#this got so long 😭

[awakenedsylvari]

What if I said number 14 for all you 14 sylvari? 👀 (or just the ones you want, all miiiiight be a LOT lol)

14. What do they think of the Nightmare Court? Would they ever join it? What would make them do so? / What made them join them? Would they ever leave it? (Sylvari ask game)

Ehehe, you picked a great one!

I'd planned to only give brief answers, oops. It's divided up into sections: Dreamers first, then characters who aren't Dreamers or Courtiers, and finally Courtiers. This is entirely because the Courtier section got much longer than the others! 😅

DREAMERS

Keelie is wary, having treated many wounds caused by the Court in her time. That said, she's generally trusting and prone to giving everyone a chance ('All things have a right to grow'); if a courtier who hadn't done her harm was wounded, she would treat them. She'd never join the Court by choice, but I can see her getting captured and forcibly converted if she's not careful.

Although Culhwch hates courtiers as much as most dreamers, they fought alongside some during the assault on Mordremoth. They've also gone through periods of disillusionment with the Grove/nobility/fighting against the dragons. It's possible that, at the right time, one of their fellow fighters might have been able to convince them. But generally, not going to happen.

Sorcha and Eirlys both have the usual Grove-aligned views on the evil of the Court, but neither of them encounter the Court much in their day-to-day. They're doing Mists stuff.

Hafwen also dislikes the Court. But he has no fighting ability, so if he was ever in the wrong place at the wrong time… sorry, dude.

OTHER

Rhiannon, Ddrysien, and Mal have all lived outside of sylvari society for a long while, for one reason or another. None of them think about the Nightmare Court much day-to-day. That being said:

Rhiannon has a strong sense of justice - perhaps too much, having rejected Ventari's wisdom for being too open to interpretation. Would never join the Court, probably fought courtiers during her time in the Lionguard. Honestly would probably kill any courtiers she did encounter, if she could get away with it.

Morally speaking, Ddrysien is the most likely of the three to align with the Court - she's cynical and unscrupulous. But she's not sadistic, just self-interested, and she would also dislike the hierarchies and commitment required. If she encountered any courtiers, she would be wary of them; if asked to pick between the Grove and the Court, she would pick the Grove.

Mal hates the Court as much as most Dream-associated sylvari, and are physically repelled by most of them - Mal has always been sensitive to sylvari empathy, and it only got worse after they answered Mordremoth's call. They would be very vulnerable to Nightmare conversion because of this and the Soundless methods they've tried to adopt since. Would immediately try to get out of any scenario where courtiers are.

Finally, Aderyn, (ex-)Mordrem with no memories of anything before that, doesn't know what the Nightmare Court is. Probably shot a few over the years, but not for being courtiers, just to keep them away in general.

COURTIERS

(Worth noting up top, I don't see Nightmare 'corruption' as inherently irreversible. I know that's not technically canon, but it's more interesting to me that way!)

Derval and Llinos, I've not decided how they joined the Court. I can't see either of them leaving, either, but that's just off the top of my head.

Daithi started out participating in Grove-aligned duels, hunts, and tournaments. Reasonably skilled and good at performing to a crowd, they found themselves being invited to more ruthless, higher-stakes revelries, which they found even more exhilarating. I haven't decided how it's revealed to them that they're attending Court events; it's probably dramatic and they leave for a while, but eventually crawl back. Maybe this happens several times, I don't know! I'll have to think about this some more. These days, they're unrepentant. If they left, it would only be to participate in a wider world of morally dubious recreational fighting. Even most of those frown on the killing/torturing of opponents who lose, so... The Court it is!

Idris and Esyllt could be their own post. They both woke on the same day, some months after the Secondborn (if Thirdborn was a thing, they would be it) and became close friends. I imagine the Nightmare Court was still growing at this point, somewhat unorganised and not seen as an outright threat.

Idris dreamt of dying, and woke obsessed with death and the avoidance of it. He found the Grove limited and limiting, and was slowly lured away by the promise of more freedom in his studies. He became one of the Court's executioners, using the close encounters with death to further his knowledge. These days, he isn't ideologically invested in the Court as an institution, though he finds some satisfaction in his role within it. However, he has no particular desire to go anywhere else either, especially given that the parts of the world with morals wouldn't exactly welcome him back. I've toyed with him taking up residence in the Heart of Maguuma to research ley magic/dragon magic, away from court politics, but I haven't decided if this is a HoT-era thing or a more permanent thing.

