#this is virgil btw. of course

[theokusgallery]

There's going to be a severe lack of KtS(aWtG) anxceit in the near future for like at least one day so here's a WIP I probably won't post the finished piece of on tumblr

KtS(aWtG) AU by @greenninjagal-blog ! :)

[princeysanders]

pre!aa anxiety you will always have a special place in my heart

i just love the way he says "oh great." so i just had to show you all

i love his emphasis and jazz hands too

[jsprnt]

Witnessing your fiancé win his first final as a captain is a beautiful experience.

virgil van dijk x reader

A/N: trying something new! let me know what you think. this is some four am fluffy brainrot btw

W/C: 1.340

you wipe your clammy hands on the fabric of your blue jeans. it’s warm, you think, even though it’s barely ten degrees outside. your anxious, warm breaths turning into clouds when coming in contact with the cold air. the only thing missing is rain, the clouds looming over wembley stadium tonight would probably take care of that soon.

your eyes drift to the huge scoreboard a ‘waiting for extra time’ and a frustrating 0-0 meeting your eyes. virgil had managed to score a beautiful header a little past the second half of the match, though it was sadly disallowed after a var check.

you feel your hand being squeezed, it snapping you back to reality as you look to your left. cody’s girlfriend noa giving you a sweet smile. you had gotten close since both your partners were already very close, especially after cody transferred to liverpool a little over a year ago.

“calm down, I’m pregnant and not as anxious as you. have some faith in the boys.” she teases, trying lighten up your obviously nervous mood. you mirror the smile on her face, giving her a little nod in acknowledgment.

you had faith in the team, of course you did. you’d rooted and cheered at every match you’d been to, ever since you and virgil started dating four years ago. he’d proposed only last summer on vacation in beautiful mauritius.

you know how capable and trustworthy your fiancé is. leading liverpool as captain impeccably this season, and it looked like he and the team were back into their best form.

if liverpool won tonight, it would become his first trophy win as captain. extra special since klopp had announced his departure in the summer. giving the one of a kind manager a trophy his last season was very deserved.

you watch as the first fifteen minutes of extra time begin. you hold your breath a multitude of times, gasping and shouting along with the rest of the supporters when the chelsea players got a little too close to the net.

it seems like absolute torture when the second part of extra time starts. it had to happen within these fifteen minutes, otherwise you’d have to go to penalties. which in your opinion and many others was a stupid gamble, no matter how hard you’d practice shooting or stopping the ball. the saying ‘practice makes perfect’ didn’t apply to penalties, you always thought.

your eyes land on your sweaty, tired looking fiancé. his tall, big frame very easy to distinguish, even all the way across the stadium. his perfectly done hair was probably a little messy by now, small flyaways escaping from the low bun you’d styled carefully that morning before he left the house.

you watch as liverpool gets a corner, your eyes flickering to the scoreboard. knowing they had about three minutes to finally score the winning goal. maybe, this was their last chance. you and noa squeeze each others hand tighter, her other hand on her bump as you both watch kostas walk to kick the corner.

you hold your breath, kostas shoots and GOAL!

your fiancé scores a header, the liverpool supporters all roar in celebration. you and noa squealing and hugging each other from happiness. you heart swells due to how extremely proud you are of your fiancé. having difficultly holding back tears in your eyes.

the next few moments pass like a blur and before you know it, you see virgil holding up the trophy, surrounded by the entire team. you hug all of the wives and girlfriends next to you, some of them even teasing you by congratulating you for being engaged to virgil. you laugh, but you know they’re pretty much right. he was an absolute gem, both as an athlete, leader and your loving partner.

all of you are full with joy and relief, singing to ynwa proudly as you feel like you’re about to burst from happiness.

one would ask why you’d be so hyped and excited about winning the carabao cup, as if it was the champions league final. though, to you it didn’t matter what your fiancé won or achieved. you would get exited and emotional about it every single time, without fail.

you’re stoked as security confirms you can go down to the pitch to celebrate. you make sure noa is with cody safely before looking around for virgil. your eyes dart around as you almost spin a circle. you finally spot him looking at the spot you were sitting at, realizing he was doing what you were doing.

looking for one another.

“baby!” you call out, trying to get his attention. he turns immediately at the recognition of your voice. the sound of it never failed to bring a smile to his face, melting his heart like a ice cube thrown in boiling water.

you finally manage to make eye contact with him, running up to him as if you hadn’t seen him in years. you jump into his arms, his hands automatically moving to your thighs, unfazed by your sudden weight pressing against his body. his own motm award rested against your thigh, as he held both you and the award.

“there’s my beautiful love..” he says, his hair is indeed messy, baby hairs stuck to his sweaty forehead.

“I’m so proud of you..” you answer, panting a bit from your little run, looking into his brown eyes, your eyes traveling to the beauty mark underneath his eye, you oh-so-loved.

you cup his chiseled jaw, running the pad of your thumb along his short stubble. leaning in to kiss him breathlessly, lips pressing onto his plump ones, tasting the sweet energy drink he had probably just chugged. you wrap your thighs a little tighter around him, deepening the kiss. your own little prize for him to show how proud you are, for now…

you both were never the pda type, especially in front cameras that broadcasted worldwide at this point. so he only swipes his tongue along your bottom lip once, before pulling away. allowing you to stand on your own two feet again as he lowers you carefully.

“come take pictures with me, baby..”

he drags you towards the club’s photographers, making sure you both have pictures to look back on. holding both trophy’s as he allows you to hold the cup its self. eventually, rain sprinkling on both your faces.

after a couple more hours of celebrating you both arrive back home in cheshire, a prefect place you’d imagine to spend the next few years with your fiancé. you’d fallen in love with it, just like you heard your other wag friends say.

you lay on your bed, absolutely exhausted, maybe even more than virgil who had ran around the pitch for 120 minutes. you weren’t aware of the time, but from celebrating to the ride home, you could estimate it was past midnight already.

your eyes almost flutter shut, before you watch virgil walk out of the bathroom. freshly showered and dressed in his new pajamas you’d just got him.

“getting sleepy?” he asks, laying down on his side of the bed, pulling you in closer. his tatted arm wrapping around your back.

you hum, scooting closer to his chest and turning to lay on your stomach. placing your hands on his chest as you look down at him. the back of his head pressed against the white and gray pillows on your shared bed. his long curls splayed over them, not in a ponytail or bun, hair products he’d just applied smelling delicious.

this was your man, so fucking good looking you fought the urge to bite your knuckles. his gaze softened as his eyebrows relaxed, his bigger hand running up and down your back.

he lead his team amazingly, with a long list of injuries at the club you were worried. but the fact that they made it happen was insane, with the deciding goal from your fiancé and amazing leadership you couldn’t help but swoon over him, nonstop. eyes roaming around his handsome face.

“you okay love?” he asks in a deeper voice, chest vibrating against your hands. his hand now rubbing your nape. practically soothing you to sleep with his touch.

“I’m just admiring you…” you say, voice quieter than you expected. exhaustion taking over your body by the second.

“I can do that all night, baby. go to sleep now, hm…” he mutters, his hand pushing your head down onto his chest as you listen to his heartbeat. it lulls you asleep instantly.

he can only sigh in delight, a stressful but beautiful night ending with you sleeping comfortably in his strong arms. knowing you’d be supporting and loving him whatever happens, it just showed the love you had for each other.

his one and only love…

[johaerys-writes]

I get happy whenever I'm reminded you don't hate tsoa because I'm not safe even on my own server LMAO I always hate the "Oh the book villainizes Thetis and Deidamia and Pyrrhus" take because I didn't come out of that book thinking those three are the epitome of evil, and I'm very new to Greek Myths when I first read the book. I think it's more telling about the reader if they came out of that book shaking their fists at Thetis and Deidamia but hey maybe I'm just biased because I like the book ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (Same thing with 'I don't like how Achilles is portrayed as good there' because oh my god did you not catch whose POV this book is written from)

Honestly I will never understand the hate that TSOA has garnered in recent years. I swear it didn't use to be like that lol. It's like people forgot that just because they don't PERSONALLY like something doesn't mean that everyone else shouldn't. Instead of saying "well, not my cup of tea!" and moving on with their lives and enjoying the numerous other adaptations that exist, they have to make it into this "problematic" piece of media and attack anyone who likes it. I literally don't get it.

And it's not like I'm some crazed TSOA defender that can't handle valid criticism btw! I'm not saying that it doesn't have its shortcomings or that it's the greatest book that ever booked, but I often get frustrated bc the only criticism I see is wrong and stupid. People getting all up in arms about Patroclus not fighting or about Thetis' and Deidameia's portrayal... why? Why do you have to do that? If it isn’t to your taste, then just create your own version. Why attack an author for their interpretation of the source material? And even if TSOA was so far removed from the source material (which, trust me, it isn’t, as I've tried to explain here many times to no avail) who said that a good adaptation is the one that is 100% faithful to the source material? Why even create an adaptation if it's just going to be parroting Homer and including every little detail from the Iliad in it? Just go and read the Iliad then. Why bother making something new?

And if accuracy or a "correct" (whatever the hell that means) portrayal of the characters is the most important thing, then let's go ahead and cancel Euripides and Virgil and Publius Papinius Statius and Shakespeare too while we're at it, because if they had published their shit this day and age they would have received tons of hate by all the tumblr and discord keyboard warrior crowd.

(Btw, I fully agree that someone's takeaway from the book about Thetis and Deidameia says way more about them than the book ever did. If you're mad at Thetis just because she was mean to Patroclus or at Deidameia because she reacted like a traumatised 16yo would, then I really don't know what to tell you! And of course, you're allowed not to like them but you really don’t have to try to make it everyone's problem!!)

(ALSO the "I don’t like TSOA bc Achilles is portrayed as good" is hilarious to me bc newsflash, Achilles is portrayed as "good" in the Iliad as well, and in a staggering amount of both ancient Greek art and modern adaptations :)) but I guess that is impossible to grasp if you haven't moved on from your high school's Iliad class and your Achilles-hating professor)

[ask-the-sides-anything]

(hows work btw op?)

Roman,how's your relationship status with everyone?

Well I think my status with everyone is quite good!

My brother and I have been getting along, Janus has been a bit less rude to me. Virgil and I watch Disney movies every weekend! And of course I'm besties with Patton.

And Logan- oh look! Here he comes now!

