#on the flipside though everything makes sense

[cringecannon]

It isn’t necessarily dark like what you usually write, but would you ever write anything about Halsin X Tav X Astarion. I just think they have a really interesting relationship dynamic

I’m totally cool writing fluff, so don’t worry about sending in dark ideas if that’s not what you’re looking for. However, on the flipside, I could definitely throw a dark spin onto this dynamic! Hero Halsin trying to save you from a feral possessive Astarion is an interesting thought...

I did have to sit on this one a bit because I have a harder time writing for Halsin, but I love the idea of a petty Astarion who doesn't understand why you want someone so... brutish. And Halsin is just so friendly back to him.

Everything you do together, Halsin offers for Astarion to join in but he just won’t stop refusing. There’s no winning with him. He'd rather sit on the sidelines and pout instead of just swallowing his pride. No matter how many times you check in to see if being poly isn't his thing, he reassures you that's not the problem. He doesn't know why he's upset, he just is. It'd take some gentle convincing, but you tell him that sometime you'd like him to try and hang out with you and Halsin. Just once, and never again if he doesn't like it.

One night, as you're making tiny braids in Halsin's hair, you see Astarion idling in the shadows. It's rare to see him so... apprehensive. You catch his eyes and you nod, waving him over subtly. He creeps over and Halsin greets him with a smile, as if he can't sense the other man's tense mood. Astarion takes a stiff seat next to you, and you ask if he'd like a braid too. He scoffs haughtily, he cares far too much about his hair to let just anyone mess with it.

Seeing the hurt look on your face and on the stern one on Halsin's makes him backtrack though. Maybe... a small one, where no one can see it.

You have him sit on the ground between your thighs and Halsin takes a seat next to you on the log, wrapping a big arm around your waist as you start braiding a small section of Astarion's hair in a spot that can be easily hidden. Astarion's eyes flutter closed, letting the gentle attention wash over him.

He finds he doesn't care about the other man's arm around you at all when you're touching him like this.

[fancifulplaguerat]

Once again thinking about the overlap between justice/truth in Clara and Daniil’s characters. These are obviously Daniil’s guiding principles, but they are almost equally embedded into Clara’s character, though it’s when Clara is acting as the disease and envoy of the Law that she most adheres to justice and truth. I notice that overlap between justice even exists in their respective patron families.

For one, both the Saburovs and Kains are associated with justice and law despite being in direct opposition. According to Alexander’s character concept, the Saburovs support “‘the Plague’s faction’” and are fittingly aligned with the capital-L Law that opposes the miraculous and considers it blasphemy; this may be thematically emphasized in that Saburov is given emergency gubernatorial powers during the outbreak. The Kains are conversely and obviously aligned with the miraculous, but again, also associated with justice and law-making; ex. Georgiy being “The Judge.” Maria claims that Townspeople go to Georgiy to settle disputes rather than Saburov because:

“His verdicts are fair. Common folk believe that the Kains possess a third eye. They say it’s a raven’s eye, spinning in the brain, leaving us restless and capable of peeking into the forbidden. […] The eye can see the covert, and people are prepared to endure its wrath to be granted the boons of high justice that its everlasting suffering reveals.”

Yulia also describes the Kains thus:

“One could even say, they are the architects of the law by which we are to live. Conceivably, they should do their utmost to define and implement the boundaries which we should never transcend—after all, this is the core function of any lawmaking entity. But then, do you know what is especially fascinating about the Kains? The boundaries are nowhere to be seen.”

The Kains are perhaps presented here, then, as those who instate their own law or justice over the capitalized ones the narrative presents; in overcoming the Law they construct their own, though ones that are chaotic or unfettered.

A final detail, too—Georgiy tells Clara: “Every time you show up at The Crucible, be prepared to suffer! These walls will burn the very thing within you that allows you to do your wicked work. Call it magic, if you will, or call it supreme justice.” Though, it’s somewhat unclear to me in English and Russian whether the so-called ‘magic’ or ‘supreme justice’ references Clara’s power or the Crucible’s—either it’s ambiguous on purpose or I’m being stupid. Either way, I’m inclined to put it against Clara saying “I’m afraid of visiting [the Kains]. I can sense how dangerous they are to me! Their very name, it seems, is something the whole of my nature protests against…” That Clara, as an embodiment of the Law/Plague, cannot bear the Crucible because it’s where the Kains cook up their various little lawbreaking miracle stews. So to me, the Kains sharing the Saburovs’ attributes is not necessarily a contradiction, but with Daniil… I mean. What is going on there. 

Daniil’s principles are basically the Law’s tenets, minus resignation to inevitability. In the theatre opening, his infamous “The truth is my shepherd. Whatever happens, I will find answers, and justice will be restored” or “there’s only one truth” sound more like they belong in the mouth of Saburov or Clara Sand Plague with their lines like “Let truth prevail,” “The truth will speak for itself,” or “I only want one thing, and that is—justice!” Perhaps it’s notable, too, that Saburov and Daniil get along fairly well ((some of the time)) despite their opposing philosophies. Likewise, on the flipside, the Kains just love to be diabolical liars at every chance they get, and multiple characters claim that Kains are affectatious: “They always try to be intimidating, they like to dramatize everything, they enjoy striking up a pose!” and “[Maria] puts on airs, but that’s just how the Kains are.” So in terms of Daniil’s ideal of honesty, he seems closer aligned to the Law than his own Bound. I am pacing my study. What is going on with you Daniil D Dankovsky

[felassan]

An interview video with Mark Darrah called "An Interview With Mark Darrah - Creativity, BioWare, and the Industry!": [source and watch link]

Video description: "I was fortunate enough to speak with Mark Darrah, former BioWare vetran, about his time at BioWare, his success, his challenges, and the role of video games in the art world. Thank you again for this chance, Mark!"

Some notes from it under the cut:

There was a question around the topic of games today taking a longer time to come out, getting restarted/rebooted along the way, ideas being scrapped, constant iteration etc. It was asked whether this is unique to BioWare or is it a common issue in the industry more generally. Mark: “So, Dragon Age: Dreadwolf had some particular things involved, some of which are externalities coming from EA, but yeah, video game development, the complexity has been going up exponentially. Games these days, and not just BioWare – five years is probably a good average for games coming out now. That was not the case even five, six years ago. Things have gotten incredibly expensive and much slower.

DA:O was originally conceived as being a spiritual successor to BG. It was a lot of different parts being developed unfortunately independently of each other, and then basically being glued together into something. For example, the darkspawn in DA:O as a faction don’t have very good or sensical visual coherency (they don’t really make sense as a group of things caused by the same thing). Since then there has been a lot more care taken towards the DA IP and making sure it at least has rules that it doesn’t violate, or ones it violates on purpose as opposed to accidentally. The IP has some strong core ideas about characters first (though it wasn’t always saying this out loud), people, power comes at a cost, everyone thinks they are the hero of their own story, etc. Those sorts of things inform most of its development more than anything. You should in most cases be able to look at the villain of the game and go, oh yeah, I get what they’re going for. (In DA:O this is Loghain). “Like, ‘yeah, I get it, I might even agree with you, but I’m not going to let you destroy the world because of what you believe."

