#we'll see what happens but this is my interpretation so far

[oliviabear]

tbh i am not a fan of this weird narrative about osha that's being tossed around. saying she has no agency is such bullshit and saying that we fell for that by liking her dynamic with qimir is even more annoying.

osha's whole thing is agency. that is literally, in my opinion, the root of her character. in the coven, it is because of osha's own agency and need for independence that she hesitates saying 'yes i accept this life' to her own family. she's craving freedom she thinks the jedi can give her. her own curiosity and utter need to be her own person, to not be tied to her twin sister are so well portrayed in this desperate grasp onto what she thinks will offer her independence and some kind of understanding of her true self. and then she leaves the jedi order, because it's just another set of rules and ways she must abide to fit into it. just another prison for her because she can't be her own person; her true self. she literally left the one thing that caused the entire conflict with her family in the first place. if that's not agency, i don't know what is. when qimir asks her why she's not a jedi, osha doesn't blame the jedi for anything, she says "because i failed." once again, she's focusing on her own choices and actions, indicating she's very self-aware of her independency and how it may have harmed her. she failed because of her own emotions, also something she's aware of. these emotions she couldn't keep at bay because of her agency; they're a part of her and a part she could not ignore or suppress like the jedi needed her to. it can even be interpreted as the show almost portraying osha as selfish because of how much agency they've given her. i honestly want this to be the case, i need messy, flawed osha

not just that, but osha is constantly practising her agency in many ways; she's leading her life the way she herself has chosen. what she thinks of these choices is a different thing entirely and can be interpreted by however you see it but ultimately her own choices led her to where she is.

which is the same thing that happens with qimir. he literally gives her an option to leave and go after master sol and her sister or just do whatever she wants. she doesn't have to stay there. i know a lot of people think he was manipulating her because he would've trapped her if she had left anyway, but i think that's a wrong way to look at what's really going on here, especially considering osha's characterisation. osha makes the choice here again, implying she has a lot of agency, again, and it makes a lot of sense why she stayed. this is just another way for her to seek out the freedom to be herself. osha is curious about the dark side, whether she denies that or not, and she wants to learn about it in hopes of gaining a sense of who she truly is. it doesn't tie her down to anything and it doesn't take away her agency. seduction from qimir's side may be a part of it but that doesn't negate the fact osha makes her own choice to allow him to teach her. she literally puts on the mask herself, it's not like he forced her to do that. she does that because she is desperate to find her true self once again.

she has so much agency in all her actions i think it's rather frustrating to see people reduce her character to 'she's falling for qimir's seduction because she's such a weak, passive character' like do you hear yourselves... in my opinion the show has made a great point of showing that osha, even if repressed and hesitant/presented as passive, will act out on her choices. and i think that's exactly what she's doing right now. she could've killed qimir, but she chose not to. after he opened up to her, her own empathy and curiosity led her to make that choice. even if she knows he's on the dark side, she still chooses to hear him out. she puts on the mask because she wants to. a part of her can see it could potentially give her what she always wanted: to be herself.

you could say qimir might seduce her to want codependency as this is something he seems to seek, but to imply osha has no agency is to disregard everything that has led her to this point in the story lol.

[rohansdisciple]

𝔬𝔩𝔡𝔢𝔯 ☀︎ .

summary : you and astarion sneak of into the forest for a night of fun .

warnings : romance / smut / nsfw . fem / afab reader . established relationship . nipple play . oral (fem reviving) . orgasm denial / edging . pet names used . erm tears / crying. aftercare / cuddles . and i think that’s it ! tell me if i missed something ᕦ(ò_óˇ)ᕤ !

word count : about 2.1 k *

reading time : about 10 minutes *

other : 16+ ** . i don’t have bg3 so i don’t play it however i think interpreted astarion character as well as i could so i’m proud of myself ! and this is set after the act 2 romance scene but inspired by the act 1 romance scene. may have some minor grammatical errors && the entire story is written in lower case and the punctuation has double spacing in between the words * .

a/n : i went through the 5 stages of grief while trying to get an idea for this fic…however i had fun writing it and studying astarion’s character in the process and growing to love astarion even more ! anyways, enjoy :> !

credits to @ rookthornesartistry on tumblr and @ angelwhispersunknown for the dividers !

after a long day of adventuring , sitting by the fire and staring up at the stars is just what you need to relax , but when you feel a hand on your shoulder , you are jerked out of this state of serenity . " hello , sweetheart , you look lost in thought , " astarion says as he takes a seat beside you . when you hear and see astarion , you can't help but smile . " not necessarily ; i was captivated by the stars , they're lovely , " you say , gazing up at the stars . " it's a lovely night , isn't it ? the moon and the stars are beautiful , but not as beautiful as you , love , " he whispers while looking up at the sky , his hand finding its way to your thigh .

" a perfect night for two lovers to sneak off and have some fun , no ... ? " " it's been a while since we found some time for intimacy , after all ... " astarion says suggestively . you then quietly laugh and say , " your offer sounds enticing , my love , so I'll take you up on it . " " excellent , dear ! i actually put some thought into this , so I set something up in a secluded spot I happened to come across , " he says to you , sounding very proud of himself , as he stands up and brushes the dirt from his hands ; you do the same . " we'll set off when the others are asleep then , " you reply , looking into astarion's crimson eyes . he gently takes your hand in his and kisses it , " i can't wait , darling ... " he murmurs seductively.

once astarion knows the others are fast asleep , he comes to get you . " come , my sweet , let's venture into the forest , " astarion states as he extends his hand to you . " all right , my love , " you laugh . " i'm really looking forward to seeing what you've prepared for us , " you say to him , taking his hand in yours . astarion chuckles , and without a word , he whisks you away into the forest .

after a bit of walking , astarion leads you to a secluded and grassy spot in the woods that's far away from the others so they won't hear too much of the noise you two will be making . you noticed he had laid out a sheet on top of the grass ; he also seemed to have placed some purple flowers he found on the sheet as well . astarion looks at your face to see what your reaction is , he's quite nervous about it , and he says , " surprise , darling ! it's not much , but ... "

you then stopped him before he could finish his sentence . " it's cute and thoughtful ; thank you , astarion , " you comment , your eyes filled with affection for him . " i — uh — thank you , my love . i'm delighted that you like it , " astarion says to you , with a somewhat flustered expression . " i tried to make things a little more romantic — you know , to set the mood , " he adds as he lays down and motions for you to join him on the sheet . when you join Astarion , he softly pins your body beneath his and passionately kisses you .

" well , looks like someone's eager , " you tease once astarion breaks the kiss . " of course , i am ! it feels like it's been an eternity since we've had some alone time , darling , " he states with a playful pout while he wraps an arm around your waist and pulls you closer . " i ... love you , y / n . " astarion mumbles , his words trailing off as he looks at the curves of your body . there's a lustful glow in his eyes as he draws you into another passionate kiss .

during the kiss , astarion touches your body , his hands slipping under your shirt , unclipping your bra , and then breaking the kiss . " you won't need this anymore , sweetheart , " he says as he removes your shirt and bra , tossing them aside . astarion lays you on your back and looks at you as if he's about to devour you . he then starts kissing your neck , moving his lips lower and lower till he reaches your breasts , leaving a path of little hickeys on your skin . astarion then begins to softly suck on your nipple , occasionally nibbling at it . "ah ... gods ... a - astarion ... " you moan as his tongue slides over your sensitive nipple , pinching and rolling the other between his fingers .

astarion loves seeing you squirm and moan because of his touch ; one can even say it feeds his ego and boosts his confidence when it comes to pleasing you . once he had enough of teasing your sensitive nipples , he pulled away and looked at you with a playful look in his eyes , knowing you didn't want him to stop . " c'mon , why'd you stop - " you whine as the cold breeze hits your saliva - slick nipples . your whines and pleas for him to continue fall on deaf ears . then astarion says , " i do love this sensitive body of yours , dear ; you always have the cutest reactions . " He chuckles . " maybe I can get some more reactions if I touch down here , too ... " he continues teasingly while tugging at the waistband of your pants . you can tell he's going to take his time with you simply by hearing him say that .

he slowly strips you of your last pieces of clothing , tossing your pants and soaked panties aside with your shirt and bra . astarion then opens your legs and gets in between them , and you swear you heard him snicker . " you're so wet , darling ... all this for me ... ? " he teases as he spreads your pussy lips with his fingers , thumb grazing your clit as he does . a quiet moan escapes your lips . " mmph ... astarion , please , " you moan . " please what , y / n ... ? " astarion asks you , touching your aching clit once again , earning another moan from you . you groan , knowing that if you don't beg — at least a little — he won't do what you want . " i - i want you to eat my pussy ... pretty please , astarion ... " you beg . luckily for you , astarion loved the way you begged for him to please you . " alright , i'll do it since you asked so nicely , my love ... " he says with a smirk , then placing his tongue on your clit . 

you feel astarion's tongue moving softly and slowly over your sensitive bundle of nerves . " g - gods ... that feels so good ... please don't stop ... " you moan as your hand moves and grips onto his white curls instinctively . the feeling of his tongue lapping at your clit faster drove you insane ; he always knew which spots to lick and suck on , to the point where you didn't even care how loud you were moaning or how lewd you sounded . you feel the knot in your stomach getting tighter ; you really want to cum — you want him to let you cum so so badly . " mmph ! astarion , please ! i - i'm gonna - " you moan out desperately .  

astarion stops lapping at your clit , not wanting you to cum just yet ; he wanted to deny you your orgasm for a little while longer . " ah , ah ... not until i say so , darling , " he says , voice dripping with lust . then an idea comes to him , and he adds , " i need you to hold it in for me until i've had enough ; you can do that for me , right , my love ? " he asks because he knows that if you're desperate enough to cum; you'll comply with whatever he asks of you . " y - yes ... i'll hold it ... i - i just wanna cum ... " you whimper out desperately .

after a few minutes of antagonizing waiting , astarion goes down on you again , except not letting his tongue touch where you want , simply to tease you for his pleasure . he would pull away just as you were about to cum , refusing to give you the orgasm he had repeatedly promised you if you just " held it in " . you've lost track of how many times he denied you your release ; you think it was his fifth — no , sixth — time doing so . " a - astarion , please , p - pretty , please . i want to cum ... " you beg him , practically on the verge of tears .

" shh , my love , it's alright . you can cum this time , okay ... " he says lovingly , wiping the tears streaming from your eyes . through your teary eyes , you watch astarion slowly rid himself of his clothing and tossing his clothes over to the side with yours . his cock looks painfully hard , leaking with pre - cum , and his tip a rosy red , even twitching a bit . astarion gets on top of you , and you wrap your arms around his neck before he moves and puts you on his lap; it's his favorite position since he enjoys seeing your face while fucking you senseless . " i'm going to put it in now , darling ... can I do that ... ? " he asks you in a hushed tone . " yes ... please , fuck me astarion ... " you whimper .

astarion then slides his cock into your sloppily - wet cunt pretty easily , and he lets out a low groan . " g - gods ... your pussy feels s - so good around my cock - , " he murmurs in your ear , trying his best not to thrust up into you . after a few short seconds , you start to become restless , beginning to move on his cock slowly . " l - look who's the desperate one now , y / n , " he says with a quiet moan escaping his lips as he grabs onto your waist , taking the lead and speeding up the pace a little . " ngh ... f-fuck s'good ... s - shut it and just go faster - " you manage to say through your moans . the faster he bounces you on his cock , the more uncontrollable your moans became , and the closer you felt to cumming .

astarion can feel that you're close to your orgasm from the way your walls are clenching around him . " g - gods ... y / n ... p - please cum for me ... you can do that for me , right - ? " he moans while he thrusts into you at an a rough pace , wanting to feel your warm walls clench around his cock some more . he starts to rub your clit with his thumb to get you there , and after a few rubs , you feel the knot in your stomach starting to unravel . you moan so loudly it is practically a scream , " mmph ! i - im cumming ! " your legs begin to shake violently , and you could hear astarion panting heavily in your ear . you can tell he's trying his best not to cum inside you .

