#second half of the answer :)

[starcurtain]

Following Topaz's explanation that Cornerstones are made to fill the hole in the user's heart, what "hole" in Aven's heart do you think his drag queen powers are meant to fill? Especially since Topaz remarks he's the only one with such showy powers

Still trying to catch up with all the messages in the inbox; sorry to everyone for taking a million years to respond.

So cunty, and for what???

Anyway, first, when Jade talks about the Stonehearts' "voids," the alternate reading above that word is actually "ambition." And she mentions that the reason she risked reaching out to Firefly is that she views herself as similar to Firefly--Jade is someone with an unfulfilled wish.

I think there's enough here to suggest that the Stonehearts' voids are not quite what we would normally think of when hearing the word "void"--rather than being best understood as something removed or something lost, their voids seem to be "something desired." An unfulfilled goal. An unmet need. A burning ambition. A secret wish. They all have somewhere they want to get to, and they've signed on-board with Diamond's Preservation project because his power is the fastest way--maybe the only way--to get there.

The implication here, by the way, is that the Stonehearts are acting out the very act of Preservation itself with Diamond. The goal of Qlipoth is for the universe to be saved, an unshakeable resolution to stop Destruction's wanton obliteration. Thus, Preservation itself can be understood as "A desire that must be continuously protected and relentlessly pursued." To live. To endure.

In using the power of an emanator to protect and provide the Stonehearts with ways to pursue their own desires, we replicate in miniature the exact resolve and endless pursuit of perseverance that Qlipoth is acting out in the broader universe. The will of Preservation empowers the Stonehearts--and in turn, the Stonehearts swear an oath to aid in Preservation's mission. It's a mutually beneficial arrangement, and it also simultaneously imitates Jade's shop perfectly: I'll give you exactly what you want, if you give me what I need.

I should clarify that I don't actually think the cornerstones themselves fill the Stonehearts' voids. Rather, they seem to me to be a tangible symbol of the oath between Diamond and the Stonehearts--"I'll give you this power to fulfill your deepest wish, if you work for me." Jade suggests that the power of the cornerstones provides Stonehearts with the means to fill their voids (I.e., having superpowers makes it possible for you to pursue your wish), so I think their individual cornerstone abilities are best understood as "The exact power I need to achieve my particular goal."

So what does that say about Aventurine's "showy" transformation?

Pretty much all the rest of this is just going to be my personal speculation, but I'd say the most telling glimpse we get into why Aventurine's power is so "visual" comes from these lines with the future "Aventurine" in 2.1:

There's two completely contradictory desires being expressed here: Aventurine's life "is the chip he's most eager to lay down" and "always has been"--that is, he genuinely wants to die. He isn't just willing to gamble with his life, he's eager to. The future "Aventurine" also says real Aventurine wants to be "polished up" (to be controlled and molded by others) and "cuffed with red-hot chains" (to be made powerless and not responsible for making his own decisions, to be punished).

But conversely, the real Aventurine also wants to be perceived as "a smooth operator" and "the solid gold deal-maker who doesn't waste a drop of sweat." He wants to be in charge of his image. He wants to be the one who controls the narrative and defines how others think of him. He wants to be "spotlit center stage"--to command the eyes of the world. In short, we could say that Aventurine wants his death (and conversely, his life) to mean something.

From these conflicting desires, I think you can derive a few totally opposite but equally valid interpretations of why Aventurine's cornerstone power is so "visual":

A combat-oriented transformation is another means to seek death.

Jade's power is scary, but she isn't using it to literally launch herself into fights. Topaz's seems to be similar--something that might allow her to win over her opponents in some way (she was about to use it in Belobog to no-sell the Trailblazer), but she clarifies directly that it is not a "transformation." Aventurine just literally turns into a boss enemy and goes straight out on to the battlefield.

In the fight, he doesn't even use shields. (Now whether that's something he never does because the cornerstone powers don't actually come with shields while in his monster form, if he couldn't use shields because his cornerstone was broken, or if he just chose not to use shields in this fight to give Trailblazer and Co. a fighting chance, only time will tell. However, it might be worth noting that his empowered Apocalyptic Shadow form doesn't come with shields either, despite having other new mechanics.)

The point is, this form, while looking cool and seeming strong, is actually a gamble in and of itself. To go out onto the battlefield, where you might not actually be the strongest combatant, is always a risk. And I think this is the kind of risk that Aventurine manifests continually in his life. He is constantly creating opportunities for his own luck to fail. His unfulfilled desire, the "ambition" he was desperate enough to join the Stonehearts to pursue--as his original goal to save his people is completely gone, his only current goal might actually just be a chance to die. His powers may manifest as a combat-oriented transformation because that is just one more way to throw himself into the crossfire.

