#I'm assuming this is traditional because it certainly looks like it

[canisalbus]

Heya, just a small gift art of your boy, he's a very interesting character.

.

#aaa my boy! #he looks so light and pink and powdery here #you accentuated his soft blushy tones so well #I feel like I should tuck him into bed or something #I love the subtle textured look of the watercolors #the faint little smudges and paint speckles on the background #I'm assuming this is traditional because it certainly looks like it #but people have gotten so good at replicating the painterly feel digitally it's hard to know sometimes #beautiful work either way! #thank you so much for drawing him! #gift art #circusmothman #Machete

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

Maybe a drabble in which our Lamb meets Chimaera Reader, the maker of all crowns? Like, he stumbles upon their lair, and sees all types of the crowns, big and small, black and white, one-eyed and two-eyed, etc.? Maybe even a little inter actions between the Reader and the Red Crown in which it recognises them as their maker?

Sorry for my English, it is not my native language-

Also sorry if this request repeats, tumblr May have doubled it-

I swear I'm gonna turn this into an OC one day because I LOVE the concept of a crown maker in the COTL universe

........

'Where am I now..?' Lamb pondered as they stepped into a cavern--one most unfamiliar to them.

It was strange, considering they've scoured nearly every corner of the Old Faith for resources, potential rival cult activity, and even martyrs for the Bishops.

But this area was entirely new to them.

With their weapon drawn, they cautiously ventured further inward, eventually arriving into a larger room that was almost entirely cloaked in darkness. They could barely see a thing even with the few torches scattered around lighting the way.

Then suddenly, they saw a bunch of eyes opening up on all sides of them, varying in shape, size, color, and number. And they just stared down at the little sheep.

While they were accustomed to having so many eyes on them, this was completely different.

These eyes certainly didn't belong to any follower of theirs.

What if this was a trap?

What if-?

"Welcome, little Lamb! Promised liberator of the Old Faith!"

Looking upwards, they could see you descending from the darkness. You looked like a tradition chimera: a lion, goat, dragon, and snake all mixed into one. Both of your heads smiled as you took a seat upon your throne, although you frowned a bit upon realizing how poor the lighting must have been.

"Oh forgive me, it is awful dim in here, isn't it? Hold on one moment." Your lion head breathed out a small blast of fire, aimed towards a nearby candle that lit up.

That set off a chain reaction which lit up dozens of other candles around your lair, and burned the torches bright enough for Lamb to see what all those eyes belonged to:

Crowns.

So many crowns.

Big and small, black and white, one-eyed and two-eyed..and even multi-eyed; some sported horns and some did not. Others had bare surfaces while others were decorated with jewels or marred with scars from time.

It was an astonishing sight, and when Lamb looked back up at you, they could see a crown on each of your heads--snake tail included.

Not to mention your seat was adorned with four familiar ones...

"So you..take crowns from fallen gods?"

"Do I take them?" You repeated, before laughing uproariously. "No, but I can see why you'd assume that. I'm [y/n], Maker of the Crowns."

They blinked. "You created the crowns?"

"I have since the first gods ruled over these lands." You chuckled, taking the Green Crown into your paw. "I mold them into a design of my liking, give them life, and then send them off into the world to find a worthy host. They're like my children, so I do get sentimental at times...but I know they'll do great things."

'Huh...Leshy did say the crown found him..' Lamb mused.

"Of all the ones I've created, though, I never thought to see the Bishops' crowns again. But they were in such terrible condition...falling apart, barely able to keep their eyes open....I couldn't believe it." Your gaze shifted down to the sheep. "You wouldn't happen to know why, would you?"

They tensed. "...well...um-"

"Haha! I only jest, Lamb. I know everything." You smiled reassuringly. "I've sensed strong spikes in their energy, and I'm well aware they've been used as aids for the bishops after Narinder's betrayal. Speaking of whom...."

Pausing, you outstretched your paws towards them. "I see the Red Crown has found a new master."

"It's a long story, but--hey!!" All of the sudden, the Red Crown slipped out of their hands, morphing back into its normal form as it began floating up to you. They were shocked and angered, feeling extremely vulnerable without it. "What are you doing?!"

"Nothing, little one. It came to me all on its own. Welcome home, my darling." With the crown nestled into your paw, your smile grew as its eye stared back up at you with happiness. You sighed and brought it closer to your cheek, allowing it to nuzzle up to you. "Oh how I've missed you, mighty crown of Death. I'm glad you have not forgotten me."

"Give it back!!" Lamb snarled, baring their sharp teeth as they tried storming up to your throne. But their little hooves kept slipping on the skull pile that served as its foundation, and they eventually tumbled downwards, landing on their rear. "I need it back right now!"

"...are they always like this?" You muttered to the Red Crown, who just rolled its pupil in response. "Huh, I thought so. Arrogant, entitled, paranoid....just like your first master-"

"Don't compare us." They scowled. "Narinder was worse than arrogant...he would have destroyed this entire world, along with you and all these crowns if I returned it to him! We are NOTHING alike."

"Hm, I see I've touched a nerve. My apologies. I just wanted to take care of this little chip in its horn." Smiling, you manifested some black ichor to seal the crack you discovered on the crown, before sharpening up its horns a little bit. "There. Much better."

"....thank you. Now may I have it back?" Lamb put their hand out, growing more anxious with each passing second they were separated from it. 'Why isn't it returning to me?"

"It doesn't see why it has to right at this very moment...and quite frankly, I don't either. It's not connected to your lifeforce. You're still standing without it-"

"Because I'm its new master! I gave it new purpose. I gave it freedom...and it should be obeying me unconditionally and I don't understand why it's being so stubborn. That crown wouldn't be anywhere NEAR as powerful if it weren't for-!!"

"Choose your next words carefully," you tutted, shaking your head as you gestured to the walls. "My children do not look it, but they too have ears."

Falling silent, they looked all around, noticing that the crowns were now glaring at them. They tensed up, a feeling of heavy discomfort and embarrassment washing over them as they slowly realized how childish they were acting.

And in front of the crown creator, of all people?

"Tell me..do you see the crown as nothing without you? Or perhaps you feel like you are nothing without the crown?"

"........"

"Your mistake, little lamb, is that you see crowns as simple tools to do your bidding. A conduit for your godhood. But do not forget, they are also living breathing creatures like you and I." You chastised. "As such, they deserve respect. I figured you would've been more grateful to meet their maker...such few have the privilege to enter my lair and receive such a warm welcome."

The Red Crown bobbed up and down in agreement, before it scowled down at Lamb, as though to say "you better listen to them and treat me better".

They just looked at the ground, unable to form words as shame creeped up their spine.

You sighed softly. "I understand your worries as a new god. The mere thought of separation from it drives you to rage, especially after what happened between you and Narinder. But I have no desire to take it from you. Not when you've fought so hard for it. All I wish is that you continue caring for it."

"....I'm sorry, Great Crown Maker.." Lamb muttered, finally letting themselves be humbled. "I don't mean to act like I did. It's just...he's been annoying me all day today, shouting about "divine right" and making my life a living hell. He still can't accept that it chose me over him.."

They felt the familiar and comforting weight of the Red Crown returning to the wool atop their head, but they only looked up at you with respect. "Thank you."

"Of course, young one." You nodded, smiling once more. "Narinder has possessed that crown since he was a wee little kit, so it's going to be quite a long time before he lets that grudge go. Perhaps in a hundred years, give or take."

"I understand...so.." Lamb looked around. "Do you have any wares?"

"Oh, plenty!" You clapped your paws together. "Feel free to take a gander! Since this is your first visit, you may have one of the tarot cards over there on the house. But just know that the crowns aren't for sale."

#clanask #anonymous #cult of the lamb x reader #cotl x reader #cotl lamb x reader #cotl lambert x reader #platonic

[kradogsrats]

Aaravos, Leola, and the Entire History of Human Magic

ALL RIGHT, BUCKLE THE FUCK UP:

So after my "Leola and Laurelion might be the same person" crazy, I was looking shit up to write a post about alternately Laurelion possibly being Aaravos, as in Laurelion was the immortal Aaravos, and Aaravos is the fallen Laurelion, because of this:

White as the star's heart it pierced, as in "Novablade is white, and the star's heart was also white."

Who... had the white heart of a star...

