#Beyond The Veil Original Character Asks

[mickules]

Dangantober Ghost Photo breakdown

Dangantober Ghost Photos with some little behind the scenes ghost shenanigans

they may be ghosts for a while....

Full breakdown of each character below ↓ MAJOR DANGAN SPOILERS

The main idea was inspired by Sayaka, the avoidable tragedy of her death, and the vengeance that allowed her to name her killer from 'beyond the grave'

Each ghost is stuck, or trapped in some sort of loop, compelled to act according to certain 'rules', much like how they lived under monokuma within the Killing Game. Each rule has some connection to a ghost's talent, aspect of their life, or death. Reminding them of their regrets in a fashion that wouldn't allow them to pass on.

Sayaka "Don’t swap the dormitory name plates." Her fate in the game was a self-fulfilling prophecy. She was so scared of being trapped in the school, that she trapped herself. It seemed like a perfect stimulus for a ghost, going over the events of her death again and again, but never being able to break out of the cycle. She always leaves behind the message, as she'll never know if Makoto understood her regrets.

Mukuro "Don’t pick a fight in the gym." Mukuro's haunting is based entirely on how her death was a result of picking a fight with monokuma, and how she loses everything. Her lingering grudge creates an animalistic aggressive atmosphere like a Fenrir Wolf, her stoic soldier persona lost as she lashes out at people who remind her of her failure. She hides herself like she did in life, only visible in reflections as Junko's shadow - and will try stab you in the back, playing out her own betrayal.

Leon "Don’t play with baseballs near the hallway" It seemed like the worst fate for Leon would be being stuck, static in his unwanted role as The Ultimate Baseball Star. As with his murder, he couldn't help himself, but resorted back to those skills to dispose of evidence. His animosity making the game almost unplayable for everyone else, he releases all his frustrations toward himself, almost zombie like, at a scapegoat: baseball.

Chihiro "Don’t enter the locker rooms at night" Chihiro's murder and trial was mostly co-opted by red-herrings, like Genocide Jack and the location of the murder. So the idea is that the story got warped by a series of Chinese whispers; Genocide Jack miscast as a 'bloody Mary' style urban legend, Chihiro a forgotten footnote. Based on how Hina thought Alter Ego was actually Chihiro's ghost; I thought the haunting could work more like a séance or a ouija board; asking Chihiro questions beyond the veil much like how AlterEgo helped the class, Chihiro is only trying to help.

Mondo "Don’t eat the butter in the cafeteria" I REACHED for Mondo, I know! but he got turned into BUTTER! I wanted to incorporate his execution with his motive to murder, so his ghost is based on Calabar beans, supposedly able to sort the guilty and the innocent. If you swallow without worry the poison might not spread, but if you eat cautiously and chew; you'll die. He appears slowly, enough that you can ignore him, the same why you might ignore your guilty conscience. He may be a hypocrite, but in a way he's trying to save you from his own fate.

Taka "Don’t pass notes in the classroom" Not unlike Sayaka, it's another case of replaying actions when they were alive, but Taka is still continuing his role as 'Hall Monitor' His prompt is passing notes since that's what lead to his death, originally the note you were passed in class was going to be written by Taka but that felt like it broke his own rules. He disappears if he's ignored, much how he faded after Mondo's death. Ishida is only triggered if you interrupt his routine, disrupt his pace, and create disorder from what he sees as order, holding Mondo's pickaxe almost like a reaper's scythe.

Hifumi "Don’t play hooky in the art rooms" I know Hifumi is the 'Ultimate Fanfic Creator' in the english, but my brain always autocorrects that to 'Doujin Author' instead. And given his focus on fandom culture, I thought his haunting playing out like a video game, something in the zeitgeist like Slenderman the Eight Pages would be appropriate. Originally I had you collecting his artworks, with Hifumi hunting you down, blinded by the blood covering his glasses. He creates his own narrative much like how Celeste convinced him to go through with the murder. He certainly casts himself as a 'protector', expressing glee at being justified in his actions.

Celeste "Don’t default on your debts" As much as you could see Celeste's talent as unwholesome, she took absolute pride in it, and part of that was following through on a bet. Celeste does seem like the type to always find an angle; so she will find a way to exploit those around her into spoiling her, but that's not enough to dispel her stripped aristocracy. She's not in some vast ornate fireplace, she's in an incinerator where you burn rubbish. And the Versailles Witch won't let you get away if you get close enough to see her indignity.

Sakura "Don’t be disrespectful in the dojo" Sakura was very difficult since, like Chihiro, she's got no real impetus to become a vengeful spirit at all. But given her choice to betray the class to protect her dojo, it would be cold comfort being forced to watch over a facsimile of a dojo, at arms length, in a fashion like Tantalus. Her statue is based on Nio, muscular wrestler like figures who stand at the entrance of shrines to protect them from evil. She functions a little like SCP-173, she can only move if she's not watched.

---

Given that the sdr2 kids were all remnants of despair, and all had the potential to be as monstrous as Junko - I tried to link them each to an urban legend or a cryptid or similar, to make them another degree removed from humanity. Additionally, their rules are written to sound more like threats, than the THH kids' warnings, to make the distinction that they were more dangerous, far more active.

Imposter "Never copy someone else’s work" There's a common belief that everyone has a doppelgänger, a normal extension of the concept that there are only so many different faces in the world, so some are bound to be potentially near identical. But it's often seen as a bad omen to see yours - a signifier of your imminent death, or maybe a tragedy. The Imposter craves the sensation being someone else, so they don't have to be left with the void that is their own personality. By reducing you to the imitation they show you a fraction of their own personal despair.

Teruteru "Never take someone’s food without asking" Although it could be argued that all the ghosts are kinds of Poltergeists, but I wanted Teruteru to have less of a physical appearance but to express himself through the items in the kitchen - the thrown knives, the rattling pans, the food, much how he was truly himself whilst cooking, but outside of that he projected a false and vain persona, a persona which has been burned away. There's also a reference to the crimes he's implied to have committed whilst a remnant of despair, namely cannibalism.

Mahiru "Never record over something without checking" A large part of Mahiru's philosophy surrounding photography is in capturing the smiles and happy memories of her subjects. Writing over any of those would be unthinkable to her. She's based on Spirit Photography, ghosts and apparitions appearing in celluloid, with some aspects of the Ring, a ghoul able to cross over and reach you through a medium which something shouldn't be able to. The AV equipment she haunts is supposed to have been left behind by classes 77 and 78, the only other echoes of them that remain at Hope's Peak.

Peko "Never knock on an occupied stall" I know it's unfair! But she spends so much of case 1 in the toilet, and disposes of the evidence in case 2 in a bathroom.... Plus, I based her haunting on Hanako-san, a ghost who haunts a toilet stall, and only appears if someone knocks at her door. Peko cannot act alone - she can only act if she's called upon, if someone asks for her. Her multiple hands juggling the masks of the many identities she wears as she has none of her own. The colourful façade of 'Sparkling Justice' being her most memorable, and overriding her own face. Delicate yakuza tattoos wrap around her fingers, and she's missing her little finger on all but one of her hands - a common yakuza punishment for failure.

Ibuki "Never interrupt someone’s musical performance." If Sayaka is a siren, Ibuki is a Banshee, not only due to her singing voice, but also as she heralds the death of Hiyoko. Ibuki became trapped in someone else's elaborate web which lead to her death, so in her haunt she becomes twisted within the threads of her own vocal chords - as a reference to how she couldn't tell anyone what was wrong due to the despair disease. Her exceptional hearing helping her locate you, like a spider finds flies through the vibrations of the web. I was also inspired by the so-called suicide song, Gloomy Sunday, and getting such a song stuck in your head

Hiyoko "Never taunt someone with hurtful names" I wanted to make the rules more specific than just 'don't be a bully' so I used Hiyoko's vice of name calling as what makes her zone in on you; much how she picks apart insects when we first meet her. She's mistaken for a Zashiki-warashi, a harmless child spirit, a Japanese yokai in ode to her love of traditional Japanese culture. She's actually closer to a Usutsuki-warashi, a bad-omen, spirit of a child culled during famine when there wasn't enough food to go around - much like Hiyoko was culled to remove her as a witness.

Mikan "Never feign being sick" Mikan was partly based on Annabelle, the possessed Raggedy Anne doll, in how her innocent and clumsy nature belied the darkness beneath, but also how she was ultimately still just Junko's puppet on a string. Her only place of control is in the nurse's office where she can inflict her own feelings of helplessness onto her patients. (but there was also definite inspiration from the Silent Hill 2 Nurses, not just in the eerie way they move, but also how they are objectified, much like how Mikan is.)

Nekomaru "Never cheat in a sporting event" St. Elmo's Fire (witches fire not the movie) is an electrical phenom, an omen that precedes a lightning strike. Based on his appearance plus his transformation into the electrical Mechamaru, it also is reference to the electrical pulses that control the beating of the heart. Nekomaru essentially treating a bad-sportsman with the taste of a future where an infirmity forcibly retires them. Originally I had him drag them from underground to slow them to a crawl, but it seemed against Nekomaru's principles.

Gundham "Never harm an animal" Gundham would probably revel in the exaggeration of his myth; it's what he would do when he was alive. He's one of the more cryptid like, more of an animal than a person anymore, his transformation based on a Rat King. This phenomenon is where several rats get their tails tangled together with dirt creating a ring of trapped rats encircling their knotted tails in the centre. I originally thought to recreate it with hamsters, but given his beloved Devas survived him, I thought keeping it being rats was better.

Nagito "Never throw something useful away" Nagito is a difficult one since he would find no compunction continuing his test of hope vs despair, much as his role as servant in UDG. The Honest Axe parable has a woodsman drop his old axe into a lake, a river spirit offering him a gold and silver axe asking if those were the axe he dropped. If he refuses he is rewarded, but if he dishonestly accepts he his punished. If you accept Nagito's offer, you admit that you gave up on the item too soon, as a microcosm of giving up hope, you get a taste of his karmic luck as 'reward'. Nagito probably has a very good idea how to break their bonds as ghosts and allow them to pass on, but he won't give the ultimates the answer so easily.

Chiaki "Never delete someone’s saved game" Some of you were right on the money, Chiaki was based on Ben Drowned, I was originally going to draw her like the 'elegy of emptiness' link statue but it was so goofy, I went more classic .exe/doki doki style. Like many of the more positive characters, she's not really fit to be an evil spirit, and plus she was never actually a remnant of despair. The ominous foreboding feeling she gives you is a heightening of paranoia that would hopefully steer you away from contacting the other ghosts.

Junko Is the culmination of everything, the source of every rule. There's no despair after all if there's no one for her to torment, her vitriol enough to outlast her own death in canon by several games, she's dragged every victim into her purgatory. Like with the killing game, those she's trapped with her have the chance to 'beat her' but the game is rigged in her favour. She may be unable to manifest unless every rule is broken, but she's a master of manipulation. She's been the one to spread the rumours, so that people actively seek out to 'break' her rules, supernatural happenings being encouraging rather than deterring, making more people tempted to see for themselves. The ghosts were given just enough autonomy to believe they have agency, when they're trapped in Junko's loop.

If each ghost moved on, she'd have no one give her an endless stream of despair, no hauntings to spur on the thrill seekers/ghost chasers, no reason for all her rules to be actively broken by one person. She'd be slowly forgotten, slowly dissipate, and essentially disappear.

Originally I had Junko's haunting take place in the principle's office, She would call you over the tannoy, but I chose to make it more ambiguous. The idea was that, were she able to manifest, she was the only truly fatal haunting. Imagine the despair if they found a dead student in the principle's office.

I just wanted to thank everyone again, I had a lot of fun with this! It isn't a strict au, so if you wanted to play around with it, go ahead :) I hardly have a monopoly on ghost aus after all - there are loads of far better thought ones about, so if you liked this I'd recommend checking some out!

#danganronpa #danganronpa ghost au #dangantober #horror fiction #THH #SDR2 #thh spoilers #sdr2 spoilers #long post #I do wanna say this was an october drawing/writing challenge #I was fully flying my the seat of my pants #god this took me way longer than I thought lol #I had to retype this TWICE I love tumbl

[juminies]

in order to get to the heart

marriage of convenience, on occasion, is not so convenient.

♡ — jumin x original female character. small amounts of canon compliant jumin x reader, but mostly canon divergent (jumin is unhappily married prior to the start of the game). 1600 words. title from heartlines by florence + the machine.

They just say anything to each other these days.

“This façade drains me beyond comprehension,” Jumin confesses the minute he walks through the door. His fingers loop into the knot of his tie and pull it looser around his neck.