In fact, this is exactly what Sugilite accuses him of in Jade's myriad celestia:

You didn't need to snatch his wig this hard, Sugilite. (Also I need you all to know I originally wrote "You didn't need to come for him this hard, Sugilite," but then I realized how unfortunate that wording was, so...)

You could even argue that the fact Aventurine's transformation comes with a mask that obscures his entire face is a sign that we're supposed to see this form as dehumanizing.

The facial features are completely obscured and asymmetrical, there's no mouth, his fingers have become claws--despite his body staying mostly human-shaped, it's obviously intended to hint at something monstrous, subsuming his original identity behind a violent facade.

Kakavasha disappears entirely behind "Aventurine" when he transforms, becoming a faceless enemy at the risk of (perhaps in hopes of) entirely losing himself. Maybe every transformation lets Aventurine throw himself closer and closer to the edge of death--and perhaps, before Penacony, only death could ever have filled the "void."

But, on the complete opposite hand (because Aventurine is always both sides of the coin), we could also argue the other end of the spectrum entirely:

A combat-oriented transformation is a show of force.

This screencap brought to you by Mr. Rubhen925 of Youtube.

Aventurine's entire life has been marred by disenfranchisement, by violations of his basic human rights, freedoms, and agency. At every turn, he has been victimized by others more powerful than himself: his childhood consisted of his clan being relentlessly hounded and hunted to extinction by the Katicans, having their food constantly stolen, their meager belongings burned to the ground, and each one of his family members systematically slaughtered, often in front of his eyes.

After his childhood, he was bought and sold as chattel for pennies, branded like an animal, and forced into a fight where to he had to beat other innocent people to death just to keep himself alive, all for the entertainment of the masses. Even Jade, who promised to help him achieve his goals, treats him like a business investment more than a friend.

In Penacony, we watch everyone he talks to degrade and ostracize him. Even though Aventurine led him into doing it, Sunday tortures and re-traumatizes him live for our entertainment.

Even more that, we see Aventurine constantly struggling with the question of whether his life is really his own or whether his blessing from Gaiathra means that his entire existence has been predetermined, his fate sealed in blood and sand from the very moment of his birth, utterly inescapable.

No matter how Aventurine tries to portray himself as the ultimate winner, he's only ever the "final" victor--being the only one left standing at the end is meaningless if on the road to getting there, you were treated like fate's favorite punching bag. Winning in the end is utterly pointless if on the road to winning, you still lost it all first, from the things you loved to your personal freedom.

What does a person who has been made powerless again and again truly desire? What void do you seek to fill if life has denied you your agency over and over?

Power. Dominance. The ability to literally strike back at those who've wronged you. The strength to intimidate and force people into a corner the way you've been intimidated and forced before.

If we say that Aventurine's "void" is not a literal desire for the release of death, then it might make sense for the "void" to instead to be a frantic desire to gain control over his circumstances. To be the one finally in charge of deciding his own fate.

Particularly in light of his character story which tells us that Kakavasha's original goal for joining the Stonehearts was to save his people, the desire to take on an impressive form that screams "I'm powerful" and has the ability to physically enact vengeance on others feels directly aligned. And it remains aligned even after the reveal that the Avgins are all gone--once more fate strips Kakavasha of his power to make a difference in the world, to achieve what he truly dreams of.

The Apocalyptic Shadow version of his boss fight is called "Desperate Diceroller."

How angry he must be, deep down. How hateful the world must seem. How sad it is to feel that way.

If destiny won't let you out of the cage, your only choice is to grow claws to tear it open.

Okay, but WHY so much swag though?

Are the peacock feathers and spandex really necessary?

Listen. Everyone talks about Ratio having "gifted kid" syndrome, but I'm here to tell you that Aventurine is actually a burnt out gifted kid extraordinaire.

He's literally, canonically, explicitly the chosen one of his people.

From the moment of his birth, his mother and sister--and presumably others in his clan even--were telling him that he was their clan's most precious treasure and that he would lead them to prosperity and safety.

He carried this weight even after fleeing from the massacre, all through his childhood and teenage years, through slavery and abuse, putting his very life on the line to join the IPC in hopes of finally fulfilling the destiny his mother and sister promised he could.

He was supposed to save them. That was his meaning. That was his purpose in life.

But he was too late.

The fate he was born for, raised believing, and risked everything to achieve... is still incomplete.

So, for all that talk about suicide and power-seeking, my real answer is this: Aventurine's "void" is his unfulfilled destiny.

His whole existence has been predetermined, his life's journey laid out in prophecy and blessings from the very beginning. Yet what he thought was his fate betrayed him, and where you head after becoming an unsuccessful chosen one is a question without answer.