" that's a good girl ... " he murmurs as he pulls out of you , a ring of white visible around the base of his cock . astarion flips you on your stomach and harshly squeezes your ass . " ass up , darling ... " he tells you while he caresses your waist . your legs feel weak and they're all shaky , but you do what he asked of you . " mmh ... yes , astarion ... " you say , sounding completely out of it . 

you can hear a husky groan escape astarion's throat as he puts his cock back inside you . " y - y / n ... ngh ! " he whimpers . astarion grabs your waist and pounds into you from behind as quickly as he can to reach his orgasm . he's not sure how much longer he can hold it in , and he doesn't want to stop fucking your warm and sloppy pussy ; you feel too good . but , on the other hand , he does want to cum . " f - fuck ! s'too much ! " you whimper , now in tears from overstimulation.

the sound of sex is the only thing that can be heard in the forest ; astarion's thrusts are becoming animalistic and rough . when he feels his orgasm approaching , he immediately pulls out of you . " mmph ! y/ n ... shit ! a - ah gods , i - i'm cumming ! " astarion moans loudly as he strokes his cock , cumming on your back and ass . you collapse on the crumpled sheet underneath you while astarion calms down from the rush of his high , breathing heavily .

once astarion calms down from the rush of his very intense orgasm , he wipes your back off with a handkerchief he brought with him . " you did so good , darling , " he says sweetly , pulling you close and now resting with you on the sheet . " i wasn't too rough with you or anything , right ? " astarion asks . " no , no , of course not ; it was perfect , astarion , " you softly say , kissing his cheek . " well then you took it well , as you always do, my love , " he says cheekily .

astarion then moves his body so that he is now lying on top of you , right over your heart . he then lets out a content sigh . " i love you , y / n ... " he murmurs , his attention focused on your heartbeat . " i love you more , astarion ..." you say affectionately as your fingers run through his hair , and astarion's eyes close , falling asleep almost instantly . when you hear astarion's soft snores , you laugh quietly ; he's the cutest thing when he's asleep . " sleep well , astarion ... " you say before falling asleep with him in your arms , the sounds of the tranquil forest calming you both as you rest .

𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔢𝔫𝔡 ☀︎ ...

read the second part here 🧛🏻 !

[vickyvicarious]

Today's entry is really not Dr. Seward's best on display. He's matter-of-factly drugging his patient and rifling through his belongings. He's daydreaming about a cause worthy enough to justify even greater breaches of ethics than he's already doing. But in amongst these musings, there's some interesting foreshadowing too.

How well the man reasoned; lunatics always do within their own scope. I wonder at how many lives he values a man, or if at only one. He has closed the account most accurately, and to-day begun a new record. How many of us begin a new record with each day of our lives? To me it seems only yesterday that my whole life ended with my new hope, and that truly I began a new record.

Seward's interest in Renfield's skillful reasoning "within [his] own scope" and subsequent curiosity at how he measures the worth of men is of course ironic. He himself has been guilty of reasoning that only goes so far because of his own bias (about this guy in particular, in fact) and also values lives differently depending on the person. Or at least in different ways - we'll see the distinct difference between how he cares for Lucy in her illness (even when there is a question of potential 'madness') versus how he has behaved with Renfield. Obviously, there's other factors at play there too, but I can't help but think of the distinction here, particularly when it comes right before he moves on to thinking more directly about Lucy.

Renfield ends his first account when Seward denies him a cat, and eats all his birds to put a close to the whole process. But then he begins anew the next day. Seward muses about endings and beginnings, and claims that to him it feels like only yesterday that his life "ended with [his] new hope." This refers of course to Lucy rejecting him, and his beginning again was our first introduction to his audio diary. By his count, we're already on his second record. And those of us who have read the book before can recognize that a third will be coming up. Once again, a loss of Lucy will mark the end of his account - according to him, but then he will have to start again when he's inducted into the vampire-hunting. And that's when, as I've seen other people joking about, he gets his "strong, unselfish cause to make [him] work" - but it's far from happiness. (Though he in particular does get a line about savage delight in killing vampite!Lucy, it's another instance of unfulfilled potential in a way. The statement is anticipatory, and when it comes time to actual kill her, Jack is firstly the support, and secondly recognizes it as a terrible task. If he were the one staking, would he take a savage joy in doing so as he expected, or would it be a burden he bore out of love for the woman she was, as Arthur did? He actively participates in beheading her afterwards, in filling her mouth with garlic, in sealing her up. We don't hear his thoughts on any of that in any depth, and that happened after she apparently returned to her former self in death anyway, so... who knows.)

So it will be until the Great Recorder sums me up and closes my ledger account with a balance to profit or loss.

This line is also really interesting. In line of what happens later - both in how important records are throughout this story, and also in the epilogue making it clear that the entire book we've read is a preserved account.

But it also draws a comparison with Renfield's notebook. When Seward looked in it previously, he directly compared Renfield to an accountant, balancing numbers representing what we now know represent lives. This wording is kind of placing Renfield in the position of God; at the least imitating a Godly approach. That also goes along with what happens later on with Mina being burned by the Host and the characters seeming to interpret that as God deeming her unworthy (marked down as 'a loss') for no fault of her own.* It could link back to that line about reasoning within one's own scope again. I'm reminded of this excellent meta by @animate-mush which talks about how transgressing or occupying multiple roles is key in so many ways throughout this book. Staying within one's (typical/expected) scope is limiting, while Doing Both is strengthening. A madman's reasoning only goes so far - but then again, so does his doctor's. In that sense, having a straightforward binary of profit/loss is unhelpful. But of course, all this is happening within the context of the Good People fighting Bad Vampires book. As a rule, the novel doesn't delve too deeply into realizing moral dilemmas, even though it raises the question of them multiple times. So this whole line of thought I've been led down by these lines is kind of another instance of that, and there's no clear resolution to it. But it's interesting to think about.

*Pretty sure I've read at least one meta suggesting the mark was actually a warning to instill the necessary sense of urgency they needed to motivate them to save her before it became too late. That it was never meant as a mark of shame at all. In this case it's fully the characters' own limited view affecting their understanding of the situation, and the accountant view of a God tallying up more 'objective' pluses and minuses is lessened.

[pyrettawychwiggin]

SFW Alphabet (Romantic) with Crow (From Destiny 2) - Crow x Guardian, Gender-Neutral

Summary: this is a SFW alphabet for Crow from Destiny 2 (in the scope of a romantic, non-platonic relationship, but there are some friendship-building details scattered in here).

Paired With: gender-neutral for basically any type or gender of guardian. I've kept the physical descriptors of 'your guardian' to be relatively ambiguous.

Rating: GEN/TEEN — SFW - with some vague references to what could be considered mildy suggestive, but very little.

Warnings: slight mentions of trauma/hyper-vigilence/coping mechanisms, etc.

Note From The Author: I love reading these little SFW (and in some cases, NSFW) alphabets for fictional characters. It's so cool to see how others interpret the characters and how they would handle things. So here's my own rendition for one of my favourite characters from the Destiny universe (and one of my current obsessions) - Crow (very specifically not Uldren, but that should be obvious, I think).

The entries are long. So be prepared for a lengthy read, y'all. I pulled out all the stops on this. I hope you have as much fun reading it as I did making it! Okay. Eyes up, guardians.

(Image Credit - Kathi Langley / owlcath)

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show their affection?)

Crow is... careful at first. Very careful. So careful, in fact, that you assumed he either greatly disliked you, or even feared you - even well after he'd realized he'd started to like you.

Considering how he'd been treated by other guardians regarding the whole 'Cayde' situation, he was understandably one of the most guarded people you'd ever met, and it's not that he didn't want your affection, he simply didn't feel as though he deserved it (even when he does start to show affection, and even when you have reminded him countless times how much you adore him. Deep down, he still doesn't feel worthy).

His affection works more like a dance; you lead, he follows the silent boundaries you set.

It started small.

It started with a friendly wave. As you happened to pass by him during an event at The Tower, he assumed he would be ignored by everyone (and that would have been the best case scenario as far as he was concerned); but still, you locked eyes and gave him a genuine smile and a friendly wave as you passed by - as if you were actually happy to see him. This was a tiny gesture that caused him to overthink the short interaction for the rest of the day. The next time he passed by you days later, he bucked up the courage to go as far as saying 'hello,' and the friendly greeting you gave him in return made him feel warm and fuzzy for the rest of the day.

This would set the pace for the rest of your relationship. You were the first to start complimenting him; so he started doing the same for you. You were the first to put your head on his shoulder; so he put his arm around you to pull you a little closer.

That being said, the one thing that he was the one to instigate was the first kiss - but we'll get into that later in this post.

Finally (and adorably), much like his name ironically suggests, he is always keeping his eye out for little trinkets he thinks you may like; interesting looking stones, pieces of wood he's whittled into unique animals or shapes, little tokens and tools from any marketplaces he's come across - he's always got a space for you on his mind.

B = Best Friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?)

As was mentioned under 'Affection,' it really started with a simple wave and a smile. From there, you slowly became one of his only friends outside of Glint and Amanda.

Once he trusts you, he is a fiercely loyal friend, and he has your back no matter what. He's a fantastic listener, he's incredibly considerate, and despite his introverted disposition, you are one of the only people he can spend lengthy amounts of time with without feeling as though he needs to mentally recharge afterward.

C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

The first hug shared between you two was not specifically romantic. He had told you about something that had happened to him that was, in a word, incredibly traumatizing. You didn't know what to say, so you just gave him a hug instead.

At first, he didn't know how to respond, and put his arms out as if he were afraid to touch you, but after a few seconds, he realized you weren't letting go. He remembers feeling your warmth and your heartbeat against his chest, and slowly, he wrapped his arms around you in return for a long hug that he so desperately needed.

Some time later, much farther into your friendship, he came to you with the intent of venting to you, or asking for advice, but as he tried and failed to find the words to describe what he had been going through, he gave up and just pulled you into his arms for another much-needed hug.

As he has gotten more and more comfortable with you, he has become more bold with you, and has gotten to the point where he always wants to be in some form of contact with you - be it holding hands, curling an arm around your waist, or his personal favourite, touching his forehead to yours.

Even if you're in a situation where you need to be more professional or reserved, you'll find that he's subtly standing shoulder-to-shoulder with you.

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)

As much as Crow enjoys wandering and exploring, seeing new things and having new experiences with you, he can also be quite the home-body.

You two start living together pretty early in your relationship. Not on purpose, mind you; you just found yourself spending time together, and having him stay with you that it just naturally happened on it's own. At first, it was an open invitation from you to raid your fridge (even though he would still always ask for permission), then it was a couple spare drawers in your dresser for a few of things. Then it was a keycode so he could allow himself in whenever he pleased - things just kind of happened from there.

Being together as often as you were just felt right; natural.

As for his 'domestic skills,' he's not particularly good at cooking, but he's not necessarily a 'bad cook' either. He has a handful of his favourite dishes that he's pretty good at preparing (and later on into your relationship, he went out of his way to learn a couple of your favourites, too).

That being said, he makes some of the best drinks that you've ever had; be it coffee, tea, hot chocolate, smoothies, cocktails, you name it - he could open his own little café for that reason alone (he is shockingly talented at latte art, and likes to top your drinks off with a little 'bird' symbol).

He is a very tidy housemate, however. He naturally just kind of picks up after himself. He's not one to keep everything 'spotless,' but things never look messy, either. The one thing you will find is little collectables and kitch that the two of you have picked up over time scattered all around your place.

Living with Crow is easy and in a word, effortless.

E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

If he were ever to end things with you (which is unlikely - but hypothetically), it truly would hurt him as much as (if not more) than it would hurt you. He wouldn't do so without a very good reason, but he is the type of partner who would always rather work things out with you than call it quits.

BUT. If he ever did, he would try to do so gently and privately, and would most likely go little-to-no-contact with you outside of obligations like missions and large events. Not because he wants nothing to do with you, but simply because being around you but not being with you is nearly unbearable to him now.

It will take him a very long time to move on, and even when he does he will always have a bit of a sore spot for you, regardless of how the two of you parted ways.

F = Fiancé (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)

Commitment comes naturally to Crow. Once you two become an item, you are never not on his mind in some fashion.

As for marriage, this is a different story. It's certainly not that he doesn't want to get married. He sees his relationship with you as a 'forever' situation already, and after such a long period of time where he felt as though he didn't deserve a happy relationship, much less a happy marriage, well... it just hadn't crossed his mind.

After a few years, someone ends up asking him about it, and his response is:

"I'm not sure. I haven't really thought about it; our relationship just feels so natural as it is. Do you... do you think they'd say yes if I asked...?"

After that, it's in his head rent-free, and it's really only a matter of time before he asks you.

It's nothing flashy, but one day, he arranges a small, low-stakes mission with you at your favourite spot (be it The Dreaming City, Neomuna, Europa - some place where you personally like to spend time, or a place that is significant to the two of you).

You do your thing as you would during any other mission; an unstoppable duo - effective and efficient. That night, you both decide to set up camp.

As you're chatting and enjoying a quiet moment together by the fire, he seems to be fidgeting with his hands more than usual. You're about to ask about it when he abruptly says:

"Oh! I, uh... I downloaded a new projection for Glint. It reminded us of you, so I couldn't resist. Glint, would you be so kind?"

You turn your head to Glint who chatters and nods excitedly; above his shell, hovering in the air, is a light blue projection of what appears to be a diamond ring. At first, you're confused, but as you turn your eyes back to Crow, you see him crouched on one knee, and in his hands is a small wooden box that he'd carved himself.

He doesn't even have time to get the question out, much less even open the ring box before you've tackled him to the ground with a resounding 'yes' that brings him a wave of relief.

When he does show you the ring, it turns out to be made of obsidian, and set with a small cutting of your favourite stone.