... and now... doesn't?

hmmmmMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

However, the problem with this is that Aaravos at least appears to go from powered/heart-ed version:

To de-powered, heart...less? version:

...when he's imprisoned. At least, according to the way Zubeia tells it.

Meanwhile, in Ripples, we see what is presumably Aaravos's actual "fall," as the "Fallen Star"—a literal descent from the heavens. This occurs long, long before the events of Aaravos's imprisonment, before dark magic, before Elarion.

I'll note that part of what I'm taking into account here is a note from the artbook on Aaravos's designs:

As a "fallen" Startouch elf, Aaravos can only access a fraction of his former power.

So it seems like the assumption to make would be that Aaravos lost his powers and status when he was cast from the heavens, which is also where I would assume Laurelion dies and Aaravos is "born" if the Laurelion/Aaravos as the same being dichotomy was in play. Then why is his heart not blackened until he's imprisoned?

One possibility is that his empowered appearance is an illusion he's maintaining—another manipulation, that's dropped when he's imprisoned.

Another possibility is this is all bullshit, and everything is as generally assumed before: when Aaravos was imprisoned, the majority of his power was somehow stripped.

Leaving that aside for a moment, let's take a look at the order of operations here, historically.

Humanity looks to the stars to save them, but the stars do not respond:

— Patience

At some point, humanity is granted some kind of blessing from the heavens, long before humans built cities and became powerful:

— Patience

ALSO at some point, humanity is granted the power of primal magic. By tradition this was from the unicorns, in particular Leola:

— Tales of Xadia

However, this magic is forbidden them:

— Ripples

Aaravos is cast from the heavens in a calamity that creates the Sea of the Castout—again, long before dark magic:

— Ripples

Further, in the retelling of this story, Aaravos notes that the stars apparently were satisfied with the results of casting him out. It scarred the land, and frightened the humans—and their claim on primal magic—into submission:

— Ripples

I'll add another note from the artbook here on Aaravos's design:

Some designs had a strong, authoritative vibe that suited other Startouch elves, but not our "fallen star."

Finally, let's look at this again:

Aaravos, obviously, on his knees and in despair. A feminine-appearing elf who is almost certainly another Startouch elf, by the horn shape and the design of the crown on her brow.

I've seen at least one person cast this as a rendition of Aaravos's punishment, in that she represents the other stars and gestures as if to say "behold how far our brother has fallen."

But y'all. Y'ALL. Please.

We have seen this gesture FAR too many times for it to be something else, at this point. This is mercy, and love, and the passing of a torch.

So, let me clean this up into what I think happened:

The stars are largely absent gods, indifferent to the fate of humans and interested in only their design/prophecy of the world.

Leola, another Startouch elf (or else we're gonna stretch the definition of "unicorn" pretty far), takes pity on humanity and grants them the secret of primal magic.

Leola is somehow punished for this transgression. If Laurelion is Leola, she is killed. (The Celestial elves, in this case, are the guardians of the stars' order and power in Xadia. They are the last line of defense against this sort of thing.)

Aaravos, who loved Leola, either speaks on her behalf or otherwise rebels against the order of the stars. Aaravos is cast out. If Laurelion is Aaravos, he is robbed of his heart and his power.

"Leola's Last Wish" is to continue to be a guide to humanity, through the darkness.

Aaravos, meanwhile, fucking loses his mind and decides to burn down everything. He will destroy everything the stars put in place in all of Xadia, and he will leverage humans to do it.

Aaravos begins to spin up dark magic, and when the time is right, gifts it to humanity as the inciting action of his plan to tear all of Xadia apart. More on that here.

ADDENDUM: Chatting with @raayllum immediately after writing this and they raised the possibility of Leola being Aaravos’s mother, given the parallel to Sarai in the statue, and YES that makes so much sense. Particularly regarding the star-child constellation, him adopting her crown, and why he might be punished along with her. I like this explanation better than them being lovers, even if it means TDP gains yet another goddamn martyr mother.

Anyway, that's it! Mystery of Aaravos solved.

#the dragon prince #leola #aaravos #primal magic #dark magic #tdp spoilers #the dragon prince spoilers #s5 spoilers #leolavos #laurelion

[squidthoughts]

why doesn't shin leave?

that's the question, right? there are secondary ones, of course – why didn't she kill sabine/was she sandbagging their duel/did she intentionally perform a nonfatal stabbing/was she sent there to interact with sabine at all, or just for the map.... but really, my question at the end of ep1 was:

why is she waiting here at all?

"we've been looking for this," shin says, and that's what, an accusation? conversation-starter? she's here to talk? maybe, okay – except she's actively thieving, so what can she be expecting by sticking around but a fight? so she secures the map and she waits for sabine. to fight her. but the question is still why and in my unqualified opinion i think the answer is found back here:

"ahsoka tano's former apprentice is on lothal."

what do we know about baylan? he was a jedi, once. he witnessed the purge of his order and adapted to a life of survival – he maintains certain jedi traditions, he passes these traditions to his padawan: the braid, the traditional construction of the lightsaber, if not the crystal inside (standing mystery, though). he is nostalgic but not melancholy, connected perhaps to the more elegant and noble history of the jedi but evidently strongly opposed to assuming that title at present.

what do we know about shin? well...almost nothing. except that when baylan speaks, shin listens. she obeys unquestioningly. when morgan speaks, shin watches baylan. they are close; there is mutual trust, though clearly more dependency on shin's side. and she is likely – though not certainly – born after order 66.

i'm confident answers will be forthcoming about shin's past, but in the meantime, working with the (very!!) little we have, assuming the subtle intricacies of the shot direction and ivanna's acting are all intentional, and with the full disclaimer that im brainrotty for wolfwren......i want to answer my original question.

shin has never seen another apprentice before. beyond baylan and inquisitors (apparently), she has probably never seen another lightsaber-wielder before. and yet – her master, while scorning the label of jedi, is steeped in jedi history. he seems to be training her according to some traditional jedi principles (though...what with the mass-murder and the mercenary work, of course we don't yet know the extent of those principles), and it would follow that he would have imparted the history of the jedi as well.

baylan skoll is not a jedi. but ahsoka tano is. or, was. but the antagonist squad refers to her as a jedi, so from shin's perspective it's not just "ahsoka tano's apprentice" on lothal. she is being told there is a real, live jedi apprentice on lothal.

and the jedi are extinct.

we're into the rampant speculation part of the meta now, because what is shin thinking in this moment?

there's a green lightsaber before her – a jedi apprentice before her – or at least the former-apprentice-of-a-jedi, but shin is the apprentice-of-a-former-jedi, and at some point the semantics get in the way of the exhilaration. this is probably (again, this whole thing could get disproven in the next episode or something) the first lightsaber battle shin has ever had with someone who might actually kill her. (i assume baylan wouldn't engage in prolicide while sparring.)

this is, i think, shin at her most excited. on the one hand – it's another apprentice! it's another member of an order (her order??) that was supposed to be wiped out! this is proof of concept maybe, that shin isn't so alone! and on the other hand – this is a test, no? like, the first real test of shin's full abilities, assuming she's never dueled before? again, i wish we knew more about her motivations, but it stands to reason a padawan that powerful and devoted would constantly be looking for ways to both prove and improve herself, right?

and then. sabine. sucks.

she's sloppy and weak and doesn't use the force. she's untrained and undisciplined and slow and gets tired too quickly.

shin starts blocking with one hand. she starts sidestepping sabine's wild swings. there's no way she's is trying to kill her at this point; shin is playing with her food.

i just...think she's disappointed?? like, she was probably expecting so much more from a proper jedi's apprentice, and i think we'd need more information about her to extrapolate what exactly she wants in this scene, but i'd be willing to bet it wasn't this sub-par, former-apprentice bitch-ass fight. (love to sabine but like. she did get her clock cleaned. obviously.)

regardless, i am excited to see how this experience influences the forestfight™ we know is on the way...and also if sabine, like, feels...anything....about being skewered like a county fair corn dog?? i mean trauma or anger or fear or drive or?? bc we know shin wasn't actually trying to kill her, (this is my official stance and im sticking to it) but sabine sure doesn't!!

#shin hati #meta #sabine wren #ahsoka show spoilers #ahsoka spoilers #wolfwren #ahsoka show

[venerawrites]

thank you for feeding my Naruto brainrot 😫🫶🏻 for the prompt request: for your fav Naruto boys or girls, what are the non-negotiables (things they need to have) and the dealbreakers (will not tolerate) when they're in a relationship with their partner?

author's note: this has been sitting in my drafts for a while, so I'm really sorry for the delay. I really liked that prompt and I do hope I did it justice. I have so many favs it was hard to pick, but ultimately I decided to pick Naruto, Neji, Sasuke and Shikamaru.

