto him. Her expression remained the same—cold, unchanging. Only by the last few words did her voice slightly tremble, something she immediately swallowed down. "You can play those games with serial killers, fine, you might even be of use to all of us in doing so. But don't think for a second that I'm going to let you try anything like that with me."

After her last words settled, she held their gaze for a moment before breaking it with a certain dignity, beginning to gather all her papers into a tight stack, which she then grasped firmly. Spencer watched her movements, his words lingering, but he remained silent.

Why had he even come here? Was he fooling himself into thinking he could help her? Or had he known from the beginning that she didn’t need his help, but showed up anyway, driven by some kind of guilt because it was in his defense that she shot that man? Maybe, at first, there had been some concern. But now, he felt none of that.

Lost in his thoughts for a moment, he only then realized she was looking at him expectantly.

“It would be nice if you left,” she said, nodding toward the exit. “I need to lock up the lab.”

Spencer had always considered heightened politeness to be a form of ultimate anger. The kind that strikes directly at the shield it’s aimed at, double-edged and precise.

It was the kind of tone that only made him nod curtly and do exactly what she asked—leave.

post-reading author’s note: my personal headcanon, which you can accept or not, is that she left the lab and went to meet her friends 😆 so derek was right, and spencer did manage to annoy her enough that she left the lab on her own so kinda a win lol

[toxycodone]

Laios x Beastkin!Reader

an. Senshi, Chilchuck, and Marcille x Reader are mentioned quiiiite a bit in here. Izutsumi x reader is more sparse. split between furry/scaly/feathery beastkin after the more general ones in the beginning. SORRY if the formatting is weird I got "text limited" a lot on this lmfao

this is a lot so. <3 show sum luv

general sfw

when you two first meet...bro is ELATED. He knows Izutsumi, which is fine, but you're an entirely different one. Who also doesn't seem to be super against him getting to know them

He asks SO many questions. What are you mixed with? Are you naturally born or artificial? What's it like having wings? A tail?

He's testing out all your features. He loves them so much.

When there's downtime, he likes to conduct "research". This goes for analyzing your features and making notes, comparing them to his books and other notes, and even more intricate tests like reaction time and stuff.

He'll hold a candle/torch by your face and test your pupil dilation. It's oddly intimate because he's just staring you down and its like. okay. are we gonna kiss orrrr

Loves. Loves. Loves just WATCHING you. Seeing the way you pounce on little bugs for fun or get spooked by certain noises. He just smiles and is all amused.

You'll catch him doodling you pretty often. He makes notes like "y/n caught a treasure bug today. They seem pretty skilled at hunting. Failed to kill it for some reason...just played with it until it scurried off." The doodles are like...surprisingly pretty decent. The monster portions of you are the best looking and most detailed. But it's so cool to see just how much he pays attention to you and your idiosyncrasies.

Your interactions with Izutsumi also interest him. Do you guys get along? Are you prey to her? Or is she to you? If you and Izu are talking or around each other he's watching like a hawk out of pure curiosity.

However...there's a particular page in his journal where he's providing feedback on how he would make you "better" aka cooler. It's basically just his own ramblings. No Laios, an extra set of eyes and the ability to breath fire and ice and everything in between is not. better. you're just salivating over the idea of your monster OC

If you bring this up to him he actually agrees. After a lot of note taking and observation he's really fascinated just on how well suited your entire existence is to...surviving. He has a lot of theories he'd love to share about you.

But he has e x t e n s i v e notes on your body. It's something that fr makes you blush because, why is he theorizing about the base of your tail and how it connects to your spine? and the number of nipples you have? wait...how is his guess right...?

But Laios is so useful. You might as well call him your owner. You don't have to lift a finger when it comes to taking care of yourself. (He misses his dogs so you fill in.)

He takes care of your skin/fur/scales/feathers, cuts your claws, helps you file down your hooves or horns. He's very into taking care of you if you'll let him. (Marcille also hops in on this since its her love language LOL. When she's not busy with Izutsumi she helps when she can.)

If you are like...afraid of water or don't enjoy bathing. You are like the party's pet. They're debating on how to get you clean before Chilchuck is like "if you don't take a bath I am going to kill you and throw you in there myself." Laios then goes all puppy dog eyed bc he thinks Chil is being to hard on you and then he sighs and is like "fine. I'll buy you a treat when we get back to the surface."

Marcille/Laios are really good when it comes to bath time. They aren't weird about it (Laios is checking you out but. In a curious type of way. Marcille is giving him side eye if hes getting too...Laiosy. But he respects your boundaries. Just imagine Laios happily scrubbing you while humming a tune awe.)

And when it comes to sleeping arrangements...you can alternate between anyone in the party. But Laios and Chilchuck are your best bets. Marcille is an excellent sleeping partner if the dreams don't bother you, shes soo happy to have you sleep with her and she's soft and smells nice.

Laios happily lets you sleep with him. He's actually not super cuddly (unless you are he'll reciprocate). But he is very much like, giving you a ton of space. If you fall asleep before him he just relents and sleeps as comfortably as he can around you lol. Literally just like any other pet owner.

Chilchuck....sleeping with him is difficult bc Izutsumi will fight you on it, but she relents if you can fit in without much issue (bonus points if you're warm) so. You guys can both overheat this poor man. Izu may even start cuddling with you more. She finds a lot of comfort in having another beastkin in the party even though she won't say it.

And speaking of Chilchuck...you're likely a bit more cooperative than Izutsumi, so he gets your help when it comes to checking for traps and finding treasure. With your elite hearing and other abilities, he's actually really pleasantly surprised how useful you are. (If you were a half-foot he'd definitely want you in his guild). He gives you pets and treats when the others aren't really paying attention (He doesn't want them to see him doting on you is all LOL).

Okay. So. Your diet. This is an anime about eating so. Let's get down to it.

Whether you're a herbivore, carnivore, or omnivore--Laios is ENSURING your needs are taken care of in the party. It is of upmost importance to him.

He takes notes and asks about how certain foods make you feel. Are you more energized? Less energized? Stomach hurting? Pooping well? (Will ask this with upmost sincerity, he wants to make sure the butter/milk/etc used in their cooking isn't interfering with your tummy. Whether you want to answer this is up to you lol).

Laios and Senshi happily adjust things to your needs. Laios will spend time foraging with you, Senshi will find certain monsters with more nutrients that meet your needs. Senshi is also like, really knowledgeable about nutrients, so sometimes in your food he may grind up shells or bones to meet calcium needs and such. When he cooks he'll give you bones or soften them up in water so you can eat the marrow. :-)

Senshi...is the coolest though. He also lets you perch on him (like Izutsumi) and since he's lived in the dungeon for so long, he knows a lot about monsters firsthand. If it applies, he'll give you tips about yourself or some monsters you should prey on. Senshi and you go on little foraging trips too. He'll have you sniff things out in return for extra food during dinner.

Laios likes to see you hunt prey and eat it raw, though. Everyone else would rather not and it makes them sick but he thinks it is SO cool. He honestly wishes he could do that. He takes hunting lessons from you and will give you tips on being stealthier and such.

Your teeth really fascinate him. He likes testing your bite strength on different types of material (Like wood, stone, bones, etc.). He'll stick his fingers in your mouth and admire them if youd let him. He gives you so much praise in general its so cute.

AND. PETTING YOU. He is so tactile if you let him (i mean look how much he tries and fails to pet izutsumi). When you give him the all clear he is like. jumping for joy. he LOVES to pet you and praise you. He absentmindedly pets you when hes sitting down or standing by you. And when you nuzzle into his touch his heart SOARS. You can see on his face he's blushing and has that like. excited wiggly smile <3

I think when he's just sitting around he just messes with your tail. He likes it.

Lay down beside him and he will happily pet you and be like "do you like this? Is this a good spot?" Present. Your belly to him. and he is over the moon. He pets you wildly and is like "Who's a good boy/girl/monster?" He is so unashamed about doing this too. Chilchuck would put a stop to it if you didn't like it so much.

If you give him kisses or tongue bath's he's eating that shit up (i mean. look at those extra comics w him and dogs he lets dogs just kiss all over his face omfg). He isn't a huge fan of getting his hair wet (sensory issue) but when it's your drool...he can't help but be excited. Laios is all like "they're grooming me?? this means they like me, right??? Can I officially say I befriended a monster???"

It's proof that you care for him and view him as apart of your pack...he is just over the moon at this.

I will say...Laios is way too "has no backbone with you" for a while. You're chewing shoes? You can't help it! Stealing snacks? It's instinctual! Playing too rough with Izutsumi? C'mon guys...

But when he notices his party actually getting upset. You will be surprised how he can put his foot down. Not even max puppy eyes work on him. He will leash and muzzle you if needed.

But you can always get away with messing with his stuff. He thinks its fun to chase you around when you got his shirt in his maw. Then he happily wears the torn up gear and Marcille is like "let me sew it..."

For Scaly Beastkin:

He's so helpful when it comes to shedding season. Laios finds nice rocks all the time and helps scrape off any patches that are drying and crusting and hes not even phased and doesn't think its gross at all. He would keep some skin to test its resilience if you let him.

And going with that, when you need to shed and soak he would help you find a place and will happily assist with the shedding. He's so excited to be there honestly. But he feels bad you are uncomfortable so he lets you cuddle up under the water with him while you wait for your shed to soften up <3

Laios runs his fingers over your scales absentmindedly...just loves feeling how smooth they are, especially after he spent so much time helping them maintain that pristine smoothness.

