#oof this one got long…

[egophiliac]

how are u on gavv so far? because i need to scream about how insane it has been (and that zakuzakuchips and fuwamallow have won special places in my heart)

can't believe his mom got flavor-blasted to death. 😔 RIP.

[blorbseuki]

8. 🦄: Is your OC the only one of their kind, or are there others like them? for lady helia!

[Ask Meme]

Oho, excellent question! 👀 Before I get into this answer, I wanted to take a second and refer back to some older lore dumps to help lay down context 👉 The Stardust Cycle | Helia's Legend

As far as she (and everyone else) knew at that time, Lady Helia was the only puffball in existence in this corner of the galaxy.

For systems consumed by the Singularity's hunger, the situation was dark, both figuratively and literally. There were no stars, which meant there was little to no stardust. The number of Puffballs and other stardust-reliant species dwindled to the point that they were practically considered myth.

In a world where the stardust was spread so thin--and consequently, in a world that was poor in magic--the fact that Lady Helia manifested such powerful abilities, let alone existed at all, was considered nothing short of an absolute miracle, one that was dictated by Fate itself.

The denizens of Fortel believed heavily in such mechanisms. From the moment her shooting star blazed across their skies, they were more than prepared to take the young puffball under their loving care and raise her to her fullest potential. Her arrival was a gift from the stars, a sign that their days of darkness were sure to end, and denizens of surrounding systems were inclined to agree once the good word spread.

So while Lady Helia may have been the only one of her kind at the time, she was never truly alone, in the loving hands of all the communities within her orbit.

But that in itself can be even lonelier.

[hypostatic-oath]

Tales Of Meropide

SAGAU!Tartaglia-centered, angst with some comfort.

Warnings: Swearing. I think it's just one but I'm not entirely sure. Written before 4.2, but finished after 4.1 - contains spoilers for the released story quest so far.

_________________

Childe had never once in his life assumed jail would be fun. He had no delusions in that regard. But he had to admit, his hopes were raised once he heard of the Pankration Ring in the Fortress of Meropide. A competition ring for those who had "extra energy" they wished to "burn out" through regular sparring matches? Sign him up!

His hopes were very quickly shattered once he was told that no, a Fatui Harbinger was not allowed to compete, because "no way anyone would sign up to fight him" and "even if he did fight with one hand behind his back, that would set the bar too high for the other matches, and the spectators would be bored." Damn it - so the ring wasn't truly for fight afficionados - it was a marketing ploy! The fight itself wasn't the focus, it was the fact that it had to look good for an audience.

Childe huffed as he sat in the bed he'd taken to occupying. Fontaine was getting on his nerves - it seemed as though everything was for show, and very little was actually real. Where were the Traveler or the Overseer when one needed them?! Oh, what he wouldn't do to fight against a decent opponent!

His boredom was made worse by the fact that the Overseer - damn them and their excuse of "immersion" - had decided to bench him until he was out of prison. So now he rusted away in the Fortress of Meropide, with no one to fight, no one to banter with...

He could try the Duke again, he figured. While at first things hadn't gone his way, after explaining his issue, Wriothesley had, once or twice, been amenable to a sparring match, and it was the one thing keeping Tartaglia remotely sane. But lately the warden had been more and more busy - and less and less inclined to indulge the restless Harbinger. Were it not for the fact that he already had an escape plan in the works, Childe was sure he would have lost his mind for real. He was getting rusty. Every day that he did not raise his weapon was one day he grew weaker, and that the competition grew stronger. And he knew he had competition, both among the Fatui - how he was the Eleventh of a group of nine still eluded him - and among the other vessels.

It had hurt, the knowledge that right after his banner would come that of the Iudex who'd promptly knocked him out and sent him to jail... and that he wasn't even there to fight him about it! He hadn't been aware of the sheer strength of Fontaine's Chief Justice, but now that he'd caught a glimpse, Childe had to admit he was intrigued. And by intrigued let it be absolutely clear that what he meant was "eager to fight him again". Hell, the judge had managed to knock him out while he was using Foul Legacy! What else was this Neuvillette guy capable of? And, more importantly... had you noticed?

It was a thought Ajax didn't like to have. One he'd been trying to drown out - hah! Drown! Now that his hydro Vision was gone, and Neuvillette was out there using hydro as he pleased - since he'd first been told he wouldn't be able to fight down here. And yet, now that the Fortress had quieted down for the night, there was no sound to overpower his own thoughts.

The thoughts of being replaced. The thoughts that told him he was no longer enough. He was growing weaker, even before being arrested. His Vision had failed him. And now, how convenient - an insanely strong Hydro user was available. It didn't matter whether or not you'd pulled on Childe's banner earlier - he knew you needed strong members on your team, and at this rate he'd be no match for Neuvillette. Not in a fight, and not in your team. What was he supposed to do without it?! The worst of all was the nagging feeling that you'd grown used to not having him with you already. He'd been imprisoned for a while now, and not a peep from you. Not for the Abyss, not for Ley Lines, not for Domains, not even for Commissions.

He missed it.

He missed you.

Childe laid down on the bed - which was only slightly less uncomfortable than the slab of rock he used to sleep on during hos months in the Abyss - and turned to face the brass wall, his fingers absentmindedly tracing along his Delusion.

If only he could use it while you were taking hold of him - if only he could use his Foul Legacy transformation, too. He had developed (and tested) the theory that due to your influence, these things would have almost to no toll on his body. That was, apparently, part of the unspoken contract between an Overseer and their Vessels - not only would they become stronger, but their injuries and exhaustion would be your responsibility instead of theirs. For Childe, it was the perfect deal, lending you control of his body to fight all kinds of opponents and having his strength increase a hundredfold. Except for the part that, try as he might - and most importantly, try as you might - it was impossible for him to use his Delusion, or his Foul Legacy transformation, or, much to your chagrin, his signature "whale toss".