Esyllt was captured by the Court a year or two later while working as a healer for the Wardens. Idris refused to execute her, and she was placed into a Nightmare conversion pod. She came out a twisted reflection of the person she had been before. She discarded her medicines for poisons, and enjoys luring people in only to toy with them until they break. She intellectually knows that what Idris did to save her was awful. Nonetheless, the person that the conversion pod made her delights in Nightmare. (Naturally, she and Idris have a complicated relationship now!) Of all my courtiers, she's the least likely to leave, and this is the real reason that Idris would never leave either.

[daeyumi]

I am what you made me 🩸

[bellstrom]

WHEN & WHERE... Golden Hour Beach Bar (evening) @alex-caldwell

Perhaps it was due to peer pressure, but Golf had made it a point to overcome his trauma with the beach bar. He's avoided coming here ever since he dropped the ball with his bandmates. It made him sick to even think about being near it, but he's been making small strides to remove himself from the suffocation he feels daily. At that point, he was already exhausted from forcing himself into the life he didn't want. Golf knew he had to start with the beach bar. While it was easier said than done, he knew he had to try something. If he stayed in that kitchen any longer, he would go insane. And so, he started off slowly. The first time was a get-together with some old friends from high school— a mandatory rendezvous before one of them was off to leave the country and get married. That time was good. He was more so focused on the reunion than recalling all the ways he screwed up everyone's future— also, he wasn't on the same floor as they were before, which made things easier.

The second time, however, had different sentiments. Golf couldn't believe he caved into his aunt's constant pestering. While he was used to being told what to do and how to do it, he didn't anticipate just how stubborn his aunt was. It took two weeks of persuasion for Golf to finally agree to be set up on a blind date. Despite hating how invested his aunts were in his love life, he had to admit... she was good. Trying to convince someone as stubborn as him couldn't have been easy, so he must commend her efforts. Being told they'd meet at Golden Hour was just the cherry on top.

He knows he's supposed to look for his date, but the aura of that rooftop section was gnawing at him. The stage had a weird energy— pulsating like it was about to explode. He remembers being there clearly; the memory of playing on it made his stomach churn. Heaving a deep breath, Golf looks around, spotting someone from across the floor doing the same thing. He can't help but freeze, turning to the bar immediately. He grabs a seat by the closest person to him, clearing his throat. "This isn't taken, is it? Sorry, I'm just— I'm not hiding; I just need a second," he gets out, trying to get himself together.

[kiwi-b0nes]

contemplating

[lotus-pear]

bsd rewatch w my friend means obligatory art of my fav found family ever

[willeminaaa]

Hey, Chuckles.

[gunsatthaphan]

13/10/1998 - happy birthday to actor, legend, bestie, crush and personal heart killer khaotung thanawat 🫶🏻✨💓🫳🏻🐈🧎🏼‍♀️😌💝

[syn0vial]

my gun-loving, car guy, "i'm the straightest man i know" brother who just finished baldur's gate 3 talking about astarion:

[equill]

Another Otsutsuki?!

we’re messing up the timeline for this one. (I lost this crack idea but then it came back… the abyss stare back and I jumped in.)

anyways, now some kids meeting the new kid

Panel 1: There’s something wrong here.

Comic 1: Attention.

they’re both in the same boat

Comic 2: Day Off (with confusion.)

he just a little insecure,, (kakashi still told him to get it together)

back to the future now

Comic 3: What. (huh?)

Panel 2: very tiny.

[mattodore]

birthday boy 🎂

[screwpinecaprice]

Frolicking among the flowers I think.

I feel like I already drew this before so hoping I didn't!

[smallidarityfan]

smallidarity highschool au

came up with this au like actually 2 years ago where it's mainly empires 2 smallidarity centric, with Jimmy as a student council member and Joel as an honours student who doesn't like the way Jimmy runs things around the school.

