#this might also be a reflection of how I was introduced to the term by a white middle class programmer boy

[michanvalentine]

Why Astarion cannot and should not be described as depressed in his spawn ending.

Some time ago, I wrote a post about how much it annoys me to be accused of wanting to “fix” Astarion just because I prefer the vampire spawn ending over the ascended vampire one: HERE. On that occasion, I made a slip-up, because I wrote that it’s sociopathic to promote the idea that it’s somehow okay to have no morals and behave like a piece of shit.

Someone called me an asshole for using the term incorrectly, pointing out that sociopathy is a highly stigmatized mental illness and shouldn’t be casually associated with certain concepts that could amplify this stigma — especially since not all sociopaths are pieces of shit (as this person pointed out).

Now, putting aside their tone (because I still believe there’s a way to express your opinion without insulting anyone), I reflected on it and realized this user was right. So I apologized and edited the post.

I'm starting from here to introduce another similar concept, regarding a term I believe is often misused — one that falls under mental health disorders — when people talk about Astarion, especially his spawn version.

I'm talking about depression. Yes, it's often used lightly, as if it weren’t a real condition that many people suffer from, but merely a mood.

Astarion after the ritual is not depressed, folks. He’s exhausted, drained, shaken by what he’s lost and what he’s gained. He’s in shock, if you will—like anyone who has faced their abuser and their entire tragic past. No more, no less. I discussed it in more detail HERE as well.

But even if we wanted to stick with the interpretation of some AA supporters, saying he’s depressed just doesn’t hold up. He might be sad, unhappy even. But not depressed.

Depression, for crying out loud, is something else entirely. I find it a serious lack of respect toward those who suffer from this illness and have to deal with it every single day, maybe without even having the strength to get out of bed.

Let’s make a clear distinction, for heaven’s sake, between “narrative sadness” and actual clinical depression.

A temporary and understandable emotional response to a painful or meaningful event does not necessarily imply a mental disorder. A character can be sad, shaken, or distressed, and yet still:

retain motivation and the ability to plan;

be able to find comfort and meaning in relationships;

show the capacity to react, even if gradually;

experience difficult thoughts and behaviors that don’t become chronic or detached from reality.

So what is clinical depression, then? According to the DSM-5 (Major Depressive Episode), it’s a diagnosable mood disorder that includes at least 5 of the following symptoms, lasting for at least two weeks, and significantly impairing daily functioning:

Depressed mood most of the day, nearly every day.

Markedly diminished interest or pleasure in almost all activities.

Sleep disturbances (insomnia or hypersomnia).

Fatigue or loss of energy.

Feelings of worthlessness or excessive guilt.

Difficulty concentrating or making decisions.

Recurrent thoughts of death or suicide.

Significant changes in appetite or weight.

Using the term “depression” carelessly to describe a moment of vulnerability or emotional processing in a character is not only inaccurate, but it also risks trivializing a real and serious clinical condition that affects millions of people every day.

Let’s make a distinction. Out of respect for real people—and for narrative integrity.

After killing Cazador, Astarion cries—he’s drained, overwhelmed, but his reaction is consistent with the processing of trauma. Right afterward, he shows awareness: he talks to Tav/Durge, reflects on freedom, on his past, and seeks comfort and dialogue. He takes action: he visits his grave, but only to put an end to that chapter. He chooses not to stay there, but to start over from that very point. He chooses a different life—perhaps a difficult one, but one that is entirely his own. He may be sad, certainly shaken. But he is not paralyzed, nor devoid of desires or meaning. There are no signs of self-destruction, deep apathy, or chronic disconnection. On the contrary, in the ending—six months after the destruction of the Elder Brain—Astarion reappears with the title radiant hopeful. And unfortunately, a person who is truly depressed can hardly be associated with the word hopeful.

I'll say it for the umpteenth time: everyone has the right to their own opinion, and that's perfectly fine—this isn’t about correcting someone’s thoughts, but simply about form. Let’s use the right terms, as the user from the post I mentioned at the beginning pointed out—someone else might be hurt otherwise.

Also, I understand that for some players, Astarion may resonate with their experience of depression on a symbolic or metaphorical level. That’s valid too—stories often reflect different truths to different people. But from a clinical standpoint, especially in his radiant hopeful ending, what we see isn’t depression—it’s recovery.

[breadclipp]

Thinking about how the term “not safe for work” makes certain assumptions about the kind of jobs people who use the internet might be doing and how that could reflect certain assumptions about class, race, gender etc

[smokesandsonatas]

among the twst cast, who do you think will be the best in-laws? just asking out of curiosity, cuz i personally think that trappola fam will be chill, also i imagine them doting on their grandbabies, or like crying at your wedding day xd

- I go crazy when I receive asks like this, djsjhs. I included everyone and how I think their actions will be justified as to whether their families will be good or 'bad' in-laws.

Reader is termed as "wife" and as a normal human. -

Right off the bat, let’s start with Riddle. You and Riddle’s mother will never get along. She and her son have much to discuss anyway, and we know how Riddle even mentioned that the Queen of Hearts has a lovely relationship his parents could learn from. If Mrs. Rosehearts is strict with her own child, imagine how much more she’d be with you! She probably has a list of acceptable spouses for Riddle, so just imagine her shock when he brings you home—shock that quickly turns to rage when she realizes you’re magicless. She will be a horrible mother-in-law. Mr. Rosehearts, however, will most likely be courteous about your relationship with his son. In fact, I can see him helping you and Riddle move somewhere away from their house in the Queendom of Roses. He’ll probably attend your wedding, but Mrs. Rosehearts? Probably not. It will take a long time before Mrs. Rosehearts can accept you wholeheartedly, and when she does, tears will be shed.

The Diamond family is harder to gauge. Mr. and Mrs. Diamond would likely respect your relationship enough to make sure you’re comfortable. Cater’s sisters, on the other hand, might urge you to become their new doll—though not as extreme as they did with him. Overall, they will accept you as part of their family. And if Cater doesn’t want to attend family reunions, they’ll accept that, though they can’t help but feel a little hurt and neglected. Maybe they’ll even start to reflect on how they’ve treated their son.

The Clover family are lovely people! When Trey introduces you to his parents, they’ll erupt into cheers, baking you pastries and a personalized cake tailored to your tastes. They won’t care if you’re magicless; as long as you make their son happy, that’s all that matters. Mr. and Mrs. Clover will even offer you and Trey the chance to manage their bakery. It’ll be up to you both whether to accept. Overall, they’ll be great in-laws, and they might even make wonderful grandparents.

Deuce’s mom, Dylla, is such a girlboss! As a mother-in-law, she’ll be the cool type, letting you hang out with her at car races, driving trucks, or doing anything outdoorsy. She might even suggest that you, she, and Deuce get matching small tattoos. She’s very chill and will always welcome you with open arms. You’ll have no trouble getting along with Deuce’s mom—sometimes, Deuce even wonders if his mom loves you more than him.

Ace’s family will welcome you with open arms—and with a bunch of pranks! Mr. Trappola is a normal human, so he won’t hold your magicless status against you. Ace’s older brother, however, will endlessly tease him with some good old brotherly banter. Mr. and Mrs. Trappola will probably shed tears on your wedding day, making it a fun, sentimental, and most of all, enjoyable occasion.

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

The Kingscholars are royalty, so let’s be realistic: they’ll most likely not approve of Leona, their youngest son and second prince, marrying a normal human, especially a magicless one. They probably have plans to arrange a marriage with a fellow beastman from another noble or elite family, and your relationship could cause a scandal. But if Leona insists, then a wedding will happen. It will take a lot of convincing for the Kingscholars to accept you, especially since Mr. Kingscholar is ill. Falena will most likely be the first to accept you, either out of love for his brother or perhaps because he sees you as a key to fixing his strained relationship with Leona. Cheka, on the other hand, will love you! In fact, he might prefer your company over his lioness mother’s, though he won’t admit it.

Grandma Bucchi will shed tears of joy when Ruggie brings you home and introduces you as his lover. She’ll feel relieved that Ruggie has found someone who’ll take care of him—a lifelong companion, since she’s not as strong as she used to be. Prepare for a deep heart-to-heart with Grandma Bucchi, who will also show you pictures of baby Ruggie! She may even drop hints that she wants a grandchild from the two of you. Yes, she takes care of the other beast children in the neighborhood, but it wouldn’t hurt to give her a mini Ruggie.

The Howl family will accept you wholeheartedly. They believe that wolf beastmen like them have only one soulmate, and if Jack has found that in you, who are they to oppose? They’re not overly bearing, but they might occasionally ask whether you and Jack plan to have little Howl children. Jack’s siblings will adore you!

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

The Ashengrotto family will welcome you! Azul is their baby, so whoever Azul loves, it’s guaranteed that they’ll accept you too. It probably won’t matter if you’re a human or magicless. Azul has a way with words and will have nothing but praises for you in front of his family. Mrs. Ashengrotto might sulk a little if Azul chooses to live on land and start a family with you there rather than in the sea, but the compromise is that you’ll build a house near the seaside. Mr. Ashengrotto will likely insist on having both a sea and land wedding, though Azul probably planned on that anyway. They won’t be toxic as in-laws and will likely dote on you, but they’ll definitely want to take care of any little Ashengrotto babies you have. Sometimes, you might wonder if they’re a bit too attached to their grandchildren…

The Leech family will also welcome you. If you decide to marry one of the Leech sons—or both of them (polygamy isn’t unheard of in the sea; hey, different customs)—they’ll make sure you feel at ease. Mr. Leech, who reminds you so much of Floyd, might ask if you know self-defense. When you say no, he’ll laugh and assure you that his sons will protect you anyway. He finds it amusing that Floyd calls you Shrimpy, though there’s a certain air of intimidation when he speaks... Mrs. Leech, who reminds you of Jade, is beautiful and speaks just like her other son. She’ll ask you questions like, “My dear, how can you protect yourself when you are magicless?” with a smile on her face. At one party dedicated to your arrival into the Leech family, you saw firsthand how Mr. Leech made everyone sign...something. When you asked the twins about it, they dismissed your concerns and assured you not to worry. They’ll be cool in-laws, but they won’t disclose any personal business with you—only with their sons. No matter how much you ask about their family business, because you want to help, you’ll get nowhere (it's for your safety, they say). The Leech family will dote on you, but there’s always an underlying sense that you’ve been inducted into something much larger and deeper than just a family of merfolk eels. Sometimes they have unexpected visits to your house in land, and you had a feeling that Mrs. Leech might dote on you only so she can spend time with her Leech grandbabies...

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

The Al-Asims are so supportive of Kalim! There’s a certain sense of relief that you’re not associated with anything in their world, because they might worry that whoever is with Kalim, one of the richest men on earth, would take advantage of his kindness. But you don’t. Mr. Al-Asim will provide anything you ask for and will probably give you and Kalim a bunch of mansions, cars, and luxuries everywhere. Though they likely have a list of potential spouses for Kalim, the Al-Asims are glad he chose you. However, they’d be delighted if Kalim produces an heir one day. If Kalim chooses to be monogamous, they’ll accept it.

The Viper family will be glad to welcome you. Although they belong to the servant class under the Al-Asims, they won’t force you to serve them too. You think Jamil might have something to do with this… Anyway, they really like you, and they see how genuinely you admire their son—a mere servant in their eyes, but so much more to you.

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

Mr. Schoenheit will adore you! Because Vil is his precious, beautiful child, that love will extend to you too. He’s a different man as Eric Venue on set and as Vil’s dad in personal life. He’s quite strict, or so you’ve heard from the actual staff on a movie he’s co-producing, but the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. The Schoenheits are hardworking, perfectionist people—not in a bad way, of course. When news breaks that you and Vil are expecting a child, either Eric Venue or Vil will put out a statement asking for your privacy to be respected. Overall, Eric will be a good in-law and a great grandfather. Imagine how cool it is to have a famous celebrity as an in-law and imagine being surrounded by a literal DILF and the most beautiful man in Twisted Wonderland. Damn. It’s a guarantee your child will be as beautiful as their father. Sometimes, though, Vil gets a little pouty when you stare at his father for a little too long…

You know the feeling of a family getting together for the first time in years despite their busy schedules to enjoy days full of celebration? That’s how Rook introduced you to his family. It is lively! The Hunt family likes you! The first thing they ask you and Rook is how the family planning is going. They’re quite a big family with six children, so they expect the same for you and Rook. Mr. and Mrs. Hunt are adoring in-laws, but when you ask about their family business, they’ll merrily dodge the questions, much like Rook does, telling you not to worry. When Rook leaves for long periods of time due to work, he’ll vehemently update you every hour. In the meantime, you and Mrs. Hunt, along with Rook’s sisters-in-law—the wives of his brothers—will go on pampering girls’ days! They’ll make sure you never feel lonely or left out, even when Rook’s away.