EA, like most public companies, is reluctant to spend money to various degrees because the more they spend, the worse it makes their profitability look. One of the reasons why BioWare ended up being bought in the first place was because they had basically run out of money. They ran out of money in the pursuit of quality ahead of everything. But the problem with this strategy is that, if quality is ahead of everything then you’re probably going out of business. On the flipside, in a big public company you often have the opposite problem arising, where it’s profitability ahead of everything. This results in constraints and more constraints on people, and also in more pressure to do more profitable features that might not be quality features. Microtransactions and other monetization models that have arisen in games more recently are sometimes attempted to be rationalized as ‘for the player’, but they’re really money-making features. If you’re putting quality first you’re probably not putting those kinds of features in. If you’re putting money first, then you probably are.

Horses exist in DA:I because at the time it was being made in, a fantasy RPG needed to have horses in it (a ‘table stakes feature’; a feature that needs to be in the game just for it even to have a seat at the table, otherwise people aren’t going to take it seriously). Open world in DA:I was similar. Unfortunately, with open world it needs to be an A or B feature in terms of quality, not a C feature, in order to be good enough for the player. With horses, you do them (at that time) because you have to. With open world, it takes over your entire game unfortunately and modifies the structure of the game as a whole.

Collaboration at BioWare got better over time as the culture matured but also as the structure and systems matured. BG1 had a team of around 65 people, a size which is pretty easy to collaborate at. On DAI the team was well above 400 people when outsourcers are included in the figure. That team size is much bigger, to the point that it wasn't possible to interact with everyone on the team. In the early days of BioWare, disciplines like design and art were considered to be very separate things that didn’t need to interact with each other very much. By the time Mark was leading at BioWare, this had really changed - teams like design and art were working together much more collaboratively, in order to build a better experience. You see this in the games, the more recent ones now have levels that make more sense for the gameplay (now not designed by one discipline in isolation from the other).

By the time BioWare was bought by EA, EA wasn’t buying ‘not-franchises’. DA:O was envisioned as a standalone game. This is why it has lots of weird bits of lore in it still that are kind of timebombs. They largely moved beyond and patched over these, but there are still lots of weird things in it that aren’t fully taken into account. DA:O should never have been a standalone game, it should have always been envisioned as a franchise of some sort as opposed to being retroactively envisioned as one. “So that was a mistake from the beginning.”

On Frostbite as the engine for DA:I: at the time, the political climate [in EA/BioWare] was such that the options were to keep trying to make the game with Eclipse, which was not practical, or Frostbite. There just wasn’t an appetite for anything other than that. DA:I, out of DA:I, ME:A and Anthem, is actually the game that approached Frostbite correctly. It was then followed by the other two games which didn’t do that. “Frostbite is scapegoated and blamed for a lot of BioWare’s woes. On ME:A and Anthem there’s some truth to that, but a DA:I built on Unreal isn’t a radically different or better game.”

ME1 made the engine mistake of trying to force Unreal to be an Eclipse. This essentially meant that the engine was constantly fighting back against the devs.

If Mark had a time machine, he would make some changes to the Hinterlands in DA:I and shave some of the worst edges off of DAII, like moving that one spot in the repeating caves, having Varric lampshade the repeating caves in dialogue, and making it so that you don’t have to fight Orsino. “Anthem’s launch would require more than a time machine.”

ME:A is at least partially a victim of circumstance. It came out with a few particular bugs in it that it didn’t need to. These bugs had been fixed, they just didn’t make it into the release build. The game then landed on top of Zelda and Horizon Zero Dawn, in a climate that was really paying attention and was very critical.

There was a decision during ME:A development to change its tone to a lighter, younger tone than the tone of the MET. The PC of the MET is a Generation X PC, like someone from action movies in the 80s. The PC of ME:A is more like a PC from action movies in the 2000s. This change in tone was controversial. A lot of the pushback ME:A received was more about this tone change. Mark said that he was against it at the time but that he thinks that ME:A probably made the right decision.

“I’m not convinced that BioWare should have been making Anthem. It was conceived by Casey Hudson as something very different than what launched, some sort’ve multiplayer, storytelling. I don’t believe that those problems were actually truly solved. He left in 2014. Whatever he was imagining wasn’t communicated to the team clearly enough for them to execute on his vision. Anthem was basically Destiny, but it was envisioned before Destiny existed. After 2014 they weren’t really acknowledging that they were making Destiny.”

[source and watch link]

[bthump]

I’m just wondering, the very last thing Casca says before Griffith takes control of the wagon and everything goes to shit is that "if you're Griffith's friend and equal, you have to… even if it's alone, you have to go." Of course it's ambiguous whether Guts would take this advice or not, but the way it's framed seems very definitive especially as a chapter ending. What's more, Griffith's vision is that of Casca caring for him and no Guts to be seen, implying that Guts did leave to discover his own dream.

Guts's reaction to the raiders cheering him on in their encouragement to be their captain is compelling evidence for the flipside, and that would seem to be conclusive to the arc he's been building up towards, but I can't shake the finality of Casca's words especially as they come after this moment, seemingly as a deliberate counterpoint.

Though maybe that makes it even more tragic if Griffith thought Guts was about to leave when really Guts was going to stay

Honestly I feel like it gets such strong framing not because Casca's right in telling Guts to leave, or because Guts would have left, but because it's the final straw that starts the Eclipse ball rolling. This is the exact moment where it becomes too late for Guts to do or say anything to avert it (in theory, if in practice it's impossible to avert due to fate.) This is what makes Griffith snap.

But it's also worth noting that it's not quite the chapter ending. This is:

Which imo is an even stronger statement that Guts intends to stay now. This is what he thought when he saw how much the Raiders missed him, and this is what he thinks now when Casca's telling him to leave again. It's a statement of regret for leaving the first time, a realization that the home he longed for was right here all along, and he abandoned it and now it's altered forever.

And this page especially has a counterpoint sentiment to the page almost previous (with one in between), where Griffith is depicted as a grandiose vision above Guts and Casca while Casca is telling Guts to leave, where here he's depicted as a frail tangible human while Guts reflects on his regret for leaving the first time. So it does read to me as a strong statement that Guts now knows Griffith needed him all along, and, as he says much later here, he had what he wanted in the palm of his hand and then threw it away:

And I see Griffith's vision not as an automatically accurate vision of an alternate future, but the future he envisions for himself after propositioning Casca in the wagon and then hearing her tell Guts to leave. Which imo makes perfect sense as something Griffith assumes will happen, and which then drives him to a suicide attempt.

So yeah, I do definitely think Guts was planning to stay with Griffith this time around, and imo it does make it more tragic, because Guts' realization of what he really needs to do, and what his fatal mistake was, comes just a hair to late to prevent the Eclipse tragedy. It's classic tragedy and I love it!

Thanks for the ask!