He gets Marcille's help to make a moisturizing ointment to put on you every now and then so you don't get to dried out in the dungeon!! Marcille starts to fret about that too. You're just kinda chillin and she'll reach over and put ointment on your hands/cheeks/tail. Just areas you may be susceptible to drying out.

Also...he lets you use him as a heating rock. Sunshine is really limited in the dungeon, so...when you need a warm up he's there and waiting and extremely excited to warm you up with a hug.

For Furry Beastkin:

Brushes you. He'd do this EVERY evening (and morning) if you let him. He takes notes, too. Do you have an undercoat? Or is it just one? What does this mean about what environment you originated from?

He probably tries to use your shed fur to embellish his own clothes or put in his pillow/blankets. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle I guess?

And to add to that...remember how Marcille made a cute little cat head from Izutsumi's fur? He does that too. He and Marcille make cute little shapes outta your shed and giggle together about it.

If you get fleas...he is the party member you should tell. He'll help you get rid of them and won't rat you out to the other members LOL. He'd probably blame himself if it spread and the rest of the party is like "you expect us to beleive. you got fleas. Laios you would be excited if you got them."

For Feathered Beastkin:

Preening....<3. When you have pin feathers he is so sweet and gentle. gently picks them out. It kinda tickles bc he's just gliding his fingers over your wings. You'll catch him sighing in content and burying his face in the softness. It's so sweet.

He collects your feathers and shows them off to Marcille (who also really likes them.) Your down is SO useful too. The party has the softest blankets and pillows thanks to you. When you're molting everyone is calling dibs on the feathers to stuff in their bedding.

Laios examines your wingspan and is really interested on stuff like weather you can fly or not. If you can, he's in awe. He wants to see it. Maybe even fly with you if he can. Its always been a dream of his to do that.

nsfw

tw (for nsfw). monsterfucking? if that counts. mentions of vent/cloaca/knot

This man. It is so easy to tell overtime just how fucking horny he gets over monster stuff. He is addicted to just how much you differ from him. Your scales, fur, feathers, wings, etc....he thinks they're all extremely sexy.

He just loves the primal aspect of it? Like you act on instinct. Do what makes you happy. Like of course you have human reasoning and such but STILL. You're so non human and otherworldly it makes his stomach knot up and his dick hard as a rock. He wants to know EVERYTHING about you.

If you have a heat/rut cycle...he is. fucking. begging you come to him for help. jfc you don't even have to let him stick his dick in you. He just slowly probes your hole with his fingers and legit GASPS when he feels it clench around him. Not only is he learning so much about you and monster anatomy but hes also having his monster fucking dreams come true.

I mean it is a given with Laios but his fucking face is always in your hole. He loves eating pussy/ass so fucking much. And having your dick, clit, or knot down his throat drives him wild. He eats your slick and cum like he's starving. He's so sloppy with it too--there's spit and slick and cum all over his face and he's just slurping it all up like its his last meal.

He definitely "examines" you. He'll stick his fingers in you and stretch out your hole just to get a better look at what's inside. (imagine his thumbs sliding in and prying you open.) The muscles pulsating and the color and the smell...god he's drooling. You feel all vulnerable and exposed but he's just constantly praising how amazing your body and its functions are.

He busts so quick with a beastkin it....wow. Like. You are seriously all he has ever dreamed of and shit. I can't imagine he'd be able to contain himself. He cums and just still wants more, he fucks you through the overstimulation until he cries

Oh he wants to know whats in your pants so bad its ridiculous. Like. I cannot explain just how much he is vibrating with excitement

If you have a cloaca...he's very gentle with your hole at first. You explain to him what to look for, what feels good. He'll gently explore with his fingers until he finds the right hole and then he's going at it. He's shoving his tongue in there happily too. He knows what a cloaca is. He knows it's a singular vent for waste and sexual functions. Doesn't matter. His tongue is going in there. Laios is beyond excited to taste everything and see what makes you squirm.

If you have a knot...it's a given he wants you to knot him. It takes him a few tries (he can't take your knot at first because he's too tight) but when he finally is able to its like. euphoric for him. He loves feeling your warm cum in his ass and your desperate pants against his throat as your overstimulated self gets adjusted to being stuck to him. Gods.

Plus...I've discussed this on my blog in more detail but with a beastkin reader he's definitely into

You biting/scratching him up. He lovvveess being marked. Use him as a chew toy PLEASE

Predator/Prey rp: He's a trained hunter but he wouldn't mind being hunted...He loves how strong you are and how you can turn the tables on him if you wanted.

Just?? You being feral?? He likes it when you act more like your monster side and just treat him like a toy.

Breeding Kink: Even if you aren't able to get pregnant or breed (either due to sex or incompatible genetics due to being part monster), he's still really into it. You can fill him up vice versa...He loves the feeling of having you last inside him and he loves knowing you're still filled up from him. Plus, it adds to the more animalistic part of sex which is what he likes

[thelov3lybookworm]

Brownies

Summary: Baking brownies

•○●⛦●○•

Word Count: 707

Warnings: nothing just fluff ig. hope you dont get diabetes from this <3

A/n: IM BACKKK IM BACCKKKKK YAYAYAY. okay so. this is kinda based on my day cus i just made brownies for the first time ever (i sent a pic to my cousin sister and she was like no way in hell you made that cus it cant be that perfect on the first try... so proud of myself rn you dont get it)

ANYWAYS this is kind of dedicated to @mellowmusings cus she was being a sweetheart and she commented about wanting to get hugged by azzie and i was like hmm hol up let me just 🪄💫✨ and so here this is 🤭(i wrote this in like an hour yall this is tinyyy)

HAVE FUN YALL

ENJOYYYY🥳

°•°•°•○🌑○•°•°•°

Y/n wiped her hands, drying off the tiny droplets of water that still clung to her skin like a lifeline after having put away the brownie’s in the oven to bake. Just as she tossed the washcloth towelette back to its shelf, the front door clicked open, the soft sound of keys jingling reaching her ears.

She smiled to herself when her husband called out. "Y/n! I’m back!"

She waddled over to the hallway leading to the door, eyes instantly finding the soft hazel ones that she loved so much. He grinned at her, lifting the bag in his hand.

"Guess what I brought you."

Y/n’s eyes zeroed in on the bag, racking her brain, trying to remember if she had mentioned wanting something as she shuffled closer. "Chocolates?"

He shook his head, following her movements with his eyes.

"Hmm… pastries?"

He shook his head again, and Y/n gave up.

"I don’t know. What is it?"

"Remember you told me last night that you wanted to make brownies? I brought you all the ingredients."

His eyes twinkled as he said the words, a slight shake of excitement in his hands as he analyzed Y/n’s face for her reaction.

Y/n, on the other hand, was trying hard not to burst into laughter as she stepped closer to him. "Oh mother, Az! Thank you so much."

He giggled- giggled- as she took the bag from him, his cheeks tinted red.

Y/n had only just moved in with her husband a month ago, and their relationship had moved fairly quickly. Since the day he had fallen into the river, Y/n could not stop thinking about him, and had met up with him constantly. Before six months were over, Y/n had been married to him and moved in.

Azriel being anything but a spooky shadowsinger still shocked her sometimes.

Y/n only smiled in return to his happy little giggles and took his hand. "My love, why don’t you go take a shower and I’ll get the brownies ready?"

Azriel pouted, but nodded nonetheless as he glanced down at their joined hands.

Y/n watched him go, then hurried into the kitchen and began putting away the things he had brought, cutting packages and emptying them into their respective containers. She needed to be done before he came back down to make it seem like she hadn’t already made the brownies.

So panicked she was hiding everything, she did not hear the almost quiet footsteps approaching her.

"Sweetheart?"

She froze, turning her head slightly to smile awkwardly at Azriel, who stared at her with furrowed brows.

"Hey Azzie."

"What are you doing? I thought you were going to make brownies?"

"I uh… I am!"

"Then why are you putting the groceries away?"

Y/n leaned against the counter, feeling a small bead of sweat rolling down her back. "I- I am not. I’m just putting them in their containers before making he brownies-"

He chuckled, and Y/n’s eyes flew to his face, finding him smirking. "Y/n, you do realise I am the spymaster?"

Y/n swallowed, looking down at her feet like a child being chided.

He stepped closer, pinching her chin between his fingers. "Sweetheart, did you think I’d be upset over something so small?"

Y/n pouted up at him. "I didn’t want you to feel bad or anything."

"Sweetheart, the only thing I’m mad about is that you didn’t let me help you." He laughed, grabbing her shoulders and pulling her into his space. She let him, resting her head on his chest, fiddling with a buckle in her fingers reach as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. The other one went around her waist, his palm big enough to span a considerable amount of it.

He squeezed her tight, and Y/n circled her own arms around his waist to attempt to be closer to him.

"Azzie-"

"Hush. I don’t want to hear it if it is an apology, which I can tell it is."

Y/n sighed, nuzzling her face into his neck.

"I love you."

He mumbled the words back into her ear, swaying lightly.

"So… when can I eat these infamous brownies?"