Ah, yes. That had been another issue.

Ever since he'd gotten to the Fortress, he'd seen it.

In dreams, in flashes during the day, hell, he was even hearing it, its song echoing through the brass walls. And yet, no one else seemed to be able to. That in itself was a sign - this was indeed the one he'd roused from slumber... and it was beckoning him to answer its calls.

He closed his eyes. Perhaps tonight's dream would provide more insight. He'd seek it out as soon as he managed to leave, he just had to wait for a pipe cleaning day in order to make his escape. For now, though, all he could do was wait, as time passed agonizingly slow. And so, lulled by boredom and whalesong, he forced himself to sleep it off.

_________

You were getting impatient.

You'd decided to give storyline immersion a try once Childe was arrested, thinking that it'd be pretty weird for the recently arrested Harbinger to be roaming the streets of Fontaine - and you'd been doing a lot of roaming recently, having a whole new nation to explore. By now, you were aware that your game was responsive to you, and that had been a big reason why you'd made that decision, knowing that they were aware of what you did. You did not want to stir up trouble with Neuvillette or Wriothesley... not when they hadn't come home yet. It was best to play to their interests a little bit. However... this was getting ridiculous.

"We're gonna have to break him out at this rate." You huffed, as you picked up yet another Romaritime flower. As usual, the members of your party who hadn't been so used to you seemed a little startled at hearing your voice, while the Traveler and Paimon were far more relaxed. You supposed it made sense - if a disembodied voice started talking about jailbreak out of nowhere, you'd probably be pretty spooked too.

"But, Overseer..." Paimon began. "If we break him out of jail, won't people notice he's missing? And you still want to get Monsieur Neuvillette as soon as his banner drops - are you sure we should interfere with justice right now?"

"Neuvillette will come whether he likes it or not." You said, a steely determination in your voice. You'd meant nothing threatening by it, only that he was guaranteed and near pity, but it still sent a chill down the most inexperienced members of your team's spines. "Besides, I'm pretty sure that's what the next Archon Quest will be - break Childe out of jail. He's gonna come home with us, and everything will be okay. So it shouldn't really matter... if we give him a taste of freedom early, now does it?"

"I suppose it's alright." The Traveler chimed in. They were still the vessel who was more in tune with your emotions after all these years together, and thst could be both a blessing and a curse. Now, what they felt was your eagerness to see Childe again... and concern.

You were worried about him.

With a few clicks, you opened the map. Were it anyone else, you would've teleported to somewhere nice. Maybe Angel's Share, or Liuli Pavilion, or any of the many other restaurants and cafés that dotted the regions of Teyvat that had opened themselves to you.

But you knew that after being stuck for so long, your Tartaglia would need something more than a simple apology meal.

__________

The Golden house. Of course his dreams would take him there - he'd fallen asleep to thoughts of you. It was a respite from the other ones, but pleasant as dreams of fighting may be, they had about the same effect as dreams of a feast to a starving man. No matter how much he fought, he'd still wake up feeling empty.

"What's the matter with you? No 'Surrender is a valid option' today?" Your voice rang out. Oh, yeah. He'd forgotten his usual taunt... did it matter, in a dream? Apparently it did, because you'd commented on it. Still, he wasn't sure if he felt like going along with it. Why would it matter? It wasn't real. He'd likely never see you again, and his stupid dream was only making things worse.

"You seem out of it. Childe." The Traveler stood before him as you spoke, their weapon lowered but still unsheated. "Maybe prison put you in a worse shape than I thought... oh, I'm going to kill them. I don't care. Traveler, we're going to take this man out of there."

"Paimon's pretty sure that's illegal..."

"Illegal? Look at what they've done to him! They massacred my boy! He has no will to live!"

Tartaglia watched as you spoke with the Traveler and Paimon. It wasn't often that he got to witness such direct interactions, and he had to admit, it was a little bit funny seeing the blonde outlander and his companion arguing with the air. They usually faced the direction opposite of where Paimon hovered - mostly so the poor guide didn't feel like they were arguing with her instead - but it still looked as though the Traveler were speaking to absolutely nothing.

Even though he was sure this was a dream - of course it was, after all, you bringing him for a fight now, and within a few seconds immediately deciding to break him out and go on a murder spree for his sake? Tartaglia could recognize his own wishful thinking - the image brought a smile to his face.

"What have they done to you?" You asked, addressing him directly once more. "How bad is it? Are you eating enough? Are you eating at all? Are you sick? Bastards..."

Concern. He could almost feel your warmth. He had to remind himself that it wasn't real. He had to remind himself that, in the real world, in the waking world, he was still in bed. That you, powerful entity that you were, could pull him out any time, and yet you hadn't.

He'd started thinking this was just like last time. Just like in the Abyss.

At first, he'd wanted his parents to come looking for him. He'd wanted them to notice he was gone, and many a night had he dreamt of them finding him. Then came his master, and with her, he held even less delusions that she'd come to his aid. And then, he'd joined the Fatui, and there it was set in stone that comrades as they may be, there'd be no help whatsoever, so he might as well give up hope.

He still dreamt it, sometimes. That someday there'd be someone to reach out a hand, someone who'd give him a bright smile when he was at his worst and help him stand, so they could take on the world together. He still dreamt that for once, just once, someone would care enough to help.

But nobody came.

He needed to be strong. He loved being strong, he loved fighting. Which was a good thing, he'd many times surmised, since it was the only thing the world needed him to do. You win the fight, you live. That was that, and it was all it had ever been and all it ever would be.