[escapetothelake]

Can you do Harvey and Mr. Owl for the ship asks?

hmmm yes yes i can

since it's a boss/employee dynamic (in which the boss asks the employee to kill for him), it won't be the purest relationship? but hopefully you still enjoy

who made the first move: mr. owl did. you could argue that his "first move" was inviting harvey to the lake hotel in the first place.

who kissed who first: mr. owl as well. i could see harvey being a little too.. timid?.. to act first in that he did not want to overstep. mr. owl, who has much experience in his position and in dealing with people, has no such qualms about this sort of thing.

who started the relationship: mr. owl; see above.

who remembers things: i feel that mr. owl almost has this omniscient quality to him, even if he isn't actually omniscient. therefore, mr. owl tends to remember things more.

nicknames for each other: harvey called mr. owl "boss" or "sir" (and still sometimes does). mr owl calls harvey "my friend" (affectionate) or even "pet" (yeah ik he's a little bit icky)

who is more likely to pay for dinner: mr. owl. i bet he's rolling in cash.

who normally cooks: mr. toad cooks for them, but between harvey & mr. owl, harvey would be more likely to cook.

who remembers anniversaries: both!

what would they get each other for gifts: i feel like mr. owl could afford an expensive stopwatch or something, as well as fancy clothes.

most trivial thing they fight over: mr. owl doesn't really "fight". he tells you not to do something again, and that's that. harvey always listens.

how often do they fight: pretty much never.

who uses all the hot water: mr. owl :)

who calls up the super/landlord when the heat’s not working: harvey does. after all, as the butler of the hotel, he has to make sure mr. owl is well taken care of.

who leaves their stuff around: aside from harvey's bloody garments? neither. of course, since it's mr. owl's hotel, he can afford to leave them laying around.

who remembers to buy the milk: mr. owl, but he has harvey get it.

who controls the netflix queue: mr. owl.

who steals the covers at night: i feel like mr. owl would :)

who cusses more: neither, really, but mr. owl talks more.

who does most of the cleaning: if harvey messes up one of his duties, it's on mr. owl to clean up after him.. if that counts? in the case of manual labor, harvey.

what’s their favorite non-sexual activity: i think mr. owl is at his happiest when the lake is running at peak efficiency, and it's during these times when harvey is the most greatly rewarded. i think they just like to enjoy each others' company, and harvey likes to change into his bird form and enjoy some bird seed in the golden cage in mr. owl's office while mr. owl works on paperwork.

who’s the cuddler: lowkey both?

who’s the big spoon/little spoon: harvey sometimes changes into his bird form and sleeps on mr. owl's shoulder, if that counts. mr. owl also likes to hug harvey in his anthropomorphic form.

who’s more dominant: mr. owl.

who is the dirty talker: also mr. owl.

what do they do when they’re away from each other: mr. owl has to continue his duties at the lake, but he's grown to find that he's become pretty dependent on harvey. on the flipside, harvey also finds a sense of security in mr. owl's presence. so yeah, they mutually miss each other when separated.

what would they do if the other one was hurt: when mr. owl is hurt, harvey panics, because he knows that mr. owl is the key to everything. mr. owl always reassures him, though, because he knows that he will be alright, and harvey worrying is unnecessary. on the other hand, when harvey is hurt, mr. owl will see that he is well taken care of. it's unclear the exact extent of mr. owl's powers, but any healing properties he has at his disposal, he will use.

a headcanon: whether you see them as platonic or not, it's undeniable they are very closely intertwined, as we see them together several times (even when mr. owl is in human form and harvey in bird form, such as in theater). i like to think that mr. owl always keeps some birdseed on hand in his pocket, and periodically gives it to bird form harvey as a treat while running his finger over his little green cheek :)

[princess-of-the-corner]

*Dabi and Enji squinting/scowling at each other*

Dabi: I dunno RG, I don't see the family resemblance.

Enji: On that we can agree.

RG: For fucks sake we have a DNA test that confirms it, as well as comparisons between Phoenix's and Dabi's appearance.

Dabi & Enji: I still call bullshit on that.

Honestly it's not even that bad because they're not morons(well they are BUT-)

They /can/ see the resemblances. And the one thing that trips them up visually is the fact that Dabi's scars obscure some of his features so it's harder to really see more than just resemblance. And they acknowledge the other things that make sense, like the Quirk. And yeah the- the dna test is hard to ignore.

But it's also just the reality of the situation isn't sinking in, while they also acknowledge that if this is somehow wrong, then the best case scenario is losing everything all over again.

Despite the skepticism, it's actually easier for Enji to come around quick on the idea. Like through just one conversation/interrogation. Because Dabi is upfront about also being hesitant instead of trying his damnedest to convince him. Because Dabi legitimately /doesn't/ know.

For example: since I will use any excuse to add non-human features and y'all voted when I asked, we yeeted some horns and a tail on Dabi which Toya didn't have.

Now, when asked, Dabi just shrugs. Says he's had the horns and tail since he woke up, and assumed he had them before. If he /is/ Toya, he doesn't know when or how he got them. People like AfO exist though, so he supposes that sometime between the fire and the amnesia he could've run into the villain or someone like him who decided to shove the Quirk in, but he doesn't know why.

But that's not the answer Enji was expecting, because he knows in theory where the features may have come from. He knows that major traumas, whether it be the fire or whatever caused the amnesia, could cause a Quirk Awakening. And that while Awakenings sometimes evolve a Quirk, other times it will pull something out of latent genetics. The horns and the tail was Enji's father's Quirk, something that was laying dormant in him and the kids.

Enji feels that, if Dabi were a fake, he'd be trying to convince him through that. Trying to lead him to that answer. But Dabi doesn't do this. Just shrugs and says he has no idea.

It's a bunch of little things like that which convince Enji that Dabi at least isn't purposely faking this, but he's also lining up with.... everything. And he's slowly feeling the denial ebb away and the reality sink in.

On the flipside though, Dabi takes a bit longer to really fully accept it. Like he does to an extent. Again: can't ignore all the things telling him it's real.

But there's still this doubt, this wonder if things are just coincidence. He projected memories of a sister onto Himiko, how is he sure he's not projecting his memories onto the Todorokis as well?

It's only once he starts remembering more specific things that he starts to really feel like this is real

[relaxxattack]

Hi its the anon who came up with the aggressively long quadrant wear thingy

I heckin LOVE the idea of just danger revealing like???? Omg?? Thats so great???? Ur calling me big brain (which- ngl made me so fucking happy)

But also!! I had idea for like dumb bullshit you could pull with these ideas because of that one person with the bug spray and bells (i see u)

Matesprit fit(tm)but its like a transforming dress, though instead of being super pretty its just

Pretty black dress w symbol==> crop top/miniskirt with hearts

But that, every single time they see their flush crush. Everytime

Like "hey whats u- wheres youre clothes at."

Pitch wear with an AGRESSIVE amount of spikes. Like too many. Like. bro. Wtf.

Mfs wearing spike masks

Or mfs in their pitch crush's LEAST favorite colors, patterns etc, so its like super tacky and god does their pitch crush fucking hate it

Or, on the flipside, super pretty black fancy outfits with fucking weaponry just. Out there. Black dress holding a rifle, black tux and sword, black minidress and brass knuckles, the works! Makes sure everything is VERY visible

Ashen wear which is just being a stereotypical soccer mom, and carrying snack, bug spray, napkins, bandaids, a spray bottle to spray the people ur ashen for

God just imagine it, someone in all grey sweat pants and sweater spraying two rabid trolls with a water bottle like theyre cats

Beautiful.

Anyways ramble two over BYEEEEEE (ur stuff is still awesome btw and im gonna be completely honest i havent stimmed that hard sense u added onto my ideas i am. Sobbing /vvvpos)

awwww these are really great anon, thank you

[hekateinhell]

Devil's Minion AU but it's Armand and modern mortal!Lestat instead of Daniel. Send tweet.