°•°•°•○🌑○•°•°•°

Permanent Taglist: @berryzxx @sarawritestories @milswrites @throneofsmut

@daycourtofficial @sweetorangeblossom @secret-third-thing

@serenescureforboredom @cassie6392 @harrystylesfan2686

Acotar Taglist: @bubybubsters @eos-princess @nightless @harrystylesfan2686

@cassie6392 @kennedy-brooke @tele86 @miluiel1

@hnyclover @minnieoo @sidrapotter @piceous21

@mybestfriendmademe @saltedcoffeescotch @lady-of-tearshed @starsinyourseyes

@starswholistenanddreamsanswered @cumuluscranium @byyalady

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@sunnyspycat @artists-ally @milswrites @kingdomofstarrynights

@berryzxx @buttermilktea11 @loving-and-dreaming @yucanbmylxdy

@mellowmusings

Azriel Taglist: @darthdumbasss @foreverrandomwritings @azrielsmate3 @celestialend

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@st4r-girl-official @caraaaaugh @nacho-nat @allllium

@fandomarchiveilyd @nickishadow139 @angel-graces-world-of-chaos

@okaytrashpanda

[luckyofthelawnvariety]

I've finished Etho's s7 hermitcraft so guess who's back with a slightly updated/slightly consolidated list of things about ethoslab I have noticed! or just enjoy!

(the previous list)

I have no idea when he learned to noteblock. I don't know if he knows. he knows how to noteblock tho. he's really good at it.

on that note, did you know that there is not a single piece of non-noteblock music in etho's s7 after the first episode? there might not even be any in the first episode. every single timelapse or montage is set to noteblock music

(he sang along to parts of his paper planes noteblock cover too. he was going shopping. I was entirely too delighted)

(also, there is some like...sitcom music theme that I don't know what show it's from. it's bothering me that I don't know. what you need to know is that throughout his s7 etho uses said sitcom theme as the transition before Shenanigans With Fellow Hermits clips play. his life is a sitcom. yes it is the noteblock version.)

I think that etho desperately needs minigames for enrichment. if he's not playing one he's working on one. he needs them and he will let them completely consume his life

the etho decked out 1 runs are hilarious, partially because it's funny to see him play it and realize how absolutely insane decked out 2 is, and how much of a madlad tango is. etho is still the same menace with great luck and skills. I had forgotten about the hole to the void in the middle out decked out 1 tho, that was a fun reminder

etho could make a career out of translating classic type games into minecraft. he kind of has, but it's a pattern.

he also keeps coming up with new games that are minecraft only and is good at figuring out how to balance them well.

again, king of minigames. he will in fact analyze them as much as possible. he caught on to the pattern of impulse's whack a mole game in like...2 rounds? maybe 3? he's good at pattern recognition and will put it to good use no matter the minigame

etho, I cannot stress this enough, is a little shit and enjoys being such. free glass is obviously an iconic moment, but I had forgotten about him scamming scar out of diamonds for "information" about the resistance, or about sneak-e-e's business model (you can't tax what you can't find!), or about how he kept being extremely ridiculous with beef in regards to record shop payments...the list goes on

etho is also very competitive. I mentioned this in the last list, but man...he joins like every single competition he can. he wants to win. he's not like, a sore loser, but he likes to win, and he'll get a little upset if he doesn't.

etho and beef have clearly known each other a long time and ngl I miss their interactions a bit. let them bother each other a bit more please. I want to see them trying to kill each other in ridiculous ways again please. or doing minigames together. they're so silly.

kind of similar, but etho loves getting a rise out of people and it is the best thing ever actually. it's fun watching him use dirty tricks to beat bdubs to sleeping for a prize. it's perfect actually.

that being said, I still really like when etho is just on his own working on stuff too. s7 has a lot of moments where etho will go "I'm gonna use this block palette!" and I will think "bro that's ugly" and then he will make an extremely cohesive build that I want to live in out of it. I think a good way to describe it is that for example bdubs is really good at detailed builds with texture and not much color, and a very realistic twist to them. etho is not afraid to use color at all, and embraces how the colors can work together or contrast. it's fascinating to watch and I love it.

he is also a redstone genius. I feel I am starting to understand how some things with redstone work. could I design something myself? absolutely not but I could work from a tutorial and not feel completely lost on why I have to use a dispenser and not a dropper now.

I think s7 etho is really experimenting a lot with style and how he wants to do things. he does a few more elaborate intros, for example, that are very planned out, but he also does a lot of the classic "hello everybody this is etho and welcome back to hermitcraft!" it's fun and it works, but I honestly feel he might be more confident in some ways now in s10, which is nice to see.

(side note—I think etho has some trouble with tone sometimes, where he really wants to make sure everyone's having a good time, but also he really wants to tease people. this works well with like Beef, who he's known a while, but especially in people he's known less he's quick to catch on if they take what he's saying too seriously, and clarify that he is teasing. it's nice to see tbh, just the clarity even with his audience)

speaking of llamas, I had not realized how recent some really big updates were. bamboo and pandas were new at the start of s7. the nether update came like halfway through?? I was more in the casual build side of mcyt at the time but man...I didn't realize how crazy that is to think about.

just...the way that etho visualizes builds is great. not just like, leaving space for farms, but filling in the spaces with a lot of details that make sense but also work with the space to cover anything it needs to AND to connect with the rest of the base. the sightlines thing is something I see a lot of other builders using but etho really uses them a lot in the Monstrosity in order to keep it from being Too Much as you walk through.

really just...he wants to have fun, and he wants to learn, and he wants to experiment and figure things out. if he can mess with some friends when he does it, that's a great bonus, yknow?

man. what a guy.

[gorgeouslypink]

something that i think people don't understand abt manifesting is that you really need to forget abt the "how"

i want to share something that happened recently at work. as many of you know, im working my dream job that i manifested in the void. the coworkers are great, the pay is amazing, i do like the work im doing and i manifested being really good at it too BUT recently i kind of hit a block mentally. there wasn't really anything i disliked and i couldn't even explain what i felt and why i felt this way.

i talked to some friends but all they could suggest is getting a new job but that wasn't it either.

anyways i know LOA and i can even enter the void. i didn't enter the void for this issue because i didn't know what i wanted so one night, when i was contemplating this entire issue, i decided no more. i just knowingly told myself that i would start loving my job and did SATS for it.

within the next day, a coworker announced she was moving to a different company. and by coworker, i meant a huge boss. this threw our entire company into a frenzy and it was determined that my department was to take on some of her stuff. all of us had our responsibilities moved around and i got some new tasks.

these new tasks are so fun! and i also came into realization as to what was troubling me. i work in data analytics, meaning i look at all my company's data and i analyze trends or anything else people need. i manifested being insanely good at coding and having an easy time with projects so i really like this job but i kinda didn't see any results of my work. i would do all this work and then hand it off to someone and just start doing something else. however, one of my new responsibilities is actually seeing what happens with my data, seeing what people do with it, and I'm now able to directly speak to some people in meetings and such and emphasize my thoughts. when i first manifested everything in the void, it was coming from a girl who was pretty insecure and shy and liked to keep to herself. im still an introvert (ig that never really leaves you) but now im way more confident and ig i really wanted to talk to people and push my ideas more.

not to mention, these new responsibilities opened up a whole new coworker circle for me. don't get me wrong, i love my coworker friends but it's always fun to meet newer people and i met some really nice people who are changing the way i think professionally but are also great people in general.

i also got my equipment upgraded and i never realized how annoying my old equipment was until i experienced the new equipment.

anyways i could go on and on but the point im trying to make is "don't worry about the how." i literally didn't even know why i was feeling down and if you had asked me before if that coworker would be leaving, i would have said no. she's been working there for 20+ years and she always loved her job and had amazing benefits so no one saw this coming, but i did talk to her and she said she always wanted to try a different industry and she finally got the opportunity. not to mention, my department and her department aren't even closely related. ig my department knows a little bit of everyone's stuff because we look at everyone's data but we were totally blindsided when we were first told thar we were the ones that were going to help take over, esp such a high level person's job.

this is a side story but one night, i just really wanted some cookies. ig i was having midnight munchies but the cookies were 25 miles away and there was just no way it was happening. anyways i fell asleep knowing that i was going to get the cookies the next day and i was just thinking of doordash or grabbing them myself but when i woke up, the cookies were on the kitchen table. before everyone starts hating and asking how those cookies appeared out of nowhere, apparently my friend was in the area and thought of me so she grabbed me some as soon as they opened and left it on my kitchen table.

so seriously, stop worrying about the how and what ifs and just go straight to your desire.

[tea-plantz]

Is it alright for you to make physical affection headcanons about Anxiety? I would LOVE reading a little smooching headcanons too😗 If not I don’t mind at all ^^

Helloo, thank you for the request! I myself am a huge fan of hugs and all, so this was really fun to write!

~Anxiety physical affection hcs~

I think Anxiety would really enjoy physical affection, especially from her significant other. In the movie she is pretty touchy with all of the emotions she interacts with, so it’s probably safe to say that she’s comfortable with physical touch.

I feel like she would be a bit scared to directly ask you for stuff like hugs or cuddles, in fear of coming off to strong or demanding. She might subtly hint at it, sitting herself slightly closer to you, mentioning how it’s a bit cold in here, all those tricks, and she’s so cheesy with it too.

“Boy, it sure is freezing in Riley’s mind today.. if only a very pretty significant other of mine would be oh so kind, and help me warm up”

Other times however, I feel like she would get sudden bursts of confidence and just hug onto you. Anxiety is defo extremely clingy, though she apologizes for it a lot. She just can’t help it!

Emotions like Ennui or Anger might tease you two for how lovey dovey you’re being all the time, causing Anxiety to hide her face away in embarrassment, whilst letting out a whimper. Either that, or she would roll her eyes at them, she sometimes gets low key sassy in the movie, like when she slapped Envy’s hand away.

She probably loves sitting squished together with you in her massage chair whenever she’s stressed. Listening to your heartbeat and letting the chair massage the both of you always calms her down, causing a large and goofy smile to spread across her face.

Whenever something happens to Riley that stresses her out, she would probably immediately reach out for your hand, squeezing it tightly, like a lifeline (you probably told her to do that instead of pulling at her hair so much, it’s not good for her).