“So you say,” murmured half into a cushion tucked up to a woman’s chest as she types on her phone. “It’s not for our benefit though, is it?”

On some level, this is always how it was going to be for Jumin, he thinks. In a marriage stripped to its fragile bones. A sacrificial lamb for the sake of the corporation, for mutual social and financial gain.

He leans down to untie his shoes.

It would be untrue to say there weren’t veiled attempts, in the beginning, to love. When that didn’t work there were attempts to like. None successful, of course. Lately it’s becoming more difficult to believe this arrangement is better than any alternative. Between the two of them there is a lot of nothing.

The woman remains quiet—focused—but nods easily against the woven fabric she’s leaning into when Jumin asks, “Do you not get tired of coming home from work to find me occupying your space?”

He knows that in public they look good together. He knows that their careers slot together effortlessly. Despite what the media may suggest, however, they are human. Jumin included. The way he feels nothing for her does not match the way she feels nothing for him. The way she yells that he is robotic does not match the way he stoically calls her irresponsible.

They do not sleep together, or eat together, or do any of the romantic things Jumin wishes he hadn’t let himself privately indulge in the idea of. And it’s not that she’s not nice—she’s intelligent and beautiful and kind, when it suits her. Perfect on paper until she wasn’t. When she laughs with her chest Jumin can almost imagine a world where she smiles at him like she does others and it makes his heart weak. Part of him wishes, truly, that that was the case. In reality it feels like nothing.

It could be worse, he tells himself—repeats it like a mantra.

Concealed beneath it is fear. You could be like him. You could repeat his mistakes.

She throws her phone haphazardly onto the sofa beside her and looks up to where Jumin is standing in the doorway. He’s mostly backlit from the light in the hall, the lamp beside his wife barely grazing his features but lighting up hers in all the wrong ways. The orange glow casts unpleasant shadows over places she’s usually pretty. He should have the bulb changed to something less harsh.

“Not much we can do if you don’t want the press to kick up a huge fuss, sweetie,” she says.

The pet names are a jest he has learned to tune out.

“Will they not make a fuss over our divorce in three years’ time nonetheless?” Jumin asks. It’s hypothetical, of course. They will.

“Maybe we’ll have grown on each other by then.” Her tone is disinterested; feels almost mocking. Her phone chimes to let her know her driver is outside. “I’m going out. Shall I take my card or yours?”

“It makes little difference to me.” Jumin looks at his watch. It’s almost 10pm but he doesn’t ask where she’s going. A bar, perhaps.

“Could you adjust my necklace?”

She holds her hair up messily, and he does.

“Let me know if you need anything,” he tells her, then briefly wonders if she’ll meet someone tonight and sleep with them. He pictures her naked beneath a stranger. It feels like nothing.

She takes her own card and squeezes his bicep softly as she walks by him on the way out. She shuts the door more forcefully than is ever really necessary.

At some point Jumin suggests she move out of their—his—apartment and into the one directly below; just recently made vacant. He probably would have suggested it earlier had the apartment been available earlier, but their district of Seoul tends to be under high demand.

“I thought we agreed it was a bad idea to live separately,” she says. It’s a statement, not a question. They had done exactly that.

Jumin hums, tired. Tired from his trip and tired from trying and at some point, it seems, he has lost an indistinguishable part of himself to her for good.

“We did. Although I would say that that was long enough ago now for us both to have become quite aware that we do not do particularly well sharing the same space for considerable periods of time.”

“You’re gone a lot anyway. The place is big enough for us to avoid each other if needed, and I like it here.”

She exhales sharply; amused.

Jumin has no idea why until she adds, “More so when you’re not around, to be fair.” And that explains it, just about.

“Stay here when I am travelling if you must,” he tells her. Somewhere along the way his suggestion has morphed into more of an instruction.

“Fine. Don’t tell your father, though. Or mine.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it.”

They buy it outright in her name, the cost split fifty-fifty. Jumin tells her to keep it all when she sells it later. She tells him she won’t.

They argue tonight, as usual, about who will be chauffeuring them to a company gala. They had agreed that Jumin’s driver would take them only for her to assert for the hundredth time at the last minute that she doesn’t trust him, though she has not legitimately spoken to him more than once and he has been working for Jumin’s family longer than she has been alive.

It’ll cause a stir if the two of them show up separately so they end up in her car, as usual. Jumin apologises to Driver Kim via text for requesting him when he wasn’t needed on the way there, and they arrive late.

The venue reminds Jumin of the last RFA party. His wife had not attended despite her invitation, so it is not proper grounds for conversation. However, when they are out like this they are a happy couple like the legal drabble says, so he says it anyway—if just to appear interested in her.

“I’m sure this is nicer than your friends’ charity get togethers,” she replies lightheartedly, and they are called over by her father before Jumin can retaliate.

The façade stays firm for the remainder of the event. Jumin can easily distinguish her fake laugh from her real one, and he can tell when she forgets who he is for a moment and touches him a little more tenderly than either of them really mean.

They are silent on the drive home. They are silent in the elevator, until it stops one floor below Jumin’s penthouse. “Goodnight,” he says. “Sleep well.”

“You don’t have to say that, you know,” she counters, and smiles softly as the doors slide shut between them. “Not when it’s just me.”

Elizabeth the 3rd is snoring softly when he unlocks his door, and it is the only sound he can hear. He basks in the bliss of having nobody around when he is already so mentally exhausted, and takes out his phone to see it’s just after midnight and Yoosung has opened a chat room.

He enters it, multitasking as he changes his clothes and brushes his teeth. His cat patters into the room and jumps up beside him when he perches on the edge of his bed. She smells frustratingly like perfume and something oddly like guilt threatens Jumin with a dull blade.

Wait!! says Luciel. Think someone entered the chat room.

Jumin checks. There is a name on his screen he doesn’t recognise.

Odd.

Who are you? Identify yourself.

“Jumin. It’s me,” your voice is soft and bubbly; maybe a little nervous but still pleasant on his ears. An intriguing introduction. He almost finds himself chuckling.

Jumin moves the phone from his ear and glances down at your name again, just to be certain he’s not imagining things, then focuses in on the plainness of the wall in front of him.

“I hope you realise blurting out ‘It’s me’ is not a proper way to identify yourself to the person on the other end of the line.”

He had hesitated briefly before telling you he is married. Now he has known you for five days and whatever he’s feeling is somehow, ridiculously, already far greater than any emotion he has ever felt towards his wife.

He invites her out for dinner at their usual restaurant the following evening, and she tells him if he has something to discuss with her she would rather keep it simple. As an alternative he invites her to the penthouse and opens a bottle of wine he knows she likes. When she arrives her hair is tied up experimentally and she is wearing a new shade of lipstick. She surprises him when she actually accepts his offer to pour her a glass.

“I am going to talk with my father,” Jumin says, and she knows what he means. It’s only later that he will find out she had already brought it up with hers. “For what it’s worth, however, I apologise that it ended up like this.”

“Me too,” she agrees. Jumin notices the light catch a glassiness in her eyes as she continues, “If I could have loved you, I would have.”

She stays for a few hours and it is the most sincere time they have spent together in three years.

That night, Zen has a dream.

#mystic messenger #jumin han #jumin x reader #anyway. [replaces your sarah choi] #I just love putting him in situations 🩷 #I gave the oc lore in my head even though I'll very likely never write about her again #her name is yeeun kwon and she's the daughter of a chaebol family that chairman han has close connections to :) #I didn't share anything about her in this on purpose though #something something narrative #annfic

[boundinparchment]

Killing Loneliness

The night before Celestia falls, two people hold a conversation of the future.

Dottore/Original Female Character. Part of the Heretic and Forsaken series.

On AO3 here.

She should be happy. She survived Fontaine. Maybe not intact but she survived. Her new arm was lightweight, stronger than steel, and operated so seamlessly that she had to look to remember it was mechanical. No one looked at her with pity in the shadows of their eyes anymore.

And tomorrow, they would tear down the sky and Celestia along with it. The Fatui and the Traveler and the Third Descender, now whole, would declare war on the Usurpers.

Karina inhaled deeply and watched her exhale curl slow and steady in the lantern light. Behind her, she heard footsteps, distinct in their click as metal met stone; a rhythm and sound she heard a thousand times before. He was hardly a party person but he need not seek her company, she mused.

After all, he’d made it quite clear so long ago that this was…

Professional.

The sounds of raucous singing and cheering bled out into the still night for a moment before Dottore closed the door behind him. She didn’t even turn her head, eyes fixed on the ribbons of light in the sky, forever brighter than any lights in the capitol. Neither of them spoke and she appreciated that for once, he didn’t want to hear the sound of his own voice. Karina shifted her weight but kept her elbows on the balcony railing, shoulders tight.

If he was here for a pep talk, she didn’t want it.

Finally, she turned her head to him and asked, “Have you ever thought about what happens after?”

Dottore’s head was angled up slightly but she knew he wasn’t looking at the aurora. Celestia loomed on the horizon, visible only as a shadow over the reaches of Fontaine.

“Many times. Not all of them pleasant. It would be…unwise to pretend as though death has not been chasing me.”

She gave a small smirk and then looked back out over the city.

“I take it, then, you have not,” Dottore surmised.

Karina shook her head.

“I can plan all I want and strategize until my eyes bleed. It won’t matter until I’m out there. And by then, it’s down to me. Might as well be luck and thinking ahead has always gotten me…well,” she let out a derisive scoff, “it got me here.”

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught his weight shift; he stood straighter, poised like the scholar he proclaimed to be before a class of one.

“Is that such a bad thing?”

“Maybe not,” she replied. “I’ve done more in the last several years than I ever did in Fontaine. I wouldn’t have left the plateau otherwise, I’m certain. My family would be alive but my fate…I truly may as well have been chained to a rock and left for a sea monster.”

She was born under the Chained Maiden constellation and it never bothered her before. Not until the Archon Residue sang in her blood in that arena and she realized her Vision would never reawaken again. All because she forsook what Celestia intended for her.

In exchange, she paid the cost of her family’s lives and her dominant arm.

Was this better? Working for the Fatui, serving the man who almost killed her, potentially harboring feelings better left in a cabin deep in the mountains?

She had no idea.

“Say we survive whatever happens,” Karina asked. “Where would you go?”

“Beyond the veil is very tempting. I’ve studied these same unmoving stars for centuries and they bore me. There are other universes, other lands, more to uncover than is possible to visually fathom.”

For a moment, she wondered if his eyes were wide, eager even, beneath his mask. She missed his full face, saw it deep in her dreams, yearned to be special again just enough to see his true face.

“But I would be remiss if I did not stay and study the consequences of tomorrow,” Dottore admitted. “That would be leaving the experiment half-finished and for others to document. A skewed perspective.”

He drew in a deep breath and then gave a sigh so soft she only saw the rise and fall of his shoulders.

“Well, that’s lucky for me,” Karina replied. “I’ll need someone who knows to fix my arm and I wouldn’t trust a Fontainian engineer to touch it. You’d leave me with few options if you departed.”

“I might still. The fallout may not be as impactful as I’ve speculated. Stranger phenomena have certainly occurred.”

“Such as?”

His pause was unexpected. Dottore always took the chance to demonstrate just how much he knew of the world. Karina was familiar enough with his patterns to recognize that he was thinking over his next words carefully, chewing on them the way a discerning patron might consider a tender steak.

He turned his head towards her and felt her blood turn to ice and then thaw again when he removed his mask and stared at her. How did he do that, make her feel as though they were the only ones in the entire universe? Her heart hammered as her stomach did several twists and she wondered if she would even survive tonight.

There was a hunger written across his face deeper than a carnal desire.

“Such as the notion that if we survive at all, Karina, I find myself wondering what a quiet life looks like. Or rather, a settled life. What two people who shook off the chains of fate might be capable of and the legacy they’ll leave behind. Genetically and otherwise.”

He didn’t need to punctuate it with the missing piece. She could infer the rest and he knew she would.

“Is that such a bad thing?” she echoed.

Neither of them had a family. But they could be one, make one, couldn’t they? Did they balance each other out enough for that?

“Yet to be determined.”

“Describe it to me.”

“It would be more efficient to show you.”

He swallowed and she watched his throat bob slightly. She wanted to kiss that spot again, let her lips trace the shape of his neck, his jaw, his cheeks.

And she could not think of a world where she didn’t have his voice nearby. Where she turned and he wasn’t there.

A world without him wasn’t one she wanted.

Karina’s eyes flickered to his lips before she settled her gaze on his. She stepped closer and angled her head, lips ghosting over his.

