#then the baby got sleepy

[ohno-the-sun]

Little Luca au babies

[lumpofbird]

Baby falling asleep with their forehead against the wall

[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.

[2aceofspades]

While I don’t ship Leosagi, I must admit, the way you draw them is adorable. Keep it up!

Waaaah thank you!! 🙌✨! I very much enjoy drawing them hehe~

A random doodle just cuz them~

(:

[satans-knitwear]

Live music in a pub garden is healing fr

Treat me ~ Tip Me ~ More of me

[daughterofsarenrae]

Snuggled? ✅️

Cozed? ✅️

Comfy? ✅️

Soft? ✅️

Fluffy? ✅️

Cute? ✅️

Pre-sleep checks complete

[sleepyc63]

arti's family :^)

will get back to the scugs after this! probably survivor

‼️ CW: gang / gang violence

King is a gang leader whose wife died when his kids were young. He adopted Artificer after she died, and for the most part had an okay-ish relationship with his kids when they were young. Once Mantis was old enough to babysit, he started working more and seeing his kids less. This created a strain between him, June, and Arti. He is only in contact with Mantis.

Mantis is the oldest of the siblings, and is the only sibling who remembers their mother. As the firstborn in the family, he will also inherit the majority of his father's wealth and status. He was a bully to his siblings growing up, especially Artificer, as he saw her as a threat to his status. While he idolizes his dad, their relationship is nowhere near healthy, and sometimes wonders how his life would have turned out if his mother was still alive. However, he doesn't dwell on it, and for the most part accepts his life as is.

Juniper is the middle child of the family, and it's very apparent in how her father treats her (or, in this case, doesn't). Being younger than her brother, and not naturally gifted like Artificer, she was brushed aside as unimportant, just someone to make the family larger. She moved out as soon as she turned 18, and cut contact with her father when she did. She got her masters in teaching, and is now looking for a job as an elementary school teacher. She still cares for her siblings, trying to keep in contact with them. However, it's hard to reach Mantis without seeing her father, and Artificer doesn't like to be reminded of her past. June sometimes wishes she had more friends, but is overall content with where she is in life.

---

@churrorat-art

[cjonkulous]

The art companion for the fanfic for the #GravityFallsHalloweenZine2024 coming out! A complete transcript of this journal entry is found on A03 linked here! 

Could not have done any of this without @depressio-espressio on Tumblr! And thank you @howtokillavampiree for inviting me to this zine! 

[sainz100]

by Henrik Ringnér

[usercelestial]

hen and karen catching their breaths together after they've both cum, finally tiring and cleaning each other up, karen going from rough slaps and claw marks and harsh words to soft touches and warm washcloths and sweet, gentle aftercare. she pulls her wife up and gets her into a hot bath, pulling hen up against her chest, lazily scratching her scalp while hen hums and strokes karen's thighs, afterwards they slowly dry off and throw on some pjs (basketball shorts and an old lafd sweatshirt for hen; silky floral matching PJ set for karen) hen makes them some cozy tea while karen picks out a show for them to watch on their ipad. hen collapses on karen's chest, head nuzzling under her chin, purring while karen rubs her back, they fall asleep like that, bellies full of warn tea and ipad playing hotshots on low volume, wrapped together in a little cocoon of love and warmth and kisses and cuddles

[princess-starscourge]

Beware of spoilers for Cyno’s second story quest I guess

HAIKAVEH IS SO DOMESTIC???? I SAW SOME LEAKS BUT TO HEAR THEM WITH MY OWN EARS????

“I’ll have a cup, too”

“Can you check if the cookies are still on the table?”

“They are, as are the fruit”

THESE HOMOS HAVE THREE COUCHES AND KAVEH STILL DECIDES TO SIT ON THE TABLE RIGHT IN FRONT OF ALHAITHAM???? HELLO??? HE’S COMFORTABLE????

(Lord let there be a surge in fanfics where Kaveh’s sitting on the table one day and Alhaitham can’t help himself and fucks him right then and there amen)

Now maybe I’m crazy but I swear to Nahida this is THEE only time they’ve interacted while Kaveh wasn’t standing (save for Alhaitham’s trailer). Now that sounds like a really useless observation but let me tell you why it’s not.

You are more on guard when standing. When you sit, even if you’re rigid, you automatically allow yourself to become comfortable in the space you’re in, and additionally, whoever you might be with. Sitting is peace. Sitting is comfortability. So basically, they’re married to each other.

