#thought about going with the obvious snake and lion

[itsphantasmagoria]

Eclipse

May Microcreation for the Drarry Creative Collective - Hidden Identities

My Microcreation was inspired by the Venetian masks my mom collected and hung up all over the hallway outside my bedroom growing up. Luckily I thought they were pretty rather than terrifying. I pictured them meeting at a masquerade ball and even though they definitely recognize each other (because they're obsessed of course), they pretend they don't.

[em-ontv]

The Unlikely Pair

Pairing: Sirius Black x fem!slytherin!reader

Summary: a Gryffindor and a Slytherin, both just recently been through breakups, uses each other as rebound dates to the Yule Ball, but the night ended with something a bit more.

Warnings: none really, profanity (like one use), uses of y/n.

Author’s note: just a quick piece I wrote, thought it’d be interesting. English is not my first language, mistakes should be present, apologies beforehand.

Word count: 702

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If Sirius had told himself from a week ago that he would be going to the Yule Ball with a Slytherin, with you, he would’ve laughed. But here he was, dressed in proper attire, an arm wrapped around your waist, the subtle music echoing through the Great Hall that had practically been transformed into a winter wonderland, glittering with icy decorations.

The look… on James, Remus, and Peter’s faces was ridiculous, staring wide-eyed at the sight while they were all single-pringle.

Sirius didn’t really know how he got here except for the fact that he, indeed, had been dumped just a few days ago. It was disastrous, but his pride refused to let himself just mope around after the breakup. Though, he was in shortage of a date to the dance.

He had heard that you’ve been through a recent breakup too. It was messy, painful, and nearly the whole school heard about it.

So what better way was there for sweet, sweet revenge than for you and him to use each other as rebound dates and make your exes jealous? Although you and him both had disdain for each other, not just through the difference of your houses, you both agreed to put on this act for tonight.

“How’s the drinks?” Sirius’s eyes settled on you, taking a sip from his own glass and trying to make small-talk, despite his obvious sarcasm. “Cheer up, at least we’re not in the common rooms, wallowing in self-pity.”

You scoffed.

“I’d never thought I’d be here with a Slytherin,” he leaned down slightly to match your height, his mouth next to your ear. “But desperate times call for desperate measures.” he shot you a smirk.

“How’s life in the lion pit? Still full of self-righteous prats?” you shot back, a snort leaving your lips.

“Charming as ever, y/n. And life in the snake pit?” he chuckled.

His grip on your waist suddenly tightened when he saw another pair of eyes staring at you. Must be the ex, he thought to himself, tugging you a lot closer, your bodies brushing against one another.

The sharp inhale of jealousy from your ex’s mouth proved Sirius’s act to be victorious. Sirius raised his glass at him. “Enjoy the night,” the mocking line left his lips with a smile before he took a sip of his drink and you elbowed him.

“Ow— what was that bloody for?” he choked for a few seconds.

“For being a smartass.” you answered, taking a sip of your own drink with slight amusement.

“Well, sorry for being the noble knight in shiny armor that I am.” he retorted, taking both your glasses and putting them down onto the table before dragging you onto the dance floor.

As the night wore on, the tension between the two of you began to ease. The dance floor was filled with couples and laughter, and in the midst of it was you and Sirius. And for a brief moment, he forgot that he was supposed to dislike you. You were witty, and your sarcasm matched his, he couldn’t help but let his gaze linger on you for a bit too long.

When the night ended, Sirius had walked you back to your common room, hands stuffed into his pockets to hide the nervous fidgeting he was doing with his fingers.

“You know, y/n. You’re not half as bad as I thought you’d be.” he stopped you before you could enter through the door.

“You too, but don’t let it go to your head, Black.” you turned around to face him, a slight smile on your face.

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” he smirked in response, his eyes flickering to your lips subtly. “Goodnight, Slytherin.”

“Goodnight, Gryffindor.” you caught his gaze, stepping forward to press a kiss to the side of his face, then you turned and walked into the common room, shutting the door behind yourself.

Sirius stood there, stunned for a few seconds, his hand raised to gently graze his fingers against the spot on his face that you had kissed. His face started burning, a genuine smile curled on his lips.

A proper kiss next time, Slytherin, he made a mental note to himself.

[ttkinnie]

Tokyo Revengers characters as animals 💖 (for no reason)

Kazutora: let's start with the most obvious one, our resident tiger. Which is funny considering he gives 0 tiger vibes. Or maybe rescued declawed tiger from an abusive circus. Wait a sec... Hanma and Kisaki have a circus theme going on... why did I never notice this? This starts well. Saddest tiger pic I could find

Baji: A black gray wolf of course. 'nuff said

Chifuyu: A cat. Kitty kitty meow meow. Not crazy enough to be orange, but he's gotta have green eyes and a kind face. This tuxedo:

Koko: Talking about cats, here he is. Most obvious choice I've ever made. Black cat of course, very fancy, will knock shit off the counter and eats only the most expensive wet food

Inupi: second most obvious one because you've gotta pick the race of the dog too. I say he's the only serious golden retriever you've ever seen.

Takemichi: A mouse. He is squeaky and scared, looks like he eats cheese. Very cute. Big eyes.

Hinata: A doe, beautiful and kind but will ram into you if you touch her loved ones

Naoto: a buck because I am unoriginal. he does give off buck vibes tho

Hanma: I know the official art makes him a caracal but I love being contradictory so maned wolf it is. Plus look at its long legs and creepy demeanor, it's him

Kisaki: Listen, I am not the most partial person when it comes to him. He's my little meow meow, I wanna put either cat or bunny ears on him and squish his cheeks. But! Let's be honest, that boy is a snake. The deadliest snake in the world, the saw scaled viper, not the most venomous but highly aggressive. He eats mouse Takemichi for breakfast. Also look at its scales, they remind me of his adult hair.

Mikey: A honey badger, small and cute but will bite your balls off and kill your family for fun.

Draken: A lion, beautiful mane and a symbol of strength. Lives among a tribe of lionesses (lucky him)

Mitsuya: I do not like spiders. At all. But an animal literally producing silk is the only choice for Mitsuya. However I am not masochistic so i won't put a spider image, just the web

Taiju: Great white shark. Very smooth skin. Anyone who tells you they have sandpaper skin is lying.

Hakkai: A seal, same eyes, same innocence, favorite prey of the great white shark

Yuzuha: An orca, beautiful but deadly. Only predator of the great white shark. Also eats seals but let's not comment on that. I support women's wrongs.

Pah-chin: it's too cliché to put warthog here, so i won't. He's a cane toad, one of the stupidest animal on Earth, one of their most common cause of death is eating shit they shouldn't because they stuff their mouth without thinking. They also hump anything, including dead animals from another species, and lay their eggs anywhere, which leads to a high mortality rate among their offspring. Why did I give so many facts? I don't know. Look at it.

Peh-yan: A tarsier. it's the eyes.

Sanzu: Arctic hare, crazy eyes and a gift for divination if you can understand his language

Senju: a cutie baby. Bunny x2, will kick you.

Takeomi: a rat. I am not a hater, rats can be cute, but this guy definitely gives off rat vibes

Wakasa: So very pretty. White leopard of course.

Benkei: A bull. I always thought his tattoos were a bull, but I was wrong I just looked it up. Still a bull.

Shinichiro: This one was though, but I'd say a koala. I'm partial about it, but I feel like he would give his children poop to eat, and their reproductive habits are also not a good look on them.

Emma: Japanese dwarf flying squirrel because I play favorites and that's the cutest little furball ever. it looks like it's wearing eyeliner

Izana: Another small but deadly thing, the Australian box jellyfish, found notably along the coast of Malaysia (I feel so clever right now)

Kakucho: Fiercely loyal dog, he's a Rottweiler. Don't tell me Izana and him don't have some kind of puppy play going on.

Ran: Secretary bird. Canonically hates Kisaki which explains why he stomps snakes to death. Wears killer eyeshadow and looks like they hate your fashion style

Rindou: Did you know a group of male Pacific tree frogs is called a chorus? me neither, which is why Rindou is a Pacific tree frog. Peace of music, yeah

Mucho: Polar bear, cold and aggressive. Plus arctic hare and polar bear, there's a theme

[coleslawleviathan]

okay so. i challenged myself to try and draw some snakes and try to capture the features i want to stand out for them. i wanted to see if i could make them all look distinct but where its obvious they look extremely similar.

heres the main lineup but i want to get into design elements for them as well as some personal headcanons.

FIRST! bibo.

okay so. i'm going to toot my own horn here. i think his beard looks so fire and i did a good job. i imagine this design is around the portable ops era... not much else to say because most of the interesting stuff (at least to me) comes from the differences the others have from him.

V!!! I LOVE YOU V!!!!!!!!!!

for venom snake, i made him look like big boss but Something's Off. in the game people often (notably huey and the boss' ai) don't recognize him as big boss for a few seconds. an imperfect replica because you cannot get that close with plastic surgery. i made the fat distribution on his neck a bit different from bibo's because i imagine the way that the human body configures itself is hard to change. if you noticed the little snake-tongue-shaped-hair-doohickeys, he is the only one with a slightly different shape. it's a genetic thing, you wouldn't get it. just thought that was silly. his hair texture is different, too. can u tell i like him a lot. also, my favorite detail might be his different nose shape. they never got bibo's nose right i guess. in mgsv, he actually has a bit of a downturned nose, and i honestly don't think i captured that enough.

TIME FOR MY FAVORITE BOY. LOVE OF MY LIFE. HOLDER OF MY GENDER ENVY. solid snake :3

SNAVID! the most obvious difference here is his nose. he broke it as a kid lol. i love headcanons. there's not as much to say about him as with venom, but i can say that he is incredibly handsome and i like him. i think he is cute. was he free yesterday? if so i would like to have dinner yesterday with him yesterday. well... i will say that out of this specific lineup i think he looks the most like good old dad. which is awful and i feel bad for him.