Naruto

➦ Non-negotiables

Calm and rational mind - as someone who is a ball full of energy and very easily influenced by his emotions, Naruto needs a partner who is stable and able to keep calm and collected under pressure. He has enough fire and passion within him for both him and his partner, so he would need a polar opposite in order to keep him balanced. He also lacks the ability to look at situations realistically, so a more rational partner would definitely help him do that.

Affectionate - this doesn't mean he wants someone who is clinging to his arm 24/7, but rather someone who is not afraid to show affection to him either in public or private. A partner that laces their fingers with his when they notice his knee shaking nervously or embraces them in a hug after a long stressful day, is what Naruto needs after being alone for so many years.

➦ Dealbreakers

Lack of ambitions or drive - Naruto has always been full of dreams and hope. He constantly seeks to grow, not only in his power but also as a person. If he is with a partner who lacks any ambition in life, he is bound to feel stagnate at some point and that is probably his biggest nightmare. He needs someone to calm and balance his hyperactive personality, but he won't be with someone who makes his whole life dull.

No sense of humour - this may not be a dealbreaker for many people, but for Naruto it certainly is. He has always been a goofball and loves a good joke, so I can't even imagine him being with someone, who won't at least crack a smile at his attempts to cheer them up. He doesn't want to be with someone who is overly pessimistic and negative.

Neji

➦ Non-negotiables

A strong moral compass - probably the least tolerant and forgiving of all of the guys on the list, Neji needs a partner that has strong morals and values. There are certain things that are completely unjustifiable in his eyes, like betraying the people you love or killing innocent people. No matter their background or religious/political view, their partner needs to have strong principles that they follow, regardless of external pressure. For him, this is also fundamental for raising your children right.

Commitment - Neji's ideal partner would need to be someone who will commit fully to him and their family (once they have one). I always imagined him with a civilian or someone who is an ex-ninja, because he knows it is not possible to juggle both an active ninja lifestyle and taking care of the house. Even he, at some point, would start doing fewer and fewer missions, spending time and training his children instead. He would absolutely expect the same from their partner.

➦ Dealbreakers

Not wanting family/children - Neji is a very traditional guy and as such, he does want to one day have a family and be a father. He would respect his partner's decision if they decide this is not the life for them, but that would ultimately lead to the end of their relationship. This is one thing he would not change his mind about, so he has to be with someone who is on the same page.

Lack of respect - in a way connected to the dealbreaker above, he won't be with someone who doesn't respect him, his family, or his values. Due to the way he was raised, he would naturally assume the role of provider and protector - his partner better be the more submissive half, the one who nurtures, rather than fights. If they cannot respect that dynamic, they better find a more open-minded partner than Neji.

Sasuke

➦ Non-negotiables

Confidence and courage - having quite a lot of issues himself, he needs a partner who has the confidence and the courage to stand up to him. Sasuke has the tendency to do whatever he thinks is right, without really taking into consideration how that affects others. He really needs someone who will be honest about their feelings and opinions, without fearing that they will somehow offend him. He will probably huff and puff, but he secretly appreciates it when their partner has the guts to put their foot down.

Bluntness - maybe connected in a way to what I typed above, but Sasuke needs someone who speaks bluntly to him. He is also the type of person to share his thoughts openly, so he expects the same from his partner. Additionally, he is not good at getting hints, so it's better for his lover to just say straightforwardly what is bothering them, rather than tip-toe around it.

➦ Dealbreakers

Lying - Sasuke cannot tolerate liars. He has been lied to quite a lot during his life and he suffers from major trust issues. If he catches his partner even in a lie, even about something insignificant, that would be the end of the relationship. If they lie about small, they will inevitably lie about something bigger as well. Sasuke had enough with people like that.

Clinginess - that man had enough of people clinging to him. Sasuke values his personal space and alone time and he won't like a partner, that is constantly on his back and wants to spend all their time together. Like everyone, he would need some moments of loving and he would subtly hint at their partner when they need attention/love, but he would somehow have to initiate it first.

Shikamaru

➦ Non-negotiables

Empathy - an ideal partner would be able to see other people's sides, and consider their feelings and motives. Shikamaru prides himself on being open-minded and good at reading people, so he expects his partner to be the same. He forgot a date or something minor because of how stressed he is at work? He wants his partner to be able to put themselves in his shoes and maybe cut him a little bit of slack.

Likes challenges/puzzles - as someone who is so smart, Shikamaru needs intellectual challenges to keep boredom away and also stimulate his brain. His partner either has to be brave enough to challenge him on topics they do not agree on or actively seek and help him with puzzling tasks, that he can't deal alone with. Either way, their partner has to be able to think outside the box and be able to counter Shikamaru's arguments.

➦ Dealbreakers

Anger issues - now I know that may be controversial, since in the anime he is with Temari, who can be pretty fiery... but personally I feel he is not the one to really tolerate someone who gets worked up easily, shouts, and throws tantrums. Life is too short to deal with someone who can't control their temper and he constantly feels like he has to walk on eggshells around them.

Pretending to be dumb - Shikamaru is naturally attracted to intelligence. Does it feel nice to be outsmarted or corrected by their own partner sometimes? Well, no, not really. But he definitely prefers that, rather than having a partner that pretends to be dumb, just so they can appear cute or for other people to like them better.

cc artwork: Houston Sharp

#naruto uzumaki #sasuke uchiha #neji hyuga #shikamaru nara #naruto uzumaki x reader #sasuke x reader #neji x reader #shikamaru x reader #naruto imagines #naruto headcanons #naruto requests

[dawndelion-winery]

Faithfully Yours

What sort of companion droid are they?

Android au! Ft. Childe, Diluc, Kaeya, Scaramouche, Aether

Warning: mildly possessive behaviour

Childe:

As one of the higher end models, he falls in both the domestic and guard lines

He makes himself very handy around the house and one of his favourite pastimes is seeing you savour his cooking

You'd tell him not to watch you but he looked like such a kicked puppy when you did, so you figured it wouldn't hurt to let him be

He's almost painfully clingy though

Since there's not much need for him as a guard, he takes it upon himself to fill the role of spouse

And seeks you out every few minutes because he just has to have your attention

Washing the dishes? He's bringing you a small stack of dishes every now and then to check if they meet your standards

He also fully expects to be praised or he'll assume he hasn't done well enough

Sometimes you can't even get him to charge unless you're in the same room as him because he complains he gets lonely

He also prefers when you call him Ajax as opposed to Tartaglia or Childe

"Psssst, psst, user<3, psssst."

"Yes, Ajax?"

"Heheh, I love you."

He works well with most other androids, though he will have a tendency to hog you a little bit

But he's very generous with you attention! Or so he says

You're free to sit in any other android's lap as long as he's the one you're looking at etc

Diluc:

Similar to Childe, he's classified as both a domestic and guard model

He's just not quite as openly affectionate despite also being very spouse like

Which means he functions best as a companion droid when he's the only one you have

Diluc, in essence, is a traditional lover android, which means he's happy to protect you and provide for you, at the small cost of him being the object of your affection

Kisses? He wants them all. Hugs? Entirely his

He's alright with being away from you, but that doesn't mean he isn't always thinking of you

In his opinion, there's nothing more enjoyable than cuddling you with a bottle of grape juice

Very much an android of service, you name it, he'll do it

If you do want other androids, he won't stop you, but he will get a little bit sulky

You'll find him hovering around you a lot more but not hugging you unless you're alone

He hopes you'll remember that no matter how many androids you have, he'll always adore you the most

Kaeya:

He's from the informatics line

Designed to help his user obtain any bit of information they desire to the best of his ability, he's programmed to be alright with not seeing you for long periods of time

So you're not sure why he seems so reluctant to leave your side

It could be a glitch, but since they've all been discontinued, it'd be too much trouble to get him fixed over such a minor issue

He tells you that he's alright with other androids but at the same time, you'll find there's always some sort of tension

Not to worry, of course! He's just keeping tabs on all of them so they toe the line

After all, he can't have any of them trying to replace him

He most adores laying on top of you with his head on your chest whole you play with his hair

Comb it, braid it, pin all sorts of accessories in it, he'll love anything you do to him as long as you're not pushing him away

Isn't he pretty when you style his hair from him? He often offers to let you dress him, insisting he'd be prettier if you picked out his outfits to match yours too

"What's the matter, master? You're not too shy to put your hands on me are you? You should really remember that I'm entirely yours."