[tulipscomeinallsortsofcolors]

Hey hi hello I am rereading laoft again because of course I am it's amazing and i am feeling much like virgil in spin specifically on account of it being Too Many degrees of temperature right now your writing describes me rn perfectly and I am Not A Fan 🥵🥺 the fact that I don't have magic temperature powers or something is actually so rude to me specifically (especially during pride month!! 🤣🤣 (happy pride btw 🌷🌈))

oh my god yes. holy fuck. its storming here and it finally cut it a little after 2 weeks of 32C+ and i am feeling all 1500 words of virgil in that fic. hotter than a witches tit in a brass bra.

[thecrescentmind]

I have decided to use this blog for general SaSi content along with ocs because reasons, will tag accordingly (TCM au posts will use the tags they’ve been using) so uh sanders sides swap au that’s been rotating in my brain for a while

No one swaps what they represent but they swap roles in the story more or less

Patton swaps with Janus, Roman swaps with Remus, and Logan swaps with an orange side I made up. Virgil is now the protagonist instead of c!Thomas but Thomas doesn’t really take Virgil’s role, I will explain how that works. (Under the cut cause this got very long)

This takes place in a universe where c!Thomas’ life went differently in a variety of ways that led his perception of what parts of him are good and what parts are bad to change very rapidly. I’m not sure how everything ended up the way it did exactly and in case I do end up doing things with this au I’m not going to reveal what I do have decided just yet. (I will say Thomas was unable to pursue his passions here and has a corporate job he hates which is kind of relevant) But whatever happened differently led to the worse parts of the canon light sides being emphasized and the better parts of the canon dark sides being emphasized. Eventually leading them to trade places in terms of how Thomas viewed them.

Sel (Janus. short for self perseverance or selfishness), Ideas (Remus), and Defense (Orange, he’s anger in this au btw) are aware of this, they know they weren’t meant to be in the positions they are, at least not like this. All of them are secretly terrified of losing the positions they’re in. Feelings (Patton), Pride (Roman), and Logic (you know who this is) are also aware of this, and it infuriates them. They were supposed to help Thomas, they want to help Thomas. They just want what’s best for him but for some reason he can’t see that. If they have to push things farther to get things how they should be then so be it.

Caution (Virgil) is a new side, the first they’ve had since Thomas was a kid/teen, he just got here and knows nothing about how things got the way they did. He decides to record his journey to find his place as a part of Thomas, and these vlogs are (for the most part) the pov we would see from.

This au has a bigger emphasis on the mindscape, it’s bigger and more complicated cause I thought it would be cool idk. Specifically it’s part of how Janus keeps the sides he wants repressed hidden. There are parts of the mindscape said to be unsafe that no one’s supposed to go into, Thomas doesn’t know why and when Caution shows up, neither does he. Thomas decides to sneak in one day (he’s more reckless here plus the idea of the supposedly dangerous and scary part of the mindscape always intrigued him) with Caution tagging behind him because if he can’t stop Thomas from acting like a dumb horror movie protagonist he might as well go with him to keep him safe.

What they find is actually a lot calmer than what they expected, maybe even less chaotic than what the rest of the mindscape can be at times. It’s nice but it almost seems fake, too perfect to be real. They look around until they. hear. something. Virgil gets them out of there before either of them can see if the ominous voice in the allegedly unsafe part of the mind is actually dangerous and upon returning get lectured by Janus. Virgil asks wtf that voice might’ve been, Janus says (lying) that he isn’t sure, maybe a monster, an illusion, nothing good that’s for sure. They walk away but Virgil stays by the entrance just a second longer than Thomas and Janus, for a second he sees something try to exit before being forced back inside.

It didn’t look like a monster or an illusion or whatever Janus said was in there though, it looked like another side. Of course the embodiment of anxiety overthinks this so eventually he decides to sneak back in there alone.

And then nothing bad happened to any of them ever (lie)

[picaroroboto]

Literary connections in FF14 - "...I have wandered home but newly from this ultimate dim Thule."

The other day (by which I mean like, 3 months ago) I was watching this show called The Fall of the House of Usher (great show BTW, but not for the faint of heart) which was equal parts a uniquely 2020s story and an anthology of Edgar Allan Poe poems and stories. A name drop caught my eye - a reference to a place called "Ultima Thule". Curious of course because of FF14, I found the poem the reference was based on, "Dream-Land". Here's an excerpt, though I recommend reading the whole thing, ideally while listening to Close in the Distance and reminiscing about Endwalker:

After reading the poem, I have no doubt it's a direct inspiration for Endwalker's Ultima Thule.

According to Wikipedia, "Ultima Thule" originally referred to the northernmost known location in Roman cartography, likely the British Isles or Greenland. Writers such as Virgil and much later Poe give it a metaphorical meaning of an unattainable goal or impossibly distant nonexistent place. FF14 takes that concept and mixes it with a sort of fantasy-aesthetic-ified idea of a black hole for it's Ultima Thule.

It makes for a very rich metaphor, which in turn makes Ultima Thule one of my favorite locations in FF14.

[theokusgallery]

Doodle page for this little anxceit thing I posted on AO3 a few days ago

edit: Update

Second one has two versions because I couldn't decide which one I liked best

[intrulogical]

Hi! I was looking through your various meta posts and I noticed a small thing you posted about possibly writing a meta on Patton's perception of mortality through his catholic lens, and it made me think about how I've noticed a lot of people(myself included) who are more fond of sides like Remus, Logan and Janus, tend to sympathize less with characters like Patton, while also understanding the purpose he serves(I'm not sure if my point makes sense but I am REALLY excited to explain this stuff). I've always, in particular, found the way the other sides(ESPECIALLY Remus) might view Patton due to this strict moral compass Patton took on, even if he's actively trying to remedy it now due to Janus' intervention. It's especially interester me since Roman valued Patton's opinion of him so highly(considering Roman's views up until this point were, at least to a degree, reliant on Patton's perceptions of selflessness), and I always wondered if it would make sense for Remus to have an opinion(or two... or five... or a million-) on that.

this is actually a good talking point! thank you for sending this in :D

dark sides + logan fans being critical of patton is honestly such a phenomenon. i definitely want to preface i don't wanna generalize fans' stances, but i've literally witnessed this thing happened in Real Time. i think it has something to do with lntao? because logan was incredibly villainized by the fandom during that time. the fandom's doing better now, but it really did struggle with the concept of Nuanced Characters back in 2019-2020, which i think brought upon the "logan + dark sides fans hates patton" schtick.

but like you said, i and a lot of other fans do understand why patton is the way that he is. he's such an interesting character because he has such a Grasp on thomas that no other sides have. i want to emphasize i do NOT intend of villainizing patton by saying he has a lot of power, moreso it's quite evident that this season's conflict focuses on how thomas' decision-making is more emotion-centric than it is thought-centric.

even the fact that patton represents morality is big on its own, because black-and-white thinking literally shapes how the sides are visualized. i don't mean it like, his sides are created vis-a-vis black-and-white thinking, moreso the reason why the sides are separated is because thomas upholds this type of thinking. virgil, roman, and thomas look up to patton as a guiding figure, which gives him a lot of power/influence. @orbmanson7 can probs explain it better than i do lol

but if you're asking me if remus would have something to say? YES. of course he would. the entirety of dwit confirms he has a gripe with how thomas is being so "demure" and "safe". remus and janus have always wanted to override thomas' black-and-white thinking, so they obviously have something to say to patton. hell, the reason they are suppressed is because of patton. i'm too dumb to explain it now but always return back to how patton is seen to be the final decider in a dark sides' "acceptance". him w janus is apparent enough, but in dwit we literally see him have to "give permission" to thomas to think icky thoughts.

i'm not saying patton is conceited btw. this shit always boils down to, think of sasi as a metaphor for how our brains work and it makes sense why the moral side is still iffy about accepting things he once pushed away and labeled as evil. and also istg pls no one accuse me of villainizing patton bc i acknowledge he's literally doing all this unintentionally. his arc is definitely gonna end w him being more open to changing his moral views, but yeah patton is a fascinating character to me and one of the best encapsulations of catholic-influenced morality

[prince-rowan-of-the-forest]

To Make a Heaven of Hell (6/?)

----

After messing up cooking canned soup, Virgil decides maybe he'll try his luck going to a restaurant with some of the others instead.

----

| <- Previous | First | Next -> |

Chapter warnings: None as far as I'm aware.

Notes:

It feels like it's been ages - I'm not sure if it actually has or not, or if I'm just imagining time passing again, but hey.

Chapter 6! We're getting new characters next chapter baybee

Just for copywrite sake btw, unless I specify otherwise I did not come up with any place names in this fic lmao. All credit to that goes to Jaysea.

“So,” Emile said sitting Virgil down on a nearby bench, “How’re you finding the Hellp Desk?”

“Oh- uhm- it’s pretty good?” Virgil said, frowning, they hadn’t quite been expecting an interrogation when they got down here, then again, maybe Emile was just curious? “I mean - they’re all really nice? And I’m glad I’m allowed to stay with them - gives me something to do.”

“That’s great! Keeping busy is such fun, and I’ve heard the desk is great for some catharsis too,” Emile winked, Virgil was pretty sure that was referring to beating up pedophiles with spiked bats, but he couldn’t be certain.

“Yeah,” Virgil nodded, “Judy makes great snacks too.”

“Oh her pies are just the best aren’t they?” Emile laughed, “She shares them with us sometimes - oh! So whats your paradise like? Assuming you have one, of course?”

“Oh-” Virgil said, trying to keep himself from visibly recoiling at the question, but already he felt that sick feeling pool back into his stomach, what would Emile think? When he found out that Virgil was still to much of a coward to even approach his door? “I…”

Emile watched him for a moment, face falling, “Oh… are you like Ruggy? A hell-bound soul working for the desk?”

“No- no, I have a paradise I just…” Virgil quickly corrected, before mumbling, “Can’t accept it…”

The demon’s frown turned into something a lot more sympathetic as he patted Virgil on the shoulder - giving him a second to move away before doing so. Virgil accepted the touch just a little stiffly.

“I see, well - we have a lot of souls come through here, ones sent and ones who have paradise,” Emile said, “You’re more thna welcome to come down here to chat whenever you’d like.”

“Really?”

“Sure as sugar’s sweet!” Emile grinned, standing back up, “I gotta get back to work, but I'll see you round?”

“Sure,” Virgil shrugged, Emile winked at him before walking away, tail swaying behind him. 

Well. That was something that just happened. 

Virgil didn’t move from that bench for a long moment - long enough for another one of the demons to stop and ask if he was alright - but eventually he stsod up, ran himself through one of the breathing exercises an old friend had taught him back in the mortal world and walked out of level one as confidently as he could possibly manage.