FINALLY: LIQUID!!!!!!!

i gave him his canonical sharp nose and high cheekbones! i based a lot of his features off how he looked as a kid so he really has little shit vibes about him. he also has thinner eyebrows, and i headcanon that he does them himself lol. he has less sideburny sideburns than his brother. his eyelids are also smaller. he also does look kinda like kaz so its plausible that he tricked dave! yippee! i also like drawing his hair. its such a great hairstyle. it reminds me of a lion's mane.

N E WAYS... i hope you enjoyed me rambling about giving these goobers a more realistic design for future reference. i like talking about this kind of stuff. life is so much better without same face syndrome.

[batmanfruitloops]

Alright long but silly post, going into the reason why the furry versions are the animals they are. A few choices are influenced by the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles v.s. Batman, some choices are already associated with the character (Catwoman, Penguin, etc.). Most choices are an uneven mix of visual, symbolic, and behavioral. So some have more thought put into them than others but it's all for fun.

Batman (Bruce Wayne) -Vampire bat

A pretty obvious choice. I think specifically a vampire bat is fitting, they are very stealthy and aware. They come built with the perfect tools for lapping blood and cause little harm (excluding diseases). Just as Batman always comes with what he needs and only causes as much damage as necessary. Bats are also social creatures and thrive in groups, so there is a bit of irony there. Bruce can put on a good face for the public and business but isolates himself and therefore goes against his nature. He craves family but keeps his loved ones at arm's length in fear of losing them.

Joker (John Doe) - Red-banded spitting cobra

This is a choice influenced by the TMNT v.s. Batman. Also haha Lego Batman clown snakes. I chose this because I'm tired of both snakes and clowns being seen as evil. John is already the way he is because both Sarsee and I agree clowns should be silly and whimsical instead of how more modern media portrays them as creepy and scary, which also includes the Joker. Snakes are my favorite animals. So keeping Joker as a cobra represents what we have set out to do with the au in the first place.

In terms of behavior, John acts mostly the opposite of what you would expect. Snakes are mostly solitary and overall not very social. John is a very outgoing person and extraverted, but he's social skills are stunned from both being autistic and his childhood. So not quite fitting in but he enjoys standing out. Though cobras are a more intelligent species of snake. John is very clever but most wouldn't guess that. As the Joker, John relies on the element of surprise and subverting your expectations. As a bonus spitting venom is similar to a clown's flower spraying water.

Two-Face (Harvey Dent) - Puma

A partial TMNT chose. Instead of just a cat, I went with a puma. Pumas are not classified as big cats but are the largest cat in North America. Despite not being a big cat their presence demands respect. Even when you do not see them if you are in their territory you would be wise to be careful. Pumas know how to pick their fights, taking on challenges with strategy and retreating when they know they are outmatched.

I think these things fit Harvey and Two-Face quite well. He may not be as high on the social ladder as say, Bruce, but he is no less of an important figure in his community. You know when he is in the room and you think about him when he isn't there. He is intelligent and strategic. He's never to be underestimated and most fear and or respect him. These things apply as a rogue or as a candidate. These strengths are what put a target on his back and thus becoming Two-Face. I also do not know enough about this but pumas are not as solitary as other cats. Which fit with Harvey's ambivert personality.

Harley Quinn (Harleen Quinzel) - Spotted Hyena

This one is also an obvious one I would think. Spotted hyenas are a matrical species, meaning the females are in charge. Harley as a character I think usually represents feminine strength at least in recent years. Hyenas are very strong, they take what they want and fiercely protect what is theirs. They have a nasty reputation but live in a pretty unforgiving environment. Hyenas actually do hunt and have to protect their prizes from animals like lions. They have good reason to be the way they are.

Harley is a pretty unpleasant person but she has her reasons. Having dealt with a lot throughout her life. Her actions come from a place of pain though ruthless. She is not satisfied with what she does at the end of the day. She knows she has a lot work to do and a lot to figure out. Scary as she is.

Poison Ivy (Pamela Isley)- Orchid mantis

Another animal associated with feminine power. Mantis are fierce and confident, they stand their ground even against other animals much bigger than they are. They are not very fast and can't fly very well, but are a top insect predator. They have no need to chase, just sit and wait until the opportunity to strike comes to them. Of course, they have the reputation of eating the head of their mates, but that's actually common for insects. Still fitting.

Ivy is a powerful person literally and personality-wise. She has incredible control of her environment as long as there are any plants around. She is beautiful and deadly. Anyone who can get close to her is very lucky. She's pretty content keeping to herself and her plants and is laid back when she is comfortable. She takes opportunities when they are presented to her with full force. Best stay on her good side and give her space. She makes a wonderful mantis.

Bane (Antonio Diego) - Grizzly bear

Bears are incredibly strong but it's not just brawn they have brain too. Bane is not just a brute, he knows how to use his strength well and is incredibly strategic. A bear can be a very scary animal but also fun to observe. Some find them cute, and some find them terrifying. Bane also comes off in a similar way, it just depends on what you know about him. He is someone you can have deep and philosophical conversations with but most would be too scared to approach him. Unfortunately, his addiction makes him unpredictable and behave in a way he would not want to. Bane does have a code he follows and will return the respect you give him. Just a bear will respect your space if you know how to behave in their territory.

Catwoman (Selina Kyle) - Domsitic long-hair cat

Yeah, Catwoman is meant to be a cat in person form so, I don't think there is much to explain. She comes and goes as she pleases and does what she wants. She likes to bother those with no interest in her. The whole shebang. Not bad but not good, just her own brand.

Mad Hatter (Jervis Tetch) - Arctic hare

Arctic hares are one of the largest species of hare. They mainly live alone but come together for warmth and mating. I'm still not too sure about this, I haven't found much on this yet but it seems like rabbits are much more territorially and aggressive than hares. Either way, most think Jervis is a rabbit and not a hare, because of his height and demeanor. Hares are often seen as crazy and generally have a wild reputation, and Jervis is pretty demure. This instead comes out as passion for the things he loves. However, if he is pushed too far all of his pent-up emotions and frustrations will come out in an explosive response. Despite his appearance, he's very fit and strong. He has metabolic issues that make it difficult to lose weight so in his efforts to lose it he instead makes himself stronger. A similar effect to powerlifters. I thought specifically an Arctic hare was fitting because of this reason, as an arctic animal it's incredibly important for them to gain weight to survive the harsh weather. Something that others believe including Jervis himself thinks is a weakness actually becomes a strength. He does become more comfortable with himself eventually, but he has a lot of trauma to overcome to fix his own self-image.

Riddler (Edward Nigma) - Domestic rat

Rats are very social and intelligent. Despite media depictions, they keep themselves clean and are very affectionate. Ed is very much an extrovert and hates being alone, though he can be overbearing at times he loves those close to him very much and gives as much as he takes. Rats are great at getting around being able to squeeze into most places and can tread water for a long time (ironically Ed cannot swim). Ed can also squirm his way into anything be it physically or finding information. Rats enjoy causing mischief and are often high-energy, they need a lot of enrichment. Ed is functioning at 100% and crashes to 0% once he's out of energy, he has to keep himself busy and do little evil genius tasks until he's completely exhausted himself.

(I drew these on stream and Marxtheimpish asked to give Ed a cheerio, and Jervis lettuce, Ed is mad he only got one single cheerio.)

Scarecrow (Jonathan Crane) - Milksnake

A pretty biased pick since I mentioned snakes are my favorite animal, and Scarecrow is my favorite rogue but I have a good reason for my choice. First of all, as someone raised in the South, I associate milk snakes (and therefore corn snakes and rat snakes) with the country. They can often be found on farms and are great pest control and that also makes me also associate them with scarecrows. Milksnakes mimic coral snakes to scare away predators. Jonathan does something similar and comes off as scary and intimating but for the sake of his own protection. Snakes really want to be left alone and so does Jonathan. Snakes are often misunderstood and seen as something evil (especially by some religious people), but they are anxious skittish creatures and will stay out of your way. The religious association is another reason I picked a snake. Most people assume the worst in Jonathan because of his appearance and aloof disposition. He's pretty tired of trying to prove them wrong and has convinced himself he can't be anything else. But know this, there is no such thing as an offensive snake there are only defensive snakes.

Music Meister (Darius Chapel) - Golden-breasted starling

This one is mostly a visual choice. Darius is a pretty boy so of course he should be a pretty bird. Starlings are also a songbird and incredible at mimicking sounds. Just as Darius is an incredible singer and has a wide range of expressing himself musically. I think starlings are sometimes seen as pests or nuisance, I've only heard that in passing. If that's true that fits with Darius. Some people find him annoying but he's a very pleasant person.

Polkadot man (Abner Krill) - Spotted newt

Spotted newts are poisonous and their spots and color advertise that. Just as Abner has dangerous spots. This is mainly the reason why I chose a newt for Abner. I think aposematism, when an animal is colorful because it is toxic, is a really cool thing that happens in nature. I couldn't pass up the chance. Newts are also very cute and humble animals so all the more reason.

Mr.Freeze (Viktor Fries) - Polar bear

Of course, Viktor is a polar bear. Polar bears are solitary animals, especially the males. They only need themselves, and can only afford to care for themselves in the environment they live in. Viktor is a very independent person. He's confident in his abilities and can do almost anything by himself. Nora is an arctic fox, I bring this up because arctic foxes often follow polar bears around. So they are a perfect match. Polar bears are very formidable, you do not want to get in Viktor's way. Though he may seem cold, he is a good person with a big heart.

The Penguin (Ozwald Cobblepot) - Emperor penguin

Yeah, penguin. Emperor penguins care very deeply for their families and don't much care for anyone else. They will brave harsh weather and dangerous waters all for the sake of their families. Oz does not like anyone besides his family. He'll go through any extreme he needs to, no questions asked. Just a cranky old man that wants to give his loved ones a good life.

I'm much better at expressing myself visually than verbally so I'm not sure if this was comprehensive enough. I don't feel like I got out what I had in my head properly. So please feel free to ask any questions. Also, most of these facts are from my memory and may be inaccurate, but I did my best to fact-check myself when I was unsure of something. So if I got something wrong please correct me, I love learning more about animals. Otherwise, enjoy this word vomit infodump.