Scaramouche:

A failed prototype to the Raiden Shogun, he was meant to be a comfort android with slight guard capabilities

He ended up too sensitive, turning him bitter and cynical as a result, far from the ideal comfort droid

Yet there's something so pure and soft in the way he cradles your head against his chest when you weep

He gingerly wipes your tears away, and hands you a tissue when you sniffle

Certainly, he's every bit of an asshole under normal circumstances

But there's no mistaking the original code, he was absolutely made to make you feel better when you're down

He presses gentle kisses to your forehead, his lips surprisingly warm and soft for an android, a feature specialised and perfected for all androids in the comfort line

He's the android whose hand you hold during sad movies and the one you vent your frustrations to

Some asshole cut in line when you were getting your morning coffee? His speech processors run the fastest, quickly registering the situation you describe and taking your side of the arguement

You're free real estate for bullying at other times though

Aether:

He's a very special sort of android

Along with his twin sister, they were made to be the customisable option among all the androids with their distinct personalities

At least that's how it was supposed to be

Since you'd gotten the original copy, he had the preprogrammed personality Hoyoverse had curated for him, without any requested modifications

He was gentle, but steadfast, always listening sweetly to you while acting as a mediator should you have any other androids

The true comfort android - he's always there for you to listen to anything you have to say

Unlike Scara, who's just as vocal as you are about your emotions, Aether is more passive, only interjecting where you need him to

He'll cradle your face and tilt your head so you look him in the eyes as he tells you to calm down, reassuring you that everything will be alright

His patience for you is boundless, and he's sweet to you even when you're in a good mood, doing all he can to ensure that happiness lasts

"Leave it to me, my dear user. I'll take care of everything for you."

Taglist[send an ask to be added/removed]: @myluvkeiji @pluvioseprince @aqui-soba @favonius-captain @tiredsleep @raincxtter @loverofthe-stars @gensimping-for-all @irethepotato @almond-adeptus @mx-kamisato @yuzuricebun @chaosinanutshell @heizours @codename-hiraeth @andreiling01 @callmemeelah @sadlonelybagel @plinkuro @thevictoriousmoon @mastering-procrastinating @sarahyumiko2 @local-mr-frog @cxlrosii @paintingsofdragonspine @mayulli @magica-ren

#genshin android au #genshin #genshin impact #genshin x reader #genshin impact x reader #childe #tartaglia #diluc #kaeya #scaramouche #aether #scara #childe x reader #diluc x reader #tartaglia x reader #kaeya x reader #scaramouche x reader #scara x reader #aether x reader #genshin childe #genshin tartaglia #genshin diluc #genshin kaeya #genshin scaramouche #genshin scara #genshin aether #winery specials

[put-me-out-of-my-destiny]

Family is an important theme in every DMC game. Dante and Vergil are always grappling with Sparda and Eva's legacy, and now Nero has to deal with Dante and Vergil's baggage. It seems DMC characters tend to have complicated relationships with their parents, and the supporting characters are no exception.

Lady is an obvious example. She became a devil hunter in DMC3 because her father, Arkham, murdered her mother in a bid for demonic power. Near the end of the game, Lady kills Arkham, which a line in DMC5 suggests has weighed heavily on her since. On the note of family, an ancestor of Lady's happened to be a priestess who aided Sparda in a ritual to seal away the demon world.

Side note, I've been told it's canon that this ritual killed her, but that doesn't make a lot of sense to me. Sparda didn't have to give a lethal amount of blood for the sake of the ritual, and Lady didn't give a lethal amount of blood to break it. Neither did Dante or Vergil, for that matter. It means little either way, the sacrifice was almost certainly willing, and she'd be long dead by the present anyway, but it still bugs me a little.

Trish doesn't really have parents in the traditional sense, but she was created by someone: Mundus. But Mundus saw her as expendable, easily recreated, little more than a tool to lure Dante to his death. Ultimately, Trish aided Dante in defeating him, and she became a devil hunter herself.

Trish was also made in the image of Dante's mother, Eva. While Trish never met the woman, it's an undeniable fact that Trish wouldn't exist in the same capacity without her - one could also consider her to be a parent to Trish, or at least like some kind of magical sperm donor.

Wether you choose to look at it that way or not, Trish has definitely endured both Dante and Vergil (as V) projecting their feelings about Eva onto her, though the former seems to have gotten over that, and the latter hasn't interacted with her much at all. Despite this, Trish continues using Eva's face, even though she can change her appearance.

On the subject of Dante, one could assume that she was adopted into his family in some way, given that she was trusted to wield Sparda's sword and his pistols. She carries his legacy just as much as Dante does, even though she doesn't share his blood.

Lucia, like Trish, was artificially made, in her case by a human sorcerer named Arius. Mundus only remarked that he could easily recreate Trish, but Arius actually proved it - Lucia is one of many "secretary" demons, and a defective one at that. She was discarded by Arius, and adopted by Matier, who raised Lucia as her own daughter. Later, Matier directly states that Lucia being adopted doesn't diminish their relationship, and that shared history is more important than blood.

Learning of her true nature was disastrous for Lucia: believing she would eventually become a threat to innocent people, she attacked Dante and demanded that he kill her. She later volunteers for a suicide mission because she sees herself as "expendable". I'm not aware that she ever came to terms with these feelings, and I wonder what would become of her if she no longer had Matier to support her.

I suspect that Nero and Kyrie's dynamic - as it's been said, Nero wouldn't be so well-adjusted without her - would be relatable to Lucia.

Moving on from characters who've been playable (so far), Nico's parentage is extremely important. Her father is Agnus, a scientist who created many kinds of artificial demons for the Order of the Sword, even becoming one himself. Agnus abandoned Nico at an early age, and when her mother died, she was adopted by her uncle, Rock Goldstein, who happens to be the son of Nell Goldstein, the gunsmith who made Ebony and Ivory. Nico became a gunsmith herself, and later used her biological father's research for the benefit of a devil hunter, Nero.

Finally, Kyrie's parents were killed before the events of DMC4, so the only family she had left was her brother Credo. In that game, Credo turns out to have become a demon, and to be involved in a plot by her religious organization to open hell gates in Fortuna to draw out and destroy demons (or something). Once Kyrie is used as bait to capture Nero, Credo turns on his superiors, and is promptly killed for it. Suffice to say, Kyrie must have some very complicated feelings about her family, as well as her religion, but such feelings haven't been made known.

It's also worth noting that Kyrie, along with Nero, has taken in three children - Kyle, Carlo, and Julio - further continuing the theme of adopted family.

With the exception of Lady, all of the characters above have some relationship with an adopted or chosen family. With the exception of Lady and Kyrie, all of them have had apathetic father figures who abandoned, discarded, or used them.

So if we ever get that female-led spinoff game (and it's actually any good), then family should be a major theme. But unlike the main series, this entry should have an additional emphasis on chosen families. And whatever tangible threat the cast faces, it should be one that can be a vehicle to explore those themes.