Anxiety is suuuuper blushy, you can’t tell me otherwise. If you give her an unexpected kiss or hug, she might just scream out of surprise, then blush like crazy whilst apologizing-

We all know that Anxiety struggles a lot with sleepless nights, due to the book ‘go to sleep Anxiety’. Origami helps her a lot, but cuddling with her lovely partner helps even more~

SHES 100% A LITTLE SPOON-

Anxiety loves feeling your arms around her and hearing your soft breath at night, it makes her feel protected and safe<33

Honestly I feel like her main love language would be words of affirmation (she really needs the reassurance that you actually love and care about her), but physical touch would be right behind it.

When it comes to kissing, I feel like Anxiety would be reaaaally anxious about it. She would most definitely over-analyze it, researching how to be an awesome kisser #rizz (omfg I gotta stop)

She probably watched some YouTube tutorials or smth

Anxiety is so awkward in the cutest way possible, I swear-

Once she’s gotten the hang of it, and had a few experiences, she stresses less about it though of kissing.

Just be careful she doesn’t accidentally swallow you whole with that big mouth of hers/jk

Anxiety loves giving you sweet little kisses on the cheek and on the top of your head, she feels it shows that she cares.

She would probably be a bit more nervous about full on “on the mouth” kisses, not to mention make out sessions, and would prefer it if you took the lead of those activities, instead of her.

Look at her bro-

[cosmicatta]

One Piece Novel: Law — a short analysis

So, after a long time trying to get my hands on the Law light novel, I was finally able to read it recently! And, because I'm an obnoxiously intense person who can't just be normal about things, I found myself taking notes about everything I judged interesting.

And I thought I could share! So here's a mostly improvised essay about the Law novel, how it portrays Law and what it reveals about him as a character.

Some notes before I start:

The edition I've read of this novel is the official Spanish translation by Planeta. When quoting and mentioning numbered pages, I'm referencing that edition.

I originally posted this on Twitter as a thread! If it sounds familiar, that might be why.

For those who haven't read the novel and might want to: be mindful of some trigger warnings, including gruesome medical descriptions, suicidal thoughts, mentions of abuse, and violence in general (I won't be touching on these subjects here though).

These are just my personal impressions, I'm not trying to tell anyone how they should interpret the novel or Law's character. I'm just doing this for fun!

The story takes place right after Cora dies, following young Law's journey as he makes it to Swallow Island and desperately tries to survive. There, he will meet Bepo, Penguin and Shachi, as well as Wolf, a novel-exclusive character that welcomes Law and the boys into his home as a family.

Overall, it's a very short read, agile and straightforward. The style is very juvenile, but that was to be expected, and I'd say it does a pretty good job at capturing the feeling of watching a One Piece episode. The novel does kinda feel like a mini arc.

I'm unsure if light novels can be considered 100% canon in general, but since the contents don't contradict anything from what we've already seen in the manga/anime, I'm going to assume we can at least take the events described in this one as canon.

But I'll leave the plot aside a little bit to focus more on Law's psyche, analyzing everything in the novel as material that helps us further understand him.

The entire book (save from a few specific passages) is written from Law's point of view and in first person, so it offers a more in-depth look at his way of thinking, motivations and ideals.

What I find most interesting in this sense is that the whole story is very centered around Law's kindness. Though he does admit several times that he had wanted to see the world burn when he was under Doflamingo's care (as we already know from the source material), the novel makes it very obvious that Law's true nature is compassionate. His inner voice even explicitly states that he enjoys helping and making others happy. (Quotes roughly translated from Spanish):

P. 27: "And I felt very comfortable collaborating with the task of helping others."

P. 92: "Knowing that I was going to free a person from their pain [...] gave me a joy I had never experienced before."

P. 136: "Just imagining the surprised faces of the Old Man, Bepo and the others brought a smile to my face" [when planning on getting fresh fish for dinner as a surprise].

And, despite living under Wolf's motto of "give to take," Law never expects anything in return for any of his good actions. In fact, he gets furious at Wolf himself when, after saving his life, the old man insists on giving Law anything he demands as compensation.

P. 120: "I didn't save you because I wanted a reward!" [...] They [Bepo, Shachi and Penguin] burst into tears of happiness when they realized that you had survived. That's more than enough for me! [...]" I won't let you belittle their tears!"

But even then, Law keeps arguing that he only saved Wolf "on a whim," much like he would say years later when asked why he chose to save Luffy's life. This is a common theme throughout the whole book (which is also pretty obvious in the manga)—Law doesn't recognize his own kindness.

It's not modesty or shyness, his inner monologue makes it very clear that he doesn't see himself as good-natured, and is often confused at his own motivations.

In their first meeting, when Bepo asks him why he is so nice to him, Law doesn't know what to answer; and after that, when Law finds himself wondering why he's trying so hard to save Shachi and Penguin despite their past history, he blames it all on "doctor's pride."

P. 48: "I wasn't even a good person."

Still, regardless of what Law might think of himself, living in Swallow Island seems to be making him progressively gentler. He was wary and hostile towards Wolf at first, but eventually lets himself trust people again, trying to honor Cora's memory and what he taught Law.

In Swallow Island he builds his new found family little by little, though never letting go of Cora and what he meant to Law.

P. 39: "Cora and I were family, that's what I felt at heart, I had no doubts. We had loved each other without saying it out loud [...] Would I feel the same for the Old Man and Bepo eventually?"

Slowly, he starts finding comfort and joy in community. He lets himself be carefree around his new friends, treating them with open affection, laughing and being surprisingly enthusiastic (although he quickly starts taking his role as a leader very seriously, and sometimes avoids showing weakness around them so as not to worry them.)

Law even gets to become an active part of life in Pleasure Town, where he and the other boys are cherished after 3 years living and working there. He's comfortable with his role in the community and appreciates the people in town. His sense of duty towards them shines especially when the pirates arrive to attack the town.

Again, this contrasts with how Law sees himself even in the manga/anime, where he insists that he acts mostly out of selfishness and only seeking his own benefit (or, in the best of cases "on a whim.")

But the truth is that Law's decisions are almost always related to other people's desires.

In this sense, the concept of guilt is also key to understand Law's motivations and his relationship with the world as a whole. This is especially obvious when it comes to Cora—Law even briefly wishes that they had never met, so that Cora would still be alive (p. 128-129.)

In a way, guilt is what moves Law forward, and what slowly starts transforming into a thirst for revenge, into rage and hatred towards Doflamingo and possibly towards himself too. It's a kind of tragic guilt born out of love.

His love for Cora still haunts him, his last wish for Law is the big enigma that he tries to solve during his 3 years in Swallow Island: be free. What is freedom to Law? How can he fulfill Cora's request? This is the question that gives meaning to the novel.

We know that Law wouldn't feel free until finally taking down Doflamingo and avenging Cora's death many years later, but he hasn't reached that point of determination in the novel yet. Maybe that's what gives the narration that hopeful and optimistic tone, with a young Law that's still finding himself, experiencing wonder in loving again, and learning what it means for him to be true to his values. It's the start of an adventure, and its core theme is love.

The ending illustrates this very well; I especially like the moment where Law names the crew as they're setting sail:

P. 243: "Cora's love that he showed me, Wolf's affection, the trust I had in my companions. One word embodied it all: Heart."

It is love that gives Law a reason to keep going. And I'm so glad that the novel doesn't shy away from this fact and isn't afraid of sounding "sappy" or "corny," because I do believe emotion is a very important part of Law's character.

The epilogue closes with a very interesting quote in the last page:

"You hear that, Cora? This is my... This is our pirate crew."

It is unclear if by "our" he is referring to himself and Cora, as if dedicating this new beginning to him, or if he means him and his crew. I'd personally like to think he means it both ways. But in any case, it's interesting that he openly shares the honor of "owning" his crew with someone else. He is the captain, but not the owner. It's another little way in which his generosity is evidenced.

Overall, it was a very enjoyable read, and it left me wanting more. Obviously, it's not a literature masterpiece, but it gives a lot of interesting material for character analysis, which is super fun.

Finally, here’s a few fun facts for those who can’t/don’t want to read the novel but enjoy the little trivia:

The Polar Tang was built and designed by Wolf.

Law’s first tattoo was "DEATH," and he got it at a local tattoo shop in Pleasure Town at around 15 years old.

Shachi and Penguin are childhood friends and likely met through their parents.

Shachi had always wanted to be a hair stylist.

Law is bad at cooking.

Both Shachi and Penguin are good at cooking, especially Penguin, who worked as a waiter in Pleasure Town.

The Hearts’ jolly roger was collectively designed by Law, Bepo, Shachi and Penguin days before leaving Swallow Island.

Law decided the name of their crew upon setting sail for the first time.

And I think that's all! ♥ I hope my rambling was enjoyable at least!

Edit: I've now posted an analysis of the Ace novels too!

[mitternacht]

I’m back again with some ranting/thoughts about Fuuta, his character, and current mental state based on the T3 teaser because I could write essays upon essays analyzing this guy and I’m also tired of some of the takes I’ve been seeing about him on the bird app that solely blame Amane for his current state. (TW for brief sui. mention, talks of mental illness/delusions)

Starting off strong and controversial maybe but I can’t state enough how much I hate the “Fuuta killed Shidou” theory because it would be a complete assassination of Fuuta’s character. The entire point of his murder was that it was indirect and he has stated multiple times that he can’t stand physical violence. It makes no sense that he would up and kill someone now, even with how departed from reality he’s become. Now, him indirectly helping cause Shidou’s death is a gray area. I genuinely don’t think Fuuta would consciously assist with this, but he’s so far gone at this point I can’t say there’s zero chance he would. But as far as Fuuta carrying out the act, absolutely not.