-Fluffy

[ryuichirou]

Replies

One reply + suddenly a hc list today! About the animals.

Anonymous asked:

Normally I rather dislike ace and duece as a couple but something about your art makes it ok... or at least more so than normal

lol thank you Anon!

I’m glad the way I draw them makes it more appealing to you.

thestarlightfae asked:

If the twst cast were animals, which animals do you think they would be?

Hehe, I’m coming back to your last question!

I feel like we talked about similar topics every now and then, so for this post to not sound very repetitive I thought that I’m going to make it more difficult for myself and actually give everyone a couple of animals. I also tried not to be too obvious, but I’m not going to not call the Leeches eels…

Also there is no equality there, some guys have more animals than others :( Sorry!!

Riddle –  a hedgehog, a mouse, a house finch… he just feels like a loud little bird sometimes lol He’s small but he could bite or prick or peck you. Of course, he is also a goldfishie..!

Ace – a fox, a red panda, a red cat. Always getting in trouble, but still pretty independent and sly, but also ekekek’ing happily when fed and spoiled. Capricious but also an idiot.

Deuce – a jack rabbit, a dog (a mutt), a rat… I don’t know he just feels like someone who could be a great and dear friend if you let him into your life <3 He is a little bit wild, but also easily tamable.

Cater – a ferret, a parrot (not sure which one), a husky-golden retriever mix. Kind of obnoxious and loud at times, but so incredibly magicammable! At the first glance at least, but he really needs an owner that understands him.

Trey – a bear, a badger, a turtle. Once again, Floyd’s nickname feels like it works perfectly for how chill he is… but he could still somewhat dangerous, even if he looks cute and cuddly.

Leona – a lion (shocking), a maine coon (is this cheating?), a panda. I don’t know man, he’s just here to relax, even if it bites him in the ass sometimes… but maine coons are supposed to be good hunters, so!

Ruggie – a hyena, a magpie, a raccoon. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure – he is excellent at finding stuff that he wants and taking it without anyone noticing.

Jack – a wolf, a kangaroo, an irbis.  Sorry, he is such a pup it’s very difficult to think about anything else, but… don’t provoke this guy!! He’ll fuck you up!

Azul – an octopus, a Turkish angora cat, a ram. Very careful and anxious, but also gracious and smart… and super stubborn and scary when angry!!! Also, angoras love to swim! And have the most gorgeous blue eyes.

Jade – an eel, a scorpion... But I also want to acknowledge dolphins because of…certain shenanigans that they do… anyways, this one is a huge DANGER sign. Anything venomous feels pretty much like him.

Floyd – an eel, a shark, a husky-wolf mix. Once again, the first two are pretty obvious, but he is also a wild fluffy beast running around and yelling… when he feels like it. When he doesn’t, he is super lazy and gets very angry when bothered.

Kalim – a mongoose, a puppy (can’t even give you a breed, just a puppy, something super expensive though), a parakeet parrot. A mongoose is just too ironic not to pick, but he is also super friendly, excited and sociable! And colourful, of course. Always the center of all the attention.

Jamil – a snake (viper/cobra), a chameleon and a caracal cat. Once again, cautious, independent, ready to attack but very sneaky about it. Also very gorgeous looking, it’s difficult to look away even if you know it’s dangerous…

Vil – a peacock, a show dog with tons of medals and awards, a horse. Speaking of gorgeous… Truly a magnificent creature that knows his own worth. Perfectly fit, perfectly pampered and groomed, but also has quite the temper.

Rook – an eagle, a fox, a hound. I feel like it describes Rook pretty much perfectly… An excellent hunter, but also there is something so sneaky about him. But then you look at him and see someone who is very friendly and open-minded, just like a dog! Weirdo…

Epel – a bunny, a chinchilla, a Pomeranian. He would be so mad, but let’s be honest, am I wrong? The last one especially feels like a no-brainer to me: so small and oh so fierce.

Idia – a skittish cat, an anxious borzoi dog, a fallow deer. Somehow both a loner and enjoyer of good company… he is cute and long and kind of both gracious and clumsy at the same time.

Ortho – a dog (Cerberus!), a clione (sorry it’s too cute Floyd is right again), a tiger cub. The last one is probably kind of sudden, maybe I should’ve went with something flying instead, but he does feel like a little pouncing hunter sometimes…

Lilia – a bat, a sugar glider, a shrike. Small, adorable, but oh god how fucking deadly. The more I think about it, the more I think of how much of a shrike he is…

Silver – a jackalope, a unicorn, a hippogriff. All fictional animals because he is just that otherworldly lol Probably isn’t fair to everyone else, so I’ll make it even more unfair and give him three normal animals: a swan, a hare, a deer.

Sebek – a crocodile, a bull, a dog (Doberman or Rottweiler?). He is a such well-disciplined dog, but also stubborn and kind of easy to provoke. Still, he is such a pup sometimes.

Malleus – a monitor lizard, a crow, a panther. The first two are pretty explanatory, but I just couldn’t resist the last one – had to give him a big gorgeous black kitty.

[hauntedgrin]

An unnecessarily thorough analysis of the Tarot imagery in Merlin Season One by an amateur tarot reader

(who is also a hopeless romantic and is currently very affected by the disaster that is BBC Merlin)

I started watching Merlin around two months ago. I fell in love with the show instantly, even if I technically haven't finished it yet because of time reasons (though I did spoil myself everything right to the ending and I’m devastated. Still trying to find courage to start season 5. But that’s beside the point)

There was something in the first season that caught my eye and hasn't let me go since. In fact, I was thinking about it today, went on a search for discussions about it, fully under the assumption that this is something the fandom noticed long beforehand is a well-known fact. To my endless surprise, I’ve found no mention! Nada! Not a single one. That won’t do, I thought. I have to share with the people. It's something that fueled my conviction in Merlin the Show being a love story between Merlin and Arthur (whatever the nature of that love may be, I love both the platonic and romantic interpretation equally, though this specific instance could be leaning towards romance somewhat more, I'll explain it in a second) and here it is.

It's this scene.

It is Merlin and Arthur, facing each other with two cups in between them, trying to decide who is going to drink the poison, sacrifice himself and save the other. And I thought Oh my god, tarot symbolism.

That's the card, the Two of Cups. The similarities are obvious (and, in my opinion, very intentional. I’d like to kiss whoever came up with this specific creative decision)

Slight disclaimer: Tarot reading can be very subjective, meanings shift depending on the reader and their perception of the card. I’ll try to be objective with the main aspects of the cards, but there is a lot of subjective opinions too. It’s okay if you disagree)

The main meanings of this card are partnerships, loving relationships, mutual attraction, unity, harmony and, you guessed it!, soulmates. It’s not hard to see why that card would have been chosen to represent them. I think that’s the most outright the show’s ever been about calling them soulmates, without hiding behind labels such as ‘each other’s destiny’ and ‘two sides of one coin’ as if those are any less gay. There is also themes of equality and becoming one, mutual respect and, in certain cases passion and sexual attraction (though it’s not a definition that is applicable in all cases, and can absolutely be ignored for platonic or asexual relationships, it’s still one of the main aspects, given that its represented by, you know, the big red head of a lion with wings right at the top of the card. Can’t exactly forget about it.)

Personally I've always preferred the Two of Cups to The Lovers tarot card (which looks very similar and has some intersections in themes, also concerning love, intimacy, passion). Plus, The Lovers is part of the Major Arcana, so technically it should be more impactful, ‘epic’, someone said, divine. While doing some research into that distinction I've found why exactly it makes me a bit queasy. The Lovers are not always a card about love, in fact, more often it isn’t. And The Lovers aren't made for each other. That is to say, they obviously are, considering the entirety transparent Adam and Eve imagery (and this also makes it a more conservative card, with clear molds for a ‘traditional relationship’). The Lovers are brought together by a higher power, made for a purpose. It serves something. It is a message. It is a lesson. It's a choice between what you want and what you need. It is a partnership, often intense, out of this world, but it’s also about all the factors in between, the things that unite them, the snake, the temptation, the apple, the garden. It can be also about soulmates, and happy relationships, of course, about fated lovers… and mortal enemies. It actually is more in line with Merlin’s and Morgana’s relationship. Out of this world fated connection? Absolutely, guaranteed. Do you want that kind of connection though, really?

How is this relevant, you might be thinking?

Well, there is no such divine power pushing the couple portrayed by the Two of Cups. In fact, they are choosing each other. It’s only them and their union. That’s why I like it so much. They are only the way they are, not the way they are meant to be, not specifically made for each other and yet they are right for each other anyway. And, somehow, just being them is enough. Is that not love?

In Merlin we are told that Merlin and Arthur are a part of each other’s destiny. The Once and Future King and Emrys, his protector, uniting Albion, prophesized by some unnamed seer(s). Does not seem very much like a choice, does it? I guess it depends on the way you view the prophecy and destiny in the show. Is it really all inevitable, and destiny is set in stone, unable to be changed, all leading to the same end, no matter what you do? Or is it the choices themselves that are the constants, fixed in place by the prophecy fulfilling itself? I think the answers to those questions are entirely up to each viewer, and that we can only speculate on it, and never know for sure which was it. Maybe there isn’t a right answer at all. But what I do know is there was a choice Merlin and Arthur made. Let’s return to the imagery on the card..

The couple is exchanging the cups. They are not just toasting – they are performing a ritual, a ceremony. Like exchanging rings, like giving vows. It’s a promise, it’s a connection, it’s a new step, it’s a commitment. And the parallels of the scene in 1x11 don’t end with just imagery. Merlin and Arthur complete the ritual! In the show!

In the episode 1x04, The Poisoned Chalice, Merlin starts the ritual by drinking from Arthur’s poisoned goblet, which he does to protect him. I would also like to add that this is the first time Two Cups appear that season (that's twice they used the imagery), notably, two ceremonial goblets that are supposed to symbolize peace and partnership between two kingdoms. Even if it doesn’t represent the actual state of the two kingdoms, it definitely shows King Bayard’s genuine desire for a peaceful alliance. And Merlin drinks from one of them!

