#you’re just SHAPES in the narrative

[jellyskink]

New York Isn't Weird Enough (PG3)

Ford DESPERATELY needs to be re-socialized. Even before canon divergence, he was around, at most, one other human for years. It’s only gotten worse since

[sunbunnyyy]

lan xichen is not a perfect human being. he is an older brother who is Going Through Some Shit by the end of the novel. did he always make good choices?? no!! have you????

[seaglassdinosaur]

The way Percy talks about himself in the show though, having ADHD and dyslexia, saying he knows that something is wrong with his brain, it’s heartbreaking.

Because stepping aside from the magic and monsters, this is a kid who’s internalized the ableist messages and bullying that’s been directed at him. He believes that having ADHD and dyslexia means that something is broken in his head. Not that his experience is natural, another one of the many different ways that people go through the world, but that his difficulties mean his brain is broken, and by extension, he is innately wrong.

It’s this out loud recognition of the struggling quiet part of someone with a learning disability, who can’t figure out what is going on with themself. They don’t know why they are the way they are, they don’t know how to manage it, and they certainly haven’t accepted it as a part of them, trying to fit into the expectations of a neurotypical society. All they know is that according to everyone else, they’re ‘wrong’. So they must just be ‘wrong’.

[leafiion]

god I love men. Specifically taka. Taka I know you’re single just one chance PLEASE !!!

[crossbackpoke-check]

i’m not sure if you’ve heard yet but nico’s tattoo is all of his family members’ astrological signs smushed together which is so… i’m obsessed

NO I HAD NOT HEARD!!!!! (partially because tumblr decided i was not to see people’s asks??)

oh my god. oh my god. that is so unbelievably. actually i take it back it is incredibly believable and i love that for him

[literaryvein-reblogs]

How to Write a Character

For creative writing to have as deep an impact as possible, you need to give the reader strong characters they can relate to on a personal level.

By borrowing from tried-and-true character archetypes and giving them your personal spin, you can create heroes, villains, and sidekicks that will affect your readers as if they were real people they knew.

Come up with a backstory

Crafting a backstory can help you flesh out an interesting character profile.

“When I’m dealing with characters,” says legal thriller author David Baldacci, “and I’m trying to explain somebody's situation and motivations, you have to look into their past, because [the] past always drives motivations.”

Ask what experiences your character had in elementary school or high school that shaped who they are today. Your character’s backstory can greatly inform your plot.

Develop a character arc

A character must evolve throughout a story.

“The character has to change,” insists crime fiction writer Walter Mosley. “The character doesn’t have to become better. The character doesn’t have to become good. It could be the opposite. He could start good and become bad. He could start off hopeful and end up a pessimist. But he has to be impacted by this world that we’re reading about.”

Plan out your storyline based on your character's goals and how achieving or not achieving them will change them as people. This sort of template can help anchor your narrative.

Do research

If you plan to set your story in a specific locale or period, do enough research to make your characters seem true to life and believable.

“What does it mean, for instance, in the Tudor era to be a male person?” asks Margaret Atwood, author of The Handmaid’s Tale. “What does it mean to be a female person? What do those things mean when they’re at different social levels?”

Empathize with your characters

No matter what the type of character you’re developing, try to find some reason you and your reader can relate to their internal conflict.

���You’re living with these people every single day for months at a time—in some cases, years at a time,” says acclaimed children’s author Judy Blume. “You had better feel for them. So, for me, yes, I have great empathy for them.”

When people can empathize with characters, they’re more likely to find them compelling.

Experiment with different approaches

If you usually write characters from a particular point of view (or POV), change things up to challenge yourself.

“Write about someone entirely through the eyes of their friends and family,” suggests journalist Malcolm Gladwell. “So do a profile of someone where you deliberately never talk to the person that you’re profiling.”

There are plenty of ways to craft compelling character descriptions—free yourself up to try new alternatives.

Give your characters flaws

To craft believable characters, you need to give them flaws.

“One, it makes the characters human, just by default, because everybody recognizes that we all have flaws and mistakes,” David says. “But two, it gives you plot elements and plot opportunities because somebody makes a mistake. Why? Because they’re flawed.”

Learn from real people

Pay attention to real people’s mannerisms, personality traits, body language, and physical appearances.

Do research, and be respectful, when you want to write characters with backgrounds that you are not familiar with. Become familiar with different people's cultures, sexual orientations etc.

Talking to people about their experiences will help form your character’s personality.

Let your characters surprise you

Character development can proceed down a host of different avenues.

“Spend a lot of time with your characters and getting to know them,” Judy suggests. “And the way that you get to know them can be different from the way I get to know them. But my way is: They don’t come alive until I write about them, until I put them down on paper.”

As you write, your character’s motivation or perspective might change from what you originally planned.

Play characters off each other

Ask yourself how a secondary character’s personality might thwart the main character’s motivation.

“One of the best ways, as I said, to develop a character is to put that character in relationship to another person,” Walter says. “So as they talk, as they fight, as they work together, we find out more about who they are and what they are.”

The character’s close friends, adversaries, and acquaintances might all have different effects on their behavior.

Take an organic approach

Over the course of the story, be ready for your characters to surprise you as much as the people you know in real life might, too.

Your characters may take on a life of their own.

Avoid static characters by letting yours have their own lives and personalities. Let their stories take you where they lead.

Writing Notes & References

[starkeyslibrary]

FALLING OUT OF FRAME | Part 1

pairing: you x drew starkey

The sound of Drew’s laugh filled the cozy apartment as you scrolled through your phone, settling deeper into the plush couch. It was a laugh you’d heard a thousand times – warm, genuine and utterly infectious. You glanced up to see him standing in the kitchen, stirring pasta sauce in a hoodie that he’d stolen from your side of the closet weeks ago. The sigh made your heart swell.

“How’s it going?” you asked, setting your phone aside.

“Almost done,” Drew said, flashing you a grin over his shoulder. “Hope you’re ready to be impressed by my gourmet skills.”

You chuckled, pulling your knees to your chest. “If it’s anything like last time, I should probably have the takeout app ready.”

Drew pretended to be offended, clutching his chest dramatically. “That was one time! And in my defense, the oven was possessed.”

Moments like this had become your favorite part of life with Drew – quiet, intimate evenings that felt words away from the chaos of Hollywood. For all the glitz and glam of his career, Drew was just Drew with you.

As you watched him carefully plate the pasta, you couldn’t help but feel proud of everything he’d accomplished. His latest role in the Hellraiser reboot was shaping up to be a major career move. And while you knew the spotlights came with challenges, you’d always been his biggest cheerleader.

Later that night, as the two of you lounged on the couch, Drew’s phone buzzed on the coffee table. He glanced at the screen, then sighed.

“It’s my manager,” he said, sitting up. “Give me a sec?”

“Of course,” you said, reaching for the remote to find something to watch.

Drew stepped into the next room, his voice low but audible enough for snippets to carry over.

“…. Press tours…. Odessa …. Chemistry angle?”

You tried to focus on the TV, but your curiosity got the better of you. Odessa A’Zion – Drew’s new co-star. You’d seen her name pop up recently in articles about the movie, paired with glowing reviews of her talent and personality. She seemed nice enough in interviews – bold and charming in a way that made you feel a little plain by comparison.

“Everything okay?” you asked, placing a comforting hand on his arm.

“Yeah,” he said, but his tone wasn’t convincing. “Just.. movie stuff. Our team thinks Odessa and I need to lean into the whole co-star chemistry thing for the press.”

“Chemistry thing?” you echoed, your brow furrowing.

“It’s all PR,” Drew said quickly, his hands finding yours. “They’re talking about a few staged photo ops, maybe some friendly banter during interviews. You know how it goes.”

You nodded slowly, even as an uneasy feeling settled in your chest. You did know how it went – Hollywood loved its narratives, and the lines between fiction and reality often blurred.

“It’s nothing to worry about,” Drew added, his thumb brushing over your knuckles. “You’re the one I love, Y/N. Not Odessa. Never Odessa.”

You smiled softly, but the words didn’t erase the knot in your stomach.

The first set of paparazzi photos hit the internet like a wildfire: Drew and Odessa at a café, leaning across the table as if sharing a secret. Her laugh was captured mid-burst, her hand grazing his arm.

The headlines were just as dramatic as you’d feared: Drew Starkey and Odessa A ‘Zion’s Off-Screen Chemistry is Off the Charts!

You scrolled through the photos on your phone, bile rising in your throat. They were clearly staged, every angle too perfect to be a coincidence. But that didn’t make it easier to stomach.

The worst part was the comments. Fans fawned over the “new power couple”, dissecting every detail of their interactions. People who had once rooted for you and Drew now seemed eager to erase you from the narrative entirely.

When Drew came home that night, you tried to play it cool, but your unease must’ve shown.

“Hey” he said, dropping his bag by the door and crossing the room to kiss your forehead. “You okay?”

“Mmm, fine” you said, forcing a smile.

Drew studied you for a moment before glancing at your phone. His face fell as he recognized the photos.

“Y/N, I –“

“It’s okay,” you interrupted, setting the phone aside. “I know it’s just PR. It’s your job.”

Drew sat beside you, his hands wrapping around yours. “It doesn’t mean anything,” he said firmly. “You’re the one I come home to. You’re the one I love.”

You wanted to believe him. But as Drew kissed your temple and pulled you into his arms, the unease lingered, whispering doubts you weren’t ready to face.

TAGLIST: @princesspeach124 @idiotussupremus @eitaababe @13tter @drewsephrry @drewstarkeyzwhore @cooper8224 @maybankslover @elyseesarchive @ietss @hoelesslyt @wtfdudesblog

[esotericalchemist]

𝐒𝐮𝐧 𝐒𝐢𝐠𝐧 - 𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞 •°❀

Masterlist - YouTube (subliminals)

The Sun sign in astrology reveals the heart of your being, representing your soul's journey toward fulfilling its higher purpose. It shines light on your core essence, the inner vitality that fuels your ambitions, creativity, and self-expression. Beyond its connection to identity, the Sun reflects your deepest desires and the path you are meant to take to grow and evolve. It guides you through life’s trials, illuminating the lessons you are here to learn and the ways you can radiate your unique brilliance into the world. Understanding your Sun sign allows you to uncover your spiritual mission, aligning your personal will with the cosmic forces that shape your destiny.

𝐀𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐒𝐮𝐧

The Sun in Aries isn't just about ambition or leadership—it's about initiation and the soul’s need to express its true nature. Aries is where the Sun is exalted, which means it’s in its most powerful state. This placement brings the energy of dynamism and an unyielding drive toward self-expression. But the deeper meaning here is not just about being assertive; it's about discovering your divine mission and stepping into your karmic role without hesitation. In Aries, you are tasked with forging your path as a warrior of the soul, shedding layers of inauthenticity and embracing your primal, unrefined willpower. This is the place where you learn to be unapologetically you, breaking through fears of inadequacy and embracing the raw power of your self-expression.

Through the Houses:

First House: You embody the pure essence of Aries. The fire of the Sun pushes you to develop a strong sense of identity. It's about defining who you are, independent of external influences. Leadership isn't just a skill; it's your inherent nature. The lesson here is to embrace your individuality without over-identifying with ego.

Second House: Your drive for self-worth and material security is strong, but the deeper lesson is to find inner value beyond possessions. This placement pushes you to understand that your resources are a reflection of your inner strength. Material growth comes when you align with your soul's purpose.

Third House: Communication becomes a battlefield. You push boundaries in how you speak, learn, and share knowledge. Your words carry authority, and your thoughts are pioneering. You’re not just here to exchange ideas, but to lead conversations that matter, reshaping the narrative of your life.

Fourth House: The Sun in Aries here shines a light on your ancestral karma and home life. The challenge is to break free from old family patterns that inhibit your growth. You are meant to create a home that reflects your unique vision, rather than conforming to tradition. It’s about owning your emotional independence.

Fifth House: This placement makes you a pioneer in creative expression and romance. Your creativity is bold and unrestrained, often ahead of its time. You're called to embrace your inner child and take risks in artistic endeavors, breaking societal norms in how you express love, joy, and pleasure.

Sixth House: You are a relentless worker, but the deeper lesson here is to balance your fiery drive with self-care. This placement teaches you that overwork without purpose drains vitality. Your true challenge is to find meaningful work that aligns with your karmic duty, not just physical survival.

Seventh House: Relationships become a mirror for your personal growth. The Sun in Aries pushes you to assert yourself, but also to learn compromise and collaboration. You may dominate your partnerships, but the higher lesson is to cultivate equal relationships where both partners can express their individuality.

Eighth House: Transformation is your life theme here. You are constantly reborn, often through crises or deep, personal change. The Sun in Aries in this house wants you to face your fears and emerge stronger. You are meant to become a spiritual warrior, unafraid to dive into the unknown to find your true power.

Ninth House: You are a trailblazer in philosophy, religion, and higher knowledge. The Sun here makes you question traditional beliefs and carve out your own spiritual or philosophical path. The deeper lesson is to lead others toward truth by first discovering it for yourself. You may challenge orthodox teachings and create new ways of thinking.

Tenth House: Career becomes a stage for your personal mission. The Sun in Aries pushes you to the forefront of your professional life, making you a leader or a trailblazer in your field. But it’s not just about success—this placement calls for you to make a lasting impact on the world, using your career as a vehicle for your soul’s purpose.

Eleventh House: The Sun in Aries makes you a leader within your social groups or communities. Your individuality shines through your friendships and collective endeavors. You may feel the urge to revolutionize group dynamics or societal structures. The higher lesson here is to use your influence for the collective good, without losing your sense of self.

Twelfth House: Here, the Sun in Aries guides you through the subconscious realm. It’s a spiritual warrior placement, where you must face hidden fears, dissolve the ego, and engage in deep soul work. Your true power comes when you learn to surrender control and let your spiritual self lead the way. The lesson is about finding strength in vulnerability and transformation.

𝐓𝐚𝐮𝐫𝐮𝐬 𝐒𝐮𝐧

The Sun in Taurus is about grounding and solidifying the energy that Aries initiated. Taurus is a fixed earth sign, ruled by Venus, and when the Sun is placed here, its fiery energy is tempered by the desire for stability, security, and material comfort. However, at a deeper level, the Sun in Taurus is about finding self-worth beyond physical possessions. It’s a journey of learning to cultivate inner peace, resilience, and an appreciation for the beauty and value of life itself. Taurus is often misunderstood as merely a sign focused on indulgence, but the Sun here is about mastering the art of building a life of quality—emotionally, spiritually, and physically. It represents the quest for long-term fulfillment and sustainability.

Through the Houses:

First House: The Sun in Taurus makes you exude a calm, grounded presence. You seek stability in life and tend to build a strong sense of self through physical or material accomplishments. The deeper lesson here is learning that your identity isn’t just about what you own or how you appear but stems from inner security and self-worth.

Second House: Your sense of value and security is closely tied to material wealth and possessions. The Sun here amplifies your need for financial security, but it also challenges you to find value in non-material things—like self-love and inner peace. You must learn that true wealth is internal.

Third House: You are a steady and persistent communicator. You prefer to take a practical and methodical approach to learning and sharing knowledge. The deeper calling of the Sun here is to express your thoughts with both clarity and creativity, balancing practicality with an appreciation for beauty in words.

Fourth House: Your sense of emotional security is linked to a stable home environment. You seek to create a sanctuary where you feel safe and grounded. However, the Sun in Taurus in this house challenges you to cultivate emotional stability from within, rather than relying solely on external factors like family or property.

Fifth House: Creativity and pleasure are approached in a sensual, steady way. You find joy in indulging in life’s simple pleasures, and your creative endeavors often reflect beauty and harmony. The Sun here pushes you to explore the deeper value in your creative expression—are you creating for enjoyment, or are you channeling your higher self through your art?

Sixth House: You have a strong work ethic and are diligent in your daily routines. The Sun in Taurus here highlights your need for stability in health and work life. The deeper lesson is about finding balance between work and self-care, ensuring that your routines are nurturing and sustainable, not just a means to an end.

Seventh House: Relationships for you are about security and stability. You seek partnerships that provide a sense of grounding. However, the Sun here asks you to ensure that your need for comfort doesn’t lead to possessiveness or stagnation in relationships. The lesson is to find harmony between comfort and growth.

Eighth House: You are deeply tied to the material world, even in matters of transformation and loss. The Sun in Taurus here forces you to face issues of control and security, particularly around shared resources or intimacy. The challenge is to embrace change without clinging to material or emotional safety nets.