“Then show me, Zandik,” she whispered, “what it means to live past tomorrow.”

#oc: karina alexandre #dottore #il dottore #dottore x original female character #genshin impact original character #series: heretic and the forsaken

[beebopboom]

Always an Angel, Never a Man

Intro post - where we discussed some more Wizard of Oz parallels and some of the title sequence

Now though we are going to dive deeper in the character that is the Metatron, and for that we are going to be going into The Book of Enoch and who he is as an angel - at least for this part

Background info

I've said this before but I’ll reiterate here - yes I know that Neil has said…somewhere that the Metatron has always been an angel in reference to someone asking about Enoch - but I don't think we can throw all the books away especially when it seems ideas have been pulled from them.

This actually started out as a question of whether or not the Metatron had come down to Earth and paraded around as Enoch to further his agenda - and well, it was a start.

So for the most part there seems to be two explanations for the origins of the Metatron - one: he was always an angel - two: he was the human, Enoch who was then turned into the Metatron. Each of these versions vary from religion to religion but for the most part that’s the gist of it

ha yeah right you know me time for probably unnecessary long explanations to the best of my ability

Disclaimer (I guess): These explanations are not going to stick to just one religion and are going to be summaries to the best of my ability - summaries are the devil how tf do people do this all the time

Also this is quite long - it took me about ten minutes to read through

The Metatron

The Voice of God, King of Angels, Prince of Divine Presence, Prince of the World, Prince of the Countenance, lesser YHWH, Angel of the Veil

Just some of the titles that have been attributed to the archangel known as Metatron - the list could go on

Created before or along side fellow archangels - including Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and Uriel - he is considered to be above them and the one they defer to. He sits at the hand of God as their scribe and is one of the few angels able to see beyond the veil God sits behind, able to look upon and hear God. He is said to have immense Power and Wisdom

His main job is to write down the good deeds of both Heaven and the Earth and record those in the Book of Life. He is said to have connections to both the Tree of Knowledge and the Tree of Life therefore having a special interface between the two realms, physical and celestial - he is a bridge between God and humanity. He is a patron angel of children, giving them the knowledge they had not received and can be said to have been the angel who led the people of Israel through the wilderness. He is in charge of guiding the souls ascending to Heaven.

He is often attributed to roles God, Jesus, and even the Archangel Michael has had - to the point where there is a story of Rabbi Elisha calling out that there were two powers in Heaven and the Metatron is punished by 60 fiery lashes and unable to sit in Gods presence again for not correcting the assumption

Which leads us to the other origin story for him and that is-

Enoch

Now he has one mention in the Bible in the book of Genesis and it is only to say he no longer walks among men because God took him. This then spawned the Book of Enoch - which is really three books. Among other stories that I will get into later - it is the story of a man that was so righteous God took him so he didn’t experience death and made him an angel with all the same roles as we just went over.

This book covers things such as the concepts of fallen angels, a Messiah, Resurrection, the Final Judgement, and a heavenly kingdom on earth

………we aren't going to talk about the Nephilim

But there are these angels called the Watchers who have banded together and turned away from God. Enoch is shown the destruction and knowledge these angels have put upon humanity and shown the four archangels and their task to go about fixing the Earth. Enoch is then tasked with telling the Watchers that they shall have no peace or forgiveness for sin. He then goes on to see the universe - the Earth, the cosmos, and both Heaven and Hell - guided by angels. He sees the fiery pit that is where the Fallen are held and the river where all the dead souls await Judgement. He is shown the cornerstone of Earth and the pillars(mountains) of Heaven, and on the highest one sits the throne of God. He is told the secrets of the stars and is shown the hierarchy of Angels. 

He goes on a few journeys through the Heavens and eventually turned into the angel Metatron - which some would say this is a reversal of the Fall of Man, where Enoch is given that “spark" back. Upon reaching the 6th sphere of Heaven the angels call out to God asking why he has been brought to Heaven and God answered that he was righteous and worth the rest of the people - this is placed in flood times I forgot to mention

But why is any of this important? Well we are working with around 10 minutes of screentime people - crumbs I tell you, crumbs.

What really got this going though was Metatron saying this when referring to his outfit and corporation

"This calls for much less attention, though”

This implies the Metatron knows how to blend in - with humans and angels……and demons

But particularly with humans - further proven with the line

"I've ingested things in my time, you know”

Whether or not this is true he is really pushing this in front of Aziraphale and Crowley - clothes and food wonder why - it’s almost like it’s reminiscent of another conversation, one between Aziraphale and Gabriel back in season one at the Sushi restaurant.

Anyway though - the Metatron may not have had the transformation from Enoch but the story is still relevant to who he is as a character - it’s actually a great combination of the two

In season one he only appears as a floating head but I want to start with right before he appears

Four lights come down and four pointed stars start to appear

The thing is I think these are meant to represent our archangel council

The number four and its connection to the Metatron has been sitting in the back of my head for a while now - it's a common grouping in good omens with the horsepeople, the them, the angels, and the demons - but I think it's also a call back to Enoch and the four archangels that guided him, here me out - I mean it’s four colored lights surrounded by stars cmon

The only one missing is Raphael. In season one he is replaced with Sandalphon - who has a special connection to the Metatron with a similar origin story as Enoch and is said to be his twin brother. In season two he is replaced with Saraqael who is also mentioned in the Book of Enoch, one of the only places to do so.

This council though is the last stop before reaching the Metatron - so they have to come first. Four angels at the trial and four (active) angels when he appears in the bookshop. Sensing a theme of needing four angels.

Aziraphale then asks if he is God which is quickly corrected by the Metatron saying he is only the voice and to speak to him is to speak to God which then Aziraphale calls him a presidential spokesperson - and yeah that all tracks for what we know to be his role, just no mention of the other things he is in charge of

Which let’s take a quick break to point out that the Metatron is supposed to guide souls into Heaven - Heaven is very much empty, where are you taking them our dark clothed angel hmmm?

Season two though we really get a look into his character

In the trial we get to see a bunch of floating heads and yet his is still different, as he has no body. He is still concealed with no corporation - behind that curtain

Now we have two instances of this both in Heaven and Earth - not something we see with anyone else who all have a corporation to move about - besides when Aziraphale gets discorporated but even then he is still shown with his whole see-through body. So here is that special interface playing out - his way of showing his position off and maintaining an air of mystery

An interesting thing to note during his speech is him saying that for one prince of heaven to be cast down to hell makes for a good story - in the habit of telling stories about fallen angels there Metatron?

Now we’ve analyzed the coffee shop scene to death and I don’t particularly have anything to add so we are just going to keep truckin

But the bookshop - the bookshop tells us so much.

He walks in and hardly anyone recognizes him - only Crowley and Saraqael. And this makes sense, he’s in a corporal form - out from behind the curtain. The thing that made him special, that put him above other archangels - he’s removed it. They’ve probably never felt his full essence and it’s not like it’s going to set off alarm bells when they are the same rank as you, essentially. Then Crowley describes him in terms he knew Aziraphale (and others) would recognize - finally cluing everyone in 

But why Crowley and Saraqael? What makes them special?

I’ll admit I don’t have a clear answer for Saraqael - for why they are different. Only a theory that they are one of the angels that he has keeping an eye on the angelic deeds he was told to keep track of - perhaps even the corporations that are being used, when one is needed and whatnot

Crowley though is a Fallen Angel - the series goes through great lengths to stress this point - this term. You may remember that this is the term used in Enoch to describe the Watchers. The group of angels that turned away from God and Enoch then had to inform them of their fate.

It’s been sprinkled in throughout the series that Crowley only ever asked those “damn fool” questions and went his “own way” with hints that those questions were never asked to God. Which leaves the Metatron. The Metatron who Crowley has seen.

"Oh I know you. Last time I saw you, you were a big, floating giant head, mind.”

The last time implying there was a Before - before the beginning perhaps.

So let’s say God gives this criteria of what qualifies as a rebelling angel which then the Metatron is supposed to carry out the acts of punishment - except he’s an angelic scribe not a fighter so he gives this confrontation job to fellow archangels, let’s say Michael, and tells them this what God told them to do, while he works on the way to make it actually stick - through the Book of Life and finally activating the threat of this book by crossing the angels out causing them to lose their names, their status, their place in paradise

and then comes in this pretty high ranking angel, a prince perhaps, asking these questions that just happen to fit into this criteria but different in the way that they don’t want it all to end and you still turn him away

(I’m probably going to do a whole other thing about the connection between Crowley and the Metatron but for the sake of not derailing this post even more I’m just going to move on)

The Book of Life - The Metatron is said to be the angel that writes in it - records all the names of the beings doing good deeds in both Heaven and Earth. He hears all, sees all, and he’s going through past exploits. And yet has only just recently made a move - he truly is a King

He immediately calls Michael out for their “you’ll be erased from existence” spew saying they don’t have the authority for that and sending them away - implying he does have the authority and he’s here to offer a way for that not to happen**

And here on out we get to see some interesting characteristics. The Metatron has always been one to offer shallow praise - even back in season one - and he is shown to be openly revered and feared. He has this all seeing - big brother affect on all the angels. He is said to see everything it’s only a matter of what and when he chooses to use it. And use it well he does - he’s manipulative with praise and interest, with the knowledge he reveals. He is also in the nature to wind them up and watch them go. I’d say this is a twisted take on the Patron Angel of Children. 

So when you take out the parts of those two versions of Metatron’s backstory that we know are not canon to Good Omens and mush it all together - this could be a narrative that comes out

But I want to take a quick dip back into his clothes before rounding this off. He is dressed in darker colors, usually associated with demons, there is just no way to ignore this. An angel with duality written into their clothes - An angel that can go into Hell - An angel that is supposed to guide souls to Heaven and yet there are none but there is an overflow in Hell - An angel that created the back channels.

Now hear me out - I know we are heading into a crack theory area.

Back in season one when Michael brings forward the pictures of Aziraphale and Crowley they say they got them from the Earth observational files - something that the Metatron would be in charge of as the angel tasked with the Book of Life - and ask Gabriel to use the back channels already knowing they were going to.

Michael is the only angel we really see have any connection to these back channels, through the phone and actually going down to Hell. Michael is also very quick to take up the Supreme Archangel spot without explicit permission, a role apparently the Metatron is able to assign. It almost like the Metatron has given them special permission before….

Why would Metatron have use for those back channels though? Well gotta put those human souls somewhere, not that he particularly wants to deal the predictable and dim humans - and why not make sure all plans are running smoothly for the inevitable next War.

There is also this concept called the Humbling of the Metatron - has it already happened or is that where we are heading? All I know is we have a lying***, manipulative, exploitative Angel on our hands

and I truly think that he has made his moves and revealed his cards - it’s only putting it all together

**I really don’t think the Metatron has access to this book like he is foretold to have, like he acts like he does - at least not anymore

***When he orders the coffee he asks for a dash of almond syrup but when telling Aziraphale he says a hefty jiggle - such a weird thing to lie about there Metatron

————————————————————————

This series is mainly just going to be exploring the character that is The Metatron with pretty much every route possible. I’m not trying to say which is the correct conclusion because this character could really go in any direction. This is just for fun. I tired to get all the religious stuff as correct as possible but there is always the room for error, things I’ve missed, etc

but anyway for the next part we are going to dive into another big influence over our series and characters, as Crowley calls them - Occult Forces.

part 2 is out!!

#good omens #good omens 2 #good omens meta #good omens character analysis #good omens analysis #good omens theory #the metatron #aziraphale #crowley #archangel michael #archangel uriel #good omens saraqael #good omens metatron #metatron

[theresattrpgforthat]

(To clarify, I don’t have any preferences on genre or tone here, just budget. Or lack thereof I guess.)

THEME: Free TTRPGs (2/2)

I’m so so glad that you posted two asks because holy shit do I have recommendations. This is the second part, once again organized into different pieces of advice!

4. Unofficial games based on a licensed IP. 

Yeah, people do crazy things for the stuff they love, including designing an entire roleplaying game and then releasing it for free! Here’s a few that I’ve found.

Unofficial Hollow Knight RPG, by HKRPG Team.

Vast kingdoms, ancient mysteries, and adversaries far beyond reckoning await you.

The Unofficial Hollow Knight RPG is an original tabletop role-playing system inspired by Team Cherry's hit indie title. In HKRPG, players take the form of daring bugs going on adventures in the strange and wondrous world of Hollow Knight and its insect-populated kingdoms. 