The wedding itself is intimate - only your closest friends are permitted to attend; and it's perfect. He's a nervous wreck up until the moment he turns to see you walking down the aisle, and his heart melts; all he can see in that moment is you. Your vows have his eyes glistening with tears; and as for his...

Crow's Vows:

"My beloved. When we first met, I was empty; just jumping from one situation to the next, waiting for things to fall into place. It felt like every time I thought things may be getting better, the rug would be pulled from under my feet, and I'd feel as though I was right back where I started. Like I was in an endless black pit, trying to move toward any trace of light I could find.

Then there was you. You were warmth. You were pure sunlight. You were - are, everything. Even after all this time, there are days where I look at you and I find myself expecting to wake up to find that this has all been a beautiful dream. Yet still, here you are.

I'm watching you become stronger, wiser, better... I'm in awe of you every day, and when you look at me the way you do, I realize that I have become a better version of myself, too.

I was born a new man in an old vessel under the Traveler; and I have become a different man all over again just by being by your side. I can't wait to see who we become, and how we grow together in the vast eternity before us; and I can't believe how lucky I am to get to be the one who gets to go on this adventure with you. I love you - more than yesterday, less than tomorrow - forever."

G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

There are times you could swear Crow thinks you are made of glass. He is always checking in with you to make sure you're comfortable, and the very thought of ever hurting you is entirely foreign to him.

Emotionally, he's very in tune with the reactions of the people around him (due to his hyper-vigilance around others as a defense mechanism and trauma response), so with you, he can't really help it. Sometimes he may overdo it a little; he may ask if you're okay or if he did something wrong when he feels like you haven't spoken for a while, constantly worried that one day he'll mess this up. So obviously, he needs a fair amount of reassurance from you.

That being said, he can read you like a book the rest of the time. He notices the little things; the way you slightly part your lips when you're taken aback, the way your pupils dilate when you feel a twinge of fear, the way you shift your weight slightly to your other foot when you're anxious, the way your brows furrow when you're focusing, the way your eyes light up when you're excited - he notices it all.

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it and what is it like?)

At first, Crow couldn't have cared less about hugs - until you gave him his first hug he could ever remember receiving, and he then realized just how touch-starved he was. It was like medicine for him - no matter how bad things were, a hug from you would never fail to bring him some much-needed comfort and security.

When he starts getting comfortable enough to be the one to initiate them, you realize he gives great hugs. He manages to hold you securely in his arms, but never too tightly so as to make you uncomfortable, and he always lets you decide when to stop; he's never the first to break a hug with you. He's especially fond of resting his chin on the top of your head when he's hugging you.

I = "I Love You" (How fast do they say the L-word?)

Crow knew that he loved you before the two of you even started a more romantic relationship; in fact Glint was the one to point it out to him one day, and the realization just clicked into place for him.

However, knowing this and actually telling you are two very different things. He kind of agonized over it for a while, worried that if he tried to say it too early, that it may either end in you pushing him away or feeling pressured to return the phrase if you didn't feel the same. He came close to saying it many times, but losing his nerve each time.

A few months into your relationship, and much to his surprise, you said it first.

You had been sent away on a long mission on Europa where the two of you were apart for months. You were able to use the comms to stay in touch for the first week or so, but as things got more and more intense, there were little to no opportunities to continue doing so. When you and your fireteam were successful and finally made it back, he was there to greet you at The Tower.

You dropped your pack and immediately rushed forward to throw yourself into his arms. You were so relieved to feel his warmth after months of bone-chilling temperatures, to feel his weight of his chin resting on your head, and to feel the reverberation of his soft chuckling in his chest at your reaction - it just kind of slipped out, muffled into the fabric of the mantel of his cloak.

You felt his entire body immediately tense for all of a second before he let out a sigh of relief and an:

"I love you, too."

He was riding the high of that moment for weeks after that, and frankly, so were you.

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they get jealous?)

Crow isn't one to get particularly jealous or petty, but he does like to make it relatively clear that you're with him, and he's with you. Nothing crazy, he's not one to be a meathead about it, but when you're out together, he like to keep in physical contact with you.

At first, he would keep quiet and distant out of fear that you would be judged harshly if others saw you two being too close and showing any kind of affection, but once he realized you were proud to be seen with him, he couldn't keep his hands off of you.

He trusts you implicitly, and he never feels the need to worry that you'll give him a reason to feel jealous.

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)

At first, Crow's kisses are delicate and uncertain. In the beginning, he spends the majority of the relationship waiting for you to decide you've changed your mind about him, and he almost seems as though he's trying not to scare you off by being 'too much,' as he puts it.

As he gets more comfortable, however, he kisses you with more certainty; still gentle, but he allows more of that heat and passion to come through. You can literally feel how much he adores you through every kiss - and it always leaves you a little light-headed.

His favourite place to kiss you really is your lips; he finds your mouth hypnotizing most of the time, but aside from that, he's especially fond of kissing your collarbone and neck area (and during spicier times, he especially likes to kiss your inner thigh, but that's a detail we can explore another day).

As for him, he takes any affection and kisses he can get from you, but he's discovered that he loves it when you raise his hand to your mouth to kiss the inside of his wrists and fingertips; something about it just puts him on cloud nine every time.

L = Little Ones (How are they around children?)

Crow feels as though he's awkward around children, and says he never knows how to respond or talk to them, but children (whose views on him have not already been tainted by their parents) are naturally drawn to him.

Something about him makes them curious; fascinated. They feel safe around him, and they enjoy being around him because he doesn't talk down to them, but rather, talks to them like he would any other person, just with even more patience and understanding.

You once happened across him at The Tower to see him giving a small group of children piggyback rides, each of them clamoring to be up next. You found yourself chuckling, and stopping to watch them for a while before continuing on your way. You're not sure whether or not he saw you, but you decided not to bring it up.

M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)

Mornings with Crow are warm and tender. When he's the first to wake up, he likes to watch you as you dream away beside him, drifting his fingers gently over your jawline, careful not to wake you right away. If you're the first to rise, whenever you've decided to wake him up, he always pulls you into a groggy hug with a huff and a sigh. It can be a challenge to get him to fully come to, mainly because he feels like he could just stay curled up in bed with you the whole day if he could.

After that, he's up making your favourite morning drink, whatever it may be (he has an affinity for it, after all), while you get started on breakfast. He loves to try to sneak in a few kisses during the process, though.

N = Night (How are nights spent with them?)

Nights with Crow range from warm and cuddly to passionate and spicy, depending on his emotional needs. Either way, he likes to take some time to ask about your day while he does something nice for you, be it rubbing your shoulders, or even just holding you. You two have been known to chat all hours into the night - but time means almost nothing when you're together.

Though he will never turn down a massage from you, he loves to give you massages every night - it's almost as much for his own enjoyment as it is yours; but you have to admit, he is fantastic with his hands (take that however you'd like).

O = Open (When will they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or do they reveal little things slowly?)

At the beginning, Crow is an island. Always quiet, always mysterious, always completely out reach; and he keeps it that way for quite some time before he starts noticing your kindness is a pattern not born of pity or habit, but simply because that's who you are.

After that, it's breadcrumbs; his process of opening up to you is painfully slow, but all the more rewarding as you continue to get to know him, and in turn, watch him learn to become more and more comfortable in his own skin.

P = Patience (How easily are they angered?)

Crow is seemingly more measured to the naked eye, but he's more hot-headed than people think, and despite his calm demeanor, he has quite a temper deep down.

You've learned to notice the signs; his chest rises and falls a slightly heavier than usual, his jaw tenses a little, his eyes seem to take on a brighter tinge of orange, and most of all, you can feel the heat off of him.

He is, however, very adept at managing his anger; he is terrified of ending up just like Uldren Sov, allowing his anger to turn him cruel and tyrannical, and he refuses to allow this to come to pass.

Q = Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every detail or forget the minor things?)

Sure, he forgets things on rare occasion; so does everyone. Still, he is a wonderful listener who genuinely wants to know everything about you. In fact, the only one who knows you better than Crow is your own Ghost.

He knows all the basics; your favourite colour, how you like your coffee (if you even like coffee in the first place), your favourite place to be alone, your favourite weapons... he could go on about you for hours to anyone who would listen.

Above all else, though, he knows your touch and scent in a room of hundreds. He could be blindfolded and know how your hands feel on his skin immediately.

R = Remember (What is their favourite moment of your relationship?)

Crow has many moments that could be considered 'favourites.' Your first two-person mission together, the first time you stood up for him against another guardian who saw him as nothing more than Uldren reborn, sharing a round drinks with you and Amanda as friends, the time you accidentally fell asleep and rested your head on his shoulder; there are endless examples.

Still to this day however, your first kiss takes the number one spot for him.

You were on one of many missions together, and the two of you hadn't started anything romantic yet (though you had both been dancing around the idea for a while at this point). You had been separated from the rest of your fireteam. On your way back to them, the two of you encountered one of the biggest squadrons of Vex you'd ever seen. It was going to be a long, difficult fight - but you both fought together as if you were born to do it.

It was almost as if it were a choreographed dance.

The fight ended with you and Crow - practically nose-to-nose, each letting out one final shot to two approaching Vex goblins from behind you.

Chests heaving, the two of you locked eyes in a breathless moment of silence - then his lips were on yours. He quickly started to pull away with an apology before you pulled him back in.

As a broken Vex goblin twitched on the ground beside you, he loosed a final shot from his handcannon into it before tucking it away and wrapping his arms around you; sharing a kiss with you that would put most movie romances to shame.

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)

Crow is highly protective of you. He's protective of all his friends, really, but he truly fears something happening to you. He wasn't particularly used to the idea of protecting or being protected himself when he was first resurrected. Working under Spider wasn't exactly the kind of employment that inspired selflessness.

However, not only were you instrumental in getting him away from Spider, he remembers the first time another guardian attempted to attack him during one of his earlier visits to The Tower, and he was left in awe when he watched you tear a strip off of them and lay them flat.

You protected him on many occasions, even when he told you not to worry about it - you simply wouldn't tolerate that disrespect under any circumstances.

At one point, the two of you were on a mission where you had been separated, with you having crash-landed your ship in a crater field on The Moon. There was no response from you on the comms, but you were stuck under a piece of the wreck, and badly injured. Even more concerningly, there was no response from your Ghost, either. Crow immediately started following the trail of smoke to your location on his own.

When he arrived, a group of Hive had started to advance on your location. You were completely unconscious and to his horror, he watched as a Hive knight wrapped their claws around your then-battered, and barely-responsive Ghost. The knight started to attempt to crush them before Crow severed the arm and retrieved your Ghost faster than the Hive could blink.

Your consciousness started to return just as Crow was in the midst of fighting them off. You had never seen Crow fight as ferociously as he had that day. You had seen him in the field before, and he was very impressive in his own right, but it was nothing like this. This was one of the only times you could recall seeing him enraged.

T = Try (How much effort do they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

This man has so much try. Every date, he's practically breaking his back to try to pamper you in every way he can (even though you tell him he can just relax and enjoy himself). He insists this is part of enjoying himself - taking care of you makes him exceedingly happy.

"I know we're together, now; but don't think that means I'll ever stop trying to win your heart all over again."

Anniversaries are special to him - it marks the day where your adventure together started when you took things to the next level, and he likes to reflect on how fortunate he feels to have made it another year with you. He prefers to plan anniversaries with you rather than surprise you; planning trips or escapes together with you brings him so much excitement. He does, however, but a great deal of effort into finding or creating something special for you, and he somehow manages to outdo himself again and again every year.

Gift-giving is one if his love languages; especially when it comes to things he finds or makes himself. Sure, he'll bring you things he's bought on occasion, but he especially likes to bring you interesting trinkets he's hunted down or created.

As for everyday tasks, he's subtle; when you two start living together, you both have your own little 'tasks' around the place that you do to keep the place tidy and liveable, but sometimes, you'll have gotten home feeling particularly exhausted, and he makes sure you're fed and comfortable before quietly finishing the task himself, insisting that you relax tonight.

"You'd do the same for me."

U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)

Crow, though he's consistently working on this, is painfully doubtful of his own worth both as a guardian and as a partner. This leads him to be habitually self-sacrificing even when there's no reason to be. He sees the value and strength in all others, but he's blind to his own, and though he does get a little better at it as he goes on, he has a hard time accepting compliments.

On a lighter note, he also can not hold his liquor; his tolerance is incredibly low.

V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)

He tries not to let it show, but he gets a little bit insecure about his appearance, and he does fret about his looks more than he cares to admit - especially now that he has you. He knows you would never judge him for his physical appearance, but he can't help but want to look good in front of you.

He's already an effective hunter in his own right, but if he's teamed up with you, he is a little flashier than usual in a subtle attempt to show off for you a little bit.