Ninth House: Your approach to spirituality and higher learning is rooted in practical wisdom. You seek truth in tangible experiences rather than abstract philosophies. The Sun here challenges you to broaden your horizons and find a deeper, more expansive meaning in life that transcends material reality.

Tenth House: You strive for success and recognition in a steady, persistent manner. The Sun in Taurus here makes you a reliable and determined leader, but the deeper lesson is to ensure that your career aligns with your inner values. True success comes when your professional life is a reflection of your personal worth.

Eleventh House: Your social circles and long-term goals are focused on building stability and security. The Sun in Taurus here calls you to bring beauty and practicality to your community and social causes. However, it also challenges you to not limit your dreams to the material world—there is a higher purpose to be found in your connections.

Twelfth House: The Sun in Taurus in the twelfth house draws you into the realm of subconscious desires for comfort and stability. You may have a hidden yearning for peace and security, but the Sun here teaches you to let go of attachments and find inner stability through spiritual surrender. The lesson is about releasing the need for control and finding serenity within.

𝐆𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢 𝐒𝐮𝐧

The Sun in Gemini is about intellectual curiosity and versatility. Gemini is ruled by Mercury, the planet of communication, intellect, and adaptability. When the Sun is placed here, its energy manifests through a need to express, learn, and connect. However, the deeper meaning of the Sun in Gemini goes beyond just being a social butterfly or a quick thinker. It represents the journey of understanding duality—balancing opposites, integrating knowledge from different sources, and using mental agility to make sense of the world. The Sun in Gemini pushes you to explore life’s complexities while seeking out the truth in the midst of diversity. It’s a placement that challenges you to connect the dots between seemingly unrelated ideas, becoming a channel for higher wisdom through your sharp intellect.

Through the Houses:

First House: You are the embodiment of mental agility and quick wit. Your identity is tied to your ability to communicate and adapt to your environment. The deeper lesson is to not scatter your energy in too many directions but to use your intellect with focus and intention, becoming a master of communication.

Second House: Your approach to financial security is highly mental. You may generate income through communication, writing, or intellectual pursuits. The Sun here teaches you that true value lies in knowledge and ideas, not just material wealth. You are called to recognize your intellectual assets as a source of self-worth.

Third House: This is the natural placement for Gemini, amplifying your curiosity and need for connection. You thrive in environments where you can exchange ideas and gather information. The deeper lesson is to cultivate depth in your interactions—don’t just skim the surface; explore topics with more focus and intention.

Fourth House: Your home life may be intellectualized, with a focus on mental stimulation within the family. The Sun in Gemini here challenges you to create emotional security not just through conversation but through understanding the emotional needs of yourself and others. The goal is to bridge the mind and the heart.

Fifth House: Your creativity is channeled through intellectual pursuits, whether through writing, teaching, or other forms of communication. The Sun in Gemini in this house urges you to infuse playfulness into your creative expressions but also challenges you to find meaning and purpose in your creative endeavors.

Sixth House: You bring versatility and adaptability to your work and daily routines. The Sun here makes you a problem solver, someone who can juggle multiple tasks. The deeper lesson is about using your intellect for service—how can you contribute your knowledge and skills to help others or improve your environment?

Seventh House: In relationships, you seek mental stimulation and communication. You are drawn to partners who engage your mind. The Sun in Gemini here challenges you to balance intellectual connection with emotional intimacy, ensuring that relationships aren’t just about conversation but also deeper understanding.

Eighth House: You approach transformation and the unknown with curiosity. You may intellectualize emotional or taboo topics, using your mind to explore hidden truths. The Sun in this house calls you to dive deeper into psychological and spiritual realms, using your intellect as a tool for profound inner growth.

Ninth House: Your quest for higher knowledge is diverse and eclectic. You are drawn to many different philosophies, and the Sun here urges you to integrate these ideas into a cohesive worldview. The deeper lesson is to find your own truth within the multitude of perspectives you encounter.

Tenth House: Your career may involve communication, teaching, or intellectual work. The Sun in Gemini here makes you a versatile and adaptable leader, but the deeper lesson is to find a path that aligns with your soul’s higher purpose, not just your intellectual curiosity. True success comes from a balance of mind and heart.

Eleventh House: Your social connections are based on shared ideas and intellectual pursuits. The Sun here makes you a networker, someone who thrives in groups where knowledge is exchanged. The challenge is to bring meaningful change to your social circles or communities by using your intellect for the greater good.

Twelfth House: The Sun in Gemini in the twelfth house guides you to explore the subconscious mind and hidden realms of thought. You are called to use your intellect to uncover hidden truths and spiritual wisdom. The deeper lesson is to surrender the ego and find clarity in the silence of the mind, bridging intellect with intuition.

𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐮𝐧

The Sun in Cancer represents a deep emotional intelligence and a strong connection to the nurturing qualities of the self. Cancer is ruled by the Moon, and when the Sun is placed here, it brings forth an energy of protection, care, and emotional depth. However, the deeper significance of the Sun in Cancer goes beyond just being emotional or sensitive—it is about understanding the sacred role of emotions in life’s journey and how they fuel your sense of purpose. This placement highlights the soul's need to connect with its roots, its emotional foundation, and to foster a sense of inner security. The Sun in Cancer often pushes you to explore the balance between caring for others and protecting your own inner world, teaching you that true strength comes from emotional resilience and a deep connection to your heart's desires.

Through the Houses:

First House: You project an emotionally grounded and nurturing persona. The Sun in Cancer here makes you deeply sensitive to your environment, but the deeper lesson is to protect your energy and build emotional boundaries that allow you to flourish without absorbing too much from others.

Second House: Your sense of security is rooted in emotional stability, and you may seek financial security through nurturing professions or caregiving. The Sun here challenges you to understand that wealth is not just about material resources but also about emotional fulfillment and building a strong foundation for the soul.

Third House: Communication is colored by emotion, and you have a natural ability to connect with others on an empathetic level. The Sun in Cancer here pushes you to speak from the heart, but it also encourages you to learn how to manage your emotions when engaging in dialogue. You are called to balance intuition with logic in your speech.

Fourth House: This is the most natural house for the Sun in Cancer, as it highlights your deep connection to home, family, and roots. The deeper lesson here is to find emotional security within yourself, rather than depending on external environments or family dynamics. You are meant to create a sanctuary of inner peace.

Fifth House: Your creativity and self-expression are deeply emotional, and you find joy in nurturing others or engaging in artistic endeavors that come from the heart. The Sun here teaches you to embrace your inner child and express your emotions freely, using creativity as a way to heal and connect with others.

Sixth House: You approach work and service with emotional dedication, often taking on roles where you can care for others or offer support. The deeper lesson here is about balancing your emotional energy with self-care, ensuring that you do not deplete yourself while trying to nurture others in your daily routines.

Seventh House: Relationships become the focus of your emotional energy, and you are deeply invested in partnerships that provide emotional security. The Sun in Cancer here challenges you to ensure that your relationships are balanced, teaching you to nurture others while also receiving care and emotional support in return.

Eighth House: You are emotionally drawn to transformation and the mysteries of life. The Sun in Cancer in this house highlights your need for emotional intimacy and depth in shared resources or spiritual pursuits. The challenge is to learn emotional detachment when necessary, embracing change as a form of emotional growth.

Ninth House: Your search for higher knowledge and spirituality is deeply emotional, and you may be drawn to spiritual paths that emphasize nurturing or protection. The Sun here pushes you to expand your emotional awareness through philosophical or spiritual teachings, finding emotional fulfillment in your quest for truth.

Tenth House: Your career and public life are driven by a need to care for or nurture others. The Sun in Cancer here may push you toward roles where you can emotionally connect with the world. The deeper lesson is to ensure that your career aligns with your emotional needs, finding purpose in your professional life by nurturing both yourself and others.

Eleventh House: You are emotionally connected to your social circles and long-term goals, seeking groups that provide a sense of family or emotional security. The Sun in Cancer here challenges you to nurture your friendships while also pursuing your personal dreams, balancing emotional fulfillment with collective growth.

Twelfth House: The Sun in Cancer in the twelfth house draws you into the realm of the subconscious and hidden emotions. You may be highly attuned to the emotional undercurrents of life, and the Sun here challenges you to release emotional attachments that no longer serve you. The deeper lesson is about finding emotional freedom through spiritual surrender.

𝐋𝐞𝐨 𝐒𝐮𝐧

The Sun in Leo is a powerful placement as the Sun rules Leo, making this position one of the most natural expressions of solar energy. Leo is the sign of leadership, creativity, and self-expression, but the deeper meaning of the Sun in Leo is about embodying your divine purpose with authenticity and grace. The Sun in Leo isn't just about seeking attention or fame; it's about stepping into your role as a creator, someone who shines their inner light unapologetically, inspiring others through personal example. It is a karmic call to own your personal power, but with the wisdom that true leadership comes from the heart, not from ego-driven motives. The Sun in Leo teaches you that your greatest power comes from knowing yourself and sharing your gifts generously with the world.

Through the Houses:

First House: You radiate confidence and have a natural magnetism that draws others to you. The Sun in Leo in the first house challenges you to be a leader by example, to step into your authentic self without arrogance. You are called to develop self-awareness and embody the light of your higher self.

Second House: You find value and security in your self-worth, often seeking to express your personal power through material or financial success. The Sun in Leo here teaches you to recognize that true wealth comes from within, and your greatest asset is your ability to shine your light in ways that bring lasting value.

Third House: Communication and learning are avenues where you can express your creativity and leadership. You have a natural flair for speaking or teaching, but the deeper lesson here is to ensure that your voice uplifts and inspires, rather than dominating conversations. You are meant to communicate with heart.

Fourth House: Your sense of emotional security is tied to being recognized and appreciated in your home or family life. The Sun in Leo here asks you to create a warm and loving environment where your inner light can flourish. The lesson is to shine your light without seeking validation, finding emotional security from within.

Fifth House: This is a natural placement for the Sun, enhancing your creative abilities and self-expression. You are called to lead through your artistic talents, romantic endeavors, or relationship with children. The deeper lesson is to cultivate joy and passion, not for external approval, but for the pure joy of creation.

Sixth House: Your approach to work and service is filled with pride and dedication. The Sun in Leo here challenges you to balance your need for recognition with humility, ensuring that your work serves a higher purpose. You are called to lead through example, bringing your heart into your daily routines and service to others.

Seventh House: Relationships are a stage for your self-expression, and you seek partners who reflect your creative or leadership qualities. The Sun in Leo in this house teaches you to balance your needs for recognition with the needs of your partner, creating a dynamic where both individuals shine together, rather than competing for the spotlight.

Eighth House: You have a powerful presence when it comes to transformation and shared resources. The Sun in Leo here pushes you to embrace personal power in matters of intimacy, spirituality, and deep emotional connections. The lesson is to use your transformative power wisely, ensuring that it is aligned with your higher self, rather than ego.

Ninth House: Your search for higher knowledge and truth is expressed through leadership and creative exploration. The Sun in Leo in the ninth house urges you to lead in philosophical, spiritual, or academic matters. The deeper calling is to inspire others through your journey, sharing your insights in a way that uplifts and enlightens.

Tenth House: Your career and public life are places where your leadership shines brightest. The Sun in Leo in the tenth house makes you a natural authority figure, but the deeper lesson is to ensure that your success is aligned with your soul's purpose. You are called to be a leader who inspires through genuine integrity and heart-centered ambition.

Eleventh House: You are a leader within your social circles or community, often playing a central role in group endeavors. The Sun in Leo here asks you to use your influence to uplift the collective, ensuring that your personal goals align with the greater good. The lesson is to shine brightly without overshadowing the contributions of others.

Twelfth House: The Sun in Leo in the twelfth house draws your creative energy into the spiritual and subconscious realms. You are called to express your inner light in subtle or hidden ways, often working behind the scenes. The deeper lesson is about finding your true self through spiritual surrender, shining brightly even in solitude or silence.

𝐕𝐢𝐫𝐠𝐨 𝐒𝐮𝐧

The Sun in Virgo brings a focus on precision, service, and mastery of detail. Virgo is ruled by Mercury, the planet of intellect, but the deeper significance of the Sun in Virgo lies in its need for refinement and perfection. This placement isn’t just about being analytical or critical; it’s about learning to align your actions with a higher purpose through meticulous care and dedication. The Sun in Virgo asks you to develop discernment and serve with humility, but it also challenges you to recognize the value of imperfection. It’s a call to use your sharp mind and detailed approach to improve systems, whether internal or external, in a way that honors the divine order of the universe. In essence, the Sun in Virgo is about integrating spiritual awareness into the mundane, finding the sacred in the everyday.

Through the Houses:

First House: You approach life with a sense of duty and a desire to improve yourself and your environment. The Sun in Virgo in the first house makes you highly self-aware and critical, but the deeper lesson is to use this energy for self-improvement rather than self-judgment. You are called to embody humility and service in your personal expression.

Second House: You bring a practical and analytical approach to finances and self-worth. The Sun here challenges you to recognize that your true value lies not just in what you possess but in your ability to serve others and improve systems. Your lesson is to find security through competence and purpose, not just material wealth.

Third House: Communication and learning are approached with precision and attention to detail. The Sun in Virgo in this house asks you to use your intellect to solve problems and refine your ideas. The deeper calling is to use your words to heal or improve the lives of others, combining knowledge with compassion.

Fourth House: Your emotional foundation is rooted in a desire for order and stability at home. The Sun in Virgo here pushes you to create a nurturing environment that promotes health and well-being. The lesson is to avoid perfectionism in your personal life, instead focusing on cultivating emotional security through small, meaningful improvements.

Fifth House: Creativity and self-expression are approached with a meticulous eye for detail. The Sun in Virgo in this house challenges you to take pride in your creative work but also to let go of the need for perfection. You are called to embrace joy in the process of creation rather than focusing solely on the outcome.

Sixth House: This is a natural placement for the Sun in Virgo, emphasizing service, health, and daily routines. You are driven to improve yourself and others through work or health-related activities. The deeper lesson is to balance service with self-care, ensuring that you are not sacrificing your well-being for the sake of perfection.

Seventh House: Relationships for you are about service and mutual improvement. The Sun in Virgo here challenges you to offer support and care to your partner without becoming overly critical or nitpicky. The deeper calling is to create harmonious relationships that are based on mutual growth and understanding, with a focus on refinement, not criticism.

Eighth House: You approach transformation and shared resources with an analytical and practical mindset. The Sun in Virgo in the eighth house asks you to be discerning in matters of intimacy and trust, but the deeper lesson is to surrender control and trust the process of transformation, using your intellect to navigate life’s mysteries.

Ninth House: Your pursuit of higher knowledge and spirituality is grounded in practical wisdom. The Sun in Virgo here encourages you to study philosophy or spirituality with an analytical eye, but it also challenges you to integrate what you learn into your daily life. The deeper lesson is to find divine order in both grand and mundane aspects of life.

Tenth House: Your career and public life are driven by a desire for excellence and service. The Sun in Virgo in this house makes you a diligent and responsible leader, but the deeper challenge is to ensure that your pursuit of perfection does not lead to burnout. You are called to lead by example, improving systems for the greater good without becoming overly self-critical.

Eleventh House: Your social circles and long-term goals are approached with a desire for improvement and practicality. The Sun in Virgo here asks you to refine your social impact, focusing on causes that benefit others. The deeper lesson is to avoid over-analyzing group dynamics and instead focus on how you can contribute meaningfully to collective goals.

Twelfth House: The Sun in Virgo in the twelfth house draws your attention to the need for inner purification and spiritual service. You may feel a strong urge to improve yourself on a subconscious level, but the deeper lesson is about letting go of perfectionism and embracing the imperfections of the soul. Your calling is to serve through humility and spiritual dedication, recognizing the divine in the smallest details of life.

𝐋𝐢𝐛𝐫𝐚 𝐒𝐮𝐧

The Sun in Libra is in its debilitation, meaning it is in a sign where it struggles to express its natural energy. Libra, ruled by Venus, is about balance, harmony, and relationships, whereas the Sun represents individuality, ego, and personal power. The deeper significance of the Sun in Libra lies in the journey of learning to balance personal will with the needs and desires of others. This placement is not just about compromise or diplomacy—it’s about understanding the dance between self and other, and how true power is found through collaboration, fairness, and mutual respect. The Sun in Libra challenges you to cultivate your individuality without overshadowing others, teaching you the importance of shared success and the value of harmonious relationships.

Through the Houses:

First House: You are naturally diplomatic and focused on creating harmony in your surroundings. However, the Sun in Libra in the first house challenges you to develop a stronger sense of self while maintaining your desire for balance. The deeper lesson is to find inner equilibrium between your personal identity and your role in relationships.