—-

Another night, a few days later, Virgil had been left alone in Lily’s house once again. She had left a couple things out in the kitchen that he could make up for dinner - and she’d also given him the names of a few decent restaurants and pubs he could go to instead the second night he had stayed with her. 

It was odd, Virgil thought as he attempted to cook up a can of soup using the stove, how quickly he’d adapted to this lifestyle. He wasn’t even so scared of going near the oven now. 

But it was strange, too, because Virgil hadn’t had a parental figure in his life for… a few years, and even when his parents were around they weren’t… good.

They wondered if the relationship they seemed to be gaining with Lily was something like what a parent was supposed to be. At least to a teenager. 

There was no reference point - nothing in his previous life was at all similar to this, especially not his own parents. So this was uncharted territory. Virgil felt a little bit like he was wading through the ocean wearing a blindfold, he had no clue which step would end up with a rock through his foot. 

And he knew he was being overly cautious. Lily wouldn’t hurt him, he knew that now. The old fear was just still there nagging at the back of his mind. 

The soup was… disappointing. Virgil didn’t think you should be able to fuck up canned soup - especially not in paradise, literally all he needed to do was heat it up, but somehow he’d messed it up anyway. They sighed and got rid of the disgusting soup before looking - for the first proper time - at the list of restaurants Lily had stuck to the fridge. 

None of the names were familiar to him - maybe one or two he had heard in passing, but he hadn’t yet been anywhere other than Common Grounds. Going out somewhere would mean good food, but it would also mean eating alone around strangers and potentially getting lost. So, for obvious reasons, Virgil didn’t really want to do that. 

Maybe he didn’t have to go alone, though.

Pulling out their phone, Virgil opened up the groupchat Lily had added him to and contemplated sending a message. 

The groupchat consisted of everyone they knew at the Hellp Desk - as well as a number of users he didn’t know the identities of. He was fairly certain that one of them was Remus’ twin brother, specifically the one with a Disney profile picture with the nickname ‘Your Prince Charming’ who constantly talked about theatre and insulted Remus. Two of the chat members had matching profile pictures (of the angel and demon characters from that one show he’d seen all over tumblr a few months before they died but had never gotten round to watching) and Virgil was fairly certain they were Emile and his husband now that he’d met the demon. 

There were a few users who he couldn’t guess the identities of, though, he assumed they were just more of Lily’s friends and family and tried his best not to throw his phone whenever one of them talked to him. He was used to interacting with people online, it wasn’t that different if he had the very real chance of meeting these people he kept sending dumb memes to in person at some point. 

Currently there were no conversations going on - but it was rare for the groupchat to be quiet for long. Virgil wouldn’t be interrupting anyone if they sent a message, so why were they so nervous about it? Maybe because he’d never been the first to start a conversation here before? Maybe it’s because he was making a request this time, and not just sending a reactive meme or responding to a conversation. 

Virgil took a deep breath and let it out with a shake of their head, this was a non-issue, barely even a problem, not something to be stressed about, just send the damn message. 

<xx4llpanic-nod!scoxx> Hey guys - is anyone around? I wanna get something to eat but don’t wanna go alone ._.

<xx4llpanic-nod!sc0xx> Just wondering if anyone wanted to come with maybe - haven’t decided where yet or anything

<xx4llpanic-nod!sc0xx> I don’t want to get lost

<xx4llpanic-nod!sc0xx> or stared at, yknow. But it’s fine if not no pressure. 

<xx4llpanic-nod!sc0xx> Sorry I’m spamming - i’ll shut up.

Virgil paused in their word vomit, trying to take deep breaths, they’d sent something now and that was great. Now he just had to wait for a response - oh, and he should probably apologise about the smell in Lily’s kitchen. 

<xx4llpanic-nod!sc0xx> Oh, wanted to say sorry abt the smell in ur kitchen @Nearamir I fucked up canned soup. 

<TacoTime> How do you fuck up canned soup??

<Your Prince Charming> I’ve done it.

<TacoTime> Yeah but you’re you, I’m asking how baby V fucked up canned soup.

<xx4llpanic-nod!sc0xx> Literally no idea man idk what to tell u.

<Nickel> Greg and I are spending tonight in my paradise - sorry V! I hope someone will go with you <3 (also, are you okay?)

<xx4llpanic-nod!sc0xx> Other than the crushing weight of eternal existence? I’m fien, soups not tho.

Virgil sighed, unsure if he’d even get a response at this point. They all seemed distracted by the soup disaster, but hey-! Only one person had actually said they couldn’t go so far. Of course, he knew that meant Greg couldn’t either, Lily and Bel were all out doing something too, so they wouldn’t be able to either, which left…. Not many people. Now that he thought about it. 

<TheMonsterUnderUrBed> HEy emo u wanna come w/ me and the front deathk nerd we were gonna register for trivia at luckyleaf if u wanna come n get smth 2 eat??

Virgil sighed in relief, okay, maybe it was Remus - who he wasn’t sure he was comfortable eating around - but Logan would be there too. Seeing him again would be pretty cool, he still needed to say thank you properly for the help when Virgil first arrived. Besides, Logan seemed nice, he wouldn’t mind seeing if they could be friends… Lily had said eternity was better the more friends you made. Virgil thought it would be worth a shot. 

<xx4llpanic-nod!sc0xx> K cool! I’ll tag along - where should I meet u?”

<TheMonsterUnderUrBed> yk tir na nog? meet us in 15?

Virgil sent back a hasty thumbs up before rushing back to his bedroom to find something to wear more appropriate for generally being outside than what he was currently wearing (a cat t-shirt and sweatpants, to be exact). He was fairly certain the gate to Tír na nÓg was just along a hallway he passed on the way to Hell. He just hoped he was remembering right. 

Once he’d changed into something far more appropriate for leaving Lily’s house and fixed his hair, he rushed back out - nearly disturbing Max - and grabbed a bag too, just in case. 

After checking themself over in the mirror, Virgil headed out into the paradise realm. 

Fifteen minutes after seeing Remus’ message, nearly on the dot, Virgil found himself stood waiting outside of the gate to Tír na nÓg, he could actually see the pub Remus had mentioned a little further down the hall, but he’d been told to wait here, so wait here he would. As Virgil waited for Remus to arrive with Logan, he began to wonder if he had actually missed them, or read the message wrong - or gone to the wrong place, maybe. But almost ten minutes later, Remus arrived, bouncing along the corridor with a disgruntled and ruffled looking Logan in tow. 

“Hi!” Remus grinned once they’d stopped in front of him, “Logan, emo, emo, Logan.”

“We’ve met,” Logan said, straightening the tie he wore under a blue diamond patterned sweater vest. Virgil wilted a little at Logan’s harsh tone, did he not want to be here? - or did he not want Virgil here?

“Hi,” Virgil said weakly.

“Hello, Virgil, I’m glad to see you made it out on the right side,�� Logan said, tone immediately becoming less harsh, though it still had that same professional air about it - Virgil wondered if Logan was just like that. 

“Yup, I’m glad I’m here too,” Virgil chuckled, “Um…”

“I heard you had taken up a position with Hell’s help desk,” Logan prompted as they began to walk, Remus seemed happy to walk alongside them, humming along to some tune and swinging Logan’s hand - which Logan either hadn’t noticed that bay’d grabbed or didn’t care about. 

“Oh yeah - I uh- Judy introduced me to them and Lily sorta… adopted me, I think,” Virgil chuckled, “Oh wait- Remus?”

“Yesss?” Remus said, letting go of Logan’s hand and turning to walk backwards so xa could look at Virgil, “What’s up?”

“You mentioned signing up for trivia-” Virgil started, before being cut off.

“Oh yeah! I almost forgot! Me and Lo are signing up a team for the trivia!” Remus giggled.

“Yes,” Logan nodded, before noting Virgil’s confusion, “Every month Luckyleaf hosts a large trivia night, in which varied teams will compete, Remus has convinced me to enter a team with him and a few others this month.”

“Oh cool, sounds fun,” Virgil said, smiling, “Who’s on your team?”

“Me, the nerd, obviously, the shark, the intern,” Remus listed off on fizz fingers, “Oh, pinkie-pie and the coffee angel, though we’re one person short.”

Virgil stared in confusion as Remus raised an eyebrow, Logan sighed.

“Remus and I, Sharkie, Dantillian, Emile and his husband Remy, our team is called ‘Logan and the nincompoops.’ which I personally find distasteful but Remus is certain it’s humorous.”

Virgil snorted, “You said you were one person short?”

“Yeahh - we can’t find anyone else who’s chill with just doing this for fun, they’re all too competitive, and I heard Jan was on the Roman deity’s team again so we’re gonna get crushed anyway.”

“I am only doing this because Remus believes it will be funny.” Logan said, “Especially if we somehow do decently.”

“Remus is right, that is funny,” Virgil laughed, “Is anyone allowed to participate?”

“Yeah! Anyone!,” Remus nodded, “Why, d’you wanna?”

Virgil couldn’t help how he blushed and went quiet. He did want to join, a trivia tournament where he wasn’t actually expected to be super smart sounded like a lot of fun, they’d know everyone there - except Emile’s husband, they wondered what he was like - but if Remus didn’t want them…

“You’re welcome to be part of our team, if you would like to join,” Logan followed up on Remus’ comment, “We’d be glad to have you.”

“I’m no good at trivia,” Virgil said, before frowning, “Well - I suppose unless ‘Tumblr trends and holidays’ comes up as a topic.”

Remus snorted, “I mean, maybe, we’ve had some weird shit in there before, but yea, it’s chill - we’re called ‘Logan and the Nincompoops’ for a reason, y’know.”

“Right,” Virgil said, looking around at both of them, Remus looked to be vibrating out of eir skin with excitement, while Logan was more subdued, Virgil could see the hopeful glint in his eyes, “Yeah, sure, I’d love to join.”

----

General tags: @full-of-roman-angst-trash @reptilianrapscallion420 @your-local-random-dino @cutebisexualmess @glacierruler @roseianxiety @bella-bugatti-frogetti-baguetti (if anyone wants to be added, let me know!)

Hell's Belles AU tags: @awitchbravestheverge @twoalpacas @goldnskyart @anxious-mess19 @doteddestroyer :)

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[new-berry]

WAGust here have the opening of Glitter (which is not the name BTW)

Virgil /Iris /Trent (endgame) NSFW not true.

It’s obvious now. With Trent, eyelids low, body relaxed and sprawled, replete across the bed. His expression is too pleased to be mocking, but there is the hint of a smirk in the smile he gives Virgil.