A comment had been made once about his haircut, and it wasn't long before he'd decided to change it. If you were to ask him why he made such a decision, his response would simply be:

"No reason - I just felt like I was ready for a change, that's all. Why? Do you... do you like it?"

W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

Entirely. He had started to accept his solitude before he met you - before he met Amanda. There was a time he'd decided that some guardians weren't made for fireteams and comraderie- that some guardians were meant to accomplish far more on their own.

Once he started to realize that he was worthy of friendship, respect, understanding, compassion, and love, he realized that his connections with the people closest to him made him feel complete.

Of course, losing any of his friends and teammates would weigh heavily on him; but especially once you two grew closer, he knew that losing you would leave a deep wound in him that he would never be able to mend. It would, in a word, shatter him entirely.

He would do his best to move on, but it would be a very long time before he would feel like himself again.

You are his lifeline - and he is endlessly devoted to keeping you safe at all costs.

X = X-tra (A random head-canon for them)

Crow likes to collect things; little interesting trinkets and things he comes across during missions and excursions.

Being a relatively anxious person, he also tends to fidget - a lot. He feels like he always needs to be doing something with his hands. Sharping his dagger, doing little knife tricks, tinkering with something, writing in a notebook, whittling pieces of wood into interesting shapes; he's never completely still, even if he always seems outwardly calm.

He is also just very good with his hands in general, and as far as you're concerned, gives the world's best massages.

Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldn't like, either in general or in a partner?)

Generally, there are a few things Crow doesn't like; unnecessary conflict, and he's not huge on eggs (for the texture, not the flavour, he says). Most of all, crowds - he does not like crowds. They make him feel unsafe and overwhelmed.

He is able to enjoy crowded events and celebrations to an extent, but he's usually one of the first to be ready to leave, and he will be in need of some quiet solitude to recharge.

As for partners, he has a few pet peeves; loud chewers would be one of his more minor ones, but he couldn't tolerate a partner with no compassion. He fully understands that sometimes difficult decisions need to be made for the greater good, but someone who can easily be callous and heartless for the sake of progress or personal gain is not a person he feels safe around.

"I know I've made some bad choices in my past - we all have. But at least I have the decency to feel some way about it when I do. It eats me up inside - and I think it should. I think it makes us less likely to take those decisions too lightly in the future."

Z = Zzz (What are some sleeping habits of theirs?)

Crow is a borderline insomniac and a very light sleeper. He's always been plagued by nightmares, but they'd gotten much worse after The Season of the Haunted. Despite finding a certain amount of closure by the end of the season, his nightmares remain an issue, and he's simply been learning to deal with them however he can - Glint would usually wake him up so he could get himself calm enough to try to sleep again.

Having you to cuddle up to at night has not made them any better, unfortunately, but waking up to feel you there beside him has made the process of finding his footing in reality much faster and far more pleasant. Despite his nightmares, he wakes up feeling far more rested than he ever did before; and he's eternally grateful to you for that.

(Image Credit - Wesley Gardner)

That's all, folks! Thanks for reading. See you next time, o guardian mine.

~ Pyretta Wychwiggin

[moxie-girl]

DRDT EP 13/14 ANALYSIS/THEORIES

I said I'd do this once I collected my thoughts! haha Warning! This is super long…

To start, I'm going to pick apart all the stuff I predicted for ep. 13 (I'll try not to make it too long…)

Levi's Secret

Well. Levi sure did admit to. All that! I think this eliminates any last doubts I personally had about him being the killer… (your honor just because I'm a serial killer doesn't mean I killed that specific person /ref) I really like that he isn't shown as a bad person just because he lacks empathy, and he's actually actively trying to be a good person… the fact that he just admitted his secret because he thought it was the right thing to do is so funny though, there go all my theories lol! (I'm still a little worried about rule 14 though…)

Ace's (Almost) Murder

Yeah!! This is probably what we're gonna spend episode 14 talking about, with murder method and alibis, etc. I still don't think it was Nico though! (I want to say I called that it'd be relevant, but it felt a little obvious…)

The Murder Method

I think we can say this has been all figured out, with the method being exactly what several people much smarter than me all figured out.

The Possible Culprits

Rose was still acting a little odd, but I think Whit on the other hand, despite whatever all that was, is off the hook for now, so my number 1 suspect is still Hu! I'm like 90% sure she was the one who tried to kill Ace, at least, and that's become very important now!

Secrets

Well, we got all the secrets figured out! (Hu :( ) The fandom interpretation was pretty much correct, except for Teruko's (we'll get to that later…) I do hope that after this trial, some of the secrets that are not relevant/haven't really been discussed do get adressed, because I could even see them becoming motives for murder again. But also, I just want the characters to talk about them! (gimme that juicy juicy angst…)

Ace

He didn't re-open his injury or really freak out like I expected, but we got some vulnerability (and a new sprite!) from Ace, and considering next episode is probably gonna focus a ton on him, I'm still expecting at least one of the two to happen…

Teruko

Luckily for Teruko, we didn't have anything unlucky happen to her this episode! But she sure did get her time in the protag spotlight anyway, I'm glad she didn't let the mistake from last episode get her down!

☆ ☆ ☆

Also, my bingo card! I got a bingo!! (ft. my messy tiny notes if you want to read them)

A few of my other bingo predictions I'm still going to hold on to for the next (few) episodes, but now, onto some new stuff!

Final Arei Flashback

Whoooah boy was that scene a doozy. I'm starting to think David's murderous rage towards the blackened at the start of the trial was genuine, because me too, man. I'm really glad Arei got at least a little bit of closure before she died, though! She also had an interesting take on the "good person" role, something that has been very important to this trial thus far and will likely continue to be. (I'm thinking that the killer may have had a "good person"-related motivation for killing, which is why it's the chapter's overarching theme?)

Also, to adress the elephant in the room… EDEN??? Well, no wonder Xander "didn't expect her to attack [him] like that" - and from her expression I wonder if she expected it either - I'm really looking forward to learning more about what, exactly, happened before the killing game that involved them! I didn't really believe in Mastermind!Eden before this, but it's starting to look pretty plausible... (Also Xander is the king of haunting the narrative oh my god lol)

Teruko's Secret

Many of us, myself included, were hoping/guessing/assuming that when all the secrets were figured out, David would reveal that he actually had Teruko's, not Xander's. While that didn't happen, the way he reacted after she claimed "her" secret essentially confirms it, as does a lot of other evidence:

That secret being hers would complete a secret circle of Teruko -> Rose -> Whit -> David -> Teruko and a secret pair of Xander <--> Min, which makes sense considering all other secret swaps are either circles of four or in pairs.

Xander and Min would have each other's secrets logically since neither of them can receive secrets, so theirs would probably be separated from the rest.

MonoTV's line about not knowing whether they're all correct feels like a reminder/a hint that some of the secrets are incorrect, and those two feel like the most likely options.

Teruko apparently has no idea which secret is actually hers, so may have just guessed the one that sounded more like her, except we know she never knew her parents and only had one sibling (as does Charles… I wonder if he'll notice)

EDIT: I cant believe I almost forgot, but I feel like David’s attitude towards Xander (and Teruko) makes more sense with these secrets, because why would he idolize Xander if the killing game was his fault, but he would idolize him if he thought Xander was trying to end the killing game by killing Teruko, the person David now thinks/knows is at fault.

However, since David didn't claim out loud that Teruko was lying, it's likely that this piece of information will become relevant much later in the series, and he'll be keeping it to himself for now.

Veronika and Hu

When did Veronika and Hu make their pact? And how did Hu, presumably the one who wanted to make the pact, know that Veronika had her secret? Also, what on earth do you mean, Veronika, that your secret isn't the worst thing you've done???? This little section with the two of them could just be entirely innocent and a way for the dev to get the rest of the secrets on the board, and let Veronika be a little unhinged as she tends to be, but I get the feeling at least some of this is relevant. (I'm betting on either Accomplice!Veronika or Veronika's actual "worst thing" being important to a later trial…)

David

Ohhhhh, David. I feel like Veronika with how much I want to psychoalanize this guy. He is on the verge of a breakdown, and I can feel it! The question being, of course, whether Arei's death was enough to make it happen this chapter, or whether this is something that's gonna last another chapter or two before coming to a head. My money's on the second option, because I think this trial is about to be about Ace and his impending breakdown :)

I do hope after this trial we do get to see a little more of what David's actually like beyond his facades/the roles he's been playing! Also, as much as I'd like to see David survive and have to deal with the consequences of revealing his "true" personality on live television, I think it's more likely he'll go the way of DR antags trying to end the killing game via self-sacrifice.

(We also better keep a close eye on anyone who tries to befriend or help David in Ch3, because they're gonna die next! /j)

J's Morality

This is a short one, but I just wanted to comment on another analysis I saw point out that J has been one of the most vocal people anytime murder has been brought up. I think that behind her rougher personality, J is a more empathetic person, and/or has very strong morals, making her a narrative foil to Levi now, so I do hope the two of them interact in Ch3!

Whit??

Whit. Whit why do you know so much about hanging??? Being serious though, I saw someone else bring up that his mother might have died by hanging and he researched it afterwards as a coping mechanism or something? That's the saddest possible explanation, but it does make the most sense by far… I honestly don't think that Whit is the killer, because then why would he be being so helpful in figuring out the murder method, but he's still so weird and suspicious sometimes.

Nico!

Even though I still don't think it was Nico (crime scene makes more sense if seen as Nico trying to help Ace, they may have just admitted to it because it was the less confrontational option, next ep is def not the last one and I think it'll be about proving who it was other than Nico, and if you look at Nico's secret quote…) I still do hope they get the chance to get mad! Get mad at Ace! Get mad at David! Get mad at whoever the (attempted) killer was for putting the blame on them! Idk I just want them to have their moment.

☆ ☆ ☆

And finally, here are my new bingo cards for the next episode:

(I can't believe ep14 is gonna be 40 mins + there's a "non-spoiler" thumbnail rn oooooh I'm so nervous)

[dyaz-stories]

okay so i fucking hated the airport scene and i need to exorcise it by explaining why and making it everyone else's problem

jujutsu kaisen spoilers up until chapter 236

Okay, so to preface this, my main issue is that this part of the chapter strongly clashed with my interpretation of Gojo's character and, in my opinion, isn't a suitable farewell to him. I know that some people will read this and think "Oh, so you're just mad that things didn't go the way you wanted" and... yeah. You know, I didn't like that something I didn't like happened. That's not unexpected, but if you're not interested in reading that, I totally get it! I just want to go into more detail about why I wasn't happy with the way this went.

I also want to add that I have no qualms with Gojo dying. I'm not thrilled by the way it happened, but this happening is fully expected within shonen codes. I get the significance of it and why it needed to happen for the story Gege wanted to tell. That's fine by me.

Now, to the airport scene.

We'll start with the first panel, mostly as an illustration. This panel shows, from the uniforms to Gojo's glasses and his expression, that we are in the presence of "high-school Gojo". This is reinforced by the presence of Geto, particularly because the only time when we've seen the two of them interact normally was during the Hidden Inventory Arc.

On top of that, Gojo, throughout the airport scene, acts more 'naturally' than he does in the manga, Hidden Inventory Arc excepted. I'd argue that with his students and with everyone following Geto's defection, he tends to have this 'wall' up (both literally and metaphorically). He doesn't talk to them with this kind of ease.

My issue with this is that it very much reads like character regression. It's been a decade since high-school for Gojo, give or take, and for his farewell I don't find it interesting to portay him not as he was, but as he had been.

The obvious answer to that is that this depicts Gojo in the time period during which he was the happiest. I don't wholly disagree with that — especially considering the emphasis in this arc about 'the loneliness of the strongest' and the fact that this was likely the only time when he didn't feel lonely.

I just regret the lack of distance with this idea. Even if it was the time when he felt happiest, he wasn't his teenage self anymore. I wish this had been reflected more. Like I said — this, to me, doesn't feel like a farewell to who he was at the moment of his death, because I'm not seeing the Gojo I'd seen throughout the manga.

Another, less obvious counter-argument could be that this emphasises that Gojo was stuck in the past and couldn't move on from his years in high school. I don't think this is particularly proven as true through the manga. The importance he gives to training his students and his belief that they can become stronger than him seems to show an interest in the future, not the past.

This is the next one. My issue isn't with Sukuna being stronger than Gojo (I don't care about that). Considering the central part Mahoraga plays in Gojo's demise (as Sukuna states right after)

the line about the Ten Shadows feels icky to me, but whatever on that front as well. No, what annoys me about all of that is that considering all of Gojo's confidence up until the end, it... makes him look like a cocky idiot? Which, okay, isn't that far off when it comes to his characterization, I'll give Gege that, but it was always warranted up until that point. Being unable to see danger coming to that degree, especially with the Six Eyes, is kind of ridiculous.

It also lessens the importance of Sukuna's supposed admiration for him, imo.

It cheapens both his death and his character to me.