The Felmier family threw a celebration in your name when Epel introduced you. Grandma Marja cried, seeing how much her grandson has grown. Mr. and Mrs. Felmier hugged you tightly and thanked you for being with their lovely son, and you swore you felt a tear trickle down your cheek too. They will be loving in-laws, with a tight-knit family that supports each other. Once news breaks that you and Epel are expecting a child, another celebration will be held to welcome the new apple of their eye. They’ll likely insist on a traditional apple-themed baby shower, and they’ll spoil you and Epel with home-cooked meals, ensuring you’re both well cared for.

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

The Shrouds, especially Mrs. Shroud, will be ecstatic once Idia introduces you to them. Mr. Shroud, while less outwardly emotional, will be overjoyed in his own way. Over time, you’ll notice just how much he and Idia resemble each other. It won’t matter if you’re not as tech-savvy as they are; Idia already has S.T.Y.X.’s management covered. Mr. and Mrs. Shroud will show their affection in small but meaningful ways, or surprising you with thoughtful gifts—your own helmet. If any negative comments about you and Idia pop up online, they’ll be blocked faster than you can blink. Kidding—mostly. They’ll likely expect a little Shroud or two in the next few years, and they’ll gently remind you of this as they’re getting older and eager for grandchildren. Despite their eccentricities, they’ll make you feel like a cherished member of their family, though you’ll need to adjust to their unique ways of showing love and the way of their work, ergo taking care of S.T.Y.X and their various shady businesses.

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

The Draconias, especially Grandmother Maleficia, will formally welcome you into the family. However, the atmosphere might feel a bit too formal for your liking. A relationship with Malleus is one thing, but marriage is a whole different story. The Senate will likely oppose the union, with Grandmother Maleficia caught between keeping her beloved grandson happy and appeasing the increasingly vocal pressures from the Senate and close-minded fae who cannot accept a human—especially a magicless human—as their future queen. The weight of these expectations will hang over your relationship, adding tension to an otherwise loving bond. The prospect of Malleus Draconia marrying a human would be met with significant resistance within the Briar Valley. The fae population, steeped in centuries of tradition and wary of outsiders, would likely view such a union as a potential threat to their way of life. Some might even call for extreme measures, such as political unrest or, in the worst-case scenario, a war to prevent the marriage from taking place. However, Malleus will stand by you, determined to weather the storm together. Over time, and with Malleus’s formidable power and influence, even the most skeptical fae could be convinced that this union could bring about a new era of understanding and unity between their worlds. As for Grandmother Maleficia, though she may seem distant at first, she’ll eventually warm up to you, especially when she sees how happy you make Malleus. And should the two of you have children (the Draconias badly needed predecessors), she’ll be the first to dote on her great-grandchildren as long as she is alive, ensuring they’re raised with both love and the proud traditions of the Draconia family.

The Zigvolt family is not new to interspecies relationships, with Mama Zigvolt being a fae and Papa Zigvolt a normal human dentist. She will support you! Her fiery nature as a fae will come in handy, while Papa Zigvolt's kindness will help balance out her energy. Overall, they will be happy for you and Sebek. Grandfather Baur, on the other hand, might accept you more easily than you thought—he is not a close-minded fae anymore. He is at a point of contentment, so whoever Sebek or any of his grandchildren chooses, he will be eager to accept them. Also, he might—or might not—visit you every afternoon (he's just concerned, not excited... he says as he hands you a crocheted baby comforter) once he hears you're expecting a mini Sebek Zigvolt.

Silver’s relationship with his father, Lilia, is central to his life, so naturally, Lilia’s opinion of you will weigh heavily on him. Fortunately, Lilia err Mr. Vanrouge is likely to be one of the most supportive and understanding in-laws you could ask for. His playful and easygoing nature means he’ll probably tease you a bit, but it’s all in good fun. Lilia will genuinely be happy for Silver, and he’ll go out of his way to make you feel welcome in their home. Expect to be roped into all sorts of whimsical activities—like trying out new (and sometimes questionable) recipes, or being part of his elaborate pranks. Lilia will also be very protective of both you and Silver, always looking out for your well-being. And if you have another baby addition to the Vanrouge family, Lillia will be the happiest Fae alive.

Lilia Vanrouge is an ancient and enigmatic Fae, while appearing child-like he possesses a kind heart and incredible wisdom. While traditional in-law doesn't apply to him (seeing as he is the in-law himself), he does need someone who can stand beside him as a parental figure, particularly for Silver and by extent Malleus. Lilia’s “family” may be unconventional, but his close bonds with Silver, Sebek, and Malleus make them feel like one. He’ll cherish every moment with you, appreciating the little things that come with mortal life, and your companionship will be a light in his long existence. Your role isn’t just as a partner to Lilia, but as someone who can guide and protect Silver alongside him, offering the same wisdom, kindness, and love that Lilia has given. If you and Lilia have children, they will grow up surrounded by love, knowledge, and a deep sense of wonder, with Lilia ensuring they never lose their sense of playfulness and joy. Should it end like that then Lilia can say that he has lived it all, and he can go on to the stars wholeheartedly. He lived his life surrounded with the people he loves, finding contentment at the end of his days.

[purplebutwarhammer]

I came up with some ideas for how a Primarchs wife would be titled by the legions and by the general public.

Legion mother is sort of a generic term across the board. For an example Astartes from different chapters would use Legion Mother with each other since it has no implications other than being their Primarchs wife, that and in official circumstances it’s considered their formal title, ie Corax’s wife would be introduced as Lady Corax, Legion Mother of Raven Guard.

This is not a full list since I’m not as familiar with some legions so I may make a part two one day

Night Lords:

Domina Nox

- Literally means ‘Lady of the Night’ but doesn’t have the same implications (although I’m sure the joke has been made, and the would be comedian is swiftly taught the error of their ways)

- Domina on its own can also mean ‘mistress of the household’ or just ‘wife’, however it can also be translated as ‘owner’. the legion probably wouldn’t use the shortened version in most cases, but Curze might recreationally.

The Dark Queen of Nostramo

- This would be mostly used by people outside of the legions and off Nostramo, for example a newspaper on Macragge might say “The Dark Queen of Nostramo today met with our ambassadors”. It’s a reflection of Curzes title that simultaneously recognises her as an equal to him but also makes a dig at what she represents. The kind of snarky wordplay politics loves

- It’s occasionally used by some Night Lords and Curze in a shortened form, ie “The Dark Queen requires our presence” or “My Dark Queen has no time for your foolishness, leave now before I present her with your head.”

The Mad Queen

- A term used exclusively amongst civilian populations and meant in an insulting to occasionally sympathetic manner. Usually it’s in reference to the fact she married and stuck by Curze even as he began to spiral, the juxtaposition between her more tempered manner and her continued enforcement of her husbands laws makes her seem unstable to the untrained eye.

- In the future when the true story has become blurred it’s used to refer to her much like an archetype from a play, a queen dragged down into her husband’s madness and driven to extremes. It’s said in a hushed saddened tone that conveys a warning about following in her footsteps and what love can drive a person to.

White Scars:

Khatun

- This one’s fairly obvious, it’s the title given to a Khans wife. I can imagine many of the White Scars would use “The Great Khatun” when in conversation with others, both as a show of respect and to remind others to mind how they speak when she’s the topic of discussion.

Dark Angels:

Lady El’Johnson

- Lady ‘first name’ was typically used for wives of Knights, and I can see this being the norm of Caliban but off planet surnames are more of the norm for formality.

- It would also play into the Dark Angels penchant for secrecy, only on Caliban and amongst trusted company would their Legion Mother be Lady ‘First Name’ in any other situation it’s Lady El’Johnson

The Lioness

- This one is a little more tongue in cheek and largely used amongst the Primarchs to refer to their sister in law and some of the other legions in recognition of her ferocity.

Mistress of the Knightly Orders of Caliban

- This one is a formal title used mainly on Caliban and formal events on Terra when her arrival is being announced. The Lion specifically created the title as recognition of her station and to give her rank amongst the legion so her authority isn’t only seen as an extension of his.

- It gives her domain over the ‘womanly’ tasks of the order, acquisition of food, clothing, and maintenance of household. Essentially the entire homefront falls under her command, and her authority on these matters often outweighs that of her husbands.

- The largest part of this is overseeing and organising the serfs for the entire legion, it’s mainly just the ones serving on Caliban but any major changes throughout the entire legion have to go through her first.

Space Wolves:

Wolf Mother

- Another self explanatory one, she is the Space Wolves mother so she is ‘Wolf Mother’. I like to think that on their wedding day Leman gifted her a wolf pelt to wear which became a trademark of her appearance.

Frue Russ

- Frue was the title given to a Jarls wife, I see this as being what the citizens of Fenris would call her instead of anything like queen.

- I’ve seen mixed sources that say Frue was specifically for a wife who owned land in her own right, but I’m not 100%. I can see Lemans wife as someone who can lead in her own right so bringing her own land and people into the marriage wouldn’t be far fetched

Ultramarines:

Lady Guilliman

The Lady Ultramar

- I’m going to group these two together since they’re both fairly generic, they’re the kind of on paper titles that get the point across

The Imperial Regent Consort

- This is after Guilliman becomes Regent and naturally his wife gets a title to match, it’s wholly an invention of Terra and only sees use from them and other Imperial citizens outside of the Ultramar sector.

Augusta

- Historically it’s Roman title given to empresses of exception that allowed them to wear imperial regalia and hold their own court.

- I imagine that Lady Guilliman can do all of this and more and so is given the title to match, she’s another who I think manages the ‘home’ whilst her husband is away on campaign.

Mater Ultramar

- ‘Mother of Ultramar’, similar to the Roman title for the empress ‘Mater Patriae’, may be called Mater for short informally by some Ultramarines but this is usually an indicator of dire circumstances or moments of great strife when the boys in blue just want their mum.

Salamanders:

Forgemother

- I assume that Vulkans wife would know her way around a forge, and I like to think she makes little trinkets for the Neophytes to put on their first set of armour

Lady of Drakes

- Matches her husband and would usually be used as a formality on Nocturne, like when she’s being introduced at an event.

Raven Guard:

Raven Mother

- This one would be used by legionnaires when speaking to Lady Corax directly ie “Raven Mother, we have news from The Shadow of The Emperor.”

- The civilians of Deliverance would also use it when referring to her to others ie “The Raven Mother is holding an event later”

The Shadowed Lady

- She doesn’t command the shadows as her husband does but is protected by them just the same, shadows can often be seen draping over her like a cloak when in her husbands presence.

- This would also be the name used to refer to her in Corspake and other semi coded communications.

Word Bearers:

The Madonna

- This would be in the religious sense (not like the singer). Especially after the heresy the Word Bearers come to idolise their Legion Mother as the perfect woman. Sermons are given on how all wives and mothers should strive to emulate her.

[ivesambrose]

PAC : YOUR AUTUMN BLESSINGS 🍁

1. 2. 3.

May the remaining months of 2024 lead to a favorable plot twist for all of you reading this 🖤

To book a personal reading with me DM or email me at ivesambrose@gmail.com

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Picture 1

• A lot of you will be blessed with foreign travel to a destination that heals this restlessness in your heart. It seems as though you had been fighting against the odds for so long and have also accumulated so much mental strain and grief because you've felt like you couldn't grow where you're at and you're right. You're going to feel the most alive you've felt in a long time. Don't turn down the opportunities that come your way. • Unexpected wealth or income from an unknown or foreign source. • Venturing out of your home or comfort zone. A change in perspective as well. • The sun rising after the darkest hours of your life. It's amusing that it's happening during fall when things usually wither away that you're getting your color back. You may feel like you're Venturing out alone or that your journey is a solitary one. You aren't too bothered because you're so used to it even as it terrifies you. But along the way you'll find people who want to walk beside you even as the cold threatens to sink into your bones. You might just find your soul family this fall. Perhaps home isn't confined to four walls but rather, the people and the places you've yet to step foot into.

Picture 2

• You'll be blessed with finding a balance in your life that earlier was bound to topple over no matter what you did and how hard you tried. You'll confront certain habits and behaviours that you have and actively choose to work through them. Some of them have been hindering your growth and costing you your own peace of mind as well as relationships. • Improvement in health. As well as recognition and reward in your workplace or emotional fulfillment via the work you do or your lifestyle changes. • Heightened intuition and foresight. Trust your instincts over fear mongering from others. • Possible expansion in social circle or connecting with people you can learn from without being ridiculed. You'll be introduced to people or spaces with a more positive outlook to life and circumstances rather than the ones who have a cynical approach to everything. • A better self concept and increase in confidence. Do not allow anyone to walk over you or be little you in any shape or form. • you may also get the confidence or the money to shop for certain fashion items you had earlier been stalling on or might be gifted the same.