Idk if this has been done before, in terms of set up let's say Lestat has been pursuing Louis (who Armand still spent all those years with, Louis just gets to the theatre via other means and situations) because he met him a few times in a bar and fell head over heels despite Louis disinterest. Anyway Lestat goes too far and finds out too much about what Louis is (completely unperturbed) and that is how he comes to Armand's attention.

What in your opinion happens next? Does Lestat play along with the cat and mouse chase? How well does he hold up over the years in comparison to Daniel? What is the dynamic like with Lestat as the guide to the mortal world, and how well does he do at it? Does this stories version of Night Island look different? When does Armand turn Lestat, is it sooner than he turned Daniel or does he still wait to the last possible second? This is a lot of questions and obviously you don't have to answer them but I can't stop thinking about the different ways this could play out 🤔

I'm supposed to be sleeping but this is my intrusive thought, I can't relax because OH. MY. GOD. Like, I know I've talked on here about what if Lestat and Armand had gotten together in 1781 Paris and it was Lestat that re-introduced him into the world, but I never thought of this.

It's so interesting for me to consider because we know what Lestat was like as a young mortal man! We know about his abusive childhood, his early education, religion, personality, everything! There's no guesswork/pick-your-headcanon like there is with Daniel.

I wonder... knowing that Armand's first time seeing Lestat in Paris immediately conjured up the memory of Marius, would he have felt the same seeing mortal!Lestat? Because I think he would've. And then my follow-up question is: in light of that, do we think Armand would treat him better or worse than he did Daniel in those early days because of it? I could work with either scenario here, but I'm inclined to think that he would have been more merciful because Lestat instantly reminds him of someone he so dearly loved. 

So maybe he skips the whole let's-play-a-game Jigsaw bit and jumps to "You will be my teacher", only 'no' is not an option. There's definitely an element of fear and coercion here, which is missing within that particular scene in Pompeii in Devil's Minion. And on the flipside, we're missing the love that was present then with A/D because Lestat and Armand do not know each other at all yet, but it is kinder than Armand and Daniel's initial meeting.

I think the London/New York years would've played out similarly with mortal!Lestat as they did Daniel. Perhaps a bit wilder even, because Lestat himself has an extremely hedonistic streak (Dionysus and all). They would fall in love incredibly quickly; it was lust at first sight and love at a-couple-sights-later between them in canon, so I'll just translate that over here.

Lestat would probably want to be an actor or a performer of sorts, and Armand would finance him! Think the dancer in QotD but with music or the theater or film! It's weird for me to separate the context of Daniel from Night Island, but Miami could still work for them. Although if Lestat's in entertainment, perhaps an island off the coast of Southern California might make more sense. Armand could create his own film and recording studios for Lestat to do his thing, and if Lestat ever has to make appearances for movie premieres or concerts, it's always at night and via Armand's private jets with Armand in tow.

The most fundamental difference to this AU though is the fact that canonically... Lestat did not want to become a vampire! He was turned against his will! So this immediately eliminates the source of conflict that Armand and Daniel had. Armand and Lestat are not having fights (about that anyway), Lestat's not running away, etc. It's much calmer and less all-consuming because that complete and utter helplessness and desperation on the human's part isn't a factor.

It is the insane '80s though, and Lestat's living it up with his usual enthusiasm for life and absolute recklessness. Maybe he drinks a lot, maybe he's overdosed a couple times and been brought back. And he is shacking up with a vampire that straddles his lap and sucks at his throat every night. He's not dying but he's certainly gambling with his life, and not realizing it in the name of enjoying his youth. Opposite to Daniel, Lestat thinks he's invincible. Armand knows he isn't.

At this point, we have to remember that the whole Devil's Minion arc was for Armand to rediscover his humanity and ultimately make the final surrender by breaking his vow and turning Daniel. I don't think Armand ever intended to turn Daniel during their first years together, it wasn't supposed to happen, this was just an era in Armand's life (like he'd said to Louis about Claudia). But I do think that definitely changed as time went on, and he knew he was going to turn Daniel sooner rather later well before Chicago.

So to think about it with regards to mortal!Lestat, I can easily see a similar outcome where something happens (maybe he's 32, maybe he's older) and Armand arrives in time to ask Lestat for the first time if he wants the Dark Gift. And now, with nothing to lose, Lestat says yes.

~ fin

*remembering when I posted Devil's Minion: Loustat Edition and in the same post noted it just wouldn't be Devil's Minion without it being Armand and Daniel. The Armand/Lestat version is more like Devil's Playmate lmao less edgy and more flirty, a completely different dynamic but oh wow so fun to consider!

[denjis-chainsaws]

°•●~| Chainsaw Man |~●•°

Character(s): Denji, mentions of Power and Aki Hayakawa

Genre: Headcanons, relationship, fluff

Reader: Male Reader (masc. pronouns and nouns, trans-inclusive), second person (you, your, yours), maybe a little dense pre-relationship?

Extra Notes: As per usual in every fandom I have seen very little male reader content, especially for Denji. If no one else will give him a boyfriend, then I'll write it myself. Also, no real idea for a time frame, this just generally takes place during Part 1, though certain bits can be applied to Part 2.

《 || - - - - - - - - || 》

Denji isn't a stranger to having feelings for someone, that boy falls for anyone who shows him a crumb of kindness. But he isn't used to falling for another boy. He's not opposed to it, it's just very new to him like most other relationship-type things.

So then in comes you to sweep him off his feet. Metaphorically or literally! Either way he is absolutely enamored with you. From your looks to how you carry yourself to the way you speak, everything about you renders him speechless.

At first he panics. He was raised by himself out in a cabin in the wilderness for most of his life, he doesn't have the foggiest clue about social norms and the like. By the time he's brought to Tokyo and is able to read manga and magazines, the only thing he's seen are relationships between men and women. The only time he's ever felt attraction up to that point was towards women. He didn't know if feeling this way about another boy was normal.

It causes him such distress and inner turmoil that it affects his patrols with Power and Aki. Power isn't much help since she has as similar a grasp of social norms as Denji. Aki, on the other hand, tells him quite bluntly that it's fine and shouldn't be causing him this much strife. After that his feelings towards you just kinda click, "Oh... Cool."

Once it sinks in, he's very obvious about his feelings. Everyone can read him like a book, it's embarrassing. Yet somehow it seems all of that has gone over your head, leaving you oblivious to his pining. It takes him asking you out directly to realize his feelings may extend past friendship.

Denji is a simple man that enjoys simple things, so simple dates are up his alley. Walking around the streets in the evening, going to a theater to watch a movie, or grabbing some good grub from a nearby food cart or truck. It would be his treat like a real gentleman, if he had any money to speak of. Though he promises to pay you back! Someday!

You teach him the intricacies of relationships. Largely of how they're take AND give. Many of the women Denji has chased after in the past were always taking and taking, and rarely ever giving if at all. Maybe he isn't feeling that way because he's dating a boy... Are men really that different from women in relationships? Denji doesn't know, and ultimately he doesn't care. He's happy to have a significant other who loves and cares for him as a real person.

Denji has no sense of personal space and is always clinging to you. He loves PDA and is incredibly shameless to boot. If you're walking around somewhere, he's holding your hand. Sitting somewhere to wait for a bus or just to relax, he's squeezed up tight against you and wrapping an arm around you no matter if you're smaller or bigger than him. Hell, at one point he begs you to try that cliche trope of using two straws to drink from the same shake or smoothie together. He saw it in a manga and thought it was pretty cute, so it had to be just as cute to try it in real life, no?