Second House: Your approach to wealth and security is linked to partnerships and fairness. The Sun in Libra here asks you to balance personal gain with ethical and fair practices. The deeper calling is to understand that true value lies not only in material wealth but also in the quality of your relationships and how you treat others.

Third House: Communication for you is focused on fairness and diplomacy. The Sun in Libra in this house challenges you to assert your voice without losing sight of harmony. The lesson is to learn how to speak your truth while fostering mutual understanding, making sure your intellectual pursuits benefit both yourself and those around you.

Fourth House: You seek emotional security through balance and fairness in your home life. The Sun in Libra here urges you to create a peaceful and harmonious family environment, but the deeper lesson is to ensure that your emotional needs are not sacrificed in the pursuit of external harmony. Finding balance between giving and receiving is key.

Fifth House: Creativity and self-expression are linked to beauty, balance, and refinement. The Sun in Libra in this house calls you to express yourself in ways that inspire harmony and peace. The deeper challenge is to embrace your individuality in your creative endeavors without overly relying on the approval of others.

Sixth House: Your approach to work and service is grounded in a desire to create harmony and fairness in your environment. The Sun in Libra here challenges you to maintain balance in your work relationships and daily routines, ensuring that you are not overextending yourself in the name of harmony. The deeper lesson is to serve in a way that honors both yourself and others.

Seventh House: This is a natural placement for the Sun in Libra, emphasizing the importance of partnerships. You are deeply invested in creating balanced and harmonious relationships, but the challenge is to avoid losing yourself in the process. The lesson is to find equal partnerships where both individuals can shine, rather than sacrificing your individuality for the sake of peace.

Eighth House: You approach transformation and shared resources with a focus on balance and fairness. The Sun in Libra in this house urges you to navigate deep emotional or financial matters with diplomacy and grace. The deeper lesson is to learn how to assert your own needs and boundaries while maintaining harmony in these intense areas of life.

Ninth House: Your search for higher knowledge and truth is guided by principles of fairness and justice. The Sun in Libra here calls you to explore philosophies and belief systems that emphasize balance and harmony. The deeper challenge is to remain true to your personal beliefs while respecting the perspectives of others, finding common ground in your spiritual journey.

Tenth House: In your career and public life, you strive to create balance and fairness. The Sun in Libra in the tenth house makes you a natural diplomat or mediator in professional settings, but the deeper lesson is to assert your leadership in a way that honors both your individual goals and the collective good. True success comes from fostering cooperation and mutual respect.

Eleventh House: Your social circles and long-term goals are centered around creating harmony within groups. The Sun in Libra here challenges you to take a leadership role in social causes or communities, promoting fairness and equality. The deeper lesson is to ensure that your personal aspirations align with the greater good, finding a balance between self-interest and collective progress.

Twelfth House: The Sun in Libra in the twelfth house draws your focus inward, emphasizing the need to balance your inner world. You may feel a strong urge to create peace and harmony within yourself, but the deeper lesson is about releasing attachments to external validation. This placement encourages you to find balance through spiritual surrender, letting go of the need for approval and finding harmony within.

𝐒𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐩𝐢𝐨 𝐒𝐮𝐧

The Sun in Scorpio brings intensity, depth, and transformation. Scorpio is ruled by Mars and Ketu (as well as Pluto in modern Astrology), and when the Sun is placed here, its fiery energy is channeled into the mysterious, hidden, and transformational aspects of life. The deeper significance of the Sun in Scorpio lies in its ability to face the darkness within, using challenges and crises as tools for personal and spiritual growth. This is a placement that demands inner strength, emotional resilience, and the courage to embrace the unknown. The Sun in Scorpio pushes you to go beyond superficiality, compelling you to dive deep into the core of your being, where true power lies. It’s a journey of self-discovery and empowerment through transformation and shedding old layers of identity.

Through the Houses:

First House: You exude intensity and magnetic presence. The Sun in Scorpio in the first house makes you fiercely self-aware, with a powerful need to understand yourself and your deeper motivations. The lesson here is to balance your desire for control with the need for personal transformation, using your intense willpower for self-mastery rather than domination.

Second House: Your approach to security and wealth is rooted in emotional and psychological depth. The Sun in Scorpio here challenges you to transform your relationship with material resources, recognizing that true worth comes from within. The deeper calling is to release attachments to possessions and instead cultivate inner value and resilience.

Third House: Communication for you is intense and profound. The Sun in Scorpio in this house urges you to explore hidden truths and express yourself with emotional depth. The deeper lesson is to learn how to channel your intensity in a constructive way, using your words to empower others and uncover the truth, without becoming overly secretive or manipulative.

Fourth House: Your emotional security is tied to transformation and deep psychological insight. The Sun in Scorpio here challenges you to confront old family patterns or emotional wounds. The deeper lesson is to create a foundation of inner strength, where emotional depth is a source of power rather than vulnerability.

Fifth House: Creativity and self-expression are intense and transformative. The Sun in Scorpio in this house calls you to express your passion through creative endeavors or romantic pursuits that challenge you to grow and evolve. The deeper challenge is to embrace vulnerability in your self-expression, allowing your inner power to shine through without fear.

Sixth House: You approach work and service with intensity and determination. The Sun in Scorpio in the sixth house challenges you to transform your daily routines and health habits, using discipline and willpower. The deeper lesson is to serve others in a way that is both empowering and transformative, ensuring that your efforts lead to growth and healing.

Seventh House: Relationships are deeply transformative for you. The Sun in Scorpio in this house makes you seek intense emotional connections, but the challenge is to balance power dynamics within partnerships. The deeper calling is to engage in relationships that foster mutual growth and transformation, where both individuals are empowered rather than controlled.

Eighth House: This is a natural placement for the Sun, amplifying your connection to transformation, shared resources, and deep psychological insight. The Sun in Scorpio here challenges you to embrace change and personal transformation, using crises or challenges as catalysts for growth. The lesson is to find empowerment through surrender, accepting the cycles of death and rebirth in life.

Ninth House: Your search for higher knowledge and spirituality is marked by intensity and a desire for deep transformation. The Sun in Scorpio here pushes you to explore esoteric or hidden wisdom, seeking truth beyond the surface. The deeper challenge is to integrate this knowledge into your life in a way that fosters personal evolution and spiritual empowerment.

Tenth House: Your career and public life are marked by a need for control, power, and transformation. The Sun in Scorpio in the tenth house challenges you to find a career path that allows you to harness your intensity and emotional depth. The lesson here is to lead through personal transformation, inspiring others through your ability to face challenges and rise stronger.

Eleventh House: You seek intense and transformative connections within your social circles. The Sun in Scorpio here challenges you to lead groups or communities through times of change or crisis, using your emotional insight to guide others. The deeper lesson is to ensure that your long-term goals align with your need for personal transformation and collective growth.

Twelfth House: The Sun in Scorpio in the twelfth house draws your attention to the subconscious, spiritual transformation, and hidden aspects of life. You are called to explore the depths of your inner world, facing fears and psychological shadows. The deeper lesson is to embrace spiritual surrender, allowing yourself to undergo profound transformation on a soul level, finding power in letting go.

𝐒𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐮𝐬 𝐒𝐮𝐧

The Sun in Sagittarius represents the quest for higher knowledge, truth, and spiritual exploration. Sagittarius is ruled by Jupiter, the planet of wisdom and expansion, and when the Sun is placed here, it brings a thirst for adventure, philosophical insight, and meaning. The deeper significance of the Sun in Sagittarius is about embracing the journey of life as a path to enlightenment. It’s not just about seeking truth for the sake of knowledge but using that truth to grow spiritually and to uplift others. The Sun in Sagittarius urges you to live with a sense of purpose, finding freedom through wisdom and the courage to pursue your ideals. It is a call to align your actions with your higher principles, expanding not only your mind but your soul.

Through the Houses:

First House: You embody the spirit of adventure and philosophical inquiry. The Sun in Sagittarius in the first house challenges you to lead with wisdom and optimism, inspiring others through your pursuit of truth. The deeper lesson is to embrace life as a journey, using your personal experiences as opportunities for spiritual growth and self-discovery.

Second House: Your approach to wealth and security is influenced by your higher ideals and philosophical values. The Sun in Sagittarius here challenges you to see material resources as a tool for expanding your understanding of the world. The deeper lesson is to cultivate a sense of inner abundance, recognizing that true wealth lies in your wisdom and integrity.

Third House: Communication and learning are driven by a thirst for knowledge and a desire to share your insights with others. The Sun in Sagittarius in this house pushes you to explore different perspectives and expand your intellectual horizons. The lesson is to use your words and ideas to inspire others, sharing wisdom that uplifts and enlightens.

Fourth House: Your emotional foundation is rooted in a sense of freedom and higher purpose. The Sun in Sagittarius here challenges you to create a home environment that supports your spiritual growth and exploration. The deeper lesson is to balance your need for adventure with the importance of emotional security, finding home within yourself.

Fifth House: Creativity and self-expression are deeply linked to your pursuit of truth and spiritual ideals. The Sun in Sagittarius in this house urges you to express yourself through teaching, art, or creative endeavors that reflect your philosophical insights. The deeper calling is to share your joy and wisdom with others, inspiring them to seek higher meaning in life.

Sixth House: You approach work and service with a sense of purpose and dedication to a higher ideal. The Sun in Sagittarius in the sixth house challenges you to find meaning in your daily routines, using your work as a vehicle for spiritual and personal growth. The deeper lesson is to align your service with your higher principles, ensuring that your efforts contribute to the greater good.

Seventh House: Relationships are a source of growth and expansion for you. The Sun in Sagittarius here calls you to seek partnerships that support your intellectual and spiritual journey. The challenge is to maintain your sense of freedom and individuality while fostering meaningful connections. The deeper lesson is to create relationships based on shared ideals and mutual growth.

Eighth House: You are drawn to the mysteries of life and transformation, approaching these themes with a philosophical mindset. The Sun in Sagittarius in this house challenges you to explore the deeper truths behind life, death, and rebirth. The lesson is to use transformation as a tool for spiritual growth, seeking wisdom through life’s profound changes.

Ninth House: This is a natural placement for the Sun, amplifying your connection to higher knowledge, spirituality, and truth-seeking. The Sun in Sagittarius in the ninth house makes you a natural teacher, philosopher, or spiritual guide. The deeper calling is to share your wisdom with others, using your insights to inspire and uplift those around you.

Tenth House: Your career and public life are driven by a desire to make a meaningful impact on the world. The Sun in Sagittarius in the tenth house challenges you to align your professional path with your higher ideals, seeking success through contribution to a greater cause. The lesson is to lead with integrity, using your career as a platform for spreading wisdom and positivity.

Eleventh House: Your social circles and long-term goals are influenced by your ideals and desire for expansion. The Sun in Sagittarius here urges you to contribute to causes that promote growth, wisdom, and spiritual enlightenment within the collective. The deeper lesson is to align your personal aspirations with the greater good, ensuring that your influence leads to positive change.

Twelfth House: The Sun in Sagittarius in the twelfth house draws your focus to spiritual exploration and inner wisdom. You are called to seek truth through introspection and spiritual practices that transcend the material world. The deeper lesson is about finding freedom and enlightenment through surrender, letting go of worldly attachments to embrace your soul’s higher purpose.

𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐧 𝐒𝐮𝐧

The Sun in Capricorn is about discipline, responsibility, and long-term goals. Capricorn is ruled by Saturn, the planet of structure, karma, and time, and when the Sun is placed here, it brings a focus on ambition, duty, and mastery of material reality. However, the deeper significance of the Sun in Capricorn lies in learning to balance worldly success with inner integrity. It’s not just about climbing the social or professional ladder—it’s about doing so in a way that reflects your core values and contributes to something greater than yourself. The Sun in Capricorn urges you to take responsibility for your path, harnessing your inner strength and resilience to build a legacy that lasts. This placement teaches the soul to endure challenges with patience, knowing that true success comes through steady effort and commitment to higher ideals.

Through the Houses:

First House: You carry yourself with a sense of responsibility and seriousness. The Sun in Capricorn in the first house makes you goal-oriented and focused on long-term achievements. The deeper lesson is to balance your ambition with self-compassion, ensuring that your drive for success doesn’t come at the cost of your inner peace and well-being.

Second House: Your approach to wealth and security is practical and grounded. The Sun in Capricorn here challenges you to build financial stability through hard work and careful planning. The deeper calling is to understand that true security comes not only from material wealth but also from a solid foundation of values and self-discipline.

Third House: Communication and learning are approached with a structured and methodical mindset. The Sun in Capricorn in this house pushes you to express yourself with authority and clarity. The deeper lesson is to use your words and intellect to create something lasting, ensuring that your ideas contribute to the practical and long-term improvement of your environment.

Fourth House: Your sense of emotional security is rooted in structure and stability at home. The Sun in Capricorn here challenges you to create a solid foundation for yourself and your family, but the deeper lesson is to recognize that true emotional security comes from inner stability, not just external order or material success.

Fifth House: Creativity and self-expression are approached with discipline and a desire to produce something of lasting value. The Sun in Capricorn in this house encourages you to take a serious approach to your creative projects, but the deeper lesson is to find joy in the process, allowing your inner child to flourish even within structure.

Sixth House: You bring a strong sense of duty and responsibility to your work and service. The Sun in Capricorn in the sixth house challenges you to approach your daily routines with discipline, ensuring that your work contributes to your long-term goals. The deeper lesson is to balance hard work with self-care, ensuring that your dedication to service doesn’t lead to burnout.

Seventh House: Relationships for you are about commitment and long-term stability. The Sun in Capricorn in this house challenges you to approach partnerships with maturity and responsibility. The deeper calling is to create relationships that are built on mutual respect and shared goals, ensuring that both partners grow together over time.

Eighth House: You approach transformation and shared resources with caution and a desire for control. The Sun in Capricorn in this house challenges you to face deep psychological or financial issues with discipline and perseverance. The deeper lesson is to embrace change as a necessary part of life, using transformation as a tool for personal and spiritual growth.

Ninth House: Your pursuit of higher knowledge and truth is grounded in practicality and long-term vision. The Sun in Capricorn here pushes you to seek wisdom that can be applied in tangible ways, ensuring that your philosophical or spiritual pursuits lead to lasting success. The deeper lesson is to find balance between practicality and the pursuit of higher ideals.

Tenth House: This is a natural placement for the Sun, amplifying your ambition and desire for public recognition. The Sun in Capricorn in the tenth house makes you a natural leader, but the deeper challenge is to ensure that your success aligns with your inner values. You are called to lead with integrity, building a legacy that reflects your highest principles.

Eleventh House: Your social circles and long-term goals are focused on achieving practical results and contributing to society in meaningful ways. The Sun in Capricorn in this house challenges you to use your influence to create lasting change within your community. The deeper lesson is to ensure that your personal ambitions align with the collective good, balancing individual success with social responsibility.

Twelfth House: The Sun in Capricorn in the twelfth house draws your focus inward, emphasizing the need for spiritual discipline and inner work. You are called to explore the deeper aspects of your subconscious and face your karmic responsibilities with patience and perseverance. The deeper lesson is about finding spiritual freedom through structure, using discipline to transcend material limitations and align with your soul’s higher purpose.

𝐀𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐮𝐬 𝐒𝐮𝐧

The Sun in Aquarius brings a focus on innovation, individuality, and collective consciousness. Aquarius is ruled by Saturn and co-ruled by Rahu (as well as Uranus in modern Astrology), which gives this sign a unique blend of traditional and unconventional energy. The deeper significance of the Sun in Aquarius is about balancing personal identity with the greater good. It’s not just about standing out or being different—it’s about using your individuality to serve a higher purpose. The Sun in Aquarius urges you to embrace your role as a visionary, someone who can look beyond the present and see the potential for progress and transformation in society. This placement teaches the soul to rise above ego-based desires and contribute to the collective evolution, while maintaining authenticity and freedom.

Through the Houses:

First House: You carry yourself with a strong sense of individuality and a desire to be different from the norm. The Sun in Aquarius in the first house challenges you to use your unique perspective for the betterment of society. The deeper lesson is to balance your personal identity with a sense of responsibility toward the collective, becoming a leader who inspires change.

Second House: Your approach to wealth and security is unconventional, and you may seek to build financial stability through innovative means. The Sun in Aquarius here challenges you to redefine traditional ideas of wealth, focusing on how your resources can benefit the collective. The deeper lesson is to find value in originality and to use your talents to create something lasting for society.