Picture 3

• You'll be blessed with something rather abrupt. You may not even consider it as a blessing at first till realisation dawns on you. • I significantly see a blessing that's financial in nature something that will aid you in the long term. You might be too fixated at things going wrong at first. Please don't do that. When the opportunity arrives please have the courage to reach for it and make it yours. You may have the tendency to worry to the point that anything good happening for you is too good to be true. Thing is you tend to be blessed in rather unconventional ways. Certain things you may have quiet literally looked over for months or years. This autumn take some time to reflect on certain aspects of your life and how regardless of what was going wrong or what wasn't 'working out' for you had been in your favor all along. The more you bring in your awareness to that the more of these blessings you'll receive. • A lot of you do struggle with mental health as well as sleep issues. You're rather artistic however but may have kept your arts and crafts aside for a long time. You'll be revisiting things that have brought you joy in the past and feel happy this time instead of feeling performative. • Lastly, allow good things to happen to you.

[oracle-of-dream]

Submissive and huh?

Minors DNI

Summary: Your friend Taerae recently learned a new term and wants your thoughts. Explaining it might help him understand properly, but do you have the strength to tell him.

Warnings: Male Reader, Idol Taerae, Student Reader, Lewd faces/Ahegao, Mention of arousal and breeding

Wordcount: 1.2k

Math classes had been kicking your ass all semester and tutoring from the professor wasn't working out. You'd ended up being assigned a study partner. The program was meant for students struggling with the class to help each other. That's how you met Taerae. 

He didn't originally introduce himself as an idol, especially since it was an online class. No one had seen his face. But when you met up with him for the first time to study together, you instantly recognized him from TV. You hit it off over a shared hate for math and spent more time together outside class.

He'd complain about his idol life issues and you'd give him any notes from class he'd missed.

You'd just gotten home from a late-night study session at the library. As if it knew, your phone lit up with a text as you sat on your bed.

TR: Yo! Y/N, I met some fans while out with the members today!

YN: Cool. Don't you meet fans wherever you go?

TR: Well these stuck out!

YN: How?

TR: Well, I noticed them, a bunch of guys, giggling in the convenience store and pointing at me and Hao while we were shopping. I didn't want to embarrass them so I just played it cool and ignored them. But then they came up to me!

YN: Okay, some brave fans? That's it?

TR: Just wait a sec! 

TR: They came to me and told me they were fans. But more specifically, MY fans! Of course, I was happy to hear, but they were foreigners because they used a term I didn’t know.

YN: What term?

TR: Submissive and Breedable?

TR: I know what submissive means, they mean I'm not an aggressive person. That's not entirely true, but I'm submissive at times.

You looked at your phone, blinking a few times. Some "fans" dared to say that!?

TR: I can't find anything when I look it up, it's probably slang, right?

Maybe telling him that his fans want to breed him wasn't the best thing to tell your friend. He was just too wholesome for that.

YN: Yeah, it is, but it's not something cool. No one says it really, it's not the trend anymore.

TR: Really? I know trends, I'm not old, but I haven’t heard of that.

YN: See? There's no reason to worry, just fans being weird.

TR: Well, the photo they wanted was also...off.

YN: Off how?

TR: They wanted me to stick my tongue out and look up at the camera, which was super high above me. To be honest–it felt a little embarrassing to pose like that.

You shook your head trying not to imagine his cute self making lewd faces for a group of boys, but it was hard. And so were you.

YN: You should be more careful, they could use photos like that weirdly.

TR: What do you mean?

YN: Let's drop it. Subject change, what are you doing now?

TR: I'm getting ready for bed, I just got under the covers.

You looked at the clock, midnight was on its face.

YN: Oh shit, I didn't even realize. You should sleep!

TR: No, no, I'm pretty awake. Plus, it's nice talking to you. Did you want to video call while you get ready for bed?

You’d done it before, talking on video call into the night, but it was always a little like Taerae just wanted to see you.

YN: Sure, I'll call you.

You pressed the video call button on your phone. It showed your reflection as you waited, automatically you straightened your hair a little and kicked some stuff on the floor out of frame.

Taerae answered the phone with a smile, the camera close to his face.

You laughed as you set your phone on your desk, "Well hello to you too, why so close?"

"No reason, I just want to see you closely."

"Well, I can see you so closely I can count your pores," You scoffed as you went into your closet to find pajamas for the night.

"Is it weird I'm holding it so close?"

"A little, but it's no big deal. If you don't wanna show yourself then why'd you wanna video call?"

Taerae didn't answer.

"Are you still thinking about what those guys said?"

He shuffled in bed, "Mmhm."

"I promise it's nothing bad."

"Then why don't you just tell me?"

You sighed, "Okay, fine, I'll spill."

Taerae's eyes peered curiously at the camera as he waited for you to come out of your closet. You settled on wearing a long-sleeved T-shirt and shorts. You returned to find Taerae's eyes filled with impatience.

You swallowed awkwardly, "You already know what the submissive part means, but the other part..."

"Breedable," Taerae reminded you.

"Yeah–It means," You struggled to find a good way to break it to him with that look in his eyes. So full of trust and purity. "It means, they wanna do it with you."

Taerae's expression dropped into surprise, "Oh, that's it? I read about that kind of stuff of fans wanting me to have sex with them. That's not so bad."

"Well, breedable means, specifically where you'd be the one getting fucked. Likely by a man. Who wants to... finish in you."

You couldn't bring yourself to look at the screen to see his expression. He'd fallen silent, thinking of a response. It felt like ten minutes passed until he broke the silence.

Taerae's voice was deep and serious, "Y/n."

"Yeah?"

"Look at the screen." You looked at the screen to see Taerae in bed, holding the camera above him to show off his shirtless torso that was mostly covered by the bed sheet except for his collarbone and neck. "Am I breedable right now?"

You felt warm in your face as you answered, "Yeah, I-I guess."

"Submissive, too?"

"Sure," You said as you looked down at your hands.

"Yes or no! Sure isn't good enough, and look at me!"

You complied, looking at him. He smiled before making a face; his eyes looking up at the camera as he stuck out his tongue and held up a peace sign with his other hand.

"Jesus, Taerae!" You looked away quickly. Your heart was in your ears, pounding as the image of sweet Taerae's lewd face was plastered behind your eyelids.

He laughed loudly. "I am, aren't I? Submissive and breedable. I take it as a compliment, they like me that much! To be honest, you look all shy... You look a little submissive too."

You moved your phone so he couldn't see you anymore.

"I was kidding! Don't hide from me!" Taerae's muffled voice shouted from the speaker of your phone. 

After you calmed down, you turned your phone back over to see him still there. Still shirtless, and holding his phone at the same seductive angle.

"You're so weird!" You yelled at Taerae, who just giggled.

"And you still like me anyway. Even with all my breedable energy."

"I'm going to hang up–"

"What!? We gotta see you do the pose too, what if you're more breedable than me, we should test how–"

You cut him off as you pressed the red dial button. You turned your phone off before he could call you again. You lay in bed, alone in the dark, thinking about Taerae's face.

And in the privacy of your home, you test if you can also feel submissive and breedable, making Taerae's new iconic look. A secret he'll never know about... As if you didn't already have a big secret.

[thedwarrowscholar]

How would a dwarf introduce themselves? Among other dwarves and among outsiders? And if a dwarf does not know their parents? (I love everything you do - it genuinely blows me away you have managed to come up with all this)

Well met!

Firstly, thank you kindly for the warm words — it really means a lot. And thank you for your patience as this reply found its way up from the deeper layers of the archive — it would seem that some questions, like mithril, must lie hidden deep before they gleam in the light once more.

Now, on to your question!

The way a Dwarf introduces themselves is closely tied to both cultural tradition and situational context. Much like the careful forging of a axe, no element of their self-presentation is accidental — every name, title, and word is chosen with precision and purpose.

🪓 Among Fellow Dwarves:

In formal or ceremonial contexts, a Dwarf’s introduction typically follows a set pattern:

Outer-name, followed by patronymic (or multiples ones), title, and occasionally a clan or lineage reference.

For example:

“Thorin, son of Thráin, son of Thrór, King under the Mountain” (he might even add “of Durin’s Folk.”)

Richard Armitage as Thorin Oakenshield in Peter Jackson's film trilogy adaptation of The Hobbit

This is not just a matter of pride — it’s identity, legacy, and belonging, all in one breath. Among kin, especially those of status or in situations of importance (clan councils, oaths, or legal disputes), it would be customary — even expected — to name one’s line.

In more casual or familiar settings among fellow Dwarves, a shortened version may suffice:

“Balin, son of Fundin.”

But even then, omitting one’s parentage entirely would be considered odd — perhaps even impolite — unless there is a known reason.

Your inquiry also touches upon a fundamental aspect of Dwarven culture—the significance of ancestry and how it is conveyed in language.​

Usage of the "-ul" Suffix in Lineage:

In Khuzdul, the suffix "-ul" serves multiple functions, one of which is to denote lineage. This is exemplified in the inscription on Balin's tomb: "Balin Fundinul," which translates to "Balin, son of Fundin." The "-ul" suffix here signifies "son of," linking Balin directly to his father, Fundin.

Balin's Tomb as seen in LoTRO (the second line being "Fundinul")

It's noteworthy that while many Semitic languages distinguish between "son of" and "daughter of" through different terms (e.g., Hebrew uses "ben" for son and "bat" for daughter), Khuzdul employs the "-ul" suffix universally for both sons and daughters. This uniformity would align with the Dwarves' cultural emphasis on privacy and their protective nature regarding their kin, especially their women. By using a single suffix for both genders, Dwarves maintain a level of discretion about familial relationships, reflecting their secretive tendencies.

🌐 Among Outsiders:

Dwarves are famously reserved when it comes to personal matters, particularly outside their own kind. So among total outsiders, introductions tend to be far more restrained. One might share only the outer-name, or the outer-name and patronymic if some formality is required:

“Gimli, son of Glóin.”

And that, frankly, is more generosity than most strangers would earn. Unless they represent their clan at a meeting with outsiders, then the full formal lineage would no doubt be included.

It’s worth noting that while modern depictions have gifted Dwarves with a Scottish brogue and a certain loud-mouthed cheer, Tolkien’s Dwarves were anything but casual with such things. The inner-name, for instance — that sacred name given at birth and known only to the Dwarf and their closest kin — was never shared publicly, and certainly never used in an introduction. To do so would be to bare the soul.

❓And What of a Dwarf Without Known Parents?

Ah, now here lies a more delicate matter — though not a shameful one. Even without known parentage, a Dwarf’s worth is measured in more than blood alone. A Dwarf without known parentage — whether orphaned, fostered, or otherwise — might substitute a guild, mentor, or place of upbringing in place of a patronymic. It would still serve to root them in the stone of their making, so to speak.

For example:

“Narin, of Thorin’s Halls.” “Varni son of the Last Erebor Grand Mason.” “Lornis, raised by the Stonehewers of Steadmere.”

Alternatively, a Dwarf might take on an earned title or epithet in lieu of lineage — a practice often seen among warriors or craftsmen of note. These names reflect deeds rather than bloodlines:

“Walli the Hammerfast” “Brogni Stone-hand” “Hanni the Flame-tempered”

In such cases, identity is forged in action, not ancestry — still a source of pride, but of a different kind.

So, in summary:

Among wide kin, or when in formal situations, introductions are rich in family and clan context. Among everyday outsiders, they are brief, sometimes guarded. In the absence of known family, a Dwarf will root their identity in a guild, hall, profession, or earned name. Always with pride. Always with purpose.

Ever at your service, The Dwarrow Scholar

[msschemmenti]

girl next door 🏠 - 9

After Tina’s departure, the neighborhood calmed. Or at least the jealousy calmed. And with the quietness came time to reflect. The Prentiss-Jareau ladies had been pretty MIA for the weeks following their introduction to Tina. 

“Well, the showcase is the Friday before Thanksgiving.”

“Perfect, so I’ll spend Thanksgiving with you and your hot neighbors.” Grayson decided. Y/n chuckled softly and really thought about a holiday with Emily and JJ. 

“I highly doubt that they’d be in attendance, but you’re always welcome to celebrate with me. You sure you don’t want to head home to your family?” 

“Oh, I’m positive. There’s only so much green bean casserole and stuffing a person can take. Also, why wouldn’t your lovers be joining us for Thanksgiving Dinner? If my memory serves me right, which it normally does, they’re not exactly chefs.” Grayson prodded. 

“I’m sure they have their own families to visit for one. And for two, they’ve been acting a little weird since Tina came to visit.” 

“Weird how?” Grayson asked, eagerly focusing on the prospect of gossip. 