As payback for the regulations Jimmy put up that Joel thought was stupid, Joel does these elaborate 'The Office' style pranks on Jimmy (specifically) while Jimmy retaliates by trying his best to dig up dirt on Joel. This banter goes on for a while— however Joel ends up doing the pranks less as a statement, and instead more just to see how Jimmy would react... with his comical, cartoony villain yells, and... weirdly cute face....? (YAOI YAOI YAOI YAOI)

very very old au drawings below:

from July 2023

😭😭 joel does NOT look like a highschooler here 😭😭😭😭 (i also wanted to draw angst in the first two ig idk a year later it's pretty cringe [i am still cringe]) (also partially inspired by when I read "Go for it, Nakamura!" and the mc reminded me of joel for no actual reason. or maybe i was just thinking about that manga while drawing smallidarity. idk)

from November 2022:

I think these doodles were genuinely the first instance of me converting from being against mcyt shipping to for shipping LMAOO

[lotus-pear]

rewatched bsd w my friend seeing it for the first time and the nostalgia of seeing these two together again hit me like a bus

[turtleblogatlast]

Small but significant character moments that I actually really adore are from both the times we see the boys as tots. There is a reoccurrence that happens in both of them that I find so incredibly interesting.

For the turtle tot short, Splinter leaves the boys with weapons. In the short, Raph is the one who suggests they do “what Lou Jitsu would do” and Leo is the one who takes point when Splinter comes back to reprimand them. Leo, in taking point, is the one to defend them and get Splinter off their tails.

And then, in the flashback regarding the Kuroi Yōroi helmet, Raph is the one who grabs and throws “Skully” as a way to replace their missing ball which breaks it into pieces, but Leo is the one who speaks for the group and rushes into action to fix the teapot.

I love this for multiple reasons, but the biggest are how it shows that Raph has always been inclined toward the bold and fun and making the plans to include his brothers in what he loves and believes they’d love, whereas Leo has always been inclined to be the “Face” of the group and shoulder the attention even if it’s potentially negative all while coming up with on the spot attempts to fix the situation.

[inmaki2]

Who in luxiem + shxto do you think would like cockwarming?

no pressure i’m just curious of your take on it hehe

HMM lemme do a mtl real quick (others under cut)

most

shoto - contrary to some belief, he can be quite a softie when it comes to this stuff. despite straight up asking if he can ‘put it in’ when cuddling (with no shame), he doesn’t mind if it leads to fucking or not. it’s more of a bonding thing; an act to become even closer for him. if you ever ask to do it, he’ll excitedly agree each and every time.

ike - his sex drive is low in general, so he uses it as middle ground for you to get some relief while he works. he can handle it for hours, even when you start to squirm he’ll simply force you back down with one strong hand and a warning of punishment in your ear. “y/n, move again and you get nothing tonight.”

vox - may use it as a punishment on occasions, but for the most part, this guy just enjoys teasing you. purposely ‘shifting’ in his seat or caressing your thigh ever so seductively while he works, and if you question him he acts all innocent. “i didn’t do shit, you’re the one clenching every second.” but while it was fun while it lasted, ends up taking a work break early because he can’t hold back anymore.

shu - at first he doesn’t get it — what kind of fucked up edging strategy is this? but once he tries it out and gets to feels your warmth while he games, it grows on him. it’s more suffering than anything on your side though; this man is constantly moving around during intense matches, stretching your walls and muttering a ‘my bad’ each time, but it’s hard to say no when he asks so cutely. “hey babe, can you- uh, can you come do that thing again while i play? like- you- don’t make me say it.”

mysta - it’s not his favourite thing ever, but he’s much better than expected— in fact, he may be the one to first suggest the idea. surprisingly, mysta stays very pliant besides the occasional, teasing thrust he offers just to hear you gasp. by the end of it, you’re the one getting needy. “aww, need me to fuck you?” he chuckles, kissing your cheek fondly. “be patient, slut.”

luca - he tries.. he really does for you, but poor boy can’t get shit done when he can feel your wetness dripping all over the place below. it’s only been a few minutes, and while you’re relaxing with your face planted in his neck, he’s closing his eyes and taking deep breaths. “why do you even like this? do- do you really enjoy this?” all in all, he’ll comply with your little game.. for 30 minutes max before he starts whining about how much he needs your help :c

[foolsocracy]