It’s blatantly obvious now. Now that he has Iris tucked under his chin, a slight weight on his chest. Her hair is catching in his beard, teased up from their hands. Well yeah, with the weight of this additional evidence, clearly they had been flirting with him.

Hindsight and everything. “Talk later?” Trent motions to pull a sheet over them and Virgil nods. Iris snuggles closer in, then flapps a hand behind her, tugging impatiently at Trent until he brackets her back.

“Big talk.” Her voice is slury, edging into sleep. “Big plans for you too.”

“Demanding.” Virgil knows they can both hear the smile in his voice, Trent’s tucked into the back of her neck he could see it if he looked.

Trent drops his hand on Virgil's stomach, spread out wide and claiming. “Big talk,” he agrees.

……

“Who looks hotter?” Vigil recognises Trent, of course he does. Bellingham takes a moment longer. Back to back black and white shots of the two of them staring directly into the camera. Mostly naked which is not a surprise for Jude since it’s a job modelling underwear. Virgil takes a long look down Jude. No one else is here, no one else notices him. Noticing.

Trent’s jeans are undone the waistband of his underpants showing, the the zip undone, the plane of his stomach made fashion by the black and white shot.

“Virg come on.” Trent’s name flashes up, another shot of him, the cute little model he was paired with looking over his shoulder getting a piggy back.

“Need you to back me man.” Virgil watches the comments stack up.

“Don’t make me ask Robbo. Need your vote.”

“Pretty girl.” Virgil finally sends back. “You’re second, but by a long way.”

It’s a day later when Trent sends a picture of his unhappy face. Then in quick succession someone doing Iris’s hair from the back in a white shirt. Virgil had looked up her name. Captainly interest. And then a shot of Trent framed by the mirror he’s taken it in. Iris is just visible, smiling in the corner of the image.

She’s dwarfed by the armchair she’s sitting in. Her toes are barely touching the ground. The white shirt she’s wearing swallows her arms, just the jut of her collarbones, a sharp magnet for his eyes. The bow of her wrist, laid bare by the undone buttons of the sleeve.

Virgil saves the image. Zooms in on it. Her eyes are on Trent, his eyes are on the shadow between her slightly parted legs.

The next day Trent sends another picture, this one is just him, pouting at the camera, the hood of his hoodie pulled over his head. He’s got the same pair of briefs on as before. The hoodie is unzipped and the jeans are off. Just him and his abs and his thighs, gleaming slightly from whatever they put on him for the photoshoot. Pulled down so low they push public decency.

Virgil rolls his eyes at himself. Trent pushes his buttons more than any decency. He almost casually jerks off, half surprised his dick is in his hand, legs sprawled out loose and easy.

He flicks between the pictures Trent has sent. Trent’s thighs firm and taunt, the part of Iris’s legs, her fingers that don’t stretch all the way over the arm of the chair. He deletes the pictures of Jude that get in the way.

“They gonna put that in Times Square?” he sends. He frowns at the mess and kicks his shorts off. No one around to see.

“You didn’t send one back.” Trent says. It’s such an out of the blue request that Virgil starts to stretch his arm out for a picture before realising. Virgil holds his hand over the camera icon for a moment. Then he angles it so his chest and face are showing. The background is the huge window in the villa.

It’s high enough up that it’s not obvious he’s naked in the image. Maybe it comes across anyway.

He sends it without over-thinking. “Thanks for a thirst trap when Iris is here man.” Trent tells him. Virgil grins. “That’s literally just my face.” Virgil sends back.

In his mind he can hear Trent splutter. It takes a day but when he wakes up Trent has finally responded. “Iris said you can be the face for Guess next time. Except she’ll need a ladder to get up for the piggy back.”

Virgil puts his coffee cup down with infinite care. For a second the barely there weight of an imagined Iris rests on his back. Not some stupid modelling job. Sitting down she'd be able to rest her chin on his shoulder. It’s a half formed thought where she’s, they’re, looking at, he doesn’t know Trent maybe, sprawled in front of Virgil the way he hasn’t been for years now.

For a moment it changes, Virgil sitting on the chair that Iris had been on. Her kneeling in front of him. Stupid getting hard before he’s had his morning coffee like a teenager. A teenager who’s developing an embarrassing crush on his mate's girlfriend. While nursing a memory of nights with that mate as well.

“We can stick some cushions down in case she falls down.”

“Would you let me fall?!” It must be Iris who texts because Trent doesn’t use exclamation marks.

“Never.” Virgil sends back without thinking. He gets a series of smiley faces that wouldn’t ome from Trent.

Iris is holding the phone when they send a picture of the two of them snogging in a nightclub. The branding of Formula One over Trent’s shoulder.

Trent’s got her slightly bent over, his hand on the small of her back holding her steady, his hand in her hair keeping her mouth in place.

Virgil sends a shot of the DJ more to prove he’s not moping alone. He picks up the skinny little brunette who’s been making their interest clear all night. He’s fun, game and flexible in a way that Virgil can appreciate. Cute through Ruben is, and the name made him laugh, he’s only a distraction.

He’s pretty though. He holds his hands above his head when asked. Can be almost bent in half when Virgil fucks into him soft and gasping after Virgil has made him come twice. It’s civil enough when he leaves.

“This green juice is disgusting” when Trent sends the picture he’s holding the glass on top of his thigh, it’s sunny but not that sunny. Trent’s skin glistening like he’s on a yacht in Monaco not a backyard outside Manchester.

From the pink toe nails Iris is there with her own disgusting green drink. And from the length of leg showing wearing even less.

Virgil had looked her up plenty. Got his hand around his dick thinking of her and Trent just as often. She’s short. Maybe that’s just all the leg she has. It’s a trick of the algorithm that he keeps seeing her face now whenever he opens his app. It’s a slip of his finger that he keeps opening the pictures.

He’s mesmerised by a video of her walking in a purple sweater of some kind. Some kind of nonsense fashion chaos happening around her as she looks forward. Unfazed by the fireworks around her, sure all the eyes are on her.

A message from Trent pops up. It’s just a picture, Iris has her leg over his, the pale slash of her thigh with Trent’s visible under it. Her hand is reaching for his phone, it’s an ill timed shot, maybe taken by accident. It must be her that sends after: “tell Trent celery juice isn’t disgusting. Protein shakes are disgusting.”

Virgil doesn’t let himself think too much when he says “no wonder you models are so tiny if you think that’s decent food. Tell Trent he needs better date ideas.”

Then he goes to the gym. The gym understands. It’s got his back. And his quads and his delts. Virgil doesn’t leave his phone behind but he doesn’t check it until his shoulders are drooping with fatigue and his forearms shake opening his bag.

His message has a heart attached. That is taken off. And attached and taken off and then attached again. Virgil can see them play fighting in the sun around Trent’s place. How careful Trent would need to be to not hurt her. How easily anything would show, the translucent film of her skin a canvas for makeup trends, not for…. Virgil shakes the thought away. Trent could hold her in place one handed. Vigil could cover both her narrow wrists in one of his palms.

He could fold her fingers though his. Held palm to palm the back of her hands pressed to the ground, or the bed, or a wall.

Held above her head. The slender rise of her ribs would be more prominent, her back arched. Virgil slams the door shut on those thoughts. He takes a shower instead. Focuses on the burn in his muscles putting his own hands up to wash out his hair.

Doesn’t think about the picture he took of his sweat soaked back, muscles defined from the too vigorous session that he sent without thinking too much.

It only took a few days to pick when it’s Iris sending the messages not Trent. Hers have a careful ‘please’ attached. The spelling is still bad but she swears less.

So it must be Trent who sends back “lookin’ jacked baby.” And Iris who sends the heart eyed face and the howling wolf.

Trent takes the picture of her using a

barbell for squats in the gym. He’s in the mirror, shirtless with black shorts barely clinging to his waist. Her technique is good to Virgil’s critical eye. She isn’t using that much weight though.

“How are you on defence?” Virgil asks when Trent sends a picture of her in his England shirt. She’s drowning in the fabric.

“I’m just here to cheerleader.” She sends a wine glass and pom-poms - Virgil had to look the emoji up,

A short on the glass resting on her leg, overfilled and dribbling down the side.

“Messy.” Virgil sends, ignoring how how his cock feels in his pants.

“Clean up crew.” Trent’s head is down licking across her thigh. His hand pushing her shirt, his shirt, up blocking the view between her legs.

Virgil doesn’t reply. Keeps waking up the phone to look at the picture. He wonders if there is a way to suggest videos. Wonders what Iris was wearing under the shirt.

[corporatefallout]

My ideas so far on who the managers are in the AU!! (Notes left on some btw)

[OUTDATED]

Prester Virgil

Long time Minutemen soldier. Paranoid, aggressive, self centered, and stubborn. He's generally both a helpful hand and also terrifying at times.

Brian

An Institute scientist in the Robotics division. Egotistical and heavily book smart which has him acting on statistical means than emotional. But not street smart in the slightest. One step into the wasteland and he's probably dead in a week.

Misty Monsoon

A loner that lives on the island of Far Harbor. Besides the wild life, Mary is her only friend around here. Since most had either died or succumbed to the fog. She's somewhat in hiding too...

Mary Anna

Exploring the island, Mary studies the biology that was made from the environment and radiation. With the help of Misty as well. She's not one to head into violence and would rather act more emotionally or thoughtfully.

Cosmo Kuiper

One of the dangerous gangs and richest you never want to mess with. Having people running for their lives or for their caps. Most of their money comes from Chem sales, mercenary assistance, and of course... loans.

Holly Graylle

A knight of the Brotherhood of Steel! (Cause she's a...) Stationed in the Capital Wasteland. Within the groups sent out for missions, she is the one to be leading and directing. No one is doing anything without her word and say.

Chip Revvington and Spruce Campbell

(I'm having troubles with them, slightly. Help)

A duo mercenary team who works on their own terms. If the caps pay well and if they're up to the task, they'll do it. Morality ranges really, since sometimes old habits die hard. Close as brothers and will defend each other.

Tawney C. Esta

(Saw the perk "Sandman" and got the idea...)

The sandman of the wasteland. Assassinations in the night and it's only done if the money is right. The kills done aren't aligned by good or bad only, it's just business. Asleep in the day and awake in the night.

Belle Dama

(I'll be honest, the term "long distance relationships" got me thinking sniper rifles and she is a phone... so-)

A professional in the Regulators! Working by the uses of a trusty sniper rifle. Despite how... uhhh, dangerous she may sound, she's quite the opposite. Looking after the younger ones and caring towards others. Staying firm on her morals of course.