“Oh I don’t know, you know how I spent the night over at Tina’s hotel room? Well, I come home the next day and they’re all ‘Surprised you’re home’ when you and I both know I spend almost all of my time at home. And then they’re short as all get out with me for the rest of the week.” Y/n started to recount, replaying the conversations that happened over the course of the week. “All of that continued until I introduced them to Tina Sunday before her show. They come out of the house wearing next to nothing and suddenly they’re very interested in Tina. But you know how T is– bless her heart. She basically told them I’d been gushing about our bedroom time the whole time she was there. All that to say, since then I haven’t really heard from them. I don’t even know if they’re in town. They could be off in Idaho somewhere for all I know.” 

Grayson was quiet for a second, only a second before she squeal in glee. “They’re jealous! This it’s a cannon event in the FWB to Lovers arc. Your one-time-long-term committed relationship pops up to visit only weeks after you’ve all started your neighbors-with-benefits arrangement which you haven’t actually discussed and they don’t know what to do with their feelings.” Y/n scoffed at Grayson’s very dramatic interpretation of her time in DC and was readying a rebuttal when the other woman gasped through the phone again. “They probably thought you slept with her the night you didn’t come home.” 

“I think you’ve been spending too much time watching the Young and the Restless. Not everything is so cinematic.” 

“That’s a valid criticism of how I spend my time, but you aren’t even denying it which leads me to believe– you’ve already come to this conclusion.” 

“Well I wasn’t born yesterday. I wasn’t sure at first– but when they came prancing down the sidewalk in their running gear, I could see through it like a windowpane. Especially considering Emily would never go jogging for fun. But even Jesus had eyes and trust me, there was so much to see.” 

“If you know they’re jealous, why not just have a conversation with them about it? I mean, it feels like there's something there to explore.”

“And I’m not opposed to that, but they’ve initiated everything in this arrangement. I’m not beating their doors down for sex whenever the mood strikes. With their schedules alone, it’s very much on their terms. Additionally, if this were to transcend the loosely-established-never-discussed rules they’d have the most adjustment to figure out. They’ve got a life together and this just feels like something they might want to discuss at length.” 

“And if they’re already having these conversations?” Grayson prompted. 

Y/n pursed her lips as her cheeks reddened and lifted her shoulder in a shrug, “then they’re having those conversations.”

-

And JJ and Emily had indeed been having those conversations. It was very clear and glaringly obvious that they were interested in something more exclusive with Y/n but bringing an outsider into their already tight schedule was proving to be a harder thing to discuss. 

“Wait, when would we even date her? Court her? It’s not like we have an abundance of free time.” Emily asked on their drive into the office one morning. 

“Well I mean we get some weekends off.” JJ supplied with a shrug. 

“Yeah maybe like three a year…” Emily grimaced. 

JJ rolled her eyes and reminded Emily that they’d almost exclusively seen Y/n on the weekends thus far. And she seemed more than okay with that schedule. “Especially with her schedule during the week, weekends seem to be the best for everyone involved.”

Emily nodded, seeming satisfied with JJ’s words but that wasn’t the last time either of them had questions about the logistics of this decision. And once they’d finally felt like they came to a good place on what they both wanted from this arrangement. The only problem became finding the time to actually broach the subject with their neighbor. The professor’s schedule had progressively gotten busier with classes in the morning and rehearsals in the evenings. It also didn’t help that the BAU seemed to be working cases non-stop. 

-

“God am I glad that’s over.” Morgan  groaned as each of them boarded the jet quietly. They’d just wrapped up a case in Georgia that had seemingly rattled everyone to their core. With the heavy air clouding the jet, it was no surprise when Emily and JJ made their way to two isolated seats next to each other in the cabin. They often did this when things got too hard for them to self-soothe and left over stress from their bodies. Everyone on the team knew of their relationship, so they didn’t bat an eye when the women snuggled close under a blanket. JJ’s head on Emily's shoulder and both of their eyes closed. Usually, the closeness would give both women some calm, but the tension seemed to course through their bodies even after landing. 

As the women made their way to the government-issued SUV, JJ couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that she needed something. Her chest had been abnormally tight since they’d landed in Georgia and despite the rocky end to the case, she thought she’d get some relief knowing it was over. But the tension was still there and not even the pressure of Emily’s hand on her thigh seemed to be soothing the ache. She wasn’t exactly anxiety-prone. She surely had her moments of stress— but this sort of worrying wasn’t something she was familiar with. She can only really think of a few times she’d felt like that and they’d all stemmed from Emily. And the fact that the feeling was still there, pulling at her heart, with Emily right next to her confused her.

JJ flipped her phone over in her hand as she mentally assessed her body’s current state. The case was hard, yes, most of them were but something was very different about this case. A man kidnapping and holding young women on a college campus wasn’t exactly the ideal situation but they’d been able to save the last victim. They’d predicted that the unsub wouldn’t go out easily and that was true but overall the case was closed. The more she thought about it the further her mind went from the case itself and more to the experience as a whole. They’d milled through dozens of people for the week they’d been there. All those families filed in and out of the local precinct and the one thing JJ could remember from all of them was that familiar Southern twang. The twang they hadn’t heard in weeks. The twang she found herself missing. Or when the wife of one of the deputies brought in a homemade pie to thank the team for their hard work. JJ had never considered her a pie connoisseur, but she knew this pie didn’t hold a candle to the ones she’d had since Y/n moved in. 

Now after she and Emily got together, she always saw Emily in the world. Whether she was there physically or not. And when she struggled like this, she reached for and leaned on Emily as well. She hadn’t ever experienced that with someone else in her life. But here she was thinking about Y/n, missing her accent, and craving her cooking. Part of her even knew she was craving the physical comfort of their neighbor as well. The neighbor they’d been casually sleeping with for three months (well not in the last few weeks but still three months). 

And even though Emily and JJ had ultimately decided to explore more with the young woman, she still didn’t know that. And honestly, needing to cuddle after a hard day at work didn’t seem very casual. Not casual at all. And not something they’d done with any other woman they’d brought to bed. But then again, that seemed on brand for the way things had been going so far for the three of them.

JJ was itching to reach for her phone again. Maybe just a text would satiate the need and quiet the desire she was feeling. A simple sign of life from the young professor and maybe a plan to see her this weekend. With Emily’s focus on the road she pulled her phone back out and unlocked it. She scrolled past the group chat Garcia was blowing up and opened a new text chain with Y/n. She typed and untyped trying to figure out what she could possibly say to the younger woman. Especially at this hour. 

JJ: Hi, we just landed and are heading home. Let me know if you need anything? If not, maybe we can get together this weekend.

She hit send and closed the app. Watching and waiting would only make her more anxious. She peeked over the console at Emily. The brooding brunette seemed to still be just as off balance as JJ and she could only wonder if it was for the same reasons as her. She didn’t have to wonder for long. 

“Why don’t you text Y/n and see if she needs anything before we head in for the night,” Emily suggested as nonchalantly as possible. 

“Already ahead of you.” JJ grimaced sheepishly. “Are you aching to see her as much as i am right now?” 

Emily sighed, “I’ll be honest, I don’t understand it myself. But I feel like I spent this entire case trying not to think about her and see her in everyone we spoke to. I just feel like I need to see her. I thought on the jet back I'd even out enough to get through the night but it’s just nagging.” 

“Well, that’s a relief. I didn’t know how to explain it to you. It is pretty late and she might be asleep already. She’s not answered my message yet,” JJ mused as she looked at her phone.

“I know. If she’s not expecting us she’s normally in bed by 8:30. If she doesn’t message back within the next 15 minutes, we’ll just grab her something wherever we decide to eat.” Emily suggested. 

“Works for me.” JJ nods and they head for home. 

-

Y/n groaned a bit as she felt her phone vibrate under her pillow. She was sure it was a text from Grayson about her night out, so she snuggled closer to her pillow and burrowed closer to sleep. What she wasn’t expecting was for the phone to continue vibrating. She pulled her phone from under her pillow with her eyes still closed and fumbled to answer the call. 

“Hello?” She spoke softly into the phone. 

“Oh, I’m sorry. I was hoping you were still awake.” JJ sighed through the phone as she looked up at the younger woman’s house.

“No no, it’s okay. Is everything okay?” Y/n asked reaching to turn her bedside lamp on. “Are y’all just getting home?” 

“Yeah, we just got back. We weren’t sure if you were up but we got you something to eat either way. Emily insisted on getting you a blizzard.” JJ answered. 

“Oh, is it a choco brownie extreme?” Y/n asked sleepily, getting out of bed. 

“Of course. If you come to unlock the door we can bring it in.” JJ smiled, already feeling the tension lessen in her chest. 

“Already on my way,” Y/n said, ending the call and opening the door. The professor was clad in far less than she normally slept in. A pair of panties, a tank top, and a pink eye mask. But always on her feet were the adorable fluffy slippers she practically lived in while at home. As soon as the door was open and the older women got eyes on Y/n, the weight of the world seemed to lift fractionally. 

“Hi.” Y/n smiled sleepily reaching to grab both Emily and JJ by the wrists to pull them inside. 

“Sorry for waking you.” JJ apologized again, allowing the younger woman to pull them through the mud room and hallway. 

“Oh don’t worry about it, you brought gifts. All is forgiven.” Y/n locked the door and flicked the lights off as they went. “Come on, we’re eating upstairs.” 

As soon as they entered the younger woman’s bedroom the women took it in. All of their escapades had taken place in their home or on various surfaces on the main level of Y/n’s house. So this was the first time they’d actually even been in her bedroom. Y/n took the bag of food and ice cream from Emily’s hands and sat them down on her bedside table. She turned to the women and walked over to the gallery wall they were observing. 

“Hm, I just realized y’all ain’t been up here before,” Y/n said, linking her arms with the older women and redirecting them to her bed. “I tell you what, y'all can explore all you want in the morning, okay? I wanna eat my ice cream and then close my eyes again. And I’ve already locked up so I hope you’re okay with spending the night.” Y/n poked both of their hips affectionately before throwing herself into the center of the bed dramatically. 

JJ was the first to follow Y/n. She shimmied out of her work clothes and pulled the bra from under her tank top. She filed in and Emily followed suit taking the opposite side of the bed. JJ distributed the food and all the women fell into a comfortable silence. They all munched quietly, both Emily and JJ eyeing each other over the younger woman’s head. Looked like they were getting more than they had anticipated, without having to verbalize it. Who were they to complain?

Y/n paused before biting into another fry and turned to them apologetically, “I’m sorry I get a lil bossy when I'm sleepy. You don’t have to stay the night if you don’t want to. I’m sure you want to go sleep in your own bed after being away for so long.” 

“No no, it’s fine. I’m sure we’ll be more than comfortable.” JJ answered easily. 

“Well alright, I have toothbrushes in the bathroom. Just let me know if you need anything.” Y/n finished off her ice cream and shimmied down below the covers. Emily and JJ quietly went into the bathroom. Emily was the first to make it back to bed, and as the bed dipped Y/n cracked an eye open to study the older woman. Emily hadn’t said very much of anything since they’d arrived. She seemed to be carrying a pretty heavy load that Y/n wasn’t privy to. but part of the younger woman could feel the tension radiating off her neighbors. She reached a hand out for the brunette and pulled her under the covers quietly. Y/n turned to face Emily with a sleepy smile. She kissed her temple sweetly and nudged her nose with her own before pulling the older woman into a hug. “I hope this helps.” the older woman shuddered a bit at her words and pulled Y/n tighter when she moved to let go. She held her until she felt her heart settle and once she let go, she placed a soft kiss on the corner of her mouth. 

JJ returned and crawled into bed. She lay on her back first and watched as Y/n reached across her to turn the lamp off. Once in the dark she lay restless, trying to work up the courage to actually cuddle up to the younger woman like her body wanted. just as she had talked herself out of it, Y/n piped up, “Y’all wanna cuddle or what?”

That seemed to finally break the heaviness that had been hanging over the agents and they both laughed and gazed at the professor sweetly.

Once their laughter died down, JJ felt Y/n pull her body against her chest. Turning to face her, JJ was surprised to see the woman’s eyes still closed. Y/n pillowed her head in her chest and allowed her fingers to run through her blonde waves. As JJ sighed and twined their legs together Y/n used her free hand to pull Emily's arm over her hip to rest on JJ’s. Both women sandwiched her between them with deep content sighs. As they relaxed against her body, Y/n figured she’d gotten it right. She kissed JJ’s forehead sweetly and whispered a sleepy goodnight to both women and allowed sleep to take over. It took JJ and Emily a bit to actually fall asleep but when they did it was one of the best nights they’d had in a while. 

[ladykailitha]

If I were to do a A/B/O story with Steddie this is how I would do it (I've never done omega-verse for any of my fandoms, but damn there is something about Steddie that just screams it, you know?)

Steve was sold to a place that uses infertile omegas as sex toys. Rut servicing, gang bangs, orgies, or even just pretty arm candy for special events. The point is that the Harringtons sold him when they found out he couldn't be sold to the wealthiest, most influential alphas as a broodmare.