Now the biggest point I want to make and talk about, is that Fuuta has been exhibiting signs of psychosis since his T2 interrogation. It’s already clear from the T3 teaser that it’s gotten progressively worse and he’s now completely dependent on and enthralled to religious delusion, which is a common symptom of psychosis. None of this was Amane’s fault, mind you. She’s always been very open about her faith and Fuuta developed this religion-based delusion all on his own, he was already at his breaking point so it’s not really a surprise that he’s reached this point. It’s driving me insane that anyone is blaming Amane for these changes in Fuuta’s personality, and not understanding how severe an effect Milgram itself has had on Fuuta who was already not a very mentally strong individual.

And even then on top of his poor mental state, the huge amounts of physical pain he’s likely still been dealing with are probably not doing him any favors. You do not have consistently coherent thoughts with that much chronic pain and no relief for it.

Now the presence of hundreds of eyes in Backdraft, Fuuta stating in his T2 interrogation that he can’t sleep (sleep deprivation being another cause of psychosis) because he feels like he’s being watched (perhaps causing hyper-vigilance) and hearing voices (which seems to affect him more strongly than any other character who’s mentioned the voices), the physical trauma he endured, the mention of “succumbing” (aka killing himself) in Backdraft, his sudden mood swings/random aggression and disordered speech in his T2 interrogation, like it’s. All telltale signs of psychosis and religious delusion was almost always going to be the next step unless he succumbed to despair and died. Again, at no fault of Amane’s. Fuuta needed something to cling to, and he found it.

T3 Fuuta is going to be extremely detached from reality and is likely going to have delusions of grandeur or a superiority complex as well, since those commonly come along with religious delusion. I’m almost resigning myself for him get a Guilty verdict for T3 because it’s going to be a massive shift from the character we know and Es is probably going to have an extremely difficult time trying to communicate with and understand him as he is, which might be frustrating to people. All of this combined with his strong sense of justice is…. likely going to go badly for him in terms of winning us over to vote him Innocent. I’m expecting a similar reaction as T1 Muu to T2 Muu honestly, I feel like it’s going to be a similar kind of shift in character.

Not to mention. How do we think he’s going to react to Mahiru’s death by the way. Not great I’m sure.

Anyways. At the end of the day I’ve loved breaking down Fuuta’s character since T1, he is so much fun to dissect and he has consistently seemed to be the character most heavily and negatively affected by Milgram’s environment which is so fascinating to me. I’m really excited to see where they go from here with him.

I do also adore the 0308 sibling dynamic even though I desperately wish Amane had a mentally competent adult in her environment that she trusts because she desperately needs one. The toxic codependency they’ve probably formed is going to be hard to watch as well.

[ramblingsfromthytruly]

name: mithi - not really, just family nickname

she/they - equal pref

16

desi

lesbian

questioning demi/grayromantic

11th grader in science stream

intj-t

dni: racists, misogynists, homophobes, transphobes, any bigots really

rules: don't be any of the above mentioned; don't be creepy; if u dm me don't just say 'hi' or 'hey', i won't respond (it's always the old men who do this??)

fun fact!: i was born exactly at 11:11 p.m.

libra sun, gemini moon, cancer rising (idrk what it all means tho)

mental: unstable, go through depressive phases, gritted-tooth optimist, generally a bit sad and numb and lonely

physical: brown skin, black hair, v dark brown eyes, 5'6/168cm, wear glasses, kinda a face reveal?

sideblogs :

studyblr: @academicgremlinhehe here to keep my procrastination in check

mental health/vent/ranting: @thyhonesteheorte here cuz i'm too scared to be especially depressing on main

ns/fw sideblog: @thy-wench-hath-gone here for idk exploring my sexuality somewhere else, not gonna be horny on main yk

feel free to check me out on :

blog - like an actual site, not this beauty chaos

ao3

that odd melancholy feeling - current ongoing marylily fic on ao3

pinterest - still in the middle of organizing so mind the chaos!

life goals :

become an academic weapon once again - summoning pre 9th grade me n making her better

multiple degrees?? yes pls to being disgustingly over-educated

work in research + part time writer

independence

travel the world

tagging system! :

#mithi's own - all original posts

#she communicates oh my! & #com com - answering asks, tag games, i switched to the 2nd tag cuz many ppl thought i was referring to them😭

#poetic lil mithi - original poetry

#artsy mithi - original art

#mithi's marauders - all posts relating to my marauders fanfiction

#wishful necromancy - posts relating to the marauders fandom hehe get it?

#hades kid yapping - posts abt da pjo fandom

#slightly less beloveds - posts about fandoms apart from the marauders

#on the record :) - lyric posting

#musings from thy truly - journal extracts, vents, stuff that should be in my journal but i was too lazy to write with my hand, shit posts, life updates, literally anything that has words and isn't poetry or fandom-related

#tis bout 'n' - about a friend i've known on n off since 1st grade

#tis bout 'a' - yapping about the girl i constantly yap with at school<3

#moody mithi - moodboards, web weaving, etc yk

#filmy mithi - posts featuring my own pics :)

#mithistudies - studyblr posts made until 10th october 2024 (later created my studyblr sideblog)

current read! : crime and punishment (fyodor dostoevsky), jane eyre (charlotte bronte)

current watch! : -

current obsessions! : telling myself 'suck it up bitch u've been lazy long enough', thinking thinking thinking every moment my entire being is not occupied with some other task

hobbies! : sketching, chess, photography, writing, recording vlogs, listening to music + analyzing lyrics, reading, watching movies & shows, piano, contortion & gymnastics

music! : gracie abrams, lorde, olivia rodrigo, chappell roan, cavetown, clairo, hozier, ethel cain, phoebe bridgers, paris paloma, mckenna grace, billie eilish, conan gray, chloe ament, mitski, tv girl, beach bunny, girl in red, adrianne lenker, lana del rey, wallows, alex g, florence + the machine, boygenius, chloe moriondo and many many more!!

lit! : solitaire, heartstopper, pjo, hoo, toa, soc, p&p, wuthering heights, jane eyre, great gatsby, sherlock holmes, agggtm, ouabh, and many many more!!

shows! : heartstopper, atypical, lotr: rings of power, pjo, young royals, dickinson, sherlock, s&b, and many many more!!

movies! : lady bird, p&p (2005), the perks of being a wallflower, dating amber, little women (2019), lotr & hobbit trilogies, thg triology + tbosas, dead poets society, and many many more!!

last updated: 11th february 2025

[archivedblog16]

I want to say something about Octavia (mostly about her sexuality) and present another reason on why Stolas is a horrible parental figure.

First I want to mention that I am asexual myself and Octavia is my favourite character (and at this point the only character I like from Helluva Boss). While I'm happy that Via is confirmed asexual,I can't shake the feeling that there might be some ulterior motive behind this.

I can find two reasons on why this is a negative thing,but there are probably more:

1. Octavia was made asexual because people were complaining about Alastor being negative representation,so she is ace just because she is the only non controversial character and to shut critics up.

2. Via is ace because she doesn't understand love,more specifically the "true love" (obsession) her father has for Blitzø. Or she is simply a heartless and emotionless machine who can not feel love (the same thing that's implied with Al and it's equally just as disgusting).

Now let's dive into the Stolass portion of this problem.

Others have already mentioned his behavior in "Loo Loo Land" and how that made him bad,so I will skip that. Instead I want to analyze the pride poster:

We see how Octavia is hugged by Loona,and looking slightly uncomfortable by that,but the thing is Stolas is also there next to them and wearing something that's quite inappropriate to wear around a minor.

As if that wasn't enough,she also has to see Chaz's naked ass with a sign saying he will fuck anything because that guy is also placed close to her in the picture. Of course there's also Verosika,the guys from her crew and Blitzø (though they might get a pass since they are standing at some distance and in Blitz's case has his lower half covered).

Since it's clear how Vivziepop views pansexual and homosexual men,which is reflected at all times in both shows,I have to say Octavia should NEVER go to a pride parade (and her father committed the crime here by bringing her to one when he knows exactly what they are like).

It would be much better for Via to celebrate Pride Month and her identity by hanging around with some friends her age and have fun in an appropriate manner.

This is what I had to say. Maybe it's not actually too deep since we don't know how accurate the poster is to the show,but it still bugged me.

Octavia not understanding love/relationships because her of parents can be a good concept and could be interesting to dive into. For example: Loona, now that she has friends, uses her connection to invite Octavia to parties as a way for Octavia to escape her home life but also help her develop friends and have new relationships (romantic or platonic) blossom.

I didn’t even think of Octavia being slightly uncomfortable of Loona’s touch. Actually, I didn’t think much of this artwork poster besides taking in everyone’s official sexual orientation and eyeing who is in the pride parade.

[michanvalentine]

This is my very personal opinion on Ascendant Astarion. This is not an analysis, just what I felt while playing, what I thought, and what it reminded me of. So spare me any critical comments, because we’re in the realm of the completely subjective—there’s no explanation, counterproof, or insult that can change that.

I am not the mouth of truth; I have ascended Astarion only once and haven’t deeply analyzed the scenes or dialogues, so relax. And most importantly, don’t read if you think my words might bother you. Also because, precisely since this isn't a serious analysis, I might express myself in an ironic and sarcastic way, and someone could take it the wrong way.

Simply putting things into writing helps me focus and define certain feelings or insights, which, again, are just my own. If someone happens to share them, great; if not, that’s fine too, because they’re just words on my blog, right where they belong. And honestly, having to specify it annoys me a bit.