His thoughts constantly circle around how he is a "failure" and a "loser."

When you have no sense of purpose, when your life has no meaning, when what you are still seeking is the role you were supposed to have from the moment of your birth: the glorious destiny of being a savior, being the "happiness" of your people, being the hero...

Of course you crave the spectacle. Of course you long for the spotlight--you long to be recognized. Because Kakavasha's the chosen one. "Spotlit center stage" is where he's supposed to be--in the leading role that was stolen from him.

I think that Aventurine's cornerstone transformation is so flashy because, at the core, it represents a longing to truly be the "precious wealth" of the Avgin that his sister promised him he would be. It represents his desire to transform from a useless, "discarded" person into a larger-than-life version of himself. (Hey, fun fact, out of every official depiction of Aventurine, his boss model wears the only outfit in which his slave brand is not naturally visible.) He literally transforms into a supernatural being, capable of seizing others' fates in his hands. It represents the power he needed to save his people and himself. Its extreme flashiness screams for attention, demands to be witnessed as something beyond a helpless human.

It's almost as if Aventurine is a child writing a wish-fulfillment story where he transforms into a hyper-glamorous, all-powerful masked superhero who is capable of saving the day and winning against his enemies every time.

Unlike Jade and Topaz, Aventurine can't hide his deepest desire. It was always going to be a "transformation," because Aventurine's unanswered wish is to be someone better than himself.

His "void," his deepest unachieved ambition--it's written right there, all over his body.

Aventurine's cornerstone power is a story he's telling himself about the person he was supposed to be.

But as Acheron claims, that's life itself.

Aventurine doesn't feel like he has any control over his journey's ultimate destination.

He doesn't know where's he's headed or what the purpose of it all is. But...

Jade explicitly describes the Ten Stonehearts and Diamond's endeavor as a "journey" as well:

Because Preservation represents the continuance of life itself, and the Stonehearts with their endless "voids"--Aventurine with his soul-deep longing to become someone better than himself--represent all of us very real human beings, trying our best to find our own "cornerstones," to gain the means to finally, finally achieve our own sweet dreams.

[lara-cairncross]

Omg whyy is the blue street kid wanted?!!?? I love this au so much, just like your other aus!!

(do hold on tight, times are rough, but you will get through it, I believe in you!!)

i. honestly have not thought very far ahead BUT general vibe is that the council is aware of leo and mikey's existence?? and due to some previous incidents they also know ab mikey's mystic powers, decided they dont want a superpowered experimental atomic-bomb child running around with no supervision, and now theyre tryna catch both him and "blue street kid" to fuckinggggg idk put them in a state-sponsored foster home or something. with appropriate child-proofing.

listen i just liked the idea of baja blast boys being on the run in the hidden city 😭 no thoughts just vibes

[tears-of-xion]

Argos with 12 or 16, please! 💜🦚🎨

Here you are! An Argos with color palette #12 (Neon Night)!

I had the choice in between making his hair pink or purple....of course I went with pink...

Color palettes used are from this post !

-

Please do not use or re-post my artwork without my permission. Thank you!   (reblogs, however, are welcome and appreciated)

I do not own Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir, nor it’s characters. All rights to their owners.

[disguisedcheezed]

without opening homestuck. Pick One.

[technikki]

ive been curious about whether or not there's a limit to how far the game will stretch vivian to keep her tethered to the ground and well apparently i found it

[sammy8d257]

how do you think SC would reply to this? From this fella?

Second coming In the flesh…

well in the Cage…I have taken the liberty of reliving you of your pencil…it was Alan’s property

as for the green sunglasses i think you’ve earned it :)

Full disclaimer, I've never played Half-Life

I only know of Gman through cultural osmosis but even then that's not a lot of knowledge

[shortkinglink]

Hiiiiiiii I just wanted to let you know I am absolutely feral over your Twi, Wars, and Sky designs and that they are the trio ever. I love them so so much and I hold them gently and bark so softly at them. Thank you for blessing me and the world with your drawings

thank you SO much for the kind words. it truly means a lot!!!! it took me a ridiculous amount of time to answer this bc i really wanted to draw you something IM SO SORRY OTL!! i love your fics!! they're lots of fun and i loveeeee modern stuff PLUS BIG BROTHER TRIO 4EVER!!!! i hope youre having a nice day and that you like some modern twi...smiles