They are pretty much indentured and have to pay off the debt of how much the company paid for them. Steve pays off his debt and stays. Most omegas leave, but he loves what he does. He really loves rut servicing. It's his favorite because he has all the control during the three to four days the alpha is sex crazed. He also loves that he can take care of them without them thinking he's in for the bond bite.

Steve's at some gala or event or whatever on the arm of an older alpha, probably a senator or someone important like that when he meets Eddie Munson, frontman for Corroded Coffin.

They're introduced and they hit off, until Steve mentions offhand that he's infertile. Because that angers Eddie for some reason.

Eddie sets up Steve to be his rut servicer and demands that Steve be placed on some kind of birth control. It's a strange request, but it's granted.

When Steve arrives, Eddie tells him under no uncertain terms that either of them are going to be barebacking. Condoms are required.

This pisses Steve off. He's infertile and these demands are just ridiculous. He can't get pregnant.

Eddie scoffs. If he was infertile it would reflect in his scent. It would be sickly sweet, like overripe fruit. Cloying almost. But Steve doesn't smell like that. He smells darker, woodier, more like spices then fruity.

Steve frowns, he hadn't heard that about omegas, but it made sense, his other co-workers did have that sweet smell, but never really thought about it being different than his own.

But before they could talk it out, Eddie goes into his rut hard. Harder then it's ever been and Steve is pretty much scrambling to keep up with the sex.

At the end of the five days, Steve is worn out and ready to pass out for the next week, but he needs to know what Eddie was talking about.

Eddie tells him that he's not infertile, he's an ultra-fertile omega. So rare that they present in only 1% of the human population as a whole. Red-heads are more common they are.

Basically they are only fertile during their heats, but instead of having only a 1 in 5 chance of getting pregnant like omegas do in heat (1 in 8 out of heat), they can get pregnant 4 in 5 chance of getting pregnant. In fact, they are so revered that they can have their pick of the best alphas in their country. Some of them even go so far as casting their net over the whole fucking world.

Steve isn't sure he believes him, but his parents never tested for it because it was too rare. So it's possible that he could be, it's not like he can test it now. The test needs to be done at the time he presented. The only way to know for sure is if he shared a heat with an alpha (he's not allowed to as service omega to spend it with anything but toys) and he doesn't know of any alpha willing to take the chance that he might be some golden omega.

Only Eddie is totally willing. Willing to even bond Steve, with or without the ultra-fertility.

Steve is shocked. He's even more shocked when he goes into heat just from being so close to Eddie. Because he's on blockers, that's not supposed to happen.

While Steve is still cognizant he consents to Eddie helping him through the heat, suddenly grateful for the condom and birth control stipulation is suddenly very welcome.

It's only a light one that lasts a couple of days, but it's the best he's ever had. The first he's ever shared with an alpha. And he loved it.

He found out that in order to share Steve's heat, Eddie had to pay a lot of money for the privilege so he just bought Steve's contract as a whole. The one he made because he brought in so much money to the company.

They talk about bonding and sharing Steve real heat. The reason Eddie was so insistent on the contraception measures is that his scent had been known to break blockers in the past.

Which makes sense, some alphas just have that strong a scent. It's not a thing like an ultra-omega, but just something that could happen. The company tended to screen those types of alphas and made sure that the omega would be safely whisked away. It just never happened to Steve before.

Eddie courts Steve properly and they bond. And sure enough Eddie was right Steve gets pregnant, and suddenly Steve's parents are banging on the door demanding they be compensated for the fact that he's an ultra-omega and could have been sold for lots, lots more money then the company gave them.

But Steve tells them to fuck off and slams the door in their faces. And Steve and Eddie live happily ever after with their growing family.

First chapter of the full story here.

[zynnth]

(My AU of the Eyes and Ears AU)

Adding on to this post, cause I genuinely can't stop thinking about this, that Joel's victory of Wild Life might be one of the first solid steps towards fighting back against the Watchers.

Winning the game by not giving in to his usual bloodthirst after turning red and keeping a generally cool head throughout Wild Life, as well as refusing to generate and spread too many negative emotions across the server is an act of resistance against the Watchers, who expected to feed on said emotions. It was the thing they were most looking forward to, only to watch Joel laugh in their faces instead.

And this wasn't the first time something like this has happened either. All the way back in Last Life, the game where the Watchers first introduced the Boogieman Curse, an addition which created fear and distrust even in some of the most tightly knit groups, a similar resisting force decided to make itself known. It was Scott, one of the people who got the Boogieman Curse two separate times, and the only one who refused to kill another person when he got it for the second time. He outright defied the Watchers, deliberately going against their interest of watching the bloodshed caused by the curse unfold. Just to add salt to the wound, he then went on to win the game, which most likely wasn't the outcome the Watchers would've wanted to see at that point.

It has been speculated many times before that Scott hates the Watchers, which is supported by him letting the curse consume him instead of killing someone else to get rid of it. I think this hatred not only comes from the fact that the Watchers are forcing them to go through these killing games, but also from the fact that Scott is the kind of person who stays true to his morals and won't do something he doesn't think is right. In his words, he "spent all season being honorable" and he was "not about to stop now". He defied the Watchers, because getting that last Boogie kill would've just caused more despair and wouldn't have served any other purpose than please the Watchers.

When we look back on Joel's victory in Wild Life, we can see a reflection of this. He might not be all about morals and honor, but he's also not the type of person to let others pull his strings. He does what he wants, whenever he wants, the way that he wants to. And he wasn't about to let the Watchers decide how his battles would end, how his victory is earned.

To me it seems like Joel hates the Watchers just as much as Scott does, albeit for different reasons. He's not going to let them push him around anymore, he's going to play on his own terms from now on.

With that in mind, I think it's interesting to think about how these individual acts of resistance will develop in the future. With these first steps taken already, it's not unthinkable that more will follow soon. Will the next winner attempt to defy the Watchers as well? Will they eventually get to a point where they will have an actual fighting chance against them? What about Grian, who's a Watcher himself? What about Martyn who embraced the violence to win or Scar who is still stuck in Secret Life?

It seems only time will tell.

[cartoonartistpng]

Dadphiles!Mephiles Sheet

And with that, I've completed all four of 'em!

This one definitely took the longest. I was originally content with re-using my Mobian Mephiles design, but as I developed the story more, I realized I wanted something more personal. I'm super proud of how this came out.

This is technically "spoilers" since this is toward the end (Post-Forces), but I wanted a design that reflected Mephiles/Solaris' change. And I'm too eager.

This post will be updated as time goes on. New additions will be marked as (✨New!✨).

-> Dadphiles AU Masterpost

-/-/-/-/-

🔹When Mephiles recombined with Iblis the second time, Solaris regained empathy. His memories of his time with SSS suddenly weighed heavily on the god, but the destruction of time had already begun and Solaris still was not at full power. So, with the help of the Chaos Emeralds, Solaris sacrifices himself to fix his mistakes and ensure the safety of his sons.

🔹Following the events of Sonic Forces, Solaris is re-awoken... but still very weak. As he regains power, he avoids his sons, believing they do not wish to see him. They prove him wrong.

🔹With a second chance at being their father, Solaris assumes the body of a hedgehog—meticulously designed to reflect each of his sons—and simply becomes "Mephiles the Hedgehog". As a mortal, he is much more vulnerable and limited in his power, even if he were to fully recover from his self-sacrifice. Mephiles is willing to risk such a thing for his sons' happiness and trust.

🔹As Mephiles was taken advantage of the last time he assumed a mortal form (ie. The Flame of Solaris), Mephiles is hesitant to let any others know of his identity, even the ones his children claim are trustworthy friends. Therefore, only those who were in Soleanna know the truth... for now.

🔹Mephiles is introduced to the rest of his sons' friends as their dad who raised them, but disappeared when they were kids. Mephiles admits that it was not a good decision, but explains that he was "injured" and "unable to protect them without risking their futures."

🔹Vector and Espio are the only ones suspicious of this random hedgehog that appeared out of the blue, not long after the War, looking perfectly like all three hedgehogs. Hedgehogs that they know aren't blood-related and who were separated by literal decades. However, since no one else seems to be suspicious, the Chaotix believe everyone else might be brainwashed somehow.

🔹Mephiles realizes their suspicions, but doesn't correct them. Both because he does not trust their intentions yet... and that it also amuses him.

🔹The SSS introduce Tails as their brother and Mephiles immediately accepts him and requests to take on the Prower name just as his sons have. Tails, who was worried about disapproval from his brothers' dad, may or may not have broken down in tears at the easy acceptance.

🔹Vanilla, happy to meet another parent of this rambunctious group, often enjoys sharing stories with Mephiles. Mephiles suddenly has to learn how normal mortal parents raise their children, all to continue his charade. Through her, he slowly learns what it means to truly embrace Parenthood.

🔹Vector is jealous of how friendly the hedgehog has gotten with Vanilla. Once again, Mephiles is amused.

🔹Mephiles enjoys messing with Vector, mostly by "coincidentally" appearing whenever he tries talking to SSS, gifting Vanilla different things, and saying some rather suspicious words. This, of course, makes Vector more paranoid.

🔹Despite looking like a normal hedgehog, Mephiles is composed of pure energy and therefore does not need mortal requirements. He can feign eating but it does nothing for him. He appreciates the flavor, however.

🔹As an entity of time, Mephiles is used to viewing all of time at once. As a mortal, that viewing window is smaller, but still means that sometimes Mephiles will use the wrong slang, terms, and translations or even reference something that does not exist yet or no longer exists.

🔹Mephiles is utterly focused on making the most out of this second chance and is willing to go to great lengths to protect all of his children... Even if it means using methods they may not approve of.

🔹Mephiles is the one who enabled Silver to remain in the past. He also later—by request—makes it so Shadow will age alongside his friends.

🔹Mephiles can communicate with the Master Emerald (and the Chaos Emeralds), often expressing his confusion over various mortal concepts. The Master Emerald finds his bafflement amusing, to his chagrin.

[There will be no romance as Mephiles/Solaris is completely focused on his relationships with his sons.]

[jeannereames]

Hello Dr. Reames, I just have a question in regards to Alexander's approach to his soldiers treatment of women (I'm getting at sexual violence here) and what Alexander most likely handled such things. I think most of us know the story of how he praised Timoclea for her bravery after she was violated by one of his men, but what about other women? I remember reading (I'm pretty sure it was Diodorus) that when Alexander's army got to Darius's camp after the battle of Issus, Alexander's men "had their way" with some of the other women left behind. Who were these women? Servants? Noblewomen? And other similar instances that I'm sure I've read elsewhere. I guess what I'm asking is HOW likely is it that Alexander extended his chivalry to "common" women in his empire? I mean, there are some instances were he certainly was, as we would describe, chivalrous. He sent the women warriors that were offered to him (by Bessus I believe) in Arrian's Anabasis out of fear his men might "molest" them, and during the burning of Persepolis ordered his men not to touch the women of the city during the burning. I suppose I don't want to believe (for all his MANY faults) would allow such things to happen freely, as childish as that sounds.

Also if you can recommend some books (if you know of any I can get) that mention or discuss Alexander's approach to sexual assault in his empire that'd be great. Also I love your work and your YouTube channel!

Alexander and Female Prisoners of War

The treatment of women in war has always been horrendous. Full stop.

In the ancient world, the treatment of upper-class women was typically presented in the literature as a sign of the all-important clemency on the part of conquerors, whether they were Alexander, Scipio, Cyrus, etc.: “good men” who accorded “proper ladies” their social due.

One extremely important question we must ask is whether the depiction in literature accurately reflects what ACTUALLY happened. E.g., is it just a pretty story? To some degree, this is an unanswerable question. We weren’t there. In the case of Alexander, our (surviving) sources are largely late, so they weren’t there, either. And some of their sources weren’t there but relied on yet other accounts.

Think of these tales a bit like those “Introducing the Candidate” videos that political action committees put out to present Their Guy/Gal in glowing terms. Those videos may not be wholly false, but they’re also not entirely true. The degree to which they’re false or true obviously varies, depending on the person in question—an important point in this day of auto-cynicism. If few people in politics are Jimmy Stewart’s Mr. Smith (Goes to Washington), some really are there for (mostly) the right reasons.

We need to take a similar view of these tales from the ancient world. This is my usual pushing back against the same auto-cynicism among some of my historical colleagues. Nonetheless, even if we decide at least some of the stories about Alexander might be more true than false…

The treatment of women in war has always been horrendous. (as above)

For every Timoklea spared, there are a thousand nameless-to-history (if not to themselves) women who were raped, enslaved, and/or killed as a result of Alexander’s conquests. Yay, for Timoklea?