Benjamin Biggs

A medic in the wasteland and looking for hire. Certainly good at his work and well experienced than most doctors you'll meet out here! Although he enjoys the latest talk going around when stopping in town of course.

Buck Ruffler

The luckiest gambler you'll meet and has probably been kicked out of a lot of casinos by now. He's lucky to be alive. Honestly. Also high on jet-

Graham Ness Payser

The hotshot of the Strip in New Vegas! Bragging, unbearable, and his own number one fan. Picking up quite the fame and yearns for more excitement in his life. His aim is bad but he's a fast shooter!

Flint Bonpyre

A nervous explosives and incinerary expert who is also not afraid talk his mind. (Sometimes.)

Dave Brubot

The star of the stage! Able to charm his way into your heart. With his charisma, he could easily make his way anywhere and have the ability to persuade. (I'm kinda having trouble with him, help)

Cathal

Okay I'll be honest, 100% inspired by the pictures of people's game having him show up everywhere. That's him now. No matter which bar or place you stop at, Cathal is there and knows what you did. No matter what. Like the Gman except not interfering with events. Just a joke character.

And that's it!! They will be edited and changed in the future, of course. So nothing here is permanent! Some characters I'm having trouble regarding what I want for them or on who/what they are. I accept ideas regarding them, yes yes.

Also- some of them definitely won't fw each other at all. On the lines if faction, beliefs, and morality. Or pre-established beef, lol.

[virgeandhis-pocket-protector]

Find the Word

The control f feature is an old flame of mine, so I've returned to finding words.

@late-to-the-fandom tagged me over at @pancakewithamace, but I'm reblogging with this blog since what i found was mostly Sanders Sides fic. Lol.

No pressure tagging: @glacierruler @i-will-physically-fight-you @lily-janus @transfemlogan @girlboypatton if y'all want, door's wide open! And anyone else who wants to do this. I will tag you in other stuff like this if you do though so be warned

Your pick! Share your last four lines, OR find the words sword, sky, smoke, and sin in your WIPs and post the excerpts (as long of an excerpt as you want btw). If... you dare.

If you can't find the words, find a synonym or pick your own!

I found the words desk, done, double, and dead in my WIPs.

Desk (From "Logan's Two Week Plan to Avoid Falling In Love")

Was this on purpose? Was Roman trying to make Logan suffer? Maybe this was part of his plan. Perhaps he'd find some way to prove that Logan missing and longing for Roman's affections this much meant he loved him. Wait. Logan blinked. Oh, good lord. Logan groaned, face palming, elbows resting on his desk. Well, shit.

Done (From "The Misfortunate Son" – not a SaSi fic)

“Of course, my sincere apologies,” Althorist said. A weight in Evian’s chest sunk downward as the devil’s tone deepened. “You need him. To speak with him, again.” “Where did you find that idea,” Evian muttered, ignoring the watery fog on the edges of his vision. It shouldn’t have hurt that much to talk about himself. He's done it all the time. “I want nothing to do with Icarus anymore. He’s ruined it.” Evian was lying through his teeth.

Double (From "I Hate Clichés")

Finally, a reply back from Logan: Really, the Hilton? That’s only a few miles away from my Double Tree. Virgil scoffed. Of course, Logan saved up in time for a better hotel. Virgil sent back: Small world, big city, huh? “Virgil, darling, where would you like me to hang your suit…?” Virgil’s boyfriend Janus stood off near the hotel’s couch. His voice was a song, sweet but impatient, and he waved Virgil’s purple tux around by the hanger on his finger.

Dead (From "Kingdoms for a Mind")

Logan glances off and skirts around Janus’s stare, buying him time to wipe away his tears. The prince was staring directly at him: no side-eye, no downturn of the nose, but direct. It was unnerving and unlike him. Janus sniffs by way of a conversation starter, and Logan looks over to him. His direct stare has not changed or faltered. Yet now, there is a strange shine to it. “Do you like him?” Janus asks lowly, almost breathlessly. His eyebrows make lines between themselves. Logan last remembered Janus use that tone when they had found Remus, half-dead in his prison cell – Will he be alright? — afraid and unsure. Or perhaps that’s just how just Logan feels right now.

[chubsonthemoon]

Coda: On Dante’s Inferno, Hozier’s Psychopomp (Abstract), and Jayvik

Okay!!! So at the beginning of the month I was listening to Hozier’s Psychopomp (Abstract) late at night, as I am wont to do. Unreal Unearth is one of my favorite albums ever, with some of my favorite songs ever, so I’ve listened to it many times. HOWEVER, as one often does with art they love, I discovered something new. When I got to the bridge of Abstract (Psychopomp), I heard a specific line that went through me like a fucking bullet. I immediately thought wait a fucking second, rewound the track, and re-listened to it with my jayvik goggles on.

Plagued by these visions, I then proceeded to feverishly construct an AMV entirely in my mind as I lay there, facing my shadowed ceiling, feeling like I was receiving divine revelation. I’m talking—exact shots, beat for beat transitions, word for word scene associations. I woke up the next morning, downloaded Davinci Resolve, and over the course of a few sleepless nights, painstakingly transferred my Visions to video. Now, even after posting, I STILL have thoughts. Many of them actually came after I’d watched the thing on YouTube, pretending it was something I was seeing for the first time instead of something I’d stared at so long I got eyestrain.

So here we are. Welcome to the kind of essay I wished I could've written in college, complete with swearing and emojis and links to Reddit posts. Buckle up; I have no idea if this is going to cohere, but by God am I going to try (I still feel like I’m possessed, btw.)

(CW: animal death; discussions of death, depression, and suicidal ideation; brief mention of torture)

(also on ao3!)

Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy, and Hozier’s 2023 album Unreal Unearth

I wanna preface this by saying I am by no means a Dante scholar—I just read the Divine Comedy in undergrad and thought, generally, that it was neat and cool and I wrote a few essays on it and then moved on. HOWEVER. When Hozier released his Inferno concept album Unreal Unearth in 2023, good golly was I glad to have actually read it, because then I could understand. I had nerd street cred! I too could say, with full confidence, that I understood what Mr. Hozier meant when he sung about love and loss feeling like undergoing a soul-transforming journey through hell itself. Me too, Andrew, me too. (Jokes aside though, the album really is amazing—it deals not only with love, but loss, genocide, cycles of abuse, isolation, death, and other such topics. I highly recommend it, and even though I’m using this one specific song to talk about my blorbos, the album, and Hozier’s entire body of work, encompasses much, much more than what I’m going to touch on here, and more than what I think the common conception of his music is, i.e. sad bog man singing about love).

Very very basic premise: the Divine Comedy is, as it is often joked around here (tumblr, popular acafan quotes), Dante’s self-insert epic poem, wherein he takes a grand tour of the Christian afterlife: Inferno, Purgatory, and Paradise. Inferno always was and continues to be my favorite, mostly because Dante will specifically take the time to put mfs he hates in specific circles of hell, and also because I think the punishments he comes up with for each of the nine circles and their corresponding sins are super interesting and morbid. What I’m going focus on here is his relationship with Virgil (guy who wrote the Aeneid), who acts as his guide through Hell and Purgatory (ik Beatrice comes up later, but for the purposes of this meta we’re just gonna focus on Virgil’s role), and specifically the eighth circle, also called Malebolge. This circle punishes the fraudulent and is divided into ten…pockets? That’s what my translation calls them, anyway. (For reference for anyone interested: all quotes I pull are from Anthony Esolen’s translation!) Each of these pockets punishes a specific kind of fraud (I honestly did not know there were so many until I read Inferno, haha).

Abstract (Psychopomp) (from here on out I will just call the track A/P) is listed as correlating with the second half of these pockets, which, in order, punish: 5) bribe takers 6) hypocrites 7) thieves 8) evil counselors (fun fact: Odysseus is here!) 9) schismatics (sowers of discord) and 10) falsifiers. I honestly think that A/P is more of a loose interpretation of the theme of fraud in the eighth circle than anything super granular down to the pocket level (Anything But, the song that precedes it, is basically one big “fuck off/fuck you.” BIG divorce energy), but I still think it’s interesting to think about in this context (also, from an Arcane perspective, “bribe takers/hypocrites/thieves/evil counselors/falsifiers” is a very funny set of words that I think many Zaunites might use to describe the Piltovian leadership, lol.) Notably, I think each subsequent pocket punishes a “worse” kind of fraud than the pocket before, and it’s interesting that A/P is set in the second half with the naughtier frauds (or roughly, I’m assuming—again, I don’t think every song is really a one-to-one comparison, but more in the spirit of what that circle is about/punishes).

With that very shoddy background (you can read the Divine Comedy for free on Project Gutenberg, here), here are the actual lyrics for the song, because I can’t talk about the rest of this without you, dear reader, having read them, heh:

Sometimes it returns like rain that you slept through That washed off the world, the streets looking brand new I will not be great, but I'm grateful to get through The feeling came late, I'm still glad I met you The memory hurts, but does me no harm Your hand in my pocket to keep us both warm The poor thing in the road, its eye still glistening The cold wet of your nose, the earth from a distance See how it shines See how it shines See how it shines See how it shines Sometimes there's a thought, like you choose what you're doing But it comes to naught when I look back through it I remember the view, streetlights in the dark blue The moment I knew I'd no choice but to love you The speed that you moved, the screech of the cars The creature still moving, that slowed in your arms The fear in its eyes, gone out in an instant Your tear caught the light, the earth from a distance See how it shines See how it shines See how it shines See how it shines Darling, there's a part of me I'm afraid will always be Trapped within an abstract from a moment of my life The weeds up through the concrete The traffic picking up speed All my love and terror balanced there between those eyes See how it shines See how it shines

(I find that Hozier’s lyrics are more than strong enough to stand on their own as poems, so I often like to read them without the music. For extra psychic damage, I also really recommend listening to the song while reading along. You can find a recording here!)

Very literally speaking, the song is about the narrator and his lover/loved one getting out of a car to watch an animal die on the side of the road. Whether the narrator/lover were the ones who hit the animal is left ambiguous. Hozier’s gone on record saying that the events of the song are actually based on a handful of memories, one of which is indeed a memory of him as a child watching an animal getting hit by a car. Truly, no one is doing it like him.