There'd be no parents looking for him. No Skirk coming in at the last minute to parry the blow. No comrades to call upon. No Overseer willing to go on a murder spree to take him out of jail.

The truth, the cold truth, was nothing like the warm dreams where someone came to his aid. The truth was that once again, he'd have to break out alone.

All he could do for now was enjoy the opportunity to fight "you", even if just in a dream, so he took a deep, shaky breath, and got ready to spar.

_________

You wondered if he knew he was crying.

It didn't last too long. You quickly opted out of the Golden House - you'd clearly overestimated his will to fight. Even as he stood at the ready, you could see the changes in his demeanor. Maybe you should've gone with Angel's Share after all.

You emptied your party - save for the Traveler - and placed Childe on one of the empty slots. Then, you quickly teleported the three of them (because the Traveler always counted as two, with Paimon beside them all the time) to your teapot. It was clear Childe needed more than just an apology fight.

"Traveler, do me a favor." You asked, once the loading screen was out of the way. "Could you get some food started, please?"

That should give you a little alone time with the Harbinger. Maybe it'd be easier, you figured, to coax information on his wellbeing if you were alone.

As the Traveller nodded and went to handle the cooking at a nearby stove, you switched to Tartaglia. It was a little odd now, controlling them when you knew they were aware of your existence. The vast majority didn't seem to mind, and you took some comfort in how responsive and talkative they were - at least you weren't some malevolent, brainwashing eldritch entity. Your characters - erm, Vessels, as they preferred to call it - seemed fine.

Childe, however, didn't.

"Hey. Ajax." You made sure to keep your voice softer than usual as you guided him towards the hot springs, sitting him down. "I'm sorry. I genuinely thought we'd get to break you out sooner."

For a while, he didn't answer.

You placed the cursor over his shoulder. By now, you knew they could feel a sort of phantom touch, and it was the closest thing you could do to offer a comforting hand.

"Whatever they did to you ends now. I'm hereby overruling your sentence. You're staying here while I'm logged off until the Traveler and I resolve this, and when I'm around, you're back on the team."

You could see Childe trying to look at you, so you did him the favor of turning the camera in such a way that it looked as though you were sitting beside him.

"Over here."

He couldn't see your expression, but you still hoped he could somehow hear the way you felt through your voice. Oh, how you wanted to be able to reach him.

Tartaglia looked in the vague direction of you, and you wished you had a way to cup his cheek and wipe away the tears threatening to spill from those lifeless eyes. You moved the cursor to rest over his pinky finger - this was the closest thing you could do to a pinky promise, after all.

"It's over, Ajax. It's done. Canon can go fuck itself. If they want to put you back in jail they're gonna have to go through me first."

__________

Ajax had wished you were physically in Teyvat many times. Most of these times were because he wished to fight you personally, some because he wished to share some food with you. This time, feeling the unmistakable warmth of your phantom touch slide from his shoulder to his hand, before focusing on his pinky as you promised to fight for him, he wished he could pull you into the tightest embrace. What a cruel dream - couldn't his mind have dreamt you a physical body, too? One he could hold on to. One he could curl up around.

He felt your touch on his back, soothing circles of warmth rhytmically rubbed, and he would've leaned into your touch if he had any idea of which direction to lean into.

"I have an escape route planned already." He sighed. "And a few other things I need to handle, too."

"Still." You insisted. "You look terrible. No offense."

"I'm f-"

"You're not fine, Ajax. I'm not an idiot. Look, the teapot has a place for you whenever you'd like. You have the Sigil of Permission, and I'll make sure to leave an empty room, so you can come and go whenever. So you at least get food, drink, a place to sleep... I'm pretty sure that with the Shogun around you'll always have someone to spar with, too, that should keep you from boredom-"

The Sigil of Permission.

Of course.

How could he have forgotten?

A dream as this may be - and he was start to suspect it wasn't, due to the unmistakable feeling of your energy seeping into his own and, perhaps a more obvious sign, how his clothes felt against his body due to being in the hot springs fully clothed (perhaps Overseers had no concept of clothing, and you refused to remove it because you considered his outfit a part of his skin? He'd heard you refer to the Tianquan's new outfit as a "new skin" once, after all...), the water making them heavier - it had still provided him something that could help him once he woke. The Traveler had once bestowed him with a sigil of permission that granted him access to your Serenitea Pot - a sigil of permission that was still in his possession.

Childe could feel a spark of hope inside his chest, the corners of his lips curving in a discreet yet confident smile.

He'd definitely take you up on that offer later.

"That's more like it!" You sounded relieved. And, as it usually was for Vessels when you were pouring your energy into them, your energy felt relieved as well, your emotions bleeding through into his body. All that, just for a small smile? Tartaglia smiled wider, in the general direction of where you should be, and the feeling increased.

He felt that familiar sensation of your focus on his hair, and found himself thinking that maybe, if you were there beside him, you would've ran your fingers through it, and maybe he'd lean closer, perhaps to rest his head on your shoulder or your lap.

Archons, what was happening to him? He wasn't supposed to let himself go like this. This wasn't a dream at all, he couldn't simply indulge as though it were. He had to stop leaning into your phantom touch, he had to stop hoping. This sort of hope, this sort of weakness, it'd kill him. He needed to-

"What you need is rest. And to be comfortable. And to let me and the Traveler take care of you." Your voice brought him out of his spiraling train of thought. Oh, right. He'd forgotten that lately you'd gotten better at hearing their thoughts. A trick you'd picked up in Sumeru, no doubt. He sighed.

"That... would be nice. Thank you, comrade. But you really don't need-"

"I don't. But I want to, so I will. So come on, let's get you fed while I redecorate the teapot again. It was bound for a change sooner or later, anyway."