Third House: Communication and learning for you are driven by a desire for new ideas and progressive thinking. The Sun in Aquarius in this house pushes you to challenge conventional wisdom and explore different ways of thinking. The lesson here is to use your voice to inspire others toward innovation and change, ensuring that your ideas contribute to the greater good.

Fourth House: Your sense of emotional security is linked to freedom and unconventional family dynamics. The Sun in Aquarius in the fourth house challenges you to create a home environment that allows for individuality and growth. The deeper lesson is to balance your need for independence with emotional connection, ensuring that your sense of home is both grounding and liberating.

Fifth House: Creativity and self-expression are infused with innovation and a desire to challenge norms. The Sun in Aquarius in this house calls you to express yourself in ways that are unique and ahead of your time. The deeper challenge is to use your creative gifts to inspire progress, not just for personal fulfillment but for the advancement of society.

Sixth House: You approach work and service with an unconventional mindset, often seeking to improve systems or innovate in your routines. The Sun in Aquarius in the sixth house challenges you to use your work as a vehicle for societal progress, ensuring that your efforts benefit the collective. The deeper lesson is to balance your desire for change with practicality, ensuring that your innovations have lasting value.

Seventh House: Relationships for you are about equality, freedom, and mutual respect. The Sun in Aquarius in this house challenges you to build partnerships that honor individuality and personal growth. The deeper lesson is to create relationships where both partners can contribute to the greater good, using the relationship as a platform for collective evolution.

Eighth House: You approach transformation and shared resources with a progressive and detached mindset. The Sun in Aquarius in the eighth house challenges you to explore deep psychological or financial issues with an innovative approach. The lesson is to embrace change as a form of personal and collective growth, using transformation to break free from old patterns and evolve.

Ninth House: Your search for higher knowledge and spirituality is unconventional and often ahead of its time. The Sun in Aquarius in this house pushes you to explore new philosophies, spiritual systems, or cultural ideas that challenge the status quo. The deeper calling is to use your knowledge to inspire others to think beyond traditional boundaries, contributing to the collective consciousness.

Tenth House: Your career and public life are driven by a desire to innovate and challenge traditional systems. The Sun in Aquarius in the tenth house makes you a natural leader in fields that require vision and forward thinking. The deeper lesson is to align your career with the greater good, ensuring that your contributions have a lasting impact on society.

Eleventh House: This is a natural placement for the Sun, amplifying your connection to social causes and long-term goals that benefit humanity. The Sun in Aquarius in the eleventh house challenges you to lead within your social circles, using your influence to bring about change and progress. The deeper lesson is to balance your personal aspirations with the collective good, ensuring that your efforts contribute to a better future.

Twelfth House: The Sun in Aquarius in the twelfth house draws your focus inward, emphasizing the need for spiritual liberation and detachment from ego. You are called to explore the hidden aspects of yourself and society, seeking to break free from limiting beliefs or patterns. The deeper lesson is to find freedom through spiritual surrender, using your individuality as a tool for collective healing and awakening.

𝐏𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐒𝐮𝐧

The Sun in Pisces represents spiritual insight, compassion, and the dissolution of the ego. Pisces is ruled by Jupiter and co-ruled by Neptune in modern astrology, which gives this sign a deeply intuitive, creative, and mystical energy. The deeper significance of the Sun in Pisces lies in its ability to transcend the material world and connect with the divine. It’s not just about being sensitive or imaginative—this placement is about the soul’s journey toward unity, empathy, and universal love. The Sun in Pisces encourages you to release attachments to ego-based desires and embrace the fluid, ever-changing nature of life. This is a call to live with compassion, allowing your inner light to guide others toward healing and spiritual awakening.

Through the Houses:

First House: You embody the Piscean qualities of empathy, intuition, and spiritual depth. The Sun in Pisces in the first house challenges you to lead with compassion and sensitivity, but the deeper lesson is to develop a strong inner sense of self without being overwhelmed by the emotions of others. You are called to express your spiritual nature while maintaining personal boundaries.

Second House: Your approach to wealth and security is influenced by a desire to connect with something greater than material possessions. The Sun in Pisces here challenges you to redefine your values, focusing on spiritual and emotional wealth rather than material accumulation. The deeper lesson is to cultivate a sense of security that comes from inner peace and trust in the flow of life.

Third House: Communication and learning are infused with intuition and imagination. The Sun in Pisces in this house pushes you to express yourself creatively, often through storytelling or spiritual insight. The deeper calling is to use your voice to inspire and uplift others, sharing wisdom that transcends logic and touches the heart.

Fourth House: Your emotional foundation is rooted in spirituality and compassion. The Sun in Pisces in the fourth house challenges you to create a home environment that nurtures your soul and allows for spiritual growth. The lesson is to find emotional security through inner peace and connection to the divine, rather than relying solely on external stability.

Fifth House: Creativity and self-expression are deeply intuitive and imaginative. The Sun in Pisces in this house urges you to express yourself through artistic or spiritual channels, embracing your inner world. The deeper challenge is to let go of perfectionism and allow your creative energy to flow freely, trusting in the process rather than focusing on the outcome.

Sixth House: You approach work and service with compassion and a desire to help others. The Sun in Pisces in the sixth house challenges you to find meaning in your daily routines by aligning them with your spiritual values. The deeper lesson is to balance your desire to serve with self-care, ensuring that your work contributes to both your own well-being and that of others.

Seventh House: Relationships are approached with empathy, compassion, and spiritual understanding. The Sun in Pisces in this house challenges you to create partnerships that are based on mutual emotional and spiritual growth. The deeper lesson is to balance your need for connection with your inner spiritual journey, ensuring that relationships support your higher purpose.

Eighth House: You are drawn to the mysteries of life, and your approach to transformation is deeply spiritual. The Sun in Pisces in the eighth house challenges you to embrace change and transformation as part of your spiritual evolution. The lesson is to release attachments to control and trust in the process of life, allowing yourself to surrender to deeper truths and emotional healing.

Ninth House: Your search for higher knowledge and truth is infused with a spiritual and intuitive approach. The Sun in Pisces here pushes you to explore different spiritual philosophies and to seek meaning beyond the material world. The deeper calling is to integrate these insights into your life and share them with others, using your wisdom to inspire and guide.

Tenth House: Your career and public life are guided by your desire to contribute to something greater than yourself. The Sun in Pisces in the tenth house challenges you to align your professional life with your spiritual purpose, using your career as a platform for compassion, healing, and creativity. The deeper lesson is to lead with humility and empathy, creating a legacy that reflects your spiritual values.

Eleventh House: Your social circles and long-term goals are influenced by your vision for a compassionate and connected world. The Sun in Pisces here challenges you to contribute to causes that uplift humanity and promote healing. The deeper lesson is to align your personal dreams with the collective good, ensuring that your influence brings positive change and spiritual progress to your community.

Twelfth House: The Sun in Pisces in the twelfth house draws your focus inward, emphasizing the need for spiritual reflection, healing, and connection to the divine. You are called to explore the hidden realms of your subconscious, surrendering to the flow of life. The deeper lesson is about finding peace in solitude, using your spiritual insights to guide yourself and others toward enlightenment and inner peace.

Masterlist - YouTube (subliminals)

[chososcamgirl]

(SHE’S) JUST A PHASE CHAPTER SIXTEEN: maybe a phase?

masterlist

“Didn’t expect this many people to show up,” Megumi mumbled to the pink-haired boy beside him.

“I like it! It’s like our very own cult!” Yuji exclaimed; his eyes sparkling as he licked his lips in anticipation.

The raven rolled his eyes at the remark. He wasn’t wrong though. With the turnout of the event, you could start a small religion. 

Fans gathered in eager clusters; their faces lit with anticipation as they waited for their moment with the band. Laughter echoed around him, a stark contrast to the knot of anxiety tightening in his chest. Megumi felt like a marionette, expertly performing his role while his heart remained tethered to unspoken thoughts.

“Megumi, can you finish the heart?” 

He suppresses a mental groan at yet another familiar request, but he obliges, nonetheless. 

That definitely must have been the hundredth one. With a practised smile, he lifts his hand, expertly completing the heart shape as the girl beams through the screen. The phone obscures her face, leaving him with only a sense of her enthusiasm.

Around him, the atmosphere of the fan meet-and-greet buzzes with energy. His bandmates are in their element, laughing and joking with fans, their easy conviviality filling the air with warmth. They engage with their admirers, sharing stories and creating moments that spark joy, their carefree spirits a stark contrast to his mood - enjoying themselves. 

Having fun.

As he stands there, a twinge of envy bubbles beneath the surface. Here he is, moping over a girl who seems not to want anything to do with him. Well, anything but his dick. While everyone else is immersed in genuine interaction, he can’t shake the feeling of being sidelined and lost in his thoughts while the world around him pulses with life and laughter.

why would i care?

His heart panging as he replayed the text message he had received days ago, each word lingering like a haunting refrain. Was it wrong to feel this way? To sense that everything he had shared was merely a facade, a carefully crafted performance for someone who never truly saw him. 

He couldn’t shake the unsettling realization that he felt like nothing more than a fleeting moment in her life—a one-night stand disguised as something deeper. The weight of this realization pressed down on him, an oppressive reminder that his emotions felt tossed aside as if he were just an afterthought in a narrative that didn’t include him. 

The feeling of being used gnawed at him, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. Every time he revisited that moment, a tight knot formed in his stomach, an ache that echoed his longing for something genuine. He craved a connection that resonated beyond the surface and spoke to his heart and soul rather than just his body. As the days passed, that yearning only deepened, leaving him in a cycle of doubt and self-reflection, questioning what it truly meant to be seen and valued.

Whatever. Fuck Yn. She can go fuck herself. I don’t fucking need her. Fuck her. Fuck her. Fuck her. Fuck her. Fuck-

“Oh my god! I’m such a huge fan!” The enthusiastic voice sliced through his thoughts, yanking him back to the chaotic reality of the event.

He quickly summoned his best faux smile, a mask he had perfected through countless encounters.

“Hey! Thank you so much, I really appreciate it,” he replied, glancing down at the array of items sliding his way to autograph—each one a reminder of the crushing expectations he felt.

The fan leaned in closer, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “I just have one question for you.”

“Shoot,” he said, keeping his voice steady, though a flicker of tension danced beneath the surface.

“Do you have a girlfriend?”

He chuckled at the unexpected question, shaking his head. “I do not.”

“Then who’s that girl you’re always with?” she asked, tilting her head curiously.

“Dunno who you’re talking about,” he said, trying to keep his composure as he continues signing.

“Yes, you do!” she insisted, her voice rising with excitement as she grips the edge of the table.

As she continued to speculate about this so-called girlfriend, Megumi felt something inside him unravel. Maybe it was the sting of her silence in their last conversation, the way she had left him on read, leaving him feeling a little shattered. Or perhaps it was the sheer exhaustion of the endless meet-and-greet, where each interaction felt like a rehearsed line in a play he no longer wished to perform. The walls felt as if they were closing in, the air thick with unspoken feelings and unresolved questions.

Something snapped.

“She’s not my girlfriend, she’s just some random bitch who sluts herself out and calls it fun.”

The words escaped him before he could rein them in.

A heavy silence settles between them; the fan was stunned into stillness by his choice of words — and profanity. His eyes dropped to the phone in her hands, and dread washed over him as he realises she was recording.

Fuck.

backstage!

• hey siri play she’s just a phase by puma blue

• cue the megumi fumble arc

• megumi crash out video: 2 minutes long

• poor gojo had a heart attack when he got that pop bae notification (he hates dealing with the press)

• he put on notifs ever since they posted a pic of him and suguru walking out of a hotel together hand in hand LMFAO

• yn was standing in one spot just furiously tapping at her phone and panda asked if she was playing fruit ninja

• he got sent to his room after that

• nobara saw the video first (mainly bc she was on twitter at the time. who’s surprised?)

• told yn to brace herself and showed her it

• yn made 7 hate accounts during the uber to sukuna’s

• that girl mad as hell😂😂🤣🤦‍♀️

• i hope they don’t hook up!!

• side eye dog meme

taglist: @shokosbunny @luvvmae @satoryaa @prozacprinc3ss @essjujutsu @therealsatorugojo @yeehawslap @gojodickbig @dawnisatotalqueen @j2upiters @nappingnai @lalalasillybilly3000 @totallytatum @3cst4syy @lysaray @saltypuffin1040 @aozui @noodles-icetea @makeshiftproject @kurtcobaingirlie @kokoiinuts @dashingaurries @slvttycorpse @cuupidsss @mochroialainn @tenjikusstuff4 @ichcocat @laughingfcx @sugurubabe @allthestarsarecloserrrrrrr @tyigerz @yoyo-yui @megoomies @yizmiu @jasminasblog22 @marst4rz @guitarstringed-scars @kalulakunundrum @lovefrominaya @beepbopzlorp @itsdragonius @meguemii @chilichopsticks @starantulas @1l-ynn @sluttkuna @rcveriees @solaqes @starrysho @sukunaspillow @evry1luvssm

*if i can't tag you please change your tag settings otherwise i will remove you from the list!

[wandaslovey]

okay so the sunday scaries just kicked in (it’s literally 10pm - so almost monday lol) but when i was spiraling and then trying to make myself feel better, an idea for a new wandanat series popped into my head..

you going in for an interview to be wandanat’s new executive assistant at their law firm cause you’re in desperate need for a job… but as natasha is interviewing you she realizes she’s much too attracted to you. i mean she’s like full on lusting after you. wanda’s also at work (but doing her own thing elsewhere in the office) so in the middle of the interview, natasha pauses the interview, calls wanda in and has her sit in on the interview. natasha gets you talking again and is side eyeing wanda periodically to see if she’s feeling the same way (basically just trying to see if she’s eye fucking you as much as she was) and when she realizes she is, all of a sudden both wanda and nat shift the narrative and start asking you more personal questions not pertaining to the job position at all. i mean…they need a new submissive after all. you’re exactly their type. long story short… they end the interview saying they’ll give you a call later about the position, except when they do, you’re surprised that when you do receive a call—just the next day—it’s to take you out for a coffee…not to offer you the job.

little do they know how utterly innocent you are. i mean sure, you’ve had small sexual encounters before, but you’ve never dabbled much in kinks.

both wanda and natasha become impossibly more eager, hoping you agree to be their submissive so they can mold and shape you into their perfect little plaything. they would be most honored to help you explore the world of bdsm and to figure out your interests, deepest desires and limits.

thoughts??? i might just go ahead and start a small sketch for the series

[felassan]

Dragon Age: The Veilguard info compilation Post 3

[Part 1] [Part 2] Post is under a cut due to length.

There is a lot of information coming out right now about DA:TV from many different sources. This post is just an effort to compile as much as I can in one place, in case that helps anyone. Sources for where the information came from have been included. Where I am linking to a social media user’s post, the person is either a dev, a Dragon Age community council member or other person who has had a sneak peek at and played the game. nb, this post is more of a ‘info that came out in snippets from articles and social media posts’ collection rather than a 'regurgitating the information on the official website or writing out what happened in the trailer/gameplay reveal’ post. The post is broken down into headings on various topics. A few points are repeated under multiple headings where relevant. Where I am speculating without a source, I have clearly demarcated this. if you notice any mistakes in this post, please tell me.