Via a modern lens, ancient warfare was almost unimaginably brutal. Modern war messes up people, sometimes/(often) for life. Ancient warfare was that on steroids. But I think it’s easy to forget how extremely precarious life was in the ancient world. War was, if not “common,” certainly not uncommon. Death was also much more in-your-face possible at any stage of life. Chance was understood to have a lot to do with it, and the favor of the gods, rather than anything inherently “good” in a person. Even while we do see folks in the ancient world trying to moralize bad luck, that’s more true in the ANE. In Greece and Rome, it was more about Luck, and Fate.

Today, I think the average person is very much cushioned from death. We rarely see dead bodies, and when we do, it’s in a casket at the funeral home. We’re not usually present when people die. We buy our meat prepackaged in the grocery story, without skin or offal and maybe even without any bones. We spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to preserve life, and to make living more comfortable and meaningful for the chronically ill, even for children born extremely disabled.

THAT WAS NOT THEIR WORLD. They’d be absolutely stunned (and arguably appalled) by the idea of saving a child with severe birth defects, or mortgaging one’s house to afford desperate measures to save somebody mangled in a car wreck and barely holding on to life. The kind thing, to their minds, would be to end the suffering ASAP. Who’d want to live like that? “Quality of life” had an entirely different meaning. And if, yes, the super-rich (like Alexander) might have been willing to pay anything to save the life of someone beloved (like Hephaistion), that wasn’t most people’s lived experience.

I point out all this to contextualize their perceptions of war, and war’s results. Resilience, or the ability to survive and recover from trauma, depends on a number of psychological factors, including having the event acknowledged as real, and the survivor’s preexisting ideas of a just (or unjust) world. One reason incest can be so incredible damaging is the secretiveness of it, and who did the assault (someone the survivor was taught to trust). Rape in war is done by a hated enemy and is not secret. That hardly makes it “better,” but it allows the survivor to process the trauma in a more straightforward way, and in the company of (many) others who have suffered the same. For women who wind up enslaved, rape will likely remain a normal part of their existence from then on, although the violence that accompanied it probably varied.

All of that led to a certain amount of hardened hearts, both to what happened to others, but also to what one suffered one’s self. It also explains why, in particularly brutal situations (such as sieges), entire families might elect suicide if the walls were breached—if they had time. This sort of whole-family suicide is mentioned in one of the accounts of Alexander’s razing of Persepolis, if I remember right. Also, some of the Indian sieges.

As for the well-born, and despite the fact the Greeks invented democracy, ancient Greece and Rome were still very much “class” societies. And more of Greece was NOT democratic than was. So the notion still existed that some women belonged—by “blood”—to a class who should be spared brutality, and elites and aristocrats were elites and aristocrats by virtue of special descent. Just as kings were kings by special descent. This might offend the modern mind, but not theirs. The children of slaves were born to be slaves; that was the “natural order of things.” But the children of the wealthy ruling class were born to rule, so when war intervened to reverse their fortunes, it was seen as especially sad. And that’s where clemency comes in.

It was a show of both admirable self-restraint and civilization for the victor to spare the (weaker) women and children of the defeated ruling group—to a point. After all, to be able to do so, he has already demonstrated his excellence in victory and has the POWER to offer clemency. That’s why clemency is a bit different from “grace” in a broader sense—and can be an insult for a man to accept. Caesar used it as a way to lord it over his enemies: “I could kill you...but I don’t respect you enough to fear you.” Also, clemency was often withheld from groups perceived to be “too barbarian.” They didn’t deserve it.

In any case, for upper-class female prisoners-of-war, acts of clemency, whether from the victor by freeing them, or from allies who offered ransom to rescue them from a life of slavery, became a sort of social coin. Not unlike starting a Go-Fund-Me today for a friend who’s fallen on hard times. One gets brownie points for the gesture…even if it 100% comes from a place of compassion. (Two motives can coexist at once in people.)

So, all of that may help to contextualize Alexander’s acts of clemency towards certain women who fell under his power. Was he actually more sensitive to captured women than most? I’m inclined to think he was. But I also recognize that such stories carried a lot of weight for later writers (such as Plutarch and Arrian) who had a particular picture of him that they wanted to paint.

That said, the fact he encouraged his soldiers to marry the camp followers with whom they’d had children, many of them women from the lands they conquered, and even offered dowries for the women is an uncommon act. It’s also weird enough, I suspect it’s not invention and points to an unexpected concern for women. We need to look “in the corners” of accounts about other matters, where clemency isn’t the point, to discover how atypical Alexander actually was.

So yes, he was (a little) ahead of his time. But I doubt he gave much thought to the plight of women in cities such as Thebes or Tyre or Persepolis, other than passing pity. Their fate was, to his mind, the fault of their male family members who chose to rebel against him—and a warning to others against resistance. There’s no point to the carrot without the threat of a whip, in ancient thought.

I don't know of any specific articles about this topic, although it's an interesting one. There are numerous articles about ATG and women more generally, many by Carney, Müller, D'Agostini, and (earlier) Greenwalt. But aside from an article by Müller on ATG's chivalry in the various medieval romances, I don't think anybody has directly examined the stories in earlier sources. Or, I take that back, Beth Carney wrote an article about women and warfare for the new Brill's Companion to the Campaigns of Philip II and Alexander the Great, and Sabine Müller wrote on war crimes more broadly, but I've not had time to read either chapter yet. The book literally just came out at the tail-end of last year. I bet they have some good bibliography to them.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Yo! Good morning/evening, hope you are fine^^💝. I wanted to ask you a question but I was afraid that it may bother you or something (you know..that feeling when you are scared that you might disturb someone or being an unwelcome person) but yeah I will ask you since i was serious about your answer for some time now so I hope I'm not annoying you or something *feel free to answer only if you wish^^. You seem to know the characters pretty well, you are quite capable and great at reading and understanding them, one of the things I'm serious about is what do you think would make someone qualified enough to be with malleus? Do they have to be of the same species?certain Reputation, stature or traits?(sorry can't help it since I can't rest until I know everything about what interests me and figure it all out😅). Thanks for giving me some of your precious time I really like your blog, you're amazing💜

No worries, you’re not bothering me at all ^^ I love to talk about my hyperfixations www

Now, I know a lot of fans (particularly on the EN side) like to ship Malleus with their OC and especially with Yuu so I want to first make it clear that my response is NOT meant to invalidate those Malleus shippers. Whatever I say here is based on my own interpretation of canon lore (and let’s be real here, TWST won’t ever confirm if anyone is romantically interested in Yuu because it might not work with how some players view their own relationship with that character). In fanon, anyone can be with anyone, but in canon there are very specific in-universe rules and expectations laid out for Malleus so these are what I will be referring to.

I also want to emphasize that the final traits I discuss in this post do NOT reflect Malleus’s personal tastes or views. He has little say in what kind of an individual his spouse would be, so his own preferences are not speculated about or taken into account here. The traits I will be bringing up are based on what I believe the lore implies are the desirable traits for those marrying into the Draconia royal family.

We got it? Good 👍 Read more below the cut!!

Firstly, I’m completely disregarding the ideas of “Malleus can love whoever he wants to love”, “Malleus can scare people into accepting who he loves”, and/or “Malleus can change the law so he can marry who he loves” (a la Sultan from Aladdin or through some other Disney magic or logic). Here’s why:

In general, those solutions for “high stakes issues” are too simple, and that has never been how Twisted Wonderland tackles complicated problems. Just look at every single OB boy’s backstory. They’re so complex that they aren’t totally resolved by the end of their books; these problems persist and are long term things each of them are working on addressing. This is also true of the politics TWST introduces to us; Leona for example explains how there is social pushback and resistance to the idea of infrastructure reform because the culture of the Sunset Savanna stresses harmony with nature. This has made it difficult for them to adopt new technologies because real politicians in their world have to seriously weigh their cultural values with their health and societal progress. The only time there are really easy solutions are in events or vignettes where the emotional stakes are not super high, but who Malleus marries is, in fact, super important since this will entirely change the life of a main character and his country.

With that first bullet point in mind… No, Malleus cannot love whoever he wants to love. Certainly, he may feel affection for another but he can never truly be with them. He is royalty and the only heir to the throne of Briar Valley. It follows that he is expected to marry for political reasons/to better his nation. This is a non-negotiable obligation for him.

Rather than saying, “Malleus cannot scare people into accepting who he loves”, I think it’s more accurate to say Malleus knows he probably shouldn’t. I mean, yes, he may be upset about his S/O not being accepted by his people but I feel that is discrediting a lot of the loyalty he has for his own country. As a kid he may have thrown tantrums when he was upset and potentially harmed staff, but as a 178 year old he has a much better understanding of decorum and maintaining it in spite of his own grudges. For example, even though he may find Leona abrasive he still commands Sebek to apologize to him because, at the end of the day, this could harm Briar Valley’s relationship with the Sunset Savanna. That’s not to say that Malleus can’t be petty (he definitely is)—but implying he would be petty toward basically his entire country just because they would disapprove of the one he loves?? (We know this would likely be true because Sebek’s parents faced similar backlash when they got together.) I feel like his own sense of awareness and responsibility for his country, crown, and people would override that. As an example, Malleus states that he has never been in a car before because the senate would be against it and often kept Malleus in the castle. Someone of his power could easily ignore them and sneak out and do whatever he wanted, yet the dialogue implies Malleus didn’t. He obeyed his political advisors even when he was younger and arguably much more immature. Malleus might not like certain decisions made about his life but it sounds like he ultimately complies with them.

Continuing from the previous point, let’s say for the sake of argument that Malleus does scare everyone into line. What about his public image and the mental health of his S/O? Maybe Malleus can frighten people to not talk out of turn to his face, but he cannot control what people whisper about him behind closed doors or to treat his S/O well or like they actually like them. Not only would they be alienated (away from their own home and forced to adapt to a new one) but they’d be treated oddly by others too. What kind of reputation is that for Malleus? To be a tyrant king who throws a hissy fit anytime someone talks about his partner in a way he doesn’t approve of? With a spouse who is not at their best mentally because of the constant ostracization? (This is similar to what Leona experienced in his childhood.) I don’t think Malleus would want to subject anyone to that kind of life, especially not one he loves. And again, this attitude would be the vast majority of his people. It’s not like it can be avoided or resolved in an easy manner, especially when the people of Briar Valley have proven to be against change.

Lastly, Malleus would not change the law so he can be with whoever he wants to. To begin with, I doubt this is a unilateral position the senate would approve of. But okay, let’s accept that Malleus is royalty so his power overrides the advisors’ power. So he effectively just changed a law for a very selfish and personal reason rather than changing something to actually benefit his people. That doesn’t feel in-character for him, not when Malleus seems to understand that it is the duty of those in higher status to help those below them rather than themselves (see: Riddle’s Suitor Suit vignettes). Malleus has acted selfishly before, yes (who remembers Endless Halloween Night? His Dorm Uniform vignettes? I do.)—but never at the cost of changing the status quo of his country. (Book 7 is not included here because he’s in a very distressed emotional state then; this “new law” scenario posits that Malleus is in a normal state of mind.) This is a major change—change which Briar Valley, its people, and most importantly, Malleus, are not ready for. You think there wouldn’t be social pushback against this? From a society that has become complacent with its own way of life and is still isolated from the rest of the world? That Malleus, someone who struggles greatly with accepting life changes himself, could enact such a big change so easily? (On a more technical level, you don’t just pass a law and it instantly becomes tangible or real, there is a process of approval and then implementation.)

Additionally, it’s made clear in Ghost Marriage that “[Malleus] cannot enter into an engagement lightly”, which is why Sebek goes in his place. Eliza, the Ghost Bride, is royalty (er, albeit dead) but it seems that royal status is not enough to qualify as his partner. Maybe this is because she’s dead and doesn’t have anything of value for Briar Valley (no land, no people, no political power), but it could also mean that the partner has to be given the thumbs up by other parties.

All that being said, here are some of the conditions I think would have to be met for Malleus’s future spouse:

Has to be someone of equal or at least high status. This means they also have to be a royal or at least of nobility. This appears to be true of Malleus’s dad, who is referred to as a duke.

Because of how self-contained Briar Valley is + nocturnal fae having beef with diurnal fae, I imagine his partner would have to also be a nocturnal fae. This would also solve the MASSIVE lifespan difference between fae and non-fae because at least fae would be far closer to each other even if their lifespans fluctuate but subspecies.

Someone suited to rule by his side. Being married into any royal family is no joke—it comes with the expectation that you will contribute somehow, and the partner should be fully equipped to enter the world of politics with him.

Piggybacking off the last point, I think mental fortitude is also a prerequisite. This is because being a politician (navigating the social climate both within your country and outside of it, keeping your people and colleagues happy, maintaining public approval, managing laws, dealing with potential attempts on your life, etc.) can be very stressful and can hurt those who are faint of heart or not prepared for the responsibility. Leaders have to make tough calls at the drop of a hat, and they have to be ready for it.