If you're not comfortable with the amount of physical affection Denji provides, you don't have to be afraid to speak up about it. Denji is crass and uncultured, but he's not that uncivilized. He is still getting used to everything, but above all else he wants to make sure his boyfriend is happy and comfortable, so he'll learn to tone down the clinginess if that's what makes you feel better.

You, on the flipside, learn more of his quirks. He loves praise and reassurance. All of this new stuff he's learning can be very intimidating, and as much as Denji can put on a face and handle it, he does doubt himself a lot. A simple pat on the back and words of "Good job!" can go a long way for him.

If you like to cook, Denji devours anything you make for him. Doesn't matter if you're a beginner or a five-star chef, he loves everything you make. His only request is to avoid any kind of coffee or tea, he's not too fond of the "mud" and "leaf" water.

At the end of the day, whether you're staying at Aki's his place or yours, his favorite thing to do with you is unwind in bed together. You could read him a book, he loves your voice and all the fancy words you read aloud. Maybe you have a TV in your room, you could watch one of those late night auction programs and laugh at the people who waste such exorbante amounts of money on mundane things with pretty names attached. Or if you still have the energy to spare, maybe you could let Denji rest his head on your lap and run your fingers through his hair. He loves it when you do that. He loves it whenever he can be close to you and will snuggle up to you at the earliest opportunity. He's so used to holding Pochita in his sleep, and has been using an extra pillow as a subpar replacement ever since Pochita gave him his heart. Now he doesn't need the pillow so long as he has you.

[defeateddetectives]

Pick and choose from the following :>

3 for k, 4, 6 for k, 6 for not k, 7, 12, 17, 19, 23, 25

gonna answer the unspecified ones for k as well bc i'm overjoyed about an excuse to choose violence about this (un)dead horse of a fandom over a decade later so thank u :D skipped 4, 19, & 25 bc nothing came to mind or i couldn't remember. rest under cut bc it got long rip

3. screenshot or description of the worst take you’ve seen on tumblr i do not have screenshots of any takes like 11 yrs later but i think everyone who had to put up with me circa 2k12 and the years onwards probably knew it was the whole ~mikoto only cared about one (1) person/thing and everything else was meaningless~ shtick -- the antithesis of which i apparently then made the hill i was gonna die on :)

honourable mention to that one arcade fire lyric being directly attributed to him as a quote as well though. like. what was that

6. which ship fans are the most annoying?

look i am older and wiser than 11 years ago! i will let humans have complexities!!! i am friends with people who ship things i don't ship!!! all ships have rights i suppose!!! it's mktts*

*for legal reasons this is now a joke :')

for non-k...hmmm i remember v*ltron fandom reaching new heights of toxicity i'd never thought possible but i've fortunately eternal sunshined most of that from my memory now!

7. what character did you begin to hate not because of canon but because how how the fandom acts about them?

hmm i dont think hate is the right word. i think if anything, fandom 'flattened' how i saw some characters and i had to like sit with my interpretations in more or less a vacuum to figure them out when writing them. misaki and totsuka come to mind for obvious reasons bc they were so often only considered in the context of a ship and i've had to flesh them out in a way that make sense to me for a while. on the flipside, i couldn't stand the vast majority of the fanon takes on fushimi but he is SUCH a fun playground of a character in canon!

12. the unpopular character that you actually like and why more people should like them

not unpopular as in disliked but more like overlooked - but i think more people should get obsessed with hidaka like me and then write me super niche hisaru fic!!!!! <3

17. there should be more of this type of fic/art

it would be Really Nice if chiaki and i weren't pretty much carrying the mikoizu fandom on our backs :'))) but my running joke has always been that my relationship with that ship is their relationship with each other ie. IT'S ROTTEN WORK / NOT TO ME NOT IF IT'S THEM 😭

also obvs perpetually manifesting the great izumotatara takeover of 2kforever!!! lbr though i'd be delighted about new k content tailored to any of my biases in the year 2k24 (hint hint to anyone reading!)

23. ship you’ve unwillingly come around to

i wouldn't say 'unwillingly' (lol i feel like i'm answering all these questions Wrong) but once i had sufficient time and space, i do think i have much more appreciation for mktts and s*rumi dynamics and their emotional weight without the background noise of all no good very bad fandom takes in the fandom's heyday!

[certifiedwerewolf]

Something that is interesting to me about Lou and Zac and how they play Fabian and Gorgug's relationship to their parents is like.

So I would argue that, at least during Freshman Year, Fabian, Gorgug, and Riz have the best relationship with their parents out of the party. Kristen and Adain's parents just flat out suck and even though Fig's parents do love her, the circumstances have strained her relationships with them to the breaking point.

So Riz's relationship with his mom is one where his mom is very attentive and loving, and she and Riz are very much on the same page, even in matters that they disagree. Riz sort of forces Sklonda to treat him as an adult, even if she's constantly pulling him back into childhood and making sure he doesn't grow up too fast, as much as she's able.

But this ain't about them. Anyway.

So Fabian and Gorgug both have very loving and devoted relationships with their parents, albeit in different ways: Fabian does his best to emulate his father until it becomes apparent that he mustn't, that he has to let go of his father's legacy and acquire his own, and Gorgug struggles to connect to his parents despite the fact that it's clear that he does love them devotedly- they don't understand each other as well as they'd like, but that doesn't change his feelings or their closeness. It feels like the most normal teenager-parent relationship out of the group.

And I think Lou and Zac make some really interesting choices in how they play their characters' relationship to their parents.

Now, I don't know how much input they had into the development of their characters' parents- obviously some, but I don't know the ratios that came into play when they and Brennan were concepting them. So I don't know how much of their choices are genuine improv and how much is them leaning into their character regardless of what they themselves are aware of.

So, when Lou is playing off of or talking about Bill, as Fabian, he is very confident. Lou makes choices relating to what Bill would want or think or feel in a way that it's clear that he, Lou, is intimately acquainted with this character to the point that it definitely feels like he and Brennan are writing this character together, and are in perfect sync with his creation. This makes it a lot of fun, and this confidence gives Lou a lot of freedom to characterize Bill as much as Brennan does, which if he lacked, could potentially slow down the flow of the story. Not that not having this intimacy is a bad thing, but it lends itself extremely well to specifically Fabian- and it may just be an extension of Fabian's confidence, that Lou feels carte blanche to just say whatever about Bill Seacaster and know that it will ring true.

And on the flipside, Zac plays Gorgug talking to or about his parents in a way that implies he knows next to nothing about them. Like they're total strangers, except in specific situations where he takes Brennan's lead and plays off of his tone. And conversely, this works just as well as Lou's confident assertions about Bill Seacaster do. Because Gorgug, especially during Freshman year, is not very confident. He's struggling to relate to his parents, he's struggling to understand who he is, he's uncomfortable having a lot of attention paid to him, and often second-guesses himself about everything. Even if there was something Gorgug knew beyond a shadow of a doubt, I think it would still make perfect sense for Zac to play Gorgug as though Brennan created his parents with no input from him and then sprang them on him day one.

I can't think of a single moment where Gorgug confidently asserted something about his parents that hadn't already been established, whereas Fabian was so confident in his understanding of his father that he knew to kill him when he was making death saves. And these are improv choices being made by their players, and I don't know how deliberate this choice was but it works so well with the characters they're playing. It all comes together so seamlessly.