[trensu]

do you think you'll put "Stasis in darkness" on AO3 eventually?

see, when the idea first came to me, I hadn't really planned on doing anything with it because I wasn't sure if I could make it work. there's a level of gravitas in the relationship between a god and their devoted servant that I didn't think would translate well to steddie because, let's be real, those boys are goofy dorks. but the idea wouldn't leave me alone so I typed up the original post in an attempt to work it out of my system and move on.

(the post kind of blew up, which I was not expecting at all!! like, not even a little bit! i post all sorts of rough little ideas for my own amusement and I've been able to do that without drawing much attention until that point.)

Anyway, I wouldn't have done much with it but @acowardinmordor left some comments/tags/what have you that helped me nail down the setting in my head which really opened the door for me to explore how the story could progress. (apologies, strife, I'm not sure I ever properly thanked you for that burst of inspiration, so please accept this shoutout as an expression of gratitude). And the amazing @ent-is-indecisive allowed me to rant about it which really helped flesh out the story. Seriously, there are elements and lore coming up that would not have existed if it weren't for ent. (and thank you once again ent for the ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL fanart you made for the reveal scene, I'm still overcome with joy whenever I think about it!).

Once it got to that point, I knew I wanted it to be a self-contained story and I was afraid that if I did a multi-chapter fic I'd lose the thread and never make it to the ending I want the fic to have. (no, the end scene hasn't been written yet but I KNOW what it's going to be and I hope everyone will love it as much as i do). So I promised myself that I was not going to post it on ao3 until the whole thing was written out completely.

However, I occasionally need a confidence/motivation boost so I've been posting consecutive parts of the rough draft here. you have no idea how much the people who reblogged with tags or left comments have helped me fight off the discouragement my brain likes to bog me down with; off the top of my head, @godsweakestboy , @redfreckledwolf, @fuctacles , @spectrum-spectre , and @lawrencebshoggoth have given me lovely, enthusiastic words of encouragement. and they're only the ones I can think of at this moment. there's so many other people who've done this, so if you've ever left me nice tags or comments, please know that I've read every single one of them repeatedly whenever I need to get over a slump. I'm so grateful for all of you!

Anyway, all this is to say yes! It is going to be posted as a oneshot on ao3 once I've finished writing it. <3

[bun-lapin]

TWST Voice Line Scene #13

🦐Yuu: (looking over a list of classes with Ace, Deuce, and Grim) All of the good afternoon classes will be taken if we don't pick one soon!

🐬Jade: Good afternoon, everyone. I couldn't help but overhear your plight as I was walking by. Would you like some advice from an upperclassman? Free of charge, of course.

(The group exchanges suspicious looks and then nods at Jade)

🐬Jade: Seeing as you're so indecisive, would you like me to pick the most highly recommended class?

🐬Jade: I propose this class. (points at a class on the list) It's a guaranteed passing grade.

♠️Deuce: Nice!

🐬Jade: There's also no homework.

❤️Ace: Heck yeah!!

🐬Jade: You can even eat snacks during the class.

🐱Grim: Myaaha~! Perfect!

🐬Jade: It seems you're all in agreement so why don't I submit the class application for you-

🦐Yuu: HOLD IT!

🐬Jade: ?

🦐Yuu: This class seems too good to be true. What's the catch?

🐬Jade: Oh, there's no catch~! (smiles with his teeth bared) However, the class is taught by Crowley and the final project is a 20 page paper about how great he is.

🦐Yuu: …..

🦐Yuu: (turns back to the class list) Ok, so we really need to hurry up and choose a class.

TWST Voice Line Scenes Masterlist

[lorelune]

the game plan:

- finish o4o in the next few weeks (barring pain levels, they have been higher than normal. more on that later)

- open up comms (i’ll probably take two or three OR i’ll be releasing a certain numbers of words that can be claimed for commissions out of the whole, until we hit that word cap) (if this doesn’t make sense i’ll explain more later trust)

- profit and pay off portos vet bill AND get a new work desk

[crow-of-paradise]

Neve…. Baby…. Baby I’m sorry. I’m sorry!!! Treviso is my home!!! It would make little sense to choose Minrathous over it! You take all the time you need, I will still be buying you the fish dinner if we survive. 😭

IN MEMORIAM OF NEVE’S TRUST IN ME

-in the arms of the angel by sarah mclachlan plays in the bg-

[nemesis-is-my-middle-name]

The discussion about the mistrust of the player character in PLA had me thinking a bit about this whole "outsider to the outsiders" thing going on.

While the player character is very innocent and not deserving of the shunning, I think people tend to interpret the betrayal as a sign that the village(of outsiders) doesn't like outsiders at all which is obviously not the case. They are literal refugees, traders, farmers, academics, etc from all around and they are very much trying to reach out and incorporate the clans into their relations. So that's not why they turn on you.

It's more of your standard rumor mill witch trial born from you falling from the sky(where the spooky rift is!) in a big showy spectacle. Then having strange clothes and an almost inhuman ease with pokemon that even the experts who have been training and studying with them cannot fathom. Now these new problems have started and the magical sky person is the only one who can fix it! Witchcraft!