Merlin drinks poison for Arthur and in Labyrinth of Gedref, Arthur drinks ‘poison’ for Merlin in turn. Very unconventional way to get married, I must say, but it’s remarkable that they do it in the same way (even if not at the same time).

So. What does all of that tell us about Merlin and Arthur?

We’ve established that the card signifies a very close, strong and significant relationship, chosen by both parties. Again, I like that it emphasizes the choice, that they didn’t just fall into the friendship because of destiny (even if it aided them). The Two of Cups is a part of the Minor Arcana, which deals with the every day matters, earthly lives. Is that not fitting? Merlin didn’t choose The Once and Future King, he chose Arthur, and Arthur didn’t choose Emrys, he chose Merlin.

Merlin’s who been promised a peaceful future. A land where magic is free. Merlin, who knows what’s supposed to happen: The Once and Future King brings that future. The King dies. Merlin, who has a choice to bring that future. To save Mordred. To remove the ban on magic. He doesn’t choose that, he chooses to essentially destroy that future entirely, just so he can have Arthur.

Arthur, who values Merlin’s opinion above everyone else’s, Arthur on his deathbed, finally seeing Merlin for who he is, says, “I don’t want you to change, I want you to always be you,” Arthur, who is dying, a few steps from the chance being saved, (still too far, not enough time), decides to stop because in his last moments he just wants to be held by Merlin.

They chose each other.

And that’s, dare I say it, love.

[missbrunettebarbie]

Descendants Sortings

Mal

Mal is a burned Lion Primary. It isn’t obvious at first, but the more her character developed over the course of the series, the more clear it became she is not a Snake -frankly, this girl would have been better off if she would have taken a more self-serving Snake mentality (uo, I know!) in the latter movies- and no Bird, as she shows none of the signs. I did debate whether she might be a Badger primary or no, but both her ‘I want’ songs (If Only and My once upon a time) show she is a burned Lion who is desperate to unburn, but well, her internal compass has been skewed by being raised by Maleficent: “I can't decide/ What's wrong, what's right/ Which way should I go?”/“You had a cause to serve, but did you serve it?”

Mal really really needs a Cause to work for. In Descendants 1, her Cause is making her mother proud by stealing the wand. In Descendants 2, her new Cause is to be the perfect lady of the court and girlfriend for Ben. And she feels like she’s failing miserably at it, which is why she lives for the Isle. This and the fact that Mal is pretty much facing an identity crisis here and feels like her entire life is being caged by the life everyone else is planning for her. Both nightmarish situations for a Lion who isn’t entirely unburned yet. In the third movie, Mal’s Cause is to be a good queen for Auradon, no matter the price. I personally find Mal’s arc very compelling and intriguing as I think we rarely see a protagonist who is loved by the narrative supporting a point of view the narrative disagrees with, but still be treated with empathy by it.

Her Secondary is even more interesting to me cause before rewatching, I would have never thought she is a Bird Sec, but yet it is so plain! Mal uses magic as a very efficient tool despite never being formally taught. She just gets handed a book and is told to figure it out on the fly. And she does it spectacularly … by paying attention to the instructions like with the love potion. She’s also the planner of the group, some of the plans being better than others (drugging Ben, giving Uma the fake wand etc.). And last, but not least: Mal is an information gatherer. One seemingly insignificant scene that showcases a great lot about Mal is in the car in the first movie, when she asked which button opens the barrier. They almost died, witnessed magic for the first time and are leaving their homes, yet this is on her mind.

Evie

Evie is the textbook Badger Secondary. She is defined by her sewing and hard work. The girl is so good at it, she manages to buy her own castle with the money! I do think she has a Snake Secondary Model in order to play the role of The Temptress that was forced on her.

I had a harder time figuring out the primary, but one thing is clear from the start: Evie is a Loyalist. She’s the one who is more or less keeping the group together and she sometimes clashes a little bit with Mal, as Loyalists don’t see the bigger picture the way Idealists do, which in Evie’s case, is a very good thing. I contemplated Badger, but I’m pretty sure she’s a Snake actually. Evie may be one of the biggest advocates for the Isle kids, but she only becomes one after she says Dizzy again. In D2, Evie is willing to go to the Isle to save Mal even though she’s afraid she might get stuck there. And yet she still volunteers to stay with Mal there, because Mal is her best friend. Evie is a Snake through and through and I think it’s very interesting how in the third movie, which shows the darker side of Lion primaries, it’s Snake!Evie (and Uma) that are framed as being right.

Jay

Jay has a Snake secondary he uses to steal and charm people. And sometimes to exploit loopholes eg. making Lonnie captain in the second movie. He is a Lion Primary, of the Glory Hound variety in the first movie. His entire arc there is to learn how to work inside a team.

Carlos de Vill

Carlos is also an immature primary, but unlike Jay, he is a Hedonistic Snake. When they first arrive in Auradon, he’s mostly interested in eating chocolate and playing video games. He’s also the one most annoyed later on by Evie and Mal always going off to chat amongst themselves leaving him and Jay out of the loop. Bird secondary: he is a tech genius and knowledge gatherer (see how he tries to see if his clapping can make the statue change in D1).

King Ben

Let’s make one thing clear, D1!Ben is smart. And a troll (see him introducing Mal to his parents or how he tells Mal he knew about the love potion). He is framed as the Big Damn Hero in both the first and the second movie, which of course made me think he had one of the ‘heroic’ primaries: Badger or Lion. I settled on Lion, as it is incredibly easy for him to go against the grain. Something not a lot of people can say in this franchise. He’s also extremely concerned with upholding his role as a good king. He forgives Mal for the love potion because she risks her life to save him, which convinces him she is not an evil person. Ben has very firm convictions. He is the only one who stands up for the VKs at Family Day despite being the one with an actual reason to hate them.

He definitely has a Fluid Secondary, as a huge part of his charm is the fact that he tries to make himself liked. But he’s also a hard worker who disapproves heavily of taking shortcuts (see his fight with Mal over her using magic for everything) which made me go with Badger.

Uma

Uma is a classic (exploded) Snake primary. It seems to be all about Mal in D2. She’s enraged when Mal says she’s never given Uma a thought since she left. Ben offers her to come to Auradon and be part of a solution for saving other VKs. But Uma refuses. And I think it’s both because she wants to do things her way, but also because Uma is not exactly looking at the bigger picture here the way Ben is. ‘You don’t get to win everytime.’ These are her words to Mal when she realizes she had been tricked with a fake wand. Her secondary is a little trickier but I’m going with Bird because, here’s the thing, Uma is Mal’s mirror. Ben clocks it almost immediately: “She’s an angry girl with a bad plan. Not so different from you when you first came to Auradon.” Mal also constantly shows that she understands Uma and her methods better than anyone. Uma even uses the same plan as Mal when she uses the love spell on Ben. These girls are two sides of the same coin. (A bit of a side note, but I’m really curious how they are going to handle Uma as the Principal of Auradon Prep in D4. The clips we’ve seen so far make me really optimistic. Plus, since I’ve been hopelessly contaminated by TVD and never cured, Uma as principal reminded me of Caroline as headmistress in Legacies and yeah, I’m very optimistic this means good things for Uma xDD).

Li Lonnie

Lion Secondary as she is extremely honest and straightforward: “I know you hate us. And you are evil. But I’ve got money.” she says when she wants Mal to give her a new haircut. You don’t really get more Lion than that. Her primary was harder but from the first movie she looked to me like an Idealist with the way she saw the world: “Even villains love their kids.” I’m thinking Lion as in D2, she clearly goes to the Isle to prove herself by saving the king. Sounds familiar? Well, Lion primary Mulan did the same.

Princess Audrey

Audrey is another Lion Secondary girl in Auradon. Seriously this girl’s attempts at manipulation, make Mal look subtle: “Make me your queen and I’ll wake everybody up.” Villain!Audrey was a hammer: all raw power, no finesse. D1!Audrey was no better either, see her very blunt introduction to the VKs.

Audrey is a Badger Primary, no doubt in my mind about it. She’s very upset when the VKs disturb the Auradon Prep hierarchy and she exhibits some very typical Badger prejudices. “And then everybody looks good. So where would I be?” Audrey asks when she realizes Mal is giving the other girl make-overs, because she needs the social validation from being the prettiest princess there. In D3 it kills her that she did everything right and still someone else gets to be queen. I find it super interesting that Audrey asks Ben to ‘make [her] queen’ when she definitely had the power to crown herself. You might think it was because she loved him, but Queen of Mean ,which is her ‘I want’ song, shows very clearly that it was never about Ben the person. What she wants is his validation, because Audrey was raised to believe that his opinion, as the King, is the most important one. Audrey isn’t a Snake looking to have Ben for herself, a Lion seeking glory or a Bird trying to ‘rectify’ a system that is wrong; she is a Badger who is working within the confines of her society to achieve the status she wants.

Jane

Jane is so so Burned, I can’t help but wonder what the hell was Fairy Godmother doing cause she sure as hell wasn’t parenting her daughter the way she was supposed to. Jane is a Badger Primary who was ostracized by her only community so of course she latches onto Mal and Evie the first time they show her kindness. But D1 is a story about the failings of Badger primaries and the sheep mentality, so when she gains status and the VKs lose it following the events of Family Day, of course Jane aligns herself with the popular kids. She’s not gonna risk becoming an outcast again. This is also the driving force behind her stealing the wand. Her secondary is also super burned, but I’m betting on Lion. Not only is she extremely honest and impulsive, but Lion seems to be the default secondary for Auradon girls. Which is super interesting since generally Lion is not the secondary framed as the most feminine, but here it is.

...I just realized Jane is the burned version of Audrey. Oh, the irony!

Harry Hook

Double Snake, most likely. He is loyal to Uma and Uma only. He also has the ~vibe of a Snake secondary.