Character Creation

All armor and clothing options will scale and mesh to any body type [source]

The character creator has lots of sliders for body parts and overall shape, none of which are tied to the voice or pronouns (she/her, he/him, or they/them) that you choose [source]

"Epler took special care to show off the extensive curly and textured hair options in the game, including several versions of braids and locs, noting that increasing these options in particular was very important to the team" [source]

You can change your character’s physical appearance at any time during the game, but not their class or backstory [source]

"Each individual class has some variability, too; even the mage class has some up-close-and-personal attacks, since a mage player character could still conceivably have an assassin backstory and would therefore need to have some attacks to accommodate that sort of career path" [source]

" "We’ve spent a lot of time thinking about skin tone,” Corinne said. The character we made, a Black elf, seemed to glow in the bluish light of a nighttime scene, and under bright sunlight, I could see the richness of his color. Corinne: "We want to make sure that skin tone is reflected authentically" " [source]

" “We have dozens and dozens of hair types,” she said. “And they’re fully affected by physics.” The quality and variety of choices I saw delighted me. The rows of bouncy, luxurious-looking hair of all curl types and textures (and yes, the annoyingly ubiquitous “Killmonger cut” was among the options, what can you do?) brought the biggest smile to my face in the hour I spent with Busche and The Veilguard." [source]

Story and lore

NPCs will remember when you chuck a shopkeeper through a plate-glass window [source]

" The game’s story sees Solas intact a plot that will result in the deaths of thousands. When his justification that “people die, it’s what they do,” falls on deaf ears, you and your merry band of misfits have to stop him " [source]

" “Early in the demo and in the trailer, you’re in a part of the world you’ve never been in – Tevinter,” Epler tells me. “Tevinter is known for being a place of high magic; visually, it’s different. Obviously in Origins you’re in Ferelden, which was grubby, muddy, and very visually different and distinct. That said, it’s the first hour of the game, so we’re only seeing the prologue. As you go deeper, you’ll find that the game can be just as bloody and just as grim as Dragon Age Origins, 2, and Inquisition. For us, it’s that feeling of contrast. You get moments of higher fantasy magic coming back to the world through Solas’ ritual, but also things get pretty grim, and things get pretty dark in some spaces for sure.” " [source]

"Snappy dialogue" [source]

The game is really about each of the companions [source]

Narrative narrative narrative! [source]

The Shadow Dragons are an underground resistance that engages in guerrilla warfare against the corrupt mage rulers of the Tevinter Imperium [source]

"Varric has created the group called the Veilguards, recruiting a veritable group of weirdos to pursue Solas, who’s carved a path through the magical empire of Tevinter" [source]

"There’s intrigue to the game’s tale already, with Varric hoping he can convince Solas to stop his plan of tearing open the Veil: a wish by the dwarf to save a dear friend. There’s a fascinating relationship that's already being set up, Varric and Solas as opposing narrative forces, with your character, Rook, pulled between them" [source]

"There’s extra context to flesh out dialogue, with short descriptions that help give a vague idea of how things play out. The example we were shown was Rook trying to take down a gang leader inside a bar. We could choose to defuse the situation with either words or weapons, but the catch is you don’t know how effective those approaches will be" [source]

" Busche explained that the team wanted to give players a game where locations were imbued with just as much personality as the characters. “That meant making contrast from the areas that are dark and decaying to the areas that are illuminated with magic,” Busche said " [source]

" “This is a part of the world where magic has been embraced,” Busche said. “It is a society of mages and magic in this world is inherently colorful. So whether we’re seeing them use magic for everyday purposes like signage or using them as spells, that color really comes through.” " [source]

We will visit the Necropolis of Nevarra [source]

Gameplay, presentation, performance etc

There are dozens of abilities and spells [source]

The game has an easy mode [source]

There is a setting where your character can't die in battle [source]

"The Rogue class in our demo had a bow with recharging arrows for ranged attacks, and dual blades that could unleash a furious flurry of instantaneous blows" [source]

[☕ found this post or blog interesting or useful? my ko-fi is here if you feel inclined. thank you 🙏]

[inthedayswhenlandswerefew]

Cannibals [Chapter 4: Foxes and Sailfish]

Series summary: You are his sister, his lover, his betrothed despite everyone else’s protests; you have always belonged to Aemond and believe you always will. But on the night he returns from Storm’s End with horrifying news, the trajectories of your lives are irrevocably changed. Will the war of succession make your bond permanent, or destroy the twisted and fanatical love you share?

Chapter warnings: Language, sexual content (18+ readers only), awkward interactions on a boat, making friends in the Vale, references to war-related violence, Aemond flashbacks haunt the narrative, Red and Jace share an exciting new experience!

Word count: 5.8k

❤️ All my writing can be found HERE! 💙

Tagging: @themoonofthesun @chattylurker @moonfllowerr @ecstaticactus @mrs-starkgaryen, more in comments 🥰

🦇 Let me know if you’d like to be added to the taglist 🦇

The fireplace crackles, there’s smoke in the air. The shards of seashells take shape on the board as you affix them with paste made of boiled bones, unloved bodies you’ve scavenged: rabbits, foxes, deer, weasels, squirrels, snakes, turtles, birds. Sometimes Criston will find you searching for carcasses in the garden or the Godswood—a basket full of skulls and ribs, hands covered with dirt—and beg you to go back to Maegor’s Holdfast where you belong. He says: Please, princess, let me do that for you. I’ll bring you all the bones you need. This is too grisly a task for young ladies. And then, when you try to refuse him: Red, it hurts your mother when you’re like this. And so you accept his offer and surrender your basket, knowing that being the daughter Mother wishes you were will always require pretending.

Aemond is in bed, freshly rid of his left eye and floating in a silent, pearlescent lake of milk of the poppy. He is unconscious for now, but he can only have a dose every six hours, and when it begins to wear off he becomes feverish and fearful. You can’t leave him. Aemond is a year older than you, always just a little bit wiser, always quicker and steadier on his feet; you have never known a world without him in it. But now he is the one who needs you. This is a strange feeling.

Mother, Criston, Helaena, and Maester Orwyle are always gliding in and out of the room—whispering, grim-faced ghosts—but at the moment you are alone with Aemond. A shadow appears in the doorway. It’s Aegon, and his face is marred too: there’s a bruise on his cheekbone from where someone hit him, Grandsire or Mother. He is slumped against the doorframe with a goblet of wine in his hand. He takes a slurp and uses his cup to gesture to where Aemond is sleeping. It’s a question.

“He’s alright, Aegon,” you say. “He’s resting. He’s healing.”

He licks his lips and skims his fingerprint around the rim of the goblet, pensive. “I wasn’t there.”

“None of us were.”

“Does he blame me for what happened?”

“He hasn’t said anything.”

“But you would know if he felt it.”

Would I? Sometimes you don’t believe you know Aemond as well as they imagine you do. There have always been things he doesn’t tell you. You didn’t know he was planning to claim Vhagar. He is unpredictable, he is a deep reservoir of secrets; he taunts you, he guards you, he ignores you, he comes rushing back. You say to Aegon: “I don’t think he blames you.”

Aegon exhales, drunken exhausted relief. “Good.”

Beneath blankets that Helaena has embroidered with legends from the Age of Heroes, Aemond stirs. His remaining eye—glazed, drugged, an empty anemic blue—flutters opens and drifts to you. “Now we know why you don’t have a dragon,” he says, weak and raspy. “The price has gone up. They cost an eye each.”

You paint a sliver of a cerulean-colored shell with glue. “I’d pay that if I knew it would work.”

Aemond asks, as if it has been weighing on him: “Do I horrify you?”

You smile softly. “No more than you did before.”

From where he still loiters in the doorway nursing his wine, Aegon snickers. Aemond grins, then winces from the pain it causes him. “What are you making?”

“It’s Symeon Star-Eyes,” you say, tilting up the mosaic so he can see it better. “You read us that story, remember? He was a knight who used a staff with blades at both ends to cut down his enemies. He was blinded in combat, so he replaced his eyes with sapphires.”

“Sapphires,” Aemond mumbles drowsily.

“Yes.”

“Blue.”

“Like you,” you say, thinking of his game piece: the blue wolf, a mournful color, a beast that kills.

“Hm,” he murmurs to himself as he sinks back into sleep; and it’s not until Aemond’s wound has healed that you learn of the idea you’ve given him.

~~~~~~~~~~

Vermax is not an especially imposing dragon, a drab sort of green and smaller than Sunfyre, but he is frightening enough when he bares his teeth. He snarls and snaps at you, unloosed fire roiling up in his throat. You stand perhaps ten paces away from him, flinching away from the heat that refracts the air and puts ripples in it like disturbed water. Jace is attempting to soothe Vermax, a palm pressed to the beast’s scales. Rhaenyra and Daemon are watching, confounded.

“Mother wasn’t exaggerating,” you tell them. You are crestfallen; this is a humiliation. You have silver hair and undisputed parentage, and yet Jace is the one whose egg hatched. So who is the true Targaryen?

“Very, very peculiar,” Daemon muses, scratching his chin. He turns to Rhaenyra. “Make her get closer, let’s see what happens.”

“Daemon,” Rhaenyra says impatiently. In the light of day, you can observe her face more clearly. There are dark semicircles under her eyes, and lines that didn’t exist before Luke was killed. She is ten years closer to the grave than she was the night her father died.

You cannot see the riots from where you’re standing in the castle courtyard, but you can hear them, the ambient rumbling of people rejecting Rhaenyra’s rule. They decry the slaughter of Jaehaerys. They shout demands of proof that the imprisoned Greens are alive and well: Mother, Helaena, Jaehaera, Maelor, you. Fear of Rhaenyra’s soldiers and her dragons may delay their wrath, but you don’t believe she can quell it. High overhead, Sheepstealer sails past the Red Keep, casting a massive shadow. Rhaenyra’s frown deepens. Daemon pretends not to notice.

“Very well,” Rhaenyra sighs, summoning Jace to return to her and abandon his attempts to quiet Vermax. Dutifully—though perhaps not without resentment—he acquiesces. Vermax is still growling at you. You glower back, wishing that Vhagar was here to eat him. “There are other ways to get to Heart’s Home. A ship will take longer, ten days or two weeks depending on the wind. The journey should be safe. The Sea Snake’s blockade controls Blackwater Bay, and the Greens have no navy.” Rhaenyra looks to you. “That’s still correct, isn’t it? The usurper was refused by the Greyjoys?”

“I don’t know,” you lie.

She gives you a disapproving glare and then turns her attention back to Jace. “Alyn of Hull can take you to the Vale in his ship. I’m sure Corlys can manage without him for a matter as important as this. I’ve sent a raven ahead to the Corbrays. They’ll be expecting you, and you’ll be married upon your arrival, with Lord and Lady Corbray serving as witnesses. You have until then to get accustomed to each other.”

Jace begins to mutter a protest, low enough that you can’t hear. Rhaenyra shushes him. Vermax takes flight and soars out towards the ocean. You step closer to the castle wall and listen to the clamor of the crowds, willing them to rise up and free your family, to destroy Rhaenyra’s. Daemon stalks you around the courtyard, unsheathing Dark Sister and whistling so you know how near he is. You refuse to acknowledge him.

Rhaenyra is telling Jace: “When the war is won, the Greens’ surviving loyalists will accept you as my heir if you are married to her and father her children.”

“What about Aegon? What if Aemond and Criston manage to smuggle him into hiding somewhere, and then one day he reappears and—?”

“Aegon won’t live,” Rhaenyra says confidently. “From what we’ve heard, his burns must be dreadful. He will succumb to them, hopefully slowly and with great pain, and in the meantime Aemond and Vhagar will be pinned down in the eastern Crownlands tending to him. And even once Aemond is unincumbered, he will not want to fly into battle against Caraxes and Sheepstealer together. Vhagar is fearsome, but she is old and slow. Aemond is cunning. He knows this.”

“You told Alicent we’d pardon him,” Jace says, and his tone is accusatory. How could you? How dare you?

“I said I’d spare him if he’s still alive when the war is over,” Rhaenyra replies with a sharp glance. “So let’s make sure he isn’t.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Dinner is sailfish, which you’ve never eaten before. All afternoon you saw them zipping through the water as Alyn of Hull’s ship cruised out of King’s Landing and towards the Gullet, their sapphire dorsal fins cutting up through the surf. Then the crew caught some and hauled them up onto the deck—large bulging eyes, toothless mouths agape as they suffocated in open air—and you watched as the fish were gutted and their scales and organs scrubbed from the planks with seawater that turned rosy with blood. Refuse washed back into the ocean: bones, fins, disembodied eyeballs dragging tails of optic nerves.

Alyn is a bastard of Corlys Velaryon, you’ve gathered; he is young to have been entrusted with his own vessel, and the resemblance is undeniable. He is chivalrous but very strict. You are not permitted in the room where several caged ravens are kept in case Alyn has to send a message back to the capital. You are not permitted to stand too close to the ship’s railing. You are not permitted to handle anything that could be used as a weapon. You are not permitted to converse with the crew. In truth, you are allowed to do almost nothing.

Now you are below deck, you and Jace seated at opposite ends of a long wooden table and alone except for two guards posted by the door. Tall white candles flicker, wobbling in their brass stands as the ship rocks. You drink too much wine and pick at your sailfish, pinkish lumps of meat seasoned with garlic and lemon juice. Jace pushes roasted parsnips and green beans around aimlessly on his plate. You can’t stop thinking of the family you’ve left behind: Mother and Helaena in a dungeon, Jaehaera and Maelor taken hostage by Rhaenyra, Daeron at war in the Reach, Aegon horrifically burned, Aemond and Criston battling to save him.

I shouldn’t be safe while they’re suffering. It’s wrong, it’s treasonous. I’m the least worthy of us. I’ve done nothing to help us win this war. I haven’t saved anyone.

You keep hoping for a vision of what Aemond is doing, what he is feeling, but you’ve never had any control over the glimpses you get into his mind. They are random, and brief, and fragmented. You don’t know if Aegon is still alive. You don’t know if Aemond is thinking of you.

“So that’s why you don’t have a dragon,” Jace says suddenly, and you look up at him, startled. He’s staring at you from beneath the dark curls that have fallen over his face, the mark of House Strong. He’s not entirely unappealing, if you don’t judge him as a Valyrian, an enemy combatant, a traitor. You can’t tell if Jace is being smug or sincere; you barely know him. “Because they hate you.”

Mother’s words resurface in your skull like sailfish dredged up from the waves: If you care for Aemond, as I know you do, you will give him a chance if he and Criston cannot win on the battlefield. You will earn Jace’s affection and convince him to spare us.

You aren’t sure how to earn anybody’s affection. With everyone you’ve known before you either had it or you didn’t, and that never seemed like something you could change.

“It’s not for lack of trying,” you say, fidgeting uneasily with your wine cup. “I tried to claim Vermithor when I was a child. He nearly killed me.”

Jace’s dark eyebrows go up. “Did he? On Dragonstone?”

You nod. “Grandsire arranged for us to visit the island while your family was travelling elsewhere. Driftmark, maybe, I don’t remember. I had always wanted Vermithor, and I felt…I knew that if I found him he would bond to me and let me ride him. I followed him all over Dragonstone for days, but he kept moving, and then…when I finally got close enough…” You’d outrun Criston and the other guards, but Aemond had been there to pull you out of the path of Vermithor’s flames; yet you don’t think Jace will want to hear this. It feels impossible to extricate Aemond from your memories. You’ve never known a life he was not intrinsically entwined with. “The Bronze Fury made his discontentment clear.”

Jace narrows his eyes and gives you an ironic smile, as if he’s thinking: Too bad you lived. “So you gave up.”

“Oh no, I tormented the others too. Silverwing, Grey Ghost, Seasmoke, none of them were very welcoming. I don’t recall Sheepstealer being there at the time…maybe he was feeding elsewhere in the Crownlands. I’d know if I’d seen him before, I think.”

“Sheepstealer is very…unique in appearance.”

You smile at the memory of Grandsire calling him hideous, then go somber when you remember he’s dead. “Grey Ghost was sweet, though. He didn’t attempt to burn me, he just flew away.”

“You’ve tried all of those dragons?” Now Jace seems genuinely intrigued. “Just…one after the other?”

You shrug and swig your wine. Jace gives you a disapproving glance; you put the cup down and begin eating instead. “I wanted a beast for myself. Everyone else had theirs, it seemed inevitable that I would find mine if I searched long enough. I even approached the Cannibal.”

“The Cannibal.” Jace shakes his head and forks sailfish into his mouth; it’s the first bite he’s taken tonight. “You were desperate. Or stupid.”

You smirk. “Or both.”

“What color are his flames? Green, like his eyes?”

“No,” you say softly, remembering the massive black dragon covered in spines like the stalagmites of a cave. “No, the Cannibal’s dragonfire is red.”

“Do you think yourself to be…” Jace gestures vaguely with his fork. “Lacking in some way? Less capable than Helaena or your brothers?”

This is a rude question. “It doesn’t matter what I think. I must be inadequate, or I would have a dragon.”

Jace seems to contemplate this as he eats.

“Why do you ask?” you provoke him, before recalling you’re supposed to be winning his affection, if such a thing is possible, and you very much doubt it. “Are you concerned I’ll pass this fault on to my children?”

“Well, it’s an interest of mine,” Jace says. “Locating dragonriders. What makes someone alluring to the beasts, as well as what doesn’t. This war will be won by dragons, I’m sure each side aspires to have more of them.”

You study him, taking nibbles of your sailfish. Recruiting dragonriders outside of the immediate family is not something Aemond would ever consider; he would not trust them, he would view them as supplanters of the natural order. But a bastard himself… “Was it your idea to find someone to ride Sheepstealer?”

Jace grins, cagey and teasing. He spears green beans with his fork. “I’m not going to tell you that.”

Because I can’t be trusted with the Blacks’ strategies. Just with birthing their heirs. “I didn’t know you had ideas.”

“Yes, well, Mother and Daemon try very hard not to notice them.” He points to your braid with his knife. “Do you wear your hair like that because of Visenya?”

You touch it self-consciously. You’re surprised he noticed. “Yes.”

“She married her brother,” Jace says, and this sounds like an accusation.

“She was also fearless, and dangerous, and she had a dragon.”

“Unlike you.”

“Right.”

Jace chuckles to himself. Now he is certainly being smug. Somewhere out in the night, Vermax is trailing the ship and will reunite with Jace once you’ve docked at Heart’s Home. You keep listening for Vhagar, imagining that Aemond will sense it as you sail near where he and Criston are tending to Aegon at Rook’s Rest, and he will fly to you and torch this ship and bring you home like he’s always promised. But perhaps Aemond is forgetting you. Perhaps he resents that you cannot help him win the war; perhaps he is beginning to hate you. Oblivious, Jace eats his sailfish.

“I had a bat named Sailfish,” you say.

Jace is puzzled. “A bat? Like…?” He makes flapping motions with his hands.

You smile and nod. “I kept bats.”

“Why?”

“Because I enjoyed them,” you say, and again you must stop yourself from mentioning Aemond. He cared for them because I did. “They horrified most people, but the children thought they were adorable. I’d teach them how to hold the bats and feed them bugs and fruit, and Jaehaerys couldn’t stop laughing when they licked honey off his fingers…” Then you shudder and go quiet, because you cannot think of Jaehaerys without seeing his hemorrhaging, headless body in Aegon’s arms.

Jace frowns down at the table. The wooden beams of the ship groan; the candlelight flickers. “Just as Mother and Daemon do not often heed my suggestions,” he says carefully after a while. “They do not share many of their plans with me. I knew nothing of what my stepfather arranged to happen that night. And if I had known, I would not have allowed it.”

I don’t believe you can control Daemon at all, you think. But instead you reply hoarsely: “I’m glad you recognize it for the atrocity that it was.”

“I know I’ve spoken harshly in the past. But if you are truly to be my wife, I wish for us to be in harmony as much as possible. I hope you feel the same way.”

“I do.” You don’t have much of a choice. How can you sleep with a man who hates you, who you hate in equal measure? “And Jace…I didn’t know what was going to happen to Luke or Baela. I had no part in either of their deaths.”

“I can’t…” His voice breaks; he swipes at his dark glistening eyes, like flecks of onyx. “I can’t talk about them.”

You are alarmed. “Jace—”

“Goodnight,” he says as he leaves, already halfway across the room.