YES EXACTLY!!! oooooh this ask made me so excited when i saw it in my inbox you have no idea. like, an argument can be made that the clans are isolationist, especially wrt each other (and early dialogue abt mai also suggests that jubilife and the clans are also still relatively remote but that's off topic), but by nature jubilife can't be the same way. kamado even self-describes the galaxy team as a "group of outsiders" in hisui. a security corps guard jokingly refers to them as the "Ragtag Expedition Team." so to say that they're fearful of strangers, or don't easily accept them, is clearly wrong.

not only that, but there's a list of galaxy team principles framed in the player's house, and one of them is "Those who are weaker must be helped." so like, while kamado & other people in the team tend to be rather harsh about everyone paying their due, it's really not a matter of like, disliking new people in the team, y'know? it's more about the fact that survival in hisui is difficult, and they're constantly fighting an uphill battle to sustain everyone, so there really is basically no wiggle room for anyone to not contribute whatever they're able to, which is something that's reiterated over and over in the early game. (also there's like, a considerable amount of old/older people in the village, which to my understanding is fairly unusual for this kind of project since it demands so much physical labor under trying conditions, so presumably that also contributes to the sense that everyone's jumping on this strong able-bodied young person. and also i'm curious about the reasons behind that demographic being so well-represented. this is me getting sidetracked that's just a thing i've been wondering about.)

anyway yeah. the reason ppl are distrustful of you is that you FELL OUT OF THE SKY. you have no past but some ambiguous link to the crack in reality which people already see as some kind of bad omen or worse. and then you're like, instantly all buddy-buddy with these creatures that most people not in the survey or security corps are scared shitless of, to the point of being terrified to leave the safety of the village for fear of encountering any. like that's the other thing to me is that your talent with pokemon isn't just seen as weird, to people already scared of them it would probably be actively really intimidating. especially since you don't have the credentials of prior training, like zisu and the rest of the security/survey corps do! they're just taking it on faith that you do know what you're doing. even if you're very nice and helpful, the more fearful jubilife people would probably see you as a passive threat to the village on account of all those weapons of mass destruction you're casually carrying around in your back pocket that may or may not even be under your proper control.

& then like you said, the rumor mill has its way with you, compounded by the situation with the nobles, and by the red sky event, i mean, i don't think most of the village hates you. not after you've done so many fetch quests for all of them whwjkwhk. it's just that they're quietly sort of afraid of you, which is not at all an emotion negated by how helpful you've been. and that's why you get kicked out.

[chromatophorium]

My hat embroidery is done!!! Yay! I crocheted the arms, hands, legs and feet and stitched them on. (The fingers/toes are loose though, cuz it's nice and adds texture and shape!!!) Took a few turns away from the og design, but who cares! It's better this way anyway, Nintendo can't sue me haha. (I'm not thinking that they will, just joking about current events.)

Here's the og one, from Splatoon concept art for a t-shirt motif:

[starcrossedspirit]

I’ve had some thoughts about my couples and I bring forth an argument.

Reno loves Sera, he takes her as she is and would never ask her to change. He understands as much as he can about her plight and for what it’s worth, he’s willing to go the extra mile to make sure she is cared for, taken care of, and it has never been a burden to him. Their hearts yearn for one another, and there are long moments of eyes meeting, hands lingering against each other when they shouldn’t, and quiet silences that are filled with want. For all intents and purposes they were meant to yearn- but when they finally kiss, it’s divine.

And then there is Vincent and Lucy who are by definition grumpy and sunshine. She’s vibrant, she’s full of life, and there is so much more to things than staying in the past! Don’t linger, don’t be a phantom, you were given a second chance- all of these beliefs help Vincent to be a little more willing to give life another go. She urges him to keep going and in time he remembers what it’s like to be happy, even if it just means small steps forward in healing. It also means soft moments of keeping her safe under his cloak, eyes meeting and being held just before he looks away, a little too much guilt just yet. No harm would ever come to her, not while he’s alive.

That’s just it, right? Reno x Sera forever and of course Vincent x Lucy, but what if?

But what if Reno knew Lucy from the times Zack had her around, and for a time would consider her a friend? Possibly going to her shows when he had the chance? He knew Zack, he knew his sister, and at the end of the day that was someone he could talk to outside of work? Moments of walking home together, being able to talk about things that don’t matter, a breath of fresh air for one another that leads to hands being grabbed and being held, being close and the feeling of running away.

And what if Vincent and Sera meant redemption? He felt like he could redeem himself for failing to save Lucrecia, failing to end Sephiroth, but instead find a new redemption in helping Sera grow apart from Shinra, to feel less like a monster and to finally understand themselves better? The moments where she cries and he comforts her telling her that she isn’t alone, not like he had to be. For the first time ever for the both of them the silence isn’t so quiet. Nobody understands each other like they would, especially when it comes to Hojo's monstrosities. Together they learn they're not monsters and that they both can be saved.

[hesperidia]

1 21

Ask game ✩

Thanks for the ask! this was on the inbox for a while, bc i wanted to make a proper answer. sorry it got too long...

21- Something you’ve kept since childhood?:

Fairytale books!! One of my most prized possessions is a book that's like a "bestiary" for kids, with watercolor illustrations of creatures and fairies and little descriptions of each.

Two of my childhood plushies! One of them is going to be 24 years old soon. At this point that lion plushie is going to be forever with me, I'll be buried with it.

A (knockoff but still very cute) hello kitty blanket i've had since i was six <3

1- who is/are your comfort character(s)?: Okay this question goes under a read more because, it got too extensive

If you pay attention to this blog, you'll see i never shut up about Bungo Stray Dogs Ryuunosuke Akutagawa. But he isn't my comfort character (he gives me pain most of the time /hj) in fact, my comfort chara is Beast! Akutagawa:

He's the same character, but from the alternate universe presented in the bsd Beast light novel/manga adaptation. Basically, Akutagawa if he never got recruited into the mafia. I'd yap more about him but i already made a post however, i'll explain why he is here:

When i first read the main manga, i didn't care a lot about Akutagawa, it was until i read the Beast manga i started to open myself up, and there's something about him, about the fact that it doesn't matter how ugly of a person you are, how much self loathing you harbor for yourself, still there will be opportunities for you to be better, make better choices, have people who will support you in that difficult path. And, in turn, you can become that person for others (like beast Aku did with Atsushi).