There are a few interpretations of this song and about its placement in the eighth circle of hell. Here’s a link to a Reddit thread with some I really like. Of these, one of my favorites is the one of the ones OP mentions, here, which posits that the song says that the fraud being committed is our own existence; our fleeting lives tied inextricably (inextricably bound, anyone?) with the objective reality of our deaths. Before I dive into what this interpretation means for my purposes, though—the reason I love this song, and why it continues to be one of my favorites, both on this album and out of Hozier’s entire discography, really, is because it’s a song with a strong narrative arc. The song is a reflection; the narrator is looking back on an experience, recounting it (Sometimes it returns and The memory hurts/but does me no harm). This is also why I felt like Mr. Hozier, and by extension Dante himself, were reaching directly into my soul that night, because the song maps perfectly onto another narrative that I absolutely love, that of Jayce and Viktor’s. More on that later.

Back to fraud, though: I think the great lie of our lives can be most easily seen just in the moment before death. That’s what See how it shines and Your tear caught the light, the earth from a distance mean to me—it’s an old adage that your life flashes before your eyes right before you’re going to die, but I think this song takes that literally. The flash, the shine, the glimmer of life in this animal’s eyes fading away—all my love and terror balanced there between those eyes. Faced with death like this, high above (the earth from a distance) the curtain is, even for the briefest of moments, ripped away. It’s only here that the great lie is revealed, to the narrator, to us—we are, all of us, going to die, just like this. The brilliance of your whole life against the oblivion of death; we’ve all had that moment a la The Good Place, where Michael contemplates not existing for more than a second and immediately has a mental breakdown. All of this, this revelation, this existential dread, conveyed back to the narrator in a memory, an abstract. An abstract, as in: something intangible, something metaphorical, something standing in for something else, the ‘something else’ being a thing we can’t bear to think about for too long, otherwise how would we go through life? How do you wake up every day with the full knowledge you’re going to die? You, briefly, forget. You lie to yourself. An abstract, as in: a summary at the beginning of an academic paper, telling you the highlights, the key points, the ending. An abstract as in: containing everything we will ever know, but not everything that is, has been, or will be. A brief stand-in for the truth. The truth being, again: We are all going to die. (Fun!)

(I want to add a disclaimer that this is not an argument that everything we do is futile. Rather, I think the song explores that uncomfortable emotional space everyone inevitably finds themselves in at some point in their lives; the confrontation of our own mortality, the near-hilarity of it. I’m very much in the camp of “nothing matters! so you must make it matter yourself.” It’s the move from “we are all going to die.” to “we’re all gonna die 🤠”)

Another thing, related not so much to fraud but to the parenthetical of the song: Psychopomp. In Inferno, Virgil (and eventually Beatrice) are psychopomps for Dante, leading him to and through the afterlife. In A/P, the narrator and his lover are the psychopomps for the dead animal on the side of the road. They are the ones who witness this death; they’re the ones who escort it to its afterlife, in a way. If I ever meet Hozier and only got to ask him one question, it’d be: why did you put “Psychopomp” in parentheses? Did you feel like the abstract—the fleeting nature of that moment—was more important, and should come first? As someone who has witnessed death, perhaps even felt like a psychopomp yourself, did you yourself feel like a parenthetical beside the vast, endless face of oblivion? I would also ask him what kind of conditioner he uses for his hair, and if he’d ever consider cosplaying as Viktor, but I realize that’s more than one question, so perhaps not.

Anyway. That was a lot. What the hell does all of this have to do with Jayvik?

WHAT THE HELL IT HAS TO DO WITH JAYVIK

So, Jayce is the psychopomp. Viktor is the dying creature. Here’s my proof. Written out: Jayce watches Viktor die. The speed that you moved (Jayce running down the hall). The screech of the cars (Jinx’s bomb). The creature still moving (Viktor on the lab table). That slowed in your arms (Jayce’s arms wrenching the Hexcore towards him vs. his arms holding the hammer that will kill Viktor). The fear in its eyes (Viktor looking at him. Asking why?). Gone out in an instant (HE DED). Your tear caught the light (Jayce crying.) The earth from a distance (there were a few contenders for this one, but I eventually went with the establishing shot the camera jumps to right after Jayce shoots him). And so on and so forth. Easy, right?

BUT. And this was my revelation that night: Viktor is actually the psychopomp, too. Actually, I’d argue Viktor is the original psychopomp, Arcane’s first and final. One, because he literally watches the entire world die—multiple worlds, even, as is implied in his in all timelines, in all possibilities spiel. He also, when he’s in the commune, literally gains the power to see people’s entire lives with a single touch—their whole past, absorbed into him, passing through him (The memory hurts, but does me no harm). He’s also the psychopomp because TWO, when he saves baby Jayce, he literally leads him from death into another dimension. But, crucially—and this is where we diverge a bit from the original meaning of the song—Viktor also saves Jayce’s life. For the time being. Once again, the great lie is at work, here: Jayce was always going to die. That feels like a bit of a cop-out to say, since everyone in Arcane is presumably mortal, or at least capable of dying (well, except for Yordles I guess, but I think within the Arcane universe at least, the average non-augmented human being has a fixed lifespan and grows old etc. etc.). So I can prove that Jayce is special here, in my Viktor-as-psychopomp interpretation; that Viktor was lying to himself, that he was just prolonging the inevitable, that he saw the entirety of Jayce's life spread out before him, past, present future, and that Jayce is also the dying-soon-to-be-dead animal on the side of the road—I mean, c’mon:

What if the psychopomp didn’t want you to die? What if they weren’t just a passive observer to your death—what if they said, No. What if they told themselves the worst, most egregious lie of all—that they could save you? What if they did terrible things in the name of that lie? What if they destroyed entire worlds just to prove that they could? What circle of hell would befit them, then?

So maybe they’re both the psychopomp and the dying animal. Maybe they’re both sinners. But I think there’s actually one true psychopomp; one true narrator looking down at the earth from a distance, recalling the streetlights in the dark blue, remembering the moment knew he had no choice but to love the person he loves. Which leads me to my second divine revelation, the one that hit me when I listened to the bridge that fateful night:

Abstract (Psychopomp) is a song about Mage!Viktor, specifically.

Here are the lines that went through me like a fucking bullet:

Darling, there's a part of me I'm afraid will always be Trapped within an abstract from a moment of my life

Psychopomp Mage!Viktor trapped within an abstract (Abstract) from a moment of his life. Over and over again, that moment. Over and over again—baby Jayce, the blizzard, the field. Over and over and over again, handing him a rune, hoping one day Jayce will give it back and save them all. The memory hurts but does me no harm—buddy, what if the memory did hurt and did do you harm? What if it hurt because you kept literally returning to it? What if it was your own fault it hurt? What if you kept trying anyway? What if you lived the same moment over and over again in the hope that this time, this iteration, this timeline, things would end differently?

We arrive, once more, to the time loop. Ah, yes, I have written about her before, in my interactive time loop fic! But consider: the time loop as a coping mechanism; the lie Viktor tells himself. His sin of fraud; he’s selling something he doesn’t have to get something he wants. He can save him. He will save him. There is no other way this story will end. He won’t allow it. He’s played God before and he’ll do it again. (I wrote another fic about this here). Tragedy enjoyers rise; you know the drill. Which brings me to:

Sometimes there's a thought, like you choose what you're doing But it comes to naught when I look back through it I remember the view, streetlights in the dark blue The moment I knew I'd no choice but to love you

“There is always a choice” vs. “choice is false.” Viktor says both at different points in the series/his transformation. So which is true? Well: Arcane starts with Jayce’s encounter with the mage which instills in him a lifelong love for magic. He meets Viktor. Together, they invent Hextech. It goes wrong. Viktor gets necromanced and leaves; Jayce gets yeeted to Mage!Viktor’s timeline and spends a few months eating lizards. Jayce sees the future. Jayce learns Viktor was the mage. Mage!Viktor knows Jayce is the only one who can stop himself, so he sends him back to finish the job. Does Jayce succeed? Depends. I personally subscribe to the interpretation (or at least a version of it) that all the Jayces that fan out while he’s shooting Viktor in the chest are “failed” timelines where he either didn’t take the shot or missed, thus dooming the world and himself to an unlife of Glorious Evolution, etc. etc. Presumably while all of this is happening, Mage!Viktor is still fiddling with the timelines, testing which rune combinations might fix everything. Every time, Jayce falls in love with magic. Every time, Viktor gets his Arcane powers because Jayce does necromancy on him, which Jayce is only able to do because they invented Hextech, which they’re only able to do because Jayce believed he could recreate magic, which he only believed because Viktor also saved Jayce’s life when he was a kid, which Viktor is only able to do because he has Arcane powers, which he only has because Jayce did necromancy on him. The circle is complete. In other words, Jayce falls in love with magic because of Viktor, who fell in love with Jayce because of their shared dream for magic, and it’s their love for each other/magic (I’d argue that by the end they’re the same thing anyway*) that both destroys and/or saves the world, depending on where you’re standing in the loop. Rinse and repeat. Doomed yaoi. You know the drill. (A lot of this is informed by this fantastic meta by @fuckyeahisawthat; genuinely one of my favorite Viktor interpretations ever, and much more coherently written than this!)

(*There’s another meta here about jayvik potentially being the ideal Platonic Good of friendship according to Aristotle, true friends of virtue in that they are both in shared pursuit of the Good, but this is already getting long enough as it is, so! Maybe another time. Also lowkey I think they work better as toxic codependent “I’m doing this for you, not the good of the world,” rather than the more idealistic kind of friendship Aristotle writes about in Nicomachean Ethics, but anyway.)

So that’s the loop. Choice or not-choice; which is true? Maybe both at once, honestly. But on another level, I think the paradox of choice speaks to something very real that many of us experience at some point in our lives (esp if you’ve suffered from depression and/or suicidal ideation the way I think both Jayce and Viktor do at different parts of the story). I think when you get stuck in a loop like that—both a literal time loop and also a loop of destructive, self-immolating thinking, the line between choice and not-choice does feel blurred. Sometimes it does feel like you don’t have a choice—that you have to do this, that you have to be here, that you deserve this. Because the alternative is unimaginable. Call it what you will—fate, destiny (a horse) (the final, glorious evolution?)—but the question of choice and not-choice is one of the oldest questions we’ve ever asked. “There is always a choice” / “Choice is false” – I ask again; which is the truth? I confess I’m a bit biased towards the choice end of the spectrum; I think people are sometimes just offered only bad choices. I think Viktor and Jayce make a lot of bad choices, yes. I think there were also simply no good ones to make in the moment. But still, they chose to make them, and still, they have to live with the consequences.

Still, when you mess so badly with reality that you and your partner’s timelines start to look less like two separate lines intersecting and more like an ouroboros, I think you earn the right to be able to have two conflicting things be true at once. I think you get to commit a little fraud, as a treat.