I'm fully aware that people have used this as proof of Gojo's selfishness and essentially as showcasing his adrenaline addiction, and I get that it would make sense if that was your read on his character, but it came out of left field for me.

Another answer to that argument could be that this is Gojo's perception and doesn't reflect the reality — maybe he thought that but Sukuna didn't — however considering the timing I can't help but feel that we, as readers, are at least supposed to receive it as fact.

This one is less of a criticism and more of a note. It's not uninteresting as far as characterization goes. I think it doesn't come as a huge surprise that Gojo would feel that way but I do regret that this was never explored before. I'm not convinced it was hinted at all that well either, and it doesn't help that the one example we have of him being 'adored' is Miwa being a fangirl. Once again, I regret that we don't see anything about his students here. I think it would have been warranted.

This is probably my favorite panel out of the bunch, which I don't think is going to come as a surprise. This feels like a callback to him being a teacher. I like it.

Okay, this is probably my least favorite part of this. Nanami has said things of this nature before, he's called Gojo egotiscal,

so it's not new that he believes that. However, that is echoed by Haibara (and other people apparently, hence "we all thought that") and also by Geto, since he's the one who concludes "was just proven right by your actions a second ago". I have to assume Geto, in saying that, is referring to Gojo's fight against Sukuna.

I kind of fucking hate that. First of all, what Nanami says is something that I considered to be blatantly untrue in the manga. As far as I'm concerned, Gojo was constantly portrayed as caring deeply for his students, wanting to leave them a better world, and while I don't think he wanted to protect people the same way Itadori does, it's not like it's absent from his motivations either.

(The second panel is him asking about the people that got trapped in his domain expansion, while in Shibuya. This showed he was worried for their well-being. His decisions in Shibuya were also motivated by his decision to limit human losses.)

Geto essentially agrees with what Nanami is saying, which I think is intended to tell the audience that Nanami is right. That's who Gojo is, the person who knows him best even tells you that. Again, this feels very high school Gojo, without the decade of character development and of caring for kids that he has necessarily done since then. It's also telling us that Gojo fought Sukuna because he thought he would enjoy it, not for any sort of higher purpose (I do also hate the "I had fun" panel that comes earlier, in case you were wondering lol).

I also think that this removes any notion of responsibility which Gojo would have shouldered by choice, which I think contradicts other parts of the manga. Honestly, to me, Nanami's take here is so far removed from what I had received from the manga up until that point that it's kind of jarring.

As mentioned before, due to Geto's intervention, I don't think this can be interpreted as "just Nanami's opinion". Due to Gojo's lack of disagreeing and the fact that this chapter is his last, I do think it's intended as the 'true interpretation' for Gojo's character, by the author that is (is it going to stop me? No, but I think authorial intention is interesting to look at/try to find).

This one I'm going to give the benefit of the doubt to, because considering Gojo's conversation with Nanami at this point, he could be talking about Nanami. If he is talking about himself (and I do think that is the case), I want to put it on the record that I also hate it! Again, Gojo not caring about the students he's leaving behind, to me, does not feel 'right' or in character, and they're not mentioned once save for that one throw-away line about Megumi.

I'll discuss this real quick before concluding: is it a dream? I don't think it's that important here. Regardless of whether that's Gojo's hallucination in his final moments or truly the afterlife/the antechamber before reincarnation, considering the position this half-chapter occupies in the story, I don't think it alters my reading of it.

With that being said, I'm leaning towards it not being a dream in part due to Nanami's line about Haibara, which echoes exactly what we saw when Nanami dies.

This line is for the audience in my opinion, not for Gojo.

So where does that leave us? Well, to me, the heart of it is what I said earlier: this feels like a goodbye to high school Gojo, not the one we see through most of the manga, and that was who I wanted to see, and the one who I believe deserved this farewell.

On top of that, for the most part, the characterization of Gojo as done by other characters borders on character assassination, in my completely personal and admittedly biased opinion. It's not at all what I would have wanted him to go out on. Leaves a very bad taste in my mouth and makes me feel silly for caring.

What a sad way to go.

I typically conclude these kinds of posts by saying that I'm happy to discuss what I've said if you disagree, however for this one, I hope I've made it clear that my issues lies with the disparity between my interpretation of Gojo and this scene, as well as just what I would have liked to see, and it's therefore very personal. I do think that if Gege wanted me to have this interpretation of Gojo he didn't do a good job of getting me there, but if you disagree and you liked this scene, you know, more power to you. I don't think that means you're wrong. I just had a bad time reading it and I wanted to talk about it. With all that said you can 100% disagree obviously, but I'm not looking for a debate.

[gothhabiba]

I feel like I'm having to do the 4D-chess brain calculus of three variables that I had to do to understand what white people are ever talking about all over again, in order to understand what the fuck happens in able-bodied people's minds. so far I'm at:

they believe that no motion or force whatsoever is required to do things that require motion or force, such as using your hands, moving your face, or getting up to go to the bathroom. they think these things just sort of happen through universal permeating energy waves or something. they will probably continue to believe this the first ten times you point out their error to them even if they live with a disabled person. this is a really, really hard one for them.

they have a weird idea of what it means to do something "by yourself" or "under your own power." they seem to simultaneously belleve that doing something with the assistance of a mobility device that you can operate on your own is not doing it under your own power (?), and that needing a person to help you do something is not really a big deal & there's no importance at all in setting things up such that a disabled person can do as many things on their own as possible. they don't tend to think it important that disabled people have autonomy, or they find the consideration to be oxymoronic in the first place.

part of this last one is that they think it's trivially easy for any disabled person to get anyone to help them with something at any given time. this is possible for them because they are thinking in the abstract, without any of the messy calculus of "who do I ask for help" and "are they busy" and "when did I last ask them for help; am I using up all my grace by asking again" and "how patient were they the last time I asked them for help" and "when should I do this thing so that it's the best time for them to help" and "do I know anyone who's able to do x" and "if I make sure to stay friends with this person because they can do y for me is that the action of manipulative monster" that anyone who actually requires help with many of their daily actions knows is necessary.

and yet, at the same time, if you ask them for help with any task at any given time, half the time they will not do it (even if they're able to). they will only say that they will help, in the abstract, because maybe on some level they recognise that their assistance will be helpful or necessary, and they want to think of themselves as good people, and give on that they value you & their relationship with you, at least to your face. however they are not used to doing the kind of calculus that dealing with real-life disability involves (again, in their minds things just sort of 'happen') and will usually quickly bow out.

nevertheless they believe that the willingness of able-bodied people to provide help will make accessible design unnecessary ("no, there's no ramp, we'll just carry you up").

they believe that a mobility aid or prosthetic will magically make a person not disabled, no matter what said person's condition actually is, or whether a wheelchair is suited to help said person at all. you can plop someone into a wheelchair and all of their difficulties with anything, no matter what those things are, will disappear. simultaneously, and bizarrely, they consider mobility aids to be some sort of tragic impediment that is "other" to and not an extension of the body (see above about their interpretation of "under your own power").

as a corollary, if they think that a mobility aid would be helpful for someone (or even if it genuinely would be), they think that person should be basically forced to use it by being denied any other accommodation (e.g. "surely a motorised wheelchair will obviate the need for an on-call taxi service?"). reasons of personal preference or discomfort do not matter. they think that everyone should want to be as "normal" as possible.

[theguyinthemathexamples]

been a long while since I've been back, so here's something before i disappear again ✌️

so here and now, i would like to introduce to you all,

The Levels Of Self Awareness in SAGAU

(aka, the ones I've seen so far)

Warning(s): Cursing(probs), possible misinformation?, not really accurate?, my opinions, my humour and experience, and more.

Not proofread, we die like Guizhong in the Archon War.

1. None. Just- Just none.

As the name suggests, none. Just your average game.

No, literally, there's nothing to worry about here.

No worrying about getting sucked in while you're sleeping or anything of the like.

Nothing strange happens (for now) while you're playing, nothing like that.

No extra items, no extra friendship exp, no extra anything.

It's best to savour it while you still can.

2. "Since when did i get that??"

This is when the "getting extra stuff" and/or "extra luck" happens.

Either your characters have been doing some offcam grinding themselves, or you've just been collecting stuff for a while now and haven't really looked into your bag other than to switch gadgets.

Normally, you probably just caught one crystalfly, and yea it shows that, but either 1. it shows you got multiple, or 2. you have a tiny bit/alot more crystalflies in ur bag the last time you checked.

Maybe that's what they want you to think, who knows.

You'd also probably get lucky with a pull or more - usually nothing more than ten or so.

Your characters would also glitch a lil. Things like the sudden cancelling of idle animations, not switching onto the character you want/need, accidental skill/burst activation, and more.

Though, those only happen on occasion. It's not common enough for you to notice and just interpret as misclicks, but also rare enough to set off a raised eyebrow or red flag inside of you.

Nothing happens out of the ordinary outside of your phone.

Apps like Youtube, Google, Chrome, Photos/Gallery, etc. aren't tampered with.

You're good ... As long as the characters don't break through the 636f6465, that is.

3. "Yo," - Kaeya, 2022

It's probably time to delete and redownload Genshin at this point.

You might see hints of you - i.e statues, your favorite color/thing appearing here and there, characters mentioning someone by "Their/His/Her Grace" or some other title, etc.

Your Gallery might be affected, a few photos of a character and/or a view from Genshin.

Getting extra stuff also (probably) gets more frequent

Either you get them through mail or it just gets sent to your storage/bag directly.

The character glitches also happen a lil more frequently.

Oh, you wanted [thing] but didn't have the chance to do so? Don't worry, we'll get it for you, Your Grace. Just occupy yourself with some other miscellaneous tasks and you'll have it in no time.

Your luck also increases a lil more.

The character you've wanted for some time now but didn't get the chance to get them before? Yep, you guessed it, you lost your 50/50 atleast 4 times now.

Lmao I'm kidding

But seriously, if it's what you've been wanting for some time now, you're at least bound for one or a few 50/50 losses (unless you're guaranteed)

It's also why you (probably) get that one unwanted 5* because you wanted to try your luck/build pity.

Jealousy runs in the family, as they say. It's almost unavoidable, really. (looks at my lost 50/50s)

Hey, don't blame them! They were just... excited that you wanted to even pull on their banner, y'know?

Level them up and ascend them to level 20. I dare you.

I mean hey, atleast you'll get a free acquiant fate after you ascended them.

It only takes 7 Hero's Wit, 1 Wanderer's Advice, and their ascension mats.

It's basically a win/win, is it not?

You get a free fate, they get strength. It's fair for everyone.

You don't even have to give them a new weapon or any artifacts! Just leveling them up will do the job, will it not?

4. Caught You Slippin'

Oh, and if the Barbatos statue at Mondstadt actually changed into you, it's best if you just, yk, just look at the first • on this #.

It's too late to turn back now.

This is the "isekai" part of SAGAU, aka, where most fics take place.

This might be a major jump from the previous #, but hey, i started making this at 5AM.

But besides that, what AU you end up is all based on chance.

I'm sure you get the gist of this #. If you don't, i don't blame you.

Remember that one machine in Albedo's cave? That big rectangle/oval one? You don't? Good cuz neither do i.

Either you got sucked in and woke up somewhere in Teyvat, or you woke up to a bunch of hot people staring at you.

This part of the post is very sensitive to change, so I can't really say much here.

Just know that if you manage to find yourself at this point, you probably don't have a chance in getting back to your normal life without getting atleast a tiny bit of trauma.

C/N: Yea, it's me Your broy, chips ahoy, Cake.

Didn't expect me to post, did you? Well, you probably did, but hey, i like imagining nonexistent things

Anyways, have this while u still can cause i'm going back to nap again

Oh wait right i just remembered i haven't done my commissions

Nevertheless, thank you for all of your patience.