Has a lot to offer in terms of benefits to Briar Valley as a country. This could be in terms of resources, connections, and/or political savvy. This appears to be true of Malleus’s dad, who acted as a diplomat for Briar Valley.

Vetting and formal approval from the senate. lmao good luck with that

Has to be able and willing to have a child. They at least need an heir to the throne to succeed Malleus. (However, knowing how exclusionary and conservative as heck the senators are, I doubt they would accept anything but a biological child, especially since the Draconia’s claim to fame seems to be from how strong their line is 💀)

Preferably someone with powerful magic or is skilled at magic already so as to lessen the chance of “tainting” the bloodline with a weak mage or a non-mage.

I believe that Briar Valley would prefer someone with old fashioned values like them, not someone pushing for massive reform. They have a culture that is resistant to change and a history of fighting for resources with outsiders, so if Malleus’s new spouse tries to introduce a bunch of technology or open its borders to other countries (even if they have good intentions), the people + the senate may oppose them. His father is implied to be open-minded, but he at least understood that such change isn’t reasonable without time and effort dedicated to the endeavor.

All that being said 💦 I think that this topic is actually less about what Malleus as an individual wants and what his country, his people, and, yes, even his asshole senators, want. This is basically an arranged marriage situation so that their country can maintain power and relevance. It’s about the collective and what Malleus must do for their perceived security and prosperity.

[kradogsrats]

Mysterious Ways: Destiny and Prophecy in Arc 2

So... this started out as a look at the tension between fate and free will that drives Callum's arc in s7 and how it is reflected from Aaravos's side, but I kind of got distracted. That's all still in here, at least kind of, but I want to talk about some other stuff, first. Primarily this: there's a big shift in how this story approaches the concept of destiny for s6 and s7.

Outside of the very specific instance of "destiny is a book you write yourself," both arc 1 and the first half of arc 2 are much more focused on free will as breaking a cycle whose continuation is demanded by historical, cultural, situational, and emotional pressures—recognizing that it's possible to choose a better future, regardless of what you or anyone else has chosen in the past.

To introduce destiny as a force beyond those pressures—one that says certain future events are so immutable as to be foreseen years or centuries in advance—is a significant change in the playing field. What s6 and s7 add to the story is a power that could take all the hard-won choices of love and forgiveness and freedom that were built up in s1-s5, and render them powerless.

Yeah, it's... a turn. Not one that doesn't make sense, however. The narrative is also shifting away from the (largely resolved) Humanity-Xadia conflict, with the freed Aaravos emerging as an antagonist on a much greater scale (ha) than he has been operating thus far as a manipulator. In a lot of ways, s6 and s7 are meant to make the heroes feel small (ha) again, as they are caught up in a war between beings of much greater power.

All That Prophecy Rubbish: Season Six's Narrative Pivot Toward Destiny

So outside of Callum's dream in s2, the concept of destiny as an actual force that can be perceived via prophetic visions (rather than as a representation of the illusion that choice is not possible) doesn't really appear until Callum and Rayla reach the Starscraper. We immediately get hit with a prophecy that anticipates deliverance by a "chosen two"... which, after initial reluctance and skepticism, Callum and Rayla go on to fulfill.

There's not really a lot of time taken to truly examine the ramifications of the entire concept—the narrative is itself a little coy on whether Callum and Rayla actually are the chosen two (and what that might mean), but the audience is meant to follow Callum's thought process as he becomes increasingly convinced that not only can he and Rayla meet the terms of the prophecy, they are the only ones who can. He winds up being both right and wrong... they do fulfill the prophecy, but not at all in the way he had laid out.

This sudden introduction of not just destiny, but prophecy—i.e. the idea that the course of events is so immutable as to be revealed ahead of time—is immediately followed by Kosmo's time-blindness and reading of Callum's "star" as shrouded in darkness. Callum has been fatalistic about his dark magic corruption before, but this actually takes him to the brink of giving up—until/unless Kosmo intervenes by altering his own actions in order to manipulate Callum's. As a follow-up to "destiny is a book you write yourself," this is all kind of insane.

Then, to top it all off, we have the ultimate reveal of the cosmic order and its defenders, who—along with Aaravos—foresaw the end that he now seeks to ensure.

It is Only Fitting: The Nature of Prophecies as Seen in Seasons Six and Seven

Season 7 doubles down on what s6 started, opening with Kosmo reading a prophecy from the starweaver spiders' tapestries and the implication that they are a neutral source. Kosmo is certain that what he sees there is "what will be," and cannot be avoided or prevented:

Death Alive In darkness thrives They wither and writhe In Sun's true light But the Fallen One brings Eternal Night

It's a pretty bullet-point description of what happens, so the starweaver spiders are apparently pretty accurate. Not great poets, though.

Kosmo also gives Astrid some unknown number of additional prophecies before she leaves, with the caveat that (as she later repeats to Callum) they "might not all be true." We know that Kosmo is familiar with visions of future events that don't come to pass, and even deliberately averted, because he does exactly that in s6—he sees an undesirable future play out, and changes it to a more desirable one by altering his own action at a critical moment.

The most significant of these prophecies, revealed to us much later, describes the climactic events of s7:

When the hour turns black, one with dark eyes will save us all... and choose his own end.

This prophecy is more similar in format to the one about the chosen two, which the Elder prefaced as foretold by "the Timeblind." Are these two different kinds of prophecies, one a factual description of fated events—"the story of the heavens"—and the other a more interpretive possibility to be claimed or denied?

If there is an unbiased prophecy provided by the stars that details an immutable destiny, presumably the Startouch elves—the Great Ones, the stars themselves—would have access to it. But who knows? Plenty of magical creatures have powers granted by their arcanum that elves don't. Maybe the spiders are special.

We don't get the phrasing or details of the prophecy shared by Aaravos and the cosmic council, only that they have all seen it, and that it indicates humans receiving magic as the inciting event for some kind of doom.

Interestingly, it also seems to be a fate that the council felt could be averted—they appear to not know how or when it would occur, and attempted to exert whatever control would prevent it. Punitive justice of the kind they insist on for Leola is generally argued as a deterrent to others who might repeat the crime—but what is there to repeat, in this case? The events that stem from humans receiving magic presumably cannot be stopped or prevented after they begin, whether Leola lives or dies. If not, why was it even a prophecy?

Similarly, Aaravos makes what he perceives (or frames) as the sacrifice of enduring "an eternity of pain" in order to ensure that the doom they foresaw comes to pass, which suggests that he believes in the possibility that it was never really, truly 100% certain that it would happen. His vengeance is not just delivering the fate the council feared, but also them knowing that all of it was his doing, not the unknowable hand of destiny. He wants them to appreciate the irony of their cosmic order unraveling as a direct consequence of their cruelty in trying to avert that fate.

This puts him in the position of acting as an agent of destiny to bring about the prophesied future in a subversive way—setting up fulfillment of fated events in ways that further his own plans. However, I think this also gives him a reliance on the concept of destiny that then drives a lot of the tension between him and the rest of the cast around that theme. His arrogance is in believing that there is no end in which he does not eventually win—after all, everything he's pursuing is, in some way, already destined to happen.

(His downfall, naturally, is in his planned fulfillment of destiny being twisted back out of his hands in ways he doesn't expect.)

It's Not About You, Is It: When Prophecies Collide

Anyway, let's go back to Kosmo's prophesy for the climactic events of s7:

When the hour turns black, one with dark eyes will save us all... and choose his own end.

The audience, at this point primed by several episodes of Callum's agonizing, accepts (as does Callum, himself) that it refers to a final choice to end the threat of Aaravos through dark magic, the only means now available to him. As with the prophecy of the chosen two, it is then fulfilled in an unexpected manner—it's the corrupted shade of Avizandum who takes back his free will and delivers the killing bite, accepting a second death to save (at minimum) his son.

One feature that stands out about this prophecy is that it has a distinct point of view—presumably that of the living population of Xadia (which includes Kosmo), who it claims will be saved from doom. So is this a vision accessed only by Kosmo, or is it visible to everyone with the equivalent of time-blindness? What if Aaravos foresaw the same thing, or something similar?

When given Kosmo's prophecy, both the audience and Callum expect the fulfillment to be that Callum will sacrifice his life (choose his own end) after using dark magic (one with dark eyes) to successfully imprison Aaravos (save us all). Aaravos's behavior and reactions suggest that he at least knows that a dark mage will stand against him (and who would that be, besides Callum), and make a final sacrifice. Even if he does pick up on the "will save us all" aspect, it's quite vague—"us" may or may not include those currently fighting, and they could be saved from eternal night, but not from Aaravos himself. It's entirely possible that a valid fulfillment is Aaravos taking Callum as a vessel. It's not entirely clear what Aaravos would actually do with that situation, but he's willing to count it as a win.

What he's not willing to count as a win is being imprisoned again, and the only time he has a negative reaction is when it's revealed that Runaan, not Rayla, is prepared to kill Callum and prevent Aaravos from escaping the spell by taking him. It definitely seems like he's got some other information that he's drawing on, here—maybe another prophecy—that makes him confident that Rayla will be unable to kill Callum. When Runaan is removed, even though Rayla takes his place, he's not worried by Callum beginning the spell. Destiny, as far as he's concerned, is back on track.

Now, we know that the prophecy both Callum and Aaravos are focused on is only one out of some unknown number that Kosmo gave to Astrid, all of them less certain than the "Death Alive" one from the starweaver spiders. Aaravos is known for contingencies within contingencies, so if he's factoring one prophecy into his plan, he's probably factoring in several.

When Ezran and Zym appear, Aaravos goes from visibly angry—possibly cornered—back to being satisfied with the way things are progressing. He purposefully set things in motion for Ezran to arrive with the Novablade (i.e. Aanya is correct, it was a trap), because another thing he's willing to count as a win is his death taking all his enemies with him. The archdragons are reluctant to kill him, knowing that he'll return and they won't. Ezran, however, doesn't fully appreciate the level of devastation Aaravos's death will unleash—that it will kill him, Callum, and everyone else.

This could all be just garden-variety manipulation, but doesn't it sound at least a little bit like a prophecy? It even has a similar cadence to Kosmo's:

The brave king and the Dragon Prince will seal my fate... and light the world on fire.

Even more interestingly, Ezran and Zym's appearance does seal Aaravos's fate, just like one with black eyes does save them all. Because here comes Avizandum, out of nowhere with the steel chair.

Conclusions

So what's the actual point, here?

Well, choice actually winds up being a significant factor in the two major prophecies I've covered, both in their actual text—"the chosen two," "choose his own end"—and in their fulfillment. Was Kosmo's prophecy actually about Avizandum all along, even when Callum claimed it as his to fulfill? Did Callum and Rayla fulfill the prophecy at the Starscraper because they were the chosen two, or because they were the two who chose to do so? Are prophecies ever actually about anyone in particular, or are they just choices someone can make?

And with the story leaning heavily into destiny and prophecy as devices at the same time that Aaravos is getting back on track in his planned vengeance of fulfilling the prophecy of doom that made the cosmic council demand Leola's punishment... I suspect we'll see a lot more of "that prophecy rubbish," as Rayla puts it, going forward.

[seeker-ophelia]

Ophelia’s Review, Part Three: The Lore

Man. Thank you to @senseandaccountability ’s post for sparking this brainwyrm because I was at a loss for words on how to start this post, and I could not put my finger on what was actually bothering me.

Again, let me just say, emotionally, this game wrecked me. I enjoyed it. I (am probably one of the few who) liked the combat. I liked the companions (basic as they are). And I liked the story. I liked the locations. I liked the quests and the loot system and the companion banter. But.

The Lore.

[Part 1:Emotion]   [Part 2:The Dragon Age System]

If you’ve read my Part 2 Review, you know the end of it is actually its own little fic-let on the Veilguard realizing the veil needs to come down.

And I’m just going to straight up copy a paragraph from @SenseAndAccountability ‘s post (I strongly recommend you go read it, its fantastic).

Replaying really emphasizes how incredibly little the game convinces me of its original main quest - to prevent Solas from doing his ritual. This is a problem as a long-term player because for three games we’ve had build up for a great crescendo tackling the overarching themes of the (restrictions and oppression of) magic, of tears in the Veil, of religious tyranny and oppression based on myths about the Black City and the temptations of flawed humans, we’ve seen and deconstructed the elves quite a bit, we got started on the dwarves and in DAI your Inquisitor can openly ask Solas if it wouldn’t be better if the Veil came down because then spirits wouldn’t be separated from the living and risk becoming demons. Cole, whose function is to reflect the plot, talks endlessly about the old songs wanting to be sung again, about how it hurts to be cut off from part of yourself, how the templars feel it, how the mages feel it, how the elves and the dwarves feel it. The Veil as a prerequisite for life has been deconstructed, the Fade demystified, the gods have mostly fallen. The Veil as an actual wound inflicted on this earth has been presented as a theory and not been convincingly rejected by the narrative. 