Prince Chad Charming

Chad is such a Snake Primary with Audrey as his person. He’s also pretty hedonistic as seen in D2: Ben might be dying, but the most important think is well, could Chad be second in line for the throne? I was a bit unsure of his secondary, but I think it is Badger as the only two times he’s successful (getting Evie in trouble for using the mirror, snapping at the VKs at Family Day) is when he involves other people.

Doug

Another Badger Primary. After Family Day, he gives into the peer pressure and shuns the VKs like everyone else. Maybe Badger Secondary too? Who knows, honestly this guy doesn’t have that much of a personality. But he seems to be a Bookkeeper Badger with the way he and Evie understand each other.

Gil

Gil doesn’t get to shine much, but I think he may be another Double Badger, and probably one of the sweetest Badger in the whole series. And considering he is the son of Gaston, I can’t help but appreciate the irony.

Dizzy

Dizzy is framed as a mirror for Evie in the second movie: the girl who could be so much more, if only she got the chance. This makes me think the two house share and Dizzy is a Snake Badger too. Which honestly tracks with the way she works at the salon and seems to hold no grudge on Evie getting to achieve her dreams while she doesn’t. Because Evie is her person, so of course Dizzy can’t be mad at her.

Celia Facillier

Celia is a Snake Primary who wants the guarantee of being able to see her father after she comes to Auradon, because she loves her father. It’s that simple. Considering how she throws the ember in the water out of rage when she realizes Mal has been lying to her, I’m thinking Lion Secondary.

Tl; Dr

Mal - (burned) Lion/Bird

Evie - Snake/Badger with Snake model

Jay - Glory Hound Lion/Snake

Carlos - hedonistic Snake/Bird

Ben - Lion/Badger

Uma - (exploded) Snake/Bird

Lonnie - Lion/Lion

Audrey - Badger/Lion

Jane - burned Badger/bunred Lion

Harry - Snake/Snake

Chad - Snake/Badger

Doug - Badger/Badger

Gil - Badger/Badger

Dizzy - Snake/Badger

Celia - Snake/Lion

[felixcloud6288]

Dungeon Meshi Chapter 13

As soon as I saw the title artwork, I knew this chapter was going to be about mimics.

After my little speculation about the winged lion last chapter, I've realized it actually appears a lot throughout the dungeon.

That little montage of Chilchuck dealing with mimics made me think back to chapter 5 and how he had to stick his hands in the treasure chest to disarm it. If that chest had been a mimic, Chilchuck would be missing a few fingers. Is he able to identify mimic chests because of an intuition forged by years of practice? He flagged the treasure chest as a mimic by its location rather than any actual identifiable features.

The whole "Not too obvious. Not too hidden" description also matches the mimic chest from chapter 0.

Chilchuck is a real salary worker. He's not going to do or say anything that will just mean more work for him.

So many mimics and trap chest in Dark Souls would be trivialized if you could open them this way.

Of course Chilchuck is getting worse at going hungry. The party has been eating well on this journey.

At first, I thought those treasure insects were working with the mimic to lure Chilchuck into that room. Like, the insects lay themselves into a trail leading to the mimic and any adventurer dumb enough to follow the coin trail would then open the chest and the mimic would kill them. Then the treasure insects would eat the scraps of adventurer the mimic leaves behind.

I'm going to try defending Chilchuck's bouts of incompetence this chapter. He's hungry, he hasn't slept, and his mind is so preoccupied over the mimic that he's not able to think about possible traps. If you're in the woods and you notice a bear nearby, you're going to focus on making sure the bear doesn't notice you. You're not going to check for snakes in the grass.

The chapter did a lot of buildup to the reveal of the mimic. It almost felt like a horror story. We're shown the imminent threat of a mimic and we get a montage of its actions without actually showing what it looks like.

And then the sequence of events leading up to its reveal had a subtle ominousness to it. The room with the fountain is dimly lit and we know there is a mimic nearby. I was almost waiting for the mimic to just appear out of nowhere or for that chest to have just moved randomly.

And after a moment of tension followed by a sense of relative safety does the mimic reveal itself.

The mimic's design is the same as chapter 0 so I think it probably was in that treasure box previously and recently moved into that cabinet.

I didn't find any characters on the plaque that look like what Marcille said in her incantations. So I don't think magic is spoken in the ancient tongue.

Some little details that I can glean from Chilchuck solving the lock puzzle:

Chilchuck is innately able to determine cardinal directions

The planet rotates in the same direction as our planet

There is a moon and it orbits the planet in the same direction as our moon

There is a North Star that is perfectly aligned to the planet's rotation axis

Laios sleeps in his chainmail apparently. It's not easy to tell because of all the hair, but I get the feeling Senshi sleeps without a shirt on.

Marcille looks cute with her hair down.

So yeah, I first thought mimics and treasure insects might have a mutalistic or at least commensal relation but it turns out that it's parasitic. And it's the same type of parasitism as a spider wasp.

So now I'm curious if the tiara insect nest is made from pieces of a mimic's carapace. Also, was that treasure box full of treasure insects in chapter 10 originally a mimic? And if so, why was it being carried by a zombie?

I guess the sequence of events could be

human dies while carrying some jewels in a box -> mimic comes across the box and hides in it -> treasure insects find the mimic and eat it -> spirit animates the corpse still carrying the box

So Chilchuck is 29 and based on everyone's reactions, that's still fairly young for an elf and dwarf. Laios meanwhile is apparently younger than him.

back

[liltalle]

Sorting Hat Chats - Nimona

@sevilemar got me to watch the wonderful new movie Nimona. I'm very excited about it, and I thought I'd try my hand at sorting the main characters, since I haven't seen that done yet. Here are the basic of the system I'm using.

Spoilers below the cut:

This is a very Snake Primary movie overall, so I'm going to start with our most obvious Snake Primaries and work from there.

The titular Nimona is a Snake primary. In her flashback, we see her seeking connection with all the different animals, but it only works when she finds Gloreth. And then Gloreth is her PERSON, they're in love, it's adorable, and then, the most heartbreaking thing that's ever happened to her, Gloreth betrays her. And thus her Snake primary burns. She doesn't connect with anyone else (we might assume) for the next thousand years, and tho she's self-confident and self-sufficient, she admits that the hatred from others makes it hard for her to value herself. Then she hears about Ballister, and she gets very excited, because here's, finally, a potential kindred spirit. She takes Ballister to be the classic burnt Snake/Bird villain archetype, wanting to take revenge on the world that rejected him, and is disappointed when that's not quite him (I'll elaborate when I get to sorting Ballister). Nimona herself is angry with the Kingdom and its rejection of her, but she seems to keep her anger to graffiti and fantasies of revolution, but Ballister, if her new person wants to overthrow the government, she's all on board and will help him however she can. Even when he's not what she expected and doesn't fully accept her yet, sticking with him and helping him is so much better than being alone, and she'll stand by him until he completely rejects and fears her.

Nimona's obstacle to the acceptance she craves is wrapped up in her secondary: She's a Lion. I read once that a shapeshifter Lion secondary would have a distinguishing trait that would be constant through all their forms, and that's obviously Nimona. Her animal forms are consistent over a thousand years, her impression of Ballister has a red streak in his hair and acts like her, and when she properly acts (a bit of a Bird model), as the Demon Baby and Ambrosius, she loses patience and lets herself through pretty quickly, terrifying the Squire and making Ambrosius' death a bit over the top. And her consistent difference from everyone around her is her struggle, she can look similar to all the animals but not so similar that they accept her. Gloreth, miraculously, accepts her human form and her shapeshifting abilities as well... until she doesn't. So she's careful, opening up to Ballister again. She's Nimona, she's defiantly herself, and not defined by any group, but she's reluctant to explain. She does enjoy lying to Ballister, but only as a momentary joke. (And maybe jabbing at his gullibility is related to her burnt tendency to trust people at face value?) She gradually reveals herself, until she's unmasked as Gloreth's monster, and Ballister leaves her.

And now she's broken, she burns entirely, I think, primary and secondary. She takes a form without any of her usual red, and she's not playing a role, she's become the monster they all think she is. And she loses her weakened sense of self-preservation entirely. She is only drawn to the statue of the woman she loved and who betrayed her.

Until Ballister stops her. "I'm sorry. I see you, Nimona. And you're not alone." Ballister knows all her secrets and still sees her true self, her Person finally accepts all of her authenticity... and she returns to herself and falls into his arms.

In light of all this, I was at first confused by her final sacrifice, but then I noticed, first she looks at the screaming crowds, and looks upset, but only after she looks back at Ballister, and sees his horror, does her face turn to resolve. She's always empathized with the people of the Kingdom, especially children (as they feel like her, similarity is a good way for Snakes to connect), but I don't think she's ever really taken them as her problem. But when Ballister fully accepts her, she fully accepts him, which includes, as Snakes tend to, adopting his values. She takes his duty to defend the people as her own. He's a hero, and she's his sidekick.

(Damn, I want to cry again.)

Ambrosius Goldenloin's Snake primary is very clear from his imagined monologue to the Director, so I'll quote it at length here: "I've lost my mind. I've lost everything. The man I love, my best friend." He just says his everything is his Person. Followed by a note of jealousy: "Although now he's got a new best friend. What's that about?" His distrust of Ballister, here and elsewhere, is distinctly framed as "What else is he hiding? Who is the real him?" because if he never knew Ballister, then their connection wasn't real, and his loyalty to him isn't owed. But he isn't sure he's wrong about Bal, and so he keeps trying to make sense of his confusion, and find out if he should still be loyal to him. And he's built Ballister into his sense of self so much that he then asks: "Who am I? A direct descendant of Gloreth? I never asked for that." This man's not a Lion primary, he doesn't find his destiny or heritage meaningful in defining himself. And finally: "Now everyone expects me to arrest Ballister. And if I don't, I'm a traitor to you. And if I do, I'm a traitor to him!" He frames his choice as a binary one between two personal loyalties: to the Director, and to Ballister. They are his People, deciding between them is the only thing that matters. Gloreth, the Institute, the ideals he was taught, they don't even register for him. And Ambrosius deciding which of the two to trust is much of his arc.