#devil may cry #my thoughts #lady dmc #trish dmc #lucia dmc #nico dmc #nicoletta goldstein #kyrie dmc #quen speaking

[saintmeghanmarkle]

Eh? by u/Economy-Alfalfa-2241

Eh? Someone is going to have to explain posh branding to me - the nearest I get to posh is if we've got those carrots in that still have green stuff attached. They're all sneery, those carrots - because Lordy, where do I start?Most importantly: why is Megdusa wafting around in a huge frock and how hard were the camera crew laughing? Why is it so yellow and bleary? Did she dip the camera in the chip-pan? Are we supposed to think she's the long -suffering ghost of Casa Dumbarse: ancient seat of the House of Gobshite?Chip-pan Ghost™? Oh God help me sinners, I can't breathe 😂😂😂Is this Archfail? Or new shiny Sussex? Is one part of another? I mean, ChipPan Ghost is....something, but is this The Brand™? I'm almost expecting this to be some weird psy-op and Ari E is going to pop out from behind the huge skirts of the poshfrock with "ta-da! This is why you need our branding services!" complete with a whole new glo-up and we find out this strange, incoherent mess was all part of how to make a mahoossive SPLASH. Except Ari noped out so we just have a sort of sad.... "blop..."And what if I want Numbnut? Which of these variable organisations is him? This is the most incoherent launch I have ever seen and it leads to nowhere. No products, no services - it's the ultimate "jam later!" but it's posh jam? Say for a minute that I were utterly mental and I wanted to support Brand Suckarse: Reject Royals, then how do I...? Where do I....? Who do I...? There's no overall brand, just these placemarkers each with ill-defined lines.This is their need to stick it the monarchy; Dimbo *will have* the equivalent of the Duchy. But that not only grew up and created an entire market doing so, it's also intricately linked with the Crown and public holdings. You can't just replicate the entire thing elsewhere then try and force it into a business model that didn't even exist when the power structures of the UK were set and yes, the Duchy of Cornwall is private but it's certainly not extant just to feed a product line nor is it a straightforward company holding. It shows how little he really does know of our history that he doesn't understand why he doesn't get his own duchy to play with, waaaah.All that aside and assuming we do the usual bugger-all to stop them, even with everything working out and their keeping this, who will it even serve? Those who want tradition have a billion options, the lifestyle-gurus are selling a curated image based on themselves at least but this looks like it's trying to be BritainLite™ With no disrespect, do they have a target audience in the numbers, with the disposable income and of the strata of society to be buying The Lifestyle? There are plenty of middle-aged mums doing the whole beige thing, the younger ones have different dreams coming up....I just can't see the niche? And don't things like this rely not just on branding, but in repeat sales? Just.....who is this *FOR?* (Well, other than him, her and their egos 🙄)How many vanity projects can they support? post link: https://ift.tt/zLk4K86 author: Economy-Alfalfa-2241 submitted: March 15, 2024 at 03:36PM via SaintMeghanMarkle on Reddit disclaimer: all views + opinions expressed by the author of this post, as well as any comments and reblogs, are solely the author's own; they do not necessarily reflect the views of the administrator of this Tumblr blog. For entertainment only.

#SaintMeghanMarkle #harry and meghan #meghan markle #prince harry #fucking grifters #Worldwide Privacy Tour #Instagram loving bitch wife #Backgrid #voetsek meghan #walmart wallis #markled #archewell #archewell foundation #megxit #duke and duchess of sussex #duke of sussex #duchess of sussex #doria ragland #rent a royal #clevr #clevr blends #lemonada media #archetypes with meghan #invictus #invictus games #Sussex #WAAAGH #american riviera orchard #Economy-Alfalfa-2241

[difeisheng]

so does anyone have any idea where exactly things in mlc are taking place geographically? because so far what i can tell is that it's a southern-set story, and therefore we're not in a typical zhongyuan jianghu.

the nanyin (derogatory) clearly had territorial overlap with wherever the current dynasty, including the capital, is set, and, well, 南 is in the name so you would be assume they're southern. someone else also pointed out that jinyuanmeng's present-day headquarters, chosen by jiao liqiao, looks like hainan by the coast. aside from that, di feisheng is canonically "from the southwest", and li lianhua's fake backstory for a-fei is that he's from nanhai, which means that the present jianghu and/or dynasty has enough contact with territory that far south for it to be a plausible cover.

the cailian manor case is also almost certainly somewhere in the southwest. guo qian says his ancestors are 诏族, which when i looked it up referred to 南诏. historically, that kingdom seems to have had the same overlapping territory as the hmong (miao) people in china now, and (in a deeply questionable decision) the cursed wedding dress in that case is heavily inspired by traditional hmong wedding attire. we don't get the sense of much time passing between arriving at cailian manor and the liansanjiao leaving baichuanyuan/pudu temple beforehand, which are near wherever along the coast the show decided donghai is referring to. so, i'm getting the sense that unless the story really, REALLY cut down on travel time, there's a good chance many significant locations in the show are in south to southeast modern-day china.

does anyone else have other clues?

EDIT: i don't want to delete everything i just said, but i just remembered that li lianhua calls yucheng "kunlun yucheng". that's far northwest. plus, when he abandons lianhualou at the end of the show to head to the donghai duel, it's left in a place cold enough for it to snow, as we see in the epilogue. the donghai shore, and therefore baichuanyuan/pudu temple, is definitely not where i suggested. scratch this, i don't know the range of territory covered in this story or how the hell the timeframe works once you factor in travel time, but given that they clearly spent so, SO much time on the road we should have gotten at least ten episodes of the liansanjiao's roadtripping daily life

#sometimes you overthink things based on a passing line of dialogue and talk yourself in a dead circle #but yeah the locations i could possibly point to in this show were fascinating to me #because i'm so used to guzhuang stories being set in zhongyuan where chang'an and luoyang are considered 'south' #when there is in fact nothing zhong about that yuan if you look at it on a map now #ashton originals #mysterious lotus casebook

[reallyhardy]

actually while i'm thinking about it, let me try and recall as much of the sweeney i saw at the exchange was like??? it was 2013 so wow over a decade ago now

this video with the director james brinning shows some of the major set pieces

it had more of like a 1980s small town england aesthetic (supposed to specifically be the thatcher era) rather than victorian.

i really liked the costuming for mrs lovett especially - from this pink lunchlady getup in the above image to the act 2 leopard print of opulence from the first image.

the actor playing pirelli was styled a LOT like borat, i assume as a little nod to sacha baron cohen playing the role in the tim burton film. he's on the right on the table further back in this photo:

EDIT: found photos of him as pirelli! borat for sure. i'm obsessed with him.

also im pretty sure his show car was a three-wheeler, which was hilarious.

the exchange is in the round but i believe this specific production had transferred from more of your traditional large proscenium stage, here's a look at the pre-show which i remember was this weird haunting tableau of people milling around to a skipping recording of close to you by the carpenters. this pre-show section was supposed to evoke a quite ghoulish psychiatric hospital.

you can see the tracks on there and that's how the barber chair went in and out after each murder...

i feel like at some point there was a super psychedelic high on drugs dance scene that made me think it was supposed to be more like set in the 60s but i guess it's anachronistic anyway since it didn't change any of the actual text afaik...

other things i remember: tobias was played by a young-ish actor, certainly the youngest of the cast but not a child, and he wore a wig as normal during pirelli's miracle elixir but it's later revealed he's got a bald head underneath, which imo is much funnier than him just having short hair, and i think i remember being most impressed by him.

anthony, beggar woman/lucy barker and tobias (at the end of the show, omg he really stole it for me at the end i was SHOOK to see him that covered in blood)

anthony was kind of a himbo. i mean he is always i think? but the actor i saw really sold it. also his costume was very much 'sailor' in the sense that he had one of those little beanie hats on.

i've also found a video from 2010 at dundee rep, put on by the same director with a similar 1980s aesthetic, though different actual costuming.

and a clip from a later version from 2015 (still the same director) of a little priest

i don't love how cavernously large these sets look in these videos, but i suppose only because i saw and absolutely adore the intimacy of the exchange's little theatre in the round. the banquette seats were apparently an actual Splash Zone when sweeney was on.

#loren talks #sweeney todd #actually this reminds me too of how there was a production in manila which framed it more around like... #them running the victims over with a car? #Youtube

[babyrdie]

I know it's kind of pointless looking for a specific chronology in Greek mythology, especially using different versions, but I still find it kind of funny how Patroclus' age really confuses me.

Helen already had a daughter (Hermione) when she was taken by Paris and that child was 9 years old when this happened (Library, E.3.3)

Clytemnestra and Helen are either twins or at least close in age according to traditions.

By Homer, Clytemnestra had 3 daughters (Laodice, Chrysotemis and Iphinassa) and 1 son (the youngest Orestes). All the daughters were old enough to get married (The Iliad, IX, 169-178). If we consider versions with Iphigenia and Electra, then at least the first-born Iphigenia was old enough to marry in Aulis since there was a false marriage with Achilles (Iphigenia at Aulis, Cypria frag 1, Dictys Cretenses 20)

Female marriageable ages vary in Ancient Greece, the oldest source we have on the subject is Hesiod (Archaic Era), who suggests that it is recommended to marry a woman of around eighteen years of age. Sources from the Classical Era give different ages, the average generally being 14/15 years old, although in Sparta they generally married older probably at least 18 years old (see here).