What a labour of love this game is. This TTRPG feels dungeon-crawly, which makes sense considering the game it’s designed after. Each bug has hit points, stamina points, and Soul, referring to their magical reserves. Inventory is also tracked, using a pool called Stash. There are three Bug templates available for you to choose: Small, Average and Large, with different benefits and drawbacks for each template. There’s over 100 pages of character traits and abilities, spells, charms and rituals, items and obstacles, which allow for complex character builds.

On the GM side, there’s links to info for settings and NPCs, as well as Lands Beyond, a supplement that allows you to create your own insect kingdoms and gives you four random roll tables to aid you in this creation. If you want to replicate your own little traumatized bug adventure, this game is absolutely for you!

Skyfarer, by Failbetter Games.

Queen Victoria has brought London into the heavens. The High Wilderness stretches out ahead of you; cruel, unwelcoming, and filled with opportunity. Here you make your living as a Skyfarer, working on board a locomotive jury-rigged to fly through these cold skies and raging winds. Your captain has taken you to the Reach, a frontier on the edge of civilization, in search of fame, fortune and adventure.

You will change out here, where the Empire’s light falters and casts deep shadows, where rebels stake their claim on fragments of sky-rock riddled with fungus, where pillagers dig into ruins built by the now-dead sun. 

Players form the crew of a spacefaring steam locomotive. Gunners, quartermasters, engineers, signallers – even mascots – are brought to the fore as the Captain is struck down by misfortune and the crew must band together to get out of (or into) many surprising kinds of trouble.

Using a simple dice-based system, Skyfarer allows players and game-masters to easily tell stories set in the Fallen London universe with plenty of climactic moments, tense stand-offs, and grim decisions. As characters risk life and limb, they’ll accrue Peril – the more Peril they have, the greater the chance of them meeting a grisly and permanent end.

This game uses both d6s and d10s, and leans more towards the narrative side: your character qualities are descriptive, and your abilities are abstract representations, titled Iron, Mirrors, Veils and Hearts. You’ll collaboratively come up with your starting situation, and include details like who your Captain is, what the current crisis is, and what kinds of Allies and Antagonists are involved. 

One thing that’s really unique about this game is that there’s a character that the GM must play - the Captain, someone who gives orders to others, but for the purpose of this game, can’t carry out their normal duties for some reason or another. Once you set up your characters and determine what your starting scenario looks like, you’re good to go!

5. Playtests.

Sometimes the playtest of a game is released free of charge, with all of its editing errors and without any art. These games won’t be perfect, but they contain rules, as much of the setting as the creator has managed to flesh out so far, and the spark of creativity that can pull you into a fantastic community. Get in early on a playtest and you might find yourself holding the early stages of something truly great - and you’ll get a sense of warmth knowing you got to be part of it.

Aeronauts: Flight After Fall, by Electric Purple Studios.

The world is covered in purple mist, the legacy of some cataclysm long past. Through the haze have risen several powerful city-states, built where the mist is thin enough that they are not constantly besieged by the fog’s lurking horrors. Now airships fly above the mist, and a new era of trade and conflict has begun to bustle in. The city-states, previously only in contact through small trading caravans, are now forced to face the reality of different cultures, different ways of life, and the possibility of war.

Aeronauts: Flight After Fall is a TTRPG of grand quests and small moments, of journeys from the tops of the clouds to the depths of the darkest tunnels. You and your friends tell the story of the crew of a small airship, trying to make their way in a world that is rapidly changing around you. Are you diplomatic envoys endeavoring to build connections, or are you a group of ragtag scoundrels simply trying to survive? It’s up to you.

Aeronauts uses a 3d6 system, and emphasizes narrative role-playing, similar to games like Apocalypse World and Blades in the Dark. When you roll, you add up your dice - a 15 is a critical success, 10-24 is a partial success, and a 9 or less is a failure. You will have access to a pool called Focus, which can add a bonus to your check, as well as tokens, which can be gained using certain actions and spent to alter certain types of rolls. Finally, there is a tool called Kismet, which allows characters to establish details within the narrative, either for their benefit or just to put their own personal stamp on part of the story. 

The rules as put out here are simple, but the ways you can use them and your characters go into much more detail, taking up 198 pages in total. There’s rules for different kinds of combat, examples of how to use certain parts of your character sheet, a delve into the lore, and pre-made characters who want to pick up the game sooner rather than later. There’s also a community Discord advertised in case you want to find other players, talk about the game, and get updates about changes as they happen. 

The Modern Eldritch, by Moondog Gaming Press.

The Modern Eldritch leads you into a world run by mega-corps headed by eldritch horrors who demand brand loyalty over blood sacrifice, wizards who believe themselves better than worldly governments, and non-profits who leverage vast intelligence networks to find donors. Players take on the roles of average citizens who have had their lives shattered by these systems, and now must journey through this world to fight for some sense of normalcy. 

The Modern Eldritch utilizes quick character creation, which revolves around crafting motivations and backstory; a wide skill set and freeform magic system which encourage roleplay and creativity to tackle obstacles; and a unique exhaustion system that invites players to gamble with their own sanity to increase their odds of success.

This PDF starts off with a quick introduction to the world and an outline of some basic concessions that the group should agree on before getting ready to play. Character abilities are ranked from a d4 to a d12, and character skills are ranked from 1 to 5. You’ll be rolling dice pools, and adding up the results to determine whether or not you succeed. You’ll also assign positive and negative elements to your character, to flesh them out and give them exploitable weaknesses - this is an eldritch horror game, after all. 

This game is also supported by a Discord server, and also provides a link to a Playtest Survey, where you can send in your feedback for future edits! My only complaint is that the PDF takes a little bit long to load - it takes patience!

6. SRDs - write your own game!

Maybe you have the perfect idea of a game in your head. Maybe you have a setting that you absolutely adore - you just need rules to tell you how to play a character in that setting. Maybe you really really like filling all of your free hours with matching character tropes to game stats and putting together character sheets and writing random tables…. maybe I’m just calling myself out here.

SRDs are tools to help you design your own game in your own setting using rules that have already been sorted out. They will contain advice about the kinds of games that were in the creator’s mind when designing the rules system, and steps through what a character will need. Creators often offer them up for free, out of the kindness of their hearts and the desire to see just how far people can take their rules and bend the genre.

Caltrop Core, by titanomachyRPG.

Ever wondered how to make your own TTRPG? Welcome to v1.0 of Caltrop Core, an introductory game design system using the humble and sharp d4! It's extremely simple and bare bones so anyone can make a game with it, regardless of your experience level! It can have as much or as little complexity as you like.

This game is extremely beginner friendly, and familiarizes you with the core dice-rolling mechanic before introducing you to character building blocks, ways to communicate genre and tone, and optional elements that help characters change the narrative. There’s also an entire collection of Caltrop Core games for you to check out (some of which are free to download!) that really show off what this system can do!

Titanomachy has also released Caltrop Core EX, which they refer to as a “director’s cut” of the regular SRD, and EMERGE8, an SRD that’s designed to help you create your game as you play it. It uses a d8 dice mechanic that takes inspiration from World of Darkness dice pools, as well as a few other tips and tricks that encourage collaboration between players and GM. 

VRBS SRD, by David Garrett.

VRBS is an ultralight system for creating highly improvisational role-playing games that reward creative, heroic action. It has a universal conflict resolution mechanic that requires a single six-sided die. In VRBS, characters are defined by what they do, not by abstract statistics. Characters can attempt anything that a creative hero would be able to reasonably accomplish and they either succeed or grow in the process.

The VRBS SRD is easy to understand and is excellent for games that need a tight session with an easy-to-predict end time. It uses only d6’s - the easiest-to-find dice - and sets up your characters to move through three scenes, plus one scene through each member of the group. Throughout the game, they will draw on a pool of Energy. If you finish the final Scene without depleting your Energy, you are sucessful! Run out of energy, you go home. Try again tomorrow.

Full disclosure, I have designed a game using this SRD before - Mischief by Moonlight, a game about small gods getting up to shenanigans inside a museum where their relics have been trapped. (Go ahead and download it for free!)

Finally…

Games I’ve recommended in the past!

Mothership, by Tuesday Knight Games.

IronSworn, by Shawn Tomkin.

Straight to VHS, by Lost Cat Games.

#dnd #tabletop games #indie ttrpgs #game recommendations #asks #free games

[maleficentra]

First night (Astarion x Dark Urge)

To make it short; It about Astarion x Dark Urge first time they had sex. Some of you people know, that Astarion wanted to manipulate Dark Urge/Tav but in the end, he fell for her and the nights meant something for him, even though it felt tainted.

About my drabble:

Astarion and Maleficentra appear to have a complex and intriguing dynamic. Astarion's past as a vampire spawn, marked by manipulation and cruelty, contrasts with Maleficentra's caring and selfless nature. Their relationship seems to be evolving from a tentative connection into something deeper, despite the challenges posed by Astarion's inner demons and Maleficentra's uncertain understanding of his past.

Astarion's inner struggle, his attraction to Maleficentra, and his growing emotional connection to her make for a compelling character arc. Maleficentra's kindness and willingness to see beyond Astarion's past mistakes hint at her compassionate nature and her potential to influence his character development.

How "Tav/Dark Urge" in my case "Maleficentra look like:

The night, which was originally meant to be enjoyed by Astarion and Maleficentra, was haunted by tormenting memories from his dark past. Cruel, frightening words whispered repeatedly by his former master had etched themselves into his memories like poisonous thorns.Amidst these painful thoughts, a gentle voice interrupted his memories and thoughts.

"Astarion? Are you okay?"

Maleficentra asked while gently stroking his cheek, her soft touch tickling his skin. Her delicate fingers found their way to his hair as she sat on his lap, her presence comforting and concerning. Instantly, the scent of fresh grass filled his senses. It was as if a piece of spring had entered with her. Yet, even more captivating was the subtle hint of freshly roasted almonds clinging to her skin. This sweet, enticing fragrance drew him irresistibly and enveloped him like a gentle veil.

But there was something deeper beneath the surface. Astarion couldn't deny that he could smell her delicious blood, and a little of it still dripped from her neck. It was as if he had discovered a special bouquet of flowers that stood out amidst all these fresh scents.

The scent of her blood was breathtaking, a complex bouquet of life and passion. It carried the richness of fresh roses, the liveliness of wild lilies, and the depth of sinfully sweet orchids. This alluring scent was pungent yet strangely pleasant and soothing. It was a temptation he found hard to resist, and simultaneously, it stirred a secret longing within him that he had thought lost for a long time.

His thoughts were suddenly distracted by a powerful desire. He wanted to bite her, over and over, but he knew he had to control himself. He couldn't afford to lose his composure. Yet, Maleficentra was a distraction that was hard to ignore. Her beauty, her kindness, her playfulness, and her concern enchanted him. She had captured his attention, and he didn't know how to deal with it.

"Darling," he said with a somewhat forced smile, "What's the matter? I'm enjoying every moment here."

Her look still held concern, and a hint of skepticism appeared on her forehead. She didn't believe him. "You know," she began, gently stroking his cheek, sending shivers down his spine, "if you're not feeling well and don't want this, we can stop. You don't have to do anything you don't want to."

His heart pounded loudly as she uttered those words. What was she saying? For 200 years, decisions had been made for him, regardless of how he felt. Now, this gentle being was telling him that he had a choice? He stared at her in shock, trying to grasp her words. It was insane. She was crazy. He swallowed as he began to understand what she was saying. She was selfless. She was pure. She was loving. She cared. She was real. She was not someone who deserved to be manipulated. Or was she playing a game? She was dangerous when it came to her enemies, and she had uncontrollable nights. Was she only playing this?

A faint, sad smile graced her lips. She gently wrapped her arms around his back, leaning her head on his shoulder. Her wings encircled him, and Astarion gasped as it happened. This was unusual; he had never been embraced like this, let alone asked if he was okay. He felt his cheeks redden and his heart race. He became nervous.

Maleficentra closed her eyes, still wearing that sad smile on her lips. She wondered what he was hiding from her. He was doing it all the time. Or did he not want her in the end? Maybe he didn't like her? Whatever it was, she had to respect it, even if it hurt. But she didn't know his reasons. Perhaps it wasn't about her. At least she wanted to believe that.

"It's okay, I accept it," she said. "You have a good heart, even if you don't always see it in yourself."

Astarion felt a strange warmth spreading within him, a feeling he hadn't experienced in years. He was at a loss for words. Maleficentra's words were like a healing touch for his wounded soul. In that moment, he realized that what they were sharing went beyond manipulation or deception. It was something real, something meaningful. She was wonderful. She was alluring. She was seducing him.

"You little minx," Astarion said with a grin.