[alister312]

do i even have to ask..... the character ask with gregory. Yes. All of them (if you can think of something)

THERE ARE. 50 OF THESE THINGS.

i honest to god tried but its midnight and im tired so i didn't get to all of them. maybe i will another time. here's the ask game for anyone maybe wanting to see certain ones i skipped answered.

1. Canon I outright reject

There is so little canon to him to even embrace but uhhhhhh. Him being so shit at drawing a directional compass. He's a smart boy I don't think he would fuck up a compass as badly as he did on his map in the movie.

2. A canon or headcanon hill I will die on

He has led a rich boy life. While I do love the idea of his parents as professors, it makes so much more sense if they're wealthy social elites and he's got all these immense expectations placed on his shoulders from a young age. He develops crippling imposter syndrome and anxiety due to this but is extremely good at masking it and accomplishing things so no one knows (except ofc Christophe).

3. Obscure headcanon

Big big fan of the "Gregory can play an instrument" headcanon, though I don't always see it implemented. Like, yes he sings but what if he also played the piano or violin? I think he does.

4. Favorite line

I kinda really like his little "O-ho..." after meeting Stan for the first time. It's just a solid line read and further solidifies the headcanon of him as a wealthy upperclass kid. He's clearly uninterested but he's learned he can't say that... he's gotta cage it. Maintain a good public image.

5. Best personality trait

The fact that he's so quick to stand up for others and put himself on the line for them!! Whether it's acting as Wendy's voice against Garrison or volunteering to go to the dangerous USO show, Gregory is willing to put in the work! Doesn't fall into that rich kid cliche.

6. Worst personality trait

Of course it's the flipside of his best trait: the fact that he thinks he has to do everything for everyone. He's gonna exhaust himself as well as come across as extremely controlling!!

7. Age/height/weight headcanon

Age depends on what sort of AU I have going on... though by default I tend to image him in his late twenties, early thirties? Usually makes the most sense.

Gregory maxes out at about 5'10" to me (with Christophe being more 6'1", 2"). Gregory carries himself very well though and may even wear shoes with a bit of height, so people usually believe he's a bit taller than he actually is. He's never slouched once in his life and he won't start now.

Weight I'm honestly not sure? He's fit and slim (swimmer's body type), well balanced. I know that much.

8. Unpopular opinion about them

He would never grow his hair out long. I know the Les Mis stans love to give him a ponytail and the Hell/park fans love to give him a ponytail but I absolutely don't understand. I get him maybe caring deeply about his hair, but that's why he'd keep it short. Much easier to style and manage.

9. Scene that first made me love (or hate) the character

I don't remember but it was probably the line about everyone being rogues. It's just such an iconic line.

10. Best moment on screen (or in the book)

La Resistance. Howard McGillin killed it as his singing voice and the sequence in general is just an absolute highlight of the whole film.

11. Faceclaim for the role

I don't actually have one?? Like I have a very clear image in my mind whenever I draw him but I've never sat down and found real life people who look like that. I'd know if I saw though.

12. Crack headcanon

Gregory really likes fish. Not like in the sea exactly, but big tank aquariums. He knows all about proper tank and fish care and has a beautiful one in his office. His pride and joy.

13. Dumbest thing they’ve ever done

Trusting his bestest friend Christophe to Stan and crew was a pretty dumb move. Especially when he knew how unequipped they were to handle everything.

14. Most heroic moment

Again. La Resistance. He's so good at rallying and motivating people <3

15. Worst thing they’ve ever done

Trusting his bes-- nah. Joking. Worst thing he did was what he DIDN'T do, which is run off to go find Christophe after not seeing him with Stan.

16. Deepest darkest secret they won’t even admit to themselves

Not a secret so much as a fear that all his activism and fighting will be for nothing ultimately and he'll leave the world having not changed it for the better at all. He knows on some level he will, what with the friends he's made, but he wants to do something on a grander scale.

17. Quotes, songs, poems, etc. that I associate with them

A bunch definitely but I am trying so hard to get all these questions done so I cannot dwell.

18. What they’d go to see a therapist about

what WOULDN'T he see a therapist about it. um. parental expectation issues. aforementioned terrible imposter syndrome and anxiety. probably war trauma and mercenary trauma.

19. Vices/bad habits

He can go for days without sleep and very little food. He's just too focused on being busy to really bother. Christophe has had to force him to take a nap many times before.

20. Scars

Ella had such a gorgeous way of putting it in the one gregstophe fic she wrote, with Gregory having some thin snicks of scars from sword blades? Something like that. It's good. He doesn't have scars he can't hide. He's got a public image to maintain.

21. Drink of choice (not just alcoholic)

I do see him as a tea drinker. No sugar, maybe a splash of milk depending on the kind of tea. For alcohol, he's a gin drinker. I'm only projecting a little bit there.

22. Best physical feature

His smile! He was born with perfect teeth... never needed braces and brushes and flosses after every meal. Uses whitening stripes on a regular basis. Flashes it proudly whenever he meets someone new.

23. If they were a scented candle, what would they smell like?

Pamplemousse. It's got a bit of citrus kick but it's on the sweeter side. Also it just sounds the way I imagine he comes off as.

24. Most annoying habit

Spins pens/pencils between his fingers while he's trying to concentrate. The frustrating thing is he always does this perfectly, never drops it. It's just a thing he does and doesn't get it when others ask him how he does it.

25. 3 things they’d want to take with them if they were dropped off in the middle of nowhere

Water bottle with filtration in it, multitool, and his favorite book. He's practical.

26. What they would do if stuck in an elevator with Stan (looking at his keychain rn)

Wait patiently while Stan exhausted himself panicking about being stuck and doing stuff like trying the doors in vain. Once he was done, Gregory would call the fire marshal to come get them out. Stan would hate him for how nonplussed he was the whole time.

[ya-jirushi]

Tsurune Audio Drama: A Shot of Color 2 At the Home Center

I know Seiya can't cook and all but... damn, he really is out here struggling, huh? So who wants a hardware store speedrun? (not really) Just a couple of notes in case some of the stuff is unfamiliar to people. Notes: -weed mats are those dark plastic fabric sheets put on top of garden plots to keep anything covered by them from getting any sunlight and growing. -instant/ready made mortar is just some quick to prepare cement the caulking gun is probably to dispense it, not sure what kacchan needs it for reagrding the lattice tho... - *he really just said bow here but it's pretty point a to b when the bow is involved it's gonna be kyudo so