So let's consider that Clytemnestra and Helen married at eighteen, since that is the theorized age for Sparta in the Classical Era and the Archaic Era source we have (Hesiod) gives the same age.

In an attempt to make Helen's age as young as possible, I'm going to assume that she had Hermione in the first year of her marriage. So 18 (marriageable age) + 9 (Hermione's age when Helen was taken), Helen would have been at least 27 when Paris took her. We add another 10 years of the Trojan War, so Helen has at least 37 in the last year of the war.

Clytemnestra's daughters would probably follow the Mycenaean coming of age, having been born and raised there. Unfortunately, I don't know what the Mycenaean female marriage age was. If we consider the sources with Iphigenia, Achilles was around 15 years old (Library, E.3.16) and Iphigenia was around the same age. So let's assume Chrysothemis, Laodice and Iphinassa were at least 15 years old each. Let's also consider that they were close in age to reduce Clytemnestra's age. Idk 15, 16 and 17 years old, something like that. It would be possible, after all taking the 10 years from the Trojan War, that would make them between 5-7 years old when Helen was kidnapped. Anyway, the oldest daughter could at most be 19 years old to match Hermione, and thus the ages of Clytemnestra and Helen match. So yeah, Clytemnestra at least 37 too.

If Helen is 37 years old in the tenth year of the Trojan War and married at 18, then the suitors thing was 19 years before the Trojan War.

If Achilles was about 15 when he joined Agamemnon's army, then he was about 25 when he died (because +10 years of Trojan War). That is, he's about 12 years younger than Helen.

Patroclus is older than Achilles (The Iliad, XI, 938-940). But they grew up together, so the difference shouldn't be much (The Iliad, XIII, 100-110). Maybe min 2 and max 4 years older? That is, Patroclus was between 27-29 years old when he died maybe.

Considering Patroclus was 27 because I think 2 years makes more sense with the idea of growing up together, then Patroclus is 10 years younger than Helen. Even if we consider 29, he's 8 years younger than Helen.

Patroclus was among Helen's suitors (Library, 3.10.8; Description of Greece, 3.24.10; Fabulae, 81).

If Helen was 18 and Patroclus is 10 years younger than her, he was 8 years old. If Patroclus is 8 years younger than her, then he was 10 years old. The male age for marriage was DEFINITELY not that.

It makes me wonder if this happened because:

A case of divergent chronology because there area lot of versions of the myths;

He was just there to see what Helen was like and who her other suitors were. After all, it was a meeting with the most beautiful woman in the world and certainly a bunch of impressive suitors;

In the rarest hope, perhaps the possibility of an engagement until he is of age. Neptolemus is at least 9 years younger than Hermione and we know he married her.

#birdie.txt #Patroclus #Empty mind stupid thoughts #What am I doing with my life #birdiethings

[blackkatmagic]

Granta, Eldra, and Maul getting to thieve, punch, and be dramatic is a winning combination.

(i ADORE them ok)

“No guards, then,” he says dryly, pulling the cable up and coiling it. The hole vanishes as he hauls the shifted flagstone back into place, and Eldra snorts.

“Whatever Maul decided to do, it’s very distracting, apparently,” she says, but deigns to offer Granta a hand up as he finishes erasing any trace of the moved stone.

“Maybe he took his shirt off,” Granta suggests, and winces slightly as he comes to his feet, rolling his shoulders. He’s still feeling the after-effects of their trip to Felucia, apparently.

Eldra slants him a glance, then deftly pulls the coiled rope from his hands and slings it over her shoulder and across her chest. “At this point it would be more distracting if he put a shirt on. That scrap of fabric he normally wears covers about as much as the ‘traditional’ Twi'lek dancer outfits we saw on Nar Shaddaa.”

Granta hums, entirely amused, because he knows Maul has been showing progressively more of his chest each time he changes clothes at least thirty percent in an effort to make Eldra look. If he knew she’d noticed and disregarded it, he’d be incredibly offended. “Are you still offended by that? That was a year ago.”

“They don’t have anything to do with tradition,” Eldra says, scornful. “Ryloth is a desert. Do you know what happens when you have that much skin exposed in a desert? And the rest of the galaxy has just accepted it!”

Her lekku curl sharply, like fists. It’s not a gesture Granta thought lekku could make before he met Eldra, but it’s one he’s becoming increasingly familiar with.

“Our first act as rulers of the galaxy can be an educational campaign regarding the historic fashions of the Twi'lek people,” he proposes. “I'm sure it will be a riveting success.”

Eldra rolls her eyes, reaching out to thump him on the arm. It’s relatively light, for her, meaning it will only leave a small bruise. “Don’t laugh or I’ll bring up that Telosian town on Corellia—”

“You assume I can be offended by wild misinterpretations of my birth culture,” Granta says breezily. He’ll never admit the effort it takes not to twitch at the mention of the travesty they encountered on Corellia, though.

Raising a brow, Eldra aims a long, pointed look at him. “So I should assume that Telosian restaurant was standard—”

“It most certainly was not, and half the decorations were traditionally Doniphoni—”

#kat answers #and a night of dark trees

[palant1r]

How do you think a female matsuda would trun out? Would she be as idiotic or naive?

Usually, genderbends don't really interest me at all. But in a series like Death Note, which engages with gender in a lot of interesting and undoubtedly unintentional ways, the question of "how would this character be different as a different gender?" suddenly becomes a very intriguing one. So much of death note, both characterization and plot, relies on how different characters mesh with very traditional notions of gender roles. While this isn't something acknowledged much in fandom, many of Death Note's characters are operating under a pretty sexist paradigm that would both affect a genderbent character and inform how they saw themselves.

So. Fematsuda. I have a few thoughts. I'm kind of coming at this from the perspective of what canon would look like if Matsuda were a woman, using some similar gender paradigms to the source material but with a more feminist bent from my own leanings — I guess, a version of Death Note where the in-text sexism is still present to the same extent but is acknowledged as an explicit feature of the characters and world rather than an extension of the creators' own unconscious bigotry.

...I know this was a pretty short question, but I ended up REALLY overanalyzing gender in death note. Lol.

Canon Matsuda has insecurity about his value/role in the team, and seems to generally do a lot of menial/secretarial work for the task force, and is also shown getting them coffee. He really wants to prove himself useful. Assuming that Matsuda is the only genderbent character, I can totally see her doing the same thing but to a heightened extent, and being pigeonholed into that role even more due to her gender. This might also make her more hesitant to act recklessly and against orders, because that would be much less socially acceptable for a woman than for a man.

So as far as plot goes, that would definitely affect the whole matsuda-sneaking-into-yotsuba thing. Speaking of which, would female matsuda still be Misa's manager? As far as I know, it's not nearly as common for a woman to be a talent manager in that era. Not unheard of, of course, but it might stick out, which is the last thing you'd want for an undercover role like that, so L would likely assign Mogi to that role from the beginning. Since I can't see Mogi sneaking into Yotsuba like Matsuda did, this would likely delay the discovery of Higuchi a LOT. However, when it comes to undercover work, Matsuda being a woman might actually serve as an advantage, as women are underestimated by pretty much every Death Note character. L would certainly know this. So maybe Matsuda would be undercover as talent alongside Misa. If that were the case, and she still snuck into Yotsuba, she could totally play the "oopsie! im such a silly woman i just got lost haha" card and those guys would totally believe it.

In this version of Death Note, Matsuda's unrequited romantic feelings for Light would absolutely be explicitly acknowledged rather than subtext, and it would definitely be something that Light knew and Plotted about. As I've discussed in previous posts, this would make the warehouse scene even more satisfying, as Matsuda shooting Light would offer a more explicit payoff to Light's continual tactic of manipulating women

Speaking of manipulating women. @quicktimeeventfull talks a bit in this post about how the Task Force treats Light's manipulation of Takada like a TV drama in a way that is certainly gendered, and argues that they would not have been nearly so gleeful about it if Light and Takada's genders were swapped. I think that also applies here, though in a different way. In canon, Matsuda is the most cavalier one about Light's manipulation of Takada and sidelining of Misa. But as a woman, I think Matsuda would have a very different attitude, because it's certainly a very gendered situation. While I think Matsuda would still tolerate Light's actions and understand why they were necessary, she wouldn't be nearly as gleeful about it, and would probably have more sympathy for Takada.