He held her face in his hands, his fingers gently sinking into her cheeks, and he pulled her gently but decisively toward him. His gaze conveyed an insatiable longing, and before she could realize it, their lips were pressed together. That was it; he wanted her. He had enjoyed it from the beginning, and he had allowed himself to be too distracted by his dark memories. She didn't deserve that. She deserved his attention and a reward—for her tenderness, honesty, and for testing his limits with her seductive teasing. She couldn't expect him to always restrain himself.

The kiss was initially demanding and passionate, almost coercive, and she could barely contain her surprise. But she felt that there was more than just desire. It was a deep, irresistible connection that held them both captive. She could feel each other's heartbeats quicken, in sync with her own. Slowly, almost imperceptibly, he loosened his grip, and the kiss transformed. The passion, which had been wild and untamed, became gentler and more loving. Their lips engaged in a sensual dance, with each touch serving as a silent declaration of affection.

In that moment, she surrendered to the kiss, allowing herself to get lost in it. The world around them seemed to fade, leaving only the two of them in an embrace of tenderness and passion. The kiss became a promise of love, leaving no room for resistance or turning away. It was as if their souls were connecting in a way that transcended words.

Astarion felt his heart racing as their lips met, and he could sense that Maleficentra was experiencing the same emotions. The kiss was a revelation, a bridge that connected their souls, and he couldn't help but feel that this was just the beginning of a deeper connection between them.

He released the kiss, a smile gracing his lips.

"I promised you a night you'll never forget, Mali, and I like to keep my promises."

Maleficentra laughed, filling the forest with the liberating melody of her laughter. Her laughter was infectious, and Astarion couldn't help but join in. He enjoyed her cheekiness; it brought light to his dark thoughts. Her laughter was like a sunbeam in his gloomy existence.

"Say please," she playfully said, wrapping her arms around him. Her eyes were brimming with joy. She possessed an endearing cheekiness that could disarm even the sternest of souls. Her intentions were pure; mischief danced in her eyes as she reveled in the simple joys of play. With a mischievous grin, she pushed the boundaries of his patience, testing his resolve. Her actions were not just cute; they were a delightful blend of innocence and the irresistible charm and it touched his heart. He did not felt offended at all, he liked this adorable challenge.

She was not just a temptation; she was a light in his darkness.

"What?" he inquired, but his smile had become more sincere. He heard her at the first time, but still pretended. She was cheeky yet loving, and her eyes sparkled with vitality.

She smiled and twirled a lock of his hair around her finger.

"Say please," she repeated, and her gaze deepened. "If you say please, we will continue…if you want it. And then I will give you a night you will never forget."

His heart quickened as he met her gaze. In that moment, he realized there was more between them than just passion. It was a connection that touched his soul, and he wanted more of it. He was addicted to her. As she asked, Astarion couldn't help but notice the captivating beauty of her voice. It was a gentle, warm voice that shaped the words in a unique way. The words sounded like delicate melodies resonating in his heart.

Maleficentra noticed his interest and smiled. She was patient. He felt drawn to her in a way he couldn't quite explain, not yet realizing that this was the beginning of a deep infatuation. It was as if his heart was leading the way, leaving his mind struggling to keep up.

"Please," he said softly, and his eyes revealed his longing. Maleficentra smiled with contentment and drew him closer. Their kiss was tender, and in that moment, they found not only each other but also a profound connection that transcended words.

#baldurs gate 3 #bg3 #dark urge #dark urge x astarion #astarion x reader #astarion baldurs gate #astarion bg3 #baldur's gate astarion #astarion #baldur's gate #baldur's gate 3 #baldurs gate astarion #astarion drabble #tav #astarion fanfic #astarion headcanon #astarion headcanons #astarion x female tav

[dreamspiked]

leaks/spoilers/everything you could be warned about under the cut. a lot of this is just speculation and i'm sure a bunch of shit will be revealed next patch but hmmm

start off by saying i am still...confusion. like, i was not at all expecting gallagher's character to go that route, especially since they made the guy a four star but he's apparently way more involved than we thought. i'm also...holding out hope he's not just a big spicy evil guy with a vendetta against the family, but if what he said about the original watchmaker and how they were outcast, he might be.

second, shout out to @dupliciti/rath for always sharing theories and info with me, they made me aware of a fact last patch that gallagher has a lot of ties with mythus/the enigmata, which is a non-playable path in game. i didn't know that until rath told me so, now you know too.

apparently in the original script/other language versions, in that last confrontation between sunday and gallagher, sun calls him an 'enigmata goon', which further implies his ties to a different aeon than the harmony.

what does this all mean you ask?

honestly, you got me. if we can take anything gallagher says at face value, which based on enigmata pathstriders purposely trying to muddle history and language, i don't think we can but whatever; if his 'betrayal' and mikhail's death and all that felt personal, or he was slighted by this new watchmaker, i can see him trying to destroy 'the family' from the inside, and break the veil that is penacony. i also think, in my heart of hearts, he knows he's not really killing people, as it's been established you can't truly die in the dream world, but he's trying to force that perfect harmony to shatter and destroy penacony by making people 'wake up.'

how does he control the meme death? no fucking clue.

i find it telling that both times you mention gallagher to other members of the bloodhound family, they don't seem to know who he is. the very first time, when we were with firefly, the two members that cornered us only recognize gallagher vaguely by what he wears, and how it "probably is the boss" or something to that degree. and in this update, gallagher is RIGHT THERE investigating and the guy flat out asks "who is gallagher?"

it brings me to a bit rath shared with me that i find incredibly important to further shed light on what gallagher's motives could be:

Where the History Fictionologists are devoted to the mystification of history, the Riddlers are obsessed with destroying the certainty of language. Words used to express meaning are gradually obfuscated in the mouths of the Riddlers. They deconstruct texts, abuse metaphors, change word orders, tamper with semantics, and transform an otherwise precise language into something beyond recognition. There is evidence that History Fictionologists are a group of Emanators that were enlightened by Aeons. They often plunge into the sea of stars alone, traveling planet to planet with the sole purpose of fabricating, obscuring, destroying, and erasing the local history. History Fictionologists believe that the past determines the future — when a civilization's history is definite, its future development is doomed as all possibilities are eliminated, leaving only a sad and rigid path forward. In order to save these worlds from the sad fate of objectivity, History Fictionologists consider Enigmata as their only creed and are determined to shroud the universe in mystery.

if this were true, gallagher is most likely??? i think??? trying to avoid history repeating itself with mikhail's death and betrayal of the family by obscuring what happened in any way he can. but that's an incredibly loose theory that i would struggle to hold water with. he could just be taking this all personally, something about the "broke my spine and pulled out my teeth" bit to sunday makes me feel that gal might not have been as 'ok' with his exile as he says he was. in one of his character stories, he reminisces about the golden years when he longed for freedom, which makes me think he was originally a prisoner on the planet before they found out about the dreamscape and fought to free themselves. which would mean he's very old, and very tired.

i ALSO bring up the leaked lc that saffron showed me, which appears to be previous members of the nameless sharing a drink with pompom. one of those members looks suspiciously like gallagher, just younger. and rath brought up a great point regarding the invitation for the nameless, how it's hidden message or "distress cry" was tuned specifically to the train's frequency. how would someone on penacony who supposedly has never been on the express know the exact frequency of the train?

just more food for me to chew on.

#( headcanon. ) #( leaks. ) #( spoilers. ) #walks around in circles #WHO ARE YOU

[amarriageoftrueminds]

Thinking about how great CATWS was and how Marvel dropped the ball on all the characters from that movie.

Steve? Got character assassinated beyond repair.

Natasha? Killed off, didn't even get an on-screen funeral and her only solo movie was more about introducing Yelena than her.

Bucky? Never got a prober story, was victim blamed, and will possibly die in Thunderbolts.

Nick Fury? Got character assassinated in Secret Invasion.

Maria Hill? Was killed off in SI.

Sharon Carter? Turned into a villian.

Sam Wilson? Unlike the rest they haven't completely fumbled the bag with his character but he was still screwed by FATWS in many ways, and his first solo movie doesn't look very promising either.

Also consider that their sequel to the movie where we find out Howard Stark knew about Nazis in SHIELD (the specific Nazi that tortured Bucky and killed members of the 107, and tried to kill Steve) ...was a movie where Howard is assassinated by Hydra and yet Bucky gets blamed and brutally attacked for it. Even though this is the same movie where we find out Bucky was mind-controlled.

And their sequel to the movie where we find out Peggy knew about Nazis in SHIELD is..... Uh. Nothing. They never address it. A character who died offscreen gets screen time wasted on a fulblown Royal funeral (attended by people who didn't even fucking know her!!)

They treat her like some kind of living saint, to the point where she's now a full blown Mary Sue, with yet another bloody tv show where every storyline must be about her, and her possessing Steve, and Steve is reduced to a Stepford Husband wheeled out to repeat 'Peggy. Is. Perfect' type lines. 😬 (Steve. Blink if you need rescuing.)

All Bucky's everything now belongs to Peggy.

Oh, apart from the blame of course! He gets to keep all of that! 🙂

(Oh, and as per What If, Sam is no longer part of CATWS, his own intro movie, and even Natasha's own movie is now about- guess who?? Peggy! And Peggy having Steve!)

Apparently Sharon has been turned into a villain in the comics, too. Just as they start product-synergy introducing MCU!Peggy to over-ride comics Peggy. I wonder why...

(It's so funny that TFATWS assigned MCU-Sharon MCU-Peggy's annoyance at being overlooked by men (cough the man she's relentlessly hitting on cough) and decided that this would be her villain origin story... and yet nobody has connected the dots to Peggy and her behaviour?)

Sharon and Sam's characterisation only feels like an organic continuation because, frankly, the MCU never bothered to write them being particularly nice people to begin with?

Sam being a fratbro-style dick to Bucky in TFATWS, with a side of dispensing unsound self-contradictory counselling advice, is consistent with being a dick to Bucky (and arguing against helping him) since CATWS and quitting a counselling job at the drop of a hat. (Only the 1980s movie locker-room homophobia queerbait is new.)

Sharon being a villain is consistent with being a Carter not being asked to join the 'bringing down Hydra' team in CATWS, dressing up as the same profession as Steve's dead mother to 'befriend' him while she's just spying on him (contrast: the calling-out Nat got from Steve just for not telling him something), staying in SHIELD while they were hunting down Steve and Natasha, immediately joining the CIA (aka, the people who just happen to have a superhero-proof electric chair and want to shoot Bucky on sight, who also have Everett 'ex-husband of Madame Hydra who laughs at the idea of Bucky getting a lawyer' Ross on staff), ...which is easily infiltrated by a (thinly-veiled-Hydra) villain who wants to mind-control TWS to bring down the Avengers (deja vu??), being snippy to Sam for no reason, continuing to lie about herself beyond the point of it being necessary, and also being a creep who expects a thank you kiss from Steve just for doing one basic helpful thing when asked. *phew!*

But the geniuses who inherited the job of writing her in TFATWS can't see any of that... They see no issues, so they think they've written her 'turning' bad. The writing is still shonky because it still isn't self-aware about what it's portraying. The cognitive dissonance is still dissonant.

(Same problem with Fury. They keep giving him 'bad' things to do, showing him instinctively first joining the 'bad side', eg. Pierce's SHIELD, the Kree, etc. But with the exclusion of Steve yelling at him in CATWS -- and only so that Nick gets called out, but not precious Saint Margaret, ofc -- it's never addressed. They can't do anything interesting with the moral charcoal that they've accidentally cooked up, because they aren't even aware that it's there. 🤦‍♀️)

We were mercifully spared from Joss Whedon's terrible ideas for Maria... (supposed to be a villain in A1, baffled as to what to do with a female character so obviously she should be hinted as a love interest for Steve out of fuckn nowhere in A2) ...only to end like that.

Outside of that AOU Avengers party, where she was chill and kinda gay, I feel like the best characterisation we got for her was when- was it in one of the Spidey movies?? -she was a Skrull. 😤 If only I could say the same of Steve...

#anti tfatws #catws meta #anti mcu #mcu critical #CACU: the character-assassination cinematic universe #toAyourQ #dat's me #hey nonny #imagine the captain america movie we could've got if ryan coogler directed it he's the only one who's been nice to bucky #or better yet the 3 spiderverse guys #now there's a bunch who know how to write an antifa character! #shit even quentin tarantino would've given us a better CATFA

[wolfstargazer]

For the writing ask game: 17, 23, 43?

Thanks @nogenrealldrama for the asks.

Do I have a writing routine?