Peace — ★

[schraubd]

Losing Your Chevrons

Somewhere, an environmentalist wished upon a star: "I hate big oil. It's a blight on the universe. If only Chevron would disappear forever!" and a monkey's paw curled once. I was steeling myself to write about Loper Bright and my official welcome on behalf of the Con Law professoriate to the Admin Law professors joining the "burn all your lecture notes and start from scratch club", and then Trump v. United States came down. Even though the latter is a more immediate big deal and is closer to my expertise wheelhouse (I've fielded far more inquiries from former students asking "what is going on!" with respect to the Trump decision than any ruling in my entire career, Dobbs included), I really don't have all that much to say at this moment. That may change -- in fact, it almost certainly will, as I try to work this blog post into an essay -- but for now I'm going to lay off and just write what I planned to write about the demise of Chevron. My short version take is this: in many, many cases, we'll see little difference between before and after. This prediction, however, should not be confused with sanguinity. Rather, it is a recognition that judges are human, with the normal assortment of human interests, talents, and vices.  In most deep-weeds administrative law cases, where judges neither know nor care about the difference between, say, nitrogen oxide and nitrous oxide, they aren't going to actually do a deep dive review of the law from scratch. These issues are hard enough for a team of subject-matter experts with Ph.Ds in the hard sciences grinding away for months. For a judge with a J.D. from Hofstra who last took a statistics class in 11th grade? Forget about it. In practice, no matter what the doctrine purports to demand or what they claim to be doing on the opinion pages, judges will end up deferring to reasonable agency interpretations of the law unless they're howlingly off-base -- which, of course, is why we ended up with Chevron in the first place. Any objective observer of courts sees this sort of thing from judges all the time -- there are all sorts of cases where nominal "de novo" review is the furthest thing from, because judges simply find the topic boring, repetitive, or impenetrable (you can usually spot these cases by their use of the phrase "after careful review ...."). This will be what happens for many if not most cases on obscure rules in unremarkable issue areas. What will change is in those administrative rules on hot button issues of high-salience. Here, Loper Bright doesn't make judges any smarter, but does give them a green light to start substituting their judgment for expert agencies who at least have some measure of accountability to the political process. In other words, Loper Bright won't universally result in the substitution of inexpert judicial policymaking for the judgments of administrative agencies; rather, it will result in that substitution on an ad hoc and arbitrary basis whenever the judge who happens to be draw the case has an idiosyncratic or ideological hobbyhorse to ride. The administrative state will be able to carry on, with a cutaway for partisan judges to meddle more openly whenever partisan proclivities instigate an urge. So there's your consolation about the end of Chevron. Feeling better? I thought so. via The Debate Link https://ift.tt/ow8Pq4G

[raayllum]

also cause I'm not there yet in my 5x08 liveblog but because even just a whiff of "Callum gave Finnegrin the spell" made the fandom troll come running into my inbox to say otherwise, just wanna clear up a few things for peace of mind before we get there

The first is that I know it was the fandom troll because of the timing & presentation, not necessarily because the now deleted/blocked ask had the "Callum purposefully gave Finnegrin the wrong spell" take. While that was an indication to me that this was probably the fandom troll since they seem to take issue with my characterization of Callum in particular, perfectly smart reasonable people have also proposed that possibility of the spell ingredients being not entirely accurate as purposeful; it's not exclusive to crappy people by any measure.

With all that in mind, I want to discuss how I view the scene (and indeed how I think it's meant to be interpreted per a casual viewer reading) as well as why I think Callum giving Finnegrin a not word-for-word accurate actually kind of makes his choice more morally questionable, not less

So let's begin

1) I don't think the scene's intended takeaway is that Callum gave Finnegrin the wrong spell

I think Callum panicked, and he folded, and he would've told Finnegrin anything the pirate had asked for in that moment to try and spare Rayla's life. While TDP is an immensely detailed show in many ways (hell I have a tag dedicated to just those details), every scene still has to ultimately work for a casual viewer. I don't think this scene is any exception. One of the first things in the series that we learn is that humans took down the King of the Dragons with dark magic and it's a repeated fact throughout most of the first season, and into the third when we see the events that transpired exactly.

So when Finnegrin mentions it, we're probably going to remember that was a thing that happened and it involved Harrow and Viren, but we're probably not going to remember the specific ingredients. Therefore, like Finnegrin, most audience members are going to take Callum at his word, especially since throughout most of his conversation with Finnegrin, Callum is arguably far more honest than he needs to be (fessing up that he did dark magic at all, mentioning that he studies all the primals, that he did the spell to save a friend at all - which is exactly why Finnegrin sets him the hand cutting test to try and break him, etc). The scene - again, for the audience's benefit - even as Callum clarify for those that wouldn't remember why he was spouting things about dying breaths and unicorn horns, because again, I do think this is the Intended Takeaway:

Part of the reason I think Callum panicked (other than Jack de Sena's wonderful voice acting and uneven breaths) is because, if Callum was thinking clearly enough to withhold information purposefully, he could've considered 1) that Finnegrin is bluffing about threatening Rayla (Callum cannot see her or any of the others, so that could be the case) and 2) Finnegrin would have limited means to know that Callum was lying if Callum said exclusively the wrong ingredients and sent him on a wild goose chase. To give as much as he did accurately was dangerous (but we'll talk more about that in a second).

We also know from instances in the previous seasons and just the prior episode that Callum doesn't have all sky spells (ones that he can do whenever he wants basically) memorized either, and that it's not out of the realm of possibility that Viren would've fudged a little to Harrow about some components of the spell (such as emphasizing love and hatred) because he was actively trying to convince - somewhat guilt-trip and manipulate - Harrow into doing something didn't really want to do, but ultimately couldn't say no to.

However, one of the things that's the most fun meta is reading into things deeply, looking at various character interpretations, and seeing what we can find below the surface level / casual viewership read. Just because something may not be the 'intended takeaway' (which can already be hard to define) doesn't mean it's not a real possibility, especially if enough dots connect, and doesn't mean it's not worthwhile and or without merit.

So let's look at the scene from the assumption that Callum is giving Finnegrin a not totally accurate spell On Purpose - what does he omit, what does that tell us, and where does that leave us from a character standpoint?

2) Haha, jk, unless...?

First things first, let's look at what Callum says vs what Viren says

No, no, wait! A dying breath. Blood filled with hatred. And a unicorn horn. That's the dark magic you want.

In her final moments, I captured something that I hoped we could use later. It contains her dying breath. [...] Claudia captured a unicorn and brought me its horn. The dying breath. The unicorn's pure horn. There's one last component I need. The undying hatred of one who loved the victim. Your blood.

Now, even Viren's stance and the circumstances of the spell isn't entirely clear. We don't know if any dying breath would do, or if it had to be Sarai's (and had to go her killer, as opposed to someone else). We don't know if the spell requires the unicorn's horn to be 'pure' (I'm assuming not already corrupted somehow with dark magic) or if it would work regardless. And we don't know whether the hatred or love is more important, or just one, or if they're equally important. It's quite a list, after all.

Which is why I think in some ways Callum's lack of specificity actually makes what Callum told Finnegrin more dangerous, whether you read the minor omissions as intentional or not.

Cause think of it this way, you're a pirate lord and you want to kill your enemy. You heard from this mage kid that any dying breath would do. What's your next move going to be? You're probably going to murder a random member of your crew and collect the breath because you were never told it had to be your loved one's final breath (which would make the spell impossible).

So that's one murder down, bare minimum. Then you're going to either send people out or word that you're looking for a unicorn horn at a port where people already canonically smuggle dark magic supplies (Chasing Shadows, TDP reflection). This will either lead to you hiring people to eliminate one of the - it appears to be - few remaining unicorns that still exist to bring you the horn, or if you've put out a reward, multiple dark mages / mercenaries may try their hand at killing one and bringing the horn to you. That's probably 1-5 unicorn murders as a result, if the mages are working not in communication with each other and all vying for the reward. This is also assuming that none of the mercenaries or mages come back empty handed and get harmed or killed because of Finnegrin's anger at their failures.

You also might torment and torture someone else to get them to hate you before you drain them of blood / take their blood for the spell, again not realizing that 'love' has to be a facet of it. At best, that would maybe be what you do to the crew member before you kill them for their final breath.

Then, once he has all the ingredients (and he'd need some sort of incantation, because dark magic is a lot of steps and processes) there's two main avenues.

Either these all work and he successfully has his weapon of vengeance needed to kill Domina Profundis, because what was given was enough. This would mean Callum's actions led to about 2-3 successful murders of mostly innocent people and possibly more political upheaval at the death of another archdragon (the ocean would certainly be out of whack, but it's not clear how much, if any, political power Domina still holds).

It doesn't work and Finnegrin, stubborn as he is about control and loathe to admit he can't commandeer something (magic and wills included), figures that something went wrong and tries again, having to collect the ingredients all over again. Depending on how many times he'd try (I feel like maybe 2-3 max), this could put those murders up to maybe nine innocent individuals, assuming Finnegrin's worsening temper over his failures doesn't increase the tally.

Rattling off the accurate spell ingredients could've actually minimized the damage, because any of the specifics might've stopped Finnegrin in his tracks. If Finnegrin just needed hatred of one who loved the victim, he could've fulfilled that on his own with some of his own blood ("I loved that crab" and her definitely hates Domina Profundis). The one that could've entirely halted his plan is if the dying breath had to come from the victim, in which case the chance to avenge his beloved crab is long gone. Finnegrin could've heard the list of very specific ingredients, deduced that he would not be capable of carrying out the spell, and been on his merry way to use Rayla as revenge fish bait.

But by giving Finnegrin an 'imperfect' list, Callum made the pirate captain more likely to engage in the violence required to get there, without an actual textual guarantee to the audience that what was given wouldn't have worked, either (aka we have two ingredients list and without a third to tip the scales, it'll always be a technical 50-50, maybe 60-40 read in favour of Viren).

So where does that leave us?

With these two readings in mind, you have two options:

Callum is willing to sacrifice Domina Profundis', and a few unnamed innocent lives/creatures, to save Rayla and thereby gave Finnegrin a dangerous in its own way, if not more dangerous because of potential increased collateral damage, list of spell ingredients, because he acted entirely out of emotionally fuelled panic where he wasn't totally thinking clearly

OR

Callum is willing to sacrifice unnamed innocent lives and creatures, but not Domina Profundis', in order save Rayla, because he decided on purpose to give Finnegrin a more achievable sounding list of ingredients that would increase collateral damage, but not let him kill the dragon, because he made a calculated decision on purpose that those lives were worth less than Rayla's and Domina's to him (for some reason, as she's a stranger to him)

To be clear, I would love the second option as an interpretation because I do think Callum can be calculating and I do think that's the far more Viren-like option - choosing what to sacrifice for other people in the mindset of harm mitigation ("A thousand men and women are prepared to fall protecting you tonight, but you won't let one sacrifice their lives for you?" / "If you must choose, choose the egg").

But again, given the framing of the scene I think the first reading is 1) more sympathetic and speaks to Callum's more compassionate emotional nature and 2) is the intended takeaway, but if people want to read it as Callum strategically deciding that certain lives - other than Rayla's - were worth sacrificing that so she and Domina Profundis wouldn't be killed, that is absolutely a valid prerogative.

It's just not mine

[tac-bat]

Why I love How Sky Portrays Death

Before I start, I go into detail about death and loss, and description of the afterlife and dying and examples of it in sky and a little mention of religion irl.

I wrote this while sleep deprived if this makes no sense, i'm not sorry

Take this all with a grain of salt as this is purely my observation and interpretation

To many, death is scary, unpredictable, and inevitable. Death is frightening because it represents the end of life, the loss and grief it brings, and the uncertainty of where we will go. Every religion has its own version of the afterlife, from our soul moving to a new body, places ranging from rewarding good and punishing evil, to simply being nothing. Death is scary because we'll never truly know what lies beyond or what awaits. It's complicated ,heavy, and it's something that many have delved deeper into too. I only bring this up because the sky not only answers, but embraces death. How? Let's take a look.

Orbit

Sky's interpretation of the afterlife is perfect. "All are given breath by starlight," as stated in the intro mural, everyone ends up back in the stars someday, becoming spirits that travel to this small part of the galaxy. They even seem to become one with the light and stars if they so please. And it's relaxing; it's soothing.

They know it exists.

Spirit's have shown from the beginning of the game that they can descend and ascend whenever they please. See all TS's, Grandma, and event spirits like Yeti, who appear briefly during Feast to cast a snowman spell before ascending. According to this logic, orbit is widely known because ancestors were bound to descend to explain what happens. And spirits aren't gone from their loved ones' lives; they're still present. They're not gone and can visit anytime they like; it's not hard for me to imagine them visiting others during holidays and events.

Gravestone's

In every social space, there are gravestones for every base-game ancestor. What's interesting is how they're laid out; unlike regular graveyards, which are organized in a line, none of the graves are uniform, some being lengths apart. This is very clear in Prarie, with one near the closet and another nestled in a cave; even irl graveyards that are less uniform don't tend to put burials that far away, but Sky does. It almost seems like an ancestor could've possibly chosen the placement themselves. You also have the special burial site at the 8-player door, a working elevator and all, the graves have their own little buildings and stones draped in gold, implying a ceremony as we know. Not only that, but Valley's way of honouring death is extremely interesting.

Let's talk about Samekh's temple

Valley really demonstrates how death is viewed—not in a morbid way but in an honourable way. The hallways of both races are lined with gravestones, with the exception of some open spaces. When compared to decorations such as the eight-player door, the gravestones themselves are painted in gold. They're unlike any graves seen so far, and you can argue that these were reserved for champions, and if so, I feel like the halls would be packed considering this is the valley of triumph, but no, there are still a few open spaces. Which makes me adore how there are gravestones in the twin's temple.

Their temple is the only one that not only has gravestones inside, but is lined with them! And considering their position and how we know they play a big role in the sky as leaders, to the point where they have a temple, it makes the fact they share it as an ancestor's final resting place so heartwarming to me. They were under no obligation to place gravestones; they could have dragged the banners down, added more statues, or even designed something similar to Daleth's temple like the murals we see, but they didn't. They allowed the room with their shrine to be a graveyard, they value their people's lives; they regard it as an honour, and whether those are the graves of champions or ordinary people, they value them all the same.