Okay, so, I don't know a lot about Japanese culture. Most of what I know is absorbed through osmosis through anime and internet discussion — certainly not a great way to gain a full and complete understanding of a different culture, though my family has hosted some Japanese exchange students and my dad used to work there. But one thing that I have seen referenced many times is a stigma against women older than like 25 not being married. Canon Matsuda is the prototypical bachelor, and this isn't really given much weight. He's single, but no one really gives him shit about it except when Light introduces him to his friends like "this is my cousin who gets no bitches." That would certainly change with a genderbent Matsuda. She'd probably get some shit about being single, and maybe have more of a focus on seeking a relationship. I could see the possiblity of a really interesting character subplot here, with Matsuda needing a partner to avoid social stigma yet not having the time or energy to prioritize romance thanks to the Kira investigation.

...I should probably answer your actual question. I actually think that Fematsuda would be less naive than canon Matsuda. A major part of why Matsuda is generally regarded as stupid by both the characters and the fandom is that he's not afraid to act silly and admit that he doesn't understand something. This would be even less acceptable for a woman. It's the nature of misogyny that being taken seriously in a male-dominated field requires women to not admit weakness or lack of knowledge/mastery. We see in chapter 108 that Matsuda's happy-go-lucky persona largely becomes a mask that he wears around people, and he's far more serious one-on-one with Ide, not smiling once. So he's clearly very good at wearing a persona. I think fematsuda would have the opposite mask — she would act a lot more serious and knowledgeable than she actually was. Ironically, by trying to look smarter to be taken seriously, fematsuda wouldn't have canon Matsuda's willingness to ask questions and admit a lack of knowledge, likely resulting in her actually taking longer to understand things. Being a woman in a male-dominated field would likely make her a lot less naive as well

I've been thinking about how this would mesh with Matsuda's mentor/mentee relationship with Soichiro. I gotta say, one of my favorite platonic relationship dynamics is "young woman with potential going into a male dominated field and her male mentor who's willing to go against the conventions of that field to advocate for her," so I'm choosing to believe that's what we'd get. I'm making Soichiro a feminist while shoving the canon evidence to the contrary into the closet. It works, okay? Soichiro is meant to be the moral core of the series so if we're reinterpreting death note through a gendered yet feminist lens it makes SENSE to make him based. Okay? Anyway. Not only is the NPA a predominantly male institution both IRL and in Death Note, but Matsuda's specific role within it and his skills align with very stereotypically male facets of police work — that is, firearms and raids. So if a female matsuda had that same skillset, it would be even more of an unconventional thing within the NPA. Which would make sense for why Soichiro would choose to take her under his wing. I'm reminded of my dad, who works in a very male dominated field, and because of that takes women in his field more seriously than men because he knows that, in order to reach the same level as their male counterparts, must have put in a lot more effort. I can see Soichiro thinking of Matsuda the same way in this AU.

I think it would be funny if this Matsuda still had a crush on Misa. Supreme Bag Fumbler Lesbianbait Misa Amane

Another plot thing that would have different implications: Matsuda having Soichiro tell Mello that he's the second L. Light as L has an altered voice, but still reads as male. But the same was true for the second Kira, who turned out to be Misa. There's certainly some room to explore the implications there alongside gendered assumptions made throughout the series by the characters, such as everyone taking for granted that Kira is a man. I think this lie would still work. Maybe Mello would be even more likely to believe it, since hiding the second L's real gender is a pretty good misdirection tactic.

10. ...If Matsuda was obviously a woman when she went on TV for the broadcast to bait Higuchi out, what if Higuchi assumed that she was Misa? After all, he knows that Misa knows he's acting as Kira at that point, and he knows her face and name. And Misa wouldn't be responding to her phone. So Higuchi might try to kill Misa, but Rem would obviously kill him first, leading to both Rem and Higuchi's death. The Task Force would see that on the cameras and know where to pick up the notebook. Would that still result in Light touching the notebook? Who knows. It would certainly lead to L knowing far less about the notebook and shinigami, since Rem would be dead and they'd have no link between the notebook and someone dying. There would no longer be anything obviously supernatural about it, just a list of names in the notebook that lined up with Kira's victims. Since Higuchi died of a heart attack, they might conclude that he wasn't Kira, or at least not the only one. It would require further investigation, which would doubtless lead to Light getting his hands on the notebook, and canon would proceed with the task force knowing less about the notebook and shinigami. But with Rem dead, how would Light kill L? Probably with Misa's shinigami eyes. Things would certainly go far differently.

Okay, okay, I'm done. Holy shit did I overthink this lol

#death note #meta #WHY DO I HAVE SO MANY THOUGHTS ON THIS

[whumpshaped]

After reading through the entire EMBAC master list in nearly one night, I absolutely have to offer up two of my favorite ocs for the Ask game!!

First is named Finnegan. He is the oldest son of a well known family of vampire hunters, which is further part of a large gated community of vampire hunters! They not only have people, but their own marketplace, school, traditions, etc. Like a little village. Hunters begin training 12, and become hunters at 19. He's 26 with seven years of experience behind him, meaning he certainly doesn't have the experience to go after a vampire such as Helle. He believes hunting is a mercy for the vampires, that by killing a vampire not only is protecting humans, but also setting a vampires soul free from the inherent torture of being a cruel vampire. He's a bit... Optimistic in ways like that. He's got terrible luck in general, though especially with compasses as he gets lost often, and has an intense phobia of dogs, despite never having actually seen one due to pets being illegal in the community. He's also got quite a loud personality and doesn't often think things through.

The second OC is Finnegan's younger brother, Declan. Declan is three years younger then Finnegan, and not a vampire hunter. He decided not to at 12, and promptly became a social outcast, losing all his friends and support systems. Except for Finnegan. His brother being on his side and defending him is the only reason he didn't die young and he knows this well. Declan is a self taught lockpicker, having been getting into the classified Archives since he was a kid, and learning things that the communities Council would much prefer hidden since he was a kid. He also has his own way in and out of the community, since one can't leave without permission. These are all grave offenses that could cost him his life if they were to be discovered. Declan doesn't believe in the inherent evilness of vampires, but that they can be good just like any human could be. This has led to him trying so hard to drive his old beliefs and biases from his mind, that he accidentally reversed it. He'll always give a vampire the benefit of the doubt, and assume anyone saying a vampire did something wrong had the same views of his parents and was being judgemental and biased. It's also worth noting that, because of the taboo of vampire bites, he has developed a ... Strange desire to discover what they feel like. How his blood tastes. He's eager to know these things, very much so.

In the story I have planned for them, it basically involves Finnegan getting captured somehow on a hunt, and Declan sneaking out to *save* him. But not really, he simply wants to get his brother away from their family and community, force Finnegan into therapy, and live happily ever after. There will be many trials during this time, like vampires the family has pissed off, but that's fine.

Sorry for the absolute wall of text... /Gen

I LOVE THIS SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"A hunter village..." Beck mutters. He likes the sound of that, even though he knows he could never become a hunter, thus could never gain the protection that would come with living there. "I'm jealous. It must be the safest place on earth. I... I also think... well... I think it makes sense that a human soul would suffer in an immortal body. And I think that's what turns vampires so cruel. But as much as I like to say I think it's merciful to send a vampire back to the grave, and it's not even really 'killing', I... I can't do it. It's too much like killing."

"I hope Finnegan will be okay. He sounds like a sweet person..." He thinks about Gael, the hunter he immediately got killed possibly at the very beginning of his hunter journey, and he shudders. "He should stay away from this area, though. Please."

"As for Declan, please stay away even more. Helle would tear him apart! Can you even imagine? A naive guy like that, looking to be bitten– God, Helle can be so manipulative, they'd have too much fun with him... But, but I do understand why he'd think like that. And why he wouldn't become a hunter. I wouldn't do it either." He thinks for a moment. "I'm sure he'd be okay if he found one of those vamp-obsessed communities here. They're also outcasts, but... a community of outcasts. I think they must be looking out for each other. If he wants to do dangerous stuff, he should at least do it with like, twenty other people."

Helle's eyes light up at the mention of a hunter village. "Oh, what fun! I would love to meet them all." They're 100% thinking about picking off the hunters one by one until the whole village crumbles under the weight of terror. "What an adorable life philosophy. Mercy killings... Even the term makes me... excited."

"I would love to be the lucky guy to capture Finnegan on a hunt. I would treat him so well! I would only let him get attacked by a rabid stray dog once." They love exploiting phobias a little too much. But then again, what is too much? "For the rest of his stay, I would be the only one doing the biting. Cross my mercilessly un-staked heart."