[rosieyart]

you've likely been getting this a lot but i was ECSTATIC to see your saiou art, i remember having such a big hyperfixation for them in 2020 and your art has me relove the ship even more. i love how you draw them!! im super curious at how they also got you super hooked like the rest of us </3

aaa i’m so happy to hear this!! i’ve said this before but it’s actually so refreshing to know that people still enjoy seeing my art of them. i still can’t get over the fact i’ve joined a fandom so late…. sighs. but i’ve been swallowed in and i don’t think i can turn back at this point

as for why i am hooked on them? hmmm bit of a tough question to answer. i think i just really enjoy their dynamic and how it fits in with the overarching themes of v3 as a whole. truths vs lies. are lies truly evil or can they be used for good? are truths always good, or can they sometimes be vile? esp the whole aspect of saihara chasing after ouma and trying desperately to figure him out; he’s a walking puzzle and saihara, the puzzle solver he is, can’t help but try to piece him together.

i actually typed out this long ass essay worthy response to a friend of mine a few days ago…. not sure if anyone gives a shit to read it but perhaps i’ll post it at some point…

errr but also. i feel i will just naturally gravitate towards characters and ships i find interesting. i like saihara bc he’s pretty imo (he has lashes for days and that facial card is absolutely lethal) and ouma, well, i’ve always had a thing for black/white color schemes and his character is just simply bizarre to me. i need to study him under a microscope. little gremlin creature thing.

the yaoi ship chooses me, really, i don’t choose the yaoi lmao

[quibbs126]

Dark choco cookie x milk cookie fan kid plz

This is like my 2nd oldest unfinished request by now, over a year old, but I got it done finally, this is Choco Milk Cookie

So to be honest, I’m not sure what gender Choco Milk is. They started out as a guy, but as it went on and as I look at the final product, I’m not so sure anymore. I’m making them nonbinary then

Anyways, so Choco Milk lives in the Milk Village, and they work in building construction, in part due to their incredible strength (and because they want to help people by giving them homes). They do work outside of the village and help around any parts of the kingdom, whoever needs it

They’re a very calm individual, not having much of a temper. They also don’t fight, though they can throw a punch if needed

While they like chocolate milk, their favorite food is the hot cheese soup from the Milk Village, which they are enjoying in the sketch. They enjoy cheese in general, they say it goes very well with chocolate

Choco Milk was supposed to have a twin, named Milk Choco, but I didn’t end up making them, I could only think of stuff for Choco Milk. Though maybe one day I’ll draw Milk Choco, I’m not opposed to Chilk still having a twin

The names Choco Milk and Milk Choco came from the fact that both can come from a combination of milk and chocolate. There’s no real elaborate thought to their ingredients

Chocolate milk:

So I recognize that Choco Milk’s colors, on the surface, aren’t the most similar to their parents, with the light brown hair and eyes. I was mostly basing their color scheme on Milk’s chocolate costume in Kingdom. And I made their eyes like that because they’re a milk Cookie, even if they’re also chocolate. Tried to give them a more red tint though

I also added in those white streaks to reference Dark Choco. I think it works as a pop of bright color

The hair was giving me trouble at the front, but I think I got something all right out of it? The back of their hair is supposed to be a mullet, sort of like what Brock Samson has

I also made Choco Milk’s outfit brown instead of the blue/white of the Milk Tribe, but it works with them being chocolate. Probably makes them stand out in the village though

I do wonder if their outfit looks too similar to White Velvet. Whom I now realize I never fully finished or posted. Should go back and do that. But I bring it up since they both have the poncho and live in the Milk Village. And are both supposed to have the milk eyes. Maybe I should change that on White Velvet, not sure

But anyways, I think that’s about it on Choco Milk. I think they turned out pretty all right

And yeah, hope you like them!

[rxttenfish]

i should probably talk about "the basic reproductive unit for merfolk is the miivt'ia" and "bellanda would be considered equally as much of a mom to miranda and aaravi's kid despite not being in a relationship with aaravi and fully just considered miranda's sister, not an aunt to the kid or anything, full parent" things, huh

[pressure-escapee-au]

is anyone questioning why a fish is working at a pizza place?

In which Sebastian's coworkers try and figure out why he is a fish

[ros-sauce]

People are using chatgpt to answer the discussion questions in business communications you people cannot do anything

[rogdona]

OUUUUGGG struggling not to b an asshole ab this group project istg

[legacyofthedamneddsaf]

Hey, Legacy! Are you familiar with the term, 'Davesport'? If not, what do you reckon it means?

[moeblob]

@prophetparadox

Kay ! Thank you for offering her up to me to doodle I really am weak for characters with an eye patch ;w; She's so pretty and I love her!

[bat-snake]

Some thoughts got away from me while realizing that Sir Sparklepuff was smeared across the Sea of the Castout beach right by the water's edge and uh. In thinking about "Leola Revival AU(?)", realizing that eventually all that Sparklepuff Smear would get washed out into the water.

It sure would be something if she came back...different.

(Oops can't draw the wings and had to draw quickly while I had the idea)