And it still hurts.

Even in the sky, where the question of death is answered, it still hurts.

It hurts when Mindful and a Tearful miner witness the deaths of their friends, Tearful having to bury their own. It hurts when Teabrewer returns with herbs for their loved one who died while they were away, so much so that they become anxious when they leave anyone alone, as seen in their info card. It's horrifying to know how many ancestors died in the war with no way to escape, faced with the fear of death every day.

Death is still scary in Sky, and I love it for that. Even when you know where you'll go, you still value your life; you don't want to die, and you don't want to go. But when that time comes, when you choose to be one with the universe, or roam your home with your star-kissed body, you'll never be alone. And that's why I adore the way death is depicted:

Because it's bittersweet.

[arcielee]

Arcie please give your honest opinion. do you think aemond will now be mean as hell to alicent because he murdered luke hurray he can feel better about himself. Why he was weirdly looking at her like this?

Hello my darling anon 💜

Here is my speculation on that scene from Green trailer that dropped yesterday. This is based on my Fire & Blood knowledge as well as my blatant favoritism of my darling baby girl war criminal.

Read more for spoilers.

HBO's interpretation of the aftermath of what I will tastefully (pun intended) refer to as The Incident, shows Aemond's reaction to Lucerys becoming a snack for Vhagar as him looking shocked. Possibly remorseful?

In the least, it is a definitive oh shit moment.

Anyway, in the book Fire & Blood, after The Incident, Aemond then returns to King's Landing to share what happened at Storm's End. The book details the reactions of his mother and grandsire:

Queen Alicent went pale when she heard what he had done, crying, “Mother have mercy on us all.” Nor was Ser Otto pleased. “You only lost one eye,” he is reported to have said. “How could you be so blind?”

If HBO commits to this decided scene (as we later got a snippet of his other possible reactions*) that shows his remorse, it may have carried with him in the small council chambers and is only lifted by his brother.

My theory (and mind you, this is me being hopeful, reading far too much into this, plus my tagline is literally Aemond Apologist™, etc.) could be that smug reaction is in response to when Aegon finally speaks up to defend, as he does in the book:

The king himself did not share their concerns, however. Aegon II welcomed Prince Aemond home with a great feast, hailed him as “the true blood of the dragon,” and announced that he had made “a good beginning.”

So that moment we see between Aemond and Alicent in the trailer could be the guilt/grief/whatever he was feeling prior just being lifted with how Aegon responds to Aemond's news of The Incident.

“Good. To war then!”

Guess we'll see on June 16th. 🥰

*Shoutout to @zaldritzosrose for helping me try and find that alternative scene HBO shot. We both knew it existed somewhere.

[earthstellar]

More Thoughts on Prowl in Earthspark

I think it would be fun if Prowl has a little bit of a tough time integrating with the Terran Team, which I talked about previously in another post

Like, if it starts out rough, understandable-- And then the "lesson" for the intended audience (kids) can be something along the lines of learning how to get along with others that may be different from yourself, how to integrate into a different culture by trying to make friends and being open to learning, how to meet people halfway when you might be personally hesitant, etc.

But I have some more thoughts...

Real World Concerns: ACAB Still Applies

Keeping in mind that Prowl's a cop and there are some real world implications of that which are even more highlighted as the Maltos are a non-white family who live in the USA, I can understand the concerns I've seen some people have about bringing a "tough cop" type of character into a show that has heavy emphasis on diversity and reflecting that diversity fairly realistically.

I've been wrongfully detained back when I was a teenager and was taken across a state border then had to sleep in a cell overnight thanks to the NYPD myself as a trans person, which happened only four weeks after my black partner at the time was harassed by a police officer when a cop straight up just walked into my dad's house with no warrant because apparently a black person and a trans person gardening together is "suspicious behaviour".

My dad's house is in Pennsylvania, which is where Earthspark takes place. Me and my loved ones have been harassed by cops that are quite literally the actual cops you'd see in Earthspark, in Witwicky. Same police department/region in Pennsylvania, given their proximity to actual Pennsylvanian locations in the show.

So I know these fears well and I understand-- Nobody has a good experience with the American police. Every interaction is terrifying, and those of us in any minority group are far more likely to have experiences like this having never committed any crime or wrongdoing at all. Seeing any cop, even a fictional one, can trigger some bad memories or prior trauma for a lot of us, and it might be hard for them to work around.

I'm thinking that's part of why they've changed his alt-mode, from what we can tell from the toy photos.

Earthspark Handles Real World Issues Fairly Well: Writing with Sensitivity

At the same time, the themes of the show are fundamentally family, friends, learning, growing, and teamwork, with some emphasis on developing emotional intelligence and social/cultural awareness.

It's important to remember that Prowl is a Cybertronian cop who took a cop car alt-mode back in the G1 days because it was simply what fit his own role best and made for the most effective cover while on Earth-- He may not be working with local human police forces, but if he is, we'll see how the show handles that.

I think it's notable that they've changed up Prowl's alt-mode design here, despite having shown him in his police vehicle alt-mode in the G1 flashback sequence. You don't see "POLICE" written across his doorwings, these days. They're not selling him as a "cop car toy" anymore, which I think most of us can agree is a good thing.

I think Prowl absolutely has a place in Earthspark, and it'll be interesting to see how they utilise his character-- For all we know, it'll be a totally unique take on the character unlike any specific prior iteration of him, which would also be interesting!

But I do think that they know they have to be careful with introducing a cop character. They've handled subjects like xenophobia in Earthspark very tactfully in a way that suits the intended audience of children, and hopefully they continue to use the same tact when interpreting Prowl's character for this same audience, given that he's a cop and there are implications to cop characters in general that are going to lead a lot of people to be a little less forgiving and a little more suspicious of him.

More Conjecture/Thinking Out Loud, Since All We Have is a Photo of a Toy At This Point

That having been said, almost no story can happen without a hero's journey in some shape or form, and it would be interesting to see Prowl have some initial difficulty dealing with the Terrans and humans in general (or something similar that might cause some level of conflict) to be resolved as time goes on.

It would be interesting if the show touches on Prowl being a cop and how American kids realistically react to that.

I was always taught to never speak to a cop and how to do so very carefully if I ever absolutely had to etc. when I was a kid, and I'm sure the Maltos have had that same conversation with their children. It's a safety issue; Unfortunately, most American kids get "the cop talk" pretty early.

Maybe Prowl shows up and Robby immediately grabs Mo to get her behind him and he tells his Terran siblings to "let him do the talking", since he's the oldest one and a little more aware of the risk that police officers can present. Since Mo is usually outgoing, and she might be more quiet here because she would understand the potential risk whenever cops are involved, the Terrans would take the hint and be wary of Prowl.

Or perhaps Prowl is introduced as an "enforcer" by Optimus, and when the kids ask what that means, Optimus translates it as "police officer", which might be what causes Robby and Mo to react a little negatively/suspiciously to Prowl. So it wouldn't be as immediate of a reaction, but once they find out he's a cop, they react appropriately-- With caution.

Which might serve to alienate him a bit, as he wouldn't understand why they were just outgoing and friendly and now they're suddenly not-- From Prowl's point of view, he might not fully understand their reaction.

If he'd been working on trying to investigate the bot fighting rings etc., then he'd be aware of the general public's xenophobia towards Cybertronians and how that can manifest as real violence, and might think the kids were being biased against him. Which might be worsened by the fact that to him, as far as he knows, they evidently don't like enforcers specifically-- Which may even lead him to overthink it, as he is technically designed to do in most continuities, and he might assume their anxiety around him comes from some kind of criminal history on their part.

This could be handled partially comedically, as the audience knows the kids are good and haven't done anything wrong (and this would also introduce Prowl's capabilities as an investigative officer while framing him as a "silly adult bewildered by kids just being kids" for the younger viewers)-- -But it needs to be treated respectfully and with reasonable seriousness as well.

This type of assumed guilt is often what leads to wrongful arrest, miscarriage of justice, and serious abuse from actual police. There is a real world body count for this exact kind of assumption, and these assumptions are often based in racism, homophobia, transphobia, etc.

And this is a kid's show, so I don't think they'll go too deep-- But I do think they'll address the "cop in the room" in some kind of way.

There could be some serious misunderstandings that go both ways, as the kids might then interpret any upset from Prowl as being inherently hostile.

It would take work to get them to trust him, and Prowl would need to come to understand why being an enforcer in this context is something that registers as a threat to the Maltos and by proxy the Terrans as well-- Who haven't had good experiences with authority figures either, given the whole GHOST situation.

And given that he might not start out too enthused about the situation altogether (we don't know how he might be coping with being forced to live on Earth), it might be interesting if they take this approach (or a similar one) to introducing Prowl.

Keeping in mind this is a show for kids, and you don't want kids to implicitly trust cops. In America especially, that's just not a safe lesson to teach.

So it would be hard for them to pull something like this off, in a way that both 1) solidifies that cops can't be safely trusted and also 2) Prowl is good not because he's a cop, but because his genuine interests are to protect and serve in his own way, and it's not just some kind of fake creed that he doesn't follow like every other cop.

But like I said, you can't teach kids that cops are good. So it'll be interesting to see how they handle his role as "enforcer".

He might be misguided sometimes, or he might need some fine-tuning, but Prowl shouldn't be directly malicious or intentionally mean to the kids. Maybe he's accidentally rude, or doesn't understand how he comes across to others (especially humans/the Terrans). Maybe he's having a hard time being on Earth, and it shows in his behaviour or demeanour.

But he can learn, and adapt as best he can over time. The show is about learning and growing with each other.

I Don't Think He'll Dislike the Kids Too Much: Teaching Time with Prowl

It'll be interesting to see how Prowl gets along with the kids, but I do think he eventually will, at least to some degree.

I don't think Prowl is a child-hater. I think he might need time to acclimate and socialise a little more effectively and understand a little more. And the kids might need the same, when it comes to Prowl.

I can't see him as being mean to them, not once he realises the Terrans are essentially sparklings and the human kids develop and grow on a totally different scale. We don't know what interactions Prowl might have with humans in general, or how experienced he is with younglings of any kind.

There might be a learning process, or Prowl might even take up helping to tutor the kids a bit-- He could help teach them investigative techniques, or logical problem solving, or how to evaluate complex situations (like calculating battle outcomes and assessing threats in the field-- a safety lesson as much as anything else). Things along those lines.

We've already seen the kids learn from various adults, so why not Prowl too?

I can see him wanting to protect them and do what he can to help them, but he might not be a super-involved parent-type, and that's totally fine.

He would likely make for a strict but effective teacher, using his skills of observation to notice when the kids need some extra assistance or would benefit from a different approach.

He might also struggle to teach at first; Maybe he attempts to treat it like an enforcer academy, which the kids might not respond well to. Bumblebee could provide some input to help Prowl adjust his approach, as he has the most experience with training them so far.

He Might Not Be a Cop at All

Maybe he's not an enforcer at all anymore, in this continuity.

Maybe he's struggling to find an identity for himself after realising the enforcement system on Cybertron was corrupt (as Megatron in Earthspark has given us some hints that the background setup to the war might be similar to IDW 1 in some regards), and after finding Earth's police are no better, he's at a loss for how to make himself useful.

He could possibly be working as a kind of private investigator, carrying out missions assigned to him by Optimus. He doesn't wear the GHOST badge, so it doesn't seem like he's been working with them somewhere this whole time.

Part of any irritation from him might be, essentially, an identity crisis. What does he do now, and how does he do it, with almost no resources and very few Cybertronians left to collaborate with? Does he even want to collaborate with anyone at all, at this point?

He might be more of a solo actor in Earthspark, off doing his own thing. With or without missions assigned from Optimus.

But he does still wear the Autobrand, which is interesting if this is the case.

More Disability Representation: Prowl is Essentially Neurodivergent With a Syncope Disorder

He might not be too good at socialising, but this shouldn't be taken as a sign of being a "mean cop"-- Prowl is canonically neurodivergent in some continuities (owing to his unique tactical/statistical processing, he is also prone to crashes), and any social problems he's depicted with are at least in part a result of his thought processes and perception of things being fundamentally different.

It would be interesting if they brought this aspect of his character back for this iteration of Prowl; Maybe he sees the Terrans for the first time and his processor struggles to understand what's going on and what they are at first, and it might trigger a crash.

Of course, the kids would react like how most kids do; Sort of panicked and worried that it's their fault somehow. Prowl could provide some situations that would be a good opportunity to teach kids a little more about disability and provide further representation for any neurodivergent kids watching the show, which would be great! And a "crash" could be comparable to anything from some types of seizures to syncope disorders to narcolepsy etc.-- Any health condition where fainting or collapse might occur.