Seiya: Weed mats, gravel, and what's this supposed to be... It looks like a wire puzzle- Kaito: Ouch! Seiya: Ah, I'm so so— ah... Kaito: Huh... So it was just you, Seiya. Seiya: What do you mean 'just' me? Kaito: You should look where you're going, be more careful. Also your glasses are slipping off. Seiya: That's because I bumped into you... That aside, what're you here at the home center for, Kaito? Kaito: I'm here to buy some lattice repair materials, instant mortar, and a caulking gun. Seiya: ...Huh, what are those? Kaito: In short, stuff for garden maint. Seiya: ...You could've said that to begin with. Kaito: I mean you asked. Seiya: Well, yes, but– Kaito, you do DIY too? Kaito: "Too"? Seiya: You can cook, right? You were pretty involved with it during the training camp and when we're at okonomiyaki too. Kaito: It's just doing repairs, and DIY stuff isn't that big of a deal anyway. Even with cooking it's just 'cause I wanna eat something tasty. Seiya: Hm... Kaito: You seem like you're the type that'd either grin and bear it even if it wasn't good or you just wouldn't eat. Seiya: ...It isn't as if I can't do it myself. Kaito: I guess that's true. Seiya: ...In the first place, isn't it because you're like that that Nanao ends up leaving everything to you? Kaito: Uh... Well- fine, you've got me there. Seiya: So you admit it. Kaito: Well you spoil Minato too, don't you?? Seiya: "Spoil him"?! Kaito: Sure it sounds nice saying that guy's got focus 'n all, but on the flipside doesn't that just mean he's narrow-minded? He's always got kyudo* on the brain too. And you made that worse by always poking your nose in his business. Seiya: What're you... Kaito: I get that you're concerned about Minato, but that kind of concern is different from me just making Nanao food. Seiya: ... Kaito: I just think it'd be better if you laid off him a little, but that's between you two. It's not like I know the whole story, so if it wasn't like that then that's on me. 'Don't think I'm that off the mark either though. Seiya: ...The advice is much appreciated. Kaito: You're probably being sarcastic, but I'll take it. ...Y'know, if we don't hurry up this place is gonna get packed with families soon. Seiya: Wha- ah... Kaito, wait! Kaito: What? Seiya: You're well-versed with this place, right? Kaito: "Well-versed"? Wait, what're you getting at anyway? Seiya: Do you know where the gravel is? Kaito: Huh...? Seiya: And the weed mats. Kaito: That's over in that section. It's all gardening stuff so I'll just guide you. Seiya: There's this too, there's some symbol here but I don't know what it is. Kaito: Huh, which? Ahh, this is probably a doorstop. Seiya: A doorstop? Kaito: My grandma's got a lot of these at her place, like at the bathroom and stuff. It's a simple lock that's like a hook Seiya: ...You seem rather familiar with it. Kaito: It's common sense. Was your house more traditional? Seiya: No it's normal... Kaito: Then why the doorstops? Seiya: ... Kaito: ...My bad for asking. Well, anyway, let's go over to the metal fixtures section. Seiya: You're a great help, I wouldn't have been able to find these by myself. Kaito: This place is stupid huge after all. Kaito: Here, this is them. Take your pick. Seiya: They're pretty cheap. And to have this much just for 168 yen... Will this really be fine? Kaito: They asked you to buy it because it is, didn't they? ...Pfft, don't worry 'prez. Seiya: Huh, about what? Kaito: These might not look like much but they're tougher than you'd think. You don't need to worry about them. Seiya: What're you talking about? Kaito: The doorstops. Seiya: I see. Though it seems as if you were subtly taking a jab at me as well. Kaito: Must be your imagination. Seiya: Let's say that it was.

[elusium]

helluu i'm so so excited that opening's here wuhu!! i'm blue ( 21+, s/h ) & this is heo yewon, nothing notable to her name </3 she's just some rich astran's personal assistant, waiting for the day her boss promotes her to astra & she can leave this place behind... if that ever happens! u know what it is, profile page here, her tldr & plots are below the cut, pls like to plot or add me on dc ( pomelos. ) & i’ll be there ♡

TLDR

backstory is ur usual ansan born, raised & still stuck here kinda deal. it's not all bad, because she did grow up on the nicer side of the airstrip, but it doesn't mean she's satisfied with this life. there's gotta be something more, something out there meant for her, right?

but she doesn't know what that something is, aimless in that sense. restless, with no reason for it. she's latched onto the idea that astra will be the place for her, the place with all the answers, so she's put her name in the lottery every year & dreams of it, her wes anderson new york fantasy

there's a disconnect between what she thinks of her ansan experience & the reality of it, her dissatisfaction colouring everything a shade darker than it really is. all things considered, she had a fairly calm childhood & a cushy job now, but it doesn't stop yewon from complaining about it! she's been in fairly close proximity to astra & that better life that she can't help but compare it to everything that she doesn't have, not noticing all the things she does

& her job! can we say astra / corpo sellout... yes we can! went from secretary straight out of high school & slogged her way to personal assistant for some fancy rich astran because the company promised that employees who perform well might get promoted to astra. she handles all their ansan business matters & kinda wants to d word from being on call 24/7 but she also gets to stay at their la mariposa apartment for housesitting / keeping purposes

she says she hates her boss & hopes they get eaten by karma... only after she gets to astra, pls. screw the astrans, until she gets to go !

jokes on her though, her boss gambled away some trivial assets on hand... which were all of their ansan businesses & her job... so she's got a new boss she's never met & yikes, he's in town! 😱

anyway she's fully willing to do anything for her boss even if it's shady because she's 1) just a dumb assistant & 2) really wants this promotion to work out! how far is she willing to go so she gets her dream of going to astra? we're gonna find out!

secret family backstory unlocked! daughter of an nightrunner known as an ansan legend for the damage he caused when he went cyberpsycho defending his crew ( insp by david from cyberpunk edgerunners! ), her dad's last job netted her & her mum enough eddies to live on the clean/good life… but she still lost her dad as a child & it's partly why she wants to get out of ansan & also why she looks down on that side of the city even though technically what she has is owed to it. yewon keeps it quiet, her dad known more for the chipware he had on than his name, & it's the only thing she doesn't complain about. super unlikely that muses would know this ic, but it does inform a lot of her actions!

misc fun facts: all her mods are vanity mods & a made up ver of google / chatgpt ... no protection u could beat her up! also has an ashley too doll ( black mirror inspo ) probably outdated / a relic of the times but she still bops to the songs hey yea whoa-ho!!

personality wise, she's ur cynical uncle's gen z stereotype. expects too much, complains about what she has, doesn't have a backbone to speak of & does whatever is easiest at the moment for her until something easier comes along. thinks she's better & above all of this. & on the flipside, she's more than willing to work & wait for it, whatever it may be; she romanticises everyone's life but her own, loves helping people but for the wrong reasons because it gives her a boost of self-esteem. makes reckless impulsive decisions, doesn't really know what she wants but she's demanding anyway, kind of all over the place but somehow comes in clutch thanks to her caffeine shots. she's trying! not her best, but she swears the trying counts!

chara inspos are portia from the white lotus & the vampire familiars in wwdits... astrans are vampires confirmed??

horoscope chart time she's an aries sun ( fireball ), pisces moon ( anxious insecure fireball ), gemini rising ( anxious insecure fireball who doesn't know where she's headed but she sure is going somewhere, help! ), she's got no earth to ground her at all & her signs are just a conflicted mess all around! good luck girly!

PLOTS

fellow starseeker, spacewalker hopeful? someone who aspires to astra like her, for whatever reasons they might have!

someone who grew up always having a little less than her, a friend as long as she had more & they had less... until now? someone who makes her feel a little better about herself, who may be climbing up the ladders and/or realising she's a bad friend

someone she's envious of, but embarrassed about being envious. they don't have the usual markers of success but they're content in a way she's doesn't understand

fellow victims of capitalism working for revel / hansol. trauma bonding over bad working conditions?

party friends, here to cut loose, live life, get totally smashed & swear they won't do it ever again... until next weekend arrives

someone she screwed over for her current job, maybe she beat them out for it or did something at the behest of her boss while knowing it would screw them over?

ya know the usual... childhood friends/rivals, exes, coworkers, friends, enemies, u name it i would like it!

also lucy & david moon braindance scene that's all i ask!