His secondary is less explicit, but I think the clearest moment of him problem-solving is trying to catch Ballister on the subway. Todd, a stereotypical Lion secondary, sees an obvious clue and immediately wants to move. But Ambrosius waits, and watches. And his first clue is "He hates freestyle jazz." His skill in this investigation, as he argued before, is that he knows Ballister the best, so he'll have the best chance of catching him. He's invested in Ballister, so he has power around him. And once Ambrosius has thoroughly watched the full clip (and asked a tech where the train is going), only then does he decide where to go. The thoroughness and humility here, coupled with his intro scene giving Ballister such care and support, make me think Ambrosius is a Badger secondary. A Lover archetype for our hero/villain's boyfriend, but a variation who's very conflicted with a whole lot of agency. I love it. (And his sorting matches mine.)

Ballister Boldheart/Blackheart is a wonderful Bird primary, with an arc of transforming his belief system over the course of the movie, who models Snake for the two important Snake primaries in his life.

He starts out with a dream, "I'm here to slay monsters and protect our kingdom." But it's never about his specialness, I think he just absorbed the cultural narrative, and so just did what seemed like the obvious right thing. (Flashbacks to my Bird primary model) By the time he graduates the Institute, they've "brainwashed [him] good", as Nimona says. The Institutional Badgery values of protecting the Kingdom from monsters has become entirely his. And the public's doubt in him gets to him, he has trouble not absorbing their input.

And when it all falls apart, he's immediately concerned with the Truth. He's innocent, this isn't right, he just needs to give the right people the right information and it'll all be fine. He's not the burnt Snake primary villain Nimona expects, his values are still pretty intact despite everyone turning on him. It takes time for them to break down. The plot challenges him one piece at a time. When he sees the video, he edits his system enough to say that "the Institute's not the problem, the Director is." He gradually accepts more and more of Nimona. When Ambrosius rejects him, he decides it's ok to embrace the villain role a bit and have fun.

He definitively turns on Nimona not because of his loyalty to her or to Ambrosius, but because of a piece of paper (so Bird pri) and a deep part of his system: "Gloreth's monster is the embodiment of evil and what the Kingdom needs protection from." Only when he sees Nimona again, understands her, and lets go of this belief can he fully accept her. His early system, "I'm here to slay monsters and protect our kingdom" is half transformed. He's no longer here to slay monsters, he's still here to protect the Kingdom - but by accepting the Monster.

I think he's also a Bird secondary. He builds his own arm in a derelict tower. He makes an innocence wall to connect the dots. He likes making plans and he's initially uncomfortable with Nimona's improvisation when things inevitably go south. There's a particular way he's supposed to do this, honestly, quietly, carefully. But then, when Ambrosius rejects him, he takes up a bit of an Actor mask of the villain role, and he and Nimona start to sync and have fun together. He trusts his training and he's better at swordplay than any of the other knights, because, as Ambrosius said, he worked harder than any of them. And he learns to plan with Nimona, using her shapeshifting as a tool to get the confession from the Director. And him leaving his sword behind, "I don't fight for her anymore", the tools he uses are an important part of his identity.

The Director is definitely an Idealist. Her values are Badgery, about protecting the community from the outgroup, but her final decision to turn the cannon on the city shows that this ideal is inflexible when it comes to protecting actual people. Since we don't see her change, it's hard to tell which Idealist primary she is, but I think she's a Lion. She tells Ambrosius!Nimona that she had a dream as a child, and simply states that Ballister's knighthood would be the first crack in the wall. She has a monologue, but it's not an explanation. And when everyone around her turns on her, she doesn't update, she doesn't change like Ballister does, her convictions are internal and she carries them to the terrible end. And I think she's a Bird secondary. Lasers are her distinctive tools, to kill the Queen, to knock down Ambrosius, and to (try to) kill Nimona. She plots and lies, easily but carefully, on her own, no improvisation and no support from others. Her monologue is just her dropping her mask and speaking her Liony conviction.

Todd (Thoddeus) Sureblade strikes me as a pretty stereotypical Double Lion. He's impulsive, ready to rush off to catch Ballister at the first clue of where he went. He's a Glory Hound, competing with Ambrosius to lead the knights. And he never questions that he's in the right and better than those around him, until the very end. We only see his sad expression, but reading into that, I think the way the final battle ended shook him, and he's done some emotional soul-searching.

And while my sortings for the antagonist characters are more tentative, I enjoy the concept that this story, that's so much about inverting classical tropes, would invert the character archetypes such that Snake and Bird primaries are the heroes and Lion primaries (with Badgery and Glory Hound values) are the villains.

(These are the 5 characters I think we know enough about to sort decently. The Queen, the Squire, and Gloreth don't get much screen time.)

To sum up:

Nimona - Snake/Lion (Bird sec model)

Ambrosius - Snake/Badger

Ballister - Double Bird (Snake pri model)

The Director - Lion/Bird

Todd (Thoddeus) Sureblade - Double Lion

(If anyone else has sorted these characters, or has disagreements, I'd love to hear about it. I'm trying to get better at this.)

[mrsfrecklesmarauders]

Dorcas thought she was hallucinating. It was the middle of the night. And Dorcas was tired of hours and hours of constant training. Her eyes stang with tiredness. Her body was heavy and sweaty. Dorcas just wanted to hit bed and don't be waken until tomorrow.

That was probably why when she saw Marlene McKinnon pacing the dark corridor that led to The Slytherin Common Room, she thought it was a hallucination. It was suspicious since Marlene was a Gryffindor, it was past carefew and she looked nervous glancing everywhere making sure she won't get caught.

It was a funny image to see. Dorcas was amused by the way Marlene paced and bit her lip and murmured something to herself. "Hurry up... Hurry up... Come on... Hurry up"

Dorcas found herself smiling. Then she stopped herself from doing it. If this was her imagination, she didn't want it to fade. She decided to take advantage of the situation instead. She approached and patted Marlene's shoulder, whispering with the best impression of Filch she could.

"Is this the time to be out of bed?"

It wasn't a good impression, but it worked to make Marlene jump and curse under her breath.

Dorcas had to laugh seeing Marlene's expression. And those rosy cheeks that made her look cute.

"Fucking hell! What the hell is wrong with you?" she slapped Dorcas's shoulder "You scared me!"

Dorcas answered with a smile "What are you doing here, McKinnon?"

Marlene immediately crossed her arms. Something she did to show nobody intimidated her.

"Well, I can ask you the same thing?"

Dorcas didn't know why she blushed "I was training. It's different because I had permission from my mum"

"Well I was training too!"

"You dance ballet?"

"Rugby" Marlene spat as if it was obvious.

"Down here in the Slytherin dungeons?" Dorcas crossed her arms as well. There was something exciting about this game they always played.

It was also exciting how Marlene blushed. She whispered a curse again.

"Fine! I am waiting for Mary"

"What is Macdonald doing?"

"Who is the question" Marlene leaned in in confidence. Dorcas didn't know what to do having her this close "She dragged me here because she has some secret lover. And she doesn't want to tell me who he is!" then Marlene blinked at her "I am not supposed to be telling you this"

"Is he a Slytherin?" Dorcas asked instead.

"I don't know! She doesn't tell me shit... And I am really worried because..."

Marlene stopped abruptly, listening to something.

"What.."

"Shsh"

Dorcas heard it too. Steps coming their way. And low voices. Before she had time to react, Marlene dragged her to hide behind a pillar.

It was that both of them were pressed against the wall. And Marlene was so close, Dorcas could hear her breathing and heartbeats.

"McKinnon..."

Marlene shushed her again until they heard the Slytherin prefects finishing their patrol and going back to their common room. Once they were gone, Marlene sighed in relief.

"That was close..."

Dorcas pushed her away, feeling how her cheeks were on fire, luckily they were under a poor light.

"God dammit. You're a savage, McKinnon" Dorcas said, rubbing the part of her arm where Marlene had grabbed her.

"Oh well, excuse me for saving your ass from detention!"

"I said I have permission!" Dorcas snapped "Slughorn gave me a pass" she took the paper out of her pocket, showing it to Marlene.

Marlene rolled her eyes. But she looked adoringly embarrassed.

"Well great then! I am never helping you again" Marlene snapped now, trying to look angry as she crossed her arms "Stupid cold princess"

"And I should report you" Dorcas couldn't avoid smiling as she mocked her "For being off bed after hours. And Macdonald as well"

"Oh!" Marlene snorted "So I hypothetically helped you just now. I hid us both. Suppose you didn't have a pass, ha? I was quick to hide us out. And you, you are so mean and vengative to report me? Such a snake you are!"

"And you are such a roaring lion" Dorcas laughed "Calm down, mud girl, I was just joking"

Marlene laughed louder "What? What did you call me?" she approached defiantly. God, she was so beautiful. Dorcas's heart started beating fast.

"Mud girl" Dorcas whispered now because Marlene was so close she couldn't breathe.

"Cold princess" Marlene replied. And for a second (maybe Dorcas was imagining it), she stared at her lips.

It was impossible having a crush on this girl while having to pretend to hate her. Maybe Dorcas wanted to kiss her and be done with it. But she was so freaking scared to do it.

"Marlene!..." Macdonald was suddenly around, whispering for her friend. "Marly!... Where are you?... Oh!"

Now, the Gryffindor girl had spotted their hiding place. And to both of their discomfort, she noticed how close they were, raising an eyebrow.

Both girls backed away from each other looking embarrassed.

"Meadowes" Mary spat.

"Macdonald" Dorcas used the same tone.

"We..." Mary scratched her head, now realizing she had been caught "We were not doing anything. Right, Marly? We got lost really"

"McKinnon already told me about you secret lover"

Mary went bright red. She gasped, looking at her friend "You told her?"

Marlene blinked, looking between her two companions. "What? Nooo... I..."

"Dating a Slytherin again, Macdonald?" Dorcas said now. It was ridiculous this rivalry her friends had with McKinnon's friends. But it was a routine they had for so many years. Dorcas fought out of habit really. "Didn't you have enough with my brother?"