We rarely see syncope etc. disorders portrayed in media, let alone kid shows, so it would be great to see in Earthspark as an opportunity for both inclusion for disabled audiences and education on disability for non-disabled audiences.

It would be interesting if a "crash" were portrayed somewhat realistically, no immediate recovery, maybe some dizziness, lingering fuel tank upset, maybe he even sustains some damage from falling over. It might take him a bit to fully reboot. He might regularly need to be a little more careful, to avoid processor loops or logic system issues that could lead to a crash.

Maybe he has a crash at a critical moment, and is out of commission for a battle or situation where he could have been helpful. If the kids are lukewarm towards him at this point, maybe seeing him laid out on a berth still recovering after they return from the fight would encourage them to step up and reassure him that he's not any less capable-- They would understand.

They've likely seen their mother struggle now and then on days where the phantom limb nerve pain is too much for her to go on that hike they had planned, or days where the prosthetic just isn't the vibe so she goes without and gets around the house a little differently on those days, or maybe even days where they see Dot looking at her prosthetic with a little sigh, and that's just how it is. Not every day is a feeling good day, some days the prosthetic just isn't wanted, some days the prosthetic is harder to put on than others. Disability is variable, and how people deal with disability fluctuates.

The kids would be good about understanding that Prowl has "those kind of days" too.

The show's not about Prowl-- There is an ensemble cast and plot/storylines to progress. But it would be a nice little scene if they want to do a one-off bit about this, that could also serve to show that Prowl, as hard-ass as he might come across, does actually have some vulnerabilities.

It could be the thing that encourages the kids to at least try to work with him, if they have any initial hesitancy-- Especially following their experiences with Robbie's illness previously.

If the kids might think Prowl's demeanour is a little off-putting because he's not as outwardly emotive, might be more literal than others, etc., maybe one of the other adult bots could help explain to them that Prowl's processor just works differently, and that he struggles with being social. The kids would likely be understanding of this, and it would be a nice parallel to teaching abled kids how to interact with autistic peers, while also making Prowl relatable to autistic kids watching the show.

(This would also provide a potential opportunity for a medic character to be introduced... I'm just saying. We all want Ratchet to show up, lmao.)

Earthspark is good about disability representation so far, and it would be nice to see that it's not just humans who can be disabled.

----

Anyway, yes, there's a lot of potential for Prowl in Earthspark, but it will have to be handled with tact, which I think the writers have proven themselves to be pretty capable of so far.

So, we'll see! We have no information right now aside from the toy photos, but the hype is real, and it will be interesting to see how they bring Prowl into the show and what, exactly, he'll be doing.

[matan4il]

Daily update post:

So far, over 1,400 people in Israel have been confirmed dead, over 4,200 wounded, over 200 were kidnapped and are held in Gaza, and 6,930 rockets have been fired at Israel since the beginning of the war as of yesterday (October 17). Just a reminder, this is what the first round of rockets fired into Israel looked like, every red dot represents a siren triggered by one rocket or more:

Since it's been a hot topic, I made a post with all the current evidence that the hospital in Gaza was struck by a rocket by Palestinian terrorists (PIJ), originally fired at Israel, but ultimately due to some malfunction, falling within Gaza and hitting the hospital.

US president Biden has landed in Israel. I've heard very contradictory assessments on what his goal is with this visit, so I guess we'll just wait and see.

In various places around the world, people have been spotted taking down posters with the faces of the Israeli hostages. These are two of the more recent incidents.

A Jewish school in Rome had to be evacuated due to a bomb threat. In Germany, a synagogue was attacked with firebombs. This is directly related to the spread of anti-Israel hate.

A British journalist asked a colleague from Gaza what would be a 'proportionate' and acceptable response from Israel to the massacre of over 1,400 people by Hamas:

I think the lack of response from this Palestinian journalist (to whatever degree you can say that about a place where there is no free press) shows that to her, there is no response from Israel, no matter how minimal, which is acceptable. In other words, in her mind, Israelis are supposed to just... be killed and do nothing about it. Your interpretation may vary, but that's what it feels like to me.

For most of the world, it feels like the slaughter of people in Israel is over, but for us, it is still very much happening right now, as bodies are still being identified (to whatever degree they can be), as the names and faces of the murdered are being published, and as we hear the personal stories of the people that we lost. And all of this is happening while the knowledge that we will lose even more people, once the ground action starts, looms over our heads.

This is Aner Shapira. He was a soldier, but on Oct 7, he was off duty. He was at the party that Hamas attacked as a civilian, and together with others, he hid in a bomb shelter. When Hamas terrorists started throwing grenades inside, he caught them one by one, and threw them back at the terrorists. He kept doing this, until one of the grenades exploded in his hand, killing him. But he saved the others hiding in that bomb shelter.

This is Guy Simchi. He was a soldier, but was also present at the party with his friends off duty. When the terrorists attacked, Guy and his friend Adar managed to make it to a kibbutz (small agricultural community in Israel) with the intention of hiding in one of their bomb shelters. While there, he and Adar gathered 30 of the kibbutz members and led them into a bomb shelter while staying outside it to fight the terrorists. Adar happened to have his personal weapon on him. Guy didn't, but he told his friend he wouldn't leave him to face the terrorists alone. When the terrorists attacked, Guy came at them with his bare hands. Together, they managed to kill two terrorists, run off the others, but Guy himself was killed.

May their memories be a blessing.

(for all of my updates and ask replies regarding Israel, click here)

[misc-obeyme]

HELLO I'M HERE TO RAMBLE ABOUT MC'S MORTALITY. I have literally been grinding event battles and coins and such all day because the power up campaign ends today (I'm under 200 in rank NB wise but geez it's getting harder to keep up)

anyway I always think about what happens to mc after/if they did die. like I love sam's/still-a-moronsexual's interpretation of mc not being entirely human for one

but there's different levels/circles of hell in the Devildom, and that the devildom and the celestial realm are separate from the traditional heaven/hell if I remember correctly? like what happens to mc in the event they do pass on. Everyone says they have a shiny soul. And would mc keep their memories after passing?

Like everyone has different beliefs and I'm just rambling, but there's reincarnation for one. Sometimes I think about Michael and if we'll ever meet him, and if he'd go so far as to pull strings to get mc into the celestial realm (everyone wants the once powerful mortal on their side). And imagine him making sure to keep mc's info access limited, but then let's say luke catches a glimpse and tells the brothers. Imagine mc doesn't remember the brothers either, but there's this dull tug in their gut when they see these demons. Painful angst. (And if mc DID keep their memories, would they immediately choose to fall? Imagine your fave catches you. like I think my mc would stick around to get info and out of curiosity, but would secretly be planning to fall. Even if it was painful, it'd be worth it to them.)

or mc ends up in the devildom because of how big of a tie they have. I wonder if they would/could become an Avatar, and what if they did. Despair possibly? Would they be a regular demon, or have a special power perhaps? Diavolo would probably give them a noble title. but also, ANGST IF THEY HAVE NO RECOLLECTION OF ANYTHING. Diavolo early in NB said something about knowing almost every demon, so I wonder if he meets new people to help them get set up?? aha imagine he lets them stay at the castle, and mc wanders off, and bumps into someone they used to know. chaos

There's also the possibility they could become immortal I'm sure with a spell or Solomon's cooking. Or maybe their lifespan is just longer than a humans by a hundred years or so. They simply cherish the time they have, but suddenly they're aging past 120 and they're sweating internally. Solomon I think has talked about feeling like he loses/lost touch with his humanity, until he met mc. I wonder if mc would go through the same if they ended up truly immortal

THIS IS GETTING SO LONG SORRY, BUT THIS IS MY LAST AND FAVORITE IDEA. The three worlds couldn't decide what happens to mc, like this is the first time this has happened. Huge arguments. Sometimes i think about the good place show when I'm brainstorming. ANYWAY, mc becomes a reaper. No one gets their soul. They are now in charge of collecting them, and reapers are sorta neutral right? It's a compromise for everyone. Thirteen is overjoyed. Mc with a scythe, what will they do? Or the night dagger lol

the obey me manga comes out on tuesday i think, I'm probably hitting the bookstore on Thursday. and while I could order it online, something about finding it on the shelf is so fun. I literally finished king of wrath on friday, and read almost the entirety of king of pride on Saturday, and now I'm on king of greed. My friend is concerned with how fast I read because we have a book tracking app that allows buddy reads lol

HAVE A GOOD DAY CC, MANIFESTING YOUR NEXT TEN PULL HAS TWO UR+ CARDS

- ✨ anon

AH thank you, ✨ anon, I need all the luck I can get lol!!

Now see the interesting thing about all of this is that the game doesn't really specify. I do think they have implied that hell is a separate place from the Devildom (aka the Underworld where Solomon walked through the rings and Luci got trapped in the ice). So presumably if MC died and went to hell, they wouldn't actually end up in the Devildom itself. I don't remember if they've implied the same for heaven and the Celestial Realm, but it seems likely that it would be the case.

Personally I like the idea of reincarnation but MC just... keeps being reincarnated as a human on earth lol. Like every time MC dies, the others have to find them again. And they don't remember each life. Though if this happens enough perhaps Solomon or somebody comes up with a spell that can restore all their memories.

I do think it'd be interesting if Michael intervened and somehow got MC to be in the Celestial Realm, especially if they had no memories of the Devildom and everything. Imagine being an angel and then suddenly you get those memories back and you're like, that's it, I'm falling.

Which leads me to the question of how does one fall?

They don't really get into the specifics of that, either. Can you choose to fall? Or do you just do terrible things with the hope that the consequence will be banishment to the Devildom?? I have thoughts about this, but it's all just personal headcanon stuff.

I do think it makes sense for MC to just sorta end up in the Devildom because yo that's basically their home now, you know?

I tend to headcanon that due to the pacts and the "ring" and everything else MC has been through, they have enough magic interfering with their usual biology that they're probably already immortal. Just because that makes sense to me. I also think Solomon probably knows a way to make them immortal if they really wanted to be. vampire!MC lol

AHHH reaper!MC!! Thirteen would be thrilled!! They don't really give us a whole lot of info about the reapers either, but I headcanon that they're neutral and somewhat outside of the whole Devildom vs Celestial Realm situation. I have a lot of ideas about this, but again it's all personal headcanon.

So I think any of these options are possible! And it's certainly fun to think about all the ways in which MC's death might be dealt with. Somehow I don't think we're gonna get anything like that in canon, but I guess you never know!

Ah I love reading, I used to read so much... now I don't read as much as I used to because I'm spending all my time writing al;kdfkjfd. But yes the manga I read the first free chapter they had, but maybe I will buy the book itself...

Anyway, I love all these ideas and I think it's fascinating to think about all of these possibilities!

[nalyra-dreaming]

Hey Nalyra !

I've been (obsessively) thinking about Louis and Lestat's relationship going forward and what it might look like in future seasons but there is one thing that has been niggling me and i would love to hear your thoughts on it.

We know vampires' immortality makes the concept of full on monogamy almost laughable etc. But how do you think the show will interpret Loustat's past open relationship/Antoinette from Lestat's pov (if it ever does).

We all have headcanons about what Lestat inteoducing Antoinette into the picture back then was about (his motivations, insecurities, even Louis' reaction to it) but is that something that you think will be acknowledged in some way in the show do you think ?

Obviously we're not the showrunners but i guess even if its not i would love to know your take on it in the context of the show characters this time and the way they have been adapted so far.

I hope i'm making sense and that i havent asked something that has already been dissected by you. Im rather new to tumblr. So if there is a post about it already feel free to just direct me to it !

Hey!

... mhhhh "Antoinette" has come up a few times indeed, but in a lot of asks/posts, so... let me condense my thoughts here^^

I don't think Antoinette has anything to do with (deliberate) non-monogamy and everything with the lack of intimacy that came through the rejection of feeding and the failing try at getting Louis to feed.

That said, Antoine(tte) is a canon character in the books - he survives the burning and shows up in the later books, and is accepted and welcomed in the places they live at (much later).

There is a part in the later books that make it very clear that Lestat did not only go to Antoinette for sex, but because he wanted to pour out his heart, vent if you will.

We see echoes of that in the "hotel scene". As such, I think the tale we have seen so far may have put a big emphasis on cheating, but I think Lestat's view of her might be another one. We'll see. It depends on what they want to do with Antoinette still (if anything!) - they put Antoinette into male attires after her turning, too, which likely was no coincidence either, given Gabrielle's behavior after her turning.

I don't think they are going to go any "open relationship" route with Antoinette - I think Lestat's view of her was more a confidante, and friend (with benefits) than anything else. If Antoinette survived and shows up again (like in the books) it will be hugely interesting to see how they will make Louis react - though that will depend heavily on when Antoinette shows up again.

Because in the books that happens at the time when Louis has finally come to some self-acceptance.

The show seems to have pulled that up a bit, which I can understand - which in turn opens the show for other developments :)