So, I ascended Astarion in my one and only evil run. It felt natural—my Durge wasn’t the type to help others, and if there was an opportunity to spill blood and revel in it, she was always the first to jump in. Always.

She craved vengeance, she wanted to reclaim what had been taken from her, and she was determined to take her rightful place among Bhaal’s ranks. She was the Chosen, and damn it, she was going to be again—she would seize power for herself.

In that run, my camp only had three characters: Shadowheart, Astarion, and Minthara (with whom my Durge also enjoyed some post-massacre sex, yum). Gale died in the portal, Karlach got decapitated shortly after, and Wyll and Halsin met their end during the slaughter of the tieflings and druids. Lae’zel made it until Shadowheart decided to attack her in her sleep, and my Durge just shrugged it off.

Definitely not the kind of things I would ever do in real life, but I wanted to try. My friends—the damned souls who got me into Baldur’s Gate—kept telling me I had to change things up and try all the options. So I did, lol, and while I felt like absolute scum in many ways, I have to admit it was also fun not thinking about consequences and just doing whatever the hell I wanted.

I played consistently with my character’s arc, so I let Shadowheart climb the ranks of the Sharrans and become the head of her own church, and I let Astarion take Cazador’s place as Lord of the Crimson Palace. Which is pretty cool—especially if, for my personal taste, he’s not in a romantic relationship with Tav/Durge.

Of course, I don’t think ascension is the healthiest ending for Astarion, because I believe it doesn’t resolve any of his issues—it just buries them deeper.

So basically, this damn Astarion ascends with sound effects and light shows that would make a Christmas-decorated city jealous, and from the very first nanoseconds of his ascension, he starts talking like a lunatic. “I no longer feel the pangs of hunger.” Great. “Everyone wants to bow to me.” If you say so... “You too—I can hear it in the beating of your heart.” Maybe I just suffer from chronic tachycardia, but sure, let’s go with that. “Let’s bend the whole world to our will.” Meh, let’s hope the world doesn’t have bad knees—otherwise bending it will be a hell of a struggle, not to mention downright painful.

Pratically, Lord Astarion is a fanatic who rambles. A lot. About everything. And personally, every time he goes off on one of his tirades about conquering this or ruling over that, I find it extremely boring. Boring to death. Like, yes darling, but calm down. Especially because it has fuck-all to do with the topic or what we’re doing—mind paying attention, my lord?

He comes off very cartoonish in some ways—the laugh, the villainous monologues, it’s all way too over-the-top for my taste. But alright, let’s forgive him. He’s operatic, and he has to perform regardless. So let him have his moment—the show must go on! Blow the trumpets, Lord Astarion!

Anyway, if I have to love a "villain," let it be someone like Silco from Arcane, damn it. Fully fleshed out. Lord Astarion feels one-dimensional to me.

Basically, all his inner contradictions are gone. That constant tension between good and evil, between monster and elf, right and wrong, vulnerability and openness versus defensiveness and self-preservation—his pull toward both power and redemption... all of that, everything that made him nuanced and lovable in my eyes, was flushed right down the drain.

Now there’s just this arrogant, pompous vampire who looks down on everyone and throws out cruel remarks—without actually having earned the right to, mind you. As far as I’m concerned, Lord Astarion, you haven’t done a single thing to deserve respect. You just hijacked a ritual from your abuser. And only for your own personal gain. That’s it.

And let’s be honest, you’re no god on earth, either—and you’re far from untouchable. And in that playthrough, my Bhaalspawn daughter stabbed him without remorse at the top of the Absolute, watching him splatter on the ground from above.

At least Ketheric Thorm acted for his daughter, possesses tactical and military knowledge that makes him fit for the role, and has a charisma that marks him as a trustworthy leader—no matter how evil he may be. And he certainly doesn’t waste time making petty jabs about other people’s appearances. So, my lord, you’ve got a long way to go if you hope I’ll find you believable—either as a villain or as a person in general. The only line I actually really like is the one about the whispers of the night he can hear but not yet decipher—but if you don’t snap out of it soon, even that won’t be enough.

The romance, honestly… I don’t like it. Okay, sure—it’s a matter of taste, I agree. But really, my first instinct would’ve been to refuse the bite altogether. Then maybe even hit him in the balls and leave him there. That’s what I would have done, as a player or in real life. My character, on the other hand, played along as long as it suited her—but let’s remember, she was a total piece of shit. And I, for my part, wanted to see exactly where the alternate path of the Pale Elf’s quest would take me.

The concept of giving my life to someone, or someone even asking for it, is utterly intolerable to me. My life is precious—I want to live, and I fight to live every single day. No one has the right to ask that of me. It’s a matter of respect. And Ascendant Astarion essentially kills Tav/Durge. And no, the whole “forever, you and me, until the end of time” thing holds no appeal for me. On the contrary, that idea fills me with anxiety. Overwhelming anxiety. It feels like a chain tightening around my neck, making it impossible to breathe.

Love should be free, and I much prefer the perspective proposed by Halsin—love as nature intended. You love, you give yourself to one another, and maybe one day you part ways and then perhaps you meet again. There’s trust in each other’s feelings in that kind of relationship, and the personal maturity to exist as individuals, because you are enough on your own. That’s how it should be: healthy and balanced.

But no—Lord Astarion needs to impose limits, needs to ensure control over the situation, to guarantee he can never be left, or betrayed. In doing so, he outright refuses the kind of vulnerability that’s necessary to commit—truly and wholeheartedly—to an equal relationship, one that also includes the risk that things may not go as hoped.

And—surprise of all surprises, the ultimate, unimaginable shock—things can go wrong, and not turn out the way one hoped, even with this so-called unbreakable bond!!! So then what would happen? What is this wicked vampire lord supposed to do with someone who, after all that love, has just pissed him off to the point that he doesn’t want anything to do with them anymore? And what about this poor Tav/Durge, tangled up in a situation they can no longer escape from?

Maybe it’s just me… but “happily ever after” sounds way too childish and fairytale-like, even if I understand the appeal. It would be beautiful, truly—but maybe I’m just too much of a realist, too disillusioned, I don’t know. I simply don’t believe in it. So I’ll keep my freedom, thanks—and fully embrace Halsin’s approach.

Which is the same reason why I don’t appreciate the idea of spawn Astarion letting himself burn in the sun after losing the love of his life. As I said above, to me, life is sacred—it’s precious—and I hate the thought of it being thrown away like that. Secondly, love means walking side by side as long as you can, and then, when it’s no longer possible, you keep walking. On your own. You are enough, as mentioned before.

To bind yourself to someone else to that extent means cutting everything else out of the equation—when, in truth, there’s a whole world full of other things to live for and find happiness in. For me, it’s a concept that feels suffocating, too reductive—tying everything back to romantic love. Even love itself has so many different facets. Personally, for example, I find a mother’s love for her children to be far more powerful. But that’s just one example.

And of course, everyone is free to feel differently and enjoy what they want—this is simply my point of view.

And now I’m going to talk about Ascendant Astarion’s kisses. I don’t like them. Not at all. Total shock—I never kissed him again after the first time. For the sake of science, I triggered every possible animated sequence, and I didn’t find a single one I actually liked. And then the way he looks at Tav/Durge… ugh…

Now, I understand that for some people this dynamic is attractive, or even ideal. And that’s perfectly fine—everyone plays how they want and has the fantasies they prefer, no judgment here. But for me, it just doesn’t work. And not because I’m a prude or anything like that, but because if I imagine myself in that situation… well, I’d rather be the one bringing someone to their knees, if you catch my drift! xP

So yeah, I’d say Lord Astarion and I are fundamentally incompatible, lol.

In fact—and let me point out that I wanted to go all the way just to experience the alternative path—he dumped me at least twice because he didn’t like my dialogue choices! xD We’re really not meant to be. And if I’d left it up to fate, we would’ve gone our separate ways way before reaching the Absolute.

So I had to reload and pick the dialogue line that basically aligned with what he wants to hear. As long as you don’t contradict him and just go along with everything without batting an eye, things work out—which, honestly, left me pretty frustrated on a personal level. Lol.

Even though I’ll admit, Lord Astarion’s dramatic outbursts and diva fits are kind of hilarious in their own way. Especially because he’s lost that playful, teasing tone he used to have with Tav/Durge, and now we just have to make do with whatever scraps the convent serves us.

Another thing I really can’t stand is his obsession with constantly reminding us that he’s the Ascendant Vampire. Yes, darling, I know. You’ve only told me like seventy bajillion times—and remember? I was there at the ritual, reading your back for you so you could go and etch graffiti all over Cazador’s! Come on, I don’t have the memory of a goldfish!

And also, my eternal lover, may I just point out—when a lion approaches the watering hole, he doesn’t need to tell the other animals he’s a lion. They move to let him drink. You, on the other hand, are giving off more “yappy chihuahua barking at mastiffs” energy. Still in the same vein: you haven’t done anything noteworthy yet to earn respect or credibility.

In any case, when it comes to the way he talks to Tav/Durge—showering them with compliments, charming promises, and grand visions of the future… well, it reminds me way too much of someone I once knew in real life.

I used to be part of a live-action fantasy roleplay group. I had my lovely costume, my pretty elf ears, and my tightly laced corset. My character’s name was Celebrindall—she was a high elf (yeah, I know, what a coincidence, lol), and she had fallen in love with a drow, which led to her being disowned by her family.