Let’s recap, just a little bit.

In Origins, we are introduced to the Dragon Age World. Its politics, its magic physics, the races, and its religion. We are introduced to the concept of the Chantry and the Templars and the Circles (*wiggles my eyebrows at you). We learn about demon possession, and about spirits in the fade. And maybe most importantly, we are introduced to the concept of The Blight.

The unstoppable, indiscriminate zombie-plague that sweeps Thedas once a century or so. And maybe more importantly, thanks to the sacrifice of the Grey Wardens, how to stop it.

In 2, the Thedas lore is even subtler. We were introduced to Dalish Gods in Origins, but because of Merrill we get a little more. We start to become curious about the Gods of the race that has been subjugated and enslaved throughout the common Ages. We learn the tense political atmosphere surrounding the Templars and the Mages, and the Chantry’s weakening hold on the politics and structure of Southern Thedas as a whole. We learn about slavery in the north, about the basics of the Qunari, and we have a Terrorist (potentially our lover), hit the religious organization in our city.

In Inquisition, we learn all about the magic. We learn about the fade, about the veil, we learn all about the Elvhen. We pick a side in the Mage/Templar war, we learn about this strange process of Tranquility, the only power templars have to control mages (thanks to Cassandra), and we also learn what that control costs (thanks to Cullen).

And because of Solas, and Cole, we learn about spirits. About how the Veil turns them to demons on their passing into the real world. About how all they want is to stay true to their purpose. They are simple, pure things, and while there are demons, of course, its not all bad in the fade as maybe we might have believed before. After all, Solavellan’s first kiss happens in the fade.

In Descent, we learn about titans, about memories, about songs, about lyrium, about isatunoll.

In Trespasser we learn about why the Titans even matter. Orbs. Power. Greed. The creation of the Veil, and what it really means.

*Insert Kronk Oh-Yeah-Its-All-Coming-Together.gif*

We had 10 years to scheme. 10 years for theories. 10 years to datamine.

So what did we learn in Veilguard?

Well, in the grand scheme of things, nothing.

We have theories confirmed. Which Evanuris hat belongs to who, how the blight was created, how the blight is spread, and how the blight is controlled (kinda-not-really). At least, we learn how the Evanuris are doing it.

What did we learn that was NEW?

We learned about the Morn Watch (but I mean, did we really?) Emmerich has a good relationship with wisps and spirits. We learn about his distinction between a spirit and a soul.

We learned *a little* more about Qunari culture.

We learned it was a blood magic ritual that was holding the veil up, tied to the life force of the Evanuris, now tied to Solas.

We learned about the Evanuris’ Dragon-Thralls and the strong connection between the two, a connection strong enough to get their souls out of Solas’ Fade Jail.

We learned that the Evanuris could not only control The Blight, but had relics to give to others (the Venatori) to control blighted things. We learned their greed for power was so vast, so consuming, they were willing to Blight the world to achieve it.

But we fought an archdemon, in Origins and in Veilguard. We see and know the terror and horror of the Blight.

This makes any action Solas commits understandable, and even necessary. Would we have done anything different? If my leaders were bent on blighting the world, wouldn’t I go to extreme lengths to stop them? Compromising my own morals, dignity, and values to do so?

I think I would.

Having such a terrible evil, having such an indiscriminately bad thing, The Blight, leaves absolutely no room for nuance. No room for complexity. Just good versus bad. Destroy the bad thing at all costs.

So we do. Wham, bam, Evanuris dead.

And the only thing stopping us from tearing down the Veil, is the Blight.

Because Solas tells us that the Blight is in there too.

But, he made a new Prison for the Evanuris, one without a veil, before Rook & Co. interrupted his ritual. Why can’t we move the blight into there and still tear down the Veil?

What is stopping us at this point?

Solas says: Thousands would die

(You’re trapped in your regrets)

This is why you had to use me to escape the prison. It’s made from regrets. And you’re trapped in yours.

You cannot understand -  

Destroying everything won’t erase your mistakes.

You have a chance right now to save the world. Bind yourself to the Veil and stop it from falling.

2. (Do this the right way)

You’re right, you do need to make up for the damage you’ve done, but breaking the world again is the wrong way to do it.

Letting the veil collapse –

Is what YOU want. Making amends isn’t about what YOU want.

You have a chance right now to save the world. Bind yourself to the Veil and stop it from falling.

3. (This won’t help anyone)

Who does this help? A lot of people are going to die… So you can fix something they don’t even see as wrong.

It is not just people, spirits –

Will be destroyed when you do this, too. Won’t they?

You have a chance right now to save the world. Bind yourself to the Veil and stop it from falling.

Listen. I can't believe I'm about to say this, but there's more to Dragon Age than Solavellan.

This, in the end, was an emotional decision. The decision to leave the veil up was tied to emotion, and not logic.

So, what does all this mean?

Well, for players new to the series, nothing. They were always fighting for the Veil to stay up. The opposite of what the antagonist wants, pretty much. Easy enough to follow along.

But for returning players? Lavellans who stood in Fade-Haven? Players who walked Vir Dirthara? Mages who made the Descent, and saw how horrible it was for the dwarves to be sundered from their dreams, and made the horrifying connection that the Veil did the same to them?

Trespasser Solas: You must understand, I awoke in a world where the Veil had blocked most people’s conscious connection to the Fade. It was like walking through a world of Tranquil. (We aren’t even people to you?) Not at first. You showed me that I was wrong… again. That does not make what must come next any easier.

When I learned about the rite of Tranquility in Origins, I was disgusted. The first thing that popped into my head was lobotomization. They are one and the same to me. Turning a person into a husk of what they were. Separating them from their emotions. From hard emotions, yes, from things that are not easy, even painful, but at the cost of themselves.

We walk with Harding through her decision to, although the Titans are angry, and what was taken from her people was great, not reunite Titan and Dwarf because…

Lace: The story of their end is the story of our beginning.

Mythal releases Solas from his journey to reunite Elvhen with the Fade.

Harding releases angry Titans from their quest to reunite with the Dwarvhen.

And so the Veil stays up. The Titans stay sundered.

But… at what cost?

Lest we forget, it was the sundering of the Titans from the Dwarves that CREATED THE BLIGHT. The Titans created the blight as a weapon to infect the Elvhen as punishment for their death, their tranquility.

This Tranquility Ritual, be it in the form of keeping Mages from the fade, be it of Titans or of Elvhen, is WRONG.

I’m a Blue-Collar Journeyman, and we have a turn of phrase we use with old fellers who don’t want to change the way they do things.

Just because you’ve been doing something for a long time, doesn’t mean you’ve been doing it right.

You can do something for years, and still be doing it wrong.

And both Lace and Rook decide that this is the way things have been done, for AGES. We’re not going to change now.

And I’m just… Solas. As John Travolta playing Vincent Vega in Pulp Fiction, confusingly standing there, looking around with my arms out.

Did we learn nothing from the Lessons of Origins? Nothing from the Lessons of Inquisition?

Maintain the Status Quo? That’s the answer?

At what cost?

One of my favourite lines in in my Part 2 Post is this;

Veilguard, is shallow. The essence is there, beneath it's Veil, pressing and bursting at the seams to escape, but is being held back by a gentrification of Thedas.

This decision, the decision to keep the veil up, is shallow. Its basic. Its Easy. It is pre-masticated, lunchable drivel. It was spoon fed to us in easy dialogue and groupthink.

What about every other thing we learned in the other games of Dragon Age?

If Weekes et al. want me to forget about how horrible the Rite of Tranquility is, they’re going to have to come out with a hell of a companion novel between now and DA5, because this makes no sense to me.

I ask you. If sundering Titans created The Blight, what did sundering the Fade create?

Or should I say,

If separating Dwarvhen from their Memories created the Blight (out of Titan anger),

What did separating Elvhen from the Fade create?????

Lets talk about Ser Dave.

If you read my part 2, you’ll know that Ser Dave is my name for the ‘?????’

Not only is it so insulting to my intelligence to call something ‘?????,’ because of course then I’m going to pay more attention to it, but its so lazy. Let it introduce itself to Rook and say “call me the wicked witch of the west,’ ‘a concerned party,’ ‘I am the Batman,’ ‘I am No One,’ ‘I am Daivd Gaider,’ ffs.

An I excited at a new villain? Yes. Am I happy to learn there was a shadow organization pulling the strings behind all of my villains throughout The Dragon Age? Abso-fucking-lutely not. Am I happy Southern Thedas, Treviso, and Minrathous are essentially razed after the rise of the Evanuris? No.

Nothing we did in any of our previous games mattered. Nothing I did mattered. Ser Dave was there the whole time, controlling, balancing, guiding, whispering.

I was doomed to fail from the start.

The moral of the story in Veilguard is to not assume the burden of others actions:

And yet its Ser Dave and the Nazgul Band that assumes responsibility for my villains?

What in the Actual Fuck?

So what is going to happen in 5? I don't know. Will I find true agency? How do we have a villain worse than a God? How do we live in a Tranquil’d world, knowing the alternative? How do you bring back the dark, heavy, realness of Thedas, after the gentrification of Veilguard? After blanding Thedas, making it easier for more palates, needing to feed the EA Machine.

For the record, I have yet to complete my second playthrough. I have yet to find all the codices. I have yet to get all the companion banter. I have yet to play as every race. I have yet to make every decision. And if Inquisition taught me anything, its how one little piece of information can change everything. So, for the record, this whole post could be wrong.

In fact, I hope, and pray, that I am missing a big piece of something in Veilguard. That I just haven’t found it yet. That one little thing that’s going to shift my worldview. And I’m going to play until I find it.

Because these messages Veilguard is sending? They’re too contradictory. Too opposite to be coincidence. Too Different to simply be Bad Writing™. I said that Veilguard is a Tranquilized Version of what DA4 could have been. Inquisition, 2, and Origins, were too deep, for Veilguard to be this shallow.

And… Maybe its copium, but I’m kind of hoping that it was on purpose.

[ddarker-dreams]

do you have any more yan golden girl thoughts you can share 🤲 i am devouring them every single time

ohhh boy ohhhhh man.... it really is something... here are some yan branch ideas (from their high school years).

(reader here is described as fem, satoru and suguru are gaslit gatekeep girlboss-ing their way into making you their girlfriend)

for starters, satoru and suguru handle the kaizu incident much worse. what little tact they have in the main storyline is gone lol. this has short-term success and long-term consequences. rather than giving you the time to recover and reflect, suguru sneakily introduces guilt. he stresses that you should've told them that you can't perform cursed technique: null without hurting yourself in the process. had they known, they would've found another way.

then there's satoru. he just starts coming along on your assignments. if you get annoyed and tell him to quit following you, he seemingly concedes. that is, until every time you arrive at your assignment's destination, you find him lounging around, having already exorcised the curse. while you're recovering from his audacity, he's making dinner plans, brochure in hand. he's pointing at a famous local restaurant instead of acknowledging your frustration.

"you took forever to get here," he'll lament with a yawn. "i was so bored. ready to ditch this place?"

they safeguard you from any danger at the cost of eroding your relationship.

you came here to learn, to grow in strength and potential. how can you do that under these circumstances? suguru interferes behind the scene so you’re given less assignments, satoru tags along uninvited for the few you manage to land. it’s frustrating and demotivating. trying to get them to see reason is akin to arguing with a brick will. satoru waves off your frustrations whereas suguru listens. in a way, this is almost worse. suguru gives the false impression that you might be changing his mind. he’ll nod along as you vent, his countenance solemn and his voice soft. he’ll validate your smaller plights while twisting your perspective on the most pressing issues. you come away from the interactions unsure of what to feel.

are you making a big deal of things? is satoru just expressing concern in his weird why? maybe they could be handling it better, but it isn’t like their intentions are malicious, you did almost die in front of them… etc etc. the seeds of self-doubt blossom until they’ve made your mind a garden.

then there’s the whole ‘you're our girlfriend now’ bit that deserves mention. satoru kicked it off and suguru went with it. you didn’t think much of it at first, especially since they both conveniently forgot to fill you in on this major development. after showering, you’ll leave the restroom to find satoru sitting on your bed in his slacks, acting like it’s the most normal thing. they stand on either side of you when you’re traveling by train. suguru’s hand finds yours when navigating busy crowds, his grip gentle while also communicating he won’t let you slip away.

you only find out that you've apparently been their girlfriend for months when satoru complains about the lack of a first kiss. when you understandably express your confusion, he coos over how you're 'acting shy.' suguru isn't much help. he opts for the gaslight route.

"you forgot the evening where we...?" he'll begin, visibly crestfallen. "but i thought... ah, never mind... no, it's nothing, really..."

(the 'evening' in question does not exist, he's trying to confuse you so you're more willing to accept this bombshell).