ANYWAY

“Shall we stop by the House of Daena before heading home?”

“My thoughts exactly”

BITCH?????? HELP???????

[awkwardtickleetoo]

Ler!Sapnap Week Day 1 - Antsy

heyyyy……… in the midst of a we’re so over… came an indescribable… we’re so back…. (kinda)

so!! this is a fic for @sleepy--anon ‘s ler!sapnap week!!! woooo!!!! i know it’s a little bit late, but better late than never, right?? and i have two other ones for ler!sap week coming out as soon as i get them finished so it’ll basically be like its on time <3

this is for day 1’s prompt which is antsy!! make sure you check out the original post here, and make sure you show sleepy your love and support for putting this week together in the first place!!! thank you so much sleepy for working so hard to make this a thing, i am very excited to read what you and everyone else wrote, and for you to see what i have planned :D without further ado, let’s get into day 1!!

ler!sapnap, lee!dream, 1.3k words

enjoy!

--

“Dream?” Sapnap called out as he walked in the front door of their home, phone camera pointed at the floor.

“Yeah?” Dream’s voice called back to him distantly, a layer of nerves apparent in the word.

“Clay?” Sapnap called again, his tone more teasy and knowing as Dream stepped into the room, a wide smile and anxious expression on his face.

“Oh god…” He grumbled, fidgeting with his fingers and slowly stepping closer to Sapnap.

“He's here,” Sapnap confirmed Dream’s suspicions, making his smile grow wider as he groaned, throwing his hands over his face and bouncing on the balls of his feet. Sapnap chuckled at his reaction, smiling at his already flushed cheeks as he dropped his hands down by his sides and looked over at Sapnap with wide, anticipating eyes. “Are you excited?” He asked, adjusting the camera in his hands, still keeping it pointed at their shoes, not wanting to overwhelm Dream by shoving a camera in his face during such an intense moment, even though he was aware it was recording.

“I am… very nervous!” Dream said, voice high pitched and wavering, taking in a shaky breath and falling into nervous, fluttery laughter afterwards. Sapnap laughed fondly at his reaction again, his eyebrows furrowing at how excited and downright adorable his best friend was acting.

“Nervous and excited!” Sapnap supplied helpfully, reaching out to rub his palm over Dream’s forearm to comfort him, swinging his arm side to side to release some of the tension he held in his body. Dream laughed, light and breathy, the butterflies clearly bubbling up in his chest, showcased by his unsure voice and antsy movements, unable to stand still. He nodded at Sapnap’s words, tapping the toe of his shoe against the floor, then his heels, then hopping up and down a few times all together, his shoes squeaking against the floor with his anxieties.

“I’m nervous, but I’m excited, I’m– I’m doing… excited hops,” Dream explained, continuing his hopping in place, biting his lip to hold back his cheek-splitting smile. Between hops, he stayed on his toes, bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet, trying to loosen himself up and calm down his tense body. Sapnap cooed fondly at him, squeezing his arm where his hand still rested, unable to hold back the feeling of what could only be called cute aggression he was feeling for the other boy. How could Dream be this adorable? It was just unfair.

“You’re so fucking cute, Dream,” He said, unable to help himself, yanking Dream closer to him by his wrist and looping his arm around Dream’s waist. Dream squealed at his actions, letting Sapnap tuck himself into his side and rest his hand on his hip, breaking out into giggles.

“Shut up, you,” Dream replied, but he wrapped his arms around Sapnap’s shoulders, resting his cheek on Sapnap’s head. Despite everything, his body relaxed in Sapnap’s hold, the comforting hug being exactly what he needed at that time. He had never been more grateful to have someone like Sapnap in his life. He would be sure to tell him that once everything settled down more.

“I can’t! You just– you’re just like– I don’t know! You’re just being so cute, I hate you!” Sapnap expressed, tightening his arm around Dream and squeezing him tighter, giggling and looking up at Dream as he broke into soft giggles again. “Fuck, I just like– I wanna, like–“ Sapnap stammered, unable to find the right words to describe how he felt, instead deciding to progress with actions. Suddenly, he latched his hand onto the spot above Dream’s hip, squeezing the spot mercilessly and holding Dream close against him so he couldn’t push away. Dream gasped, his whole body tensing again, letting out a squeal as he flinched away from the feeling, but found himself going nowhere at all.