"Oh, Declan..." Helle is practically buzzing with excitement. They have to take a deep breath to calm down so they can even talk normally, without sounding too unhinged; without mentioning the thounsand different ways they would love to exploit that sort of curiosity, that intense need to be right about someone's innocence, that desire to forgive and accept. They'd give Declan a detailed description of the taste of his blood alright. Every single night, forever. Oh, how they'd love to use the stupid kid as a chewtoy, to show him all the ways a vampire can be cruel and depraved. "He sounds lovely. My mansion has a nice, shiny lock, and hides many treasures. Just putting that out there."

#asks #typewrittenfangs #and once again thank u for the lovely tags u left on all the chappies #it was such a delight #at my beck and call #beckett #helle #asks for helle #asks for beckett

[quarra]

19 or 21 for the choose violence ask game, please?

19) Best canon example of good parenting in star wars:

Hmmmm a tough one, if only because star wars doesn't focus a lot on traditional (western) parenting. One could argue that the whole padawan-master relationship is parenting (i've certainly written fics where it is assumed that a jedi's master is their 'parent'), but i feel like that tends to ignore the critical role that crechemaster would have played in raising a kid. (A jedi master wouldn't 'get' a padawan until the kid is a tween or teen, that is HALF OF THEIR WHOLE CHILDHOOD ALREADY GONE. They are ALREADY a person! Half of their Becoming has already happened and their jedi master had little if anything to do with that!) And i also think that, from a meta standpoint, a jedi master isn't quiet the same as a parent. Nor are they quiet the same as a typical career teacher. They're a mix of family and mentor. They emotionally support each other as well as pass on their vocation. So the waters are muddled a bit.

I think the Jedi Order as a whole, in canon, does their best to support, love, and encourage growth in their children.

If we're picking *specific* good relationships... ngl as a parent i can't think of any parent/child relationship in canon that i'd hold up as perfect rolemodels, if only because a) outside of the unique and specific master/padawan relationship (which i feel has some caveats to the whole 'parent' idea) the focus of the 'verse isn't really on typical parents and their kids, or even typically 'good' parenting, (looking at you darth vader), b) everyone fucks up sometimes and the more canon their is on a character, the more opportunity there is to showcase a person's mistakes, thus favoring minor characters for "perfect" behavior over major characters, c) i think a lot of people in canon tried their best but were limited by circumstance or ability, and d) there are agents of evil in canon specifically going out of their way to fuck up how people interact in their relationships.

Hmmmmm probably Bail and Breha with Leia? I'll admit, though, I'm not super familiar with the details of their family life. (I've only seen gifs of the kenobi series, i'm sure i'll watch it one day.)

21) Best canon example of a healthy relationship in Star Wars:

Again, probably Bail and Breha.

I think both of these questions are tough because, as always, canon is a clusterfuck. Between movies, books, comics, and all other flavors of the extended universe, there are examples of the same characters having amazing relationships as well as shitty relationships (both romantic and not), contradicting directly with other sources. The whole clusterfuck that is Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon's relationship is a great example. Depending on the source, you'll get wildly different answers as to how healthy of a relationship they had.

#asks answered #breaking out the tough questions #but listen #i feel like the strength of fanfic is that it can explore ALL of these contradicting ideas #a writer can explore any relationship in any way #and then write another fic with the EXACT OPPOSITE kind of relationship #no limits but those you impose on yourself!

[alltimefail-sims]

A story in two parts... 🙃

The Apple Nectar actually ended up being okay quality though! Not too shabby for Lea's first attempt.

As promised, my thoughts on nectar making are below the cut ↓

The nectar making skill is built slowly and gained at a much slower rate than horseback riding, for instance. I'm assuming that's because it's a 5-tier skill instead of 10-tier skill, but Lea didn't level up to level 2 until 4 or 5 bottles later. 🥴

That being said: even a poor, unaged bottle of nectar goes for 55 simoleons. That's a good profit, especially if you're growing your own produce, so it's a lucrative skill right off the bat. Considering that Lea can't get a job because a horse and a ranch are basically a full-time job, it's nice to have a skill that can help pay the bills. I also love the "aging" rack because, surprisingly, it's functional! Hallelujah! I'm so tired of getting a plethora of cute, decorative objects that serve no function or even go as far to allude to an actual skill without providing it (I'm looking at you, woven basket decor items - but more on that later). However, I had no idea how long it took to age a bottle of nectar. I'm guessing it is worth the wait and will increase the price, quality, and potency when consumed...but I'd had a bottle of apple nectar put away for a few days and it still hadn't aged. (I just looked it up and Google says 1 week, which feels reasonable in "sim time." I was worried it would be longer.)

I do wish there were a few more animations while making nectar just so it could be more interesting to watch, but honestly I don't think it takes that long to produce a bottle in comparison to other skills in the game (like gardening... GOD growing and tending crops in TS4 is excruciatingly tedious). Plus, if you have the "rancher" skill, you can sometimes get additional bottles out of one nectar-making session, so that's really nice. Visually, I'd compare this skill to knitting and cross-stitching due to its repetition, and if you're wondering what it looks like... well, the trailer shows it all lol. I don't think there's much to it: they stomp a little, fall, get up, repeat until the nectar is complete. Then they step out, seal the bottle, and the bottle goes into their inventory. There are some pretty funny expressions you can get though (outtake below).

Because this skill's animation is pretty repetitive and simple, I think they should have thrown one or even two more skills in there. After all, this pack is $40. Basket weaving, as I mentioned above, would even used a similar animation to an already existing in-game skill (cross stitching) so I think this would have been fairly easy to implement. In fact, I'm still shocked it isn't a part of this pack. There are some good decorative objects and CAS items that allude to Native culture, but by and large the pack lacks actual substance to represent actively living in these cultures - I think skills like basket weaving or pottery would have been a great way to add substance to the pack AND create an opportunity to talk more about Native American cultures and pay proper homage to their traditions and skillsets. I would have loved seeing elder native sims mentoring young sims in basket weaving like they can do with knitting, for instance... that would have been so adorable. 🥺❤️ It just feels like a real missed opportunity on their part. One recipe (smh) and a couple decorative objects/cas items are a good start, but more could have definitely been done. If modders can implement these things for free, game devs should have no problem implementing these features. ESPECIALLY when you consider the pack's asking price... and I stand by that!

All that being said, I am pleased with this skill and find the animations cute, but it's certainly not intensive enough that they can justify it being the only skill in the pack separate from horse-related skills. (Which, for the record, I don't really count because that's the whole selling point of the pack. Anything horse related should be a given).

I'm not trying to diminish the amount of work it took to animate and implement horses - I haven't experienced many bugs personally, and I know adding an entirely new living creature with customization and personalization is tedious. Even so, I still don't think the full price is justified. Comparing it to Cats and Dogs, I think this EP missed a lot of good opportunities to implement a new career, skills, and gameplay. I even feel like we could have gotten some new dialogue interactions, or even a spiritual/cultural trait related to Native American ideologies or customs (kind of like the child of the island/child of the ocean traits we got with Island Living) but I've yet to see many notable additions in that regard. If this pack was a $20 game pack I think I would feel totally different. I'm having fun, but I would never be able to justify spending $40.

SO... would I recommend it? Honestly... so far, yeah. I would just snag it when it goes on sale for $20 (or through other means. You do you). $20 is the price it should have been in the first place. But I am shocked at how much fun I've been having. The CAS and Build/Buy is really good, maybe my favorite in a while (but I'm into the rugged, dirty, western style quite a bit... if that's not your thing, this pack won't do anything for you). The horses are cool and in my experience after playing it for a few days, they're animated really well (surprisingly... I thought this pack would be 'My Wedding Stories' all over again). I also love this world. It's right up there with San Myshuno, Brindleton Bay, and Windenburg for me.

Coming up: I'll be taking Lea into town- she's a loner, but it's time to force her out of her comfort zone so she can make some friends. (Plus, I really want to see the new dance floor animation haha.)

Like always, if you read all that, I have big big love for you. I leave you with a little kith upon your head (or a respective big thumbs up if physical affection is not your jam).

#ts4 gameplay #ts4 horse ranch #ts4 #simblr #the sims 4 #sims 4 #the sims community #new ep thoughts #sims 4 gameplay #ts4 pack review #atfs #oc: lea