[beck-nightengale]

Summer Reading/Writing/Arting Tag

Yo, I was tagged by @chennnington over here to do this thing and it does look like fun, so why not!

But I'm also going to be boring since idk who to tag, so anyone is free to fill this thing out if it hits your dashboard. ᕕ(ᐛ)ᕗ Go knock yourselves out.

1) Describe one creative WIP project you’re planning to work on over the summer.

Thanks to Enderal kicking my creative nuts into gear and being recently liberated from certain "game-master" obligations (long, long ass story that'd probably go over most Tumblr folks' heads, anyway), I finally started diving back into a sapphic-flavored dark fantasy book series that I'd been planning since like around 2016 or so. It was mostly born out of some frustrations with the lack of WLW in general, and while I have some WLW elements in my existing works, I wanted to write something that was more overtly WLW with a leading lady who was outgoing about her sexuality than my previous protagonists (who are either repressed as fuck or too dead to hold a relationship that would function) and wouldn't take her four dang novels to finally kiss a girl.

Anyway, Morane Soraya was created from a whole mess of complicated feelings about women in media. I describe her as a combination of Julie D'aubigny and Anne Lister, with a bit of Christina of Sweden (all of who were badass women in history. Look 'em up!). I wrote a lot about the basics of who she is/what she's all about here.

Morane is a good bean:

Book 1, Bloodtithes, will go into her venturing into a scarcely-visited icy continent to investigate a possible cure or effective treatment to the painful condition she had been forced to live with, which gives her the proficiency she has in Blood Magick (which isn't inherently evil in her world, but very often misunderstood because of its side effects). She's from a mercenary group who all share the same condition and propensity for Blood Magick, so they're interested in this so-called "cure" as well, but not many make it to this country and survive, so Morane is sent alone instead. Along the way, she meets a horned jackal-man named Darius ka Dir, and gets entangled in a plot with a strigoika named Viorica Avanas who has a whole buttload of inner demons of her own (side note: I once played Vio in Skyrim to mess around with Kaidan and they got into some... Situations).

A friend drew Darius and he has a single giant and glorious curl that he is very serious about.

I've also talked a lot about Jade for my Enderal stuff, who was already based on an existing character, and I've figured out how to work her into Morane's world. She won't factor in until Book 2, Cloverleaf, because she's essentially gonna tear down a wall and break freaking everything.

You know. Like she do.

It's still in the planning stages but I'm feeling pretty good about it.

2) Rec a book!

I just started reading Dreams of the Dying by Nicolas Lietzau, which I'm enjoying a lot, but haven't read enough yet to form a coherent recommendation on it. I just got the audiobook though so I'm looking forward to that!

Otherwise, House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski is one of my favorite novels of all time and was a major writing inspiration for me. It's creative in how it gets you to feel uneasy while you're reading the book itself, a huge mindfuck, and one of the few novels that actually made me feel a sense of dread while I was reading it.

If you'd like some seriously bonkers reading material, I'd suggest giving it a looksee.

3) Rec a fic! (outside your character tag)

Iiii don't actually read fanfiction that much, so I'm not sure if I can rec one!

On the flipside, feel free to rec me some Enderal fics (or your own, if you have any). I'll read the shit out of it.

4) Rec music!

I can't recommend Murder by Death to people enough. They're my all-time favorite band, one of the few I've ever made an effort to go see live when they were playing in my city (just before lockdown hit, no less), and deserve more love. I've been listening to them since I discovered them high school and their albums just keep getting better and better.

Also it's not hard for me to find some character-centric songs from them because the topics they write about is very versatile. I tend to think of Lost River for Jade's story, and Ditch Lilly and Rumbrave for Rey's.

5) Share one piece of advice!

Writing women! Because I guess this one needs telling as there are people who still find writing female characters daunting or somehow more difficult than it is to write men. Which, fair, I was the same way. Despite having mostly female protagonists in the novels I'd written, the dudes in my earlier stuff somehow ended up taking the spotlight and stealing most of the development. I really struggled to work through some of my own internalized misogyny and "there are no good female characters in media" mindset, and it took a lot of opening my mind up before it got easier. Now I predominately focus on writing women to be that change I want to see - this includes not killing certain ones off to enhance manpain like I used to, which I learned was called "fridging", lol.

My advice for writing them is to just write them as characters. It sounds simple and stupid, but I'm surprised how much people get wrapped up in the "she must be a strong girlboss" brainrot that they end up with a very flat, boring character that literally no one can relate to, so she still gets outshined by the dudes because the writer tried to overcompensate her badass womanliness without giving her actually compelling character traits.

I feel like one of the main reasons why I absolutely adored Ellen Ripley when I was a kid was because she was written to be a man in the first Alien movie, but they changed the character into a woman without changing the script and it just worked. I didn't know that when I was young, but finding that out just made me appreciate Ripley so much more, because the writers didn't treat her like a "strong female character" but as just a character. I think if writers approached this mindset more, we wouldn't have the "no good female characters in media issue" that doesn't need to be an issue in the first place.

These days I approach character-building by not restricting certain traits by gender, and finding a balance between strengths and weaknesses. Just shut off your critical analysis brain to create a "strong female character" and just write "strong character" instead.

I could word vomit more about my own ladies and how much I love them now than I used to but I feel like this has gone on long enough. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[mengyao]

I was drafting this post last night and fell asleep halfway through and then was thinking about related topics on the plane, bear with me...

Though I find them both extremely engaging in any context, I find hx the more interesting half of beefleaf pre-ch 124, and sqx after... and the things I find so interesting about sqx after that point are the things that people seem compelled to fix-it away. I love that they're mortal and can't shapeshift anymore and are disabled and are getting by in abject poverty and putting their energy into caring for people around them... I love a good reversal of fortune in general but in this case it's part of the broader theme in the narrative of "wherever you go, there you are, for better or for worse". I'm not articulating this well but I'm trying to put my finger on something

And to make everything about he xuan again, that's the worst possible ending to their revenge, that even when they win they lose. Sqx is sucking it up gracefully and demonstrating that while they didn't deserve their ill gotten gains they also don't deserve endless cosmic punishment. That's like the single most infuriating and unsatisfying response anyone could ever have to being caught in a web of vengeance lol. "Getting what they deserve" turns into "what if none of us deserve anything." [Fortitude Michael Gambon voice] This is just a thing that happened. Like cancer.

And then on the flipside I love how sqx appears to have coped shockingly well but IMO that's because grappling with their immediate material problems is easier than having to make some kind of emotional sense out of the revelations about their brother as well as the fact he attempted to murder suicide the two of them before being brutally executed. Like. Sqx is handling things very well but it's also a bit of an iceberg situation

I also don't think the end-of-canon status quo is necessarily sqx's fate indefinitely, considering how much natural charisma and pluck and gumption etc they have. I think they're the kind of person for whom doors will open whether or not they actively seek them out (or whether or not they choose to enter them.) But that's getting into the territory of "just go write your fic dude." But the stuff I'm interested in exploring in that area is more "what do I actually think shi qingxuan's mortal life trajectory looks like given what we know about their passions priorities values and skills" than "I want all their yucky unrelatable problems to go away" yk?