“AH– no! Nononono, noho!” Dream protested, pulling his arms back and pushing at Sapnap’s shoulders, leaning away from him to try and shove him off, but his arm was too firm around his waist. “Sapnahahap!”

“I can’t help it, you're just too adorable!”

“Stohohohop!” Dream shook his head at the feeling, loose curls falling over his face. Sapnap giggled at him, pushing his arm further around his waist, the tips of his fingers able to reach his lower tummy, scratching and wiggling just outside his belly button over his thin shirt, making him squeal. He tried to twist away, arching his back and sucking in his stomach as he pushed back into Sapnap, but Sapnap didn’t budge. Dream pushed at Sapnap’s arm, smacking his hand lightly as he tried to pry it off him, but his attempts were futile due to his weakened state, and all he could do was squirm in Sapnap’s arms as his little hops returned.

“Aw, where you goin’, cutie?” Sapnap pulled Dream closer, his side pressed into his chest now, and pressed the back of his other hand into Dream’s opposite hip to keep him in place, as much as he could without letting go of the phone he was still holding.

“Sahahap–! Thehehe– the vihideohoho!” He reminded, attempting to push the phone away instead, his laughter turning hiccupy when Sapnap pulled his hand back and turned Dream more, now able to grab onto his other side and squeeze above his hip there as well, keeping the phone out of his reach.

“Oh, I know, George is gonna love this,” Sapnap teased, pulling Dream backwards into him as he continued to tickle him to pieces.

“Nohohoho!” Dream protested, his legs growing shaky from having to lean due to the way Sapnap was holding him, and he stomped his foot on the ground to try to regain some stability. Sapnap decided to take pity on him, stopping the tickling and pushing forward to help Dream stand again, keeping his arm around his waist as Dream caught his breath.

“Okay, okay, I’m done. You were just being so cute I couldn’t help it. You understand,” He explained, going back to Dream’s side once he was stable again and hugging him properly, the way they’d started. Dream scoffed at his words, rolling his eyes, but he hugged Sapnap back tightly anyway. “Besides, you can’t say it didn’t loosen you up.”

“You’re so dumb,” Dream replied fondly, earning a soft hum of ‘mhmmm’ in return from Sapnap. He pressed a soft kiss to Sapnap’s head, and they stood in silence for a few moments, before Sapnap seemed to remember that he did, in fact, have a reason for coming inside, and they probably shouldn’t keep George waiting much longer.

“Alright,” Sapnap whispered as he pulled back from the hug, adjusting the sleeves of his hoodie and switching his phone to the opposite hand, making sure everything was still set up to continue recording for George. “C’mon, cutie, let’s go outside,” Sapnap said, reaching up and fixing a stray few pieces of hair that were out of place, slightly tousled from his movements.

“I need a minute! I need a minute, let– let me collect myself,” Dream said, his nerves coming back in full force, his eyes wide and unsure as he let out a soft breath to try and relax.

“That’s okay! Take your time! This is a big day. We’ll wait outside for you, as long as you need,” Sapnap reassured, rubbing up and down Dream’s arm as the other boy placed a hand on his stomach, seemingly trying to quell the butterflies that arose inside very quickly.

“Okay, okay…” Dream nodded, and Sapnap nodded as well, patting Dream’s arm before turning to walk towards the door. “Hey,” Dream said before Sapnap left, looking at him with a soft smile when he turned around. “Thank you. For everything,” He said quietly, and Sapnap smiled back at him just as fondly.

“Of course. I wouldn’t wanna do this with anyone else.” And with that, Sapnap made his way back through the front door and outside to wait with George, bringing the camera back up in front of him, ready to continue on with the beginning of the rest of their lives.

[meownotgood]

ok I'm awake and a little more sentient. there is a whole lot of stuff I really really like about the episodes but I think my main disappointment right now is just that. viktor became the machine herald because of his own conviction. he forced himself to become stronger, specifically attempted to remove his own emotions because he felt they made him weak. but now this viktor just gets thrust into this situation, like the hexcore is just manipulating him to do whatever the fuck, he didn't even get to choose what he wanted because jayce chose it for him

[lhslvr187]

HEESEUNG

20240320

[ge]

actually what if tangchung had not one daughter but TWIN DAUGHTERS.. thoughts..

[steveharrington]

coward

am i supposed to just answer your asks forevermore … like just dm me if you wanna keep talking