I'm not going to lie, reading this manga threw me into turmoil more than once. There was a fair deal of projection as i read about Akutagawa's struggles, and his character development felt like a blow to the heart to me.

Plus, he has his fair share of silly moments, and takes his roasted tea with four sugar cubes iirc. Sweet tooth counter: 1

Also, from bsd, Ranpo Edogawa:

Okay so, I've a soft spot for characters who are childish, and look at the world from an unique perspective. Ranpo was actually the very first bsd chara i got attached to, and i liked him because he was a brat. At first he was a little shit, the worst coworker you could ask for (love it. v/ realistic) but the more you see of him, you'll notice how he can put aside his apparent selfishness and get serious.

When watching the anime adaptation of The Untold Origins of the Detective Agency light novel (the one where they show his backstory) i could not help but hardcore emphatize with him (and also project, recurring theme with all these charas 😅)

You have a kid who lost his family, got shunned by every adult he turned to for being too smart and too sincere, who met at the right time with a person who not only didn't dismiss him, but appreciated his insights, and Ranpo got too attached because someone was actually making the effort to understand him. That person would become his family later. Again, finding a place to belong and people who would accept you, and in turn giving that kindness to others (wow it's like this is one of the core themes of the manga. the sky is blue, water feels wet).

Looking back to Yosano's backstory, and the kind words (KIND WORDS!! RANPO? KIND? yes very real and true) he gave to her. The fact he went out of his way to retrieve her butterfly brooch. It's these little moments that make me appreciate Ranpo the most. That, and the fact that he puts aside all his pride when it comes to admit he fucks up. He might look conceited, but he really isn't...

Plus, he's loud, and silly, and scattered, and has a sweet tooth. (Sweet tooth counter: 2). Likes animals. He even can't use public transport properly at 26 y/o. Just like me fr...

Next a character i don't get to talk about a lot but she was the VERY FIRST character that i said ohhhh my god. I love you. You are me. What the hell... Annette Fantine Dominic from Fire Emblem Three Houses/Three Hopes:

Annette is super important to me. She's a person who is smart, but as a result of a continuous effort (she's a very good student, hardworking and diligent). And she kind of reminds me of myself when i was on hs. This doesn't mean she resents naturally talented ppl (her support conversations with Sylvain, another chara from the game, are some of the BEST in three houses).

Still, she feels the need to overachieve and overcompensate because her father, who's a knight, left her family when she was young so he could fulfil his duty to the kingdom and completely ignores the fact he has a daughter to take care of. Annette, kind of thinks that if she doesn't strive for perfection, people around her would leave like her dad did.

And she's always cheery, and puts up a smile, and tends to not recognize her talents (ex. she likes to sing about silly stuff, and does it really well, other charas point it out and Annie does not believe them at first, she tends to hold herself down). I'd talk more about her but it's been a while since i revisited fe3h...

Other things i like about her: She's 150cm tall and her personal weapon is a big ass magical hammer made of dragon bones called "Crusher". The first time she fights/defeats/kills someone in the game she asks her professor if she did okay. Likes cooking but ends up setting everything on fire (just like me... fr....) AND also has a sweet tooth (sweet tooth counter: 3)

Recently i got very. Very into Ensemble Stars, and a big part of it is these two (i talk less than i want to about them bc i still don't have all the facts, haven't read all their stories. But the fact they became SO important to me in such little time needs to be scientifically studied):

Mika Kagehira:

Mika is like crack cocaine for my brain. I got attached to him at first because 1- He was the very second card i got in the game and it made me curious. 2- His singing voice is so angelic (i know it doesn't have anything to do with the actual character, but there's something about Mika, who is very unkempt at times, struggles to take care of himself, actually having very clean vocals while performing. just a thought).

He's childish, and a lil (if you squint) obsessive, struggles with humanity (has a whole issue about being doll-like that he's trying to leave behind now) shy but will NOT hesitate to fight people. What i like about him the most, is his empathy. He stood beside his mentor/friend/obsessive crush???? when he had a breakdown and helped him get back up... A lot of times he shows concern for other characters and is up to giving good advice (Kohaku in tale of antiques comes to mind, and Midori in the Doll House scout story too).

(BY THE WAY, said mentor also constantly helps Mika when he's struggling and their relationship becomes healthier with time.. i am starting to think... there's a pattern here in what themes i tend to get attached to)

What else. His awful (affectionate) fashion sense. The fact he scavenges and repairs broken objects and plushies. He's an emo guy who has a card where he has blood on his hands and looks ecstatic about it. The chainsaw CG. The fact that he can't express his thoughts properly sometimes and getting misunderstood gets him down (ouch that happens to me) His favorite food is candy. Sweet tooth counter: 4

Last but not least, Leo Tsukinaga:

LEO i did not expect him to make it to my favs at first but he IS my favorite ensemble stars character ever on account of how many times i've screenshotted things he said. He reminds me of Ranpo a little bit personality wise, and the fact they're both geniuses. (who have struggled badly because of it). That and, being the ultimate sillies. (I've said it before, all my favs have to be a lil cringefail)

He always expects the best of ppl and the world around him, and that's his biggest weakness, that naiveté. After reading Checkmate i got genuinely sad for him, and the stories i read where ppl kept taking advantage of him made me angry (?) I find his general whimsy and unpredictableness(?) very endearing. He once said he hated Mozart and irl Mozart was also a very whimsical unserious person. (I wonder if they got compared alot and Leo grew tired of it).