"Your brother lacked a pair of balls" Mary answered, looking pissed. Then she groaned to the ceiling "I can't believe you told her, Marlene! You traitor!"

Mary stormed away, looking irritated.

"No! Mary, wait up!"

Marlene locked eyes with Dorcas, but mostly facing the mistake she had made. And then walked away after her friend. Dorcas heard them discuss in low voices.

"He wanted the least people to know and you go around telling? A slytherin?"

"I don't even know who he is. So that wanker's secret is safe."

"You know what her friends think of me!"

"I am sorry! I just don't like the fact that this asshole is hiding you away... It's not Mulciber again is it? Please tell me you're not that much if an idiot"

"It is not Mulciber! And I am not telling you anything else!"

Dorcas didn't know what force got into her as she followed those girls. She should just gone to her dorm and forget about it.

"I am not telling anyone" Dorcas said louder than she should have. But it was enough for the Gryffindors to turn and look at her. Dorcas tried not to blush.

"As long as it is not my brother, it is none of my business who you see these days" Dorcas added, talking to the floor.

Mary and Marlene looked between each other. Not quite believing Dorcas. And Dorcas didn't know why she was promising this. She wasn't even their friend.

Mary sighed "It's not that I don't want people to know but he..." she bit her lip "He needs to figure things out... And..." then she looked at Dorcas "Don't know why I explain things to you. I would appreciate if you don't tell this to your gossipy friends"

"They are not gossipy!" Dorcas snapped immediately, but then she sighed "But I won't tell"

Mary pursed her lips. Dorcas noticed now how she had been crying. Her eyes were puffed and red. Probably because of the boy she was seeing. Dorcas really hoped it wasn't Nick.

"Thanks." Mary murmured, then to her friend "Let's go, Marly. I don't want to get caught"

"You should have thought of that before doing this damn thing for a boy!" Marlene told her friend as she walked away. Then she sighed and locked eyes with Dorcas. There was a ghost of a complicity smile on her expression.

"Thank you" she mouthed and walked away, making Dorcas smiled to herself like a fool.

God, if her friends found out she was helping those Gryffindor girls. Or that she thought about McKinnon more than any boy she had met, they would think she had become mental.

Maybe Dorcas was a bit mental after all. With that thought she walked back to her Common Room.

[reading-sometimes]

PAW Patrol SHC Sorting

The vast majority of TV shows for children glorify Badger primaries, and PAW Patrol is no exception. I mean, there were going to episodes at the start of the series where Ryder rescued all of the pups one at a time. Instead, they were already a team from the start because of a Canadian TV requirement for shows for preschoolers to have prosocial themes (like literally rescuing puppies wasn't prosocial enough, lol). So, there are going to be a lot of Badgers (especially Double Badgers). There are very few models because they're pretty simple characters who are mentally stable and act the same way in every situation. A basic explanation of the SHC system by @wisteria-lodge is here. Let's get the obvious ones out of the way first.

Ryder : Badger Bird

Ryder fits in with the stereotypical "STEM genius who also wants to help people" type of Badger Bird commonly found in characters like Tadashi from Big Hero 6. He's a Universal Badger who even saved the main villain of the series. He likes building gadgets, which is basically correspondent to a Bird secondary in this show.

Rocky : Badger Bird

He's essentially the same as Ryder, and they both build stuff. The only real difference between Ryder and Rocky is that Rocky also cares about the environment (Ryder probably does too, but with Rocky it's more explicit).

Everest : Double Badger

She's the definition of a Double Badger. She's so lonely that she latches onto the literal first person she sees (Jake) and even tried to rescue penguins before she joined the PAW Patrol. She says specifically that she "practiced rescuing penguins", which means that the penguins probably didn't need her help, but she did it anyway. It's a miracle that she never became a Burned Badger, despite being on her own for so long. As for her secondary, she tends to rely on the Courier Badger subtype way more than the Bookkeeper Badger subtype, which will become a recurring theme.

Marshall : Double Badger

He's also an obvious Double Badger. When he thinks that the rest of the PAW Patrol doesn't like him, he literally packs up and leaves (which is more commonly a Snake primary kicking themselves out of their inner circle, but Marshall couldn't rank anyone to save his life). He leaves because he thinks that he's "can't do anything right" because he keeps messing up when he tries to help people. This hints at the possibility of a Burnt Badger, at least for that episode. He also relies really heavily on the Courier Badger subtype.

Skye : Badger Lion

She's a Universal Badger (I mean, all of them are, lol), because she likes animals. I mostly based the Lion secondary off of her competitiveness in earlier seasons, her general penchant for risk-taking, and that scene of her skydiving from the movie. She was free-falling without a parachute, and she was just whooping and having fun.

Zuma : Double Lion

He's the definition of a Chill Lion primary, and he's also probably also a Paragon Lion. Zuma's secondary was actually hard for me to figure out, since he's a surfer dude who's pretty calm most of the time. I considered that he could be a Lion Badger who was literally just vibing all the time and going with the flow with their Courier Badger, before I realized that writing about so many Badger secondaries were warping my brain and that he wasn't a Badger secondary. I thought about a Lion Snake, but he's the most stable pup alive. Even in emergencies, he's just chilling out. He doesn't get fazed by anything.

He's probably the most chill Double Lion imaginable, since he also had a competitive streak in the earlier seasons, but that was really only in the first few episodes. He also has a penchant for risk-taking, though, which points to an improvisational secondary.

Chase : Double Badger

He was actually the hardest to sort for me. I considered a Snake Primary, since in the unlikely scenario where the PAW Patrol disbanded, he'd probably follow Ryder. He'd feel guilty about it, though, which points to a Badger primary.

I considered a Bird primary who has a very Badger-looking system to match Ryder, which would probably make his Bird primary Exploded too. In season one, he was scared of ghosts until Ryder told him that they weren't real, and then in season two he acted like he'd never believed that ghosts existed (which is in character for him, lol). Chase has the very specific malleability of a Bird Primary who's modelling an Exploded Badger. He'll make himself into whatever the group needs him to be, which is the definition of an Exploded Badger, but I think it's different with Bird primaries specifically because it requires a loss of agency, something that Bird primaries live by. Chase actively doesn't want agency, though. Even when he's ordering the other pups around, he's doing it in the context of rules and responsibilities, things that are outside of himself rather than internal. Bird primaries look for morality outside of themselves, even saying that they'd like a book to follow throughout their lives, which definitely fits Chase. Bird primaries also desire freedom and the ability to choose what their morality system is while exploring different options, which he doesn't want.

Chase's Badger primary is probably exploded, since he feels the need to work even when he's sick and he does things that he doesn't really want to do, like leading the PAW Patrol. Granted, this could just be the pressure of the situation, since he's generally fine with delegating responsibilities to the rest of the PAW Patrol, but that's more Ryder taking advantage of his Authoritarian Badger than anything. As for his secondary, he relies heavily on the Bookkeeper Badger subtype. He learns best by following step-by-step instructions one step at a time.

Sweetie : Snake Bird

She's a Snake Bird who acts like an Immature Lion Bird most of the time. She cares about her owner and that's literally it. She's a villain, so she's allowed to act selfish and arrogant. She's a Glory Hound Lion because she wants to be the queen. She's a Bird secondary because she presumably made Bugsby, the little green robot that follows her around, and because she likes having plans.

[dailysanta]

hi i cannot BELIEVE you drew santa as a mouse because the in joke with me and my friends is that santa used to be a lab rat that turned human and i thought that was just us. i think im gonna explode about this /positive

oh you made a mistake wandering into my askbox because i have Thoughts about how santa is mousecoded. mousepilled if you will. if i had to pick an animal.

this will probably get into direct spoiler territory for the original 999 so ill dump it below the cut

if you go through door 6, the engine room, about halfway through the puzzle you'll get this dialogue:

Ace: What could be causing this, I wonder. Illness, perhaps? Santa: Nah, it's gotta be exhaustion. Santa's response was confident and certain. Santa: She gets dropped into some weird-ass ship... Santa: ...Forced to play some messed-up game... Santa: If you think about it, it's a lot weirder that we aren't freakin' out just like her, you know? Ace: So you're saying we're...abnormal? Santa: Yeah. Santa: We're just running around this room, solvin' all these puzzles like it's just business as usual. Santa: How the hell could you call that "normal"? Santa: We're just guinea pigs. Santa snorted in disgust. Junpei: A guinea pig... You mean like a lab rat... Junpei: You mean we're being used for some sort of experiment? Junpei: Is that what you're saying? Santa: Dunno. Santa: But...it does seem like a possibility, you know?

BUT if youre on track to the safe end, youll get this extra dialogue too:

Santa: You know, speaking of experiments... Santa suddenly stopped. Santa: There was this experiment some scientists did with rats...

i wont include ALL the rest of it because then i'd be here all day but the transcripts are up on gamefaqs. go give the full thing a read if you want a refresher, but this is one of my favourite santa moments in the game. the reason why is because of these two little moments:

Ace: Are you suggesting something like...telepathy? Ace: They were passing information to one another through some undetectable medium? Ace looked skeptical. Santa snorted at him. Santa: How the hell would I know? Santa: I'm not any kinda scientist. I dunno what made 'em do that... Santa: ...But I do know that story's true, and if you've got another explanation, I'd sure love to hear it. Ace: ...

^ very funny to me knowing that santa is probably just fucking with him.

and then, VERY SPECIFICALLY THE LINE:

Santa: That's why the rats had to drown. They had to be in danger. There had to be an emergency for inspiration to emerge.

because THAT is directly alluding to the first nonary game, and the prerequisites hongou needed to access the morphogenetic field. santa here is likening all the participants of hongou's game to lab rats.

there are some very fun animal motifs in the 999 cast. snake (snake) and june (rabbit) are super obvious. ace is sometimes likened to a lion. but santa being compared to a rat or mouse is one that flew under the radar for me on my first few playthroughs and yeah ok this was really just an excuse to talk about animal motifs in 999 but listen im so normal about santa hes just some guy

[justafairytailofinnocence]

Of Gods and Queens🐍👑

Loki x fem reader

Chapter 3

Previous chapters :

chapter 1

Chapter 2

Commission from @kitxel-draws

Synopsis: Loki, the god of mischief, has brought chaos to new york. What happens when he meets a particular interesting human? Love? Havoc? or rather--amusement.