The point is, we were a big group of friends, guys and girls, playing and having fun together. Then one day, this handsome guy showed up—super polite, from a good family, acting like a perfect prince to EVERY girl in the group. “You’re so beautiful,” “so smart,” “so charming,” etc. He even offered me his arm like a knight in shining armor when we had to walk through a slightly muddy forest path during a live session.

Now, I’m basically a wild animal you need to approach with caution (my husband says you have to circle me like a horse—announce your presence or risk getting kicked), so I instantly sensed something was off and kept my distance. I think it has a lot to do with my family background and my relationship with male figures, but with certain types, my antennae go up, and I become more suspicious than Astarion in the first five minutes of Act 1. Especially since I already had a boyfriend at the time—and this guy had no problem flirting. Like, a little respect, for fuck’s sake!

Anyway, one of my friends did fall for the charming looks and sweet talk. She told me everything, and during the early phase of their relationship—keep in mind she was already in a relationship too—he hit her hard with the classic lovebombing. “We’ll be together forever,” “you’re so beautiful,” “so brilliant,” “we’ll get married,” “have a thousand gorgeous kids,” “travel the world,” “buy a house here,” “vacation there”…

Of course, he turned out to be a total narcissist who gradually drained her and then tossed her aside like a used rag.

And that, right there, is what Ascendant Astarion and all his sweet words remind me of.

I swear, every time Ascendant Astarion compliments me or goes on about how special I am, I get chills—and not the good kind. Like that guy I used to know, he seems to feel the need to overdo everything just to make up for a lack of genuine empathy. Plus there’s an old saying from where I’m from that always pops into my head: when the devil caresses you, it’s because he wants your soul.

Like, seriously—help me understand this: I’m all these wonderful things, he wants to share this world and the next with me... but only if I let him kill me and slap an eternal leash around my neck?

Thanks, but no thanks.

And I’m sorry, as cool as the whole vampire bride theory might be—and honestly, if it had actually been a developed route in the game, I probably would’ve enjoyed the relationship with AA way more—Tav/Durge still ends up a vampire spawn. A slave.

Maybe the favorite among the thousands of others, his “children” that he wants to create, but still just a vampire spawn. It’s an unbalanced relationship, and personally, that’s just not something I enjoy.

Also... "I love the sun. I don’t want to live in darkness anymore".

But he’ll blot out the sun for his vampire children so they can ravage the world? Lord Astarion, please—make peace with your brain!

Two more things I really can’t stand: first, the fact that he’s taken it upon himself to be my protector (I talked about that here!), and second, the way he calls me pet or treasure. Like—great. I’m either his obedient puppy or some shiny little trinket he owns. Precious or not, it’s still possession. And it’s a dynamic that I’m not even sure can be associated with roles like DOM and SUB, where everything is perfectly structured and regulated.

Some people might like that, and that’s totally valid—no judgment— it's a fantasy, but I just… don’t.

I also hate it when my husband affectionately calls me “little one.”

Little, my ass! I worked hard to get to the age I am and earn these badass wrinkles!

It’s like when some jackass calls a female doctor “miss” instead of doctor. Excuse me, are you alright in the head?

I demand the respect I’m owed. And, damn it, Tav earned that respect throughout the whole journey—pulling companions and random people out of trouble left and right. Okay, maybe my Durge didn’t exactly do that... depending on your point of view—but let’s just say, in general! xD

Okay, I think I’m done. I don’t like Ascendant Astarion (I mean he needs to improve as a villain — maybe he’ll get the hang of it later on, lol — and of course, he’s not the boyfriend for me. But otherwise, he’s fine). And now you know a bit more about why.

Let me repeat: this wasn’t a proper analysis of the game’s texts and subtexts, or of the character himself. I don’t know if I’ll ever do one. If I do, you’ll know—because I’ll start rambling! xD

That said, I don’t want to invalidate this ending. I think it’s still a perfectly valid narrative choice within the story and the game—it shows an alternate reality where Astarion made different choices. Whether those choices are “positive” or “negative” depends on the player’s perspective and preferences. It’s the other side of the coin, let’s put it that way.

Personally, depending on the character I decide to play in the future, I could very well ascend Astarion again—though I probably won’t romance him.

Within the narrative and from Tav/Durge’s perspective, anything is valid.

It’s me, the real-life person made of flesh and bones, who has a problem with that guy! But honestly, all it takes is for me to answer him on instinct like I would in real life, and he’d instantly dump me again! Lol.

Ascendant Astarion can’t stand me either. We totally hate each other—but like… affectionately, in a weird way! xD

[meldingintheunderdark]

The Drow twins and Halsin

Notwithstanding Halsin's peculiar predisposition with drow, yet another interesting topic about the man tbh, the foursome is honestly quite sad.

First things first, solo romanced Halsin ends up as a mute bear. There is none of the daring flirt present with Astarion and Shadowheart. Absolutely tragic. While I understand dirty talking to an ever changing PC would have been a logistical nightmare for Larian, the scene feels rather stale. But it's nothing compared with Halsin's behavior before, during and after the "Underdark experience".

Halsin: An intriguing pair. Takes me back to my youth... Sszazar: Interested, Halsin? Halsin: More than interested, if you feel the same. [...] Sszazar: I would like to hire both of you. And I hope my partner will join us as well. Halsin: So long as all are willing, I see no reason why we should deny ourselves...

Whilst I've read comments arguing Halsin is not enthusiastic at all or cocky and happy to show off, I disagree with the lack of nuance.

Clearly, during the initial talk to hire or not the twins, the bear is down to have fun with them and, from my pov, the fact they are drow is the driving force motivating his choice. He craves drow as much as he despises them (Lolth-sworn).

Sorn Orlith: I can't quite believe it - a night of passion with the famous Halsin? I might faint before I can expend myself. Nym Orlith: Legends spread of you throughout the city... We heard tell that you can change into a bear. Halsin: I hadn't realised I was that popular. But we must give the people what they want, mustn't we?

It's interesting to note the first allusion to his traumas happens during said talk. Furthermore, as soon as they're in complete darkness, Sorn immediately admits they know who he is. The twins explain that Menzoberranzan drow (they seem to hint they fled this city) aren't merely spreading rumors about Halsin but legends. In other words, his traumatic years are widely distributed folktales, retold over and over again. We know that legends are altered over time, thus I wonder if details are embellished. Since Nym mentions his wildshape the instant Sorn is quiet, I do believe his traumas are now a bunch of raunchy, bawdy tales Menzoberranzan drow like to share when they're feeling naughty.

Of course, some stories may come from his other visits. Unfortunately, the canon doesn't give sufficient info to differentiate their content, let alone their sources.

So, Halsin is already thinking about his captors, moreover he is physically vulnerable because they're all blind and butt naked, then he is hit with this information.

Halsin: I hadn't realised I was that popular.

This sentence alone is worth analyzing.

Halsin is already aware he is popular amongst drow (and everyone else with good taste in men). This is probably related to one of his statements during his love confession :

Halsin: And I've been to the Underdark. Many times.

He returned to the Underdark despite his traumas (or rather because of them), therefore he has surely been exposed to his fame. Some of it, at least, because the emphasis "[...] that popular" implies he doesn't know how famous he actually is. He is now exposed to the glaring fact that he is (and his traumas as well) fetishized to a certain extent by Menzoberranzan drow.

Halsin: [...] But we must give the people what they want, mustn't we?

English isn't my first language, so my interpretation may be erroneous. Nevertheless, the use of "we" instead of "I" intrigues me. In my opinion, the pronoun is very significant. Why does Halsin switch from "I" to "we" the very next sentence? Because he is diluting the first person with the pronoun "we". He's distancing himself.

"But I must give the people what they want, mustn't I?" sounds harsher. He must do it. It's an obligation. He's compelled to do so. The pronoun "we" helps him feel safer. He's trying to have control in the given situation. People write novels about Astarion dissociating, rightfully so, yet I believe that "I" vs "we" is a form of dissociation too. He sees the twins. He thinks about his captors. He is sexually attracted to the twins. He was and still is trauma-bound to his captors. He learns his traumas are saucy tales in total obscurity, naked.

But it isn't the icing on the cake yet.

If we rewind to the very beginning, who are Sorn and Nym? They're prostitutes. They are paid 1000 gold to service their clients. And yet...

Sorn Orlith: Will tonight at last be the night I die during an act of pleasure? [...] Nym Orlith: Doesn't it...? How does it even fit? [...] *The drow are filled with awe at your and Halsin's habits throughout the night, time and time again.*

In the end, Halsin is servicing them, like he did with his captors. He shifts to a bear because they want it. Their overeager reactions and the narrator line may indicate they are thrilled to get the famed bear and have him at their entire disposal. He is a legend. Do they truly ackowledge him as a common, but thick af, wood elf? Or do they solely see the mysterious hero of some spicy tales? I particularly dislike the scene because it seems Halsin and, in my case, Sszazar are observed rather than pleased by the twins. I suspect that for Sorn and Nym Halsin is an exotic toy and not a normal client.

Also, he only shifts back to his hunk self when the twins are out of the picture. In the closing shot of them all napping, he's still a bear. I assume he spent the whole night as a bear. Is it merely to become the best pillow available? I bet his wildshape make him feel safer.

Halsin: Indeed. Our time with them was... certainly bracing. Takes me back to some youthful misadventures in the Underdark.

Last but not least, the option to ask Halsin about his "misadventures" in the Underdark is available thanks to this encounter. Technically, Halsin can reveal his traumas without ever leaving the Underdark room at Sharess' Caress. His years of suffering are at the forefront of his thoughts and he opens up about them the moment he's asked by the one person who reciprocates care.