Again it doesn't seem like so at first, but he cares SO MUCH about his friends. Izumi and Madara come to mind first. And even though he's a scatterbrain and has said, multiple times, that explaining himself is hard and that's why he prefers the language of music (one everyone can understand) i still remember his lines to Kohaku in sudden death, where he thanked him for being by Madara's side. I absolutely did not expect that. And i feel i've to mention this one line from night patrollers:

which i'll include because. because... i'm a broken record atp but the reciprocal support between people... augh (this screenshot is saved as "leo i love you" on my laptop... yeah)

Something i found in common between both mika and leo and probably Annette too is that they often refer to themselves as dumb??? but they ARE NOT they are really perceptive... i am hugging them both as i write this.

I couldn't recall if Leo likes sweet things. The sweet tooth total is 4. What else, he once got hipnotized into behaving like a cat but it was almost unnoticeable because he already acts like one. broke into his artistic rival's atelier in Paris just because he liked hanging out in there (iirc), does not take criticisms to his music/art very well (understandable 100%), goes from zero to 100 in 2 seconds. Dislikes sex jokes (ace king???) i <3 him.

There's so much i want to say about all of them but i can't. I'm insanely bad with words but i don't get to talk alot about these charas (the self consciousness eats me alive) and this was the perfect opportunity<3 Anywayyyy if you look for a pattern in here you'll sure find it

Honorary mentions for: Rei Sakuma and Kohaku Oukawa (enstars), Merrill (dragon age 2), Shinobu Kocho (kny), Lyon (fire emblem sacred stones) and Eliwood (fire emblem blazing blade). I would KEEP talking about them all but i am... eepy and this got insanely long sorry anon

[chiropterx]

Your POV when Man-Bat is checking you out...

[writtenmemxries]

Being a lesbian and finding a girl to go out with is hard in and on itself but finding someone that doesn't ghost me after two text messages and that isn't the fucking personification of boredom is even harder

[hauntingblue]

de la tula

[qrevo]

48, 52, 58, 59, and 62!

48. if you were a fruit, what kind would you be? ok. hear me out. i'd be an avocado. it's like, my FAVOURITE fruit. also it's green. and it has a cool round core. and it's delicious. just like mee ^^ (also, fun fact, before using the four-leaved-clover emoji i always use everywhere, it used to be the avocado emoji. remember this lore piece because it will be important on the 8th chapter of my character route 🥑)

52. favorite font? i LOVE the Oswald font. my ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE. it's so circular and symetric and it looks good EVERYWHERE (outside of like. a thesis. or something formal like an email). everytime i wanted to use writing on my digital drawings as a kid i would use the Oswald font. Oswald font my beloved <3

58. four talents you’re proud of having? *i'm really good at math!! *i think i'm good at logic and reasoning?? tho i think that's kinda required for pursuing computer science LMAO. it makes things a lot easier tbh *might not be a talent, but i'm kinda proud of how i'm developing my drawing skills!! still drawing and practicing everyday since the start of the year, and it's cool to see how far i've come in the, like, two months since i got back to it ^^ *i've got good stamina!! i bike almost everyday and take regular walks (a tumblr user?? touching grass?? impossible). it takes a while to get me tired out lol. i kinda want to do a marathon someday to test if i'm really built for it tho!!

59. if you were a video game character, what would your catchphrase be? can my catchphrase be like. miscellaneous, hyper-specific brasilian cusswords?? HBSKDBCMDC if not, then i'm going with the classic "it's qrevo time" and then he trevoed all over the enemies

62. seven characters you relate to? i'll try not to repeat the characters from that one tag game to keep some variety here in this blog BMSDBHVDS. also they are not in any order whatsoever!! *Fuuta Kajiyama - MILGRAM *Elizabeth Webber - Ordem Paranormal *Mithrun - Dungeon Meshi *Kris - Deltarune *Chihiro Fujisaki - Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc *Chilchuck Tims - Dungeon Meshi *Rubens Naluti - Ordem Paranormal (sorrey i tried to do 7 characters from 7 different media but. i ran out of relatable characters from different media 💀💀💀💀)

[oliverwolfboy]

I feel like the song eight by sleeping at last, would perfectly describe Yuichiro's character arc if it was him who lived instead of Muichiro

He grew up to fast, both of his parents died the same night, and then it was only him and his little twin, so like in the song but for a different reason (for now) he put his armor on, so he could protect his little brother from the world, so his little brother could stay naive and kind, so he didn't have to fight. But then the demon came and instead of Yuichiro running infront of Muichiro to protect him, he froze up he sat there and watched as his precious sweet little brother who was so much kinder and so much stronger then him get his sides ripped up and just like Muichiro in canon this enrages him so he grabbed his meat cleaver and sliced the demon to bit, but of course it was to late Muichiro was barely hanging on to consciousness and the last words he says to him are his last words in canon as he begs for him to survive, when he wakes up alive and unlike Muichiro in canon, with his memories, he doesn't think himself worthy of saving anyone, how could he possibly save anyone when he couldn't even save his own brother? but still after a little convincing from the ubuyashiki family, in honour of his late brother and as revenge against the things that took his brother he picks up a sword and fights. He still has that armor on but now like in the song instead of it being there to protect his brother now it is there to protect himself from being more hurt, letting more people in just for them to die on him again, but that armor that shield that is keeping others out is also his keeping his own hurt in, all that grief and hatred at the world for taking his brother, at his father because how could he be so stupid and leave them here alone, but mainly at himself because he couldn't protect his brother, because he couldn't stop their father going out in a storm to find herbs, because he is couldn't protect the people that he loves the most, because he doesn't hate the world nor does he hate his dad, not really no he hates himself, this boy is a pit of so much self loathing, and he can't tell Muichiro how he really feels because he has to protect him so he can't afford to show weakness so all that hurt and self hatred that manifests into anger that he takes out on the people around him, and it just so happens that the only person around him is Muichiro, so he hates himself even more for this, Yuichiro is a self destructive mess. And then Muichiro dies and Yuichiro is left with nothing to protect and even more self loathing on his plate, and still he has no to talk to not that he would if there was.