This is also why I chose the quote from Canto 20 as the opening quote for my lil movie! I’ve copy/pasted it here:

Here pity lives the best when it is dead.           Who is more wicked than the man who lons           To make God’s judgment yield to human force?                                                                    (20.28-30)

Right before this, Dante is basically looking around at all the poor bastards in this particular pocket and crying his eyes out, because holy shit. This pocket’s punishment really sucks, even by hell’s standards—the sinners have their heads twisted on backwards and are crying tears down their back and into their asses. It’s. Rough. This is not the first time Dante cries about how much everyone is suffering, either. And every time before this, and now here again, Virgil says: Hey. None of that now. These people deserve to be here, because they tried to play God. They thought they knew better.

Which is grim! However. I don’t think this necessarily means jayvik deserve to be punished for being insane and codependent and doing nonconsensual necromancy/timeline-altering theatrics on each other, etc. I think we should cry for them. I think it’s natural and right to feel empathy for their situations. But what really gets me about this quote is that it’s a reminder that, even though Hell sucks absolutely donkey balls for everyone getting punished—the lesson that Virgil is trying to teach Dante is that Hell, too, is fundamentally good. It’s literally written on the front door (right before the line everyone knows, ABANDON ALL HOPE YE WHO ENTER HERE):

JUSTICE CAUSED MY HIGH ARCHITECT TO MOVE: DIVINE OMNIPOTENCE CREATED ME, THE HIGHEST WISDOM, AND THE PRIMAL LOVE.                                                           (3.4-6)

Dante, through Virgil, is saying: Hell is a place created out of love. YMMV on the real-world implications this line has had on…well, a lot of human history, but for the purposes of this analysis, I think it’s fitting to view hell this way—perhaps the time loop is Mage!Viktor’s own personal hell. Hell is a place that never changes. It’s stagnant, it’s eternal, everyone is suffering all the time, and its their own fault. Even so, despite everything, Hell was still created out of divine love. Viktor is in hell, a hell he helped create, because he is a man in love. Hozier says: what if falling in love felt like ascending through hell? What if you cried, feeling the weight of it? What if falling in love wasn’t a choice at all? Dante says: You shouldn’t cry. They did this to themselves. They made their choice.

And maybe jayvik do deserve to die; I’m not really interested in that line of questioning, though. I’m interested in why still we cry, for them, for us—I mean, how could we not? I think we cry because Jayce and Viktor’s ending is, ultimately, a release. That’s why those final few scenes are so satisfying, from both a narrative and an emotional perspective—in those last moments, they finally escape the loop. They leave hell; they ascend. They break free from their abstracts, from their ever-looping series of moments that constitute the lives they’ve both tried to lead, and the lives of one another that they’ve directly, literally pulled from the brink of death, several times, both verbally and physically, and in various moral shadings. The truth is revealed, the lie stripped away; their eyes opened. A dazzling brightness consumes them. They both finally face the truth of it, the light of their lives being—always having been—the love they carry for one another, together (Together!).

And it’s brilliant; it’s blinding; it’s divine. You can still see it, even now, glistening; something tear-shaped, a tear, catching the light. See how it shines.

JAYVIK AMV || ABSTRACT (PSYCHOPOMP) EIGHTH CIRCLE OF HELL - MALEBOLGE, OR FRAUD on ao3 | on YouTube | lyrics

[mrsleonkennedy]

Disclaimer: All info posted here comes from their respective creator itself so yes, its legit and not just part of my imagination 💯

Interview Rules:

The interviewer can only ask 10 questions.

The interviewer cannot force an answer out of anyone.

The participant has the right not to elaborate their answer.

CW: Long post ahead / Interviewer being a Ketamine simp / Gavin's surprise cameo

Interviewer: Hi Guys! I hope you're doing well today. Thank you for participating on this social experi- *coughs* interview. Btw, you can call me CC, I'm your interrogator today sent by your beloved MC, so please cooperate :) Are we ready? Lets start:

Question No 1: Aside for being a yandere, whats your dream job/profession?

❤️ Casanova: I wanted to be a chef for the longest time, but i’m happy with my job as an organ harvester!

🕊️ Krow: I-I actually like m-my job as a f-forensics cleaner but... I-I'd love to b-be a stay at home s-spouse a-and just do a-art.

🔪 Ezra: I actually really enjoy my current job. I've had it for going on... 7 years now? Almost 8. (Interviewer: Can we ask what your job is? No? Okay. *thumbs up* bish i value my life more)

🔥 Harper: Hmm, if I had to pick any kind of job, maybe a pyrotechnic?

💐 Keith: To become a plant biologist.

🎮 Tenebris: Be a musician.

🖥️ Virgil: My dream profession is to be Game Developer, I enjoy video games and I have always wanted to make a game for others to enjoy, and so that’s why I’m taking classes of game development.

🎤 Adam: I already have my dream job. Although, I did often think about becoming a vet as a kid. Sometimes I wonder how life would've turned out had I pursued that career instead of singing.

🐕 Henry: I’m not sure! I’ll probably do whatever Buttercup ends up doing!

Interviewer: Atleast some of you love their job *sigh* Me? I just want to be a cat, no work, just meow meow *defeated sigh* Back to the topic at hand:

Question No 2: If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be? (Vacation or permanently)

❤️ Casanova: Barcelona, that’s where i was born and it’s really pretty there

🕊️ Krow: Ah! I-India! I-I'm Indian but... I-I actually don't know m-much about my heritage. I... w-wanna go s-see the land of m-my culture. W-with Dove too o-of course!

🔪 Ezra: Hmm... Anywhere with my Sugarsnap? If that's not too cheesy I suppose. But outside of that I'd like to visit Blaire's extended family in Vietnam.

🔥 Harper: I’m definitely more a big city kind of guy, so I’m pretty happy living where I am… To visit though? Hmm… Somewhere with some snowy mountains maybe, do some snowboarding, chill by a fire with some hot cocoa? Yeah, that sounds nice..

💐 Keith: It will be Kristenbosh National Botanical Garden.

🎮 Tenebris: My old home probably.

🖥️ Virgil: I’ve always wanted to go Iceland for vacation

🎤 Adam: As long as I'm by your (MC) side, it doesn't matter where I'm at~

🐕 Henry: Anywhere where Buttercup is good with me! But if we could both go somewhere, Disneyland might be fun!

Interviewer: So if MC just dissapear out of nowhere, thats the list of places where we can found them? Hmm ..

Question No 3: Song that you will sing to MC if given a chance.

❤️ Casanova: baby - eslabon armado

🕊️ Krow: Uhhh... uhhh... I-I guess... T-Together Forever would be c-cute...

🔪 Ezra: A few different songs, most notably... We'll never have sex by Leith Ross, Let you break my heart again by Laufey & Philharmonia or Habits by Genevieve Stokes. I just want sugar to know I want them for more than... anything. I love their heart and soul, it's not physical for me. Though I do find them incredibly attractive.

🔥 Harper: Actually sing myself?... Umm.. Maybe either Day 1 or No Song Without You, both by Honne?

💐 Keith: Can't Help Falling in Love

🎮 Tenebris: Trust by 7 Seconds

🖥️ Virgil: Rises the Moon, it’s a comfort song of mine, my mum sings this to me and my younger siblings when we were little, by then whenever my mother is busy, I sing the song to my siblings. And Hopefully, I can sing it to my beloved, as a way to help them if they need comfort.

🎤 Adam: *fidgeting because he's written one song in particular that he'd love for MC to hear but is worried that MC will wind up hating it*

🐕 Henry: The Promise by When in Rome! It’s our song!

Interviewer: *secretly adding all the songs to their playlist*

Question No 4: Name one food that you will never ever eat.

❤️ Casanova: Mac and cheese, i fucking hate mac and cheese.

🕊️ Krow: I-I'm never... eating b-bland... white people c-cooking EVER a-again.

🔪 Ezra: Beans on toast. I just don't particularly like beans. Or sweet potatoes.

🔥 Harper: Ugh… Raisins

💐 Keith: Rabbit meat.

🎮 Tenebris: Anything with bugs.

🖥️ Virgil: Anything fish related, I do not like fish, but if someone ever served me, I would just suck it up and eat.

🎤 Adam: *doing 5 stages of disgusted face known to humankind* Anything from Saffrons freezer. (Interviewer: Time to raid Saffron's freezer hehehe)

🐕 Henry: I can’t bring myself to eat cauliflower. It's so bland!

Interviewer: *proceed to eat Mac & Cheese to spite Nova* I dont trust people who hates Mac & Cheese.

Question No 5: This would be a little bit of personal, so you have a choice not to answer this okay? Whats your most treasured possession?

❤️ Casanova: Mi vida’s house key, of course! it’s a little mangled bc i keep chewing on it though.

🕊️ Krow: Oh... w-well... t-this pendant is... p-precious but... well... I-I actually don't have m-many possessions. S-so... everything I have has m-meaning. (Interviewer: I can be your possession Krow)

🔪 Ezra: Eliana gave me a tie she made back in elementary school. Neither of our dads are in the picture so she gave it to me instead. I still wear it to work sometimes. (Interviewer: *starts crying bc this answer is so precious*)

🔥 Harper: This lighter here, we have a bit of history together~

💐 Keith: A bonsai tree I got from my father and I had for 7 years.

🎮 Tenebris: My guitar.

🖥️ Virgil: My necklace, it’s a gift from my dad.

🎤 Adam: You (MC). But if we're talking about an item...*he tugs on his earring*

🐕 Henry: A picture / polaroid of me + Buttercup as kids! (though, I do have more updated ones too…)

Interviewer: I am suprised no one answered MC's nose hair or whatever. Hmm.. Im not fully convinced but I will trust you on this one.

Question No 6: Nosy ask, whats your phone wallpaper right now?

❤️ Casanova: a photo of mi vida in the middle of taking their meds!

🕊️ Krow: D-Dove let us t-take a selfie! I-it's so cute aaaa--

🔪 Ezra: I managed to snap a photo of Sugar and Ellie cuddled up on the couch after a movie night once. I've never before felt so much love swelling in my chest. It almost hurt.

🔥 Harper: *proudly present his phone* 1st is my lockscreen and 2nd is my Homescreen. I took it myself..

💐 Keith: A pair of white lilies (Why is this the most normal answer on this whole interview?)

🎮 Tenebris: We share the same phone, so a pair of white lillies also.