~~~~~~~~~~

The first time you’re together—at your vanity, late for dinner—Aemond doesn’t try to put his fingers inside you, and he doesn’t the second time either, or the third, or even the fourth. And this is just fine as far as you’re concerned, because the way Mother has mentioned the duty of a wife implies that there is a great deal of sacrifice involved for the woman, discomfort, pain, even harm, and what you have with Aemond—despite its many peculiarities—has never been painful, and you don’t want to ruin it. You don’t want to find out what other women mean when they talk about boredom and dread and blood.

Then one day you are in the garden, and you and Helaena are trying to teach the children how to play the game with the animal pieces, but they must not be quite old enough because they won’t listen. Jaehaera pokes Jaehaerys with Helaena’s yellow butterfly, Maelor chomps indifferently on Daeron’s purple shadowcat. You and Helaena laugh and give up the attempt as maids swoop in to corral the children.

“We’ll try again in a few months,” you say. “Perhaps they’ll be more tame by then.”

Helaena begins to gather up the game pieces. “We should ask Aegon to carve new animals for the children. Jaehaerys likes seals…” Then her hands go still and she stares at someone who’s standing behind you.

Before you can turn, Aemond leans down to where you’re kneeling on the cobblestones, grabs your braid, and wraps it around his fist. “Follow me,” he whispers into your ear.

“Why? Where?”

“Follow me,” he says again, more forcefully now. “I’m not asking.” Then he releases you with a rough shove and walks away.

You rise from the cobblestones and go after him, weaving through the paths of the garden, fountains trickling and flowers blooming and bees droning in the air. Aemond glances back to make sure you’re in pursuit, then disappears into an arbor grown over with roses, a tunnel of red blossoms and snagging thorns. Aemond sits on a stone bench that is draped in shadows and hidden from view; no one will see you unless they enter the tunnel. You can hear the distant sound of the ocean waves, and gulls and bluejays and the red-tailed hawks the noblemen hunt with. You take a seat beside Aemond, and immediately he lifts your legs so they rest across his lap, reaches beneath the hem of your maroon gown with his right hand, skims his way up the inside of your thigh as you pretend to fight him, all the while smiling and needing him closer, all your blood and muscles screaming for him, your bones aching like fractures that must be set.

“Look at me,” Aemond commands, catching your jaw in his left hand and holding you still, the transparent blue of his eye fixed on your face, where he reads every line and movement like a dead language, like the High Valyrian almost no one left can understand. “I want to know if I’m hurting you.”

Beneath your gown, his fingers are stroking you, waiting for you to be wet and relaxed enough, parting your lips.

“Are you afraid?” Aemond asks.

“No.” Maybe you should be, but you aren’t.

There is an unfamiliar fullness, strange but not unpleasant, and then when Aemond’s fingers begin to move inside you, you moan softly and close your eyes, breaking the spell. He lets go of your jaw and his palm shifts to cradle the side of your face, to bring you in closer, to hold you against him. And now you know that when he finally takes you, as a husband does a wife, it will be painless; and it will never be something you warn your silver-haired children about with dark resignation in your voice.

“What if they won’t let us marry?” you whisper against the warmth of his throat, dreading this more than anything. You don’t know that Targaryens and their dragons will soon be dying. “What if they send me away to wed some lord in the Reach or the Westerlands or the Vale?”

“Then I’ll find you,” Aemond says. “And I’ll burn down his castle, and I’ll bring you home.”