TW suicidal thoughts, self harm

So Yuichiro begins training rigorously even more so then Muichiro, because while Muichiro had a lot of anger he couldn't remember why nor did he have as much as Yuichiro would. So he trains and trains and trains, and fights and fights and fights, and he becomes a hashira, tho to be honest i don't think he would be a mist breather, because while mist breathing is calm swift striks and obscure, confusing movements, Yuichiro is violent Wild but precise cuts, quick movements, he is relentless and he is anger agree or disagree, I don't care. Now let's dive a little into his mental state during this time beware of warnings. So Yuichiro is anger, he is anger at himself as statted above, but now it is really bad because he thinks it should have been him that died, he was the bad one, he was the one who was constantly having outbursts, he was the one that couldn't protect them. He is living with this constant pain inside of him and he just wants it to stop, sometimes he wants to stop mid fight and just let the demon kill him, sometimes he wants to plunge his sword into his chest where that constant ache is, wants that voice in his head that keeps telling him how worthless he is to shut up, he wants to see his family again, but he can't because he may be useless but he will be even more useless dead and then what because surely someone like him would go to hell, but that doesn't stop him from hurting himself from time to time, for everytime he hurt those who he was supposed to protect. He throws himself into fight after fight to dull that ache, to immerse himself in rage and use it against someone else, still after every fight that voice in his head tells him how much of a terrible person he is, he tells himself they deserve it because they are demons but the voice asks if that is really what matters to him, he doesn’t answer. To the other hashira he is very rude and distant, he throws rude and snappy remarks at them if they try to approach or ask him anything doesn't let anyone near him, and flinched the one time someone grabbed his arm because they felt like he was crossing a line, over all not the best opinion but some of them do give him some slack since he is a kid, but still. Over all he is miserable, hates himself to extreme levels and is very self destructive, doesn’t let others in, in fear of not being able to protect them but also because he thinks he will hurt them and they will hate him, because who wouldn't who wouldn't hate him?

And then tanjiro came, a boy that was able to protect his little sister from execution, a boy who is kind even to demons, a boy who beat an upper rank, a boy who is strong, kind, and can protect those he loves and doesn’t hurt them instead, a boy who is everything Yuichiro isn't, but instead is everything Muichiro could have been, at least he thinks, and Yuichiro avoids him like the plague, he says it's because he disgusts him by protecting a demon but really it's because he fears what he would do if he did go near him, would he hurt him to? And then the swordsmith village arc comes. Now as for the reason why Yuichiro would be there? Well with how much he fights he breaks his blades quite often, whether that be from fight demons so often or from breaking all the training doll and trees and big rocks in his estate and surrounding area depends. So the swordsmen got tired and he had to come there in person, and when he got his new blade he was quite frustrated because now he has nothing to keep him occupied from his thoughts and the ache in his chest, so now he has to do something to relief those thoughts, and because he is very self destructive and hates himself he obviously had to choose his worst coping mechanism, and by the end of the waiting time he is so frustrated that he yells at the swordsman that gives him his sword, so now he is even more mad at himself and he hears about this training doll and he needs to get some of this anger out, so he goes to the woods confronts Kotetsu about the key, and then Tanjiro comes and grabs Yuichiro's arm right where there is a still healing wound, so now Yuichiro is bleeding through his bandages and Tanjiro can smell blood so he is quick to let go of his arm and apologize, but Yuichiro who has been trying to avoid him is quick to run away leaving poor Tanjiro confused and worried and wondering what could have possibly wounded a hashira and Kotetsu is happy that Tanjiro scared Yuichiro away, so now Yuichiro REALLY needs something or someone to hit or he will hit himself, so he just kind of begins to cut through trees and rocks, but of course Tanjiro hears him and recognizes his scent as the boy he meet earlier and tries to stop him from cutting down all the trees while also asking him if he is okay, and now Yuichiro he's had a really bad week or so and his anger is at a boiling point so he just snaps and at Tanjiro for his stupid ideas, and generally just being an ass, so Tanjiro can smell all the anger coming of this guy but he's also a little mad at being yelled at by a stranger for his morals of all things, so Tanjiro yells back to defend his morals and Yuichiro kinda just knocks him out and gets the key from Kotetsu and then just does what Muichiro does in canon and breaks his sword, but instead of Tanjiro smelling no malice he smells the pit of self loathing that is Yuichiro, so Tanjiro is understandably worried for this guy because he has so much sympathy, and he just walked past a person with a wound on his arm, that smells like he hates himself, but Kotetsu keeps him occupied so he can’t go searching for him so what happens in canon during that week happens and now that Tanjiro is free he goes searching for the very worrisome guy he met earlier, so it isn’t Yuichiro that finds Tanjiro it’s Tanjiro that finds Yuichiro, because did you honestly think Tanjiro would meet someone like that and not try to help them? So Tanjiro finds Yuichiro, Yuichiro is very obviously surprised to see Tanjiro and tries to make him go away with a rude comment, this doesn’t work, Tanjiro is ademant about finding out why this guy hates himself so much and help him, Yuichiro really doesn’t want to talk about it so he tries to make Tanjiro go away again, it doesn’t work, and Yuichiro is again at a boiling point so he explodes on Tanjiro telling him some of his problems through his anger telling him about his dad and muichiro, he phases it like it's his dad and demons he hates but Tanjiro can literally smell the self loathing coming of him(oh and Yuichiro doesn’t cry tho he is very close to) part one