I once was lucky enough to get some writing advice from Philip Pullman, who is one of my favourite authors. His advice was write a little every day so I try and do that. Even if it's just a sentence or two.

I both handwrite and type my work. I also use the notes function on my phone. The most important thing is to get things down before I forget.

I find I cannot write to music with lyrics so I listen to a lot of classical or instrumental music when I write.

I also drink tea whilst writing or, when editing and it's late at night, wine.

Is the beginning, middle or end hardest to write?

It depends. Often I find the beginning easiest. I really enjoy writing the openings to stories and often find myself getting quite strong ideas about this. I think the middle can be tough as you can find yourself getting lost in the weeds of the narrative if you're not careful. I think a strong ending is really difficult to do, but really rewarding when you get it right. I think the best endings offer some sort of catharsis. And knowing when to end a story is a skill in itself. Some stories can be told in less words than you may feel tempted to write. I think it takes discipline to know when enough is enough.

Is there a trope or idea you'd like to write but haven't yet?

Oh so many! But I'll stick to one.

Since coming back and writing in the fandom again I cannot shake an idea for a story. I never have been tempted to write a fix-it fic before but I have had such a strong idea about a story where Remus tries to discover how to bring Sirius back from beyond the veil. I have a really firm idea of the story arc and some original characters who work at the Ministry. This appeals to me because it will allow me to explore some of the things that are interesting to me e.g. grief, older Wolfstar, the Department of Mysteries, the Ministry of Magic.

I think it might be some time before this is written, but I'm very keen and the characters keep whispering at me to tell the story.

#mauraders #wolfstar #remus x sirius #wolfstargazer fanfiction #wolfstargazer microfic #asks #fanfiction writer

[pessimisticshapewithablog]

My Cult of the Lamb Theories

I wanted to consolidate my COTL Worldbuilding theories. When commenting on posts I reference them a lot so why not put them all in one place. I'll update this list as needed.

Most of my theories are about how the world of COTL works and my favorite blorbos. Mainly TOWW, his sons and one-off posts about minor characters like Midas or Sozo. I also do character analysis if there's enough information to do so.

They're free to reference as that is the nature of worldbuilding. All that I ask is that some credit be given if they are used. I do NOT allow the use of my work to be used to train AI though.

(This post is always being updated so keep your eyes peeled folks!)

Theory 1 - Why does only TOWW's head transform in battle?

Theory 2 - Why TOWW becomes a follower after his defeat.

Theory 3 - Haro was a Bishop of the Old Faith.

Theory 4 - The Birth of Aym and Baal was what finally caused the Bishops to turn on Narinder.

Theory 5 - Clauneck was the person who originally foresaw the Lamb prophecy.

Theory 6 - Helob is an ant mimic. It's why he looks so different from other spiders.

Theory 7 - Sozo's followers obeyed the mushroom growing from his head, not him.

Theory 8 - Aym and Baal are Narinder's sons.

Theory 9 - TOWW needed to kill us to leave the Realm Beyond.

Theory 10 - Chemach was the one who caused the crowned gods to go extinct.

Micro Theories/Headcanons

¤The Crowns

The Divine Crowns - Possible IRL Inspiration for the Crowns.

What are the crowns? (ask) - speculation on the nature of the divine crowns.

Color and Divinity - is there a connection?

The Crowns and the Mystic Seller - symbiotic lifeforms?

¤The One Who Waits

Role of Death Gods(ask) - some headcanons on how they interacted with the world...

Narinder, God of Man - why he was imprisoned...

TOWW's size - why is he so big...

TOWW's resource(reblog) - What was TOWW's domain resource?

How are Death Gods made? - speculation on TOWW's origin as a death god

The new morgue building - it kinda looks familiar...

Patron Elder God of Death - protector of his kin...

A Wraith God? - Is TOWW a ghost in his natural state?

One Tomb... - the building housing the gate might not be a temple....

Narinder's Veil - what does it mean to him and his former followers....

Wielding death... - what is it to kill?

¤The Bishops

Where the Bishops and Narinder fought(reblog) - the statue outside the temple ground looks interesting.

Messy Bishops - they look unkept....

IRL Bishop animal counterparts - What creatures could the bishops be inspired from...?

The Binding Ritual (reblog)- what was the kindling for the Sacrement?

¤NPCS

Midas's Robes - They look like knockoff Bishop robes.

Midas and the Gods of Gold (request) - Who is Midas and his patron gods?

Ratoo's lover - who were they...

The Fox - A death god in the making...?

The Mystic Seller - an enigma from the stars...

¤The World Of COTL

Death In COTL (blood moon festival update) - Where do all those souls for weapons and curses come from?

Demons in COTL - my theory on what they are and how they are created...

Orcus the Demon - why is it's design everywhere.

Camellias - Why are Camellia's so important in COTL.

Cursed hearts - What is it to be cursed..

Where is the Realm Beyond? - where does it exist in the world?

¤The Gods

What are Gods in COTL - My Headcanons on the nature of gods (Relics of the old faith spoilers)

Who were the First Gods(ask)- my headcanons on the First Gods and their downfall.

The Remains of an Old God. - a corpse in plain view...

Character Analysis

BAAL, THE FIRST SON

Aym(WIP)...

The One Who Waits(WIP)....

Sozo's Corner

Alate!Sozo - my Sozo focused AU

Cause I love him your honor.

Theories

What really happened to Sozo?

Official Unused Sozo art

Sozo's interesting speech pattern.

Sozo, a chosen sacrifice?

Sozo, Patient Zero? - was Sozo being used to spread Menticide mushrooms?

COTL Ant, Bees, And Wasp sizes

Sozo's Statue - what did it mean to him?

And chance encounter - Sozo appears during a crusade...

#cult of the lamb #cotl #cult of the lamb theory #my post #cotl worldbuilding #cult of the lamb worldbuilding #feel free to ask about my theories #i am not normal about them...

[astraeasilvers]

I'm a hobby-author currently posting fics on AO3. I have a story ongoing on Wattpad as well, but have been struggling with writing that one, so only the prologue and first chapter are up.

I mostly write Eyeshield 21 HiruSena ship fics. I hope you all enjoy! Thank you for sticking with me!

Currently working on:

Silver Phoenix - Wattpad

Lightspeed Heartbeat - AO3

Arpeggio 21: The Devil’s Chorus - AO3

Beyond the Veil and into the Dark - AO3

In Your Company - AO3

Coded - AO3

The Guardian from Hell - AO3

What Lurks in the Heart - AO3

The Details in the Devil - AO3

I've started uploading Music Compilation/Playlist Videos onto my YouTube! Feel free to check them out!

Check out my Linktree for more fun stuff!

Videos:

A Deimon Devilbats Vibes Playlist [Eyeshield 21]

A Sena Vibes Playlist [Eyeshield 21]

A Hiruma Vibes Playlist [Eyeshield 21]

A HiruSena Vibes Playlist [Eyeshield 21]

Lightspeed Heartbeat [A HiruSena Fic Playlist]

Arpeggio 21: The Devil’s Chorus [A HiruSena Fic Playlist]

🤫 [Pre-Shared/In-Progress] Arpeggio 21: The Devil's Chorus Mentions Playlist

I try to be active on updating you guys here, but I've got the memory of a goldfish, soooo...

A Little About Me:

I go by they/them or he/him pronouns. I'm Genderfluid. Specifically Demiboy/Agender.

I'm also Ace/Aro! If that isn't already obvious by how I write certain scenes... (take that as you will)

I have two cats! Well, technically four five, if you count my sister's, and now my late oma's cat

I have major ADHD and forget to be active on social media, so when I am, its in spurts of chaotic energy.

I'm autistic. So I do not handle social cues well at all. So keep that in mind if you interact with me LOL

I intend to write a lot of fics, but I try to keep myself limited. Yeah, well that doesn't always work, seeing as I'm now at four eight (plus the unposted ones), and promised myself only one.

Tags:

#alt account (for when I reblog any of my posts from my general writing account @astraeawritingarchive )

#asks (for anything relating to asks)

#my polls (for any polls I make, usually for feedback)

#astraea's thoughts (for my thoughts, comments, and such)

#astraea writes (for the passage shares and chapter teasers!)

#astraea txt (for my thoughts mid-writing)

#astraea's life (for any updated going on in my life that will affect my uploads and posting)

#other fandom stuff (for anything fandom not pertaining to specifically Eyeshield 21)

#upload schedule (for posting what my intended AO3 uploads will be for a certain month. Subject to change)

#meme recreation (for things I turn into ES21 memes)

#es21 headcanons (for my headcanons of the ES21 characters)

#fanart (for the rare occasions someone makes fanart of my fic!)

#future fic (for any ideas I have that I want to turn into a future fic, and want to share the idea of)

#fanfic writers | #ao3 author (for any posts where I want to share that LOL)

#fanfic (for general usage on all my fanfic updates, or reblogs of others fics)

#hirusena (for all my fandom geek-outs)

#hirusena music (for all playlists I make, and any songs that make me think of them!)

#hiruma yoichi (for all posts where he is relevant)

#sena kobayakawa (for all posts where he is relevant)

#supernatural au | #mafia au (for use on my fic, Beyond the Veil and Into the Dark)

#slice of life au | #horimiya au (for use on my fic, In Your Company)

#music au (for use on my fic, Arpeggio 21: The Devil's Chorus)

#racing au | #initial d au (for use on my fic, Lightspeed Heartbeat)

#sword art online au | #gamer au (for use on my fic, Coded)

#advanced player au (for use in my fic, The Guardian from Hell)

#vampire au (for use in my fic, What Lurks in the Heart)

#childhood friends au (for use in my fic, The Details in the Devil)

#HiruSena #fanfic #initial d au #ao3 stuff #archive of our own #fanfiction #ao3 #hiruma yoichi #sena kobayakawa #writing #ao3 link #ao3 author #fanfic writers #authors #eyeshield 21 #hirusena #music au #music reference #linktree #link #youtube #youtube video #playlist #songs #youtube channel #music compilation #supernatural au #mafia au #slice of life au #horimiya au

[veradragonjedi]

✍️ - What is your favourite line or scene from the project? for BBB?

WAAAAAA NOOOO THERE ARE SO MANY TO COUNT 😭

I'm gonna bring my top five I think so far (I know this asks for just one, but ugh I just have so many thoughts in my head)

(Edit: this gets more and more insane as I go down the list. Just. FYI..) OH. And. BBB spoilers under the cut! Please... enjoy <3

*Game Theory voice* NUMBER FIIIIVE

5. Everything about Luke changed, but him. He was solid, rigid, reliable.

UGH I'm a SUCKER for moments when Luke's ever-shifting demeanour, ever-changing self, shape and form, are expressed as they are. Luke is the Force, Luke is a corner of the universe folded, origami-style, into the shape of a human. I'd like to believe that you see the Gaussian blur of motion in his body when he moves. Like he is travelling at supersonic speeds through time and space all day every day and we're all just witnessing him at his slowest.

This works EVEN BETTER when you remember that in BBB Luke is totally covered head to toe, with no part of his skin showing. He is Everything. He is always moving. His cloak is always flowing. His eyes are always shifting.

But, despite all that, the thing that is actually Luke Skywalker, that kindness, that strength, remains the same.

He is rigid, solid, in his compassion, but, physically, spiritually, he is ever changing.

4. A sunless, wicked, beauty.

Din's first thought when he sees Luke for the first time, and WHO can BLAME him!? This is in Chapter 1, The Darkness Brings A Shadow, and it's my blog title over at @blood-blindfolds-and-butterflies :3

I'm obsessed with the imagery of it. Just... in awe. I need to eat it. For a very long era in this fic, Din has no idea what Luke looks like, and every word that he first ever describes Luke as is considered wrong.

Luke is not sunless, though he tries to be. Luke hides behind his veil, behind his cloak, behind the locked doors of his temple, and STILL the sunlight peaks through the cracks of his withered body and overcomes everything around it. (This actually reminds me of another quote I love, see 2. !!!) Luke is also, despite the hardships he's suffered, not wicked. He is kind and selfless, but he doesn't believe it himself. And, lastly, Luke would never in a million years call himself a beauty. Him? Scarred? Torn? A vampire?? Luke has not allowed anyone in the galaxy to call him beautiful in a very long time (that's... the essence of bbb. Being loved for who you are, and finding beauty in the ugly and mundane. So obviously this sentence drives me kriffing nuts.)

Luke can't be beautiful, so Din must be wrong about him from the start. And Luke TRIES desperately to get him to understand that he is WRONG about him, but Din has his heart set on learning about and understanding Luke beyond the first image he caught of him, and it's perfect.