To conclude, I think Halsin did not have a grand time during the foursome, even if he appears eager at first. I don't believe the night was downright traumatizing, however it did reopen old festering wounds. His decisions are heavily influenced by his unhealed, unaddressed traumas.

It does bother me to read countless lame takes about Astarion vs Halsin, as if one deserves more care and attention than the other. They're both terribly traumatized. Because Halsin reacts differently to his traumas, because he is not the perfect, ideal victim, too many fans disregard his pain. The way I see it, the foursome is full of hints about his traumas. He's not dumping everything out of nowhere when morning comes. His pain was here all along. It's a fascinating encounter.

[nina-ya]

Hello!!! AAA okokok hear me out,

some wholesome and protective Marco X reader where the reader gets distracted and cuts her finger cooking.

With the prompts:

42- “Darling I love you and all, but please step out of the kitchen.”

46- “You’re hurt. Please just let heal it.”

Your writing is amazing <3!!!

A/N: RAINNNNNN AAAAA I am being dragged down into the Marco trenches because of you I swear thank you so much for requesting I really had a lot of fun with this!! <3<3 The prompts came from here!! Pairing: Marco X Reader CW: Mentions of slicing a finger and stitches. WC: 733 In the middle of the night, you found yourself sneaking into the kitchen, a craving compelling you to whip up a midnight snack. The soft glow of the kitchen lights encompassed the room as you gathered ingredients.

The calmness you were experiencing was shattered by an unexpected noise coming from beyond the kitchen walls. Startled, you turned your attention away for a moment, a misstep that led to the knife in your hand slipping. You softly gasped as the blade met flesh, and a searing pain shot through your finger. The knife fell from your grasp, clattering against the kitchen tiles.

Luckily, the source of the noise turned out to be none other than Marco. His concerned gaze fixed on you as he approached.

"Whoa, hey, what happened?" he asked, his voice reassuring as he closed the distance between you two.

Wincing, you grasped your injured hand, blood welling up from the cut. "I was just making a snack, and I... I cut myself," you explained, your voice laced with pain.

Marco's gentle touch cradled your injured hand, concern etched across his features as he inspected the cut. He empathetically grimaced as his experienced eyes analyzed the wound.

"This is quite the cut you've gotten yourself," he says. Leaning in, he examines the wound more closely. "Hmm, yeah, it's pretty deep. Come on, let's get out of here so I can get you stitched up."

You quickly try to dismiss his concerns. "No, it's fine, really! I can just finish this up here, and I'll be back to bed soon," you insist, attempting to downplay the severity of the injury.

A sigh escapes Marco, disappointment clouding his gaze as he insists, "Darling, I love you and all, but please step out of the kitchen."

"If you loved me, you'd tell me this is just a scratch and let me be," you retort.

However, Marco's expression remains flat, his gaze unwavering. After a brief, silent standoff, you finally back down. "Okay, okay, fine," you concede, stepping out of the kitchen with Marco in tow behind you. 

After successfully coaxing you out of the kitchen, Marco leads you to a more comfortable spot to tend to your injury. He settles you down on a chair as he retrieves a first aid kit.

"This is really unnecessary, Marco," you insist, holding onto your stubbornness. "Just some gauze will do. I don't need stitches."

He glances at you, an amusement in his eyes as he responds, "I've seen my fair share of wounds. Trust me, this needs stitches."

You scoff, folding your arms in defiance. "It's just a little cut. Gauze will be fine. No need to make a big deal out of it."

Marco, however, remains unfazed by your attempts to downplay the situation. "You're hurt. Please just let me heal it," he insists, a gentle insistence  present in your voice. He approaches you with a sterile needle and thread, ready to mend the wound with the care only a skilled doctor and a loving partner can provide.

As Marco preps the needle and thread, you persist in your attempts to avoid the inevitable. "Marco, seriously, this is overkill. I've had worse, trust me," you argue, trying to reason with him.

He glances up, meeting your gaze with a soft smile. "I know you're tough, but that doesn't mean you have to endure unnecessary pain. Let me take care of you."

You roll your eyes, though a small grin betrays your annoyance. "You just like playing doctor, don't you?"

Marco chuckles, "Maybe I do."

His words soften your resistance, but you still play the stubborn card. "I'm telling you, I've survived worse without stitches."

He raises an eyebrow, "Survived, yes. But you're not just anyone. You're my person, and I want you in one piece."

You concede with a deep sigh. "Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you when you find out it was unnecessary."

His laughter fills the room. "I'll take that risk," He says as he starts to stitch up your wound. He lovingly lectures you about not using knives in the middle of the night, all while his skilled hands patches you up. Deep down inside, though, the both of you know that you're probably going to be in this position once more in due time, and yet he will gladly be there for you to patch up every bump and bruise.

[malt-rants-and-stuff]

Having some Tashiro (and prev pres) Thoughts

mostly just re-hashing things my fellow tashiro fans have said but I just felt like making my own post about it. be warned i wrote this while on a 4 hour drive on paper so im not sure how the length translates into a post, this will be a long one haha. also beware of inconsistent caps lock usage.

OBLIGATORY WARNING FOR SASAMIYA FIRST AND SECOND YEAR NOVEL SPOILERS

This whole thing was mainly brought on by two things, one is my non-ssmyverse friend dming me a twt screenshot with the most bland and uninspired description of tashiro's character ive ever read, signaling to me that tumblr has really spoiled me with the good tashiro takes. the other thing was that i got inspired to bring the first and second years novels with me on my previously mentioned long drive, which means that i got the pleasure of rereading both and, most importantly, rereading Tashiro Love & Passion. safe to say i had a lot to think about afterwards.

The whole thing really reminded me of the aspect of tashiro that i've always found interesting: his observant nature. And i dont just mean how he views others, but also how he views himself. How this perspective breaks the most of what we'd expect from a character like him, something Harusono loves to do with their characters.

From the first couple of pages in L&P alone, we get a lot of insight on how tashiro sees himself and how he bases much of that on how others view him.

He mentions a lot of clubs that he was a part of in the past or helped out with, describing his tendency not to stick around one club.

"The all-rounder." A "pinch player" anyone could call on.

I feel like this is an important place to start because just from this we see a bit of how Tashiro breaks from the mold of what an unassuming reader may expect him to be.

In the Sasamiya manga/anime, we dont really have too many chances to really view tashiro for who he is as an individual. with our limited perspective of him, we get to know miyano's friend tashiro, a bright, fun, and earnest character who says whats on his mind and is apparently on the ping pong team with hanzawa which is neat.

and if you werent a bit unhinged like myself and some others, this would be a fair assessment of his character. but ohhh boy once Love & Passion hit the towers there was no turning back.

there have been some posts getting into the themes of this chapter that i feel analyze it better than i ever could, so i wont do that, but i do want to talk about how tashiro's character is portrayed throughout the chapter.

And by far the main part that i want to focus on is how hardworking he is, and his and other's perspectives of him are effected by this.

Because tashiro is someone who wants very very badly to win, as he says numerous times throughout the chapter. Even under the guise of someday getting to quit the ping pong club, he pushes himself to get better; even going as far as practicing against the grannies and grandpas at the bath house that totally didnt adopt him.

For all his complaints, it would be easy to push off his actions as comedic. maybe, and im just making stuff up as i go, saying that he is only behaving as a stereotypical fun-loving slacker would. that his only motive truly is just to leave the club and drift through the rest of his high school days.

But then, that just isnt true is it? what kind of slacker would put so much time and effort into a club that he never even wanted to stick with in the first place?

This my dear friends, is how the Tashiro brainworms Fucking Get You.

Because why indeed, why is tashiro, who drifts through life wondering if he'll ever find his purpose, his Passion if you would, so impressive to the Previous Ping Pong Club President (prev pres) that he finds himself in line for future president?

While tashiro never really seems to figure this mystery out himself, we can take a few guesses.

While we will probably never see prev pres' thought process here (unless we get those 10k words of hanzawa lore that he'd probably be a part of) his actions speak for themselves in a way.

Afterall, this is the same president that got him stuck in this club to begin with, the same one who watched him complain, the same one who'd help drag him back whenever he would try to skip.

He's also the same president who watched him keep to their deal instead of just trying to find a way around it and quitting anyways. the same one who played against him at every practice, watching him learn and grow as a player. who saw him work hard, determined to not bring the team down, even if he wasnt as into it as the others. who saw him stick around.

in his perspective, tashiro takes multiple chances to not how he feels different from the people around him, that he has never known their "love" and never felt their "passion".

He finds himself surrounded by the Passion of others each day. His teammates, his friends, his bath house grandparents, just about everyone in the whole world. but what about him?

i mean, its not as if he's not interested in anything, he has things he likes. hobbies he enjoys. he just... never got that burning Passion, that unabashed Love for something like everyone else seems to have.

I think prev pres understood this part of him. that he saw what tashiro, for all his insightfulness, couldnt see for himself.

because for all tashiro believes that he doesnt have Passion, he sure does love to watch others indulge in theirs.

he takes note of what little he can catch while kuresawa and miyano talk BL, just so he can ask questions later. he gets to know the people at the bath house, listening as they talk about their lives and interests. and while he may not be "super into" in the ping pong club in general, he still wants to see his teammates succeed. he may never have stuck with a club for very long, but he still made himself reliable enough that he's seen as someone they can call to step in when needed.

in my mind i think that is what prev pres saw in him, how tashiro's dedication to see the Passions of others flourish assured him that the club would be safe in his hands.

and, while i cant say tashiro's passion is one specific thing right now, i can say that it encompasses every dream he wants to see grow. every love he curiously watches bloom. every ping pong match he fights to win.