“You’re a monster,” you purr; but there’s a grin on your lips as he kisses you, something scalding and primordial like magma flowing beneath the earth.

~~~~~~~~~~

Heart’s Home is a small grey castle in a vast grey world, the shadows of mountains filling the horizon, the sky overcast and bleak and the air tasting like metal. The last time you were in the Vale was as a girl, when Aemond pushed you into a frigid stream and you caught a chill that almost killed you, and he never apologized but he slept on your floor like a dog so he could be there to climb into bed and hold you when you shivered, and surely that is a greater sort of repentance than two vanishingly small words that anyone could say and perhaps not even mean.

You and Jace disembark from Alyn of Hull’s ship on the banks of where an inland river meets the saltwater of the Narrow Sea. Outside the castle walls, Heart’s Home has a stable and a sizable field, surely green and fertile in the summer, that is surrounded on three sides by a thick forest of coniferous trees. Cawing ravens perch on the branches; a hunting party emerges from the pines accompanied by braying hounds and carrying corpses of foxes to be skinned. You are greeted warmly by Lord Leowyn Corbray—who is tall and ancient, over seventy years old—and his wife Lady Carolei, around fifty and very round, with dark hair and pale skin that the harsh mountain wind rubs pink. While her husband fawns over Jace—“We were so honored by the queen’s request,” “We will ensure that your every need is attended to, Prince Jacaerys”—Lady Carolei Corbray watches you with an amused little smile, as if there are many questions she is impatient to ask you. Then you and your betrothed are ushered into the castle and served mutton pie full of gravy and vegetables, dark bread slathered with butter, blackberry oatcakes for dessert. You drink too much wine, because you know what will happen next. Jace does not reprove you this time; he’s drinking a good amount of ale himself.

The people of the Vale worship the Seven, and for all you know Jace does too, because there is no mention of a Valyrian wedding with fire and blood. Instead you exchange your vows in a tiny sept with plain glass windows and cold slate stones. A weathered, bony septon presides over the ceremony, and Lord Corbray stands in for your dead father. Even if Viserys was still alive, he wouldn’t feel like much less of a stranger. You are covered with a maiden’s cloak of your house—Lady Corbray announces proudly that it was sewn especially for this occasion—but it’s wrong, because they’ve used the old black and red sigil of House Targaryen rather than Aegon’s banner, a golden dragon on a green background. But you suppose it’s fitting because Jace’s cloak isn’t right either, as it depicts the seahorse of House Velaryon rather than the tri-colored flag of House Strong.

At the septon’s direction, Lord Corbray removes your cloak from your shoulders and Jace covers you with his own. And once you’ve exchanged the requisite words and Jace kisses you—him swift and uneasy, you trying not to flinch away—you realize that this is the first time you can remember him touching you. On the journey northward, Jace would sometimes find you pacing the ship’s deck and ask you silted, shallow questions: What kind of weather do you like best? What are your favorite desserts? Do you prefer swimming or horseback riding? What colors do you favor? Your nightly ritual was trying not to discuss your murdered relatives over dinner.

You are put to bed in a grand chamber at the top of one of the castle’s towers. There is a fireplace where logs snap and hiss, and a rug made of a shadowcat’s pelt; a chandelier of lit candles hangs from the ceiling. Through the window, you can see a silvery full moon obscured by clouds. You and Jace—freshly bathed and wearing loose, cotton nightclothes—wait in the quiet once your hosts have left, the blankets pulled up to your waists. All the bedlinens are white, you realize; you don’t think this is by accident.

They want to know if I’m truly a maiden. They want to know if I bleed.

You have no idea if you will or not. Nothing that Aemond has ever done to you has resulted in blood.

I don’t want it to hurt, you think with abrupt panic. You look around for a jar of oil, olive or rose or peppermint, something to help him enter you. You open the drawers of your nightstand and are disappointed to find them empty.

“What are you doing?” Jace asks.

“Nothing.” You can’t explain without revealing you know more than a virgin should.

Jace turns to you. “You really haven’t done this before?”

Your nervousness must be evident. Surely no whore who had already been defiled by her monstrous brother would be sitting here wringing her trembling hands. “No.”

“Okay.” Jace takes a deep breath. He seems resolved to be brave for both of you; that is a husband’s burden, after all. “I haven’t either.”

“But you’ve…I mean, you’re a man, it’s different for you. You have experience of some sort, I assume…?” With Baela? With anyone?

Jace blushes and can’t meet your eyes. “I’m not above temptation. We kissed a few times.”

This is not reassuring. “Do you think you’ll be able to…? With me?” The daughter and sister of enemies?

He nods and smiles faintly. “Oh yeah, I think it’ll all work as it should.” Then he looks at you, dark eyes, dark curls, not ugly but not who you’ve ever imagined you would give yourself to. His gaze settles on your braid. “Here,” he says, and then he gently begins to unravel it.

You aren’t sure what to do. You’re not going to hit Jace, or fight him, or shove him or grab him or scratch him, and so you don’t know where you should put your hands. Once your hair is loose, you sink down to the soft feather mattress until you are lying flat on your back. Jace yanks off his shirt and tosses it to the floor, then he leans towards you, gesturing to your nightgown.

“Is it okay if I…?”

“Sure,” you say, and help him pull it off you. Even beneath the blankets, your bare skin feels the chill of the night air, and with the apprehension and fear there is something else too, a longing, a craving that has gone unsatiated. It’s crude to think, but it’s true: you’re used to being fed, and you haven’t been since Aemond went away.

Unexpectedly, Jace’s eyes don’t go to your breasts or lower; instead, they catch on the scar that cuts down from your left collarbone. He touches it with careful, weightless fingerprints. His voice is tender. “What happened here?”

“An assassin’s blade,” you say. “The night Jaehaerys died.”

“I’m sorry,” he whispers. Here—in bed, in the firelight—he is not Rhaenyra’s eldest son and someone you are supposed to hate, someone who is a threat to your life, someone who once played a part in Aemond losing his eye. Here Jace is just a man, and you are naked, and beneath the blankets he is taking off his cotton trousers and then positioning himself between your legs. You are a little wet already, you can feel it, but you know you need more, you know he needs to make you ready with his fingers and his mouth, but Jace isn’t aware of this and you can’t tell him.

You gasp as he starts to push himself inside you, overwhelming burning pressure. “Jace, I’m afraid.”

He stops and looks down at you with seeking, sympathetic eyes. His skin is flushed, his breathing quick. If you could read his face, you’d think it says: What do you want me to do? I’ll do anything. “We can stop.”

“No, just…just please go slowly, okay? Please don’t hurt me.” No more than you have to.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” he murmurs, and then—perhaps because he doesn’t know what else to do—he kisses you, and at first it is formal and unnatural like it was in the sept, but then Jace’s lips begin to move with yours and the kiss glows warm like embers. Your fingers go to his hair—not a Targaryen’s, a Strong’s—and tangle in his curls. His hands explore your breasts, grazing and circling your nipples with his fingertips. You wrap your legs around Jace as his tongue darts into your mouth, wanting this, maybe even wanting him.

Jace thrusts into you, and there is a moment of blinding pain that makes you cry out; and for everything that has been said about Aemond—a monster, a murderer, violent and arrogant and wicked—nothing he has ever done to you has hurt like this. Immediately, Jace moves to pull away, but you stop him. “Don’t.”

He shakes his head. “But you’re hurt—”

You hold his face in your hands to make him listen. “I’m alright, I promise. Just wait here, just give me a moment.”

“Okay,” Jace sighs into your throat that’s damp with perspiration. He kisses you there, tasting your salt, fear that has turned to lust. “Okay, okay…”

Already the pain is fading, and your muscles are relaxing, and you are slick with wetness to ease the razored friction. And it’s nothing like the way Aemond knew how to touch you—you are nowhere near a climax—but still, there is something pleasurable about it, there is something nice about being tangled up with a man this way again.

“Go on,” you tell Jace; and he rests his forehead against yours as he thrusts into you, very slowly, and he’s shaking all over, and between breathless kisses he is moaning, in shock that a feeling this good exists, in mindless ecstasy, and then he spills himself inside you and collapses onto your chest, still kissing you, thanking you, asking if you’re alright. Before you can answer, he throws back the blankets and examines the sheets. When you look down, you can see that between your legs is a stain of pale pink, a miniscule amount of blood.

Is that all? you think, relieved. It wasn’t so bad. It wasn’t so good either, but it was tolerable. And it will get better.

“No, no, no,” Jace murmurs, kissing the inside of your thigh. He is distressed, he is repentant. “I wounded you. I’m so sorry.”

“I’ll be alright, Jace,” you say, rather amused.

He crawls back to you and lies down beside you on the bed. He is struggling to keep his eyes open. “You weren’t lying. You’ve never done that before.”

“No.”

“I won’t hurt you again.” He kisses your cheek. “My wife. My princess.” And then he rests his head on his pillow and within a minute he is snoring softly.

“My prince,” you whisper, trying it out. It doesn’t feel right yet, but maybe one day it will. You have to clean yourself off; Jace doesn’t know this about women, but you do. You climb out of bed, and Jace stirs as you leave.

“I love you,” he says, like it’s a reflex he’s repeated a thousand times, like it takes no thought at all. You stare bewildered at him. Jace’s eyes are still closed. And you think of Aemond—suddenly, with great clarity, as Jace sleeps in your shared bed—and you will yourself to be able to see where is and what he’s thinking. But there is nothing: only silence and firelight and the full moon hovering in the overcast, indigo sky outside.

Is he thinking of me? Does he feel lost too?

You have the maids draw a hot bath and you wash it all away, the sweat and the blood and the wetness and Jace’s seed that might give you a child with the unruly dark hair of the Strongs, and still you cannot stop thinking of Aemond.

Did he love me then? Does he love me now?

Back in your bedchamber, you gaze into the flames of the fireplace and try to remember the sound of Aemond’s voice, but you can’t. It keeps bleeding into the words of other people: Aegon, Daeron, Maelor, Jace.

[grandwitchbird]

Dragon Age has been doing a really clever thing with its protagonists and the heroic power fantasy that only fully comes together when you look at the series as a whole, so let’s do another ramble. Under a cut to save your dash.

Origins is a traditional RPG power fantasy. It likes to tell you that it’s not by gesturing at Loghain and alluding to unreliable narratives, but what it shows is the power fantasy. No matter what your warden does, they’re the hero. Are you a casual genocide enthusiast? No problem you can still ride off into the sunset looking for a cure. Also hey you have a critical weakness/flaw (the calling) that kind of dooms you or gives you cause to vaguely ride of into the sunset. Very heroic indeed. There’s a layer of textual interest added by the presence of unreliable narratives, but ultimately it’s the hero’s choices that shape and determine the world and story, right down to very gamified relationships. The origins system itself, the fact that your warden could have been anyone, is the actual textual proof that this isn’t all that’s going on. It just only really gets paid off by later games, and that’s pretty important given where this franchise ended up.

—

Enter DA2. Hawke is a champion, not a hero. Hawke fights for those who can’t fight themselves. Hawke can’t save the world. They can’t even save their family or city. It’s a battle of attrition that sees them somehow worse off no matter what. The still-gamified but now more nuanced and challenging relationships become the focus because they’re really all Hawke has. Now the power fantasy is still lurking around the edges. It’s just challenged at every turn. You can free Kirkwall, but Anders is always going to blow up a church.

—

Which brings us to Inquisition. Somehow, you’re both as much of a nobody as Hawke and you’re responsible for more than the Warden. And it’s miserable. The power fantasy is constantly undermined. No matter who your inquisitor was, by the end of the game they’ve been completely subsumed by their role: turns out power has teeth.

In a move that delivers on the unreliable narrative throughline that Origins established and DA2 strengthened, the Inquisitor must play the hero and save the world. It doesn’t matter if your Inquisitor is a kind person doing their best or a racist power-hungry asshole, and that is now a systemic issue within the world itself. The erosion of your character’s personhood is explicit within the text as characters struggle to see you as more than your role and you’re asked to shape the faith of an entire world even if you don’t share that faith. The cost of this erosion is made incredibly literal with Ameridan’s story and then in Trespasser, where the anchor, both cause and symbol of the Inquisitor’s role and power, is killing them. Relationships become somewhat less gamified but more importantly, you’re given an explicit textual mirror in Solas. He’s there to reflect your behavior but also your loss of personhood to a role. It’s essential that he’s the one to save your life at the end of Trespasser. Even if you’ve never shown him a moment’s grace, here is your mirror to see you as a person one last time.

—

And then there’s Rook. Now we play a mirror to Solas, a character who has been the hero, Mythal’s champion, and a man subsumed by his role/s. He’s really the narrative gift that keeps giving.

We walk the dreadwolf’s path this time, and the dreadwolf is a classic tragic hero. He’s stuck in a story where he must save the world and where a critical flaw will always be his downfall. We’re Varric’s second who must step up to champion his cause after the events of the introduction. And we’re barely keeping ourselves together under the burden of leadership. And here is where Veilguard finally delivers everything this franchise ever promised. Because under all that we’re truly just some guy. Just like Solas is just a guy who got stuck in situations he never wanted. His response was to become the hero or play the villain (depending on the story) because that’s easier. But if Rook can truly choose the ‘hard truth’ that the world is never going to “stay fixed” (oh hi Inquisitor… and Hawke… and Warden) and that other people can have better ideas and make hard calls and their own choices? If we don’t have to ‘win’? Rook can reconcile the inevitable tragedies of this kind of story with their very human needs and escape the story altogether. The cost, of course, is the power fantasy.

[moetartart]

:*Trigger Warning for Abuse:** An analysis of the nuanced depiction of abuse dynamics in *Baldur's Gate 3*. Please skip if you’re uncomfortable with this topic or you hate long rants <3

**Cazador at the Head of the Table, and His Forced Family, with Astarion as the Scapegoat**

Cazador is one of the best-written abusers in fiction, and Astarion is one of the best depictions of a non perfect survivor. Showcasing how abusers systematically break down their victims in a way that is thoughtful and non-voyeuristic, and how this may effect the victim after.

Astarion often receives criticism for his behavior. Much if it valid. I don’t seek to excuse his actions or speak about him as if he were a real person, But to break down this amazingly written narrative and how his experiences shape his character and a depiction of a non perfect victim. It's great to see actions having consequences in the story and being the driving force in chatecter development and I think it was handled very respectfully

One of the most compelling aspects of Astarion's story is the depiction of the "scapegoat" abuse tactic. Where a caregiver selects one child as the primary target of ridicule and abuse. Astarion says, "He took a special pleasure in my pain. He said my screams sounded sweetest." Often, the scapegoat is the child who most reminds the abuser of themselves when they were most vulnerable, or has similarities to the abuser of the parent or even someone they witnessed being abused when they were a child. The abuser uses this child to demonstrate the consequences of disobedience, and as a way of bonding the other children against the scapegoat, often by forcing the other children to engage in abuse themselves. The parent will inflict the trauma they were exposed to when they were most vulnerable on their child in a twisted way to re-gain their own power and autonomy buy projecting it onto someone elses. Acting out scenarios where they felt weak but now they are the one with all the power.

Cazador's tactics of infantilization are particularly gut-wrenching. He calls Astarion a "stupid little boy" and forces him to call him "father," undermining his belief in his ability to make adult decisions on his own while simultaneously also forcing him into adult work and physical abuse. A way to break down his self esteem and take away his autonomy. This adds another level to Cazador's twisted, intimate abuse.

It's evident when you ask if Astarion called Cazador "master" in the bedroom, and he reacts negatively. It is also implied in the dialogue, "One final thrust... and I'll be rid of you..." as Astarion stands over Cazador, ready to stab him with a phalic symbol and Cazador in a submissive position.

In a Shadowheart playthrough, we see how Astarion seeks someone to follow because he doesn’t know how to think for himself. Auntie Ethel remarks that he misses his chains, and he admits he doesn't know how to make his own decisions. In Astarion's dream, you learn one of Cazador's rules is that Astarion must stay by his side unless told otherwise. We also see that Cazador regularly dined with Astarion, serving him putrid rats. He says "I have spent two centuries with You, and that should be punishment enough," which is quite an intimate insult. In non of these are the other spawn mentioned. He also mentions his sarcasm and jokes, something you wouldn't really think Cazador would permit. This suggesting an intense, twisted co-dependency. A lot of time spent alone together. As what? His child? His slave? His lover? It's sickening. Cazador seemed to want to fill every potential key roll in Astarions life. This is actually pretty common in adults relationships.

The extent of physical abuse is further revealed when Astarion sees the mad doctor in the House of Healing and remarks, "he's just like Cazador." The narrator says, "If you're late, he will flay you... again," and Astarion states, "Sometimes he would have us submit to torture. Other times he would have us torture ourselves."

So, why does Cazador do all this? Beyond sadistic pleasure and rituals off higher power, I believe it's driven by a fear of abandonment. His goal is to strip Astarion of any autonomy so he would return even if freed. When speaking to Cazador alone, he's convinced Astarion will come back because he cannot think for himself. Cazador wants to be the center of Astarion's life, and truly believes he is. A narcissist needing to see himself reflected in others, he required Astarion by his side to validate his awful existence. If Astarion leaves, Cazador feels he's losing an extension of himself. That Astarion is his and his alone to kill.

I also believe he genuinely wants to play house. That he wants a picture perfect family. We don't know much about Cazador before the game, only that he was from a vampire family. That his niece refused to partake. It's quite clear he felt like he was missing something in his family. We know his master committed acts of cruelty far beyond what he did to his own spawn, impaling him for ten years and draining his friend Infront of him. Surly a year of solitude is like being sent to your bedroom without supper compared to that? By Cazadors logic, he's far kinder than he was ever treated. He's been kinder and more loving than his own family. His children should be grateful that he protected them from what he went through. He believes his children are spoiled and if anything he has been to soft. After all, he gave thim his families birth right far above their station, eternal life. He gave them a family that will never abandon them. What more could they want?

And if course, we as plays see this cycle continues with AA, who says he will be a far kinder master he'd never make his dear lover eat rats. They wouldn't be his child, more a pampered pet. Compared to how Astarion was treated, what more could they want?

And how very true to live that an abuser will preach about how much worse they had things and how lucky their victims are. How soft they must be to complain.

This gives us a clear picture of Astarion at the start: someone with a fragile sense of self, preferring to see others tortured rather than be the one in the chair, and looking for someone to follow. He'll fake a smile to keep them around. While this doesn't excuse his cruelty, it explains it; Astarion is free for less than a day when you meet him. There are no perfect victims, and unlearning brainwashing takes time. Reducing Astarion to "evil" or "good" overlooks the complexity of a character who could become either an abuser or a liberator.

What I appreciate most is that Astarion's past doesn't vanish when Cazador dies; he still carries the scars, but in a positive playthrough, there is hope. Astarion has the chance to do better, starts making his own choices, and sometimes gets it wrong.

Crucially, the abuse is never voyeuristic. It is always shown from the survivor's perspective, focusing on its effects on their lives. It's always clear when a player choice disrespects his growth and autonomy. Cazador and Astarion are never framed to titillate or as a mind of grousome special to the viewer, unlike in shows like *13 Reasons Why* or Ramsey Bolton in *Game of Thrones*. The game handles the topic with a lot of care. Infact the only time we see Cazador in person is when we have the chance to stop him. We never see Astarion subjected to something we can alter in some way.

Also, we do hear of Astarions bravery in trying to defy his master and save people. Unfortunately as in the game and real life, people don't always have a choice. Still, in a good ending Astarion can choose to try and help others who have been hurt and use what he has learned to make real change.

The reasons why Cazador is the way he is are another rant entirely. But while I hate him as a person, I adore him as an antagonist. How can a character be written to be pathetic and terrifying at once?

**TL;DR:** *Baldur's Gate 3* presents a complex, nuanced abuse narrative, executed beautifully. Many people overlook or disregard Astarion as an excellent depiction of survival in my opinion.

[gallusrostromegalus]

Just wanted to say I’m enjoying all of the world building and snippets from AEIWAM - it’s clear how much fun you’re having and how much though you put into it. I’ve started rereading bleach because of that, though I always wind up stopping after the rescue rukia arc 😅. Maybe I’ll make it past that this time.

Eh, I gave up after My Blorbo was killed off in deeply narratively unsatisfying fashion, so you're not alone. Anyway, have some More AEIWAM Worldbulding Nonsense:

---

The Kuchiki-Yamada-11th Division Fucktangle

-

It started with Chigiri Shijima.

The first captain of the 4th Division, part of the original Dirty Dozen Yamamoto hired off of Death Row to fight the first Quincy Invasion, was an unassuming and chronically fatigued looking woman* with a profound sense of curiosity about the limits of The Flesh:

(from Kubo's sketches of the original 13) *Chigiri might be male in canon. I don't care

She became fast friends with the young Yachiru Unohana, who shared her fascination with the limits of the flesh, though from the opposite direction. Chigiri was the first person to show Unohana how to channel her Reiatsu to prefrom Kaido, and let her sit in on /Hold people's ribcages open during /do some of the surgical cuts for Chigiri's Field Surgery sessions, much to the horror of everyone else involved.

After the War, when the Captains had to shape up from a gang of mercenaries into a real governmental organization, Chigiri met and eventually married a Similarly-Sadistically-Curious young Dentist named Fumihiro Yamada. Longtime friend and frequent visitor to the hospital Unohana attended the 100-day ceremony of their first and subsequent six children, the start of a grand tradition- Unohana, under one name or another, has been present at the Okuizome of every Yamada born for the last millennium, and delivered most of them for the last 800-odd years.