3. ...Din was left nursing a feeling of guilt...

Thanks to my wonderful editor (my dad) the verb 'nursing' is in play here. We spoke about this particular sentence after it was posted and... wow do I have thoughts.

Context: Din has found out that Luke is a vampire, and is feeling guilty because he no-longer feels safe around him, even though he trusts that Luke isn't a threat, and knows that it's a horrible thing he's doing (basing someone's character entirely on their species, especially after he had already formed a good opinion of Luke.)

There are two ways to read the word 'nursing' in this context.

1. Din's opinion of Luke is healing. In this case, the guilt is the disease, the pain, and Din is softening the sting. Din is caring for his sore heart, waiting to confess to Luke that he knows he is a vampire, and also regaining his original position on living with him (wants to do that.)

2. Din's opinion of Luke is dying. In this case, the love, the care, is the pain, and Din is driving it out, all the while "nursing" (taking care of—) the guilt he's formed, and preparing to either leave Luke forever or kill him (does not want to do this, however, his son is now in danger, from his point of view)

2. Effortless kindness was so alien, but Luke left a trace of it in his wake, on the rim of every cup he put his lips to, and in the imprint of his footsteps in the ground.

"The Jedi Code is like an itch..." etc etc... 😭 thank you Kenobi.

LUKE oh god. Back to 4, Luke leaves this unwashable, un-get-rid-able trail of kindness everywhere he walks. Every spoon he's ever put in his mouth, every flower he's ever opened, every time he kisses Din's cheek, lips, knuckles, he leaves a little bit of kindness behind, and that kindness is like a virus.

It spreads, infecting others like Vader and Han. It makes roots, it sinks into the ground, it grows and reaches upward, and when it releases its spores, more kindness springs from the places they land.

Luke's effortless kindness is alien to Din because Din has never experienced it. YES Din was given a home, food, armour, by the Mandalorians, but— he was always going to be younger, weaker, and he had to fight for real respect and love just like everyone did.

Luke loves Din. Luke's kindness toward Din takes him little to no energy at all.

Din is mesmerised.

1. Luke loved the child; Din had made him realise that.

Do I even have to say anything. Yes.

Luke is Grogu's dad as much as Din is, we just never got to really see the two of them connect, and I'm really bitter about it ngl.

In the same paragraph, Luke confesses to Grogu that he does love Din (believing that it is platonic)

They're a family they love each other they're helping each other grow and learn and I am so proud of them all.

Because, Din was never really loved. And, now, he believes that taking love from a man who is struggling so hard to even maintain some left for himself IS selfish and cruel and Din won't do that. Din doesn't want ANYTHING for helping Luke. No money, no favours, absolutely no love in return.

Because love, to Din, is like currency. Love is priceless, and help is so so easy.

Luke believes that accepting help from Din is incredibly selfish and rude, as he can't help in return. All he can give Din is love and friendship, and even then, its easier telling Grogu that he loves Din, rather than telling Din to his face (or... helmet, rather.)

But, Din doesn't want that. Because Din believes that that love goes to waste if Luke gives it to him when Din is simply doing something he enjoys.

Luke believes that Love is all there is to give, Din believes he is selfish for accepting it with nothing in return.

Din believes that Help is all there us to give, Luke believes he is selfish for accepting it with nothing in return.

AAAAAAA IT ALSO WORKS FOR GROGU BECAUSE AT FIRST DIN ONLY SAVED HIM BECAUSE IT WAS THE RIGHT THING TO DO. BUT HE SOON REALISED HE WANTED TO BE MORE OF A FATHER TO HIM AND GROGU ONLY EVER SAW HIM AS A FATHER FIGURE

Din, seeing Grogu: this is a thing. I must help it find its kind because that is my purpose and I enjoy it. I will not fall in love with the thing.

Grogu: :)

Din: I have fallen in love with the thing.

Din, seeing Luke: this is a Jedi. I must help him find his calling and also learn how to appreciate himself because that is my new purpose, and I enjoy it. I will not fall in love with the Jedi.

Luke: :)

Din: it will not happen again.

Luke: :( *sigh* guess I am unlovable and unworthy.

Din: ........ by Manda this can't be happening—

Oh my god 😭 they are such different people but when it comes down to it family is the most important thing to both of them 😭 oh... ohh

They love each other, but until they realise it, they are soooo incompatible and that's what makes me the happiest sometimes :,)

I love BBB. I love my story. I am in love with it. I would kiss it if I could.

THANK YOU for this ask. A great big mahoosive THANK YOU. I'm SORRY it took SO LONG getting to it, it has been a troubling year. I hope you enjoyed my thoughts on some of these, I hope I was ever so slightly coherent.

And, tbh, I'm heckin proud of this, so. @doublechocolate @airlocksandaviaries @funkyphonophorae @jspookywolf <3 tagging the people who might enjoy a lore dump?

Ily Nova!!! Keep doing what ur doing.

#oh yes #bbb lore #new tag <- ? #blood blindfolds and butterflies #:') #happiness........

[eddawrites]

Jayce Talis Week Day 6: Legacy

Let’s talk that one scene between Jayce and Silco...

This confrontation between two leaders who have both been backed into a corner by the other and forced to negotiate lest more harm comes to their people easily stands as one of the most tense scenes in season 1, overshadowed only by the sheer insanity of Jinx’s tea party that follows later in the same episode. More importantly, this scene is a culmination of Jayce’s character arc - from an idealistic scientist to a somewhat jaded politician who now understands the necessary evil of backdoor dealings and conferring with your enemies. But there are a few frequently overlooked details in this scene that I would hereby like to draw attention to; concretely to this line of dialogue:

[Jayce] I was reminded recently of what brought us together in the first place. The threats beyond our walls. [Silco] This city has a short memory.

During the meeting Jayce freely admits to Silco that he is afraid of the escalating conflict between the two cities, which Silco incorrectly assumes to be a sign of cowardice on Jayce’s part. Jayce, however, is not afraid of Silco, but rather of what a war might mean for the people of Zaun. With this (admittedly flawed) deal, he is trying to stop bloodshed on both sides of the bridge. But the aforementioned dialogue betrays that Jayce has reasons for parley other than the present concerns. He is aware of the possibility that a civil war would leave the twin cities open to a foreign invasion. This is a callback to the understated scene between Mel and her assistant/spy Elora in ep. 7:

[Elora] I’ve had word from our friends overseas. This threat from the undercity is drawing attention. Piltover looks vulnerable.

Delivering a letter arrived from Mel’s family, Elora informs her that unspecified forces - likely Noxus - are turning their eyes to Piltover as a possible target for an invasion. A worried Mel then replies that Jayce isn’t yet ready to deal with such a threat, having only recently been appointed to the council. Notably, after this scene, Mel begins to urge Jayce to build weapons under guise of defending city from a possible Zaunite rebellion, but I believe her she was in fact trying to prepare for this undisclosed threat. The reasons for my belief are as follow:

Mel is not on good terms with her family and is quick to shut down her mother’s request for a hextech weapon upon her arrival, therefore it is highly unlikely that she would have asked Jayce to build weapons on Ambessa’s behalf.

Mel immediately suggests going a diplomatic route in lieu of Jayce’s plan for a use of force during the council meeting in ep. 8, further confirming that her ep. 7 appeal for hextech weaponry is truly intended as a defensive measure rather than offensive purposes.

There is also this line from the confrontation with her mother near the beginning of ep. 9:

[Mel] I wanted to protect the city from people like you.

The existence of outside threats to Piltover is even highlighted as early as ep. 2 by councillor Shoola when she stresses that Piltover was originally intended as a safe haven from magic:

[Shoola] Piltover was founded to escape the warmongering of mages, not cultivate it.

Clearly, something else is afoot. While the threat may or may not be magical in nature, a third party is indisputably in play, whether the player is the same person hellbent on annihilating the Medarda Clan or someone else. While Mel does not confide in Jayce about this threat in ep. 7, choosing to instead veil the true reason for her request behind the convenient excuse of the immediate crisis, it appears that Jayce is aware of it by the time of his meeting with Silco and so this deal is just as much an attempt at appeasing Zaun as it is at deterring the possible foreign invasion. The two have likely discussed it off-screen. Given Jayce’s very recent record of impulsive decision-making under pressure, it was probably a smart choice on Mel’s part to not disclose the information before the harsh lesson Jayce learned towards the end of ep. 8.

Better the Devil You Know

Oftentimes I see people point out that effectively handing over the keys to Zaun to Silco, the same man who has been exploiting its people for nearly a decade and unleashed a harmful drug epidemic upon them for profit - amongst other things - is not an ideal solution to the problem, and Jayce appears to be just as aware of that fact as the audience is, evidenced by this bit of dialogue:

[Jayce] Believe me, if I had it my way, it’d be you rotting in Stillwater, but we can't make a deal with a snake and cut off its head. We both have our shitty parts to play.

Jayce is not comfortable with keeping Silco in power any more than us, the viewers are; however, as the matter stands he has very few options to the contrary and the most viable of those options - that being approaching Sevika with this deal instead - he is not even aware of. By rule, negotiations require some sort of leadership to be in place and Silco is the only figurehead the undercity has. The chembarons as a ruling body appear to lack any sort of hierarchy nor do they have an appointed spokesperson. Ekko simply does not have the political pull. As Jayce himself says, the only reason he is talking to Silco at all is because - to his knowledge - there is nobody else authorised to advocate for Zaun.

But even though the deal is all too generous towards Silco given Jayce’s very few demands, the most daring being asking for Jinx to be apprehended, it is not wholly without its merits - the leverage the Piltover council would gain over Zaun’s politics by inviting Silco into their ranks is of particular value; as the man himself says:

[Silco] The topsiders offered me everything. Independence, a seat at the table. All in return for you.

By putting Silco on the council, Zaun isn’t only gaining an advocate on the previously indifferent ruling body - it would also mean that Piltover would maintain a degree of power over Zaun in spite of its formal independence. Zaun is dependent on Piltover for trade much like Piltover used to be dependent on Zaun for resources before the invention of the Hexgates and becoming a major trade hub. Many of the more polluting industries are likely located in Zaun as well. Simply put: the two cities cannot exist without coexisting. Although Silco’s deal includes free access to trade routes, such privileges could easily be revoked had the council been unhappy with his leadership. And after the shimmer production would be shut down and the hextech gem returned, Silco would lose the means of intimidation he’s previously held, leaving him vulnerable to the council’s influence.

So you see, there is a failsafe in place even if it might not be apparent at first. I suspect that this particular sneaky caveat in the agreement did not come from Jayce’s own mind - he is still a rookie when it comes to the matters of politics despite being a fast learner - but rather someone with a bit more political prowess such as Mel. A piece of advice likely shared during the same talk in which she finally revealed the risk of foreign invasion. That said, it seems that she is not any more privy to the details of the deal than other councillors, shocked as she appears to be at the suggestion of independence during the council meeting proper, thus solidifying this particular decision as a show of agency from Jayce.

#arcane #arcane thoughts #jayce talis #silco #mel medarda #jayce talis week

[warsofasoiaf]

Could you do a character analysis of Morgott the Omen King next?

catgoblinchelly asked: Your character analysis are always a joy to read. Could you do one for morgott?

Morgott is an excellent boss battle both from a gameplay and a lore perspective, and a great and tragic character on his own. Morgott is utterly devoted to the Golden Order to the point where he willingly accepts the Greater Will's edicts - it's abandonment of the Lands Between as the Erdtree's thorns cut off any attempt at reaching Marika or in someone repairing the Elden Ring. The Greater Will has abandoned the world, and Morgott stands ready to enact punishment to any Tarnished that dares stand before the Erdtree and demand rulership, just like the rest of Morgott's other siblings. God has abandoned this world because of ambition, and so it shall remain. Forever and ever. Amen.