Warnings: swearing

--------

The young woman was dragged away with the Chitauri firmly grasping each side of her arm. It was a living nightmare; the dirt mixed with the blood and grime stained the golden marble floors of the palace. She felt like a peasant in some medieval castle that wouldn’t give her pardon for her freedom. Each step she took echoed through the unknown chamber’s staircase. She didn't know where they were taking her, she didn’t know; all that mattered was to keep her guard up as she prepared for the worst. Will she die in a fire? Be tossed in a den filled with lions? Be forced to fight a god that will demolish her? Or, become a toy for the god of mischiefs amusement. The last thought seemed promising. The distance of each step seemed to drag out longer and longer, and she wondered what the damn snake was thinking about; was it glory? Vengeance? Power? Oh, it was so obvious; it was all three. Only one question plagued y/n’s mind— ‘Why keep her alive’—she held no power nor authority on Asgard. Loki could’ve quickly taken one of the “heroes” as his captive since they are far more reliable than a mortal. Why go through all the effort to keep y/n alive? What could she offer that others couldn’t?

Loki had a goal, a plan to keep the Midgardian heroes at bay; the young woman was mortal, a civilian they couldn’t kill. It was against their values and morals to endanger anyone innocent, and for the woman, she was innocent enough. She just needed to be alive, unharmed, and untouched. So, he’ll play by their rules until he wins the game of heroes and gods.

The Chitauri had stopped outside an entrance; the inside seemed too beautiful to be true. The waters were clear, and steam emitted from the surface. The ponds inside were large and round; the tubs were coated in gold. To the side of the large tubs were statues of women wearing light fabric drapes pouring water from vases into the pond. The walls, floors and steps leading to the ponds were also covered in gold. This place seemed too magnificent; even for someone as plain as y/n made her feel like a mystical being. “Is this how I die?” she thought “, drowned by the hands of some ancient bastard”.

The force she felt while gripped by the Chitauri wasn’t by their strength but by another. One that couldn’t be seen or felt.

“Undress, girl”, The voice commanded.

“What?” Y/n questioned.

Y/n was confused. Did he command her to undress, to get naked? Y/n lightly blushed; she wanted to punch the seeming pervert and tell him to watch his words. She felt prepared for everything but not in a pleasurable way. The weird thing is that he didn’t seem interested in that kind of thing.

Y/n felt a strong force holding her back release; her hair loosened, and the pressure holding at her throat released. Her body felt like a weight of bricks; she came crashing down onto the ground; it reminded her of the feeling of getting pins and needles after an hour and not being able to walk.

“Was that my doing? I don’t seem to remember omitting any force to my movements,” Loki thought.

He brushed off the thought and demanded once more firmly. “Undress; your wounds cannot be attended to with all that filth and grime. By the gods, I will not allow my human shield to be rendered useless. Now undress.”

“Fuck—You—” She was in pain; her body felt agonizing, and every movement she made, made it worse. However, her spirit wasn’t weakened; her fight was over. She refused to back down even at the oddest of requests. She’ll keep going until she wins.

His game.

Anyways that's all I have for now:

Ta Ta ✨

[reds-burrow]

First of all, thanks for your answer to my last question! I've started watching The Good Place for very important research purposes.

An open question for you & the SHC community at large - if you had to assign a theme song to each sorting, what would you choose?

This is such a fun ask that I'm going to go ahead and post it (even though I don't have much of an answer for you right now) so that others can answer.

I expect songs that express Secondaries are less common than songs that only focus on a Primary. Most of the songs I can think of at the moment that include Secondary lyrics are songs from musicals, where there is a story attached with some plot puzzle or obstacle that needs to be addressed. (The second half of "Wait for It" from Hamilton is a Circumventing Secondary watching a Straightforward Secondary with envy. "Master of the House" from Les Mis describes a stereotype of a Snake Secondary cheat/toady. The beginning of "Dancing Through Life" from Wicked is a Improvising Secondary, likely a more even take on a Snake. "Almost There" from The Princess and the Frog is a Badger Secondary song.) Then again, there are a fair amount of Lion Secondary songs outside of musicals since breaking down walls to be true to yourself is a beloved song theme ("It's My Life" by Bon Jovi is one of many).

Otherwise there are plenty of Badger Primary songs about wanting to belong or about showing love to your fellow human being (Jason Mraz's "Look for the Good" is a personal favorite). And there are lots of Lion Primary songs about believing in yourself and letting your heart guide you ("Wild I Am" by Vocal Few always makes me think of Lions, possibly even a Double Lion, for obvious reasons), just as there are plenty of Snake Primary songs about doing anything for the ones you love (Is "Anything for You" by Ludo too on the nose?). Bird Primary songs are the ones that question the meaning of things or are advice songs that list out rules to live by ("Humble and Kind" by Tim McGraw jumps to mind).

Anyway, as someone who is awful at remembering lyrics, I'm not the best person to answer this. So y'all please share your thoughts! I'm eager to hear what others come up with.

[briefstarlightvoid]

"I chose you."

Harry was having a nightmare about the Dursleys. Dudley was beating him up, while Aunt Petunia looked on with a disdainful face. Uncle Vernon started yelling at him. "You fucking freak! You're disgusting, and no one is ever gonna want you! No one will ever choose you! You're just a stupid freak!" Then he laughed maniacally. "And that other freak, Draco? You think he actually loves you? Then you're even stupider than I thought!" Harry woke up in a cold sweat, heart racing. He started crying, knowing that Uncle Vernon had been right, and that Draco was probably only with him so that he could break his heart and then brag about having broken the Boy Who Lived. He decided to just stay in bed, because he didn't think he could deal with being around Draco today, as it would just hurt his heart as he knew Draco didn't really want or love him. He curled up around his pillow and cried silently, ignoring everyone and everything.

Draco became worried when Harry wasn't at breakfast or any of his morning classes, and approached Hermione about it during lunch. "Hey, Granger. Can I talk to you?" he asked, slightly uncomfortable as he felt the stares of the other Gryffindors around.

She looked at him, a little confused. He didn't usually talk to her, he only really ever talked to Harry. "Okay, sure." She got up and followed him out into the hall. "What's up?"

"I'm worried about Harry, I haven't seen him all day. Do you know what's going on?" he asked, a very concerned look on his face.

"I'm not sure, all I know is that Ron said he's hiding in bed, ignoring everyone, and that it was probably best to leave him alone."

Draco was even more concerned now. "That doesn't sound like a good idea. He has a tendency to get inside his own head and just self-destruct and self-deprecate when he's upset. Do you-do you think maybe-- No, never mind," he broke off what he was saying, looking kind of awkward and uncomfortable.

"What? You can ask me whatever, I'm not going to judge you, you know."

He sighed in frustration. "It's not that I think you're going to judge me, it's that I know it's bloody unlikely you'll agree."

"Well, you'll never know if you don't ask."

"Fine. Do you think you could let me into the Gryffindor dorm so that I could talk to Harry, try to help him?"

Hermione thought about it. She knew that if Harry was going to talk to anyone, it would probably be Draco. "Okay."

Draco looked surprised. "Wait, really?"

"Yeah. If anyone can get Harry to talk, it's gonna be you. Come on." She started walking to the Gryffindor dorm, gesturing for Draco to follow.

Draco followed, surprised that Hermione was actually willing to let a snake into the lion's den. Once Hermione let him in and told him which stairs led to Harry's dorm, and what room he was in, Draco hurried up there as fast as he could. He immediately located which bed was Harry's, as it was the only one with the curtains drawn around it.

He walked over and pulled the curtains open. Harry was curled around a pillow, tears streaming down his face silently. Draco's heart broke to see him like this. He carefully sat on the edge of the bed and reached out his hand to gently caress Harry's shoulder. Harry looked up at him, face red, puffy, and tear streaked. "What's wrong, babe? Did something happen?" he asked softly.

Harry started sobbing after those gentle caring words, knowing that they must be fake, because Draco didn't really love him. Draco gently pulled him up, holding him tightly in his arms, letting Harry cry into his chest. He rubbed Harry's back soothingly. "Shh....it's okay, babe. You're gonna be okay."

Once Harry calmed down and stopped crying, he pulled away and wiped his eyes, looking sheepishly at Draco. "I-I'm sorry," he mumbled, feeling bad for having soaked Draco's shirt.

"For what?" Draco asked gently, confused as to what Harry could be apologizing for.

"I-I got your shirt all wet," Harry said, not sure why Draco had to ask, as it should have been obvious what he had done wrong.

"Oh, well, that's okay. It doesn't really matter. It'll dry. I just want to know what's wrong. Did you have another nightmare?" Draco asked. Harry gave a reluctant nod, sniffling. "Okay," Draco said. "Can you tell me about it?" When Harry looked uncomfortable, Draco was quick to reassure him. "I'm not gonna judge you for it, I just want to help."

Harry took a deep, shaky breath and gulped. "It-it was about the Dursleys. D-Dudley was beating me up, a-and Aunt Petunia was jus-just letting it happen. The-then Uncle Vernon started yelling at me, s-saying that I'm a-a freak, and no-no one would ever want me, and-and that I'm stupid to-to think that you wo-would ever love me," Harry sobbed out, choking on the words. "A-and he's right," he whispered, looking down ashamedly.

Draco reached out and gently grabbed Harry's chin, pulling it up to look him straight in the eyes. "Look at me, Harry. I want you to listen closely, okay?" Harry nodded. "Your uncle was not right, understand? You are not a freak. You are wanted, okay? And I do love you."

"But-" Harry interrupted, about to tell him how that couldn't possibly be true.

"No 'buts', Harry. If you weren't wanted, then why would I be here?" Harry opened his mouth to respond but found himself at a loss for words. "See? You can't. Because you are wanted. I'm here because I want you, okay? I chose you."