The Yamadas are one of the most prolific Shinigami families, producing more Shinigami by percentage than any other clan, and have served in all divisions of the court Guard. Eighth Division Fifth Seat Suichi Yamada is the current highest ranked Yamada, but there have been four Captains Yamada. There's also a Seated Yamada in the third divison, and another in the 12th (though there's a popular rumor that 15th Seat Tosako Yamada isn't part of the 12th so much as a Spy to keep the 4th abreast of any important developments in medical science, rather than deal with Mayuri directly).

It is little wonder then that, despite the lack of noble standing, the Yamadas are one of the most highly regarded families in the Seireitei, and even less of a wonder that, every time the gene pool starts to get a little shallow, that the Noble Houses start looking at the latest generation for potential spouses.

The Kuchiki Clan in particular has intermarried heavily with the Yamadas, to the point that Byakuya Kuchiki is actually fourth-cousins to the infamous Former Fourth Division Lieutenant and Current Head of the Private Central Medical Institute in the Noble Quarter, Seinosuke Yamada:

(Description: A cool and handsome if somewhat menacing Wizard)

...and his less-famous younger brother, current 4th Division 7th seat Hanataro Yamada.

(Description: the most bully-able looking dweeb you've ever seen)

Due to the way the Kuchikis keep marrying daughters they won't legitimize for some goddamn reason to Yamada Sons, there's an argument to be made that the Kuchiki Clan is a Branch Clan of the Yamadas...

In fact, until Rukia was adopted into the Kuchiki Clan, if something had happened to Byakuya, Seinosuke was Byakuya's closest living relative in their generation and a reasonable argument could be made that he was the Hier-Apparent.

This, of course, would not do.

The thing is, Hanataro's shy and gentle demeanor is very unusual for a Yamada. The whole clan has a reputation for being Manic Sociopaths with dubious ethics and a tendency towards sadism. They make excellently competent officers, but not exactly 'friendly', like a terrible hybrid of a Border Collie and Cane Corso. Seinosuke himself is known to take great pleasure in bringing back patients that are actively begging for death.

There is a persistent rumor that this infamous disposition is at least partially due to the influence of Captain Unohana, who has been an active member of the Yamada household for the last millennium, presumably so they're very acclimated to her nonsense by the time she starts recruiting the prize ones for the 4th. She's delivered most of them and officiated the marriages of more than a few, and given the woman's patience in cultivating the Seireitei's Most Magnificent Flower and Vegetable Garden, it's suspected she's been cultivating the Yamada line as well.

Seinosuke was her lieutenant before the current Isane Koetetsu, and the bond between them was almost legendary. They would frequently not actually bother to finish sentences around each other, or communicate entirely by gesture because they were so familiar.

---

It was little wonder then, when Seinosuke's little brother also joined the 4th Division, though it wasn't exactly happily received news. People get jealous and see favoritism where there is none- Hanataro had entered the 4th on his own merits, and actually against his brother's recommendation.

Hanataro also had the strange fortune of entering the 4th the same week as the Tragic West 66 Incident in which several captains, lieutenants and nearly all of the 9th division's seated officers were killed by the machinations of (as was believed at the time) former captains Urahara, Shihouin and the head of the Kido Corps.

Three days after that, 11th Division Captain Kenpachi Kiganjo was struck down in a duel, and infamous barbarian Kenpachi Zaraki took over the 11th.

... So the day afterwards, when the lower officer in charge of assigning jobs to trainee medics saw that apparently this Zaraki bastard needed a complete medical checkup and every vaccine ever, he thought 'Well, let's see if Little Hanataro really did get in on his own merits. He's A Yamada after all, this should be a piece of cake for him-'

-and sent first-day-on-the-job Hanataro to the famously hostile 11th Division on his own.

---

"Um, Excuse me, Mister- I mean, Captain Zaraki?" Hanataro mumbled peering in the door of the captain's room at the nest of pillows and blankets that might contain his charge.

The 11th was deserted- not really a surprise, given the heavy casualties the 11th had suffered the week before. In fact, all 20 of the surviving members of the 11th were still recovering at the 4th, and Hanataro had wandered around looking for someone for a solid half hour until a little girl with neon pink hair had playfully tackled him to the ground and then, giggling, shown him to the Captain.

"KEEEEEEN-CHAAAAAAAN!!!" Miss Yachiru shouted, leaping into the nest and tackling her adopted guardian with similar glee. "Re-Chan sent one of her guys here for something!"

There was a low rattling noise of irritation that reminded Hanataro eerily of the family's temperamental rooster, but much, much larger. The nest of fabric shifted, arching up into an alarmingly tall shape, Yachiru balancing on top and scolding it for sleeping in so late, he's probably very busy-

A lithe but powerful arm longer than Hanataro was tall suddenly lurched out from the nest and slammed on the floor in front of where he was sitting, swinging the entire torso of 11th division captain Kenpachi Zaraki around and bringing Hanataro eye-to-fearsome-yellow-eye with the giant.

"...the fuck're you?" Zaraki grunted, blinking slowly at Hanataro, not entirely awake yet.

"I- I- I'm-" Hanataro sputtered, struggling to introduce himself when he noticed something peculiar- an extra bit of translucent flesh behind Zaraki's eyelids, sliding sideways across his eye to behind his tear duct- "- I'm sorry, do you have Nictitating Membranes??" Hanataro gaped.

Zaraki glared blankly at him for a moment, before breaking into a slow grin and, very slowly closed the pearly membrane over his eye and opened it again to Hanataro's slack-jawed astonishment.

"WHAT THE FUCK THAT'S SO COOL I'VE NEVER EVEN HEARD OF HUMANS HAVING THOSE DO YOU KNOW IF IT'S GENETIC OR-" Hanataro yelped with excitement, jumping to his feet and grabbing the captain's head and staring at his eye, nose pressed to Zaraki's cheekbone for a moment before abruptly remembering where he was and letting go, dropping into a bow hard enough to audibly bonk his head on the floor. "I'msosorrysirpleaseforgivemeidon'twanttodie-"

He was interrupted by Zaraki's loud cackle of amusement and the sensation of being lifted. Zaraki was sitting- well, had extracted his gangly limbs from his nest and arranged them into a pile mostly in contact with the floor- and picked up Hanataro by the collar of his Shihakusho and set him back up on his feet. His cackle trailed off into amused clicking and he sat back, regarding the tiny medic with a peculiar sense of favor.

"Good catch Mr. Sorry." he teased, Yachiru climbing onto his right shoulder. "Dunno who my father was, but my Mom an' Sisters 're Eagles and they got 'em too."

"...Eagles?" Hanataro blinked, cocking his head sideways with confusion. "Like. Birds?"

"Kami, technically, but yeh." Zaraki shrugged, rolling his neck and stretching, still waking up. "So who're you or am I gonna be calling you Mr. Sorry forever?"

"Ohhh... That- well that doesn't exactly explain things but I think I get how- uh, sorry, I'm- I'm not sorry, I'm Hanataro Yamada from the 4th Division!" He yelped, staggering back on topic. "Captain Unohana said you needed an intake medical exam and vaccinations?"

"Yeah probably." Zaraki shugged, scratching at his neck. "Yachiru too- Tired to get as many of 'em in her as I could afford but you know how it is out in the sticks."

"Hm." Nodded Hanataro, who did not. "Um, well- If you wanted to get started, we might be able to finish up before lunch, you must be busy with a whole division to put back together-"

"Yyyyy... -nah." Zaraki yawned. "Stayed up all last night writin' letters to fill it back up and posted 'em early. No rush until I get summat back."

"Which is probably good- I don't think you've EVER gotten a shot, have you Ken-chan?" Yachiru asked, kicking her feet in the air behind his shoulder.

"...Oh." Hanataro mumbled.

-

"...Has anyone seen Yamada?" Yamada the elder enquired after Yamada the Younger, the late afternoon sun casting golden beams through the windows onto the dispatch desk of the 4th.

The incessant chatter of the nurses, medics, janitorial staff and the dispatch officer came to a sudden and extremely suspicious halt.

"It's just that he promised to meet me at the end of his shift so we could walk home together, and it's not like him to be late." Seinosuke spoke lightly, eyes casually panning over the remarkably guilty-looking faces around him.

"He- he's not back yet?" dispatch officer Hiyako Gendo gulped, eyes suddenly fixed on the clock. "I sent him out like five hours ago..."

"Sent him where?" Seinosuke asked pleasantly and the medics collectively flinched.

"Uh, to the- um-" Officer Gendo sputtered, color draining from his face.

"You haven't misplaced my brother, have you?" Seinosuke smiled with gentle menace.

"No!" Gendo yelped. "I- uh- well- the new captain needed an intake exam-!"

"...Which new captain?" Seinosuke spoke softly, looming over to the dispatch counter. "We have promoted an unprecedented SEVEN new captains this week and I would not want to waste time searching nearly two-thirds of the court guard."

"Eight, actually." one of the nurses squeaked, and Seinosuke's head swiveled to face her like an owl. "Eep! We- um, there's a new captain of the 11th division as of last night, Sir." she stammered.

Seinosuke turned back to the dispatch officer, staring down at him with the burning eyes of a wrathful god.

"Hiyako." he spoke gently, putting a hand on the dispatch officer's shoulder. "We're friends, aren't we?"

"Y- yes? Sir?" Hiyako Gendo gulped.

"Good, good- So you wouldn't do something like, I don't know, send my baby brother into the division with a history of such violent enemity with that only combat certified officers are cleared to enter it?" Seinosuke asked fingers over the pressure points of Gendo's shoulder.

"Um." Gulped Gendo.

"-Perhaps you sent him with a senior officer?" Seinosuke tried. "I can understand wanting to give him an impression of how dangerous this work can be on his first day, to make sure he really does have the guts for the 4th, but that should be done in a fashion where he is only an observer to the example of an experienced officer and not, say, totally alone without telling anyone to go check on him?"

"Well-" Gendo whimpered.

"-Because, Hiyako, and I need to emphasize this-" Seinosuke continued, fingertips digging into Gendo's shoulder. "-That there is no body in the morgue right now, because during his promotion to the office yesterday, the current Captain-Kenpachi bisected a significant amount of the sewer and municipal support systems 200 feet below the 11th whilst rendering the previous Captain-Kenpachi into a fine red paste in a single strike!"

Gendo made a strangled noise of pain.

"So please tell me that my sweet, gentle little brother with the constitution of a bowl of oatmeal is literally anywhere besides the vicinity of that monster, preferably in the company of someone with at least half a functioning braincell?" Seinosuke pleaded, leaning in close and steadily increasing the terrible pressure of his grip.

"ISentHimThereAloneOverFiveHoursAgo!" Gendo shrieked, finally flinching and grabbing at his shoulder.

Seinosuke froze, save to let go of Gendo and let him collapse out of his chair, howling in pain. Slowly, he stood up, pleasantly blank smile on his face, and turned to leave the division.

"Someone please inform Captain Unohana that I have deployed to the 11th to retrieve my brother and if there is so much as a HAIR out of place on him, Zaraki will be the shortest-serving captain in history!" He called out, re-tying his Zanpakuto on his belt before vanishing in a burst of Shun-po.

"-Was that you, Seinosuke?" Unohana called from her office down the hall.

-

"-Well, most venom isn't a single chemical but dozens, if not hundreds of compounds with complex interactions so any samples have to be refined down to the individual components and tested both singularly and with the others which can take ages but it's yielded some incredibly effective drugs so far!" Hanatarou babbled excitedly, drawing a grid on Zaraki's thigh, oblivious to Yachiru putting his hair in pigtails.

"My goodness! We certainly have come a long way from using bee stings on arthritis!" Yumichika laughed. Zaraki's self-appointed third seat lounged against the wall near the door, enthralled by the process. His mothers had been something between field medics and hedge witches out in the far western districts and was keeping pace with Hanataro's enthusiastic infodumping about venomics while he prepared the captain for the next round of vaccinations.

"Not that far- your beestings were one of the earliest things we tested for pharmaceutical application, and it turned out that the entire combination of bioreactive compounds in the amounts found in an individual sting was the most effective dosage! More sanitary to use a needle than an actual bee though. Speaking of-" Hanataro turned to Zaraki. "Are you sure you want to do ALL of these today? Unless you're planning on messing around in the sewers, your chances of catching any of these are extremely low, so we can stagger them."

"If I'm gonna feel like crap tomorrow anyway, might as well feel like crap once and be able to fuck around in the sewers if needed." Zaraki shrugged. "-Why are the doctors in charge of that anyway? You've got better shit to do?"

"Ah, well-" Hanataro sighed, capping the marker and getting the next round of vaccines in order. "-Civic maintenance *used* to be part of the security duties of the 11th but... well, after we lost Kenpachi Tokagero down there, your predecessors... never resumed their duties? So it's kind of fallen to us since, but to be honest, the previous guy wasn't exactly someone I'd trust to maintain the necessary standards..."

"Yeah, no shit." Scoffed newly-appointed lieutenant Ikkaku, who was attempting to sort through the literal heap of paperwork Kiganjo had thrown into the corner instead of filling out.

"No I think the shit is supposed to be in the sewers." Zaraki grinned and Ikkaku responded with a single-finger salute.

"Right- lets try to not bend any more needles, okay?" Hanataro smiled, preparing the first syringe.

"Yeah, yeah-" Zaraki rolled his eyes, but obediently inhaled and exhaled, focusing on the square Hanataro was touching. Reiatsu manipulation didn't come naturally to him and it had taken a couple dozen broken needles to work out a technique that allowed Hanataro to actually stick him.

Hanataro focused, feeling the pressure drop with the hand on Zaraki's thigh, focusing his own energy into the tip of the needle with the other, until the difference flipped and-

"Ssk!"" Zaraki hissed a bit as Hanatarou slammed the needle into his leg with the force of a sword strike, but that's what it took. "Yer gettin better- that one stung a bit!"

"Sorry!" Hanataro squeaked, withdrawing the intact needle and changing it over to the next syringe.

"Keep at it and you might be able to really hurt me in fifty years!" Zaraki laughed, ruffling his hair.

"Okay, next is for Orange Fever- this one is famous for burning after injection but we'll see-" Hanataro started then looked up at the feeling of someone's absolutely furious reiatsu approaching at speed.

"Someone coming? You all put yer heads up like bird dogs." Zaraki chuffed.

"I think someone's come to-" Yumichika started but the door beside him slammed open and they were all greeted with the terrible sight of the most feared man in the fourth, wild-eyed and teeth bared, utterly consumed with rage-

"Hi Seinosuke!" beamed Hanataro, entirely used to what his brother looked like after a long day at work or being woken up suddenly. "What are you doing here?"

-

"Hanataro?" Seinosuke yelped, startled by the entirely peaceful and almost domestic scene before him. Zaraki seemed to be politely interested in the vaccination process, the menace that had been at the lieutenants meeting yesterday was sitting in the middle of the 11th's paperwork with a senbei cracker hanging out of his mouth, and Hanataro was getting pink bows tied into his hair by Miss Kusajishi. The remains of afternoon tea were on the table behind him.

"That's him! Who are you?" a third, effeminate man asked from beside the door with a faint prickle of reiatsu, politely reminding Seinosuke to mind his manners in someone else's house.

"This is my older brother Seinosuke!" Hanataro cheerfully explained, reflexively capping the syringe he was holding. "Not that I'm not glad to see you but- OH NO IT'S ALMOST DINNERTIME!"

"It's fine, it's fine." Seinosuke wheezed with relief. "It's my obligation as the oldest to be a worrywart."

"Tch- No point in worrying for this one." Zaraki teased, poking Hanataro in the shoulder. "-We should all be worried about him! He's only gone and stabbed me thirty-two times and I haven't landed even one blow on him!"

"Sir..." Hanataro groaned at the joke.

"Thirty-two?" Seinosuke blinked.

"Could only afford shots fer the kid, so I need all of 'em." Zaraki shrugged. "Not that I was makin' it easy for 'im."

"Um, yeah..." Hanataro hummed. "There's some technique for giving someone with extreme positive spiritual pressure shots that I don't know, right?"

"You? Ask them to lower it?" Seinosuke stared, beginning to wilt as the adrenaline drained out of him.

"Yeah, I... kinda suck at that." Zaraki grunted, looking away from them, right eye shut despite the left one being scarred. "Might as well keep Stabbin'?"

"What's with your eye?" Seinosuke frowned, veteran of spotting unspoken injuries.

"Oh yeah! Check them out- He's got Nictitaing Membranes!" Hanataro beamed.

"He WHAT?" ---

Four hours after that, the Yamada brothers set out for home, Seinosuke with the beginnings of a fascinating new study on Kami-Induced Occular Mutations and Hanataro with a promotion to 'pocket medic' that he wouldn't find out about until Zaraki abducted him from his rounds for 11th division boot camp some four months later.

--- (Tumblr says this is getting too long and is glitching, More about Byakuya and Seinosuke's Marital Conspiracies later)

[burntheedges]

Pas de Deux Masterlist

Din Djarin x f!reader | 18+ | ~40k words | updates on Wednesdays main masterlist | ao3

summary: When Din Djarin – principal dancer at Concordia Ballet Company and generational talent in the classical style – suddenly left CBC and joined the Nevarro Ballet Theater mid-season, it shocked the ballet world. You never would have guessed that he would change your life, too.

full fic tags/warnings (spoilers!): modern AU, ballet AU, fluff, angst, flirting, dancing, lots of ballet terms (I’ll define things/link videos/etc. -- see below), misunderstandings, character study, romance, pet names (sweetheart, beautiful), lots of tension, later: smut, kissing, grinding, fingering, p-in-v sex, creampie, each chapter will have its own tags, Din lifts reader (see note below about reader)

a/n: welcome to the Din ballet fic!! I started writing this in April and it’s finally finished! I’ll post a new chapter every Wednesday, there are 14 total. There’s some smut coming but it’ll be a while, folks. See my notes below about reader in this fic and ballet in general. Thank you @katareyoudrilling for being the best beta, as always!! This fic is so much better because of you. 🧡 And thank you to @almostfoxglove for reading over it and confirming I didn't forget all my ballet, lol. 🩰

note about reader: in this fic you’re a ballet dancer, first soloist at Nevarro Ballet Theater company. I haven’t mentioned the reader’s body size or shape (or hair) basically at all, even to the point of avoiding clothing (except for costumes), but I understand the image that goes along with ballet – I danced for almost 20 years. Din does lift you many times. Please feel free to picture whatever you want, but I know that this might seem more limited. You also have a best friend named Adrian who is in the company with you. I never specified age, but to make first soloist most would be in at least their early 20s. Din is 27.

Chapter list and notes about ballet under the cut! Comment or reblog to join the tag list. 🥰🩰

Chapter List

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11 - coming Wed 12/25

...

some notes about ballet: I will share links to videos and such as much as possible, but here are some definitions to get us started – principal, (first) soloist, corps de ballet, variation, and class vs. rehearsal:

Principal - this is the highest level a dancer (of any gender) can reach in a company. Dancers are ‘promoted’ through the ranks. Principals usually have exceptional technique and artistry and can perform solos, pas de deux (partnering), headlining and/or the most challenging roles, etc. (e.g., the white (Odette) and black (Odile) swans in Swan Lake, both usually performed by one principal). Sometimes dancers are hired directly in as principals (like Din, in this fic). Smaller companies might have 5-6 principals, while larger ones could have as many as 20. Nevarro is somewhere between medium and large and has around 14 principals, including Din.

First Soloist - not every company has this rank, but it’s in between principal and soloist. Nevarro has 4 but they are counted among the soloists (12-14ish total). Soloists are often understudies for larger parts, and first soloists would do the same. In this fic reader is a first soloist, just promoted at the start of the season.

Soloist - this is sort of a middle level, for dancers who are doing very well and have proven themselves capable of taking on bigger roles. Many ballets have multiple roles, including supporting roles in the narrative, for soloists and principals to showcase many dancers’ talents. A smaller company might have 5-6 soloists, and a larger company might have as many as 20. (Larger companies also do more shows.) Nevarro is somewhere between medium and large and has around 12-14 soloists, including first soloists.

Corps de ballet - this is the lowest/starting level in a company. It’s where most would start from and has the largest number of dancers – these are the dancers who come out on stage in large groups or form the background unnamed roles in narrative scenes (like a party). Reader started in the corps and was promoted to soloist and then first soloist.

Variation - a solo dance, usually a piece from a larger ballet (e.g., the Sugar Plum Fairy in the Nutcracker). We say ‘variation’ because there are many ballets that have been choreographed differently by multiple people in the ballet world (e.g., there are famous versions of the Nutcracker by Petipa, Gorsky, Balanchine, Nureyev, Baryshnikov… and more). So there can be multiple variations of a solo from a single ballet, and more can be created or altered, etc. But in general the term just means solo.

Class vs. rehearsal - most companies distinguish between ‘class’ and ‘rehearsal’. Class is for the whole company and focused on improving technique. It’s quick and often repetitive and everyone sort of knows what to do. Most people would have ‘their’ spot at the barre and fall into a typical order for going across the floor. After class, most would go into multiple hours of rehearsal, PT, strength training, etc., depending on whether it was a performance day or not. Most companies are rehearsing for more than one performance at a time, so they might have a longer rehearsal for the show coming up this or next weekend, and a shorter one for another performance a bit farther away. But in the days leading up to a show, that show’s rehearsals would probably take over. This can vary by company. On show days, most would have fewer rehearsals with a 1-2 hour break before the call time to get ready.

Season - companies have 'seasons' which just refers to their plan for shows/schedule for the upcoming year. They might refer to like a fall season and a spring season, or the might have a full year schedule with different parts (fall/winter/spring), or they might have only a spring season that runs into early summer. It depends on the company and the size! In this fic Nevarro has a fall season and a spring season, but they tend to think about it as a full year for contracts/etc. They would have 3-4 big shows planned (think Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Giselle, Onegin, etc.) in each part of the season (so, 3-4 in fall and 3-4 in spring). And then they'd fill in the gaps in the schedule with "mixed programs", which are programs with multiple smaller ballets or pieces that feature a lot of dancers. So a mixed program might have a 20 minute Balanchine ballet, a pas de deux, a full corps piece from a larger ballet, and a piece for like 8 dancers. or something. Mixed programs are often when choreographers-in-residence and on staff get to debut their own work.