Morgott was born a cursed Omen, reviled by the Golden Order as cursed, born outside the guidance of grace. Common Omens have their horns sawed off, killing most, and those that survive are used as shock troops, sent out as fodder for the Order's armies. Royal Omens are spared the mutilation for being shoved into the sewers to hide their shame. Morgott was not spared this despite being the child of Marika and Godfrey, they were shackled and kept under the strictest of confinement. Morgott would eventually either be released or escape from confinement (perhaps during the Shattering), but took to the Golden Order to uphold it. The Omen were originally blessed in the era of the Crucible, their bestial features considered a sign of favor, but increasingly looked to be considered a devolution and impurity in the era of the Golden Order. Morgott internalized this belief and accepted his status as a lesser being. He could never be as favored or worthy as his sibling Godwyn the Golden, but he could still uphold his parents' order. While all of his siblings took their own path, Morgott took to defending the Golden Order, becoming the Veiled Monarch, Morgott the Grace-Given. While this seems odd, remember that Morgott suffered much from an early age. He likely took the Golden Order as a means to provide a meaning as to why he suffered, something within him that rationalized his pain. By embracing this divine order, even if he was at the bottom of it, it gave him a sense of comforting and belonging beyond the idea that he suffered because the Erdtree wished to destroy the Crucible and its own structure that exalted the Omens. When you first meet Margit, he condemns the Tarnished's ambition, and later he does the same to his half-siblings. His admonition of "ambition" makes sense, both against the Tarnished and later against his half-siblings. Ambition caused the Night of Black Knives, killing Godwyn and causing the Shattering - Ranni's ambition led to Godwyn's death and the ambition of others led to countless dead and suffering. To Morgott, ambition *broke* the Lands Between. Accepting his status as a lesser being curtails him of ambition - he is a vessel of a higher will, he refuses ambition on his own.

As Morgott could not officially rule given his status as an Omen, Morgott could not lead his armies directly. Morgott thus concocted the false identity of Margit the Fell Omen, Morgott's leader who led the Night's Cavalry as the Veiled Monarch's enforcers. As Margit, Morgott could shed his tattered cloak and fight openly to enforce his judgments as monarch. It's as Margit that the Tarnished first meets Morgott, attempting to stop any new warrior from attacking Godrick the Grafted and challenging the Golden Order by acquiring shards of the Elden Ring. The status quo means that the Golden Order still persists. Radahn has lost his mind and will not get another Great Rune, Rennala has shut herself inside the Academy, Malenia is unconscious, Rykard was defeated, and Godrick too weak. Thus, Morgott acts to perpetuate the Lands Between in its wounded and dying state. Here is one of the greatest tragedies of the Golden Order - Morgott was intelligent, brave, and loyal, even crafting the Sentry's Torch so that his half-siblings would not fear another Night of Black Knives. Yet due to the Golden Order wanted to stomp out the previous divine order of the Crucible, he is considered a lesser being. He suffered a horrifying fate and fought to uphold it, no doubt continuing the treatment on other Omens.

Morgott's boss fight, from a lore and thematic perspective, is one of the best in the game, up there with Gwyn, Lord of Cinder fight in the original Dark Souls. Morgott arrives in the throne room after walking down from the stairs leading up to the Erdtree, demanding "what is thy business with these thrones?" Morgott then recounts the names of the siblings who fought in the brutal post-Shattering civil war, condemning them as "willful traitors all." He curiously omits Mohg, but it could be that Morgott has no knowledge of Mohg's actions (since Mohg was not involved in the Shatterong, instead kidnapping Miquella) He then draws his rainbow Damascus curved greatsword made of his own hardened and sharpened blood (this is confirmed by the Great Omenkiller cleaver made out of Omen horns, which brings "vibrant colors to the mayhem"), boldly proclaiming that the Tarnished will be "felled by King Morgott, Last of the Kings." Morgott is an evolution and enhancement of the previous Margit the Fell Omen fight. Morgott mixes up fast attacks with his greatsword with heavy attacks from his summoned holy hammer, using his throwing knives to punish flask use and flipping about the battlefield like a bullfrog gymnast. When he starts taking damage, he erupts in holy fire and enters his second, more aggressive second phase. He begins to use his cursed Omen blood as a weapon, erupting his blade in fire reminiscent of Mohg's Bloodflame magic. It's an exciting fight that suffers from Morgott having low HP - even with a summon the fight is over far too quickly unless you rush Leyendell immediately instead of exploring the Altus Plateau. The Draconic Tree Sentinel at the eastern gate seems like a greater threat than Morgott himself.

After Morgott's defeat, we learn that the Greater Will has actually abandoned the Lands Between and refuses to let anyone ascend, blocking the chamber with impenetrable thorns. This puts a new layer of tragedy upon Morgott - he knew right from the start that nothing would actually fix the Lands Between continuing as it once was, the path that Morgott was taking. He did this unloved by the Erdtree and the Golden Order as it says in his Rememberance - he was unloved as an Omen yet loved the Golden Order. The Golden Order persecuted him and yet Morgott could see no other way. The Lands Between was a stagnant and dying, but Morgott refused to take a chance on a better way like his other siblings. Of course, there's no guarantee that what replaced the Golden Order would be any better - Mohg's Moghwynn Dynasty under the Formless Mother or the Frenzied Flame under Vyke (or the player character) are certainly worse, as is the defilement under the Dung Eater. If the player character does not take it upon himself to find a new rune to place into the Elden Ring, then the Elden Lord ending is the Age of Fracture, a era of bronze instead of gold. This calls to mind the vision of Daniel in the Bible, where King Nebuchadnezzar dreams of a statue with a golden head, a silver chest, and loins of bronze - each age descending the statue worse than the one before. So in this sense, even if the player doesn't agree, Morgott's actions are not pure nonsense - he has a method to his mode of thinking. This is why I compare him to Dark Souls's Gwyn, Lord of Cinder, because Morgott upholding the clearly failed Golden Order reminds me so intensely of Gwyn offering himself as kindling for the First Flame to continue the Age of Fire rather than risk everything being undone and a new age, the Age of Dark, coming to be.

Later, when Godfrey returns, he cradles his son, so diminished, until his body returns to grace. His Omen curse was lifted, or the Erdtree accepted him into grace anyway (or some other explanation). Here we see that despite everything, Godfrey loved his son, even if he imprisoned him. Morgott held on to see his father, but also to see the Erdtree that he so cherished set alight by the Tarnished. Morgott is the first of the truly mandatory bosses - you have to face others before him, but Morgott cannot be skipped save through unintentional sequence breaking. Morgott would never accept a new order even if it was possible to bypass him. FromSoft sets up a tragic fight and tragic figure, perhaps not as directly painful as Great Grey Wolf Sif or Gehrman the First Hunter, but one where you do feel sad for fighting him. He doesn't have the negative characteristics of Godrick, Rykard, or Mohg and taking him down isn't a mercy like Radahn - this is a tragedy, a true waste of someone who could be so much greater than he was if he had possessed the imagination to see it done. Whether that's due to the trauma he suffered as a child as I've speculated above or another reason entirely, Morgott represents so much missed opportunity that it's impossible not to feel for him. As he fades in his father's arms, perhaps the acceptance he received from his father, and of being accepted by the Erdtree at that last climatic moment, gave him some measure of peace.

Thanks for the question, Cat and George.

SomethingLikeALawyer, Hand of the King

#elden ring #elden ring morgott #elden ring margit #character analysis

[circa-specturgia]

hiiii :]

ice breaker ask game questions!

How many wips do you have? How many are you actively working on?

How would you explain your active wips to someone who knew nothing about it?

How do you want readers to feel while reading your story? and after they finish reading it?

@vsnotresponding

Hi!!! Thanks for this ask! ✨

For others reading, this is @incandescent-creativity’s Writeblr Icebreaker Asks List!

How many wips do you have? How many are you actively working on?

Currently, I’m working on four! I tend to bounce around them, with more or less of my ideas focused on one at any given time. I’ve gotten an idea for a new one, which I’ll list as well, though I haven’t talked about or posted anything connected to it on here yet.

Circa Specturgia

Prometheus

Lost & Found

Untitled

Vibration

I’ll put the rest of these under a cut since it’s turned into a bit of a long post!

How would you explain your active wips to someone who knew nothing about it?

I’ll try and give some small summary for each one! All the scenes and posts I’ve done for each of these are in my pinned post, though I’ll be making a new Masterpost soon!

Circa Specturgia -High fantasy with several original races, an intricate and complex magic system not too unlike Bending from A:TLA, and a mystery taking the characters across the planet in search of answers hidden across time. Lots of magic duels, forgotten history, a world with scars and bruises left behind by something ancient, and a cast which faces something much larger than any of them alone.

Prometheus - A crew of astronauts on a pioneering mission to Alpha Centauri get lost beyond the stars, with no hope of returning home, and must survive on the fringes of the universe, where space and time unravel, all while grappling with their humanity and the isolation of space. Exploring odd and abandoned worlds, encountering alien flora and fauna, and lots of character vulnerability as they break down and realize how much they need one another.

Lost & Found - A young woman find that her imaginary friend was never quite so imaginary, as she is thrust into the world behind the veil; the world within which the Lost & Found operates. A mysterious humanitarian foundation acting for the good of the people and the reality which they enjoy, and against those who would seek to watch it crumble and sway.

Untitled - A post-post-apocalyptic story, as I like to call it. Not right after the end of the world, but a good time after, once ever-resilient nature has had the time to heal and return to the world. A quartet of friends embark on a roadtrip across the world in some highly-modified cars, collecting books from the ruins of the old world and piecing together what it was that happened.

Vibration - This one, I only had the idea for a few days ago, but, so so far my ideas on it are scattered, though two things which will be central to it will be a magic based in vibrations; knocks, taps, rhythm and patterns, and a world with days and nights entirely unlike our own.

How do vou want readers to feel while reading your story? and after they finish reading it?

While reading is difficult to really answer. Obviously I’d like them to feel whatever the characters are feeling, though that’ll come down to how well I can write it! On a broader scale, however, I’d say perhaps; inspired, and hopeful? I’d like to write stories which communicate the visuals I see in my head, and I’d like to share those with others, to share the awe of a beautiful place for example. I’d like to write stories which, however bleak and dark and hopeless they may become, leaving the characters betrayed, on the edges of space, trapped in their own minds or reminiscing on all that was taken from them, in the end, allow them to get up, and to take the steps to control their own fate. To feel hope for a better tomorrow, to believe in themselves and in others. It’s not to say that tragedy won’t happen, but that it’s not the end of everything, that a little bit of solace may be found, and nurtured.

I hope this answered your questions! May I send you a few as well?✨

#writeblr #writers on tumblr #writing community #writing #writing thoughts #original writing #wtwcommunity #writeblr community #icebreaker asks!

[polutrope]

⭐️ for “Friendship and Stern Demand” please!

The ~1000 word endnote wasn't enough for you 😁? No, for real, I'm delighted you asked about this.

Friendship and Stern Demand was my attempt to write the messages between Maedhros and Elwing leading up to the Third Kinslaying.

The origin of this fic is unusual because it wasn’t inspired by any prompt or anything but my own curiosity about what these letters would actually have been like. “...they sent messages to the Havens of friendship and yet of stern demand.” – what does that mean? 

Surprisingly, and unlike most things I write, I didn’t have to do much plotting out or planning of what each letter would contain, what the tactic would be, etc. beyond reading the scant canonical information on the motives and events of the third kinslaying 25 times with a magnifier. Then my aim was to write the letters that a historian composing that text might have had as their source. 

I’m gonna just focus on Maedhros’ letters since he’s the harder of the two characters for me to write. 

The first letter was the trickiest to get going, because I just couldn’t imagine how Maedhros could possibly have opened a message to Dior’s daughter, asking for the Silmaril, in a ‘friendly’ way. But once I got the idea that he doesn’t mention the Silmaril at all in the first letter, and just makes the offer (and veiled threat) of military aid and an alliance, it flowed from there. 

While the first letter certainly employs rhetorical technique, it’s worded quite plainly. It’s courteous and politic. Not so the second, where Maedhros changes tactics. I think Maglor (who probably told Maedhros the first wouldn’t work) helped write this one (I also think it was Maglor’s idea for Maedhros to pretend he had hope of the Valar coming to their rescue). I don’t know how obvious it is, but I think the language of the second one is more obviously rhetorical, e.g. the irony of “I will be plain with you,” followed by rather prosaic and dramatic language and a thinly veiled threat:

Lady of the Havens, I will be plain with you. We, the last of the free peoples of Ennor, cannot stem this tide in isolation. You say your people are brave, and I believe this – but the forces that spill forth unceasingly from Angband are formidable and tireless. We are a House of warriors. Though diminished from our former glory, we have rebuilt some strength of arms and cavalry, which we would offer for your protection.

But did I write this letter intending for Maglor to have helped with it? Nope! He just made himself heard because he’s a little bee buzzing around in the back of my brain at all times. And I let his influence stand, since he’s in Maedhros’ head, too. 

Maedhros’ third and last letter, though, is very much in his voice. This is the “a king is he who can hold his own” tone. This is the “stern demand” part. 

I wrote these letters over the course of about a week and picked over them a lot. I thought the end result was kind of boring, but as usual @cuarthol assured me they were not and turns out it’s been one of my most commented-on fics so she was right, also as usual.

#asks