🖥️ Virgil: Pixel art of my beloved Galaxy and my puppy Scott, aren’t they so cute in pixel form? (Interviewer: Scotty baby *coos at the phone* )

🎤 Adam: My home screen is of YOU (MC). My lock screen is of a stray kitten I found on my way to the studio that Ethans younger brother ended up taking in. (Interviewer: Do you have any other pics of the kitten? *cat lady vibes intensifies*)

🐕 Henry: A picture of Buttercup sleeping! How’d I get it? (Note: Its in a modern Au bc mobile phone with camera is not yet invented on Henry's time)

Interviewer: MC supremacy yass! If only some surgeon named Ketamine Yetrovzski use my photo as his wallpaper *coughs* (Ketamine shouting "NO" can be heard in the background but still here supporting the interviewer, this fuckin tsundere)

Question No 7: If you could appear in any popular movie/anime/book, which one would you choose?

❤️ Casanova: hmm, i would say the hp lovecraft series! hate the guy but i’m a major monster fucker

🕊️ Krow: Umm... I... I-I wanna be in a Jane A-Austen book. As a p-protagonist. N-no matter what... t-they marry happily in t-the end.

🔪 Ezra: Well... I guess... I'm not sure. I've never really thought about it. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. I can't imagine my life without Eliana and I don't want to be anywhere without my sugarcube.

🔥 Harper: Ah.. thats a hard one.. If I get powers n shit and I’m not just a normal person maybe Jujutsu Kaisen?... Tbh I play more games than I do watch or read anything haha..

💐 Keith: Sherlock Holmes, because solving murder cases looks like fun. So does creating the perfect murder. *a sudden smoke appear near Keith for dramatic effect*

🎮 Tenebris: Inuyasha. I really want a Kagome. (Interviewer putting their Kagome costume)

🖥️ Virgil: Hmmmm that’s a tough one… Haha I couldn’t think of anything right now.

🎤 Adam: Death note, the anime. I think I could do a lot better with that notebook than light Yagami did. (Hermit, the creator, rolls their eyes behind the scenes and Adam glaring daggers to Hermit)

🐕 Henry: The Princess Bride! That movie is practically about me + Buttercup.

Interviewer: Im with Harper on this one. JJK so I cant prevent Nanami and Nobara Shibuya Arc huhuhu.

Question No 8 : What are some habits you have? Any strange ones?

❤️ Casanova: I tend to scratch at my braces when i’m trying to focus, often i’d end up chewing on my fingers.

🕊️ Krow: Uhh.... I... bite my h-hands... a lot. It's... a comfort t-thing. S-sometimes my forearms too. I-I guess I also make the same expression a-as to what I'm d-drawing.

🔪 Ezra: When eating food like burgers or sandwiches I eat around the edge and then eat the center last. Um... I also tend to rub things with my fingertips when I don't know what to do with my hands. I'm almost always touching my nails absent-mindedly.

🔥 Harper: I have a habit of scratching my fingertips, especially when I’m nervous… Its kinda a bad habit, sometimes I scratch em a little raw.

💐 Keith: Buttoning and unbuttoning my shirt sleeve when Im bored or nervous.

🎮 Tenebris: Leaving my things all over the bed

🖥️ Virgil: Hmmmm, whenever I play a video game that has levels right? And I messed up one thing, I restart the level. Don’t know why, I just like to go through the levels smoothly. It’s pretty frustrating if you ask me ahaha

🎤 Adam: I don't have any strange habits. I'm just a normal guy. (Someone shouts LIAR and its not Hermit, i swear. Or maybe?)

🐕 Henry: Hmmm…I have really bad sleeping habits if I’m being honest! I’m lucky if I can get 3 hours of sleep at night. As for strange ones, nope, I’m perfectly normal! (now the interviewer is also shouting LIAR)

Interviewer: That was the biggest lie Ive ever heard in my entire life Henry. *headache incoming* No one is normal here. Im not even normal smh.

Question No 9: This question was submitted by Gavin Hyeon of Camp Willlow Peak. Its time to test your flirting skill, give me one pick up line that you will probably use when flirting with MC. Gavin said he is watching you right now.

❤️ Casanova: if you were a heart i’d eat you out!

🕊️ Krow: N-no wonder i-it's overcast t-today. All t-the colors are in y-your eyes.

🔪 Ezra: Sometimes I wonder what good deed I did to deserve such a perfect soul like you to enter my life.

🔥 Harper: Pickup lines really aren’t my thing… Gavin did write down this one for me once though… Lets see it’s here somewhere…” *digs through his pockets and pulls out a piece of scrap paper* “Here it is… ‘Hey baby… You got any Italian in you?.. No?... Do you want some?’ …… I don’t get it 😐 *Gavin cheering in the background*

💐 Keith: Im really not a fan of pickup lines, but okay, "You're sweet enough to give me diabetes".

🎮 Tenebris: Tie your shoelaces, I don't want you falling for someone else!" (Legend says that until now, Tenebris is still waiting for MC to wear shoelaces and for them to be untied.)

🖥️ Virgil: Hmmm let me go grab my telescope, so I can admire the beautiful star.

🎤 Adam: *combusts into one giant human blush* (Hermit doing a voice over: He can only flirt on the fly. If he has to think his actions through he'll get self conscious and overheat from overthinking it)

🐕 Henry: If I could rearrange the alphabet, I’d put ‘U’ and ‘I’ together!

Interviewer: *currently helping Gavin to write his will of testament before he becomes Gavin Flavored Toasted Marshmallow, recipe by Harper*

Question No 10: This would be the last question, and I want to thank you again for giving me a chance to interview you. Before we end this, do you have anything you want to say to the people reading this?

❤️ Casanova: if you ever need fresh organs without having to do it yourself contact valentine’s anatomy distribution! we have a wide selection available, and if you’re a fellow yandere homie you get a discount!

🕊️ Krow: Uhh, well? I-I guess... t-thank you for... f-finding me interesting.

🔪 Ezra: Not particularly. I'm not sure why Lilith arranged the interview but I don't mind answering questions. I should probably head back into work soon though... Oh, I will say this. Thank you for coming into my life Sugar, I didn't think I could love someone like I love you.

🔥 Harper: .. Unshrimp your fucking backs, love you~

💐 Keith: Um, hello. I hope my answers weren't too boring.

🎮 Tenebris: No? I don't know 'em.

🖥️ Virgil: Hello everyone, I hope all of you have a wonderful day, afternoon, or night, make sure to take care of yourselves or else I will if you don’t mind hehe~

🎤 Adam: Is...YOU (MC) reading this? Because if you are, I hope to see you again really soon~

🐕 Henry: You guys are kinda weird for wanting an interview! I’m not quite sure what else to say though!

Interviewer: And that would be all. Thank you to our lovely guests for joining us today. And here is the bribe. List of all 2d characters MC currently simping for. Do what you want with that info.

Interviewer: Hi Hi guys! Again, CC here. Thank you again for entertaining this interview. To end this, may we ask for a few advices you can give for those aspiring artist out there or those who want to create their own vn.

NOVA belongs to @cannibalsweetheart : if you’re starting a project don’t feel unmotivated if you don’t get a lot of traction in the first few weeks, building a platform takes time, but soon enough you’ll gain an audience! (Demo link here)

Krow belongs to @thekrows-nest : While I don't have immediate plans for a VN (despite folks begging for it), for artist stuff, keep experimenting and trying out things. Don't be afraid to go to friends for advice. (:

Ezra belongs to @restartheartvn : lshdfksdfhj okay for my answer! My advice? Don't make something for other people. Make what YOU want to see. Make something that YOU are interested in. If you like... make something that you don't love and enjoy making people can tell. It doesn't come off as genuine and you'll burn out that way. Don't think about numbers or anything like that. Make stuff because it makes you happy. I make Restart Heart because I love my little passion project. I love it so much I get my nails done to match my game and spend most of the day thinking about it. I would still be making Restart Heart if no one played. Make something that you would want to make even if no one saw. Even if you were the only person in the world who loves it, make it because it brings you happiness. Sorry if that's cheesy or like super standard but it's genuine. (Demo link here)

Harper belongs to @campwillowpeak : Hmmm, other than the good ol’ practice practice practice?…Try and remember to have fun yeah? Don’t focus on numbers, yeah everyone wants more eyes on their work, thats normal, but if you focus only on how big you are you’re gonna burn out and get discouraged, stuff like that takes time, consistency, and a little bit of luck. In the meantime just have fun and make friends! Besides, people can tell if you’re trying to force it, an audience’ll more often stay if they can tell you’re legitimately having fun! And never just look at where you are now… Look at how far you’ve come from too!~

Keith & Tenebris belongs to @dualityvn : Make sure you set realistic goals for yourself. Taking on too many tasks and planning a project that is bigger than what you can currently manage can be your downfall. Stay positive and always create the things you yourself love! (Demo link here)

Virgil belongs to @wouldyoustayvn : Take your time! There’s no need to rush to make the game quickly! Make sure to take breaks!))

Adam belongs to @unknownhermit : Please get a good chair. It'll help in the long run when you're often crouched over your desk for hours on end. Don't be like me who hovers over my desk like a hermit crab shell.😅 Second thing is to just have fun creating and don't worry about what others think! I used to obsessively worry if my work was good enough and wound up never releasing it because I got self conscious. It wasn't until YOU and HIM that I actually had fun with what I was doing and I think that translated into my work. Create to create for yourself. Don't worry about what anyone else thinks because it's important to create what you love and are passionate about. And I'm sure a lot of us would love to see what sorts of things you'll come up with. 💙 (Demo link here)

Henry belongs to @homecomingvn : Ahh, I’m a really bad person to ask for advice if I’m being honest! I guess all I can really say is that no matter how silly you think your idea is, there will be an audience for it! It can be scary to put yourself out there, but honestly, this community is so incredibly supportive + I’ve met some amazing people here! Also, I’d recommend keeping various docs about your project! It’s nice to have it all in one (or 3 + a google slides in my case) place so you can have a clear idea about your wip + its characters. And lastly, be prepared for people to be horny! ^^ (okay, you dont have to call me out >…< will still send horny ask bc someone needs to 😙)

Just a little self indulgent ramblings. I dont know if anyone already know about this game, but one of my moots recommended this, its DONT LOOK VN and I tell you, its so good. The story premise, the creepy atmosphere and the voice acting are all on point. They have on going Kickstarter and they only have 8 days left to reach the goal. This is my way of helping since im unable to pledge bc the banks here in the country im currently residing are shitty and they keep declining, so please if you have means to support, please do. Lets help them to reach their goals.

Here is the link of the demo also and their socials:

Kickstarter | Demo | Twitter | Tumblr

DO IT FOR CHESTER!!